BU junior, Ben Breban,
wins $10,000
in national poker tournament See page 7
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 | Vol. LXXXVIII, Issue 25 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Faculty, students talk policy over lunches Student Association hosts "Administrative Luncheons" to foster transparency, discussion Stacey Schimmel Pipe Dream News
Franz Lino/Photography Editor Graduate students protest recent graduate student stipend changes on the Peacemaker Stage in Downtown Binghamton. Members of the Graduate Students Employees Union and Binghamton University’s Graduate Students Union held a demonstration in response to increased pay for incoming graduate students.
Rally protests stipend increase
To protest "unequal" stipend policy, GSO organizes march on Court Street Zachary Wingate Pipe Dream News
With picket signs, megaphones and children on shoulders, graduate students took to the streets of Downtown Binghamton on Friday evening to protest recent graduate student stipend changes. Members of the Graduate Students Employees Union (GSEU) and Binghamton
University’s Graduate Student Organization (GSO) gathered around the Peacemaker Stage on Court Street to protest the BU administration’s decision to increase stipends for incoming graduate students. The increases will only benefit those entering BU beginning in the fall 2016 semester, while current graduate students will maintain the same pay rate. According to Laura Johnsen, a second-year
graduate student studying anthropology and one of the organizers of the protest, those incoming graduate students are expected to make anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000 more than current graduate students annually. Currently, graduate students make an average of $14,500 per year, but it can vary across disciplines.
SEE RALLY PAGE 2
Looking to foster transparency between students and the administration, the Binghamton University Student Association (SA) will be hosting weekly Administration Luncheons. Dillon Schade, SA president and a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, created this idea with Brian Rose, the vice president for student affairs. The initiative came about after they realized that many students on campus believe communication with administrators could be stronger. Each Friday, a different administrator chosen by Rose sits with six to eight students who are chosen by Schade’s office. The lunches are held in the Chenango Room from noon to 1 p.m., and the first event was held on November 20. All BU students are eligible to apply by emailing their resume and a brief statement of why they want to participate. Schade said he selects students not only based on their leadership roles in the University, but also on whether they previously have had opportunities to meet with administrators. “I think one of the most powerful things this provides both students and administration is an environment where people can just talk and provide productive conversations and solutions,” Schade said. “I definitely think change will come of it.” Lunches are advertised on SA-Line and will continue to be advertised more through flyers next semester. They will be categorized into topics based on different office’s duties at the
HIV/AIDS survivors look to dispel stigmas
Pipe Dream News
Hearing about HIV/AIDS in health class is one thing, but hearing about it from people who actually have it is a whole different learning experience. That’s why volunteers from the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) came to share their stories with students with hopes they would stay safe. On Friday evening, students attended “It Can’t Happen to Me,” an event hosted by Women Empowered Support, Protect, Educate, Advocate and Know at
Binghamton University (WESPEAK BU), which featured a panel of four speakers from STAP who shared their personal experiences with the disease. Ebony Arendt, the president of WESPEAK BU and a senior majoring in business administration, said that the panelists, who had all contracted HIV and two of which had AIDS, had expressed interest in speaking to students. She said that by having them share their own different experiences with HIV/AIDS, students would be able
SEE STAP PAGE 2
Fraternities, sororities give time and money during holiday season Alana Epstein Pipe Dream News
Kevin Parades/Contributing Photographer Volunteers from the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) share their experiences with HIV/AIDS with students in the Old Union. The event focused on explaining that no one is immune to the disease and spreading awareness about getting tested.
Alum recounts path to career as pediatrician
Patricia DeLaMora, '95, works as infectious disease doctor for children Derek Schuster Contributing Writer
John Babich/Assistant Photography Editor Dr. Patricia DeLaMora, a Binghamton University alumna from the class of ‘95, speaks about her career in medicine as an infectious disease pediatrician. DeLaMora illustrated her journey to associate attending physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
WEEKEND WARRIORS
Check out Pipe Dream's photos from SantaCon 2015,
See page 5
Pursuing a career in the medical field may seem daunting, but guidance from someone who has experienced the process can provide direction. Patricia DeLaMora graduated from Binghamton University in 1995 with a degree in biology and currently works as an infectious disease pediatrician, dealing with ailments that stem from bacteria, fungus or parasites. She was invited to BU to talk to students about medical career paths. DeLaMora currently works as an associate attending physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and is an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Weill Cornell Medical College. She was asked
SEE LUNCH PAGE 2
Greek life gives back to charity
Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) volunteers share personal experiences living with disease
Michelle Kraidman
University, and an administrator that best matches each topic will be selected for that week. According to Schade, this will better tailor the student demographic to have more productive conversations. The idea was approved by BU President Harvey Stenger, and lunches are paid for by the administration’s funds under Rose’s office. Suzanne Howell, the director of Residential Life and the associate dean of students, was the administrator selected for last Friday’s Luncheon. She said she thinks increased communication with the student body will benefit everyone. “I think an open communication dialogue that we’ll gain from each other is learning what’s on each other’s minds,” Howell said. “I’m here to listen and to help people understand if there’s things out there that they want to know more about.” Students can ask administrators to clarify any information regarding things on campus, why certain systems function the way they do or offer suggestions as to how to make certain parts of the University better. Students can also learn from each other, by sharing knowledge they know about events going on at BU. Last Friday, students began the lunch by introducing themselves and their campus involvement, followed by Howell introducing her current projects. She discussed how she is working to make changes to the Union’s Undergrounds in order to reduce the prices of activities. From there, Howell asked for student input about how to promote certain changes,
to speak at BU by Harpur Edge, along with the pre-health professions advising office and the Harpur College Dean’s office. Leah Joggerst, the director of constituent relations for Harpur College, said that she thought DeLaMora was someone whose unique career would be a good perspective for students to hear. “She’s been on our list for a while,” Joggerst said. “I saw what she does for a living and thought that that was interesting and that we haven’t had a speaker that’s done that topic before.” DeLaMora originally came to BU with the intention of becoming a veterinarian, but then decided to go to medical school. One of her reasons for choosing pediatrics specifically was so she could develop a meaningful relationship with her patients.
“I really enjoyed that continuity of care,” she said. “I didn’t want to see a patient just once then never see them again. I liked seeing people grow up.” After graduating from BU, DeLaMora went on to earn her MD from New York Medical College. After completing both her residency and fellowship, she got her current job in New York. She said that she believes BU provided a good start to her education. DeLaMora said that two classes in particular that she took at BU influenced her and made her realize that there were many different topics to be studied within the medical field. “The medical anthropology class and the medical ethics class were a big click for me,” DeLaMora said. “[Those were]
Coldplay brings their music back to life on new album,
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SEE GREEK PAGE 2
SEE ALUM PAGE 2
ARTS & CULTURE
Don’t beat around the bush, ask for the right music mixing equipment this holiday season,
The holiday season has arrived, and Binghamton University Greek life organizations are hoping to spread the holiday cheer around the community. Various fraternities and sororities are engaging in charitable work to ensure that families around Binghamton have a joyful holiday season. According to Christopher Lee, a brother of Kappa Sigma and a junior majoring in economics, his fraternity already volunteers each week of the semester at a local soup kitchen and engages with members of the Binghamton community. “Kappa Sigma is always looking to help out the local Binghamton community,” Lee said. “We send a minimum of five brothers to at least one soup kitchen a week. You can find us every Wednesday at 5 p.m. volunteering at the Tabernacle Church soup kitchen and every other Saturday night usually around 6 p.m. volunteering at Chef Mike’s soup kitchen at the Boulevard United Methodist Church.” Sigma Delta Tau (SDT) sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity also team up with Chabad at Binghamton to run the “Light up a Life” charity toy drive. The toy drive, which has raised over $9,000 so far, donates all of its proceeds to children suffering from cancer. All money raised through donations from
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Bearcats compete against top competition in Las Vegas,
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Women’s basketball defeats Colgate for third win of season,
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2
NEWS
Graduate students rally for pay raise
bupipedream.com | December 8, 2015
Local org. pushes for HIV/AIDS activism STAP FROM PAGE 1
RALLY FROM PAGE 1 “We would like to see equal pay for equal work,� Johnsen said. “We want the same stipends as the incoming graduate students.� The protest moved from the Peacemaker Stage and headed down Water Street. Interrupting traffic while crossing streets and grabbing the attention of restaurant patrons, the march moved toward State Street then back toward Court Street and concluded at the stage. Last week, a similar protest took place on-campus. Graduate students gathered in front of Glenn G. Bartle Library and marched around campus before reaching the Couper Administration building to deliver new proposals. Johnsen said the reactions given from the administration were not what the GSEU and GSO had hoped for, and they wanted Friday’s march to put more pressure on the administration and bring more attention to the issue. “What it did was it opened the door to start talking with the administration,� she said. “However, they keep telling us the stipend increases for us are off the table.� Johnsen said the administration offered concessions including summer funding for graduate students and an increased funding for conference travel. Although she said this would help, it’s not enough to solve the problem. Rally participant Katie Seeber, a second-year graduate student studying anthropology, said that although equal pay for the same amount of work is the main issue, she is also concerned that students with increased pay will have more opportunities to present research
Franz Lino/Photography Editor A group of demonstrators march down Court Street chanting “Equal pay for equal work,� along with other objections. The protest was held Downtown to show that an increase in graduate student stipends would affect spending in the local community.
and network. “If we’re competing with these students for the same jobs, we’re going to be at a disadvantage, when we can’t afford to do that networking, that research presentation or go to conferences, while those students can,� Seeber said. “That’s something that the administration is really not understanding about our arguments.� The protest was held Downtown partly to show the effects stipends have on the community, such as less money being filtered into the local economy. Increased pay could encourage graduate students to spend more on going out to eat, going grocery shopping, supporting local businesses and fully taking advantage of what the community has to offer. “There is the issue of spending power,� said Katherine Lacy, a second-year graduate student
studying anthropology. “If they are going to increase money that some students have, those students are able to give more money to the community, whereas we won’t be able to do that. Having a university that values students differently doesn’t make for a good university, which is not good for the community.� Seeber said that this protest was to show the administration that the unhappy graduate students are not going anywhere, and she expects the protesting to continue in the near future. “It’s a way to show the administration that we’re not backing down from this,� Seeber said. “We appreciate them meeting us, but their unwillingness to compromise or find solutions that help all students instead of only a specific segment of students is not okay with us.�
to understand that the disease is real and can happen to anyone. “HIV was just something you heard about and not something people actually got,� Arendt said. “With this event, you see the people, and you see that they are real, and they’re people who shouldn’t be stigmatized.� The event focused on teaching students that no one is immune to the disease. Becky Smith, a panelist at the event, said that when she was taking tests in 1994 for respiratory problems, her doctor said it could be a number of things, including HIV, but there was no need to worry about it because he assumed she couldn’t have contracted the disease. “I didn’t fit the stereotype,� Smith said. “I wasn’t a gay man, and I wasn’t from Haiti. No doctor had ever asked me of any risky behavior, and what they didn’t know was that I was an IV drug user in the ’70s and ’80s. I thought I made all these changes, and I’ve been good, and now something from my past is coming back to hurt me.� Many of the panelists also stressed the importance of getting tested. Students asked what to do if getting tested makes a person nervous, and each of the panelists said it was better to know early to maximize the possibility of staying healthy and undergoing treatment. “In the back of my mind when I found out how the disease was transmitted, I knew I had been at risk, but I never got tested,� Smith said. “I truly believed that if I had [already] contracted the disease I would have
A lot of college students aren't aware ...and don't know how easily they can get the disease —Elif Gur BU senior
[already] been dead.� John Temple, the peer navigator of STAP, said having a support group is vital when fighting to stay healthy. “From when I knew I had HIV, my life was in my own hands,� Temple said. “Since then, every decision I make is up to me, and I can’t blame anyone else for giving it to me. Honestly I’m not sad that I have HIV because I have STAP, and it has empowered me.� Elif Gur, a senior majoring in computer science, said that the event was eye-opening for her because she had never seen HIV/AIDS from the perspective of those who have it, and that more college students should see it from this angle. “I’m glad that I heard these experiences because I’ve never gone to one of these events and learned about the disease,� Gur said. “Now I know you can defend yourself from the disease and that people can handle it when they do get it. A lot of college students aren’t aware enough and don’t know how easily they can get the disease.�
'95 alum speaks on journey to pediatrics ALUM FROM PAGE 1 a big mind opener for me with medicine; that it could be more than just medicine and chemistry and biology.� Despite saying she loves her career, DeLaMora cited some obstacles that she has had to face that she said prospective students should keep in mind. She said the ability to speak up for yourself is a very important, and it can be hard to go far in the field without being assertive. She also discussed the financial difficulties that go along with putting oneself through college. “I think also, financially, it’s very, very difficult for many years,� she said. “And I hate to keep talking about that, but it’s such a thing that you really have to realize.� Andrew Silverman, a senior majoring in biology, came to hear about the field from a different perspective than he was used to. “My mom’s a doctor too, and she’s told me about this,� Silverman said. “But it was nice to hear from a different source the perspective of what residency and fellowship is like.�
I think also, financially, it's very, very difficult for many years —Patricia DeLaMora BU Alumna
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tabling in the Marketplace and from campus organizations will be used to buy toys for these children to receive and enjoy during Hanukkah. According to Cole Tobias, a brother of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and a sophomore majoring in political science, the fraternity has been striving to increase their philanthropic involvement. “It is important for Greek organizations to get involved in charitable events this holiday season because of the wide range of resources each organization can bring to the table,� Tobias said. “Year after year, SAE has strived to be a driving force behind philanthropic events on Binghamton’s campus. The Toy Drive is an event we can all stand behind because we know the joy it brings to children and their families.� SDT, SAE and Chabad hope to
raise $14,000 this holiday season for the drive. Money can be donated through the Light Up a Life charity toy drive website. Pi Kappa Alpha (PIKE) fraternity is also making their mark on the community during this holiday season. PIKE teamed up with Wishmakers for their second annual Letters to Santa-Thon last Thursday in the Mandela Room. All campus organizations were invited to compete to see who could write the most letters to Santa. As a part of Macy’s Believe campaign, for each letter written, Macy’s will donate one dollar to the Make a Wish foundation. This year, PIKE raised $45,119. According to Michael Kotowski, the president of PIKE fraternity and a junior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, brothers encouraged involvement around campus all last week, and Santa-Thon was a success.
“Nearly 300 people were in the Mandela Room at any given point and Alpha Phi Omega won the grand prize wish over 4,000 letters written,� Kotowski said. “Malik, Hoop Troop and the Rhythm Method [had] awesome performances, and a great time was had by all.� According to Lee, the charitable event and frequent visits by his fraternity to the soup kitchen have not gone unnoticed by the community. “Just last week while I was walking back to my apartment, a stranger came up to me and told me he had recognized me from the local soup kitchen and that he appreciates what our organization is trying to do,� Lee said. “It’s moments like those that help you understand the value of community service and why it’s vital for Greek organizations such as Kappa Sigma to do their part and help out the Binghamton community.�
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Kevin Paredes/Contributing Photographer Dillon Schade, SA president and a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering; Mark Ochweri, a senior double-majoring in economics and mathematics; and Suzanne Howell, the director of Residential Life and the associate dean of students, have lunch in the Chenango Room. Schade held the first in a series of luncheons to facilitate communication between students and the administration.
Students sit down with admin LUNCH FROM PAGE 1
recently implemented free bowling in the Union, updates as well as increase awareness on Old Digman renovations and about campus opportunities and ways to expand the food co-op what changes students want to program. see. Schade said that increasing Conversation topics included communication will help bring discussion about how Howell about change and foster positive
relationships for the future. “Hopefully this will help the students have that ability to talk to administration in a more informal environment,� Schade said. “[These lunches] will provide the network and get the conversations going.�
PAGE III Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515 FAx: 607-777-2600
Pipe Line LOCAL NEWS
STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Binghamton’s Popeyes has its opening date Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is scheduled to open December 15 at 162 Main St., according to the Press and Sun-Bulletin. The fast food chain is expected to employ 60 to 70 part-time employees when it opens, and business hours will be from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The new location is surrounded by various fast food restaurants, including a Wendy’s next door, and a McDonald’s and Kennedy Fried Chicken across the street.
SUNY New Paltz student found dead on rail trail The body of a 20-year-old SUNY New Paltz student was found on the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail in New Paltz, New York, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. The New Paltz police responded to a 911 call of a body on the rail at 7:45 a.m. on Monday. The body appeared to have been dead for several hours, and the cause of death has not yet been determined. The New Paltz Police said the investigation does not indicate any safety concerns for the community.
Police body cams have arrived in Binghamton On Monday, new body cameras were displayed in a media event by Binghamton Police Department officers, according to the Press and Sun-Bulletin. The device is about three inches tall and two inches wide, has 130-degree coverage and works by pressing the button in its center. It records both video and audio. The 93 body cameras will be enough to equip all uniformed officers in the department, and a press conference is planned for Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. by Mayor Rich David to both make camera footage from Monday’s media event public, and explain the details of the program.
Kidnapped University of Rochester students rescued by SWAT, cops say Students at the University of Rochester, Ani Okeke Ewo and Nicholas Kollias, were rescued by a SWAT team Sunday night after being kidnapped and held against their will for over 36 hours, according to Fox News. Ewo and Kollias were reported missing Saturday evening. Investigators discovered Sunday that the pair were being held four miles from the campus, and SWAT team members arrived around 9:20 p.m. The students were targeted for kidnapping, but there is no longer a threat to the school. It is not clear why they were kidnapped, and four have already been arrested for kidnapping and assault. More arrests are expected.
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Fall 2015 editor-in-ChieF* Nicolas Vega editor@bupipedream.com MAnAging editor* Emma C Siegel manager@bupipedream.com neWs editor* Alexandra K. Mackof news@bupipedream.com Asst. neWs editors Carla B. Sinclair Pelle Waldron Gabriella Weick oPinions editor* Lawrence Ciulla opinion@bupipedream.com Arts & Culture editor* Odeya Pinkus release@bupipedream.com Asst. Arts & Culture editor Kathryn Shafsky
Rebecca Kiss/Contributing Photographer Celebrators gather on the Spine on the first night of Hanukkah to light a menorah. The event started with the second annual Binghamton University Menorah Car Parade that began in Downtown Binghamton.
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Police Watch Guardian Angel THURSDAY, Dec. 3, 11:30 p.m. — An 18-year-old male said that his iPad Mini 2 was stolen from the University Union Marketplace, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The victim said that he left the iPad on the counter of the Moghul Indian restaurant to charge. When he went to check on the iPad, it was missing. The victim contacted UPD and gave them the serial number and MAC address of the iPad. Later in the night, someone returned the iPad to the UPD station. The iPad was returned to the victim. But Why… FRIDAY, Dec. 4, 1:42 a.m. — Officers responded to the fifth floor of Seneca Hall in College-in-theWoods for a noise complaint, Reilly said. Upon arrival, the officers did not hear any loud noises but they did notice that many of the doors on the floor had shaving cream and duct tape on them. Officers spoke with a 19-year-old male who had his door vandalized. The male said that he heard some people being loud around midnight but then they quieted down or left. The male was not aware that he was a victim
A lighter take on campus crime Aaron Berkowitz Police Correspondant
of a prank. He said that he was unconcerned about the situation. Balls Dropped SATURDAY, Dec. 5, 4:24 p.m. — Officers were called by the University Union East manager because a group of four 18-yearold males reportedly broke in and stole a ping pong ball dispenser, Reilly said. The dispenser, which was described as being similar to a gumball machine, was taken from the billiards room in the Undergrounds. Officers spoke to a person playing table tennis who said that she saw the suspects. She said that the group of males, who were all wearing Santa hats and red shirts, came into the table tennis room and asked her if she had any extra ping pong balls and she said that she didn’t. They then left the room. They were later seen walking around on the lower level of the building clearly carrying the dispenser. They were seen going to Digman Hall in Dickinson Community so officers found out who used their key card to get into the building and eventually spoke with one of the suspects. He said that he accidentally dropped the dispenser and that a plastic piece broke off of it. The officers
This Day in History
deduced that the piece was most likely broken off intentionally to gain access to the ping pong balls. The suspect was arrested for petit larceny and was given an appearance ticket returnable to Vestal town court. Someone Report This Guy SATURDAY, Dec. 5, 5:43 p.m. — Officers responded to a call they received about an assault in Lot Y1, Reilly said. When they arrived they saw the 52-year-old male victim with a laceration above his left eye with blood coming out of it. The victim said that he was a cab driver who was punched in the face over a fare dispute. He said that the unknown male suspect tried to pay for his fare with a $100 bill but the victim did not have change. The suspect got angry and argued with the victim. A third individual tried to intervene and paid for everyone in the cab’s fares. This did not calm the suspect down. The suspect then left the cab and punched the victim in the face. The suspect was described as being a male with a grey sweatshirt and a Santa hat on. The victim was taken to Wilson Hospital by Harpur’s Ferry where pictures were taken of his injuries. The case is still under investigation.
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Pipe Dream strives for accuracy in all we The United States enters World War II as publish. We recognize that mistakes will sometimes occur, but we treat errors very Congress declares war against Japan one seriously. If you see a mistake in day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. the paper, please contact Editor-in-Chief Nicolas Vega at editor@bupipedream.com.
December 8, 1941
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stabilizing: dark web
moe's :destabilizing
SANTACON FALL 2015
5 Bienvenido Rodriguez and Jersson Torres/Contributing Photographers
WARRIORS
The holidays are here, Weekend Warrior, and what better way to celebrate than with a day full of drinking? Did you wake up early to beat the crowds of slutty Santas to the bus? Or did you roll out of bed in your off-campus house and straight into a cool 30-rack? Either way, the drinks were flowing from dawn until dusk. By 3 p.m. you were unconscious in your bed. But you took a nap and rallied hard to make it back Downtown at night. We’re proud of you, Weekend Warrior, even if you did puke in your Santa hat.
Pre-Veterinary Society Weekly meetings: Mondays at 8pm in the New Union Room 324. Any and all are welcome, especially animal lovers and pre-vet students!
F UN
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 When you wish on a Shoo-ting Star
Emma Siegel
The Usual Ben Jokes
TFP
Ugh, I’m so bored let’s do something.
Krampy Krampmus
Lil Manning
We can play with my Fetty Bop.
TRAP IT!
Yummm don't these fries look delicious? Don't forget, we're all going to die. So better eat these fries while you still have time. Do it. Eat the fries. Mhm, sell your soul to fast food and they'll sell you a promise of eternal life. I'm not that depressed I just ran out of comic ideas.
RELEASE DATE– Saturday, July 21, 2007
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ACROSS 1 Charge 7 Choral exercises 15 Cabin addition, perhaps 16 Driven 17 Tramp’s category? 18 Proving ground 19 Sunnyvale setting: Abbr. 20 Island north of Zanzibar 22 Whiskered one 23 Early John Barrymore talkie role 25 Surfer’s pursuit 27 Vim 30 Like some nightmares? 32 __ Valley: Reagan library site 33 Mike Myers title role 34 Response to a pointer 36 Event in which midnight plays an important role 40 Measure 41 16th-century Portuguese mathematician Pedro 42 Sotto __ 43 Training group 48 Slender runner 49 Boors 50 Spruce 51 That, in Jerez 53 Breaks 55 The Ottoman Emp. fell shortly after it 56 Enforcement group based in Lyon 59 Quite elevated 61 Ancient Jews living outside of Palestine, collectively 62 Placekicker Jim who scored 10 points in the Jets’ Super Bowl III victory
63 Oregon doesn’t have one 64 Deteriorates DOWN 1 Childhood bud 2 Arkansas River tributary 3 Like a hastily assembled search party, usually 4 German connector 5 Prevent 6 Final phase 7 Unwind 8 1998 Masters champion 9 Hi-fi spinners 10 Bring 11 Jewelry designer Peretti 12 More gaudy 13 Procure 14 Suffix with pept21 Getty Center architect 24 Soup order 26 Dependent country 28 Replica: Abbr. 29 “That’s rough”
31 Make sure not to see 32 Fall, e.g. 35 Particular, briefly 36 Big D team 37 Harum-scarum 38 Kind of ills 39 Old-fashioned fights 44 Canadian sci-fi writers’ award 45 Back up 46 Nebraska native
47 Maj. Winchester portrayer on “M*A*S*H” 49 Finds fault 52 Zaire’s Mobutu __ Seko 54 Aspersion 56 Pleasure seekers? 57 “Third Watch” actress Long 58 Kitchen container 60 For
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ARTS & CULTURE
Junior becomes national poker champ
Ben Breban brings in $10,000 cash prize Ariel Taub Staff Writer
For Ben Breban, playing poker started out as a fun hobby. But after winning College Poker Tour National Championship on November 25, it has flourished into a prosperous outlet for the Binghamton University student. After what was approximately a two-month process of qualifying online poker games — 47 to be exact — Breban, a junior majoring in mathematics, was flown to Arizona with the promise of a free trip and no personal expectation of winning. He started out in fifth place and at 19, he was the youngest at the table. He then returned to Binghamton the following Sunday, $10,000 wealthier and tanner than usual for November. The nine competitors were hosted in a mansion that Breban described as having “a ‘Hunger Games’ vibe.” While they all relaxed and had fun with each other the night before the tournament, the competitors knew the others would be out for blood the next day. Players entered the game with the same amount of chips from previous qualifying games. Breban’s victory was a big accomplishment considering the stacks were not reequalized. Ben’s starting point was fifth place. In Arizona, he was seated to the right of someone whose stack was three times the size of his own. This was a disadvantage because the person to the right had more chips and made his moves after him. But nonetheless, Breban found that his ability to ignore stress and
compartmentalize came in handy at the table. “I’m a pretty mellow person,” Breban said. “I ignore the problem, told myself there is no $10,000.” Emil Aceto, a competitor from Florida State, whose collegepokertour.com username is “Bananas,” and Breban, whose username is “GuessWoo,” were the final two in the last round. At this point the stacks were greatly uneven in Breban’s favor; he had a total of 479,000 chips, while Aceto had about 6,000 chips. They might have been the final two, but Aceto wasn’t a close second when Breban won on a pair of fives. “I had spent months yelling at [Aceto’s] username,” said Breban. “I met him and told him I had hated him a few hours ago [before I knew he was a cool guy].” Breban says that people often ask about how well he can read other players tells, or signals that they are happy with their hand of cards or vice versa. Breban doesn’t credit himself with the ability to read tells exceptionally well — it’s hard to get to know players that individually — but he is very good at observing patterns. In fact, Breban would argue that anyone who thinks tells are an important part of poker is an amateur. “My opponents played pretty conservatively without taking risks and I was able to take advantage of that,” Breban said. While individual instincts can be chalked up to luck and choices of other players, there is a lot of depth to the game. “Any individual game is luck,
Tamar Ashdot-Bari/Pipe Dream Photographer Pictured: Ben Breban, a junior majoring in mathematics, poses with a stacks of chips. Breban won the $10,000 grand prize in the College Poker Tour National Championship.
but if you play one million games and win 500,000, there has to be some level of skill or awareness of the game,” Breban said. Watching the game again on a broadcast provided Breban with a lot of insights. He saw he made more bluffs than he had realized and threatened to “go all in” often, and the pro-player commentary provided fresh analysis and perspective. Breban credits his awareness of being on TV and
broadcasted in front of friends and family as fueling his desire to advance. “My grandpa has a restaurant at home and they were watching it in the kitchen,” Breban said. In addition, he thought of the BU poker club where the competition had been advertised. The tournament reached out to involve qualified representatives from poker-related clubs around the country.
The club’s members had varying levels of commitment, with those that play more casually and a few more hardcore competitors. Within their 120 members lies some pretty big talent, as another member, Jason Hoffmeier, also participated in the competition and took fifth place. Hoffmeier, a junior majoring in environmental chemistry, began the competition in seventh place and moved up. “With this win, it not only
solidified our existence as a student group, but proves once again how talented our students are and how great Binghamton University is,” said Benjamin Sachs, president of the club and a senior majoring in accounting. Riding the win into his 20th birthday, his friends allotted him a week of bragging and celebration. “They were happy when the week was over,” Breban said, “but they understood why I needed it.”
Coldplay heats up sound
On "Dreams," the band takes an uplifting turn Deanna Shiverick Contributing Writer
Illustration by Elizabeth Manning
Mix up your holiday list
Make homemade hip-hop with the right tools Samuel Titus Staff Writer If you want to start making hip-hop beats, the holiday season is the perfect time to put some equipment on your wish list. But if you’re not sure how to get started, knowing what to ask for can be a challenge. First, you have to figure out which approach you want to take: hardware or software. Hardware includes physical pieces of equipment like keyboards, synths, samplers and drum machines. Software refers to digital audio workstations (DAWs), with the most popular being programs like Ableton Live, Logic and FL Studio. Software-based production has quickly become the route most newcomers take. The beauty of modern DAWs lie in their ability to be paired with Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, devices, recreating the physical interaction between the artist and the music that software alone cannot. Most modern keyboards have MIDI capability, allowing them to connect to the computer and input digital notes into DAW software. This allows you to play piano chords, add in basslines and trigger samples all by playing and manipulating the settings of your keyboard. Although cheaply made and
not known for their longevity, the MPK series by Akai is an affordable option to begin with MIDI. Another inexpensive and easy-to-use keyboard is Korg’s microKEY; both are designed with beat production in mind. If playing keys isn’t for you, the best substitutes are drum pads. These are rubbery squares on a grid that can be tapped for different sounds. Depending on what you assign to each pad, that could be a snare hit, hi-hat or literally any other audio clip you desire. Native Instrument’s Maschine line includes a few different padbased units, seamlessly pairing their own software with hardware drum pads and controllers. Like most controllers, the Maschine cannot be used without being hooked up to a computer, but with their on-board screens and buttons, you can create most of your work right on the device itself. It gives you the choice of using your mouse or strictly your pads to control the program. Check out the Maschine MK2 for a serious production device with dual screens and a gorgeous button layout, or the Maschine Mikro for a smaller and more affordable device. Both come with the same software, but you will have to do a little more menu surfing with the Mikro due to its small screen and compact design.
While software cannot be matched in its manipulability or processing power, hardware equipment has long done justice to hip-hop. Sometimes with software, you have so many possibilities bogging you down that nothing actually gets done. If you want freedom, nothing can touch Akai’s Music Production Controller (MPC). MPCs paved the way for modern hip-hop, and you’d be surprised by how many hit songs are still made using them. The MPC1000 arguably presents the best option for new beat-makers at a reasonable cost for a used unit and a combination of positive characteristics adopted from each of its predecessors. It is small and fairly portable, yet gives a very balanced MPC experience with productive sequencing and streamlined design. If the MPC is too expensive and complicated, Roland makes a series of portable samplers with great effects. The SP-404sx is arguably their best model due to its SD memory card storage, processing speed and ability to run off batteries for ultimate portability. They have many limitations, but force the user to get extra creative. At the end of the day, both hardware and software have their pros and cons; it is how you use your gear that matters most.
With the release of their seventh studio album, “A Head Full of Dreams,” Coldplay brings bursts of color and splashes of happiness back into their sound after their slow-moving sixth album “Ghost Stories.” And though many Coldplay fans believe their change in style in recent years is not exactly for the better, “A Head Full of Dreams” might just prove that the shift from rock to pop isn’t for the worse, either. The album starts off with the title track, and you can immediately hear the shift in the band’s sound. “A Head Full of Dreams” is reminiscent of their “Mylo Xyloto” single “Charlie Brown,” because of their shared high energy, feelgood instrumentals and a subtle enthusiasm that could inspire even the laziest people on earth to go out and make the most of their lives. The song is followed up by “Birds,” which also boasts an uplifting sound, but with a more relaxed and laid-back vibe. With an enchanting guitar riff and some infectious drums, “Birds” will have you tapping your foot or bobbing your head without even noticing. Another vibrant song is the album’s lead single, “Adventure of a Lifetime,” released in early November. The song features a mesmerizing opening riff — with a serious disco influence uncharacteristic of Coldplay — and Chris Martin and company shouting at full voice how he feels “alive again.” “Adventure of a
Lifetime” is a standout. And while Coldplay is a big name in its own right, the record features a number of collaborations and featured artists. Beyoncé offers backing vocals on the R&B influenced “Hymn for the Weekend.” It has a loud, anthemic chorus and killer harmonies, though it seems almost like a tease only hearing minimal moments of Beyoncé’s incredible voice. “Habits” singer Tove Lo also offers her vocals on the song “Fun,” but the collaboration is not nearly as exciting. Its forgettable melody makes it one of the album’s weaker tracks. The greatest collaboration by far, though, is “Everglow,” which features backing vocals from lead singer Chris Martin’s ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow. In this piano-driven ballad, reminiscent of the band’s well-known single “The Scientist,” Martin reflects on his marriage to Paltrow and how, despite the divorce, the relationship will stay with him for a long time. “Everglow” showcases what may be Martin’s best vocals and most touching lyrics on the
album, as well as a melody that stays with you for hours — if not days — after listening. The record comes to an end with the almost seven-minute long track, “Up&Up.” The chorus brings an uplifting feeling of resolution, with Martin and a choral ensemble singing that they’re “going to get it together and go up and up and up.” It is undeniable that Coldplay is no longer what they were back in their “A Rush of Blood to the Head” days. They’ve now delved into a more synth-pop and electrorock sound that would have been impossible to imagine on any of their older, alternative, pianorock albums. Yet the shift from the quiet, almost unconfident sound of the “Ghost Stories” to the vivid and optimistic mood of “A Head Full of Dreams” makes it seem as if Coldplay have finally determined which direction their music is heading. With an upbeat, fast-paced and all-around energetic and genuine sentiments, it seems unlikely that you can come away from listening to this record without feeling a little more inspired.
Coldplay have finally determined which direction their music is heading Photo Provided by Parlophone
OPINIONS Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Nigeria needs assistance War, terror, corruption plague the nation Benjamin Goldberg
Columnist
BEYOND BARTLE FINALS ARE COMING UP NEXT WEEK, AND WITH THEM COME THE CROWDS AT BARTLE. HOWEVER, THIS FINALS WEEK DOESN’T HAVE TO BE AS BRUTAL AS ALL THE ONES BEFORE IT. The Pipe Dream Editorial Board has come up with a number of suggestions to expand student access to libraries and campus spaces, while promoting safety for students living off-campus. Every semester, our University faces space issues with the amount of students studying in the library. Though Bartle is large, it is not large enough to accommodate the number of students who go there during finals week — particularly those who wish to study through the night. In recent years, the University has opened up rooms within the Union and Fine Arts for students and groups to reserve and study in. But with the growing size of the student body, the University needs to open up more of its academic spaces, especially during finals week. There are more than just classrooms that the University can open for students who need to study. While Bartle is open 24 hours a day during finals week, the Science Library should follow these hours as well. Residence hall libraries, such as College-in-theWoods and Hinman College, could
also offer benefits with extended hours throughout the night — if not 24 hours, at least to match weekend Nite Owl hours. It would allow students to not have to walk as far in the cold and stem the congregation of students in the library. Students can stay local to their housing community, and help offset overcrowding during the study rush. Students off-campus need a place to study, too. The Downtown Center is a great resource with renovated classrooms and Pods printing, and would be an asset to have open 24 hours during finals week as well. However, if this is not possible, it is the Student Association’s responsibility to make sure that there is an OCCT bus line running throughout the night. Offcampus students should not have to choose between closing their books to catch the last bus of the night or staying in the library for the entire night until buses start up again. Service doesn’t need to be entirely comprehensive — an hourly West Side bus would provide the necessary support. Students who are driving to
campus during finals week know that the rules of parking lots do not change and at midnight they are forced to move their cars to an overnight lot. During finals week, parking rules need to follow weekend regulations to make it easier for students to keep their spots while following unpredictable work schedules. And for those who are tackling late study sessions or all-nighters, it can be impossible to find food, drinks or coffee outside of the vending machines in the library basement. While DeStress December coffee freebies are appreciated, it would be much more beneficial for coffee to be made available after hours in the library than around dinner time in the dining halls. Coffee dispensers will provide students who might otherwise turn to study drugs with a healthier way to stay awake. Finals week is an overwhelming time for most students. These steps and logistical adjustments can alleviate the congestion of students on campus and make it easier for many to have safe, academic spaces to study as they finish off the semester.
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, Opinions Editor, Arts & Culture Editor and Sports Editor.
Since the April 2014 kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria, the conflict between the Islamist militant group popularly known as Boko Haram and the Nigerian Armed Forces has dominated international headlines regarding the country. Since 2009, the conflict has escalated drastically, and has evolved into a region-wide security crisis. Nigeria’s recently elected president, Muhammadu Buhari, was elected largely because many felt that he would be able to effectively deal with the military crisis in Nigeria’s north. Unfortunately at this critical time tensions are also brewing in Nigeria’s perpetually marginalized southeast, and unless Buhari and the Nigerian federal government take careful and concise action, they risk the re-ignition of a conflict that at its peak cut Nigeria’s oil production by as much as 50 percent and would divert security resources desperately needed to restore order in the northeast. The Niger Delta region in Nigeria’s southeast has had a long and complex history with oil. After the transatlantic slave trade ended, the region became prized for its palm oil production. Since the discovery of petroleum in 1956, the regional and national economies have relied on the Delta’s large reserves which account for 70 percent of state income. However, by the 1990s, widespread corruption on the part of government officials and
oil companies such as Shell and ENI led to a situation in which a poorly regulated oil industry was not only not benefitting local communities but was also leading to extensive environmental damage in the region’s fragile mangrove swamps that the locals relied on for fishing economies. These economic and environmental problems compounded upon pre-existing tensions between those from Nigeria’s southeast and those from the rest of the country, particularly the north, and an insurgency broke out. The militants formed groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), and were mostly comprised of rural people of the Ijaw, Ogoni and other marginalized ethnicities. For years, the security situation in the Delta was intolerable, and foreign oil companies were practically unable to operate due to kidnappings, assassinations and the sabotage of and theft from oil pipelines which naturally led to a decline in the Nigerian economy. Then, in 2009, an amnesty deal was agreed upon which saw former militants give up their fight in exchange for a monthly stipend of $330 and training for future employment in the oil industry. In addition, Goodluck Jonathan, an ethnic Ijaw from the Delta region and a key figure in negotiating the amnesty deal, was elected President of Nigeria in 2010. However, the government has failed to properly address any of the root causes of the insurgency in the years since the amnesty deal. The oil industry
remains largely unregulated and poverty remains endemic. This situation has already led to a decrease in security and a massive increase in piracy. Then, in May 2015, President Jonathan was replaced by the northerner Buhari who claimed he would “streamline” the amnesty deal that is set to expire in December. This has raised serious concerns amongst the ex-insurgents as the stipend provided by the deal has become their main source of income since government training has failed to secure them employment. Many have openly threatened to reignite the conflict. In order to avoid this, Buhari has to renew the amnesty deal and phase it out gradually while simultaneously providing the employment and education opportunities promised to the ex-insurgents and passing legislation such as the long delayed Petroleum Industry Bill to regulate the oil industry. — Benjamin Goldberg is an undeclared sophomore
[It] has evolved into a region wide security crisis
We need to redefine our understanding of terrorists
Between Paris and San Bernadino, the media's rhetoric on attackers needs to be changed Anita Raychawdhuri
Columnist
Between the Paris attacks, the shooting at Planned Parenthood and the San Bernardino mass shooting, a disturbing trend has emerged. When a person of color commits an atrocity, they are branded a terrorist, and furthermore they are representative of their whole culture or ethnic group. When a white person commits an act in the same vein, they are “mentally ill” or a “lone wolf.” Aside from the obvious racism
of this phenomenon, a dangerous cycle is allowed to perpetuate. When politicians and the media distance Western — and for the sake of this discussion, white — culture from those who taint it, not only do they offer privilege to white terrorists, but they also stop any critique of Western society from emerging. When the Paris attacks occurred, this allowed a thriving dialogue on the ills of Muslim culture to thrive. Much of this discussion involved hateful rhetoric that must be condemned, but it also allowed for productive conversation about what circumstances may cause
groups like the Islamic State to thrive, what issues women face under these groups, and how we can intervene in human rights violations. Contrasting this to the shooting at Planned Parenthood, a conversation was stunted. Rather than a condemnation of the hateful anti-abortionist’s rhetoric against the organization that likely caused this attack, the media made a conscious effort to outline how the perpetrator was not the “usual” white, Western citizen. He has a “violent past” or he is “crazy.” The shooter was instantly branded as an anomaly, rather than a person
whose act was spurred by damaging aspects of Western culture. As far as I can recall, those who attacked Paris were not constructed as unusual members of their group. Deadly attacks on Planned Parenthood should encourage a decision about sensible policies toward abortion, or the very least an acknowledgment that it is damaging when politicians vehemently use hateful dialogue against an organization. Now we can analyze San Bernardino, where when it was revealed that a Muslim couple committed the attacks, outrage among the media and politicians
rose. Most notably, Donald Trump called for a ban on any Muslims entering the country. Yes, many other politicians, including President Obama, have denounced bigoted and ridiculous comments, but the hateful rhetoric against Muslims rose with this attack, with a spree of armed protests outside mosques, Muslims speaking out about verbal attacks and hateful political commentary. My point here is that the attack on Planned Parenthood, with a white perpetrator, did not create such a political outcry about the conditions of society allowing for such an attack to occur.
Each attack is horrendous, and I am aware that the scale of the two makes a considerable difference in media response. However, the two can still be compared because the nature of the attacks brands them both as terrorism. Secondly, regardless of how the acts are categorized, it makes no sense that the few members of group who do commit terrible acts are evocative of a homogenous problem, and even less sense that this assumption is only projected onto certain races. — Anita Raychadhuri is a junior majoring in English
What do you think about your favorite TV show?
Televsion is a part of our everyday lives —it provides insight and comfort to issues we face Giovanna Bernardo
Columnist
If someone asked you what your favorite TV show was, what would you say? Would it be a thriller like “Law and Order: SVU” or a classic sitcom like “Friends”? Is a feel-good dramedy like “Gilmore Girls” your show of choice or do you prefer a post-apocalyptic saga like “The Walking Dead”? I’m a pretty indecisive person, so I can never answer this question fully.
And it’s because of this conundrum — which I’m sure many of you are facing too — that I realize it’s because I’m so emotionally invested in a select few shows; to pick a favorite would be too hard. After a few months of pure bliss, I finished “Parks and Recreation” this past summer, and not to be too dramatic, but I felt empty inside for a few days. It’s not that I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. I missed being able to regularly see characters I had grown to love, continue their stories. And this strong reaction forces me to wonder: why are we so attached to TV shows nowadays?
While TV shows are a part of our everyday life — whether you watch to pass the time or as background noise — recently it seems like people are growing increasingly invested in their shows, basically becoming addicted to them. With the recent increase in popularity of websites like Netflix and Hulu, it’s too easy for us to get into a show, simply because the entire series awaits us with the push of a button. I’m not about to go on the classic rant that TV is ruining our society, forcing our brains and intellect to atrophy. I’m interested in why TV today seems to be that much more
of an emotional experience than it was, say, 20 years ago. Why are we are willing to watch an entire season in the span of a few hours? Why are we so attached to our programs that we can’t wait a week to watch the next episode and look for leaked episodes online? I’m talking to you, “Game of Thrones” fans. And with the introduction of social media, watching TV has become even more of an experience. You can easily see what other fans are saying about an episode, as you post about that very episode. These all explain the increase in people’s obsession with their shows, but
doesn’t it seem like more than that? I think it has to do with how our lives shape our perception of the TV shows we watch, allowing us to escape into and relate to a particular series, if only for half an hour. Any high school athlete or coach can relate to “Friday Night Lights,” while someone at a deadend job could see themselves in any of “The Office” characters. But it doesn’t have to be that obvious. Someone facing a hard time with his/her school or personal conflicts with a sibling or significant other can almost always relate to what a character is going through. This is
why we find ourselves so enamored with TV and so attached to the shows we watch. It goes beyond the love for a specific actor, an interest in the subject matter or procrastination. At any time when we find ourselves confused about if we’re doing the right thing, or if we just need something to believe in, we know exactly which shows will give us that comfort, sometimes forcing us to see the reality of our own situation, even if on a fictional platform. — Giovanna Bernado is a junior majoring in English
9
SPORTS
December 8, 2015 | bupipedream.com
BAMS, men's club volleyball host 'Spike for a Cause' Over 100 participate in charity event held at the West Gym Jeffery Twitty Assistant Sports Editor Volleyball teams representing over a dozen nations filed into the West Gym on Sunday morning, seeking not only victory, but also to raise money for charity. The Binghamton Association for Mixed Students (BAMS) along with the men’s club volleyball team collaborated to host Sunday’s “Spike for a Cause” event. Featuring a turnout of over 100 students, the event served as an opportunity for BU students to hit the court with their best spikes, blocks and kills for a purpose that digs a little deeper than most volleyball sets. Proceeds of $800 were raised from both donations and a $4 entry fee for players. The money raised was split between the men’s club volleyball team and BAMS equally, with BAMS donating their share to the winning team’s charity and men’s club volleyball putting their proceeds toward fundraising for the National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky next year. The entire event lasted six hours, and the Colombia team came out victorious after a single-
elimination playoff round. The team is still deciding which charity they would like to give funding to. “BAMS wanted to do something as a charity event that would really make people not only want to want to do something for a good cause, but to also have fun while doing it,” said Shekar Muruganathan, president of BAMS and a junior majoring in economics. BU students got the chance to choose from a list of 18 nations to represent, such as Finland or South Korea, for a chance to compete in the name of giving during this holiday season. In the tournament, 14 teams got the chance to fight for the top spot and donate their winnings to their nation’s charities, including UNICEF. “Each country represents three charities that support that country,” said John Bradford, senior adviser of BAMS and a senior double-majoring in mathematics and economics. “Whichever team wins here today, all BAMS proceeds will go to support that country.” Victoria Weisser, a junior majoring in psychology and a member of the women’s club
Emily Earl/ Pipe Dream Phototgrapher Matthew Kollegger, a senior majoring in psychology, attempts a dig at the “Spike for a Cause” fundraiser held on Sunday. The event raised $800 for charity.
volleyball team, commended the event’s creativity and competed as part of Team Fiji. “We love volleyball and it’s great to be able to play volleyball for such a great cause,” Weisser said. Bradford, who traveled with the men’s club team last year as a member of the squad, was hopeful
after seeing the event’s large turnout. Seeing the event as an opportunity for non-student athletes to stay active and competitive outside of the recreational season, Bradford stressed the event’s secondary job as a grudge match for intramural athletes.
”Intramurals end and there’s people who lose and want to have a chance to redeem themselves,” Bradford said. “And we gave them that.” But even though there was only one winner for the day, the tournament’s impressive turnout paired with fundraising success left the event’s organizers hopeful
for more “world champions” to come. “This is exciting,” Bradford said. “This means that we can do it again — that there’s people who are excited about volleyball.” Editor’s note: E. Jay Zarett participated in “Spike for a Cause” and did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.
Bearcats start indoor season BU competes in Las Vegas BU finishes Page Relays with three school records
Sophomore Schneider shines against elite competition
Derek Schuster
E.Jay Zarett
Contributing Writer
Sports Editor
In its first competition of the indoor season, the Binghamton men’s and women’s track and field teams broke three school records at the Greg Pace Indoor Relays, hosted by Cornell. While Saturday’s meet did not feature team scoring, BU displayed its off-season preparation, taking first place in eight events in addition to the trio of new school records. Nine athletes hit their respective ECAC/IC4A standard, qualifying themselves for that championship meet later this season. “We look to see how the freshmen are going to handle competition,” BU head coach Mike Thompson said of his focus at the event. “We look to see what kind of shape everyone’s in. But really it’s just something fun after three months of training.” Junior sprinter Keishorea Armstrong broke her own school record in the 60-meter dash, finishing the race in 7.48 seconds before winning the event in 7.53 seconds. Armstrong also went on to win the long jump (20-1) and the triple jump (41-1 ½). Last spring, Armstrong was named an honorable mention AllAmerican for her 24th place finish in the long jump at the NCAA championships. Sophomore thrower Brooke Bonney broke her own school record at the meet as well, recording a distance of 54-4 ¾ in the weight throw. This result was good enough for second at the meet and broke her previous school record by over a foot. “Even though she didn’t win, it was a school record and a good throw for her,” Thompson said. Recording a first-place finish on the women’s side was senior hurdler Kierra Arthur, who won the 60-meter hurdles with a time
Competing against some of the toughest competition in the country, the Binghamton wrestling team’s 184-pound starter, sophomore Steve Schneider, shined. Schneider grappled to a 4-1 record in the opening round of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational to advance to the tournament’s consolation round of eight. Schneider was the only one of eight Bearcat competitors to advance to the second day of competition. “This weekend in Las Vegas was as close as you can get to the NCAA tournament in the regular season,” BU head coach Matt Dernlan said. “Not only from a match standpoint, but also from an environmental standpoint, from a pressure standpoint, there’s a lot of good takeaways that [Schneider] can experience outside of just the match itself.” Schneider fell in the round of eight to Navy senior Matthew Miller, currently ranked as the 19th best wrestler in the 184-pound class. Overall, Schneider left his mark on the tournament, finishing with a 4-2 record and the 22nd ranking in his weight class. “You could tell it was a different stage on Saturday morning, where it was another round,” Dernlan said. “I think it’s going to be huge when he gets another opportunity to wrestle on a stage like this.” As a team, Binghamton finished 33rd out of 40, with 16.5 total points. Missouri paced the field ending the tournament with 154 points. Cornell placed second with 113 points. Rounding out the top five were other national powerhouses Minnesota, Oklahoma and Ohio State. “I think it was a great working point,” Dernlan said. “They all
Emily Earl/ Pipe Dream Photographer Junior Keishorea Armstrong won three events at the Greg Page Indoor Relays this weekend.
of 8.85. The 4x400-meter relay team of Arthur, junior pole vaulter Sarah Haley, junior sprinter Sarah Osaheni and junior sprinter Ana Herbert won its race as well, working together towards a 3:56.75 performance. On the men’s side, junior sprinter Jon Alkins took home a pair of wins in the 60-meter dash (6.87) and the 300-meter dash (34.88). His time in the 60-meter dash broke the previous school record which he set last season. The only other winner on the men’s side was graduate student thrower Pat Heikkila, who won the shot-put event with an IC4Aqualifying distance of 52- 1/4, outthrowing the rest of the field by over two feet. Graduate student mid-distance runner Josh Miller and senior pole vaulter Joe Miceli finished second in their respective events, Miller in the 500-meter dash (1:04.21) and Miceli in the pole vault (15-9).
Thompson was happy with how the first meet of the season turned out. “It was a great first meet,” Thompson said. “It was one of the better December meets that I can remember.” With this meet behind them, the Bearcats have a month to prepare for the rest of their season and to begin gearing up for the America East Championships in late February. “Our goal — indoor and outdoors —every year is to be top three in the conference,” Thompson said. “We also like to qualify as many people as possible for the ECAC / IC4A Championship. I think this year we can have over 20.” The Bearcats are set to return to Cornell for their next meet, the Southern Tier Collegiate Open, on January 8 at Barton Hall in Ithaca, New York. The time of the first race has yet to be announced.
had opportunities to wrestle big-time schools, ranked guys, All-Americans, national finalists and they really figured out in a tangible way how hard that they have to fight and how hard they need to execute in critical situations. That’s kind of where we came up lacking a little bit in our results.” BU senior Jack McKeever, wrestling in the 174-pound weight class, also had an impressive run in Las Vegas. He topped opponents from Kent State and Virginia to advance to the round of 16 before falling to California State Bakersfield redshirt senior Bryce Hammond. McKeever went on to advance to the consolation round of eight in his bracket. Sophomore 157 pounder
Vincent DePrez and redshirt sophomore 125 pounder Thierno Diallo captured two victories apiece for the Bearcats in the Invitational. “I think it was a great investment for the future of our guys,” Dernlan said, “Our young guys clearly needed this stage and it was a great investment in the future of our individuals and the future of this team.” Binghamton is set to return to action on January 8 in an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association matchup against Princeton. First match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. from the West Gym in Vestal, New York. Jeffrey Twitty contributed reporting to this story.
Emily Earl/ Pipe Dream Photographer Sophomore 184-pounder Steve Schneider led the Bearcats with a 4-2 record at the Cliff Keen Invitational this weekend.
TRACK AND FIELD
Bearcats open indoor season at Greg Page Relays See Page 9 Tuesday, December 8, 2015
BEARCATS FALL
at top-ranked Michigan State
Jersson Torres/Contributing Photographer Sophomore guard Justin McFadden led BU with 10 points in its loss at Michigan State on Saturday.
BU held to 16.7 percent shooting, falls to MSU, 76-33 Noah Bressner Pipe Dream Sports It took third-ranked Michigan State all of four seconds to take the lead in its matchup against Binghamton on Saturday. The Spartans gained possession off the tip and sophomore guard Lourawls ‘Tum Tum’ Nairn Jr. found senior guard Denzel Valentine for an alley-oop. The BU men’s basketball team (2-5) failed to pose any threat from the onset as it was throttled, 76-33, by a dominant Spartan squad, one of the best teams in the entire NCAA. Michigan State held Binghamton to shooting just 16.7 percent from the field — the lowest allowed in any Division I game so far this season. The Bearcats’ 33 points additionally set a program record for fewest points in a game during BU’s Division I era. In the first half, Binghamton scored just 12 points and didn’t crack double-digits until 1:10 left, when sophomore forward Dusan Perovic drained a threepointer to make the score 38-12. MSU entered the contest allowing just 58.8 points per game against a tough group of opponents including No. 4 Kansas and Louisville. Binghamton, however, only exceeded half that total with 2:44 to play. “You get an opportunity to try to execute against a very big, physical, defensive-minded team,” Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “I thought we actually executed pretty well, we just couldn’t put the ball in the basket. You come in thinking, you know, if you make some shots you can be competitive. But when you shoot like we did, it just gets out of hand.” The Spartans’ strong start proved to be foreboding, as Valentine knocked down a jumper and hit two free-throws to lead Michigan State on a 9-0 run to start the game, before BU freshman guard Everson Davis put the Bearcats on the board with 16:34 left in the half. Sophomore forward Willie Rodriguez, who prior to the game had averaged 17.0 points per contest, shot 2-11 from the field to tally six points in 24 minutes. “The speed that they’re
playing at is the best I’ve seen in a while,” Dempsey said. “Getting the ball up and down the court, they don’t take bad shots, they play very well together, and they’re physical in the post … The speed of their wings getting up the court, and then obviously Nairn can fly the ball up the court.” On the defensive side, the Bearcats’ play was relatively stronger, as they held Michigan State to 26.9 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Spartans had netted 39 percent of 3-pointer attempts in their first eight games. Following the game, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo noted that despite the score, he was impressed with the young Binghamton squad. “I felt for Binghamton, watching them on film they are a really well-coached team,” Izzo said according to msuspartans. com. “I mean that sincerely. They run a lot of good stuff they just missed shots. I thought we did defend well today.” Izzo, Michigan State’s head coach since 1995, led the Spartans to their seventh Final Four under his tenure last season. But the veteran coach was also quick to point out what he felt was a lackluster offensive performance of their own. “I thought offensively they did a better job on us than we did on them,” Izzo said to msuspartans.com. “We did miss some shots, we had some open looks. That was the only disappointing thing of the day for me.” Despite the high standard Izzo sets for Michigan State, MSU held the Bearcats to less than half a point per possession. “I thought we played really hard,” Dempsey said. “I thought we defended them fairly well. It’s hard when you’re not scoring, because we’re back in transition on almost every single possession.” After Michigan State’s victory against Binghamton and Louisville this week, the Spartans jumped to the number one ranked team in the AP poll. The Bearcats returned to action on Monday at Oakland. Despite four BU players scoring in double figures the Bearcats fell, 83-72. For complete coverage of the game, visit BUPIPEDREAM.COM/ SPORTS.
Binghamton captures victory over Colgate, 63-56
Watkins nets 23 points, two other Bearcats score in double figures as BU tops Raiders Orlaith McCaffrey Assistant Sports Editor The Binghamton women’s basketball team (3-5) had three separate players reach double-digit scoring for the second game in a row to preserve its perfect record at home with a victory, 63-56, over Colgate (1-5) on Monday night. Despite a lineup without 2015 America East (AE) Rookie of the Year Jasmine Sina and in which three true freshmen see major time on the court, the Bearcats haven’t let early setbacks or a lack of experience hold them back this season. “I think we’re in a good spot right now,” Binghamton head coach Linda Cimino said. “We faced some adversity early on and we’ve tried to overcome that as best we can and the only thing you can do is move forward and not look back.” Although it ended the contest with a seven-point advantage, BU came close to suffering the same fate as it did last week, when Brown pulled out a last-second victory on a buzzer beater. With just over a minute remaining in the third period, the Bearcats had built an 11-point advantage. The Raiders, however, overcame their deficit, taking a 5554 lead on a clutch 3-pointer from
junior guard Katie Curtis with just 1:52 left on the clock. Binghamton was quick to respond to Colgate’s threat, as sophomore guard Imani Watkins sunk two free throws on BU’s ensuing possession to regain the lead. Watkins’ prowess from the free throw line was key to Binghamton’s success over the Raiders, as she scored 13 of her game-high 23 points from at the free throw line. Her 23 points marked the third time this season that she has netted 20 or more points. The Raiders were once again within striking distance with 15 seconds left in regulation. Needing three points to tie the game, Colgate senior guard Paige Kriftcher missed a 3-pointer before Watkins made three free throws in the final six seconds of the contest. “I’m just really proud of our team effort today,” Cimino said. “I thought everyone contributed in different ways and we didn’t turn the ball over; we shared the ball. Even though we had a lead and we lost it, we were able to get it back and to finish the game strong.” The resilience shown by Binghamton to recapture the lead was evident in the first half, when BU came back from a 15-7 first quarter deficit to take a 30-28 lead heading into the half. Integral to the
Emily Earl/ Pipe Dream Photographer Sophomore guard Imani Watkins led BU to a victory over Colgate with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the contest.
Bearcats’ comeback was freshman guard McKayla Hernandez, who sank three 3-pointers on three straight possessions in the first three minutes of the second period. In her first seven games of the season, she had scored just 16 total
points and shot only 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. “I haven’t been hitting a lot of my threes lately, so it was good to finally hit some,” Hernandez said. “I knew I could hit them and it was good to finally knock them down.”
Also key to the Binghamton offense were sophomore forward Alyssa James and senior guard Kim Albrecht. James recorded her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and grabbing 14 boards. Albrecht rounded out the
trio of Bearcats reaching doubledigit scoring, netting 14 points in 38 minutes of play. Binghamton is set to take on Columbia on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium in New York, New York.