Gus Fring comes to Bing “Breaking Bad” star talks about his career, SEE PAGE 4.
PIPE DREAM Tuesday, November 25, 2014 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXVI, Issue 22
Students brave the cold for homelessness Dorm residents face winter elements to experience life in poverty Michelle Kraidman Contributing Writer
University promises to offer exercise options, more healthy foods
Instead of the warm Hinman College dorms, students slept on the Quad in cardboard boxes on Friday night to see what life is like for the less fortunate. From 7 p.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. on Saturday, students camped out in 20-degree weather as a part of the program “Sleep Out.” The event was a collaboration between two Hinman resident assistants and the Rescue Mission, an organization which houses homeless men and women while trying to connect them with permanent homes. Dan Sieburg, the chief programs officer of the Rescue Mission, said he has been reaching out to college students for the past five years. He said educating students is key in the fight against homelessness. “College students are the next generation of donors,” Sieburg said. “They’re the next generation of volunteers. They can help change the perception of homelessness and help change the
See SLEEP Page 2
BU pledges changes to fight obesity Zachary Wingate Contributing Writer
Neil Seejoor/Contributing Photographer
Dan Sieburg, the chief programs officer of the Rescue Mission, speaks to a group of students on the Quad in Hinman College. From 7 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, students slept in cardboard boxes as part of the program “Sleep Out,” an event organized by two Hinman College RAs and the Rescue Mission.
Binghamton University has teamed up with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to promote changes on campus that encourage healthy lifestyle practices for students. The announcement was made at the 142nd Annual Meeting and Exposition held by the American Public Health Association (APHA) in New Orleans on Nov. 16. Binghamton’s is one of the nearly 100 partnerships PHA has made with colleges and universities and corporations such as Sodexo and Walmart. PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that aims to fight against
See PHA Page 2
Art experts take a close look at forgery Gap year offers lessons out Museum officials describe strategies, history of fake works Alexis Hatcher
Contributing Writer Saturday afternoon, faculty and students gathered in the Fine Arts Building to learn how to catch an art forger. Four art experts discussed the history of art forgery and how to differentiate between an authentic work of art and a fake. William Voelkle, curator at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City and a member of Binghamton University’s class of 1961, focused on the Spanish Forger, a famous unidentified master forger who worked from the late 1800s to early 1900s. Because of his fame, the forgeries themselves became both popular and valuable. “There were two auction houses each
selling work by the Spanish Forger,” Voelkle said. “One was being sold as a genuine 15th-century piece, the other one was being sold as by the Spanish Forger. Which one do you think got more? The Spanish Forger.” The potential for making hundreds of thousands of dollars is what drives these forgers, according to Patrick McGrady, curator of the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State University and BU alumnus from the class of 1992. He said the sheer mass of fake artwork is enormous. “The fakes out there on the market actually exceeded the number of legitimate works for sale,” McGrady said. “Think for just a moment what this means. You’re in the market for just the right Nina Kogan to hang over your sofa in the living room. Chances are better
than 50/50 that you’ll be going home with a fake.” McGrady said that a major strategy for forgers is to create copies of lesser known artists. “The smarter ones do that, and it takes longer to catch them,” McGrady said. “Your longevity is almost guaranteed by going at that lower tier and still being diligent in your forgery. They do second tier and third tier artists all the time.” These attempts at imitation often require a lot of work, according to Betty Krulik, an art appraiser. Krulik discussed the techniques forgers use in order to make their art look authentic, such as making the work look older than it really is. This could include faking the
See ART Page 2
Researcher looks into unseen causes of suicide Aliona Tsypes looks at underlying causes of the mental illness Zachary Wingate Contributing Writer
Duncan McInnes/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer
Pictured: Aliona Tsypes, graduate from CUNY Hunter College with a BA in psychology. Tsypes is researching the underlying causes of suicide and possible ways it can be prevented.
Suicide claims twice as many lives as homicide each year, and it is the leading cause of death in people aged 18-29, according to Binghamton University’s Mood Disorders Institute. Doctoral candidate Aliona Tsypes is looking for new ways to study the factors that cause suicide, and possibly save lives. Although most suicide research is based on information given by those who have attempted to end their own lives, one graduate student at BU is looking to take a more proactive approach to such studies. Tsypes, a doctoral student studying clinical psychology, argues that these “self-reports” are only one angle of a complicated issue, and is researching the neural and cognitive responses in the brain that affect suicidal thoughts.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions in suicide research and there really is a lack of more objective data,” Tsypes said. “We’re just trying to get the bigger picture of a really complex behavior.” Tsypes graduated from CUNY Hunter College with a BA in psychology. Before coming to BU, she worked at the New York State Psychiatric Institute in Columbia University Medical Center, working on a project evaluating the effectiveness of suicide prevention hotlines. After receiving the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship in 2013, she came to BU with her research proposal to analyze aspects of suicide previously not studied, which was recently approved by the University’s Institutional Review Board. “I’m more interested in what’s happening in their brain, their attention,
See RESEARCH Page 2
of the classroom, says panel
Raquel Panitz/Pipe Dream Photographer
A panel of former BU students share their experiences during the event “Take a Year On.” Rachel Jones, an English professor, discussed how she chose to understand international education by traveling abroad and teaching in South Korea instead.
Alumni discuss personal experiences with post-grad travels around world Rachel Stearns
Contributing Writer After years of college, Rachel Jones was burned out. She had completed her bachelor’s degree, her master’s degree and taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Although her parents had ideas of her going on to complete a doctorate and become an English teacher, she needed a break. But Jones, an English professor and a doctoral candidate at Binghamton University, didn’t rest. She traveled abroad and went to work, eventually coming to love education again. “Teaching English in South Korea helped me figure out what I wanted to do,” Jones said. “I really didn’t want to get my Ph.D., I wanted to go back to Korea and teach in Korea forever.” Jones shared her experience Friday in the Old University Union as part of a panel in “Take a Year On,” which featured BU alumni who shared their experiences taking time off to travel abroad and in the
United States after graduating college. “Take a Year On” is a program run through the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) and Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) which helps undergraduates plan their postgraduate future. Wren Fritsky, organizer of the event and a career consultant at the CCPD, led the discussion by asking panelists about their decisions to take time off after graduation, where they went and what advice they had for younger students. “We want to encourage understanding and opportunities of international education and broaden everyone’s horizon for global issues,” Fritsky said. All the former students on the panel said it benefited them to take a break, and in some cases the life changes helped them acquire jobs they may not have acquired. Jones said that her time after graduation gave her professional perspective. “I did learn what I [wanted] to do,”
See YEAR Page 2
2
NEWS
www.bupipedream.com | November 25, 2014
In suicide Museum officials explore the history, effects of forgery research, a focus on daily life ART continued from Page 1
RESEARCH continued from Page 1 how they act in daily life, how they respond to emotion, how they sleep,” Tsypes said. “Because all of these things have been linked to suicide.” Her research plan includes recruiting 60 people from the greater Binghamton area through Craigslist and previous studies of this nature. Twenty of them will have a history of depression but no suicide attempts, while another 20 will have a history of depression and have previous suicide attempts. The final 20 people will be the control group with no history of depression or suicide. After conducting an initial diagnostic interview to examine a subject’s history of self-harm and asking the subjects to fill out questionnaires about their daily life, Tsypes will monitor a subject’s response during performed tasks in lab sessions using a variety of methods that analyze cognitive responses. Methods include showing each subject pictures of emotional faces on a computer screen and examining the reactions and shifts in attention, using a head monitor to record brain activity and an eye tracker to examine what a subject is looking at. Tsypes also said she plans to observe the sleep patterns of subjects with an actigraph, a watchlike sensor designed to record sleep cycles, movement and light exposure. “The person doesn’t necessarily know what type of cognitive process is responsible for their inability to find effective solutions to problem solving,” Tsypes said. “So we’re trying to integrate that and get a better understanding of attention, emotional response and how they go together.” Brandon Gibb, the director of BU’s Mood Disorders Institute and Tsypes’ adviser, said her research will provide a better understanding of how different facets of daily life increase the risk of self-harm. “Rather than studying each of these factors in isolation, her research will give us a better sense of how they operate together to increase risk,” Gibb said. By having a better understanding of the brain and body in relation to suicide, Tsypes hopes that her research will help benefit the treatment of people who attempt suicide. “The goal is to have a more personalized treatment based on what information we get and how those things work for each person,” Tsypes said.
I'm more interested in what's happening in their brain, their attention, how they act in daily life — Aliona Tsypes BU grad student
Klara Rusinko/Contributing Photographer
Patrick McGrady, curator of the Palmer Museum of Art, talks about how art forgeries have surpassed the amount of “legitimate works” on the market. He discussed techniques that art forgers now use to make their work look more authentic than the originals themselves.
cracking that naturally occurs on materials due to temperature changes, and using tea staining on paper in an attempt to imitate actual aging. Experts often test the paintings for certain types of pigments, like those used by Spanish Forger. A lot of forgers will use pigments that are too modern to have existed during the period the original painter was alive, like arsenic and titanium white, which was only available after 1920. Sometimes forgers will also attempt to make a canvas look aged, but the area underneath the canvas’s stretcher will be too white. This event was sponsored by the Kenneth C. Lindsay Study Room Fund, which had originally been used to create the study gallery in honor of Lindsay’s passing, but had extra money left from the gallery
renovation process. Lindsay was an art history professor and taught a class that focused on fakes and forgeries. “We had more money and were able to do this program with that money on a topic that was close to his heart,” said Diane Butler, director of the BU Art Museum. “We do have a couple pieces in our education collection that we know are fakes. They are very useful for comparing to another one that is authentic.” Lynn Schmidt, a first-year graduate student studying organic chemistry, was drawn to the event because of her undergraduate minor in medieval studies. “I wanted to see exactly how they were able to detect the forgeries,” Schmidt said. “I knew the science of it. I didn’t know the full extent economically, I could never imagine the potentially billion dollar industry that it was.”
BU signs national pledge to fight obesity, promote healthy diet PHA continued from Page 1 childhood obesity and encourage healthier habits for young adults and kids. First Lady Michelle Obama serves as an honorary chairman of PHA, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is one of the vice-chairmen. According to BU’s B-Healthy Initiative, the University has agreed to a total of 23 changes by joining this initiative. Changes include implementing a local food procurement program and offering at least five fruits and five vegetable choices in dining halls. In addition, every platform serving meat must also offer a plant-based alternative. BU will also provide registered nutritionists, who will
offer personal assessments of nutrition and healthy lifestyle counseling. It will also offer outdoor recreational equipment for rent and create a two-mile walking route around campus. According to Elly Spinweber, director of communications and marketing for PHA, the PHA started the Healthier Campus Initiative to get colleges across the country to build more physical activity and health foodfriendly environments. “For many students, college is a time when new habits are formed,” Spinweber said. “By creating healthier food and physical activity environment today, campuses and universities are encouraging healthier habits that will carry over into tomorrow.”
Cindy Cowden, associate director of Campus Recreation, said that joining the PHA will benefit both the students and the University. “If we can help break down the barriers to students making the best possible healthrelated choices, we are all that much closer to an outcome that includes students that are healthier, happier and academically successful,” Cowden said. According to Spinweber, most students are not eating healthily or getting enough physical activity. With the new changes, students will have the ability to make better choices for their health. Kristina Klimek, a junior majoring in environmental
studies, has been working with the Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions (I.D.E.A.S.) Binghamton chapter to promote local food initiatives on campus. Klimek said that joining the partnership is a move in the right direction. “Promotion is definitely a good first step, but it’s up to people to take that and apply it to their lives,” Klimek said. “It will only be effective if people really want change.” BU offers many programs that focus on health and wellness, but changes will be made to meet the new guidelines. According to Cowden, while Campus Recreation offers a number of free classes and activities, under the new guidelines they will
2012 CDC FACT SHEET: 69% of adults over 20 were overweight 35% of adults over 20 were obese Over 33% of children and adolescents were overweight need to add “How To” courses to educate students. “We are confident we can achieve, if not exceed, these programming guidelines in the future,” Cowden said. “The Initiative is working to generate an identity that creates an awareness of the abundance of healthier living options available to the University community.”
On cardboard, students weather cold Panel discusses benefits of
taking post-grad gap year
SLEEP continued from Page 1 perception of who homeless people are and what their issues and barriers are.” The Rescue Mission reached out to Binghamton University for help with raising awareness for homelessness, and Hinman RAs Claire Gilroy, a junior majoring in biology, and Ciaran Slattery, a junior majoring in computer science, got involved. The organization has also contacted Syracuse University and Ithaca College, all of which have local Rescue Missions. “Whether students came for 15 minutes or braved the cold for 11 hours, [they] have a new perspective and know more about homelessness,” Gilroy said. “We had many students come and go throughout the night. By 6 a.m., when we closed up shop and went inside, we had about 15 students still outside.” The event, part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, began with speakers who informed students about the history of homelessness. Sieburg explained that homeless people are often subjected to unfair negative stigmas and are often victims of circumstance. “They may be homeless, but there’s something deeper there,”
YEAR continued from Page 1
Neil Seejoor/Contributing Photographer
Clare Gilroy, a junior majoring in biology and a Hinman College RA who organized “Sleep Out,” stands on the Quad in Hinman in front of sleeping supplies. The Rescue Mission reached out to Binghamton University for help with raising awareness of homelessness.
Sieburg said. “There are some mental health issues, there may be drug and alcohol addiction issues but something happened in that person’s life. They experienced a level of trauma that they have never been able to work through.” Participants stayed warm by huddling around flaming trash cans and sipping on hot coffee provided at the event. Many students brought blankets and dressed in layers to stay warm through the night. Donald Rock, an undeclared freshman, thought it would be interesting to see how homeless people live and said the event was successful in raising awareness.
“People now have a better idea what homeless people go through,” Rock said. Gilroy and Slattery are RAs for the public service floor in Hinman College, a floor whose residents are interested in social activism and volunteering. “We’re hoping for a long-term goal,” Slattery said. “Short-term, which is also really good, is like bringing people to soup kitchens. Long-term is getting people to come out to the event and stay for the night, and just increase how much empathy they have towards this. Then later on down the road they’re much more receptive to going out and doing their own projects.”
Jones said. “It helped me realize and focus my energies on what I wanted to do.” Sarah Lister, a 2012 alumna who majored in economics and spent six months with an AmeriCorps volunteer unit, advised students to take a close look at any programs they apply for. “What I would recommend to you is, if you are thinking of applying to any of these shortterm commitments do your research because the application process is extensive,” Lister said. Kristina Bilello, a senior majoring in Chinese, said that the panelists made her feel more
confident about going abroad. “Attending this panel fortified my want to take a year off and got rid of some of the fears I had about studying abroad,” Bilello said. The event made working and traveling abroad more tangible, according to Annie Dailey, a senior majoring in art and design. “It’s not as intimidating knowing that these people have done a year abroad and that they were still able to find careers or get into graduate school,” Dailey said. “When I came here, I was on the precipice between taking a year off or going right off to graduate school, but now I’m leaning towards taking a year off and going abroad.”
Classifieds Triple Cities Ski Club SKI SALE /SWAP Discounted Lift Tickets Sunday, Nov 23, 2014, 10am-3:30pm, Brother’s 2 Banquet Facility, 2901 Watson Blvd, Endwell, NY 13760 See www.TCSCweb.com DOWNTOWN AND WESTSIDE. APARTMENTS, LOFTS AND HOUSES. LOTS OF OFF-STREET PARKING. FREE WASHERS/DRYERS. CLOSE TO BUS LINES, DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTLIFE. CALL JOSH SOON!!! 607316-3411 Safe Affordable Quality Smart As always 1 bedroom apts up to 5 bedrooms student housing. A BU alumni family Call or email Chad 19178818319 Chadfaro@yahoo.com Campus Square is offering furnished 2bed 2bath apartments for $500/bed. Indoor basketball, fitness center, computer lab, free shuttle, 100 Albert St. (607) 797-1017 Nineveh Presbyterian Church is seeking a temporary replacement organist until April, 2015. Please call Joan Hacker at (607) 693 2064 for details
PAGE III Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515
Pipe Line
Monday, Bloody Monday
Fall 2014
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY NEWS
editor-in-ChieF* Rachel Bluth editor@bupipedream.com
UVA suspends fraternal activities amid probe The University of Virginia on Saturday suspended activities in all campus fraternal organizations amid an investigation into a published report in which a student described being sexually assaulted by seven men at a fraternity in 2012. President Teresa Sullivan said in a letter to the university community that the Board of Visitors is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the allegations contained in a Rolling Stone article, along with the university’s policies and procedures concerning sexual assaults. Groups of students, faculty, alumni and others will be asked to hold similar discussions. Sullivan said the suspension of all fraternal groups is effective until Jan. 9. She also has asked Charlottesville police to investigate the alleged rape at the Phi Kappa Psi house. The fraternity has voluntarily surrendered its fraternal agreement with the university. On Friday, Attorney General Mark Herring said the university agreed to withdraw its appointment of former federal judge and prosecutor Mark Filip as independent counsel to investigate how the school responds to rape allegations. In college, Filip was a member of Phi Kappa Psi. Sullivan had said the Rolling Stone article includes details that weren’t disclosed to university officials previously. New Jersey looks at ‘yes means yes’ college policy A new proposal in New Jersey makes it the latest state moving to require college campuses to define when “yes means yes” in an effort to stem the tide of sexual assaults. Whether the policy will reduce assaults remains unclear, but states and universities across the United States are under pressure to change how they handle rape allegations. California adopted a similar measure in August, and New York’s governor directed the State University of New York system to implement a similar standard. New Hampshire lawmakers are also considering it. Supporters and critics agree the measure could encourage students to talk openly and clearly about sex and that a culture of “yes means yes” — an affirmative agreement compared with the “no means no” refrain of previous decades — could help address the issue of campus sex assaults. But skeptics of the policy raise questions — many of which have yet to be settled because the standard is new and it is unclear how many cases have been subjected to the standard — about whether it offers enough protections to the accuser and accused alike.
NATIONAL NEWS Grand jury won’t indict Ferguson cop in shooting A grand jury has decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown, the unarmed, black 18-year-old whose fatal shooting sparked weeks of sometimes-violent protests. St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch announced the decision Monday evening. A grand jury of nine whites and three blacks had been meeting weekly since Aug. 20 to consider evidence. At least nine votes would have been required to indict Wilson. The panel met in secret, a standard practice for such proceedings. The Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation into possible civil rights violations that could result in federal charges. The department also has launched a broad probe into the Ferguson Police Department, looking for patterns of discrimination. The Aug. 9 shooting inflamed tensions in the predominantly black St. Louis suburb that is patrolled by an overwhelmingly white police force. As Brown’s body lay for hours in the center of a residential street, an angry crowd of onlookers gathered. Como Zoo in St. Paul reports death of baby gorilla The Como Zoo reported that the gorilla born on Wednesday died on Monday. The baby was originally reported to have been doing well, but staff reported having difficulty accurately recording the baby’s feeding regimen. Alice, the mother, would hold the baby to her chest out of sight of the zookeepers. The Zoo said in a statement that the baby’s health seemed to be failing starting on Sunday morning. This was the first gorilla birth the zoo had seen since it started housing large primates 55 years ago.
FAx: 607-777-2600 Web: www.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 Neil Seejoor/Contributing Photographer
The resident assistants of Hinman College gathered in the Hughes Hall Main Lounge for their event “We Want Your Blood.” The event sought to teach “everything there is to know about blood,” including reasons to donate blood, different blood types and their medical implications, as well as misconceptions about donation and blood-borne diseases.
sPorts editor* Ashley Purdy sports@bupipedream.com Asst. sPorts editors Jeff Twitty E.Jay Zarett Fun PAge editor* Ben Moosher fun@bupipedream.com
Police Watch A lighter take on campus crime Aaron Berkowitz | Police Correspondent
Phone Home … Eventually FRIDAY, NOV. 21, 7:16 p.m. — Officers responded to Delaware Hall in Newing College for a larceny report, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The victim, a 19-year-old male, reportedly left his phone either in his bedroom or in his bathroom when he left the room for a while earlier in the day. When the victim returned, he noticed that his phone was missing. He used a tracking app and saw that his phone was located at Walmart. The victim sent a message to the phone asking the person who took it to return it. The phone was reportedly shut off after that. The victim contacted the University Police Department after he reported the phone stolen to report that he received a message giving the victim information on where to meet to receive his phone. Iron and Steal SUNDAY, NOV. 23, 1:53 p.m. — An unidentified male was reportedly the victim of larceny in the East Gym, Reilly said. The suspect placed his jacket which contained various keys in its pocket on a bench in the locker room and went to the workout area. When he arrived back at the locker room later in the day, he noticed that the jacket was gone. The jacket is worth around $100. The case is still under investigation.
Urine Trouble SUNDAY, NOV. 23, 2:54 a.m. — Officers on patrol noticed a 21-year-old male urinating on and near the mailboxes in front of the Old University Union, Reilly said. The officers approached the suspect. The suspect then told the officers that urinating on the mailbox was a bad idea. The suspect was let off with a warning. Fast and Furious: Binghamton Drift SUNDAY, NOV. 23, 12:54 a.m. — Officers on patrol on Glenn G. Bartle Drive noticed three cars reportedly racing, Reilly said. One car passed another at 50 mph in a 25 mph zone and they turned onto Vestal Parkway and proceeded to race there. The officers pulled over one of the vehicles and asked for the driver’s license and registration. The driver, a 19-yearold male, gave them his information and the officers smelled alcohol inside his car. The driver also appeared to have red, glassy eyes. The officers attempted to perform a standard field sobriety test but the suspect seemed to purposefully not follow their instructions. The officers asked the suspect to perform a Breathalyzer test and he refused twice, first stating that his lawyer advised him against ever taking one and then saying that the mouthpiece looked dirty even though it was a new mouthpiece. The suspect was arrested for drinking under the age of 21 and was transported to the station. The suspect refused the Breathalyzer test they asked for at the station. The suspect was given appearance tickets returnable to City of Binghamton Court.
design MAnAger* Emma Siegel design@bupipedream.com design Assts. Corey Futterman John Linitz Photo editor* Franz Lino photo@bupipedream.com Asst. Photo editor Tycho McManus editoriAl Artists Miriam Geiger Paige Gittelman CoPy desk ChieF* Emily Howard copy@bupipedream.com Asst. CoPy desk ChieF Paul Palumbo leAd Web develoPer* William Sanders developer@bupipedream.com neWsrooM teChnology* William Sanders tech@bupipedream.com
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.
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-inChief Rachel Bluth at editor@bupipedream.com. stabilizing:thanksgiving break
“It sounds relatively harmless. It comes up, and it goes down. But it’s not water. It’s a toxic brew. It has sewage in it. It has all sorts of runoff in it and it does tremendous damage with whatever it hits.” — Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on seven feet of melting snow in Buffalo.
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. Organizational (i.e. student group) affiliations are to be disclosed and may be noted at Pipe Dream’s discretion. Anonymous submissions are not accepted. 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.
last minute breaking news:destabilizing
RELEASE Arts & Culture
Get inspired by a drug lord—sort of Franz Lino/Photo Editor Giancarlo Esposito, best known for playing Gustavo “Gus” Fring in AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” speaks in the Anderson Center Friday evening. Esposito came to Binghamton University to inspire students with a lecture on his path to stardom.
Giancarlo Esposito talks 'Breaking Bad,' acting and losing your dreams to reach them Chloe Rehfield | Staff Writer If a villainous drug lord gave you advice, would you listen? Maybe not, but you might listen to the successful actor who played him. Giancarlo Esposito pushed open the doors to the Anderson Center’s Chamber Hall and strutted up the stairs to the stage, his face beaming beneath a pork pie hat. The crowd went wild. Esposito, best known for playing duplicitous kingpin Gustavo “Gus” Fring in AMC’s award-winning drama “Breaking Bad,” came to Binghamton University on Friday evening to inspire students with a pep talk-like lecture on his journey to reaching stardom. The actor, who was upbeat with a loose sense of humor — much unlike the stoic Gus Fring — laid out the ups and downs of his acting career, from acting in plays in his youth to his most recent projects as a director. But first,
he gave the audience the allusion they were waiting for. “There’s a meth lab in the basement,” Esposito joked. Esposito’s parents, who were performers, exposed him to the industry at a young age. Esposito said he felt lucky that he found his calling early in life, and that when asked, “Is this truly what you want?” he confidently thought, “Yes, this is truly what I want. This is what makes me happy.” He called himself a creative artist, a public speaker and a teacher. Esposito spoke to students about finding a passion, making connections and not losing sight of dreams. He gave the audience trite advice to pursue whatever would make them happy, but the advice came with a twist: He told them to detach themselves from the dream. With the detachment would come greater opportunity for success. “There are all these little paths that we need to try out,” Esposito said.
Bring it all back to Bing: What you left at home The 2 weeks after Thanksgiving requires some serious packing Kayla Harris and Erin Rosenblum | Contributing Writers In a city where the department store of choice is Boscov’s, there’s not much to buy. And while we love Binghamton in all of its quaint glory, some things are just better purchased at home. Thanksgiving break is the ideal time to have your parents pay for the things you’ll need for the rest of the semester — here’s a list of things to snag while you’re under their roof. Frat Jacket — Despite the freezing Binghamton weather that plagues this half of the semester, girls continue to wear their smallest clothes when they go out. Bringing a jacket along becomes an annoying necessity. We are faced with the conflict of freezing or having to hold our down-filled puffy jackets while being pushed around in Tom & Marty’s, or stashing them in a coat room at Venue where they become anyone’s for the taking. Black Friday is the perfect time to score a cheap winter jacket, one reserved for going out that you don’t care about losing or ruining on bar floors. Holiday decorations — Feeling festive? Why not get in the holiday spirit and bring back some decorations for your bedroom? Nothing says “I’m not stressed about finals” like some Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling or a menorah perched in the window. While you’re at it, throw some mistletoe above your doorway just for kicks. Who knows, maybe staying up all night studying will help you get lucky. K-Cups and energy drinks — Thanksgiving break celebrates two things:
tryptophan overdoses and the last five days of freedom before the start of finals. Yay? Some might suggest using this time to start preparing. Others prefer a little R&R. No matter your choice, just be sure to bring back some caffeine with you after Thanksgiving. Long, sleepless nights spent cooped up in Bartle are simply unavoidable. SantaCon outfit — Binghamton’s second annual SantaCon is scheduled for Dec. 6, the weekend we get back. Use Black Friday deals and the access to malls other than Oakdale as a chance to pick up something special to wear for the occasion. We suggest festive sweaters, printed socks, red lipstick for the ladies and, of course, a Santa hat. Hand and foot warmers — You know those little disposable hand warmers you rub together to make your fingers really warm? Well, those are the solution to our problems, my friends. Instead of wasting money on a space heater for those cold Binghamton nights, invest in some hand warmers that are much cheaper and easier to use. They’re perfect for sticking in gloves while walking to class. If you bring these nifty items back with you from home, you won’t regret it. Leftovers — While it’s not a purchase, bringing back Thanksgiving leftovers means pumpkin pie in your dorm room, which I think we can all agree is a good thing. After living off of College-in-the-Woods burritos and a $20 allowance for groceries, home cooking is more than a luxury — it is a necessity.
“There’s a reason that they’re there.” A person sticking to just one road, according to Esposito, would remain ignorant of a world full of other possibilities — ones that could make for a happier lifestyle. “Each and every one of you has a calling, even if you don’t know what that is yet,” Esposito said. To notice the things and people around them, Esposito suggested that the crowd take a break from work and technology. He said that it’s hard to stay grounded in a generation where news travels immediately and things are constantly changing. But when focused on neither time nor money, a person can stay in control of chasing after goals and consistently meet more people and take bigger steps to achieve those goals. Esposito listed the things he’s currently working on to improve both his acting career and his personal life. “There are two things that are hard for me: I can’t admit that I’m wrong.
And I can’t say, ‘I don’t know,’” Esposito said. He said he was impatient and would often need to take deep breaths or meditate to get back in touch with his inner core, which would clear his thoughts and also snap him back into character if acting in a scene. While playing Gus Fring, Esposito said he would always need to stay focused to believably portray his villainous character, and was consistently impressed by co-worker Bryan Cranston, who could easily switch modes between playing the monstrous, meth-making family man Walter White to being funny and sarcastic as he is in real life. Esposito filled his lecture with other anecdotes. For him, the most entertaining moment behind the scenes of “Breaking Bad” was when Aaron Paul, who played Walter White’s protege Jesse Pinkman, ran around his office dressed up in a Los Pollos Hermanos chicken suit. Of course, the entire crowd giggled
when Esposito uttered the words “Los Pollos Hermanos” in his infamous Fring-like solemn voice. Following the talk, a handful of students were able to ask Esposito questions. He discussed the show’s production and delved into deeper questions regarding race and pursuing a career in a predominantly white industry. Esposito said that there is no separation between a “black Hollywood” and a white one, and it’s easier for any actor to fill a part regardless of race: He’s currently directing a film based on true events where he plays the protagonist, a man who was white in real life. With a powerful voice, energetic demeanor and a contagious laugh, Esposito hopefully succeeded in inspiring the 250 attendees, and the students who listened to the talk walked out of the lecture with a newfound sense of assertiveness, not afraid to dream big.
Send friends money in a snap Snapchat's new feature lets you transfer funds fast Rich Kersting | Release The world is becoming increasingly digital. Friendships, music and even television shows have all begun uploading into cyberspace. As of late, payment options have become more versatile, with the ability now to send friends, family and loan sharks money from the convenience of an app. Most recently, Snapchat joined the ranks of mobile payment services, teaming up with Square, Inc., the mobile payment service behind the popular credit card reader, to offer Snapcash, a new feature that allows users to send money to their friends via Snapchat. App users were surprised last
Photo Provided by Snapchat
week by an overzealous and overthe-top promotional video from teamsnapchat, delivering a glamorized overview of Snapcash. The video offers the following advice through song: “Hit the dollar sign, and you’ll be feeling fine. Put in your debit card, to get Snapcash online.” Amidst the fanfare and the tap dancing, it’s easy to become enthralled by the pulls of Snapchat’s marketing team as the video’s corporate undertones slowly weasel their way into your brain. By the end of the number, my fingers were itching to make it rain digitally on all of my friends. On the whole, the process is simple and fits well within Snapchat’s existing infrastructure. Instead of allocating a whole new screen, Snapcash exists within the recently added chat window. Within a chat, typing a dollar amount will turn the standard “Send” button into a dollar button. Pressing the dollar button allows you to send the designated amount to whoever you’re chatting with at that time. Alternatively, you can enter three dollar signs into the chat box and click the dollar button, which opens the “swipe-to-send” screen. Essentially a “make-it-rain” mini game, swiping up on the screen with three fingers increases the dollar amount sent by a single dollar per swipe. Before accessing either of these modes, however, the user must agree to Snapcash terms, and link their account to a credit or debit card. The recipient has 24 hours to claim the
money, which also requires them to link their card, before it’s refunded to the sender. However, once the money is sent, there is no way to cancel the transaction. The validity of Snapcash’s security should definitely be the first question on everybody’s mind, as Snapchat has come under fire in the past when people discovered that the app never actually deletes the vanishing photos. The security it had purported to offer was, in fact, just an illusion. Few thought Snapchat was a secure app to begin with, and now it’s asking people to trust the app with their credit card information? In essence, it’s taking mobile money transfers out of their secure contexts, and transplanting them into the same app you use to send nude pics to “bae.” Notwithstanding the potential dangers of hacking, the feature’s only saving grace is its partnership with Square. For some time now, Snapchat has refused to sell out to several companies offering to buy the app, opting instead to continue developing the app on their own. With Snapcash, this could be just the change Snapchat needs to transform its simple picture messaging service into a multifunctional social networking platform. As the world begins to accept mobile money transfers, Snapcash offers the functionality of popular money transfer apps like Venmo and Google Wallet, without the hassle of downloading another app.
5
RELEASE
November 25, 2014 | www.bupipedream.com
Marching to his own beat—and mixing it, too DJ Jared Frazer is measures more than meets the eye Jonathan Ortiz | Contributing Writer If you want a glimpse into the mind of Jared Frazer, just take a step into his bedroom. Every corner has something unique to get lost in: hand-drawn art, posters riddled with psychedelic patterns and a Grateful Dead tapestry draped from his ceiling like a kaleidoscopic dream cloud. Take a step into a venue he is spinning at, however, and you’ll be in for more than a mere glimpse. Frazer goes by Jizzy Fra on stage. He’s an up-and-coming DJ with a trippy, “bass-in-your-face” style. One set made an appearance at Forever Glow III: FutureHype where Frazer opened up for Bro Safari. “That Bro Safari show was really fun,” said Frazer, a senior majoring in English. “It had the most effort put into production and it turned out to be my biggest crowd yet.” While a skilled DJ’s ability to get a crowd moving is appreciable, it takes a diversely talented musician to make a genuine impact on the industry. For the past four years, Frazer has honed his skills as a DJ, but within the past two he has started producing his own music, striving to make his mark shine bright within the music community. “I feel it’s very important to understand why the music you listen to sounds good,” Frazer said. “I make that effort because I want to make music that’s different. I want people to hear
my stuff and say ‘Whoa!’ and to know that’s Jizzy Fra.” That effort is resulting in real progress for Frazer’s career — the young producer has announced the release of his first EP, and Release was there to get you guys the first word. On Dec. 1, Frazer will be dropping a selfdescribed “saucy” set of tracks that will put your subwoofer to the test. “Whoa!” is an understatement when it comes to the material Frazer produces. His tracks are spacey and bass-heavy, riddled with rhythmic harmonies that make your head knock and low frequency mindfucks that — well, you get the point. While on the topic, “MindFck” is a collaborative piece composed by Jizzy Fra and LUZCID, another New York-based producer. You can check it out on Frazer’s SoundCloud account. As much as that track takes listeners for a wild ride, Frazer has a deep attachment to another one of his singles, titled “feels, bruh.,” which will make an appearance on his EP. “That’s a track that has been a favorite of mine for a while because of how I associate with it,” Frazer said. “I made it in one day and only stopped once, and that was to eat a meal with my parents which was nice. My friends love it too. I feel like they’ve taken the most out of that track.” Frazer acknowledges that his contributions and success in the music community do not place him above other emerging DJs or producers. Instead,
Jizzy Fra has assimilated himself into an eclectic network of producer friends that exchange, influence and critique each other’s music as a way to advance their talents collectively. Jimi Hendrix claimed music as his religion; what better way to strengthen the faith than through community? “Making music is really cool because it’s a hobby, but it’s way more than that,” Frazer said. “It has brought a lot of people into my life that all contribute to diversifying my taste. Don’t be a dick to people. This can be applied to life as well as the music community, but you can learn something from everyone you come across.” Aside from spinning and producing, Frazer exercises his passion for music by attending live shows. A self-proclaimed “basshead” (a title reserved for those who eat, breathe and think in the lowend womps produced by Bassnectar), Frazer admires artists who break down the distance between themselves and the audience. What’s next? For Frazer, it’s music or nothing. Momentum is building, and there’s no need to squash the Jizzy Fra hype anytime soon. “I definitely want to do something in the music business,” Frazer said. “If I can make music for the rest of my life that would be a dream come true. There’s going to be a lot of new opportunities for me next year. I’ve got a lot of things planned.” Tamar Ashdot-Bari/Contributing Photographer Jared Frazer, a senior majoring in English, otherwise known as “Jizzy Fra” poses on the Spine. Frazer is set to drop a set of “saucy” tracks on Dec. 1.
Volunteer as tribute to go see 'Mockingjay' The actors are the real winners in the newest 'Hunger Games' movie
Photo Provided by The Associated Press
Jami Ganz | Contributing Writer The most recent “Hunger Games” isn’t playing around. In fact, it doesn’t have any games at all. Instead of another fight to the death, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1” centers on a political revolution within Suzanne Collins’ fictional world of Panem. Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) rebellious acts in the Quarter Quell during “Catching Fire” (the second film adaptation) sparked the rebellion. She and her surviving allies are currently adjusting to life in District 13, a place rumored nonexistent, as they prepare to fight the Capitol for independence of all 13 districts. Despite its well-executed storytelling, “Mockingjay” tends to suffer from its literary basis, dragging at the beginning and toward the middle. Unlike its predecessors, “Mockingjay” relies on an intellectually provocative story line rather than one that is action-based. That isn’t to say that the film lacks action, but it’s confined to settings less interesting or aesthetically diverse than the battle arenas in the first two movies. Furthermore, the politics of the plot are simple enough to be comprehended by 13-year-olds, and together those two factors make it difficult for the movie to sustain interest
throughout its two-hour running time. As always, Lawrence’s award-winning acting was on point, even if the writing for Katniss wasn’t. In the first two films, Katniss reeked of fierce independence and perseverance, no matter what horrors she’d seen. This rendition of her was reminiscent of Bella Swan’s complete deterioration in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” after Edward took leave. The “Girl on Fire” is constantly screaming out for and throwing fits about Peeta, thinking not only that he was dead, but that she’s responsible. It’s a bit more intense than just being dumped by your ancient bloodthirsty boyfriend who lacks the depth of an inflatable kiddie pool. Unlike the majority of “teen flicks,” the newest “Hunger Games,” just as with the first and second, holds quite a few feathers in its cap with its critically acclaimed allstar cast, many of whom have either won or been nominated for multiple Oscars. The stand-out newcomers include President Alma Coin, played by Julianne Moore, and “Game of Thrones’” Natalie Dormer, as Cressida. Our classic favorites shine just as brightly: Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman for whom the film is dedicated), the sadistic President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and, of course, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson).
What a Binghamton Break offers Not everyone can go home over Thanksgiving Amber Weinstock | Contributing Writer It’s the end of November, and for Binghamton University students, that means it’s time to go home, take out the turkey, violate your diet by stuffing yourself ‘till you explode and, most importantly, spend time with family and friends. However, not all students are going home this Thanksgiving break, so to those who are: You have something to be very thankful about. So how does one spend their Thanksgiving in Binghamton of all places? For those who dread this week of family time and romanticize having no school, no parents and the Triple Cities available at your whim, there’s little to do on campus, and it’s easy to get bored. Even if you wanted a Sodexo Thanksgiving, it turns out that on the day of Thanksgiving, all dining services on campus are indeed closed. In fact, everything is closed for the whole Thanksgiving weekend except for the Hinman Café/C-Store which is open starting Friday, Nov. 28 at very limited times. For the full Thanksgiving schedule, check out Sodexo’s website. Nonetheless, students are finding ways to cope with the limited food supply and the lack of traditional Thanksgiving familial bonding, with some arranging “Friendsgiving”
dinners. Having a potluck is a great way to not have to buy or make a lot of food and still eat like a king. “I’m just going to hang out and relax with friends,” said Ilana BenEzra, a first-year graduate student studying history. “We’re probably going to have dinner together on Thanksgiving.” The good thing about staying in Binghamton for students is that they won’t have to spend hours traveling back and forth. Plus, the main focus for students going home isn’t to get work done; they’ll be so busy socializing and eating turkey. But of course, all work and no play can make for a pretty dull weekend. It’s particularly difficult for international students, who can find it difficult to go home during the week and have little to do on an abandoned campus. Not to worry — since last year, a new Binghamton tradition has come about. “Last year, I started a traditional event dinner for international students and others who are staying on campus, with the help of Sodexo,” said Gabriel Valencia, a sophomore majoring in biology. “We are also combining students from BCC into one big Thanksgiving dinner to help students adjust and mingle.” Staying on campus during the holiday is hard, but doable if you have people around you going through the
FOLLOW US ON
same thing. “It’s hard to be away from family and friends especially when they’re putting pictures up online,” Valencia said. If you are a student who is staying in Binghamton over the break, you can catch the new “Hunger Games” movie in theaters, go for a relaxing hike in the Nature Preserve or just reflect on what you’re thankful for. After all, that’s what the holiday is really about.
Having a potluck is a great way to not have to buy or make a lot of food and still eat like a king.
BUPIPEDREAM
@BuPipeDream
Stay up to date on all news in Binghamton including sports, entertainment, news, on-campus events, and much more. Follow us, and never miss a moment.
follow us
OPINION Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The Price of Prestige
Cuba embargo long past expiration date Stephanie Izquieta Contributing Columnist
T
he University of California Board of Regents voted last Thursday to gradually increase in-state tuition by 27.6 percent over the next five years, bringing the cost of tuition to $15,560, according to the New York Times. Out-of-state students face a $10,000 tuition hike, bringing the cost of attendance to about $45,000 a year. Janet Napolitano, the president of the university system, claims these hikes are necessary for the UC system to remain “competitive” in the wake of budget cuts. Fortunately for Binghamton University students, SUNY tuition is relatively affordable for in- and out-of-state students alike. To prevent steep tuition hikes, the SUNY Board of Trustees and state policymakers must keep a frugal eye on expansion of facilities and services. Binghamton University enrollment is expected to increase to 20,000 students by 2020. Such an expansion would provide more students the opportunity to receive an affordable education. It would also be a means of increasing the University’s prestige. However, in an effort to expand, Binghamton and other SUNY campuses
should be careful not to prioritize prestige over affordability for students. Napolitano cited pay increases, retirement costs and admittance of more students as the primary reasons the UC system required more state funding. We cannot allow our University to suffer a similar fate. As we expand, we must keep an eye on the possible ramifications. If enrollment increases to the point at which the burden of its costs falls directly on to students, such a policy would do more harm than good. It’s no secret that the cost of college tuition is increasing exponentially in our country. The decision by the UC Board of Regents is particularly disturbing because of the system’s many parallels to SUNY, and the situation hits a little close to home. Second to only the UC system, SUNY is the largest state university system in the country with a total enrollment of
418,000 students. Like the UC system, SUNY relies heavily on state revenue. While California appropriates $2.64 billion toward its university system, the 2015-2016 budget projects that New York will provide SUNY with more than $4.2 billion in funding. State funding cuts towards the UC system came in response to a $12 billion budget shortfall, a result of economic downturn and political infighting. New York is projected to end this fiscal year with a budget surplus of more than $6.2 billion. The SUNY system is secure — for now. There is no way to predict that this economic prosperity will continue in years to come or that newly elected political leaders will value the affordability of education. Safeguards against tuition hikes and contingency plans need to be instituted before crises emerge.
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.
Stop censoring Cosby's victims Esmeralda Murray Columnist
“Bill Cosby rape.” Comedian Hannibal Buress once told us to Google said phrase during his now-viral stand-up show, and we did. Not only did people scramble to the Internet to dredge up past reports, but in recent weeks more women came forward, accusing Cosby of taking advantage of them in strikingly similar ways. Some observers remain speculative, however — if these incidents occurred ages ago, why didn’t the victims speak out sooner? The truth is that victims have been speaking out — some for years, others for decades. We just haven’t been listening. The title of Barbara Bowman’s op-ed for the Washington Post speaks volumes, presenting us with a question that demands for careful deliberation, all the while possessing a glaring, almost-obvious answer: “Bill Cosby raped me. Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?” Cosby is, arguably, one of the most talented comedians of our time. “The Cosby Show” was revolutionary, paving the way for both the progression of the contemporary sitcom and black television as a whole. His depiction of a loving, quirky family man transcended the television
screen and weaved its way into our hearts, winning over young and old alike with its light humor and relatability. When mentioning the allegations to my mother and my roommate — 46 and 21 years old, respectively — I was greeted with the same exclamation in the same indignant tone: “Bill Cosby? No way!” We coalesce celebrity status with the possession of pristine, untouchable personas. We associate artistic success with elevated moral character. It is difficult for us to equate Bill Cosby with the words “rape” and “molestation” because we’ve spent the past few decades associating him with monikers like “America’s television dad” or “one of the greatest comedians alive.” To introduce a new sobriquet — criminal — would mean tarnishing the image that so many Americans have grown to love. Cosby is an advocate who gives motivational speeches around the country and encourages black youth to take responsibility — there’s no way that someone like him could commit rape, and with such a frequency, right? Wrong. Pushing Cosby’s allegations to the sidelines is the reason that victims often decline to come forward — the fact that celebrities have power. They know people. They possess avid followings. This narrative — women afraid to speak out due to societal pressure and widespread denial — continuously rears its head with every emerging claim. We’ve heard these very
We associate artistic success with elevated moral character
words from Cosby’s victims: “Hey, this guy knows a lot of big guys.” “I was afraid of the consequences.” “Who’s gonna believe this? He was a powerful man.” Imagine your assailant being loved by many, protected by his prestige and affluence. Imagine attempting to share your story and being met with doubt and suspicion because the person you are accusing is well regarded by the media and public. When asked why her daughter initially kept hush, Bowman’s mother delivered seven curt, straightforward words that detailed three decades of humiliation, self-hatred and eventual healing: “He was Dr. Huxtable. Everybody loved him.” Let us cease relating Cosby to solely his art. Let us view him as the man he actually is, lest we continue this vicious cycle of censored victims and safeguarded stars. It’s been 30 years, but it’s time to talk about these women’s stories. Let’s start believing. — Murray is an undeclared sophomore
The United States first placed an embargo on Cuba in 1960 and since then it has remained one of the longest standing trade freezes in the world. “El bloqueo” or “the blockade” was issued as an executive order by the Kennedy Administration in response to the the confiscation of American property under Fidel Castro’s communist regime. The embargo is a Cold War relic that has not achieved its intended goals. It’s time to reel in our big stick diplomacy and lift the embargo for good. In some ways the embargo became a staple of American foreign policy, reaffirming the United States’ hardline not-in-my-backyard approach toward communism. In an attempt to change the course of Cuban government and improve its human rights record, the U.S. imposed economic, commercial and financial sanctions. However, five decades later, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars spent enforcing the embargo, Cuba against all odds remains a communist country. For years, the Castro regime used the embargo as a scapegoat for its country’s shortcomings. But a lot has changed in Cuba since the 1960s. In 2008, Fidel Castro stepped down and abdicated power to his brother, Raul. Since then, the Cuban government has implemented many changes including 300 economic reforms designed to encourage enterprise and the lifting of property restrictions. Cuban citizens can now travel abroad without permission from their government. While reforms do not excuse Cuba of political oppression and human rights violations, these changes are a step in the right direction. Yet, in September, President
Obama renewed the embargo against Cuba. Proponents of the embargo argue that Cuba has not met the U.S. conditions for lifting the embargo. They claim Cuba remains a one-party system and a gross violator of human rights. Embargo advocates stress the need to avoid backing down without concessions, as compromise is a sign of weakness. These arguments do not hold water. Throughout its diplomatic history, the U.S. has established diplomatic ties with one-party states and rarely needed “democracy” as a requirement to trade. The overwhelming international consensus is that the embargo is counterproductive at best, vindictive at worst. This year marks the United Nations’ 23rd attempt to end the embargo since 1992. Only two member countries continue to support the embargo, the U.S. and its ally Israel. Pressure to end the embargo has further heightened in light of Cuba’s role in the Ebola crisis. While the U.S. and several other wealthy countries pledged money, only Cuba and a few nongovernmental organizations offered to deploy medical professionals to the front lines of the pandemic. Even potential presidential candidate Hillary Clinton disagrees with the current American policy. In an interview at the Council on Foreign Relations Clinton said, “I think we should — we should advocate for the end of the embargo.” The pace of reform in Cuba has been slow. The government is still authoritarian and willing to detain dissidents, but it has made strides in showing the world that it’s ready for a post-embargo era. The White House is hesitant, but the Obama Administration cannot squander the opportunity to act on one of the most consequential foreign policy dilemmas facing our country. —Izquieta is a senior majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Law
University must cull deer to protect student health Ryan Ginsburg Guest Columnist
President Stenger, I am writing to you because I am concerned by the failure of the administration to respond to the severe overpopulation of deer on the Binghamton University campus. There have been many peer-reviewed studies that conclusively indicate that at deer population levels lower than those that we have on campus, there will very likely be a large increase of deer ticks. In this area, 30 percent of deer ticks are known to be carriers of Lyme disease. Here at BU we enjoy a very high degree of integration with the surrounding natural environment. The natural areas on campus serve as an incredible resource for both recreation and experiential education opportunities. Unfortunately, in light of the recent influx of deer and deer ticks, natural areas have become hazardous to student health and safety as well as potential sources of serious liability. The spread of Lyme disease, car accidents and damage to the property in surrounding areas all result from an overabundance of deer. Aside from students and faculty being put in danger, the most concerning aspect of this situation is the University’s failure to act to address this situation. Even worse, there has been a marked lack of information made accessible to students, faculty and staff. Relevant information could include the official stance of the administration on the issue, how it plans to address the issue and, perhaps most importantly, the appropriate safety measures that individuals should take to protect themselves in between now
and when the administration is able to effectively address the issue. There are many potential solutions to a problem like this one: relocation, sterilization, hunting, culling. But in this case, given the degree of the overpopulation, the constant presence of students in the direct vicinity and the widespread starvation and dramatically low quality of life that the deer experience, the only feasible solution is to substantially cull the deer. This would entail hiring a private company, such as the one led by a former marine sniper with a Ph.D. in wildlife biology, to painlessly and mercifully end the lives of 90 percent of the deer. The usable portions of the deceased deer would be donated to local charities. The University has a duty to protect the health and wellness of its populations. Given the nature of this University’s campus, the risk of contracting Lyme disease is high. As a result of the University’s failure to address this problem sooner, the opportunity to take less extreme measures to address this problem has long passed. I sincerely hope that you and the administration will be able to come to a consensus that does not compromise campus culture or a considerable draw for prospective students while maintaining a reasonable level of safety on campus. It is with shame and despondency that I inform you that even if the University takes immediate action and abates the future effects of this issue, there may already be enough damage for legal charges to be successfully brought against it. To avoid another situation like this one in the future, please consider the overwhelming scientific consensus presented to you. Sincerely, respectfully and regretfully, Ryan Ginsburg —Ginsburg is a senior majoring in environmental policy and law
7
FUN
www.bupipedream.com | November 25, 2014
Fun.
RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
46 Let go 32 In the thick of DOWN 47 Appended 1 Central Illinois city 34 Colorado native 49 Mideast neighbor 35 Apathetic 2 Penthouse view, of 3-Down gesture perhaps 51 Veal cuts 3 Mideast neighbor 38 Be of __: aid 54 Delivery 39 Parts of lbs. of 49-Down specialist, briefly 40 For some time 4 Chocolate type 55 WWII sub 41 Horseshoes 5 City on the Rio 56 __ au vin scores Grande 60 “Hey, over here!” 42 Tooth tissue 6 Closely 62 Spying org. 45 Irish pub monitored hosp. 64 Washington’s bill features? area 7 “On Golden ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: Pond” Oscar winner 8 Comedian Smirnoff 9 Zeus’ daughter 10 Numerical prefix 11 A, B or C, e.g. 12 Old TV series with a scuba-diving hero 16 Puts on, as a show 18 Slalom curve 22 Old copy machine 26 Mezzo Marilyn 27 A, B or C, e.g. 29 Showman Ziegfeld 03/18/09 xwordeditor@aol.com
ACROSS 1 High-speed PC option 4 Put on a pedestal 9 Off-road rides, briefly 13 Just make, with “out” 14 Foil maker 15 Sits in judgment of 17 “Blade Runner” film genre 19 Try to strike 20 “Northern Exposure” setting 21 Common cathedral feature 23 “Now I get it!” 24 Kipper holders 25 Barbershop collectible 28 Game based on crazy eights 29 Egg __ yung 30 Leatherneck 31 Kidney-related 33 Trojan horse, e.g. 36 Dwellers under tiny hills 37 Oregon volcano 40 Actor __ Ray known for macho roles 43 Crystal gazer 44 Gridiron VIP, slangily 48 Hot dog 50 Battleship letters 52 Cincinnati player 53 Doesn’t give in 56 Hard of heart 57 Bank acct. entry 58 Lynda Bird’s married name 59 Orbital extreme 61 Olympus rival 63 This puzzle’s title 65 Banks a.k.a. “Mr. Cub” 66 Rebs’ foes 67 Teresa’s “that” 68 Flippered mammal 69 H-bomb trial, e.g. 70 D.C. VIP
Ear n 3 credits over semester break!
By Ed Sessa (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
03/18/09
Session Runs Dec. 15, 2014 Jan. 9, 2015
o
n a i l a te It
n e m ral
Natu
G N I TUR
FEA
a, pizz sta, y n l a - rea ade p and e hom t steaks s, e grea en dish nd k chic tarian a s n e veg r optio e kosh bar n r e d ials & - mo c e p ay, nk s - dri day, frid t h s thur day nig r id satu et la e y , r le sca osphe p u m k at c a b
W O SH
Genesee Community College is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution
R U O Y ID L A V Y N U S
Get TIPS alcohol service & intervention training certified. Get NYS Responsible Vendor certified.
&VE ID ECIE
For more information, contact: SUNY Broome Admissions (607) 778-5001
R
%! 0 1 A UNT O
ON
DISC
usic d m t a rate e e r p g o d& d& e n - ow bu gra by a y il fam T
REE T S LY IN A 10 60 7 M 3 . 1 FRO MI 5 E L, NY 1 N 3 2 127 L 0 M U E 5 D CA TES DW 50 ~ 78 N 17 IREC E A MP WE TIO WA -37 5 NS ST, 8 7 US Y EX : IT 6 ! 9
SPORTS
WRESTLING
Tighe places first in NYS Championship see bupipedream.com/sports
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
BU falls to Albany in AE semis Rodriguez breaks out over weekend After rough start to season, frosh erupts for 38 points in two games Ashley Purdy Sports Editor
Michael Contegni/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer
Sophomore outside hitter Allison Hovie recorded her 10th double-double of the season in BU’s AE semifinals loss to Albany on Friday. She earned All-Tournament honors through her performance.
Binghamton ends season with four-set loss to Great Danes E.Jay Zarett
Assistant Sports Editor Before Friday, the Binghamton volleyball team’s last appearance in the America East postseason tournament was in 2012. That year, the Bearcats (9-20, 7-5 America East) captured the conference championship, sweeping Albany, 3-0, to take the crown. This season, the third-seeded Great Danes (11-17, 8-6 AE) proved a more formidable opponent. They dismantled second-seeded BU in four sets to open tournament play, ending Binghamton’s season. “We started off slow,” BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. “It was the first time [in the tournament] for a lot of them — maybe they were a little bit nervous. As the match went on, they got a little bit better and we played pretty competitive in the last two games of the match and gave them a good battle.” The Bearcats faltered early in the match. Failing to hold a lead in the first set, BU fell behind, 103, and showed no ability to recover.
The Great Danes combined for a hitting percentage of .277 in the period and ran away with the set, 25-16. BU also struggled on offense in the second set, compiling a hitting percentage of just .083. That inefficacy doomed the Bearcats, who headed into the break trailing by two sets. “We really weren’t in sync,” Kiriyama said. “The setters and the hitters weren’t connecting well. Albany had some strong hitters and we knew that coming in and they were tough to stop. We fell behind early and really didn’t get into it until later in the match.” The Bearcats didn’t go down without a fight. They played one of their best sets of the season in the third stanza, hitting at a matchhigh clip of .389 and connecting on 15 kills while committing only three kill errors. Propelled by a tremendous 14-4 run in the middle of the period — sparked by two early kills from sophomore outside hitter Allison Hovie — the Bearcats were victorious, 25-15. But BU could not sustain the
momentum generated by the save. The two teams battled in the fourth, alternating points along the way. With the score tied at 22, Albany connected for three straight points, winning the set and sending the Bearcats home empty-handed. “We served a lot better [in the last two sets] which made it tougher on their hitters to get quality sets, which helped our defense out quite a bit,” Kiriyama said. “I thought we started connecting better with our hitters and Allie [Hovie] started going and [freshman middle hitter] Alexis LaGoy had a decent match. Unfortunately we couldn’t get everyone going. It was a tough match. But as tough as it was, we were right there at the end.” Hovie recorded her tenth double-double of the season, finishing the match with 16 kills and 17 digs. LaGoy recorded 11 kills, two service aces while hitting at a team high .346 clip. Hovie, who was named AE First-Team AllConference this season, and LaGoy, the AE Rookie of the Year, were two of the Bearcats top offensive weapons this season.
“It is nice knowing that we have Allison and Alexis back [next year],” Kiriyama said. “They have been very steady throughout the year and their hitting percentage and hitting efficiency shows that. They will be our leaders in the years to come here.” Senior setter Amanda Dettmann, one of only three Bearcats in program history to record over 4,000 career assists, dished out 37 dimes during the contest to add to her already impressive career. Senior outside hitter Kristin Hovie contributed 10 kills against Albany to close out her time in green and white. Those two, along with senior defensive specialist Alexa Zbytniewski, saw their tenure as Bearcats come to an end with the defeat. “They have been three very important pieces to our team this year and past years,” Kiriyama said. “Their leadership will be the most glaring thing that will lose … they have done a lot for our program and we are just glad we’ve had the chance to have them on our team the last few years.”
Women's basketball falls, 89-71, to Xavier Watkins scores 19, earns second straight AE Rookie of the Week award Orlaith McCaffrey Contributing Writer
For a program picked to finish last in the America East, the Binghamton women’s basketball team looked impressive against Big East-member Xavier on Saturday night. Even with a roster of just eight active players, the Bearcats (1-3) put up a fight against top-notch competition. Ultimately, however, BU came up short and fell, 89-71. BU’s freshmen backcourt continued its solid start to the season. Shooting guard Imani Watkins poured in 19 points, earning her second straight AE Rookie of the Week award in the process. Point guard Jasmine Sina added 17, including four 3-pointers. The Bearcats opened the first half with intensity on both ends of the floor. They captured a 2115 lead with 10:49 left in the period. Sina played a large role in the Bearcats’ initial offensive success, knocking down three treys in the first 10 minutes of play.
On the defensive end, BU applied pressure on its opponent early, earning key stops along the way. “We played so hard coming out and our intensity was awesome,” Sina said. “We were all feeding off of each other and getting each other going. I think we need[ed] to keep that up for the rest of the game. I think we lacked a little bit of that at the end of the first half.” Binghamton’s early lead was the largest it would hold at any point in the game, as Xavier (31) increased its full-court press to force seven turnovers in the last five minutes. The Musketeers went on a 17-3 run to close out the first half ahead, 45-33. “We kind of got ourselves in a hole with too many turnovers in the first half,” BU head coach Linda Cimino said. But Binghamton wouldn’t give up its fight. Through the second half, the Bearcats limited their turnovers to eight while continuing their battle on offense. Five minutes into the second half, Xavier led Binghamton,
63-41. In response, the Bearcats embarked on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to 12. However, the Musketeers could not be silenced so easily. Led by a pair of 18-point performances from sophomore guard Raeshaun Gaffney and junior forward Briana Glover, XU shot 62.5 percent from the field in the second half. With six Musketeers scoring in double figures, Xavier’s offensive output was too much for BU to overcome. “We only lost the second half by six, so if you really look at the big picture here, we played an unbelievable second half,” Cimino said. “Fatigue does set in and that’s when you make errors and you make mental mistakes,” the head coach continued. “You’re physically tired, so you make mental mistakes. But we’re going to have to get used to that real fast. We can’t use that as an excuse.” Key to the Bearcats’ play in the second half were Watkins and senior forward Sherae Swinson. Watkins attacked the
paint on dribble drives, getting to the basket and drawing fouls. Swinson, BU’s only returning starter from 2013-13, was a force as a rebounder on Saturday. She grabbed 10 boards and drained 21 points in a double-double performance. “My team had a lot of confidence in me, so that just made me want to play harder for them since they were giving me the ball so many times,” Swinson said. Although Saturday’s game may not have contributed to the Bearcats’ win column, Cimino believes that the game was an important stepping stone for her young squad. “These kids never backed down,” Cimino said. “I learned a lot about my team today. I learned about their fight and how they don’t give up. I asked them to play hard and they played hard. These are things that we can carry on moving forward.” Next up for the Bearcats is a contest against Niagara on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Events Center.
Through four regularseason games against Division I opponents, Willie Rodriguez has jumped from zero to hero. In the Binghamton men’s basketball team’s season opener against Notre Dame and its following contest against Providence, the freshman forward averaged just three points per game. He combined for 1 of 9 shooting from the field through those matches. He committed seven turnovers and four personal fouls. On a team whose other rookies have given the Bearcats (1-4) consistent production, with freshmen forwards Justin McFadden and Dusan Perovic and freshman guard Romello Walker combining for 39 percent of the team’s total points through the Hall of Fame Tip-Off contests, Rodriguez was making typical rookie mistakes and paying for them. But BU head coach Tommy Dempsey played Rodriguez through. Dempsey wanted the 6-foot-6 forward — who scored over 2,000 points en route to being named Florida Metro Conference Player of the Year twice in high school — to know Binghamton was committed to him. So he threw Rodriguez into the starting lineup for the second time in 2014-15, now against Manhattan. “I believed in him,” Dempsey said. “That’s why I put him in the starting lineup in the Manhattan game, even though he had struggled. I thought that he needed to know that we had his back and that we were committed to him. And he stepped up and he took the starting job and he ran with it and had a great weekend.” Step up he did. Rodriguez poured in a career-high 23 points against the Jaspers (1-3) on Saturday evening. Though BU fell, 78-63, Rodriguez was sharp. He shot 9 of 14 from the field on a 64 percent clip. He also pulled down a team-high eight boards through 36 minutes. The newfound efficacy wasn’t just shots falling in. Rodriguez saw
the need for change, and he made it. “I think he came out of those first few games disappointed in how he played, and he turned it up a notch this week in practice,” Dempsey said. “It wasn’t that he wasn’t working hard before that. But I think he realized even internally, ‘If I’m going to have success, I have to work even harder.’” Rodriguez affirmed that idea. “Going into Notre Dame and Providence, I struggled, which helped me out a lot,” Rodriguez said. “It made me realize that in order to be good in college, you’ve got to be prepared.” In BU’s 70-68 loss to Navy on Sunday night, Rodriguez produced again. He flaunted his versatility in his ability to play comfortably on the perimeter and to drive the lane and post up. He headed the Bearcats in points (15), rebounds (7) and assists (5) and shot 50 percent from the field. Such a large progression in such a short period of time isn’t too surprising, however. The caliber of Manhattan and Navy (1-4) is much closer to Binghamton’s than Notre Dame’s or Providence’s. But with all the pressure on Rodriguez when he came in this season, touted as the most promising recruit for Binghamton, it did take him a while to shake off the nerves. “I put a ton of pressure on myself to play well the first couple games,” Rodriguez explained. “So … I talked to coach Dempsey, [associate] coach [Ben] Luber, and they put that pressure off of me and I just felt like myself this past weekend.” As far as the changes Rodriguez had to make, he said it was more giving 100 percent than anything else. Putting up extra shots, working on his free throws, putting in work on his own. Given he stays the course, Rodriguez should continue to dominate the stat sheet for Binghamton. His next opportunity comes tonight, when BU is set to take on Army. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Christl Arena in West Point, New York.
Michael Contegni/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer
Freshman forward Willie Rodriguez scored 38 points over two games at the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament this weekend.