Thursday, November 2, 2017 | Vol. XCII, Issue 18 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Convention debate comes to campus Speakers argue potential effects of constitutional convention prior to Nov. 7 vote in New York
Rapper Post Malone to headline fall concert
Sasha Hupka Assistant News Editor
Gerrymandering, union protections, environmental issues and reproductive rights are all addressed in New York’s state constitution. On Nov. 7, state residents will determine if that constitution will be open to amendment in 2019. The question of whether New York will hold a constitutional convention is growing as Election Day approaches, and on Wednesday night, students and faculty at Binghamton University joined the statewide conversation at the “Should New York Approve a Constitutional Convention?” debate. The debate was co-sponsored by BU’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) and Defend It, Inc., a nonprofit that aims to improve community knowledge on controversial issues through civil debates. It featured guest speakers Marion Irwin, a member of Citizen Action, and Henrik Dullea, Cornell University’s vice president emeritus for community relations. While Irwin argued against the constitutional convention, Dullea argued for it. Prior to the debate, Wendy Martinek, associate professor of political science at BU, provided background on the upcoming vote. The vote occurs every 20 years and is one of two ways to change the New York state constitution. New York has held nine constitutional conventions, the most recent in 1967, when a convention was held but no amendments were passed. According to Ben DeAngelis, political engagement coordinator for the CCE and a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Community and Public Affairs, the background provided by Martinek was crucial, because many students are uneducated on the constitutional convention and its potential impacts. “When we were doing our voter registration drives, we found a lot of people, specifically students, didn’t know about this question, so we shifted our energy to pulling this together,” DeAngelis said. “Our mission at CCE is to create educated voters, and students are really the perfect population to educate because students really have the energy to learn about new things.” Martinek’s introduction included a list of issues, laws and clauses already included in the state constitution, such as Forever Wild, a clause that protects New York’s state forests from being sold, leased or developed, and the Blaine Amendment, which forbids government aid to religiously affiliated educational institutions.
SEE DEBATE PAGE 3
Georgia Westbrook Arts & Culture Editor
The Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) announced on Wednesday evening that Post Malone will be headlining the 2017 fall concert. The show will be opened by Dave East. Ashley Blake, the concerts chair for the SAPB and a senior majoring in history, said the timing of the concert is ideal. “He’s really blown up over the past couple of weeks, which we love,” said Blake. “It’s coming at a really good time for us.” Post Malone, born Austin Richard Post, is best known for recent hits including “rockstar,” “Congratulations” and “White Iverson.” “rockstar” peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart this week. He is coming to Binghamton University fresh off of
SEE MALONE PAGE 5
Amy Harris/Invision/AP Post Malone performs at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience at City Park in New Orleans on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017.
Q Center talks issues, current events Balanced lifestyles
endorsed at summit
Weekly group provides space for informal discussion
Keynote speakers address wellness, mental health
Karen Benitez Contributing Writer
Every Tuesday night, LGBTQ students and allies gather to discuss social issues, current events and celebrity news while enjoying tea and snacks. The meetings, hosted by the Q Center, are known as Q-Tea Time and are among the resources the Q Center offers. The desire for a forum in which students could be in charge of informal dialogue led to the discussion group’s development. Amy Williamson, an intern at the Q Center and a sophomore double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and history, took the initiative to create and host Q-Tea
SEE TEA PAGE 3
Gillian Kenah Contributing Writer
Jacob Hanna/Contributing Photographer Casey Phelan, an undeclared freshman, said Q-Tea Time provides a comfortable atmosphere for all participants. The program, hosted by the Q Center, is one of many that aim to build a support system for LGBTQ students on campus.
Walk in almost any building on campus, and there they are — those little green signs. Located next to water fountains and near the doorways, encouraging students to “B-Healthy.” The signs are part of the Healthy Campus Initiative (HCI), a campaign first envisioned by Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger’s creative activities and research Road Map team, which aims to develop wellness programs and policies that enhance the college
experience. Since the implementation of the HCI, the University has been ranked in The 26 Healthiest Colleges in the U.S. by Greatist. The motivation behind these healthy steps were emphasized at the second annual Healthy Campus Summit, held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the University Union on Wednesday. The events included several talks on healthy living in school and at the workplace, stretch breaks and other informational sessions. To kick off the full-day event, Stenger addressed the audience, stressing the importance of teaching students how to live happy and healthy lives during their time at BU. “If we can’t give students the life
SEE SUMMIT PAGE 2
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