Fall 2016 Issue 16

Students flock to fall concert for Tuesday, October 25, 2016 | Vol. XC, Issue 16 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

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Celebrating 70 Years as the Free Word on Campus

Issues of race on campus explored

Students protest Fetty Wap Concert

Groups examine state of racial tensions in higher education across the country

BSU organizes protest against fall concert headliner after violent video surfaces in 2015

Samuel Abaev & Joseph Cunningham

Amy Donovan Staff Writer

Contributing Writers

Over 30 students gathered outside the Events Center on Friday evening in protest of the fall concert headliner, Fetty Wap, who was recorded on video last year threatening the life of the mother of his child.

In November 2015, a video surfaced of Fetty Wap threatening the woman, Lezhae Zeona. No charges were filed, but a video of the incident circulated on social media.

Monet Schultz, the president of the Black Student Union (BSU) and a junior majoring in sociology, said that she and other students were protesting Fetty Wap because of his violent actions against the woman and the implications that brings to Binghamton University.

“Fetty Wap is a perpetuator of violence against women, specifically the mother of his child,” Schultz said. “We’re here to

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didn’t really care where they went; they just needed to go where everyone else was going to be.”

Appelbaum excelled in his ventures by acting as an intermediary between customers and companies. The dry cleaning delivery business, Cleaner Options, provided a service that benefitted dry cleaning businesses as well as customers, as he would take care of transportation between the two.

“Through the genesis of a lot of these ideas, it was ‘how do I come up with an

In an attempt to identify and analyze race-related issues at Binghamton University, three administrative organizations hosted over 30 students and faculty in the Old University Union on Thursday night to discuss race relations in higher education.

The public deliberation, titled “The State of Race at Binghamton University,” was a collaborative effort by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the Office of the Dean of Students and SUNY Broome’s President’s Task Force, who sought to further understand and publicize the issues of racism and incivility which have plagued college campuses in recent years.

In her introduction to the program, Lea Webb, event organizer and DEI diversity specialist, explained why she believes addressing racism and incivility

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SEE STATE PAGE 2

Pelle Waldron/Assistant News Editor Students from the entrepreneurship learning community in Johnson Hall of Dickinson Community engage with technology at Uncubed, a digital skills and job conference in New York City.

Seamless founder gives talk in NYC Andy Appelbaum, '88, spoke with students about his various start ups Pelle Waldron Assistant News Editor

After graduating from Binghamton University, Andy Appelbaum, ‘88, enrolled at New York University School of Law and went on to work at a law firm called Latham and Watkins. However, just one year into his professional career, Appelbaum left the firm to start a dry cleaning delivery service.

His subsequent string of entrepreneurial endeavors included founding Seamless, the nation’s largest online and mobile food ordering

company. Now, he is a venture capitalist for RiverPark Ventures.

Applebaum spoke to a group of 30 BU students on Tuesday in New York City, as a part of a full-day trip in which they attended a job fair and heard from various innovators and entrepreneurs.

Thinking back to his days at BU, Appelbaum said he always had a mind for innovation despite his pre-law track.

“I think that deep somewhere down in my heart I was always sort of a version of an entrepreneur,” Appelbaum said. “I used to promote bars in Binghamton. I would hire underclassmen, and people

Visiting professor talks about making math accessible Co-host of Steven Strogatz explores benefits of applying mathematics to everyday life and experiences Sarah Rahman Contributing Writer

Steven Strogatz, the Jacob Gould Schurman professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University, spoke about communicating math to the general public on Friday in the Science I Building.

His talk, “Doing Math in Public,” was the first in a series of lectures organized by the Binghamton University Writing Initiative and BU’s department of biological sciences that deal with scientific writing. The talks are open to any student who is interested in attending and are spread throughout the academic year.

Strogatz’s has written a number of books such as “The Joy of x: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity,” “Sync,” “The Calculus of Friendship: What a Teacher and a Student Learned about Life while Corresponding

about Math” and others, which help communicate mathematic ideas to non-scientists.

Writing these books led him to be acquainted with David Shipley, an editor working at the New York Times at the time, who asked him to write a series of columns in 2010. The aim of these columns was to bring an appreciation for math to people who never understood math or who missed out on all of its uses.

“That was the pitch,” Strogatz said.

“Could I write something, not to teach people how to do algebra, but to show them why algebra is worth knowing in the first place.”

In the process of writing these columns, Strogatz learned through trial-and-error which communication tactics were effective and which weren’t. These lessons were the main topic of his talk at BU. The first thing he talked about was humor and how it

could lighten up the topic and make it seem less intimidating. He also spoke about the importance of empathy and being compassionate toward the reader or audience.

“One way to do that, to empathize, is to put yourself in the place of the confused person and be a little confused yourself,” Strogatz said. “Show that it’s okay to be mixed up and that mistakes are instructive, and you can learn a lot by making mistakes. Then get past it and learn.”

The single most effective technique Strogatz said he found, however, was to give his readers a sense of wonder.

“Give them a flash of illumination, if you can,” Strogatz said. “Do not teach.

Teaching works if the person wants to learn, but this is a possibly hostile audience — they’re seeing math in the paper. Why are they going to read this?

Because you’re going to delight them.

You’re going to give them an ‘aha!’

moment.”

Some other techniques mentioned were relating math to familiar experiences and using visual aids. For example, while explaining the concept of Bayes’ theorum, a difficult part of probability theory, he spoke about the chances of a woman having breast cancer, which group she fell in — most likely or least likely — and the overall accuracy of the test that delivered the results. By relating math to a problem everyone is concerned with, it added relevance to the information provided.

Nick Gardner, a first-year graduate student studying math, said the talk was helpful for him as he is always looking for ways to communicate ideas.

“I help teach Math 148, which is statistics for biology majors, and so it’s kind of the perfect math class for making math accessible to people,”

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BU Council hears from athletics, admissions

University governing body recieves updates on vision for future from departments on campus Allison Detzel Contributing Writer

The Binghamton University Council met Friday morning in the Couper Administration Building to discuss current events and plans for the upcoming school year.

The state of the athletic department and admissions were among the topics discussed, along with reports from BU President Harvey Stenger and BU Council student representative Ryan Sheppard, a first-year graduate student in accounting.

Stenger began his remarks with news of record-breaking Family Weekend and Homecoming Weekend

registration numbers. Family Weekend had 5,000 people registered to return to campus, 400 of which were alumni and parents of current students, while Homecoming Weekend had 1,400 alumni registered. Stenger also focused on a visit from one alum in particular, Sierra Club President Aaron Mair. “[Mair] was also an EOP student here,” Stenger said. “[He is] an outstanding speaker, very passionate person about the environment and gave a very good presentation.”

He also discussed the BU Excellence Awards, the WHRW anniversary, the Zurak Family High-Technology Collaboration Center, the anonymous baseball donation and funding for the

ARTS & CULTURE

The Black Dance Repertoire hosted its “Circus: Freak Show” dance competition on Saturday afternoon,

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alumni lounge.

Stenger closed his remarks with mention of Terrell Strayhorn, a professor at The Ohio State University.

Strayhorn spoke at resident assistant training over the summer, as well as to faculty, about a sense of belonging on a college campus. Stenger said he appreciated Strayhorn’s emphasis on belonging and said he believes a focus on this connection will improve life for students at BU. “[We want to] kind of understand how this sense of belonging, which is really the connection between students, but also between students and faculty,

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Katherine Scott/Photography Editor BU Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott delivers the annual athletics report in the Couper Administration Building. The Binghamton University Council met to discuss future and current events.

OPINIONS

Student-owned yoga studio caters to community members and students alike,

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Contributing columnist Hooman Ibrahim advocates for recognition of a Kurdish nation,

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'The View' discusses career path Sunny Hostin, '90, went from career as lawyer to working at CNN, Fox and ABC Andrea Papp Contributing Writer

Students gathered in the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development to listen to Binghamton University alumna Sunny Hostin speak as part of Harpur Edge’s Cool Connections/Hot Alumni series.

On Wednesday afternoon Hostin, ’90, discussed her career path of becoming a co-host of “The View,” a multi-platform journalist and a lawyer. She said students should relate her story to their lives and encouraged questions.

As a native New Yorker, Hostin grew up in the Bronx with what she said was a supportive family. Her first career steps began when she was accepted to the EOP program and received a scholarship to attend BU at the age of 16. She said she enjoyed learning and was capable of taking an accelerated route because of her determination, having skipped fourth grade.

A year into her biology major, Hostin said she realized that science was not her true passion. She said she had a strong affinity for reading, writing and telling people’s stories, and subsequently decided to change

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SPORTS

Men’s soccer falls to Vermont, loses ground in playoff race,

Volleyball sweeps Albany for second straight victory,

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NEWS

bupipedream.com | October 25, 2016

Fetty Wap protested following '15 video WAP FROM PAGE 1

Casey Tin/Contributing Photographer SUNY Broome Professor Scott Corley speaks to students in Old University Union Thursday evening about race relations in higher education. Studies have shown that hostility toward minorities on campuses is psychologically damaging and can have effects on academic and work performance.

Groups discuss 'The State of Race at Binghamton University' STATE FROM PAGE 1 in higher learning environments to be so important.

“There are a number of things happening nationally and locally in regard to race, so one of the purposes of the conversation tonight is to really find a space for us as a campus to talk about some of those challenges around race relations as it relates to racism and its impacts, solutions and drawbacks,” Webb said.

After the introductions, a video from the site Democracy Now! was played for attendees, displaying instances of racism and bigotry across college campuses. One example shown took place last November at Ithaca College, in which thousands of faculty, students and staff staged a walkout

calling for the resignation of college president Tom Rochon in response to his inaction following two white male alumni repeatedly calling an African American graduate student a “savage.”

Following the video, participants were broken up into groups to discuss the issue of racism in greater detail.

The discussion was led by analyzing racism from different perspectives, including through statements such as “racism has a negative psychosocial impact on the university community.” This topic aimed to demonstrate how studies have shown that hostility toward minorities on campuses is often psychologically damaging, affecting academic performance.

Kelly Clark, the director of

the LGBTQ Center, said that college environments are meant to be places of learning and fairness for every individual.

“It’s essential that people realize and understand that a university is a place of openness,” Clark said. “It should be safe for everyone.”

Zoe Shannon, a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics and law, contributed to the discussion by recounting her own understanding of race relations. She explained why it’s important to hold programs that identify and publicize the issues of racism.

“Deliberations allow one to hear the different perspectives on race relations, and that’s a vital step in enabling others to better understand the issue of race,” Shannon said. “I think that if people are able to better

understand certain issues and hear more perspectives about it, they’re more likely to be sympathetic towards that issue.”

Adina Matos, a senior double-majoring in political science and sociology, said she believed the event was effective, namely in its structure as a public deliberation over a more traditional setting.

“People actually talk and say what they feel,” Matos said. “I like the small dialogue better because the cultural competency trainings would be a big row of chairs and everyone would be shouting out things.

This is more of an intimate setting. I like this better because I feel more comfortable speaking and saying what I feel, and that can make for a more efficient and practical program for everyone.”

It's essential that people realize and understand that a university is a place of openness — Kelly Clark Director of LGBTQ Center

Medieval Studies dept. celebrates 50 years at BU

CEMERS conference offers academics, students opportunity to discuss work on pre-modern book Peter Brockwell Staff Writer

The Binghamton University Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CEMERS) celebrated its 50th anniversary by hosting a conference at the University Downtown Center on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. BU students and professors, as well as academics from across the world, gathered to hear others present their work on the premodern book in a global context.

Founded in 1966 as an organized research committee combining disciplines, CEMERS focuses on the advancement of medieval scholarship in conjunction with other academic departments at BU. The CEMERS anniversary conference focused on the developing book as an object.

The book has been an integral piece of human civilization for millennia and can be an extremely useful tool in the study of society and culture.

CEMERS conference speakers examined the book from their different areas of expertise in hopes of widening the scope of medieval culture understanding.

Speakers analyzed ink samples to determine the true age of manuscripts, spoke about the need to push forward with this work as some of the older iterations of the pre-modern book are deteriorating, and examined context clues to determine who may have had access to books or influenced their development.

Each day began with a plenary lecture addressing the entire conference. Organizer and English professor Marilynn

Desmond invited professors from SUNY Institutions and other universities to discuss their work under a particular subheading. In these sessions, professors from all over the globe, including Ireland, England, Finland and Spain, were arranged into smaller, concurrent sessions based on the ways their academic work regarding the pre-modern book intersected with each other.

One of these academic sessions was organized by Bridget Whearty, assistant professor of English and medieval studies, who spoke about different digital approaches to studying premodern manuscripts. She felt that the wide array of speakers brought to the conference fostered an extremely productive and interesting academic environment.

“There’s so much nerding out,” Whearty said. “There are so many people here who do interesting, thoughtful work — there’s this mix of academics and non-academics, but then one of the great things about this conference in particular is that there also people whose work I don’t know at all. Getting to learn about all of this is remarkable.”

Olivia Holmes, an associate professor of English and medieval studies, organized a session on Dante’s libelli and the idea of the book. She put her session together in hopes of creating an accurate picture of what books meant to Dante and the people existing during his time. For Holmes, the CEMERS conference was successful in providing a broader academic context for the work.

“For me the conference was

especially successful in as much as it went beyond a narrower perspective,” Holmes said. “The conference achieved a perfect balance between the smaller, specialized sessions and the plenary lectures, which provided a broader intercultural and interdisciplinary perspective.”

Whearty said that by studying the scope of the premodern book, more people’s contributions to history could be studied.

“The thing about books, or even an iPhone, is you can use it as a tool and use it to get to all kinds of things, but the thing itself tells a story,” Whearty said.

“Books are like that for us today; they’re even more like that for thinking about the Middle Ages. … You have this object that helps us see poetry, history and art, but it also helps us see humans.”

Seamless founder speaks to students about innovation AA FROM PAGE 1 idea that is scalable’ that will allow me to use someone else’s infrastructure to be able to deliver a product or a service to someone else and connect the two, so I can extract hopefully more than just a transaction fee,” Appelbaum said.

This paved the way for Seamless, which began as a way to provide an intermediary position as Cleaner Options did, but ended up being very helpful to the customer.

“Ultimately, it changed the way

people thought about interacting with ordering,” Appelbaum said.

“The unintended beneficiary of this service was the consumer who no longer needed to repeat their order over the phone, who no longer needed to constantly re-give their credit card.”

Appelbaum has sold most of the companies he founded, and at this stage in his life has devoted his time to investing in startups.

He began his investment career at AC Angel Fund, in which he learned that his past experiences prepared him for this new job.

“I felt like I was learning from

being an entrepreneur what I now take away to be the most important skill in the venture capital world,” Appelbaum said.

“I’m definitely not the smartest person when it comes to modeling or analyzing a business plan. I think I’m decent at that, but what I’ve gotten very good at is being able to meet somebody many times and figure out whether or not I want to get on that opportunity.”

According to Appelbaum, the characteristics he looks for when deciding investments are a willingness to learn from mistakes

as well as a commitment to bythe-books business practices.

“Being able to suss out who’s going to be good at … putting themselves on the line, not worry about raising money from friends and family, being able to bet their reputation on an idea, being thickskinned enough to fail multiple times before they succeed … are interesting characteristics that I find are often inconsistent with that textbook-perfect candidate that gets the Goldman Sachs position,” Appelbaum said.

David Ostern, a senior double-majoring in geography

and philosophy, politics and law, said that he was inspired

by Appelbaum’s willingness to explore different careers.

“I think what we can get out of it is that anything truly is possible, we have potential to do anything, and just because you choose one career path doesn’t mean that you can’t change it and still be successful,” Ostern said. “Utilize the experiences that you’ve had, utilize the skills and relationships that you’ve made along the way and you’re inevitably going to set yourself up for success.”

show that the University should not be bringing artists who are violent to women in general, not only just women of color but women in general, to our campus. It makes us feel unsafe and it reflects poorly on the University.”

Schultz said she spoke with Max Maurice, the vice president for programming for the Student Association (SA) and a senior majoring in electrical engineering, after the announcement that Fetty Wap would headline the fall concert.

Maurice told her the concert could not be cancelled.

Maurice wrote in an email that the SA Programming Board (SAPB) found out about Fetty Wap’s problematic behavior after it had already finalized the contract for the headliner, and that cancelling would have resulted in a significant amount of debt for the SA and no fall concert.

Maurice also wrote that he supported the protest and that Fetty Wap’s actions do not align with the SA’s views or opinions.

“This, in no way, reflects SAPB or, as a whole, the SA’s stance on domestic violence,” Maurice wrote.

“I fully respected and was in support for the movement that BSU had initiated and I let them know that from the beginning—all the way from meeting with their E-Board as an individual to ensuring their safety by keeping Athletic Facilities, UPD, and the [Multicultural Resource Center] in the loop.”

Schultz said that the SA claiming to be unaware of Fetty Wap’s past behavior was not a valid excuse.

“They need to do better at researching who they are bringing to campus, they need to do better with making students feel safe,” Schultz said.

A sophomore who attended the concert but wished to remain anonymous said that she was unaware of Fetty Wap’s violent behavior and that the protest made her feel guilty for going to an event that she felt was supposed to be fun.

“I just think that we’re out here to have fun, and I know that that they’re protesting abuse but I would understand more if they weren’t in our faces,” she said. “I just came out here to have fun and I don’t want to have to feel bad for going to a concert.”

Members of the Women’s Student Union, X-Factor Step Team, the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society and the African Student Organization also participated in the protest donning signs with statistics about domestic violence, such as “4 in 10 black women experience domestic violence,” and chanting, “Your silence is violence.”

Epiphany Munoz, one of the protesters and a senior majoring in human development, said that she would like the protest to increase awareness and create a larger conversation about domestic violence.

“The short-term goal is strictly awareness,” Munoz said. “It sucks because we found out about it so late in the game because so many people bought their tickets, but from here on out we’re hoping that this will help spark a larger conversation.”

They need to do a better job at researching who they are bringing to campus — Monet Schultz President of BSU

PAGE III Tuesday, October 25, 2016

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

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Pipe Line

Police Watch

A lighter take on campus crime Alexandra Hupka Police Correspondent

LOCAL NEWS

spill of sodium hypochlorite had no impact on the Susquehanna Heroin investigation nets six River, according to the Department arrests in Broome County of Environmental Conservation.

A yearlong investigation has However, the bleaching agent has resulted in six arrests on charges of made its way into surrounding soil. felony drug distribution, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. Four Two charged in Endicott burglary of those arrested were charged Endicott Police Department with operating as major traffickers. arrested Corey Hulbert, 36, of Search warrants were used at 33 St. John Ave. in Binghamton Endwell, and Steffanie Soucie, and 7 Pratt Ave. in Johnson City, 30, of Johnson City, on Thursday, to Binghamton where investigators discovered and according seized multiple ounces of heroin Homepage. Both were charged with and several thousand dollars in criminal possession of a controlled cash. Broome County District substance, a class C felony, and Attorney Steve Cornwell said the possession of burglary tools, a class distribution ring met the $75,000 A misdemeanor. The pair are also required for major drug trafficking facing drug charges for possession charges for several months. of heroin and crystal meth. Both Investigators are still determining were arraigned in the Village of the total amount of sales. All of Endicott Court and taken to the those charged were arraigned Broome County Jail without bail. on Sunday in Binghamton City 13-year-old stabbed in Elmira Court and are being held in the park by 12-year-old Broome County Jail without bail.

A 13-year-old boy was stabbed near McKinnon Park in Elmira on Sunday, according to Binghamton Homepage.

Elmira Police Six hundred ninety-four gallons confirmed the boy was stabbed of a hazardous cleaning agent in the arm. There is no word on was spilled at the Binghamton- the child’s condition at this point.

Johnson City Joint Sewage Police said that both minors were Treatment Facility last week, interviewed and the investigation according to the Press & Sun- continues. The identities of the Bulletin. The spill occurred on children will not be released.

Oct. 19 around 8:30 p.m. None of the material was recoverable. The Nearly seven hundred gallons of bleaching agent spilled at sewage plant

Delaware Destruction Friday, Oct. 21, 7:34 a.m. — Police received a report of criminal mischief in Delaware Hall of Newing College, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. Maintenance reported that a bulletin board in the vicinity of room 509 had been badly damaged. Flyers had been ripped off and the paper on the board had been torn. While cleaning the mess created by the destroyed board, a maintenance worker noticed that a fire extinguisher was missing from the hall.

The extinguisher was discovered in the fourth floor stairwell, where it had been discharged.

The extinguisher was taken as evidence, and the stairwell and hallway were cleaned. University Environmental and Health Services has been notified and will be replacing the fire extinguisher. There are currently no suspects, and investigation is ongoing.

Walking Off Friday, Oct. 21, 12:28 p.m. — A 19-year-old male contacted police to report a larceny from the Fine Arts Building, Reilly said. The male stated that he had left neon-green soccer cleats, a T-shirt and a pair of shorts in a classroom in the Fine Arts Building, and had returned after roughly an hour and a half to find his items missing. Officers checked the vicinity of the classroom but were unable to locate the missing belongings.

The victim wanted no further action from the police.

Faking it Friday, Oct. 21, 7:20 p.m. — An officer reported a trespasser in the Events Center with a fake pass at the fall concert, Reilly said. The officer observed the

This Day in History Oct. 25, 1881

Artist Pablo Picasso is born in Málaga, Spain.

suspect, a 39-year-old male, speaking with an employee at the Events Center, and noticed that he was wearing a lanyard with a piece of paper on it. The officer had prior knowledge of the suspect, and had seen him using fake backstage passes before. Multiple staff members also confirmed that they had seen the suspect using false passes at prior concerts. After determining that the individual might be using a falsified pass to gain backstage access, the officer approached the suspect. The suspect stated that he was working for a promoter who had invited him to the concert. The officer contacted the promoter in question, who had no knowledge of the suspect. The suspect was then asked to leave the venue, and his pass was confiscated.

Questionable Saturday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m. — Police received a report of three male trespassers in Johnson Hall of Dickinson Community, Reilly said. A resident assistant claimed that they had observed three male suspects who were clearly not students walking around Johnson Hall. The RA stated that the suspects had been interacting with students and asking them questions about the hall and rooms. The suspects then left Johnson Hall, and the RA observed them walk to Digman Hall of Dickinson Community and ask a student to let them in. The RA decided to alert police. When officers arrived, they spoke to one of the suspects, who claimed that he had wanted to see what the dorms were like. Officers explained that the suspect could not be in the residence halls and escorted him out of the building.

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stabilizing: Flip

FW pun :destabilizing

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Professor applies math to daily life MATH FROM PAGE 1 Gardner said. “Some of the things he said are going to be really helpful for some of my students, to make it a little less dry to them. I thought it was really great.”

The next talk for the Writing for the Sciences Speaker Series will be on Dec. 5 and the speaker will be Lee Dugatkin, university scholar and professor of biology at the University of Louisville.

Show that it’s okay to be mixed up and that mistakes are instructive, and you can learn a lot by making mistakes — Steven Strogatz Professor of Math at Cornell University

Katherine Scott/Pipe Dream Photographer Steven Strogatz, a professor of applied mathematics at Cornell University, speaks to students in the Science I building. Strogatz has written a number of books pertaining to communicating mathematical ideas to nonscientists.

TV host Sunny Hostin offers advice

BU Council holds Oct. meeting

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COUNCIL FROM PAGE 1

her major to English. She told students that sometimes it’s okay to be unclear about one’s life path, and that the most important thing is to never lose sight of one’s interests.

“Nothing goes without a challenge,” Hostin said.

“Sometimes you just have to follow your passions and interests and grab the bull by the horns. Just go for it.”

Hostin graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 1994, and said she loved studying and practicing law. As a federal prosecutor, Hostin mainly dealt with child defense cases, placing sexual predators in jail and removing children from abusive environments.

Law helped pave the road toward a journalism career, Hostin said, since similarities between the two are abundant.

Law had helped hone her writing, interviewing and investigating skills. Her first job on television was as a commentator for Court

TV, which she said came about by luck.

Hostin was not there long before Fox News contacted her.

She said she worked for Fox for a year through Court TV before CNN then reached out. Next, she took an offer from CNN and worked there for six years. Then, ABC News contacted Hostin.

She anchored overnight for a while before being contacted to co-host “The View.” Once that opportunity came around, she said she knew that she found her place with ABC. Currently, she is a legal correspondent and analyst for ABC, and said she enjoys what she does.

“You spend more time at work than you do at home or with your friends and if you’re going to work everyday in a field that does not light you up, you’re going to be a miserable person,” Hostin said.

“You know by now what lights you up and what’s interesting, and whatever that is, you should figure out a way to quantify that and money will follow.”

Many students said they took Hostin’s advice and tried to relate her story to their own personal lives. One student asked Hostin how being a woman of color impacts her career. Hostin said that it adds a different perspective and value to a team. Unfortunately, however, sometimes it’s not acknowledged and she’d have to go out of her way for her employers.

“I feel like I have to work twice as hard to get half as far,” Hostin said. “Unfortunately, with the state of things currently, this has been my reality.”

Hannah Oh, a sophomore majoring in business administration, said she had always been a fan of Hostin.

She said Hostin’s success was inspirational because she does exactly what she wants to do in life.

“You can really tell that she loves what she does,” Oh said. “I saw the light in her eyes when she spoke about her current career.”

greatly improves the success of students,” Stenger said. “It’s just a hard thing to create, but he’s been giving us some ideas on how you can improve that kind of belongingness on campus.”

Sheppard covered a variety of issues, including the Graduate Student Organization and their lack of a central location for its office, as well as its frustration over a lack of representation and employment opportunities at the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development. Sheppard also touched on the Harpur Dean Search Committee, which will now include a student representative after Sheppard and Stenger came to an agreement about the matter.

They discussed possible student options, but left the ultimate decision up to the hiring supervisor, provost Donald Nieman.

Sheppard discussed the

recent change of services by Off Campus College Transport (OCCT), which moved stops from Leroy Street to Riverside Drive. Any plan will take time, he said, but one proposal included having the DCR turn down Beethoven Street instead of West End Drive, as many students complained about the route change.

“Because there are so many [students], the buses tend to get crowded really easily,” Sheppard said. “What the biggest need is, and what I’ll be working with OCCT on, is restoring the DCL as soon as possible.”

Patrick Elliott, BU’s director of athletics, gave the annual athletics report.

Elliott focused not only on the athletic successes of this past season, but also on the academic achievements of student-athletes.

Twenty-six student-athletes, spanning 13 different teams, reported a 4.0 GPA, the highest it has been in many years.

Elliott discussed the Athletics Alumni Giving Challenge, which pitted BU sports teams against one another in a competition to raise money from their respective alumni. Elliott said he realizes the importance of fundraising from alumni, especially in athletics.

“New donors are critical, and alumni giving, in general, is critical,” Elliott said. “We have to create a culture of giving within athletics.”

Greg Delviscio, the associate vice president for communications and marketing, and Donald Loewen, vice provost for undergraduate education and enrollment, gave a presentation on admissions and communication, which focused on attracting new students in a highly competitive time for college recruitment.

The Council approved the reports and dismissed the meeting without any new business. The next meeting will be held on Nov. 18.

Student teams compete in culinary cook-off Celebrity campus judges Baxter the Bearcat Associate Athletic Director, Dave Simek to MC the event Local vendors with free food

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WEEKEND FALL 2016

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WARRIORS

eak for the rest of the week. Today you felt bleak, yet now your vest is on olo cup springs a leak, you’ve passed the night’s peak and you slur when ek, so you continue to march down the path of State Street.

7 Stephen Ruiz/Contributing Photographer

ARTS & CULTURE Fetty Wap show draws thousands Joywave, Omen opened for the rapper on Friday

Stephanie Xu/Contributing Photographer

Hip-hop artist Fetty Wap performs in the Events Center. The rapper was the headliner for the 2016 fall concert.

Shauna Bahssin Arts & Culture Fetty Wap said “Hey, what’s up, hello” to Binghamton University students on Friday night’s fall concert.

The concert, which was made possible by the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB), drew in a crowd of about 3,000 people to the Events Center, and featured two opening acts prior to Fetty Wap’s appearance.

The first act, Joywave, a band entirely composed of graduates from various SUNY schools, kicked off the night with a heavy synth-rock sound, which was unlike the hip-hop feel of the following acts. As much as they tried to banter with the crowd and danced to their own music onstage, the band failed to excite the audience.

The second act, rap artist Omen, fared much better with the crowd. Through dancing and cheers, the crowd’s appreciation of him was evident. Omen’s beats were loud to the point that the large venue felt as though it were vibrating, but he attempted to make the Events Center an intimate setting by performing some of his songs, many of which were about his upbringing in Chicago, sitting down.

An hour and a half after the concert began and later than when students expected him to take the stage, Fetty Wap arrived. He was greeted by an unadulterated wave of support from the audience, and the crowd seemed to know the lyrics to most of his songs. The sound was similar to the tone on his studio albums and singles.

No moment of the set was as animated as when Fetty Wap

closed the show with his biggest hit, “Trap Queen.” It seemed that every audience member knew the hit song — the music would stop for seconds at a time during the chorus, so that all that could be heard was the wave of noise from the audience singing along.

It was also toward the end of the set when, quite memorably for students in the front row, Fetty Wap threw $20 bills to any audience member that could grab them.

According to Max Maurice, the SA vice president for programming, the artist was chosen with his high pop-chart ratings and widespread appeal to college-age students in mind.

“In booking for Fetty Wap during the month of July, I was pretty excited about how the students would react to it,” said Maurice, a senior majoring in electrical engineering. “He’s one

of the most popular names right now on the radio.”

Maurice also said that Fetty Wap was a widely suggested name in the survey.

“Because it was a concert open to the public, even University administration was concerned with the expectation and turnout of the event,” he said.

The crowd included quite a few community members and visiting students from nearby schools. Many attendees agreed that the performance exceeded their expectations for the show.

“I liked [the performance] a lot, I enjoyed it,” said Kelly Paris, a senior majoring in psychology.

“I think he was a good choice; he’s very popular right now and it looked like everyone had a good time.”

Not every student was as pleased with the concert, though.

For some, Fetty

Wap’s performance was underwhelming, especially after the rumors that the artist might not show up at all — recently, he failed to perform at college concerts at Syracuse University and SUNY Brockport. Maurice wasn’t concerned about this track record and said that the artist signed a stricter contract with the SAPB to ensure his timeliness at the concert.

“Honestly, I was a little bit disappointed, but my expectations weren’t that high,” said John Russo, an undeclared sophomore. “He played for about 45 minutes, and then when he did play, he just rapped over his recording … [he] wasn’t that exciting; it wasn’t that captivating of a performance.”

This was not the only complaint surrounding the concert. Outside the Events Center, students from the Black

Student Union were protesting the show based on Fetty Wap’s alleged history of domestic abuse against women. Members of the groups protested as people waited in line for the concert until about an hour after it started, and faced shouts in retaliation from some attendees as they walked into the venue.

Despite this, spirits inside the Events Center were high overall, and Maurice maintained that the concert had been a success with the student body.

“So far, I’ve heard nothing but praise about the concert from both concertgoers and administration,” Maurice said.

“This was undoubtedly one of the most seamless concerts we’ve ever coordinated given the size of the name we brought and the controversy tied with his past. I couldn’t have asked for a better show.”

Music fills Osterhout Healing through poetry

Orchestra hosts first show of the season Event gives support to victims of violence Kayley Horton Contributing Writer

The University Symphony Orchestra presented their audience with an “Invitation to Dance” this Saturday night, at its free concert held in the Osterhout Concert Theater in the Anderson Center.

This performance consisted of 72 student players, each with instruments ranging from oboe and trombone to cello and double bass.

The program began at 3 p.m. with an introduction by Timothy Perry, director of graduate studies of the music department and conductor. Before the performance, Perry gave a brief background on the history of the waltz as a genre.

This dance was the inspiration for the first, and titular, piece of the program: “Invitation to the Dance.”

The piece was originally composed

by Carl Maria von Weber and adapted by Hector Berlioz.

The song kept the audience in anticipation as it started soft, then developed into a full orchestra swell of music.

The symphony then transitioned into the second piece “Dance Suite,” composed

by Bela Bartok. Perry conducted the musicians through the five movements of the piece: “Moderato: Ritornello,” “Allegro molto: Ritornello,” “Allegro vivace,” “Molto tranquillo: Ritornello,” “Comodo” and “Finale: Allegro.” This piece was more suspenseful than the first, with a more haunting tone to the melody, and constantly changing movements.

After reassembling post intermission, the orchestra began their next and final piece, “Appalachian Spring (Ballet for Martha).” Written by composer Aaron Copland, this soft, synchronous piece connected all

three of the songs and acted as the conclusion to the concert.

Although now a prominent force, the orchestra started with humble beginnings in the early 1950s with only six string musicians. However, since Perry began conducting in 1986, he has guided the orchestra through performances in Greece, Ireland and Scotland.

Throughout the concert, it was evident the amount of work that went into preparing for the show. The musicians rehearsed twice a week, for a total of 3 1/2 hours.

Violist Christina Tran, a freshman majoring in English and orchestra member, shared that although membership in the orchestra is time-consuming, it is a worthwhile experience.

“It’s enjoyable playing with people who [have] other majors but still care about music,” she said.

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pesto pasta from Whole in the Wall

Ryan Muller goal of RISE, as Hyde described, violence based on their collective Contributing Writer is to help identify the needs of responses. The results were written domestic violence victims and on a canvas that will be displayed in Poetry often serves the role how to handle them, as well as the Tillman Lobby. of giving a voice to the voiceless to provide shelter services. Also Additionally, the organizers of and of providing an outlet for present was A New Hope Center of the event sought to provide a forum expression to those in need. Owego. This shelter allows victims for people affected by domestic At the Interpersonal Violence of domestic violence to stay until violence to tell their stories.

Prevention’s (IVP) Poetry Slam they close at 5 p.m. each day. The “Listening to people’s stories on Wednesday night, slam poetry center also acts as a liaison with and just letting them know that gave a voice to domestic violence law enforcement and provides they’re there for them and believe victims in front of a small but counseling services. them … is really important,” engrossed crowd in the University As part of an activity during Kaplan said.

Union. the event, Kaplan and Cheung The organizers also stressed the The office of IVP is an on- asked the audience to write down need to look out for one another. campus resource that serves to responses to three prompts: what “The other thing that is really educate university community the word “healing” means to you, important is to look for signs [that members about preventing what you would tell a survivor if might indicate domestic violence interpersonal violence and you could and what you would tell is occurring],” Cheung said. mitigating its effects. the world if you were a survivor.

The final poem, aptly titled Organized by Doris Cheung, After writing down responses, “Hope,” ended the night on a case manager and advocate for the audience was split into positive note, urging victims and the office, and Liana Kaplan, her groups of three to create poems survivors to stay strong despite all assistant a first-year graduate or paragraphs about domestic the hardships they may face. student studying social work, the event featured works written by or about victims of domestic violence. The eight poems read raised awareness for domestic violence through their emotional stories and vivid imagery. They were meant to inspire hope, concern and sympathy in listeners.

In one poem read titled, “I Got Flowers Today,” by Paulette Kelly, the narrator is abused by her husband who attempts to make up for his violence by giving her flowers the next day. These flowers keep the narrator silent until she is silenced forever. “Today was a special day / It was the day of my funeral,” she wrote. The overarching theme of these poems is to speak out against domestic violence and raise awareness before it is too late for these victims.

Audience members from outside of the University Lamyia Glasgow/Contributing Photographer community included social An event participant writes on a canvas that will be hung in the Tillman Lobby worker Carrie Hyde, representing in Old University Union to raise awareness about domestic violence. The canthe RISE Shelter in Endicott. The vas was made during a poetry slam held by Interpersonal Violence Prevention.

October 25, 2016 | bupipedream.com

9

ARTS & CULTURE

Organic Yoga takes students to new heights The local, student-owned business' offerings include aerial and heated vinyasa classes Patricia Nieberg Contributing Writer Enter Organic Yoga as a rookie, cocoon yourself in bright colored silks and emerge more experienced after an aerial yoga session.

At Organic Yoga, classes like these are held for those on spiritual journey, or those simply looking for a great workout. Aerial yoga is similar to yoga in the traditional sense, except poses are done utilizing fabric hammocks.

The studio is located about five minutes away from Binghamton University’s campus at 301 Main St. in Johnson City. At $8, students can take a class for less than the cost of a movie ticket.

Classes are kept small for intimate teacher-student attention, according to studio co-owner and instructor, Bryce Farrell, a senior majoring in biology at Binghamton University.

“There’s a ton of yoga studios in this area,” Farrell said. “But we wanted to be a small community so we try to have relationships with everybody who’s coming here.”

The studio opened about two years ago, after Farrell and her father, Dr. Jerome Farrell, took a yoga teacher training course together. Eventually, the fatherdaughter duo decided they wanted a studio of its own and chose to open one downstairs from Jerome’s dentistry practice office.

At first, the studio grew

slowly, teaching only family and friends. But after sometime, the practice grew to members of the community and local students.

The studio’s name, as it suggests, came organically.

“I just kept saying I want something natural and organic” Bryce said. “The definition of organic [being] that every part is necessary for the whole thing to be.”

Bryce defines yoga in many ways, touting both its relaxing qualities and physical benefits.

“It can be exercising, or stretching,” Bryce said. “Or [a way to] give yourself a chance to even sit still and be present.”

She also says that yoga can be a way to work through a problem.

Fellow BU students Basak Erdogan and Pelin Gullu, both seniors majoring in computer science, find that they enjoy the benefits of this exercise.

Erdogan and Gullu, both international students from Turkey, had taken aerial yoga classes at home and found that they liked the classes at Organic Yoga too. Erdogan describes it as a mix of laying in a hammock, meditating and practicing yoga.

“I feel in control of my body,” Erdogan said. “When I feel stressed out, I come here to relax and calm down.”

Jerome shared that the teachers they have hired make the studio unique from others in the area.

“Well all studios have Yoga as a common theme,” Jerome wrote

Simone Scheurer/Pipe Dream Photographer r

Students participate in an aerial yoga class at Organic Yoga in Johnson City. The studio is co-owned by Bryce Farrell, a senior majoring in biology, and her father.

in an email. “We’re really [all] more interested in each teacher having a good soul and good attitude and then we’re not so interested in steering them into any particular approach as much as allowing them to bring their own interpretation of yoga to their students.”

With this idea in mind, Organic Yoga is not only diverse in the styles of classes it hosts, but also holds workshops and special events to add variety.

Previous events include “class and a glass,” which is a combined yoga class and wine tasting, and “glo-ga,” which is a themed class

where attendees wear glow in the dark clothes and accessories with a black light illuminating the room.

With new events, classes and programs going on all of the time, one of the goals of Organic Yoga is to give every individual a unique experience.

“We just wanted everybody to be able to get something out of yoga, no matter what that was,” Bryce said.

For more details on prices, schedules, and more visit their website at http://www. organicyogajcny.com/ or facebook.com/organicyogaJCNY.

BDR hosts competition

Teams from five schools faced off on Sat. night Isabel Dietrich Contributing Writer

Katherine Scott/Pipe Dream Photographer

A group performs as a part of Black Dance Repertoire’s competition event “Circus: Freak Show.” The winning team received a $500 prize.

The Chamber Hall of the Anderson Center was buzzing with anticipation and enthusiasm on Saturday as the Black Dance Repertoire (BDR) presented its event, “Circus: Freak Show,” to a lively crowd.

BDR is a performance group that brings a range of dances to Binghamton University including hip-hop and ballet. Saturday’s event invited dance teams from BU and New York state to compete for a $500 grand prize. The teams, which were judged based on choreography, theme, stage presence and audience reaction, each performed a circusthemed dance, in the hopes of taking home the top prize.

BU’s Hoop Troop opened the event. The entertaining performance used props such as gravity balls, a ball which gives the illusion it is floating, and diabolo, a prop with a string and double-sided top, as well as face paint and, of course, hula hoops. As the audience waited for the competition to begin, a variety of pop hits engaged the audience. The dance teams, who were seated in the crowd, took the chance to flaunt their dexterity by moving along to the music.

BDR was the first act during

the competitive portion of the event, although the group was not included in official competition. Its impressive circus-themed number displayed BDR’s varied style, including exciting acrobatics, fast paced step and an awe-inspiring male split.

Indiara Jackson, a sophomore majoring in Africana studies, enjoyed BDR’s unique style.

“It’s mixed, but it’s fast and energetic, but also universal; they incorporate so many different styles,” Jackson said. “They’re a really fun group to watch.”

Following BDR was the International Flag Dancers, a group from BU, who delivered an enthusiastic performance that showcased the group’s ability to dance as one. After the Flag Dancers, Ithaca College’s Pulse Hip Hop team performed, delivering a fast and energetic routine that inspired a level of crowd interaction that other teams failed to illicit.

Next up was the SUNY Oswego African Student Organization, whose dance presented a sinister, enthralling narrative that chronicled the lives of circus workers, while incorporating many impressive acrobatic feats. Also hailing from Ithaca College was Island Fusion, an all-girl group adorned in sparkly, red ringmasters’ coats.

The SUNY Plattsburgh Dance Corps also came to compete and utilized ballet styles to deliver an emotionally poignant dance exploring the stages of love and lust. Finally, John Jay’s Universal Image Dance Team closed out the competitive portion of the event with a high-energy and engaging performance while disguised in masks.

During the deliberation period, BDR performed the finale of the night, a girl-centric performance, emulating the spirit and energy they had achieved with their first performance. Third place was awarded to the team from SUNY Plattsburgh while Universal Image from John Jay captured second. First place, and the $500 grand prize, was awarded to the SUNY Oswego African Student Organization team.

Regardless of places and prizes, participants including Ilana Winter, a senior majoring in psychology and a member of the International Flag Dancers, were proud of what they had accomplished.

“It was so much fun on stage; it was great to get up there,” Winter said. “It’s the first time in awhile that we have been in a BDR event.

It’s great to have been invited and get the chance to dance with different groups. It’s a good way to get new inspiration.”

Goodwill Theatre brings variety to Johnson City

The company puts on nearly 70 shows each year and is planning a major expansion for next year Nicholas Terepka Contributing Writer

Situated in the middle of Johnson City and built in a refurbished firehouse, Goodwill Theatre’s Schorr Family Firehouse Stage has the perfect vibe for a classy night of music, but caters equally well to various plays and musicals it shows throughout the year.

The theatre hosts a wide variety of events including cabaret shows, jazz concerts, classical music concertos, comedy pieces, storytelling and more.

Almost 70 events are scheduled for this year, and planning for next year has already begun.

“It’s like fitting together a big puzzle,” said general manager Christine Springer about scheduling.

“We start by looking at shows we invested in, but haven’t done yet,” she said. “Then we go to conferences around the country and ask, ‘Can we use this? Can we take that?’”

Springer highlighted the fact that scheduling every show is one of the hardest parts of managing the theatre, second only to putting on the theatre’s own productions.

However, she also said it’s one of the most rewarding.

“I’m most proud when, after all this work, people enjoy the shows we put on,” Springer said. “It’s a good feeling.”

Springer’s personal favorite events are the story readings.

“Literacy is very important to me, and these family-oriented shows encourage that,” Springer said.

On top of the already difficult show-scouting and scheduling process, the venue is undergoing construction next season in order to house a new training center and spaces for local community organizations to show off their media. The renovation will also serve to consolidate Goodwill Theatre’s properties into a single complex.

“We’ve been scouting other venues to hold our shows for over a year now,” Springer said.

“Putting all of this together is going to be a lot harder when we don’t even know what stages certain shows are going to be on next year.”

As far as offerings for students go, she believes there is something that caters to all sorts of interests. For those who don’t just want to watch, the venue also hosts jazz jams where anyone can join in. Participation in these jams is $10, but free if you bring your own instruments.

Springer also emphasized the need for local support.

“We usually bring musicians and actors from outside, but we have a core group of local performers,” she said. “We’d love to see more students getting involved in the local theatre community.”

The next scheduled show is a stand-up comedy event held by the NYC Ladies of Laughter on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Simone Scheurer/Pipe Dream Photographer Pictured: The Goodwill Theatre’s Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City.

OPINIONS Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Why the existence of Kurdistan is no longer disputable Nation doesn't have borders, but should be recognized; We can learn from the Kurdish Struggle Hooman Ibrahim

Contributing Columnist

There was a time when it appeared that Islamic State, rapidly expanding into Syria, could not be stopped. The world idly stood by as the group used horrific violence in order to carve out its own “caliphate,” under the guise of representing an entire religion. Yet, when they began targeting an area historically defined as Kurdistan, this inaction ceased.

The Kurdish forces, with ranks comprised almost equally of men and women, have been actively combating ISIL. They asserted their commitment to both protecting the people of Kurdistan and their humanistic ideals by trying to prevent the spread of terror.

Yet, despite their efforts, many in the media are quick to highlight that “Kurdistan does not exist” or that “Kurdistan

is not a country.” Only one of these is true: Kurdistan is not a country, however, Kurdistan is a nation.

Kurdistan is a nation that transcends the political boundaries of four countries: Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.

The mere fact that the people do not yet have a country does not strip away its legitimacy or its existence. This is beyond dispute.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that the general public has difficulty comprehending how a nation can exist without a state and herein lies a fundamental issue. People conceptualize and perceive defined state boundaries as the definitive proof of existence.

This rhetoric has brought Kurdistan into a multifaceted struggle: combatting ISIL while also trying to fend off the flawed ideological presuppositions that they don’t exist within the international community.

Two parts of Kurdistan, known as Southern Kurdistan and Western Kurdistan, located in the north of Iraq and Syria,

have transformed the structure of these countries. In Southern Kurdistan, internationally only known as the Kurdistan Region, the Kurds have their own semiautonomous government, their own military (Peshmerga) and their own social intuitions against the backdrop of a thriving economy. In Western Kurdistan, more commonly referred to as Rojava, the Kurds have similarly constructed their own inclusive federative governing bodies, their own military People’s Protection Units and are a seeking to build a more cooperative economy based on the democratization of power.

These two parts of the Kurdish nation are now only nominally a part of Iraq and Syria, and their recent territorial gains and political victories replicate their existence. Kurdistan exists within an alternate geopolitical dimension, one that reinforces the idea that a country does not necessitate sovereignty or legitimacy.

Another part of the struggle

Mind over matters

Practicing mindfulness benefits students Kara Bilello Contributing Columnist

Recently, I have been feeling drained: midterm season has officially arrived, I am traveling frequently and not sleeping enough. Last week, I felt guilty when my 30-minute nap became two hours — I’m sure you know that as college students, this is not a rare occurrence.

In my exhausted state, I received a simple, yet extremely helpful tip from a friend.

Simply, she said: in that moment, there was nowhere you needed to be and nothing else you needed to do. Accept the relaxation in the moment.

This mindset is a classic example of mindfulness: keeping one’s attention focused and centered on the present moment.

Its benefits include reduced stress and better physical health, both of which are essential to maintaining a life constantly on-the-go. In college, this practice is heavily underutilized.

In mindfulness, the emphasis is placed on disconnecting from stressors and focusing instead on what is happening in that moment. Many of the

practices include deep breathing, engagement of the five senses and creating acceptance.

As students with full class schedules, internships, work and sports, our attention is focused on where we need to be or what we need to be doing next. The school environment is one that fosters stress right alongside with productivity.

Many students, myself included, struggle with anxiety.

Anxiety drives one’s thoughts to be focused on the future, which builds up stress to an uncomfortable level. Mindfulness serves to ground me back to the present and lowers my stress from factors out of my control.

We are all subject to distractions, stress and anxiety; it is honestly inevitable.

However, during extended periods of time under stress, the body remains connected to the sympathetic nervous system, the part of the brain that activates a heightened state of arousal during a fightor-flight response. Awareness of one’s surroundings is driven up, but as a survival mechanism, anxiety increases as well. This is counterproductive to completing the things that are causing us stress in the first place.

By using deep breathing, an

individual can change their own body’s functioning by dropping into the parasympathetic nervous system, a state of rest and relaxation. Spending more time in the parasympathetic nervous system allows an individual to be more productive due to feeling more calm.

This equates to studying more efficiently with less wasted time due to anxiety-driven struggles with concentration. As a result, you will have more time to do things that are unrelated to schoolwork.

Living in the present can be tough to do when there is a checklist of tasks that need to be completed all in one day.

It is more common to walk through a dorm and see people procrastinating than actually doing homework at the end of the day. I am guilty as well, but if we can devote time to Instagram and Facebook, we can spend time caring for our own health as well. It seems simple, but it is by no means an easy practice. Start by spending just five minutes at the beginning of each day experiencing living in the moment; the benefits may surprise you.

— Kara Bilello is a sophomore majoring in English.

for recognition stems from those who are from neighboring countries that vehemently oppose Kurdistan. This can be exemplified in the case of the 1988 Al-Anfal chemical gas attacks on the Kurds or the denial of and strict bans on Kurdish identity and culture in Turkey since the country’s inception.

Today, people viciously assert that “Kurdistan doesn’t exist” or that they shouldn’t seek to establish a country because they should live with their Muslim counterparts. In some ways this may be a genuine belief and call for peace. However, a vast majority of those who have used this same logic are strict proponents of nationalism and completely ignore the socioeconomic, political and cultural disparities between Kurds and other regional peoples.

The hypocritical aesthetic of this argument is evident: denying people the right to decide their own fate, under the facade of some pious behavior, is purely antithetical. These

same self-described pious people that are so adamantly against the formation of any Kurdish political projects, because it somehow would run contrary to Islam, are the same upholders of the countless oppressive Middle Eastern states.

For centuries, these opponents have attempted to utilize religion as a pretext to detract people away from the Kurdish cause and their right to self-determination. The irony is that these same opponents of Kurdistan are also anti-Western, yet gladly reinforce the artificial nation states and arbitrary borders created by the colonial European powers.

The era of Kurds being pawns of the hegemonic powers and the consistent denial of Kurdistan’s existence is coming to a close.

The current non-binary wars in the Middle East have ultimately facilitated an environment for the Kurds and Kurdistan to emerge as a viable alternative for what the region could be: a democratically decentralized

society where the power is not allocated to external states, but in the rightful hands of the people.

These concepts of nationalism, ethnicity, selfdetermination, identity and human rights are not foreign to Binghamton University students.

We are constantly entrenched in the throes of the PalestinianIsraeli conflict on campus, and as much some people would like to portray this conflict as the ultimate battle between the East and the West, this simply is not true. This is a Middle Eastern problem.

Therefore, for those of us engaged in these discussions, we must remember that this is not the only conflict that will shape the region’s future. We can all expand our comprehension of contemporary struggles through the lens of the Kurdish struggle.

— Hooman Ibrahim is a senior majoring in business administration.

Al-Qaida still threat

Group has strong footholds in Middle East Benjamin Golberg

Contributing Columnist

Since the summer of 2014, the self-described Islamic State group has captured the world’s attention.

After it seized vast swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, ISIL became synonymous with terrorism. The group has continued to dominate headlines this past week after it was driven out of the symbolic Syrian city of Dabiq and fought against at the onset of the operation to recapture the Iraqi city of Mosul.

As ISIL continues to dominate the headlines and its ability to fight a conventional war in the Middle East declines, many have been discussing what the future holds for the so-called War on Terror.

While much of the discussion has naturally been theorizing about the future of ISIL, there is another organization that still holds a powerful presence in much of the world: Al-Qaida.

For the past two years, AlQaida has been brushed aside by both the media and the international community in order to focus on the threat posed by its offshoot, ISIL. However, the group has continued to conduct deadly attacks and operations while

solidifying its presence in parts of Yemen and the Sahara-Sahel region.

After the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, Al-Qaida evolved into a relatively decentralized movement with regional branches, such the Islamic Maghreb, based in North and West Africa, and Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, based in Yemen. Even after the death of Osama bin Laden, these groups continued to thrive, particularly after they took advantage of the chaos caused by the Arab Spring in Yemen and Libya.

In November 2015, Islamic Maghreb carried out an attack on a hotel in the capital city of Mali, a country they have had a presence in for over a decade. This was followed in January 2016 by an attack on a hotel in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and then in March, an attack on a beach in the Ivory Coast. Altogether these attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 50 people and have proven that, despite massive counterterrorism efforts undertaken by Western and local governments, Islamic Maghreb was still more than capable of carrying out complex attacks. According to analyst Katherine Zimmerman, they pose no less of a threat in the long term than the core Al-Qaida once did.

The Arabian Peninsula differs

from Islamic Maghreb in that, due to the conflict in Yemen and widespread distrust of the government there, they actually have the support of the population in the areas under its control. This makes it much more dangerous when compared to groups like ISIL, which brutalizes the people living under its regime and has therefore lost most of the support they may have once enjoyed. This means that until the conflict in Yemen is resolved, the Arabian Peninsula not only has a base of operations from which it can plan and execute attacks like the Charlie Hebdo massacre — which was carried out by Arabian Peninsula affiliates — but it can continue to spread its message, presenting itself as a reasonable alternative to Houthi rebel or Yemeni governmental rule.

Al-Qaida affiliates have spent the last few years entrenching themselves further into the regions under their control. Despite the attention that is justly given to defeating ISIL, it’s nonetheless important to remember that as they lose ground in the war in Iraq and Syria, other groups will regain prominence in the eyes of the militant jihadist community.

— Benjamin Goldberg is a junior double-majoring in Africana studies and history.

Worry less about the top one percent

Wealth inequality not source of inequities; stop blaming elite for economic problems Brian Deinstadt

Contributing Columnist

Among many groups mentioned during this election cycle have been the “1-percenters,” an exhalted class of Americans so wealthy that they form the upper 1 percent of the population. Many people look down upon this group; politicians like Bernie Sanders have voiced avid interest in jacking up taxes on it with aim of smoothing out the landscape that is wealth inequality.

Who really are the onepercenters? Are they a nefarious group of rich folk who are out to live in luxury while the middle class suffers, or a highly productive group of Americans contributing to the growth of the economy? The answer lies within a realm most often ignored by those so intent on persecuting them.

It is important to first make

the distinction between income inequality and wealth inequality because both terms are bandied about often. Household income is a household’s annual inflow of wages, interests and profits, whereas wealth is the difference between a family’s assets (such as a house, car or business) and debts.

There is no question that both income and wealth inequality exist in this country, with the latter being much greater in terms of disparity.

According to the Pew Research Center, in 2013, the median wealth of the nation’s upper-income families ($639,400) was nearly seven times the median wealth of middle-income families ($96,500).

Such a contrast may urge some to immediately declare injustice, but a closer look at the details will advise a different reaction.

One of the most important variables often exempt from characterizing the top 1 percent is its fluctuation. In other words, the top 1 percent is not consistently

composed of the same group of individuals year after year.

Data from the Internal Revenue Service shows that more than half the people who were in the top 1 percent in 1996, were no longer there in 2005. Thomas Sowell, economist and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, explains this peculiarity: “These are not permanent classes, but mostly people at current income levels reached by spikes in income that do not last. These income spikes can occur for all sorts of reasons [such as] selling homes, receiving inheritances or from a gamble that pays off, whether in the stock market, real estate market or Las Vegas.”

Those keen on depicting the top 1 percent dishonestly often do so in a way that makes them seem like they are only a fixed group of elites that rule over Wall Street, rather than a diverse collection of individuals who have reached this mark through a lifetime of hard

work and financial prudence.

The same can be said for the other end of the table. Most college students currently place within the bottom 5 percent of average individual incomes in the United States. This is not because we have an economic system that is inherently discriminatory against college students, but rather that they have yet to secure a fulltime job, or lived long enough to accumulate funds, build wealth and transcend their current economic rank.

Many people see those at the top and automatically assume the worse, suggesting that they took advantage of those at the bottom. But we know that there are innumerable factors that lead to the difference between our bank accounts and those of our neighbors. Inequality does not necessarily denote inequity.

Efforts by the federal government to close the gap between the affluent and the middle

class have often had deleterious effects on the economy. Increases in the minimum wage have burdened small businesses that have been forced to cut budgets by cutting employees. Welfare programs have helped people who are in poverty rather than helping them out of poverty. And increased taxes on corporations have driven large companies to seek employment overseas rather than here in the states.

Reduction in government spending, limited regulation and lowering taxes are surely the remedy here, best demonstrated by the unprecedented 92-month long economic boom that took place in the United States from November 1982 to July 1990, when supplyside economic policies under President Reagan’s administration helped increase the GDP by 36 percent, employment by over 20 million jobs and the Dow Jones Industrial Average by a whopping 15 percent.

Resist being so tough on those at the top. Wealth inequality is not the result of a rigged system, but rather a healthy economy that hosts a gamut of individuals with different careers, visions and work ethics. A progressive tax not only does little to aid the economy through undercutting incentive, but it is also profoundly unethical; people have a right to what they earn.

Consider the opposite scenario, where wealth inequality is completely eradicated and we adopt an absolute, egalitarian society.

That is what would be known as communism, which does not have a great track record. Americans need to worry less about those at the top and more about what they can individually give to the economy, rather than what the economy can give to them.

— Brian Deinstadt is a junior double-majoring in political science and English.

October 25, 2016 | bupipedream.com

11

SPORTS

Binghamton stumbles in race for AE postseason Men's soccer unable to recover from early deficit Noah Bressner Assistant Sports Editor

Binghamton head coach Paul Marco unraveled his scarf, which had protected his face on the windswept field, during the BU men’s soccer team’s game Saturday night. After the final whistle, Marco revealed a scowling mien that told the story of the Bearcats’ maddening 2-0 loss to Vermont.

“I’m pissed,” he said.

But even though Binghamton (6-4-5, 1-2-2 America East) was shut out by Vermont, the Bearcats dominated much of the game. The Bearcats outshot the Catamounts (10-5-1, 2-3 AE), 11-5. On the frigid night, the Bearcats’ approach on the field drew the ire of their coach.

“I’m just disappointed in the way we approached the match,” Marco said. ”We didn’t have a zest, a bounce in our step. We just let them come and dictate play in the first 10 minutes. Then we were fighting and scraping to get the goal back.”

The tough loss bumped BU to seventh place in the AE. With five points, Binghamton now finds itself one point behind Hartford and two behind Vermont with just two AE games remaining.

One year after reaching the conference title game, the Bearcats are in danger of missing the six-team conference playoffs altogether.

“Everybody knows you need points,” Marco said. “I mean, if you don’t win games it’s hard to

Emily Earl/Pipe Dream Photographer Sophomore forward Nikkos Psarras led the Bearcats with five shots in their 2-0 loss to Vermont on Saturday.

make the playoffs.”

Through all of the Bearcats’ injury issues and hardships, their defense has kept steady.

But against the Catamounts, it swayed. BU gave up an easy goal in each half and has now dropped two straight matches.

Anchored by the redshirt freshman goalkeeper Alejandro Cubillo and the team’s two captains — redshirt junior back Charlie Novoth and senior back Zach Galluzzo — Binghamton’s defense ranks third in

the conference in goals allowed and second in clean sheets.

“As great as our two center backs and our back four have been in general, we gave [the Catamounts] a couple of moments and they got two goals,” Marco said. “I’m disappointed and I’m going to take a closer look as to what happened. Our guys did not have a passion for the game to get goals or compete or attack.”

In just the eighth minute,

freshman midfielder Jon Arnar Barddal put Vermont ahead.

He strung the ball through two Binghamton defenders and past Cubillo into the top left corner of the net.

Binghamton spent the rest of the game chasing the Catamounts, often coming close but never drawing even. In the remaining 37 minutes of the half, BU got off seven shots on net, while Vermont registered just one.

Sophomore forward Nikkos

Psarras led the effort, narrowly missing one shot off a breakaway in the ninth minute. He missed another breakaway shot just seven minutes later.

Vermont sealed the match in the 67th minute when senior forward Bernard Yeboah found the ball in the middle of the box and fired the ball into the back of the net.

“I’m convinced that this group has a lot more,” Marco said. “It’s a young group, so maybe this is a one-off, but

we’ll see.”

Despite Binghamton’s two consecutive losses, it still has a chance to move into playoff contention by the end of the season. The Bearcats will play their final two AE games against Stony Brook and Albany, but will first face Hofstra.

Binghamton is set to play Hofstra tonight. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Hofstra University Soccer Stadium in Hempstead, New York.

Bearcats end year with loss BU shines in doubles play

BU misses playoffs for second straight year Caputo and Nath compete in quarterfinals

Raquel Panitz/Pipe Dream Photographer Freshman defender Lauren Spinnato started 17 games this season.

Eric Gaccione Pipe Dream Sports

The Binghamton women’s soccer team suffered a heartbreaking loss to Vermont on Sunday. BU (6-10-2, 2-6 America East) allowed a Catamount (77-3, 2-4-2 AE) goal with less than a minute remaining to fall, 1-0. The defeat eliminates the Bearcats from playoff contention and marks the second straight season they have failed to earn a postseason berth.

The Bearcats were optimistic going into the game, as they had recorded more AE wins than the Catamounts. Both teams had recorded just six total wins on the season. Records, however, didn’t matter once both teams hit the pitch.

Binghamton and UVM went back and forth throughout the first half. Possession time was almost completely even,

although neither squad was able to capitalize.

“I thought it was a pretty even first half,” said BU head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “In the second half, what we did well was put more midfield pressure on Vermont, pushing them deeper into their own end. From that we were able to create more opportunities inside the box and get better looks at the net. The first half was not quite the attack we were hoping for, but in the second half we were able to get more going due to our pressure.”

Binghamton outshot Vermont, 18-13. Although the Bearcats edged the Catamounts in shots, they could not get the ball past UVM junior goalkeeper Coco Speckmaier, who made 10 saves in the match, seven of which came in the second half.

It was win or go home for both UVM and the Bearcats in the last two minutes. Players hit the ground left and right, as both

teams believed physicality was key to extending their season.

With fewer than six seconds to play, UVM senior forward Nikki McFarland made a move to create space, then quickly fired a shot into the top center of the net, putting Vermont up, 1-0, and sucking the life out of Binghamton and its playoff hopes.

Although Bhattacharjee was hoping for his players to be smarter with the ball at the end of the match, he praised them for their gritty performance on Sunday and throughout the regular season.

“I thought [freshman defender] Lauren Spinnato was fantastic in the back for us,” Bhattacharjee said. “She did a lot for us in cleaning up Vermont’s attack. [Senior backup goalkeeper] Haley Downin did very well in a very tough position, since she only got to play a few minutes on senior night, and was all of a sudden expected to play a full 90 minutes due to [junior goalkeeper] Katie Hatziyianis’ unfortunate red card on Thursday.”

Although the Bearcats failed to make the AE Tournament, they doubled their win total from last season, from three to six. Bhattacharjee plans to concentrate his efforts on improving the team’s fitness and fundamentals during the offseason.

“Last spring we focused a lot on bonding and forming a genuine team culture,” Bhattacharjee said.

“That brought us a long way this year, along with fixing our style of play and our fitness. For this spring, we are going to keep the same focuses as last year, but we’re going to do them at a higher level. Our fitness is going to be better. We’re going to focus on our technical ability … we also want to work on having players feel comfortable playing multiple roles on the team in order to create more interchangeable parts.”

Orlaith McCaffrey Sports Editor

Sometimes the best outcomes are unexpected. This proved true for the Binghamton men’s tennis team at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional over the weekend, as the doubles pair of senior Thomas Caputo and freshman Kushaan Nath, which hadn’t even qualified for the main draw, advanced to the quarterfinals. They are just the third doubles pair in program history to advance to the quarterfinals.

The duo, which has only taken the court together recently in practice, came into the tournament as second alternates — meaning they wouldn’t get to compete unless multiples teams were unable to play. Fortunately for the Bearcats, that’s exactly what happened; a St. John’s player went down with an injury and the first alternate pair hadn’t traveled to the meet, so BU was granted a spot in the draw.

“It was really a fortunate circumstance that we even had the opportunity to play,” said BU head coach Nick Zieziula.

“Thomas [Caputo] and Kushaan [Nath] did a great job of making the most out of that opportunity.”

The pair squared off against Princeton in the first round, taking down the Tigers, 8-6, before defeating Boston College in the second round.

The serendipitous pairing next faced a duo from Dartmouth in what proved to be the Bearcats’ most hard-fought win of the day, as they narrowly took down the Big Green, 8-7.

Caputo and Nath then moved on to the quarterfinal round where their run ended at the hands of Columbia sophomore Victor Pham and his brother, senior Richard Pham.

According to Zieziula, Caputo and Nath’s success was particularly notable because they had never competed together and barely practiced with each

other prior to the tournament.

“I just paired them together because we had an even number of people going,” he said. “That’s a testament to … if we play our system, it doesn’t really matter who we put out on the court together.”

Zieziula was pleased with the doubles results because of the emphasis the team has placed on improving in this area.

“It’s especially rewarding because we spent a lot of time on our doubles process, figuring out the style that we want to play and what kind of plays we want to run and that’s really been the focus,” he said.

On the singles side, Caputo and freshman Tiago Lourenco made it to the second round before being eliminated.

Next up for the Bearcats is the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Indoor Championships next weekend, where they’ll compete

against the same teams they’ll see in the spring season.

“It’s the first event where we’re putting some actual outcome goals on in terms of number of wins and focus more on putting together a good performance with wins and losses,” Zieziula said.

Although the meet is one of the program’s most important for the fall season, Zieziula plans not to hold onto the results as particularly significant.

“You don’t want to get too focused on what happened here … it’s still so early in the year and really what matters is what happens in March and April,” he said.

Binghamton is scheduled to play at the MAC Indoor Championships, which starts on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 9 a.m. in Kalamazoo, Michigan on the campus of Western Michigan.

Emily Earl/Pipe Dream Photographer Junior Thomas Caputo was one member of the BU doubles duo that advanced to the quarterfinals at the ITA Northeast Regionals.

MEN'S SOCCER

Bearcats defeated by Vermont SEE PAGE 11 Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Emily Earl/Pipe Dream Photographer The Binghamton volleyball team hit .235 in its 3-0 sweep of conference-leading Albany on Friday.

BU snaps Albany's 10-game streak for second straight win

With 3-0 sweep, volleyball hands Great Danes first America East loss in fight for playoffs Joseph Burns Pipe Dream Sports

The Binghamton volleyball team swept first-place Albany this past Friday, defeating the Great Danes for the first time since 2014. Albany (12-7, 6-1 AE) suffered its first conference loss, shattering its 10-game win streak in the process.

“I thought we played at a very high level and were able to keep it up throughout the match against a tough opponent,” said BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama.

“It’s important, especially in these tough matches, to start off quick and get a small lead to build on.”

BU (10-11, 4-3 AE) took an

early 7-3 lead before Albany countered to tie the set at seven.

The two teams traded points until five errors from the Bearcats allowed the Great Danes to surge ahead 18-14. Junior middle hitter Kristella Morina posted a block for Binghamton and senior middle hitter Bianca Anderson followed with a kill. Two clutch kills from freshman outside hitter Lauren Kornmann leveled the game at 19.

The two squads exchanged points until the game was deadlocked at 23. An Albany error gave BU a set point before a kill from Kornmann clinched the set for Binghamton, 25-23.

“Lauren [Kornmann] had a nice game as our outside hitter,”

Kiriyama said. “They didn’t have an answer for her.”

Four straight assists from junior Sarah Ngo once again set the stage for the Bearcats, lifting them to an early 7-3 lead.

The Bearcats contained Albany’s offense, refusing to allow the Great Danes within three points.

Sophomore outside hitter Erin Shultz contributed four more kills for BU while Kornmann added three kills to help propel the Bearcats to a 25-20 set win.

“We handled the ball well; we passed well and we got some good production from our middles,” Kiriyama said. “Sarah [Ngo] did a nice job of distributing the ball.”

BU took an early 4-1 lead in the

third set. The Great Danes proved their vitals were intact, fighting back to even the score at eight.

However, the Bearcats denied Albany the opportunity to gain an edge, as they went on a huge 9-0 run. Kornmann had five kills during the run, while Anderson tallied two.

Two kills from Albany’s redshirt freshman middle blocker Akuabata Okenwa along with two BU errors contributed to a 5-1 Albany run, narrowing the score to 23-16. A service error pushed the score to 24-16 and a final kill from Ngo slammed the door shut on Albany and clinched the match sweep for BU. Kornmann, Anderson and

Shultz compiled 34 kills on the day, accounting for more than 50 percent of BU’s points. Senior libero Bailey Walker and Ngo contributed to the offensive vigor, leading the team with 16 digs and 35 assists, respectively.

BU’s victory advanced its standing to 4-3 in the AE, good for fourth place. Despite the loss, Albany retained its first place position. In their last two contests the Bearcats have recorded upsets, handing both UNH and Albany their first conference losses.

The key to Binghamton’s success in its last two matchups has been its impressive offense.

The Bearcats have hit at a .218 clip in their last two sets, which

is well above their season average of .185.

Binghamton hopes to extend its conference win streak to three against last place UMass Lowell. Still, Kiriyama refuses to underestimate the River Hawks regardless of their conference standings. “[UMass] Lowell will be a tough match,” he said. “We need to work a little harder and more efficiently on offense. Then hopefully we can play with the same intensity we did this past weekend.”

Binghamton is set to face UML on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Binghamton dominates Niagara and Siena at home

Youth and experience contribute to swimming and diving's success across the board Brendan Zarkower Contributing Writer

The Binghamton men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams each swept their first home meet of the season with a series of decisive victories on Saturday in the West Gym. The men defeated Niagara by a score of 164.5 to 129.5, while the women took down two opponents simultaneously: Siena by a score of 178.0-94.0 and Niagara by a score of 158.50-131.50.

The men’s team, having come off of a 186-105 victory against NJIT earlier this month, continued its successful start to the season. Prior to its victories over the weekend, the women’s side lost its first contest of the year at Vermont, 105-177.

BU head coach Brad Smith believes that team efforts from both sides led to the Bearcats’ success.

“We had a lot of fantastic swims across the board, both men’s and women’s,” he said.

“Ross [Bernstein] won the [1,000yard freestyle] and the [500-yard freestyle]; senior captain Katie Chung got her first win of her collegiate career.”

Smith also pointed to junior Maria Trivino’s impressive performance in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:28.83) and sophomore Brooke Pettis’ 100-yard (59.26) and 200-yard

(2:11.29) butterfly swims as vital to the team’s victory.

On the diving side, the Bearcats improved remarkably since their last meet.

“Our divers — I believe all of them hit personal records today on the boards,” Smith said.

According to Smith, the team’s youth makes its success even more impressive. On the current rosters, there are more freshmen (27) than returning swimmers.

“I think we’re coming into our own still,” Smith said. “It’s great to see how dominant a lot of our freshmen are.”

Although the freshmen have contributed thus far, Smith is aware that the lack of collegiate swimming experience on the team could be a challenge going forward.

“With a lot of youth comes a lot of inexperience,” Smith said. “I predict we’ll have a lot of ups and downs this season as a result of the youth, but it’s great to see them build confidence like they did today with some outstanding performances.”

Last year, the Bearcats won this contest by even greater margins. On the men’s side, BU defeated Niagara, 171.5-128.5, while the women bested both the Purple Eagles, 206-88, and Siena, 190-108.

Smith emphasized that much of the team’s energy and enthusiasm comes from a new philosophy toward teamwork.

Kevin Paredes/Assistant Photo Editor The Binghamton swimming and diving squads combined to win 18 events at their home meet over the weekend.

“A big drive this year is that we really preach team harder than we ever have,” Smith said. “The captains are doing a fantastic job of leading the charge in terms of that. The team is just super positive — high level of energy, great attitude. It’s just contagious.”

The meet was a Code Green

event, in which all studentathletes were encouraged to attend in support of their fellow Bearcats.

“If you watch the meet, every single person is on their feet, they’re all cheering, they’re raising the energy level for everyone, including the parents and the fans behind them,” Smith said. “We

have great fans.”

Looking toward the future, Smith said there is still room for improvement across the board.

“Honestly, we’ve still got to improve everywhere,” Smith said. “[There were] outstanding swims, but there’s still room to grow everywhere. We’re still far from where we can be and will

be, so it is promising to see that, but we’ve still got a long way to go.“ Both the men’s and women’s teams are scheduled to return to the pool Saturday, Nov. 12 for a home contest against VMI and Colgate. The meet is set for 1 p.m. at the West Gym in Vestal, New York.