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See page 8 Thursday, October 10, 2019 | Vol. XCVI, Issue 13 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
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University lifts hiring freeze on faculty Increased graduate revenue eases financial challenges Valerie Puma & Jake Kerr pipe dream news
year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Akira Yoshino and John B. Goodenough, for his involvement with the invention of the lithium-ion battery. The development of the rechargeable batteries, which are commonly used in laptops, cell phones and
For 335 days, Binghamton University departments endured a hiring hold in an attempt to offset fiscal challenges the University is facing. Now, the hold has been lifted, according to a Dateline announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 8. “I am pleased to announce that, as of today, we have lifted the hiring hold that began Nov. 7, 2018,” wrote University President Harvey Stenger in a statement. “In addition, the requirement to submit a request for an exception to fill a vacant position is removed.” The initial hold came after SUNY faculty and staff were given raises through contract negotiations between SUNY and United University Professions (UUP), a higher education union for faculty, professional staff, contingent employees and retirees of the SUNY system. Based on the contracts, faculty will be given a 2-percent raise each year until July 2022.
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jake kerr news editor Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger video chats with M. Stanley Whittingham, a distinguished professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering at BU, who was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday.
BU professor awarded Nobel Prize M. Stanley Whittingham gets award in chemistry Jake Kerr
news editor
M. Stanley Whittingham’s colleagues and friends raised a champagne toast to him on
Wednesday afternoon as they celebrated the announcement of his 2019 Nobel Prize win. On Wednesday morning, Whittingham was in Germany for a meeting when the organizer told him that people from the Nobel Prize committee were trying to get hold of him. “Some of us, or some of the
community thought this might happen five or some years ago,” Whittingham said at a press conference. “And it mostly had [dotted off] our radar screen until I think about 11:15 [a.m.] this morning.” The distinguished professor of chemistry and materials science and engineering was awarded this
Administrator earns $73,403 on ‘Jeopardy!’ Turning Point USA starts BU chapter Boettcher loses Friday after three consecutive wins Jeremy Rubino
assistant news editor
Founders say group aims to open bipartisan discussions Jackson Galati & Lucas Peterka pipe dream news
A new conservative student group is coming to Binghamton University, and while some students support its agenda, others are concerned the group will share the controversial views of the national organization. Turning Point USA (TPUSA) is a national, right-wing organization whose mission is to “identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government,” according to their official website. The BU group has been active for nearly two weeks and is planning on starting meetings, tabling and speaking events, their first being “The Case Against Socialism” on Oct. 28. According to John Restuccia, president of the College Republicans and College Libertarians and a junior majoring in political science who helped start BU’s TPUSA, since the group is funded by the national organization, they do not plan on becoming SAchartered, providing the organization with greater freedom to operate without University oversight.
see tpusa page 2
With three consecutive wins under his belt, Binghamton University’s own Kevin Boettcher made a name for himself on ABC’s “Jeopardy!” before losing Friday night.
Boettcher, research development specialist for Harpur College, first appeared on “Jeopardy!” on Oct. 1 and earned a total of $73,403 throughout his time on the show, which lasted for three episodes. According to a Q&A session on the BU Blog, Boettcher began his journey to the show in March 2018 by taking an online test. Because of his score, he was invited to audition in person months later, which included
a mock interview modeled on what “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek does on the program. For the next 10 months, Boettcher waited in a contestant pool with no word from producers. By the time Boettcher received the call of approval, he said he had forgotten he was in the contestant pool at all. “The first week of July, though, I was at home cooking dinner and got a call from a random California number,”
Boettcher said in the blog post. “It was a ‘Jeopardy!’ producer, who invited me to come out to [Los Angeles] for a taping at the start of August. The very next day, I booked a ticket and hotel room, and then immediately realized how underprepared I was.” In the month between the phone call and the taping, Boettcher said he spent most of his time reading advice from former contestants and studying
see jeopardy page 5
Mamava Pod installed in University Union Purchase provides privacy for breastfeeding Ethan Knox
contributing writer
Although a majority of Binghamton University students may not be parents themselves, visitors, faculty and students with newborns have a new place on campus for breastfeeding. On Oct. 4, the University unveiled the Mamava Pod, a lactation space located on the top floor of the University Union near the Visions Federal Credit Union and the University Bookstore. The pod is a privacy chamber with several features catering to nursing parents, and BU is
the first school in the SUNY system to own one. The previous lactation room in the University Undergrounds required a key from the Tillman Lobby information desk, making it hard to access during shift changes or if the desk’s occupant was elsewhere in the building. When construction for the ongoing basement renovations made the room inaccessible, it was temporarily moved to a small space in Old Rafuse Hall. Peter Nardone, general manager of the University Union, was first introduced to Mamava Pods at an Association of College Unions International Conference last
see pod page 3
miya carmichael staff photographer A new Mamava Pod lactation space has been installed in the University Union, located on the top floor near the Visions Federal Credit Union and the University Bookstore.
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The following accounts were provided by Investigator Robert Meddleton of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. Sugar rush FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 4:38 p.m. — Officers responded to Johnson Hall of Dickinson Community after a 23-year-old male victim reported that someone had stolen his food from the building’s communal fridge. The stolen food included eight peanut butter bars and nine bottles of soda. The items, according to the victim, were taken at different points in time. Upon arrival, officers canvassed the area and reviewed camera footage, but were unable to come up with a suspect. The
investigation is ongoing. Let it snow FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 7:00 p.m. — An officer was flagged down by a male Off Campus College Transport bus driver who wanted to report an incident of road rage. Around 6 p.m., as the bus driver was entering the traffic circle heading toward the West Gym, he observed a vehicle speeding onto campus attempting to get in front of the bus. The vehicle was unsuccessful and had to stop and yield for the bus. Then, the vehicle followed the bus to the West Gym. When the bus stopped, the vehicle operator got out of his vehicle and threw an unknown item at the side of the bus. The unknown
Nicole Kaufman Pipe Dream News
item was described as a snowball, but officers remain uncertain as to where the snow would have originated from. The vehicle operator proceeded to approach the bus driver, said the bus cut them off, returned to their vehicle and sped away. There was no damage to the bus reported, and the investigation is ongoing. A very necessary handshake SATURDAY, Oct. 5, 1:20 a.m. — Officers responded to Broome Hall of Newing College after a 22-yearold male resident assistant reported an intoxicated 19-year-old female lying down on the floor of the building’s elevator. Officers spoke
with the female, who said that she went Downtown and “had gone a little overboard.” Harpur’s Ferry responded and advised the female to go to the hospital. She said she would only agree to go if the responding officer shook her hand. The responding officer offered a fist bump instead, which the female accepted. After the responding officer and the female bumped fists, she cooperated with Harpur’s Ferry and was taken to the hospital. AirPods disappear into thin air SUNDAY, Oct. 6, 8:56 p.m. — Officers responded to Jazzman’s Cafe in Glenn G. Bartle Library when a 19-year-old female victim
reported that her Apple AirPods and their charging case had been stolen. Upon arrival, officers spoke with the victim, who said both items were missing when she returned from printing coursework. The AirPods and the case were taken some time between 8 p.m. and 8:25 p.m. Officers canvassed the area and reviewed security footage. There were no cameras directed at the table where the victim was sitting. Officers advised the victim to track the AirPods with the Find My iPhone app, but the app had not yet updated the location of the AirPods. The victim was advised to continue monitoring the app, and the investigation is ongoing.
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Political club faces STUDENTS mixed impressions tpusa from page 1 Although the BU chapter is still in its infancy, it has already been met with criticism on social media, including accusations of racism. The backlash is driven by figures associated with the national chapter of TPUSA, such as former communications director Candace Owens, who made contentious statements on Hitler and police brutality against black Americans on separate occasions in December 2019. Other collegiate groups have also been accused of spreading white nationalism. In May 2018, a member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ TPUSA chapter was videotaped while chanting “white power.” The student was later banned from the organization. Despite these incidents, BU organizers of TPUSA said the controversies do not represent what the group is really about, and they aim to center their efforts on fiscal issues and promoting free speech. Lacey Kestecher, president of the University’s TPUSA and a freshman majoring in business administration, said she hopes students will be open to civil conversations. “We speak on fiscal [issues], not social — that’s what Turning Point is,” Kestecher said. “Anybody can come to talk about what you think is best for markets and everything.” Students involved with leftwing groups, however, are wary of TPUSA’s mission. Dheiva Moorthy, a student organizer for BU Progressives and the Frances Beal Society, a BU-based grassroots organization dedicated to fighting oppression, and a sophomore double-majoring in environmental studies and sociology, said the new group has the potential to negatively impact freedom and openness on campus, which she said other groups have worked to create in the BU community. “We take [progressive] discussions and we do not stop at theory and we do not stop at aimless words,” Moorthy said. “We continue the conversation by taking action, and it’s terrifying that their form of taking action is so violent and painful and literally racist.”
Ilana Grossman, a sophomore majoring in political science, is not involved in any campus political organizations, and said she maintains faith in BU’s student body to appropriately express their opinions. “I’m sure most people on campus are super respectful and as long as people are respectful about their opinions, I’m fine with it,” Grossman said. “As long as everyone’s respectful, I don’t mind, honestly. It shouldn’t be a bad thing, it’s just other people sharing their opinion and people have to be respectful and know where to draw the line.” According to Restuccia, BU’s TPUSA is going to be different from more controversial chapters by distancing themselves from the radical conservatism, but they will also not bar any voices from their meeting. “If [the alt-right] want to come, they are more than welcome to come,” Restuccia said. “But all the alt-right disagrees with [are] a lot of the stances that Turning Point USA has. If you’re alt-right, you usually want to shut down other people’s speeches for a particular group. They are more than welcome to come and debate us, though.” Letting all voices be heard, including those with controversial opinions, is a concern for Brian McQuaid, a junior majoring in anthropology, who said he thinks the TPUSA meetings could lead to hate speech being espoused on campus. “You can’t just say whatever you want — words have consequences,” McQuaid said. “Creating a space on campus where those words are legitimized and you can really say this and really get away with this, that’s terrible and that’s a real breeding ground for white supremacy.” But Kestecher stressed TPUSA’s purpose is to allow everyone a space to feel safe in their views. “On campus, I think there needs to be more of an open dialogue,” Kestecher said. “There needs to be more openness, so that’s why this club is also being promoted because it’s free speech — to just be able to feel like you can talk and not get bashed by everybody.”
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Whittingham awarded for work with lithium-ion batteries nobel from page 1 electric cars, was revolutionary in advancing portable technology. Whittingham’s résumé includes a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree from Oxford University, more than 200 research publications and 16 patents, as well as working 16 years at ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company and 31 years at BU. While discussing the experience of receiving the award, he acknowledged that there is a larger community working together to solve the same problem.
“This is recognition for three of us, but it is also recognition for the entire field,” Whittingham said. “We bring great indivisibility to raise [the bar] on energy storage and I think it will pass along the message that we can have a cleaner and nicer world and, perhaps, start to solve the climate problem.” Since Whittingham was in Germany during the press conference, Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger, Donald Nieman, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at BU and around 100 attendees
communicated with him via a livestream chat at the Innovative Technologies Complex. Stenger opened the event with an appreciative speech dotted with humor. “I had the opportunity this morning to brag about [Whittingham] in front of a group of people I was meeting with, one of them was a Syracuse University alum[nus],” Stenger said. “And I said, ‘Hm, one of our faculty members won the Nobel Prize today, and you know what? That’s even better than winning the NCAA Basketball Championship.’” The Nobel Prize in Chemistry
has been awarded to 110 people since 1901, but this prize marks the first awarded to a faculty member at BU. As a former dean of Harpur College, Nieman has had an extended relationship working with Whittingham. Nieman followed Stenger’s introduction by talking not only about Whittingham’s professional accomplishments, but also his personal qualities. “Stan is a great scientist, but beyond that he is a wonderful human being,” Nieman said. “He is unassuming, he is a wonderful colleague and collaborator and
one of the things that will not show up on the accolades that are written about Stan for winning the Nobel Prize is all the work he does with undergraduate students.” After the press conference, Stenger made the connection between Whittingham’s work with lithium-ion batteries and BU’s new $1.75 million materials research equipment, the HAXPES-Lab, which was acquired by Louis Piper, director of the Institute for Materials Research and an associate professor of physics. Stenger said that looking to the future, there is hope for
another award just around the corner. “Professor Piper is right behind him,” Stenger said. “He is going to be using [the HAXPESLab] aspects to analyze the battery components in ways no one else has ever done.” Whittingham ended his virtual conversation with life advice for students pursuing ambitious goals. “Take risks, don’t be conservative and only do those things you really want to do,” Whittingham said. “Take a job that is exciting. You love it — don’t do it for the money.”
New pod gives mothers privacy while breastfeeding pod from page 1 spring, and said he hopes it will show mothers they are welcome on campus. “We looked at this as an opportunity to say, ‘What can we do to enhance our offering to nursing mothers on campus?’” Nardone said. “While we were in the process of [construction], we said, ‘Well, let’s look at different options.’ This gave us a more transparent space.” The Mamava Pod can be used by any current student, staff or faculty member, as well as visitors to campus through the Mamava app. The Mamava Pod is also compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and is maintained on a daily basis by Physical Facilities. Halley Gerber, a junior majoring in human development, finds the Mamava Pod’s visibility an important part of the campus environment. “It definitely draws attention to itself, because it’s in the middle of the top floor of the Union, right next to the bookstore, where hundreds of students pass every day,” Gerber said. “The University has made it
known that they accept mothers or people that are breastfeeding and that there’s a location for them to relieve themselves and nurse their child or pump.” The unit and its BU logo and colors cost around $20,500 to install. The Mamava Pod can be moved and placed anywhere with internet and electrical access. Its current location features a nearby elevator and bathrooms for cleanup, and is easily reachable from the Spine. Orrin Kenyon, assistant director of University Union operations, was part of the decision to host a Mamava Pod on campus. He said he hopes that if the Mamava Pod continues to see use, other parts of the campus will become more accessible too. “We probably only need one in the Union, but there have been other areas and offices who are excited about it,” Kenyon said. “Maybe some place closer to the academic buildings, because there’s a lot of traffic there, or the Events Center, since a lot of people may go down there with families.” Since the Mamava Pod
went online, it has been used twice, according to Nardone, who received the information from Mamava statistics. The Union has also received several inquiries asking about the Mamava Pod’s availability and is working to address concerns or needs as they arise. To use the Mamava Pod, users can contact the University Union for an access code or go on the app, where they will see a list of available lactation spaces nearby. The Mamava Pod in the University Union will appear first on the list, and if unoccupied, the user will be given a code to unlock the door. In the Mamava Pod, cleaning wipes are available, in addition to an ambient fan and an artificial plant to create a comforting atmosphere. A bench and a place to plug in a pumping machine are also available. Gerber said while additional programs for women’s health on campus are needed, the Mamava Pod is one step in the University’s trend toward a more open and accepting campus. “It’s a really private space
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Boettcher wins three consecutive games on ‘Jeopardy!’ jeopardy from page 1 certain categories he was not as proficient in. Additionally, he said he would practice the ringing-in technique late into the night. On the day taping began, Boettcher and other contestants were carpooled to the studio where they would do rehearsals before filming 10 different episodes across two days. Boettcher said they drew the contestants randomly and he was chosen to go on the second game of the day. “They draw people randomly from the pool of 11 to 12 contestants on set, and you go up and do your thing,” Boettcher said in the blog post. “I was called for the second game, which meant that I
didn’t have too much time to sit in the audience and get nervous while I watched the other contestants.” “Jeopardy!” contestants are required to sign a nondisclosure agreement before appearing on the show, preventing any spoilers from getting out. Once the episodes began to air, Boettcher said he experienced random compliments and greetings from people around campus and the Binghamton community, including Binghamton Mayor Rich David and Rep. Anthony Brindisi. Still, he said the best part of his experience was the people he met on set. “The best part was the people,” Boettcher said. “You spend basically the whole day with them, so it was a blessing
that we had a particularly friendly and mutually supportive group. It was far more fun than I thought it would be.” For “Jeopardy!” viewers who aspire to be on the show one day, Boettcher admitted there is a fair amount of luck that goes into it, but by watching and rewatching old episodes, viewers could have an upper hand in preparation. “When you do the online test, sometimes it’s just a matter of there being a couple more questions that you know that other people don’t,” Boettcher said. “They reuse clues, they reuse formats. It’s hands down the best way to prepare. If I had an extra couple of weeks, I would have really drilled in on that.”
provided by jeopardy Kevin Boettcher, research development specialist for Harpur College, won three of the four episodes of “Jeopardy!” he competed in.
University officials caution that fiscal challenges remain hold from page 1 However, New York state’s legislature initially refused to pay for the raises, leaving state universities and colleges scrambling to pick up the tab. Although the state eventually gave a one-time fund to help pay for the raises, individual universities were still forced to come up with the remainder of the funds. Donald Nieman, executive vice president for student affairs and provost at BU, said BU was able to raise enough
money to cover the raises for this year from graduate tuition. “Growth in graduate enrollment and graduate tuition revenue was probably the greatest single factor in allowing us to meet our revenue target,” Nieman wrote in an email. “We also had a very strong undergraduate recruiting year. Deans, faculty and staff in the graduate school and undergraduate admissions worked very hard to achieve this result.” Last March, Stenger’s quarterly report stated that
approximately 345 exemptions to the hiring freeze were granted from Dec. 1, 2018 to March 28, 2019, with a majority of the hiring hold exemptions coming from student employee and staff positions. Now that the hiring hold has been lifted, the University can continue its search for applicants to fill five leadership positions, including a new vice president for advancement, vice president for diversity, equality and inclusion, dean of the Watson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, dean of students and
a director of the Educational Opportunity Program. At the beginning of each fall semester, the BU Council analyzes enrollment and revenue to determine if the University has met revenue targets for the academic year. Nieman said the Council reviewed the numbers last week and were confident the University could lift the hiring hold. “We had a very successful year, but we will have to generate significant increased revenue in the next three years to meet
the increased costs incurred because of the negotiated salary increases,” Nieman wrote. “Those increases are well-deserved, and, indeed, essential to allow us to recruit and retain top faculty and staff. But they do require us to generate significant revenue for the duration of the contract.” According to Stenger’s fall 2019 president’s quarterly report, the University saw support from both the SUNY system and the state legislature last spring, with an increase in funding allocated for critical maintenance items.
Although the budget issue has been alleviated for the moment, Stenger noted in the press release that efforts to increase revenue need to continue. “We’re not completely out of the woods yet — we are still drawing on reserves and would like to see an increase in state support for our faculty and professional staff — but we are in a place where we can begin to make necessary hires and move forward on initiatives that will strengthen the campus,” Stenger wrote.
Annual Family Weekend events to draw 1,300 families Student groups, campus organizations host events Rebekah Ehrlich
contributing writer
Family Weekend has returned to Binghamton University, and is expected to bring thousands of people to campus on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Although Family Weekend is only a few days away, BU’s Parent and Family Programs has been planning the event since April. The weekend will feature a keynote presentation, student performances, residential community festivals, a Bearcat lunch, a bonfire and more. Linda Salomons, parent, family and events coordinator for Parent and Family Programs, said she collaborated with various BU organizations on campus for the event, including student groups, campus departments and intercollegiate athletics. “There are so many partnerships that happen during Family Weekend,” Salomons said. “We work with our Student Association to put on the comedy show, I work with the a cappella groups to do an a cappella performance.” Kayla Dickinson, a sophomore majoring in biology, said she is looking forward to seeing The Second City, a touring sketch and improvisation comedy theater from Chicago, with her family. “I’m sure we’ll go to the comedy show because I heard that it was good last year,” Dickinson said. There are about 72 different programs available for families to partake in, but Salomons said she purposely designated time for students and their families to experience events off campus. “I really want it to be a campuscommunity collaboration,” Salomons said. “I don’t do anything around dinnertime
because I really want families to go out and go shopping. We really want to share the greater Binghamton community as well.” Alexa Carleo, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said she plans to enjoy several community activities with her family in addition to the ones offered on campus. “We’re going to go pumpkin picking and probably go out to dinner,” Carleo said. There are about 1,300 families registered to attend Family Weekend at BU, an estimated 4,800 people — on par with the usual range of 4,500 to 5,000 visitors, according to Salomons. With such a large number of people coming to visit the city of Binghamton this weekend, families may face difficulties when looking for a place to stay. “We almost don’t even have enough hotels in this community for our families,” Salomons said. Max Miller, a freshman majoring in biochemistry, said his family was prepared for this issue, and proactively booked ahead of time. “My mom booked really early because she knows how crazy it could be to find hotels last minute on weekends like this,” Miller said. Others, like Jenna Ross, a junior double-majoring in environmental studies and biology, don’t have to worry about obtaining hotel rooms for family. Instead of participating in Family Weekend, Ross will be traveling home to see them. “I’m going to spend time with family and friends at my house in Ellicottville, New York,” Ross said. “It’s a family tradition and it’s something we all do together every year, and it just happens to fall on the same weekend.” Salomons said she wants families to get as much out of this weekend as possible, especially because they are paying a $40 registration fee to attend. “We really try and make certain
The Second City, a touring sketch and improv comedy theater troupe from Chicago, will be performing at Family Weekend.
perks available to families who do register because that’s what they’re paying that registration fee for,” Salomons said. Families will receive a Family Weekend wristband that allows them to attend all of the
different events offered over the course of the weekend. Entrance to the Absolutely A cappella performance, which will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m this Saturday in the Osterhout Concert Theater, is free with the Family Weekend
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Behind the scenes of Binghamton Instagram accounts
@bingboyswearingsalmonshorts, @binghamtonu, @binghamton_web_head, @bingmemeton and @budepressionmeals are just some of the Instagram accounts that have sprung up around the BU community in recent years.
A closer look at what sparks creative posts Krishna Patel
arts & culture intern
For better or worse, social media is a defining feature of our generation, and over the years, Binghamton University students, community members and the University itself have created Instagram accounts to share and discuss common experiences and various aspects of student life, highlight the local area and provide a few laughs in the midst of our daily hustles. From Instagram accounts like @binghamtonbarstool, shedding a light on the raunchier aspects of the Binghamton party scene, to @budepressionmeals, featuring some not-so-appetizing student meals, the city of Binghamton and BU have spurred a variety of accounts focused on various aspects of student life, arts and culture in the Triple Cities area and beyond. It’s hard not to wonder about the faces that run the accounts for students’ enjoyment. In an effort to shed light on what goes into the creation of content and management of BU Instagram accounts, Pipe Dream
sat down for interviews with the administrators of a variety of BU Instagram accounts, including @binghamtonu, @ binghamton_web_head, @ bingboyswearingsalmonshorts, @bingmemeton and @ budepressionmeals, to discuss their social media presence. With Instagram launching in 2010, the majority of these Instagram accounts are not very old. In fact, many of them were created within the last year, with the original creators still running the accounts. Rachael Richter, creator of @ bingmemeton and a sophomore majoring in computer science, discussed how her account began. “I was making memes for fun with my friends and I thought it’s a shame that the world can’t see these memes, so I decided it would be funny if I made an Instagram account for it and it kind of just took off,” Richter said. The founder of @ bingboyswearingsalmonshorts, who chose to remain anonymous, said they had a similar start to their account, initially sharing photos and laughs among friends. The account exclusively posts photos of men on campus sporting the iconic
salmon shorts. “The account was created because [we] saw so many Binghamton [University] boys in salmon-colored shorts as soon as the weather got nice, and we thought it was such an interesting phenomenon,” the administrator said. “So we would send each other [pictures] of salmon shorts sightings throughout the day, just for fun and thought it would be even better to share this with the world.” The founder of @ binghamton_web_head, who also asked to be anonymous, said they aimed to inspire community members when they created their account in 2012. “I liked dressing up as superheroes just to inspire kids,” they said. “I was raised in New York City, and there were people dressed up in costumes all the time. I wanted to be that for Binghamton.” While many student accounts originated on Instagram and have always been visualsbased, the official BU Instagram account had slightly different origins, adapting to changing social media trends, according to an anonymous administrator. “We started our account in July 2012 because somebody at
The brothers of
CF wish the sisters of
KKG a Happy Founder’s Day October 13, 1870. Dream Boldly. Live Fully
the University was hip enough to realize we couldn’t count on Myspace anymore,” the administrator said. “We saw it as another great way to connect with the [BU] community and hopped on board.” The content that gets posted on the account depends largely on what is happening in the Binghamton University community and nationally each week. “Maybe we got a new ranking, or Spring Fling is coming up, or it’s #NationalPumpkinPieDay,” the administrator said. “We have to give props to nature, because photos of the changing leaves, snowfall and rainbows are Instagram gold. Sometimes people tag us in their photos and we share those too, whether they be sunset shots or doggos in Bearcat gear. And sometimes we see a sweet new SpongeBob meme and build a [BU]-specific post around that. It’s a flexible process and oftentimes ridiculous.” @binghamtonu was recently ranked as the top college Instagram account in the 2019 Higher Ed Social Media Engagement Report by Up&Up, a digital agency, and the administrator said the staff behind the account work hard
to keep their content relevant, relatable and informative. “We try to be real and post relevant stuff that anyone in the [BU] community can relate to,” they said. “Oftentimes, that involves making jokes about the Engineering Building.” Richter reflected a similar approach to posting relevant content. “I have an album of material I could post,” she said. “I consider which one is great for today depending on the time of year and what’s going on. For example, I posted about The Rat on a Saturday morning after a lot of people went out the night before.” Meanwhile, @binghamton_ web_head’s administrator focuses their content on sharing unique scenes around Binghamton. “I try to take [pictures] of different sceneries and parts of Binghamton that people don’t normally see,” they said. “Especially from my perspective, being able to climb up stuff that most people can’t access. It’s nice being able to share stuff that most people can’t see.” All administrators said follower interactions and responding to direct messages (DMs), comments and tags
is central to running their accounts. The head of @ budepressionmeals, who wished to remain anonymous, said seeing follower input caused the focus of their account to shift. “My original idea was actually for it to be about stupid meals college students eat in their dorms, but my DMs turned out to be mostly food from the dining halls,” they said. “The depression part of it was supposed to be about being a student, not having a lot of money and eating ramen [and] microwavable mac and cheese, but it ended up being a lot of dining hall food, and it’s been working out.” Whether it’s bonding over bad meals, laughing over memes or taking pride in BU and its community, BU Instagram accounts allow students and community members to connect with one another. “We hope to highlight everything awesome about Binghamton — from classes, to clubs, to impressive alumni, to events, to Tully’s tenders,” the administrator of @binghamtonu said. “We want to keep people informed, instill Bing pride and deliver the [laughs]. This account is for everyone — students, faculty, staff, alumni, anyone about that [BU] life.”
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ARTS & CULTURE
bupipedream.com | October 10, 2019
‘The Asylum Project’ unveils story from Binghamton’s past BU professor creates and performs in show Kyle Reina
staff writer
Drawn in by the storied hallways and eerie atmosphere of Binghamton State Hospital, Elizabeth Mozer, an associate professor of theatre at Binghamton University,
embarked on an investigation into a story that provoked her creative gears. Titled “The Asylum Project,” Mozer’s upcoming play revolves around the life of Agnes
provided by elizabeth mozer “The Asylum Project,” written and directed by Elizabeth Mozer, an associate professor of theatre, explores a story from Binghamton State Hospital.
Dutcheck and her journey to America, eventually focusing on her reunion with her separated son. “I took a tour of it in August 2015, and when I was inside the building, I could feel the lives that had lived there — it was really potent,” Mozer said. “The woman who was giving us the tour told me a particular story about a mother and son that were separated for about 70 years.” Mozer’s previous work, “Castle on the Hill,” was based on the Binghamton State Hospital and Agnes Dutcheck’s story and contained additional characters and plot elements. “The Asylum Project” sticks fairly close to Agnes’ true story. “The Asylum Project” is a one-woman show, with Mozer performing five different roles. Although the show is written and directed by her, the theatre professor received additional feedback from colleagues, such as her mentor from New York City and other co-creators. She also used the production of “The Asylum Project” as a teaching
tool in class, and allowed students to contribute to the play with some of their own writing. To adjust the story to the stage, Mozer focused more on certain components of the story and added some minor variations. For example, Mozer altered the character of Agnes Dutcheck’s separated son, changing it to a daughter named Lena to accommodate her role. Mozer’s research into the Binghamton story began with a People magazine article that explained Dutcheck’s journey to America and her reunion with her son. Extra information on her story came from interviews, books and additional research on Binghamton State Hospital. Through her research, Mozer learned more about Dutcheck’s journey — she had been separated from her son for 70 years because of her husband. In 1925, Agnes’ family suffered from a house fire that she and her child barely escaped from. Following the fire, Dutcheck descended into mental torment, as she may have had suffered
from post-traumatic stress disorder and possible brain damage from the incident. Her husband abandoned her in Binghamton State Hospital and took their son to New York City. The father lied and told the son his mother had died. The children of the son, curious about where their grandmother had been buried, discovered that she had never died and informed their father. “I heard about this story, and it was just chills,” Mozer said. “I really didn’t buy this story — I couldn’t forget it — and there was a People magazine article written about it. I read that article, and I was just crying. And I had to make a play about this.” “The Asylum Project” is being shown at the Cherry Artspace at 102 Cherry St. in Ithaca, New York on Oct. 26 at 3:30 p.m. and on Nov. 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. The Ithaca showings are part of the Listen to Her Festival. The play is also being shown in New York City at the United Solo Theatre Festival on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.
Path Through LGBTQ history month continues History Weekend with Taína Asili concert on campus to celebrate Broome’s past Aluma to spread “rhythm of rebellion” Mithila Farin
contributing writer
Local establishments to host variety of events Netali Zaff
contributing writer
This weekend, Broome County is preparing to go back in time. The county will be participating in Path Through History Weekends (PTHW), a statewide initiative run by tourism site I Love NY. The initiative comes to all regions of New York state on various weekends of the year. Local establishments will be hosting a variety of events on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, each at different times and locations, to showcase and celebrate the area’s past. It will be an opportunity for Binghamton residents and visitors to catch a glimpse into the rich history of the surrounding region while partaking in engaging and unique events across different establishments. Each site’s event will have separate hosts, allowing those interested to pick and choose which places they would like to go to and at what times. To organize the weekend, Visit Binghamton partnered with the Broome County Department of Planning and Economic Development to contact local establishments and coordinate the events, according to Nikki Nesbit, destination marketing sales representative at Visit Binghamton. “We reach out to a number of different establishments in the area, based on whether they would potentially be interested or if they’ve participated before,” she said. The two organizations worked together to facilitate the event and work with each establishment, and figure out other logistical and useroriented aspects of the weekend. Those interested can find an interactive map showing each event and location, as well as its hours, on the Go All Out Broome website. Lora Zier, senior planner at the Broome County Department of Planning and Economic Development, has been helping plan the event each year since 2011 and emphasized how the events uses new technology designed by the county government. “The Broome County GIS (Geographic Information System) staff created the interactive map, which I
believe is the only one of its kind for Path Through History Weekend[s] statewide,” Zier said. PTHW allows for those in the area during Columbus Day weekend to gain access to special events hosted at 10 different sites throughout Broome County. One organization participating is TechWorks!, which will host a moon mission-themed event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday that showcases Binghamton’s involvement in the Apollo space missions — much of which took place at the Greater Binghamton Airport. Susan Sherwood, executive director at TechWorks!, said Binghamton’s past can serve as inspiration for its future. “This is one of the most productive, industrial and innovative communities in the United States, and has been for more than a hundred years,” she said. “We’re trying to encourage people to keep problem-solving and to keep getting involved in technology.” The Nanticoke Valley Historical Society in the town of Maine will also be hosting a “HAUNTED BY HALLOWEEN!” event at their museum, showcasing a very large antique and vintage Halloween collection. “It features postcards, jacko’-lanterns, candy containers, noisemakers and it depicts all the history of Halloween in America,” said Sue Lisk, curator at the museum. The exhibition spans three rooms, one of which features a room set up to look like an authentic Halloween party from the 1920s, and another which will have tarot card readings for $5 each. Refreshments will be served and the event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The full list of participating groups includes: Nanticoke Valley Historical Society, Country Wagon Produce, Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park, TechWorks!, Endicott History and Heritage Center, Cutler Botanic Garden, Roberson Museum and Science Center, the Vestal Museum and the Bundy Museum of History and Art. The Recreation Park Carousel will also be open to all. Information on each establishment’s event as well as their hours is available on the Go All Out Broome website, as well as on the Facebook event page.
While last week’s Pride Parade at Binghamton University brought vibrant streamers, posters and spirited chants to the Brain, the main road that circles campus, this week the Q Center and Latin American Student Union (LASU) will host a night of Afro-Latin reggae and rock. Taína Asili, ‘00, and her band La Banda Rebelde will perform in the second event of a series organized by the Q Center in tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Asili is a singer, filmmaker and activist with Puerto Rican roots who is based in New York City. Her music uses strong horns and hypnotic bass as it intertwines a multitude of genres, composing a tempo that can easily get the audience dancing to the “rhythm of rebellion.” Taína Asili y La Banda Rebelde have been listed in The Huffington Post’s “12 Freedom Fighting Bands to Get You Through the Trump Years,” and their music is inspired by tradition and struggle. “I think that it’s important that we not only recognize the ways that we are suffering — recognize our harm — but also to lift up our resilience, our strength and our power, so that we know that the next generation has that to hold to on as well,” Asili states on her website. During her time at BU, Asili was a member of LASU, and her parents, Louie and Mimi Del Valle, were integral in the founding of the organization. Kelly Clark,
Taína Asili will perform during a free on-campus concert on Thursday.
director of the Q Center, met Asili two years ago and said she encompasses the intersectional essence of October, which is both National Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ History Month. “It really couldn’t be any better,” Clark wrote in an email. “I instantly fell in love with her, the music; the energy of the band was amazing. I thought [this] was the perfect opportunity to bring her to campus.” Clark added that Asili represents the activism that LGBTQ history is associated with. “The fact that she’s a protest musician makes it extra special because of the aspect of the
Stonewall 50th Anniversary,” Clark wrote. During this month, the Q Center and LASU hope to bring attention to the lost history of the Stonewall riots. The resistance to the arrests of Stonewall Inn in 1969 are said to have been started by two transgender women of color, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Clark said raising awareness for the intersectional queer identities that paved the path for a large-scale movement is critical to carving equal spaces for all members of the queer community. “This history often gets lost but is so important especially because
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Black and Latinx trans women are subject to so much violence in our community today,” Clark wrote. “Our whole [c]ommunity owes them such a debt of gratitude.” Rachael Kohler, a sophomore majoring in physics, said she is excited to attend the concert. “I am interested in Hispanic music and political activist music,” she said. “It’s also cool that Taína Asili y La Banda Rebelde have performed at the Women’s March in D.C. and at San Francisco Pride.” The concert will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10 in the Mandela Room. Admission is free.
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EDITORIAL: GET IN THE ZONE New zoning regulations have the potential to change the face of Downtown Binghamton, and students should care
max samson art director
Currently, the city of Binghamton is considering an overhaul of its zoning laws, an effort to address issues associated with the expanding student population living Downtown and on the West Side. Although this may sound like a good move, it’s important to consider the longterm effects of these changes to the local area — something that is difficult to do without hearing input from students themselves. The lack of communication between the student body and city officials is not for lack of trying. Binghamton University administrators and student leaders sit side-by-side with city officials on the Town-Gown Advisory Board (TGAB), and a public hearing on the proposed changes to Binghamton’s zoning codes has been scheduled for this month. Still, students seem unaware of potential changes, and that’s a problem, especially since the
overhaul could pose several challenges for student housing in the future as BU looks to expand its graduate student population. On-campus housing is almost exclusively meant for the undergraduate student population, and while many undergraduate students opt to live off campus in large apartment complexes such as U Club Binghamton or 20 Hawley St., graduate students tend to seek out housing on the West Side. Luckily for them, there’s currently more beds than students living in the neighborhood, but the new zoning laws complicate that. More and more students are choosing Downtown houses over University housing to save money and live more independently. With the new limits on housing, some landlords have suggested that students may see the cost of rent increase as the market becomes tighter and tighter. This won’t occur for students already situated in their
living arrangements on the West Side, but in the years to come, it’s a very real possibility for future students looking for new places to call home. Additionally, the Editorial Board is troubled by some of the apparent reasonings behind these proposed changes. It’s easy to look at college towns like Binghamton and think only of the vastly negative impact students can have on the local environment, and should student housing become more concentrated and controlled, some of those annoyances may be lessened. Noise pollution could be contained to a smaller section of Binghamton, and new rules regarding off-site parking could curtail the currently unsustainable quantity of cars parked on the narrow streets of Binghamton’s West Side. But the proposed legislation talks of preserving “the character of the neighborhood,” and that indicates
a lack of faith on the part of the city in more integrated communities. The prospect of explicit borders between student and local neighborhoods is an upsetting idea, especially since students bring so much life and vibrancy to many of the neighborhoods they reside in. All in all, changes to zoning are much needed, and overall, the Editorial Board welcomes them, despite our concerns. Still, some issues exist, and student involvement in changes like these ensures the best outcome for students and locals alike. Keeping involved in community affairs helps to ensure that students contribute to Binghamton rather than passively live in the area for their schooling. Understanding the laws that will be passed, students’ roles in them and how they will affect those who live here permanently can only strengthen our relationship with the local community, ensuring
that Binghamton locals receive benefits from our use of the area. Municipal decisions that impact student-community relations are nothing new. Three years ago, BU came to an agreement with the city of Binghamton to install blue lights in the West Side. While the motion was initially met with praise, student organizations soon voiced concerns that it benefited students more than the community, and that the blue lights could lead to people of color being targeted or having negative interactions with local police. These worries led to an occupation of the Couper Administration Building, and the blue light plan was dismantled. In its stead, TGAB emerged as a symbol of the University’s and Binghamton’s commitment to sustaining a clear line of communication. Although TGAB is far from a perfect solution to the town-gown divide, significant
student involvement, much like that seen in the blue light protests, is exemplary of how important it is for student voices to be heard in community affairs. The upcoming meeting meant to provide a public forum for opinions on the proposed zoning changes is set to be held on Oct. 23 in Binghamton City Hall at 6:30 p.m. The Editorial Board encourages all students to pay attention to local government, as city officials might not have enough insight to predict how their policies would impact University life. This is an opportunity to engage with the people who live and work in the same city you do, all while asserting your rights and desires as a part of the community you belong to. Although you may not be around to see the latest zoning changes affect your living situation, the community’s voice would be incomplete without your own.
Views expressed in the opinion pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece which represents the views of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial, above. The Editorial Board is composed of the Editor-in-Chief, News Editor, Opinions Editor, Sports Editor and Arts & Culture Editor.
Harvard’s lawsuit highlights the complexity of minority status in America The Harvard Affirmative Action Case ruling ignores those who don’t fit the Asian American stereotype Stella Huang Guest Columnist
Last Tuesday, five years after the lawsuit was first filed in 2014, a decision on the “Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)” case was made. The court found the use of race in Harvard’s admission processes to be constitutional and not discriminatory toward Asian American applicants. This ruling answered these two questions, but left others without clear agreements, such as whether Asian Americans are a racial minority, and if so, why they are often left out of affirmative action initiatives in higher education. To address the question “are Asian Americans a racial minority?” with a simple yes or no answer would be a failure on my end to emphasize the increasing diversity in socioeconomic backgrounds within the Asian American community. The label
HOW
DO
I
SUBMIT?
“Asian American” itself is a complicated one that represents people from a multitude of countries — countries that have diverse and complicated histories we can see the effects of today. I argue that this term is ill-suited for a modern American; it is better suited for a time in history when Americans of Asian descent needed to band together under an umbrella term that washed away individual differences. According to data published by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Data in 2018, many of those who do not support affirmative action initiatives are Chinese American. However, Chinese Americans are one of the largest Asian American subgroups with greatly varying levels of wealth, and the data does not include the socioeconomic backgrounds of those who support affirmative action, nor does it explain how the data was obtained. In New York City, Asian Americans have some of the highest poverty rates of all races, with 26.6 percent living “below the city’s poverty threshold in 2014,” according to the Huffington Post, a fact that is often ignored
by mass media that paints Asian Americans as a group of highly successful individuals. In a recent article published by The Harvard Crimson, statistics show that Asian American applicants and admitted applicants had the highest average SAT scores, white Americans had the secondhighest average SAT scores, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans were closely tied with the third-highest average SAT scores and African Americans had the fourth-highest SAT scores over an 18-year period. According to a 2017 New York Times article on the case, “a Princeton study found that students who identify as Asian need to score 140 points higher on the SAT than whites to have the same chance of admission to private colleges, a difference some have called ‘the Asian tax.’” It seems that having the top average SAT scores is a direct result of admission policies that hold Asian American applicants to higher standards. It is clear that many seats in educational institutions, if the admissions process were race-blind, would be filled by Asian Americans. In New York
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City, admission into Stuyvesant High School, one of the top high schools in the city, doesn’t follow the same admissions policies as colleges, and thus Asian Americans make up about 74 percent of the student population. In the state of California, where race as a factor in admission processes has been outlawed since 1996, the top universities are mostly Asian American. Therefore, unlike Judge Allison Burroughs stated in her conclusion, it is clear that including race as a factor in admission processes does hurt Asian Americans. It is clearer still that these consequences are ones many Americans are willing to bear. The larger, underlying assumption is that for Asian Americans, their minority status is a status to be outgrown via upward social mobility, a desired and complex process that is fraught with issues of identity and racial politics. Yet, many of those considered Asian American have yet to reach the levels of wealth and success presupposed as applying to all Asian Americans by mass media. The assumption is that at
some point in the future, with the help of race-conscious admission processes, we will be able to and will eventually reach a point of complete or close to complete equality. Is this form of manipulation of admission tactics fair? Does it do more good than harm? Are the consequences worth the positive outcomes? Have we properly defined and analyzed the consequences? Is diversity a perfect synonym for equality or is it a means to an end? In a recent radio interview with Boston’s NPR News Station, WBUR, Malcolm Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point,” “The Blink” and “Talking to Strangers,” defines a minority group as “a group without power.” Maybe what’s happening within the Asian American community is an issue of miscommunication between two sides within a fractured group fumbling for words to convey their personal stories of pain, growth and mortality. More than miscommunication, though, are assumptions of arguments, and thoughts left off the table. Asian Americans who have yet to make that pivotal leap
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from minority to majority or privileged minority feel left behind and betrayed by those who use the label “Asian American” but support policies that seem to hurt them. Asian Americans who have leapt over to greener fields feel a sense of responsibility and guilt on their shoulders and now have the luxury of caring about the larger American population. Both groups are trying to speak for each other, but neither one is listening or understanding. To turn one’s back on people who are still struggling and have not reached the privileged positions one has reached is at worst a callous act and at best a misunderstanding. To be reluctant or fully opposed to having to sacrifice well-deserved gains, to have diversity and societal progress be expendable, is at best understandable and at worst uncooperative. Neither those in favor nor those against Harvard’s admissions policy are arguing against societal progress or diversity. One group, however, argues against the means by which this end will be achieved. Stella Huang is a senior majoring in Chinese studies.
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Thursday, October August 10, 2018 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,30, 2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis WE FORGOT HER TITLE
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ACROSS 1 Gold rush storyteller Bret 6 Saints’ org. 9 Word pronounced like its middle letter 12 “The Lion in Winter” co-star 14 Senator Lisa Murkowski, notably 16 Participated in a pub crawl 18 Cleanse (of) 19 Afore 20 Video game pioneer 22 Sch. playing home games in the Sun Bowl 24 “Shadows of the Night” Grammy winner 28 Numbs, as senses 30 Bilingual TV explorer 31 File menu command 32 Seiko Group printers 34 Mountain myth 36 Flower location 37 Placating words before a confession 40 The Eiger, for one 43 Scott who played Chachi 44 Supplement 48 Snowblower brand 50 Schedule 52 “Borat” star __ Baron Cohen 53 New and improved 56 Vegetable with Golden and Chioggia varieties 57 San __, California 58 “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)” singer Chris 60 __-di-dah 61 Upset ... and what can be found in the four other longest answers? 66 Nonworking time 67 Twain of country 68 Bigger copy: Abbr. 69 Place to retire 70 Over
DOWN 1 Indignant reaction 2 Savored the flattery 3 Short poems 4 Playdate participant 5 Hamburg’s river 6 “I don’t wanna” 7 Woman in Progressive ads 8 One of 12 on a sitting jury? 9 Tough dogs 10 Deferred payment at the pub 11 Impress deeply? 13 1994 Costner role 15 Go over 17 Get lost in a book 21 Ticked off 23 Lumber (along) 25 Bath time plaything 26 “Grimm” actress Turner 27 Wonderland cake words 29 Elitist sort 33 Harry Potter’s potions teacher 35 Fleming and Holm 38 Incline
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49 Low soccer score 51 Sleuth Wolfe 54 Some spammers 55 Two-legged zebras 59 1975 Wimbledon winner 62 Non’s opposite 63 Coffee server 64 Phil Rizzuto’s retired number 65 Chewie’s pal
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Thursday, October 10, 2019
Men’s soccer downs Columbia in nonconference match Binghamton earns first victory since Sept. 17 Lance Kim
pipe dream sports
Entering the Binghamton men’s soccer team’s game against Columbia, freshman midfielder Ethan Homler had never scored a collegiate goal. He had started only one of the Bearcats’ games and logged more than 60 minutes only once. On Tuesday night against Columbia, however, Binghamton head coach Paul Marco gave the freshman the start, and Homler made it count, scoring twice to power the Bearcats (3-6-1, 0-2 America East) to a 2-1 nonconference victory over Columbia (3-4-2, 1-0 Ivy League). Homler’s two goals came in quick succession. In the 29th minute, Homler intercepted a low clearance from the Columbia goalkeeper. He found himself in prime position to score his first career goal, giving BU an early lead. “Coach was telling us before the game how the goalie had a high line, so when I had the opportunity, no doubt, I just lobbed it,” Homler said. “Knowing that we had conference play this weekend, we really wanted to win this game. Honestly, our mindset was ‘Get goals. We need goals.’” Two minutes after his first career goal, Homler was able to
rose coschignano photo intern Freshman midfielder Ethan Homler netted a pair of goals to secure Binghamton’s 2-1 victory over Columbia on Tuesday night.
secure a brace with a fortunate rebound off the crossbar. Beating the Columbia defenders to the ball, he fired the ball into the left corner, spurring a roar from the home fans in attendance. “The only thought in my mind
was to follow up and hopefully get there, and I did,” Homler said. The 2-0 lead didn’t last for long, however, as Columbia sophomore midfielder Sebastian Gunbeyi scored to cut the Lions’ deficit to one goal a minute later.
Columbia seemed to come alive in the second half, forcing BU to hold onto their lead for 60 more minutes. “[The Lions] were very well organized … Quiet at first and then all of a sudden they’re in
behind us,” Marco said. “Part of our game plan was to try and have higher starting positions to deal with their players in front of us. It didn’t feel like we did a great job of moving the ball and changing the point of attack — I thought
we could’ve done that a little bit more.” Prior to this game, the Bearcats had never defeated the Lions, falling in all five previous matchups. Binghamton withstood several shots on goal by Columbia in the final 10 minutes, but was able to hang on and work the clock down to earn its third win of the season. With their next two games coming against conference opponents, the Bearcats will look to carry their momentum from the midweek nonconference matchup. “When we get the lead, we have to protect it with everything we’ve got,” said junior midfielder Noah Luescher. “We can still go really far even though the record isn’t looking really great right now.” Currently tied for last place in the conference, the Bearcats have an opportunity to improve their standing with games against Vermont and Stony Brook the next two weekends. “I think we have to stop being complacent,” Luescher said. “We haven’t achieved anything yet. We have to work harder to be ready for Saturday.” The Bearcats will look to win back-to-back games for the first time this season against the Vermont Catamounts this Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from the Archie Post Athletic Complex in Burlington, Vermont.
Golf ties for seventh at Matthews Auto Invitational Home tournament cut short due to heavy rain Justin Zion
sports editor
In the most anticipated invitational of the fall season, the Binghamton golf team came away with a less-than-ideal result. The Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational, hosted by BU, was restricted to one round because of bad weather on Monday, and the Bearcats finished in a tie for seventh with a total score of 299. “I’m disappointed that we couldn’t get the whole tournament in due to weather,” said Binghamton head coach Bernie Herceg. “The guys really were looking forward to coming out the next day and trying to make a run to finish closer to the lead.” Junior Nacho Glagovsky ended up being the lowest-scoring Bearcat, having shot an even 72 in his only round of the tournament on Sunday. Glagovsky finished in a tie for ninth overall on the individual leaderboard. Senior co-
captain Tom Mandel finished one shot behind that at one-over-par, tying for 15th place. Binghamton’s usual top players, however, had a rougher tournament. Junior Justin Lane’s inconsistent season continued, as he finished tied for 60th with an eight-above-par total for the tournament, 13 strokes higher than his title-winning score from last season. Senior Ryan Rodriguez finished tied for 36th at plus-four, while junior D.J. Griffiths, who was the top Bearcat player in a couple of previous invitationals this season, placed in a tie for 48th with a score of six-over-par. The front nine were particularly troublesome for the Bearcats, with the team going a combined plus16 in the opening holes. Lane bogeyed four of his opening seven holes, while Rodriguez doublebogeyed the fifth and triplebogeyed the eighth. At one point during the round, the Bearcats were as low as 12th place on the team leaderboard. “It seemed like almost every guy had at least one loose swing that cost them a couple of strokes here and there,” Herceg said. “I
think they were kind of pressing a little bit … Come the back side, I think they were a little bit more confident in their game and they were able to score a little bit better.” Things eased for the team over the back nine, however, and the Bearcats were able to move up the leaderboard to a more respectable position. Mandel birdied four on the back nine, while Lane came up with an eagle on the par-five 18th to mitigate some of the damage he took on the earlier holes. Overall, three of the five Bearcat players went under par on the final nine holes, allowing Binghamton to finish the invitational in the top half of the leaderboard. Herceg and his team were hoping that the strong finish to the first round would leave them in a good position to post a strong final round on Monday and move even further up the leaderboard, but the weather had other plans. Heavy rain initially forced the teams to tee off behind schedule, and eventually the final round had to be called off entirely before it could be completed. With the first round the only one to be put in
the books, the Bearcats were stuck with their tie for seventh place without the chance to improve. “If the rain had went the other way or stayed west of us, we probably could have gotten the whole thing in,” Herceg said. “Probably around 11 [a.m.] it started raining harder, and the course couldn’t handle that much water. It was just too unplayable — the greens were starting to puddle up, and there were spots where you couldn’t even place the ball on a fairway … We made the right call.” Sharing the title at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational were Canisius and Rider, both of whom finished with scores of 285. The individual title was also shared, with junior Matt Genaway and sophomore Mike Donner of Canisius both scoring a four-under 68. Next up for the Bearcats is the Lehigh Invitational, which will be the final tournament of the fall season. The invitational will take place from Friday, Oct. 18 through Saturday, Oct. 19 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
provided by binghamton athletic department Junior Nacho Glagovsky tied for ninth place with an even 72 as Binghamton’s top finisher at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Invitational.
College football week six: winners and losers Justin Zion Sports Editor
After a few weeks in a row of dull college football, week six finally featured some marquee matchups between championship contenders, and the games did not disappoint. Here are the winners and losers from week six in college football. Winner: The Swamp Ever since Dan Mullen became the head coach of the Florida Gators, he wanted Gators fans everywhere to make The Swamp come alive for every home game. He wanted a packed house full of screaming, passionate Florida fans for the Gators’ tough test against No. 7 Auburn, and that is exactly what Dan Mullen got. No. 10 Florida was boosted on its home
turf by more than 90,000 Gators fans who lent their energy to help buoy the team’s performance. Mullen also came up with an effective defensive plan that clearly rattled Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix for the entire game. All of it helped turn The Swamp into a hellhole for Auburn, who only managed 269 yards of total offense and turned the ball over four times. The result: Florida (6-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) picked up the marquee win of the college football weekend and sent the Tigers (5-1, 2-1 SEC) back to Alabama with their first loss of the year. Loser: UCF When UCF lost to Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago, it was made clear that the Knights were no longer the top Group of Five program in the country. After this week, it is now highly probable that the Knights are no longer the best team in their conference. Heck,
they might not even be in the top three after their latest defeat. It was a late Friday night showdown that didn’t catch the eye of many, but No. 18 UCF faced off against then-unranked Cincinnati and lost. As a result, UCF (4-2, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) were dumped from the AP Top 25 Poll entirely, while three teams from the Knights’ conference are now ranked above them in that poll (No. 21 SMU, No. 23 Memphis and No. 25 Cincinnati). UCF now has a major uphill battle to make it to the AAC Football Championship Game, let alone win the conference. In all likelihood, it will be a different team that makes a New Year’s Six bowl from the Group of Five this season. Winner: Defense Week six featured three games between top-25 teams taking place back-to-back-to-back, making for the aforementioned marquee slate of games that viewers got to
enjoy on Saturday. And, perhaps unexpectedly, all of them turned out to be defensive battles. The final score between No. 14 Iowa and No. 19 Michigan was 10-3 in the Wolverines’ favor — a game that featured no fewer than 15 punts, only 528 yards of combined total offense and five turnovers (four by Iowa). In the TigersGators contest, only 37 points were scored in another punt fest, also rich with turnovers (there were eight of them.) Even the Big Ten battle between No. 25 Michigan State and No. 4 Ohio State featured less offense than expected. The Spartans (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) managed a measly 10 points, while the Buckeyes (60, 3-0 Big Ten) garnered their lowest point total of the season. Though none of the games were particularly terrible to watch, none were the type of games most fans were hoping for — unless you bet the under, in which case, good
for you! Loser: Kansas State Things looked so much brighter for Kansas State two weeks ago. The Wildcats were undefeated heading into conference play, were coming off a solid comeback victory against Mississippi State in Starkville and were actually ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll. Now, the season is all falling apart for Bill Snyder’s team. In week five, Kansas State (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) put up a lifeless performance at Oklahoma State and followed it up in week six with a blowout at home at the hands of Baylor. The Wildcats’ offense has looked incredibly sluggish the past two weeks, and everyone knows that good offense is a requirement if one wants to win games in the Big 12. This Kansas State team is a long cry from the old, successful Wildcat teams under Bill Snyder; last year the team had its eight-season bowl-
eligibility streak snapped. With two early losses in conference play, and with games still to play against No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 Texas, Kansas State could be heading that way once more. Honorable Mention: Fourth and Far from Goal Oklahoma won its week-six contest at Kansas pretty handily, as the Sooners usually do. More generally, Oklahoma typically has one of the best offenses in the entire country, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have hiccups every now and then. One of those hiccups occurred in a contest against the Jayhawks when two horribly blown plays in a row gave the Sooners a third and goal from midfield. One play and one penalty later, the Sooners were punting on a fourth and goal from the Kansas 44-yard line. For those of us who have never seen a punt on a fourth and goal before, we can scratch it off our bucket lists.