HPC presents
on Thursday, Nov. 15
Thursday, November 15, 2018 | Vol. XCIV, Issue 22 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
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The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Students host vigil in honor of Cruz Senior student died of natural causes on Sunday night Christine DeRosa
contributing writer
More than 100 students, faculty and staff gathered at the Pegasus Statue for a candlelight vigil on Tuesday night to honor Albert Cruz, a Binghamton University student who passed away on Sunday. Cruz, a senior majoring in English who was nicknamed Alby by his friends, was originally from the Bronx and was a publicity chair and e-board member of the Philippine-American League (PAL). Cruz also worked at Late Nite Binghamton, helping to plan weekend programming. On Sunday night, Cruz was found collapsed in his suite in Mohawk Hall of College-in-the-Woods and was rushed to the hospital. According to University officials, Cruz died later that night of natural causes. His death came as a shock to those who knew him on campus. At the vigil, organized by PAL, members encouraged attendees to focus on Cruz’s life, asking them to write messages to Cruz’s family or write their favorite memories with him on small pieces of paper. Additionally, attendees performed
anastasia figuera contributing photographer The Binghamton University Libraries announced a final list of title and subscription cancellations on Nov. 2.
Budget cuts hit Libraries Final cancellation list includes expensive titles, subscriptions across departments Gitl-Yevgeniya Driker contributing writer
As budget cuts loom, the Binghamton University Libraries have announced a final list of titles, including online databases and journals, set to be canceled. At the end of last semester, University Libraries identified $450,000 in print periodicals and electronic resources to potentially cancel after being informed it would face a 4 percent budget reduction for the upcoming year. According to the final list, which was published online on Nov. 2, the departments of romance languages, anthropology, political science, music and biology face the most severe cancellations.
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According to Curtis Kendrick, dean of University Libraries, the list was determined following review by University librarians and feedback from the campus community. “The list of items identified for cancellation includes titles with a high cost per use, specifically, a cost per use over $75,” Kendrick wrote. “Beyond that, our subject librarians carefully reviewed collections to identify titles to cancel that would be least disruptive to our ability to support research, teaching and learning. These lists were made available to the campus community, and based on input we received, some modifications were made before establishing the final list for cancellation.” Jill Dixon, the associate University librarian for public services and collections, wrote in an email that University librarians looked to avoid getting rid of items needed to support
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Faculty grant to promote diversity Eight professors receive funding for research Hannah Walter pipe dream news
rose coschignano staff photographer Student Association Executive Board members deliver their semesterly address on Monday night, highlighting their accomplishments and future goals.
SA announces remodeling Address highlights $2M renovation, SA initiatives Jacob Kerr news intern
The Student Association (SA) Executive Board announced a $2 million campus renovation, among other projects, on Monday evening at the annual State of the SA address. SA Congress members and other students attended the address to hear the executive board review its accomplishments during the fall semester and to learn about its future plans. Jerry Toussaint, SA president and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, led the address by discussing his collaboration with 20:1 Sexual Assault Prevention Program, which provides programming on sexual assault prevention. Additionally,
Toussaint spoke about his involvement on the search committees for a new chief of police and vice president of the Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He also mentioned his collaboration with the Creator Institute, a company that provides book publishing programs for students. Toussaint said his future priorities lie with the search committees, which are currently working to select and vet candidates. He also aims to expand his piloted program, Leadership Development and Exploration (LEAD), to encompass a two-credit UNIV course. LEAD allows undergraduate students to shadow SA E-Board members. Additionally, Toussaint said his student interaction will be a major priority going forward. ”I’ve been really busy this year, but that is still no excuse,” Toussaint said. “I definitely want to get out there and be more
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ARTS & CULTURE
Eight professors were awarded the new Presidential Diversity Research Grant (PDRG) as part of an initiative to help nontenured faculty of color conduct research and gain tenure at Binghamton University. The grant, which is sponsored by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), was given to professors from a variety of disciplines. The $40,000 grant is funded through the office of University President Harvey Stenger and is
meant to cover recipients’ research expenses and increase recruitment efforts for minority faculty members. Stenger said this program will help create a more diverse and inclusive campus environment for everyone. “Developing and retaining a faculty that represents the growing diversity of our student body is a critical mission for our University,” Stenger said. “These faculty members from eight different programs embody the University’s values, rooted in academic excellence and diversity of community. I am excited for what their research will uncover.” Nicole Sirju-Johnson, interim chief diversity officer and director of the Multicultural Resource Center, proposed the program to Stenger and got it approved over the summer. She
said once the grant application was open, it garnered plenty of interest. “The application for the grant was announced in Dateline in late June and was due to DEI by Aug. 31,” SirjuJohnson said. “The first round of the grant was competitive. However, the committee recommended funding eight faculty proposals.” The committee consisted of five professors from a variety of disciplines and two administrative officers, including Sirju-Johnson. While many professors learned about the grant through the University’s Dateline, Christopher Greene, a grant recipient and an assistant professor of systems science and industrial engineering, wrote
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BU creates data science program Transdisciplinary program expands graduate options Lia Berger
assistant copy desk chief
Harpur College, the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and the School of Management have come together to collaborate on a new graduate degree program, the Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA). The 30-credit program will start in summer 2019 and runs for one year in a summer, fall and spring course sequence. Though it touches on a variety of topics, they all fall under the umbrella of data analytics, a process
of collecting and modeling data to inform decision-making and generate conclusions in fields including business and science. Because each of the schools contains courses in the field of data analytics, but with different approaches, the University decided on a crossdisciplinary approach. The groundwork for the program was established in the Transdisciplinary Area of Excellence (TAE) in data science, a central hub for research in which data scientists from across many fields can use their varying knowledge to collaborate on solving societal issues. With this new program, students can also be involved in the research. Upinder Dhillon, dean of the School
OPINIONS
of Management, is confident in the program’s future success. “[The program] will prepare students from diverse backgrounds with the analytical, quantitative, technical and leadership skills needed for successful careers in data analysis,” Dhillon wrote in an email. Brand-new courses are currently being developed specifically for the program, which will also include electives and two practicums. The five core courses focus on ensuring students have firm grasps of the most important topics within data analytics, including data mining, machine learning, modeling and
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SPORTS
Pipe Dream’s recipes for a collegefriendly Friendsgiving,
Caribbean Student Association hosts performances for its annual show,
Contributing columnist Elizabeth Short discusses “canceling” culture,
Men’s basketball captures first victory of the year,
Pipe Dream Sports’ Week 11 fantasy football picks,
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