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Monday, November 12, 2018 | Vol. XCIV, Issue 21 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Genetic research focuses on champion racehorse Scientists extract DNA from Seabiscuit’s silvered hooves Jacob Kerr news intern
Once used to hold cigarettes and matches, a pair of silvered hooves from Seabiscuit are now being used at Binghamton University to research the genes of the champion racehorse. Seabiscuit raced during the Great Depression and, after losing his first 17 races, was deemed too small to be successful within the horse-racing industry. After a change in ownership and trainer, the horse began to see success in the late 1930s, and according to Laura Hillenbrand’s 2001 book, “Seabiscuit: An American Legend,” he was an inspiration to the struggling people of America. Steven Tammariello, director of the Institute for Equine Genomics and an associate professor of biology at BU, was contacted in 2017 by Jacqueline Cooper, president of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation, to do genetic testing on a fifth-generation descendant of Seabiscuit, Bronze Sea. “We were trying to identify a suitable
Decker expands HIV, STI testing Expansion aims to encourage students to get tested
stallion choice for Bronze Sea,” Cooper said. “Dr. Tammariello and I were discussing Bronze Sea’s results and it was sort of a comment in passing. I said, ‘Well, it would be nice if we could figure out what genetic traits stem from Seabiscuit.’” The difficulty was that tissue would be needed directly from Seabiscuit — a horse that died over 80 years ago and whose burial site is kept a secret by the family that owned the racehorse. Cooper reached out to Michael Howard, the great-grandson of Seabiscuit’s owner, who happened to know the whereabouts of the horse’s silvered hooves. The hooves of racehorses used to be commonly silvered to be used as ashtrays or to hold cigarettes, and covering the hooves with silver also preserves the bone. Kate DeRosa, a fifth-year graduate student studying anthropology, was tasked with doing most of the research. DeRosa is trained in ancient DNA techniques, and any DNA collected after death is considered ancient, requiring a specific protocol for analysis. “One of the concerns I had about working with Seabiscuit’s hooves was whether or not we would be able to extract DNA,” DeRosa wrote in an email. “Since we couldn’t actually see what was there,
I had to carefully drill into the bottom of the hooves, making sure I did not damage the silver coating to find bone powder. Luckily, the coffin bone was intact and I was able to obtain several powder samples for extraction.” The lab found that Seabiscuit’s genes expressed long-distance stamina, which gave him a clear advantage over his competition. But underlying those genes were additional ones often expressed in successful sprint horses. This combination, according to Tammariello, is extremely rare and closely resembles the abilities of Justify, the 2018 winner of the Triple Crown, one of the most prestigious awards in the horseracing industry. “[Justify] was a pretty interesting one because he was able to sprint pretty well and maintain that sprint for [a] pretty long time,” Tammariello said. “Whereas, Seabiscuit mainly had these distancerunning genes and underlying them were all sprinting genes. So he had speed and stamina as well, just going in the other direction.” A problem in the horse-breeding industry, according to Cooper, is that
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christine derosa contributing photographer Kate DeRosa, a fifth-year graduate student studying anthropology, extracts DNA from the silvered hoof of Seabiscuit, a champion racehorse who died in 1947.
University to choose new police chief Three candidates enter final stages of search Zackary Chaqor
contributing writer
With Timothy Faughnan set to take up the newly formed position of associate vice president for emergency services for Binghamton University, a new chief of police is poised to be named in his stead. According to Faughnan, who is a
35-year veteran of the department, the search for a new chief is in its final stages. The three candidates for the position — Sgt. Sammy Davis, Lt. John Pelletier and Deputy Chief of Police Patrick Reilly — are all long-time members of the University community. Davis, ‘01, is a BU alumnus who majored in human development before beginning his career in law enforcement in 2003 as an officer with the University Police Department (UPD). In 2005, he
moved to the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, where he served as a deputy. In 2012, he was promoted as a detective and was named sergeant in 2015. For the last three years, he has been the director of training for the Broome County Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Academy and was honored in 2017 as a “hometown hero” by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office for his work in community policing. Pelletier has been with the UPD for just over a decade. After graduating
Lakhsmi Chatterjee contributing writer
In an effort to encourage more students to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and infections, the Decker Student Health Services Center is now offering daily HIV tests for students and has extended STI appointments for asymptomatic students, or students who do not show symptoms of an STI. Under the direction of Richard Moose, medical director of Decker Student Health Services Center, and Peggy Smith, coordinator of clinical services, all nurses and doctors at Decker Student Health Services Center have been trained on how to administer tests for HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea, allowing the health services center to offer daily STI and STD testing. Until recently, testing has only been offered once per week at Decker Student Health Services Center. According to Moose, there hasn’t been an increase in HIV or STI cases at Binghamton University. Rather, the change was made to encourage more students to get tested and prevent these diseases from becoming a problem at BU. “Young adults on university campuses experience high rates of sexually transmitted infections, yet many don’t get tested due to a lack of easy-to-access screening opportunities,” Moose said. Previously, HIV testing was only offered through nurse visits, and gonorrhea and chlamydia testing only happened during an appointment with a nurse practitioner or physician. Now, all nurses can order gonorrhea, chlamydia and HIV testing. “When I started working here, I identified this as an area of need for college students between the ages of 15 and 25, which are at a higher risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease,” Moose said. “The tests are being offered daily, as
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rose coschignano staff photographer Patrick Reilly, deputy chief of police and a candidate for chief of police, speaks to students at an open session on Thursday afternoon in the University Union.
from Upper Iowa University in 2000 with a degree in human services, he began a career with the U.S. Army, receiving awards and commendation for his service. Since joining UPD in 2007, Pelletier has served as a field training officer and has instructed officers at the Broome County Law Enforcement Academy. Since his appointment in 2015 to lieutenant, he has supervised the department’s community response team, which focuses on outreach to students, parents, faculty and campus visitors. The final candidate is Reilly, who began his career as a University police officer in 1994. He held a leadership role as a field training officer, and in 2011, he became an investigator, where he oversaw investigations and acted as a liaison between his department and federal law enforcement agencies. In 2018, he was promoted to his current role as deputy chief. At an open session for Reilly on Thursday in the University Union, he spoke of the importance of understanding how University incidents are felt in the wider community. “I think that it’s important that when something happens, you know how it will affect the outside community,” Reilly said. “It’s like throwing a rock into a pond. There is a ripple effect.” Reilly also stressed the importance of engagement between law enforcement and students, which he said leads to more effective policing. “It’s about getting [that bond] and seeing who your community is,”
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2019-20 Code of Conduct undergoes review Document to be finalized in April for upcoming year Erin Kagel
pipe dream news
With each new school year comes new rules, regulations and responsibilities for Binghamton University students and faculty. To keep up with these changes at BU, the Office of Student Conduct updates the Student Code of Conduct, making
ARTS & CULTURE
changes to reflect what is required of the University community each year. For the 2019-20 school year, the process of updating the Student Code of Conduct is currently underway. Jazell Johnson, director of Student Conduct and the chairperson for the Code of Student Conduct review committee, wrote in an email that she and her committee are always looking for ways to improve the document. This year, they are hoping to edit and add a number of items to the Code of Conduct, including the University’s tobacco-free
policy, which isn’t currently included in the document. “Reviewing the Code of Student Conduct aims to enhance the quality of interactions with students going through the conduct process,” Johnson wrote. “It’s about promoting student development through an educationally developmental process where students play an important role in the reinforcement of community standards and creating a process that creates engagement between the Office of Student Conduct and the
OPINIONS
campus community.” Resident assistants (RA) like Maximo Casimiro, a junior majoring in anthropology, utilize floor meetings to remind residents to be up-to-date on the Code of Conduct so that they are prepared and understand what the document contains before they need it. “I haven’t had serious issues with the Code of Conduct, but I do reference it at floor meetings,” Casimiro said. “[My residents] should know what resources
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SPORTS
Prep for the fall concert with 21 Savage’s hits,
Poems provide inspiration for Lume’s exhibition in the Rosefsky Gallery,
Contributing columnist Annick Tabb talks about her experiences with catcalling,
Volleyball falls short of America East playoff spot,
Wrestling opens its season on a slow but promising note,
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