Fall 2019 Issue 15

Celebrate Inktober with Arts & Culture’s tattoo issue, See page 5 Thursday, October 17, 2019 | Vol. XCVI, Issue 15 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

OZZI system to be placed in campus dining halls Token-based machines aim to reduce environmental impact Jackson Galati pipe dream news

Soon, the single-use containers currently used for to-go meals at campus dining halls will be replaced by the OZZI system.

The implementation of the OZZI system is an effort from the Student Culinary Council (SCC) and Binghamton University Dining Services (BUDS) to improve sustainability on campus. The system consists of the OZZI machine and reusable plastic to-go containers.

With the purchase of a meal plan, each student will receive one free, nonmonetary OZZI token which can be exchanged for a clean container. Each student will be given a clip-on token holder to keep it safe. Once they are done with the container, a student can wash it themselves or return the dirty container to the machine to get their token back for future use.

Paul Zakrepine, co-president of the SCC and a senior majoring in biochemistry, said the changes come in response to last semester’s switch from compostable to-go containers to plastic ones.

see ozzi page 3

Binghamton University students and community members stop the Columbus Day Parade in Downtown Binghamton on Monday in protest of Broome County Jail deaths.

medium

Students, locals stop parade with jail protest Parade demonstration ignites controversy, four arrested Jacob Kerr news editor

Hundreds of people were in Downtown Binghamton on Monday to watch the 60th-annual “Tournament of

the Bands” and Columbus Day Parade when a group of about 20 people linked arms across the street, bringing a halt to the event.

The group was headed by members of Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT), which includes Binghamton University students and local residents.

They were joined by other unaffilated community members to protest against

the recent deaths at the Broome County Jail. One protestor, Anthony Georgiou, a sophomore majoring in anthropology, said he heard about the protest during a College Progressives meeting and was interested in participating after hearing demonstrators speak at another jail protest on Sept. 1.

“There were a number of people who spoke at the [Sept. 1] action whose family

members or even themselves suffered under the malpractices occurring in that institution,” Georgiou said. “I felt that it is a really important issue that hit a lot of people in this community, so it was important to get the word out there.”

But as a result of the showing, four protestors were arrested, and

see protest page 4

Broome County overdoses fall over past three years Bonney Third quarter sees nine overdoses after March crisis Richard Jannaccio contributing writer

Deaths attributed to opioid drug overdoses in Broome County totaled nine for this year’s third quarter, according to statistics released by Broome County District Attorney Stephen Cornwell. The statistics bring this year’s overdose death count to 33 — a far cry from previous years.

In 2016, 53 people had died by the end the year’s third quarter. The year ended with 76 people dead. But since then, Broome County’s overdose fatality numbers have slowed, with 22 people dying through the third quarter of last year.

Still, the numbers are far from ideal.

This year’s running count of overdose deaths is already higher than in 2018, partially because of a shipment of fentanyl-laced heroin that arrived in the region in March. The shipment caused at least six deaths in a 10-day period and prompted Broome County

Executive Jason Garnar to declare a state of emergency.

In an effort to continue decreasing overdose deaths in the county, Garnar joined with other government officials in April to form a Drug Overdose Response Team, which he said is prepared to act quickly to reduce drug-related casualties.

Truth Pharm, a grassroots organization dedicated to raising awareness and reducing the stigma associated with disorders involving opioids, interacts with opioid users and provides them with test strips that can detect the presence of fentanyl. By

employing these test strips, users can test their heroin supply for the presence of the deadly additive, avoiding the higher risk of death associated with fentanyl-tainted heroin.

Alexis Pleus, founder and executive director of Truth Pharm, said she visits Binghamton University to give presentations around once a week, carrying out her group’s mission on campus through student groups.

Pleus said Broome County still has a long way to go in combating overdose

see overdose page 4

leads Bearcats in scoring Women’s soccer junior discusses breakout season on Bearcast Kyle Reina

ResLife changes RA application process Application shifts timeline, removes community preference Nicole Kaufman news intern

Applications for residential assistant (RA) positions this year are now due about three weeks earlier than in past years, and applicants will no longer be able to select a preference regarding their living communities.

The changes will not affect the application requirements. Applicants must have and maintain a 2.5 GPA, have attended one information session, be a full-time student, have lived on campus for at least one full semester and be in good standing with student conduct, according to the Residential Life website.

The shift in the application timeline was intended to help students make housing decisions in a timely manner, according to Kristin Calegari, assistant director of Residential Life for Mountainview College, Susquehanna Community and Hillside Community.

“The most significant change

that candidates may notice this year is the RA selection timeline,” Calegari wrote in an email. “In an effort to have the RA selection process wrapped up before room selection, so candidates can make appropriate decisions regarding housing, and so roommate groups aren’t disrupted by someone in a group being offered an RA position, we have begun the RA selection process about three weeks earlier than usual.”

The adjustment required departmental changes within Residential Life, Calegari wrote.

“This change in timeline has required the department to shorten the length of time to submit an application and reference by a couple of weeks,” Calegari wrote. “We also had to move our group interview process to the fall semester instead of spring semester when the individual interviews occur.”

Alyssa Ciniglio, a sophomore doublemajoring in human development and psychology, said she still plans on applying to be an RA, even though the application deadline is looming closer than expected and she will not be able to select her preferred living community.

see application page 3

ARTS & CULTURE

pipe dream sports

After two promising years as a forward for the Binghamton women’s soccer team, junior Essie Bonney has secured a starting position on the front line. With five goals so far in 2019, Bonney has already scored more goals this season than in her previous seasons combined.

With three conference games remaining and a playoff spot on the line for her team, the Los Angeles, California native talked about her breakout season on this week’s episode of Pipe Dream’s Bearcast.

At the helm of a newly structured offense, Bonney has been instrumental in her team’s success as they currently have an 8-4-2 record, far more exciting for the Bearcats than the 2018-19 season, which ended with a 7-9-2 record at the bottom of the America East standings.

Binghamton is fighting among the standings, currently in fifth place.

However, with three teams tied for the second place, one win can catapult a team to the top and a single defeat can drop them several spots.

“Our coach always reminds us that our conference is so wonky,” Bonney said. “You never know who’s going to win.

You can never underestimate any teams despite their records, so, I mean, you can

taylor hayes pipe dream illustrator

OPINIONS

see bonney page 10

SPORTS

The rise of stick and poke tattoos,

A spotlight on student tattoos,

Professor Victor Skormin’s recent Facebook post poses questions about his interactions in the classroom,

Swimming and diving set for start of 2019 season,

Winners and losers from week seven of college football,

SEE PAGE 5

SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 7

SEE PAGE 10

SEE PAGE 10

PAGE II Thursday, October 17, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October April 3,2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

ADDress: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 phone: 607-777-2515 fAx: 607-777-2600

Police Watch

weB: bupipedream.com

FALL 2019 eDitor-in-Chief* Sasha Hupka editor@bupipedream.com

MAnAging eDitor* Katy Wong manager@bupipedream.com

news eDitor* Jacob Kerr news@bupipedream.com Asst. news eDitors Valerie Puma Leora Schwadron Jeremy Rubino

opinions eDitor* Evan Moravansky opinions@bupipedream.com

The following accounts were provided by Investigator Mark Silverio of Binghamton’s New York State University Police.

Smoke break SATURDAY, Oct. 12, 1:45 a.m.

— While on foot patrol around Newing College, officers observed a 32-year-old male rolling a blunt.

The suspect was compliant and handed over what was described as green, leafy material, which later tested positive as marijuana. The suspect was issued an appearance ticket and is set to appear in Vestal Town Court.

Sugar junkie SATURDAY, Oct. 12, 10:56 p.m. — Officers responded to Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4) after a Sodexo employee observed a 17-year-old male student stealing food. The employee said the male

was attempting to smuggle food out of C4 via his backpack. The suspect proceeded to the register and paid for chicken tenders.

Officers confronted the suspect as he was trying to leave and requested the suspect open his backpack. The suspect complied and apologized. Within his backpack was a bag of Doritos, a package of pretzel M&M’s, two Pop-Tarts, a package of Flipz pretzels and soup. The suspect paid for all of the food that he attempted to steal. The suspect was not charged, but he will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.

Nicole Kaufman Pipe Dream News

Lot Q1. Officers approached the female, who appeared to be very upbeat, and asked her how much alcohol she consumed. She said, “I had a very good night.”

When the

officers asked again how much she had had to drink, she proclaimed, “Hard liquor because I’m allergic to fruit and can’t have juice!”

Harpur’s Ferry responded, and the female refused further medical attention. Her roommate, who had not been out drinking, said she would keep an eye on her and brought her back to her dorm.

Dollar General desperado SATURDAY, Oct. 12, 9:55 a.m.

— An officer assigned to the Johnson City campus patrol was approached by a Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) officer. The JCPD officer asked if he had observed a 30-year-old male riding a bicycle in the area.

The UPD officer said he had just seen him go by. The JCPD officer informed the UPD officer that the male on the bicycle was a suspect in a petty larceny that

No jungle juice for me SUNDAY, Oct. 13, 1:14 a.m.

— While on routine campus patrol, officers observed a 19-yearold female student lying on the ground vomiting in Parking

had just occurred at the Dollar General Store on Main Street.

UPD assisted JCPD by canvassing the University’s Health Sciences Campus. The UPD officer found the suspect on the corner of Jensen Avenue. When approached, the suspect denied having been on a bike or having any knowledge of the events that occurred at Dollar General. When JCPD was notified, officers brought an eyewitness from the store and positively identified the man as the suspect who stole items from Dollar General. After being identified, the suspect confessed to stealing items from Dollar General.

He voluntarily turned over his backpack, which contained all of the stolen merchandise from Dollar General, heroin, a needle and tools consistent with gaining entry into vehicles. JCPD took the suspect into custody.

Asst. opinions eDitor Elizabeth Short

Arts & Culture eDitor* Gabriela Iacovano arts@bupipedream.com

Pipe Line

Asst. Arts & Culture eDitors Calendra Scahill Patrick Earns

LOCAL NEWS

sports eDitor* Justin Zion sports@bupipedream.com

Owego Wastewater Treatment Plant to see upgrades

Asst. sports eDitors Edward Aaron Samantha Marsh

The Owego Wastewater Treatment Plant will soon receive a face-lift, according to WBNG. As part of a three-phase project set to total more than $15 million, grants from New York state’s Region Economic Development Councils will help ensure the wastewater treatment plant will be able to remove all bacteria in wastewater and take on larger amounts of flood water.

According to Owego Mayor Mike Baratta, improving the plant’s efficiency is especially important because the wastewater it treats is dumped into the Susquehanna River, and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has upgraded the requirements for how clean wastewater entering the river must be. The plant is located

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near Binghamton, which treats and ultimately uses water from the Susquehanna River for the community drinking supply. The second phase of the upgrade is set to be completed within a year, before changes to DEC regulations take effect in 2025.

passed similar laws. If the legislation passes, it would become active the September after it is signed into law.

STATE NEWS

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on Wednesday that will allow prosecutors to pursue criminal cases even after a pardon is granted by the president, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. The law only applies in cases where the pardon

HPV vaccine may soon become statewide requirement A new piece of legislation would require all children in New York state to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in order to attend school, according to WBNG. The proposal, introduced by state Sen. Brad Hoylman, would require all children born after Jan. 1, 2008 to receive the vaccine before the start of any school year. Several other states, including Hawaii, Rhode Island and Virginia, have

New York passes law to allow prosecution against presidential pardons

shows a conflict of interest and follows criminal investigations into President Donald Trump, his executive branch employees and his family members. The law will take effect immediately.

NATIONAL NEWS

San Francisco earthquake hits, could continue with large aftershocks A magnitude 4.5 earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay area on Monday night, and could contin-

ue with aftershocks for the next week, according to the U.S. News & World Report. The earthquake was not statewide, and was focused in the Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill areas of the region. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), small aftershocks in the area are likely, and there is a 2-percent chance of an aftershock rating higher than magnitude 4.5 on the intensity scale, which would be greater than the original earthquake. There have been no further advisories issued since the earthquake.

BINgHAmTOn UniVErsITy’s

OFficial fINANcial pARtnER

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This Day in History Oct. 17, 1968 African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who famously raised their blackgloved fists in the air at the 1968 Summer Olympics medal ceremony, are stripped of their gold and bronze medals by the International Olympic Committee for the act.

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We’re here for you all around campus, including the Financial Wellness Center at the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development. Stop by for solid advice on all things student finance: budgeting, those student loans and many other financial literacy tools you can use on our interactive digital display. We’ve got you covered for your money matters during college and beyond.

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david grinberg contributing photographer Adam Guarino, a junior majoring in computer science and a member of the BU Video Game Association, participates in a club meeting where members experiment with virtual reality technology.

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bupipedream.com | October 17, 2019

NEWS

3

OZZI machine aims to encourage campus sustainability

zachary canaperi contributing photographer Advertisements are displayed in College-in-the-Woods Dining Hall for the OZZI machine, which is set to be implemented in January 2020.

ozzi from page 1

“OZZI backlash

came from the from the plastic

containers,” Zakrepine said. “It was in [talks] for a couple years,

but that was the push that we needed. From there it just took off.”

Students can access the OZZI machines in all undergraduate living communities. There will be two in Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4), one in Appalachian Collegiate Center and one in College-in-the-Woods Dining Hall. There will also be an OZZI machine in Hinman College Dining Hall after renovations currently ongoing in the building are complete. As of now, the Marketplace will not have a machine installed. The system will be operational on Jan. 19, 2020, the first day of the spring semester.

Brandon Liu, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, said he not only sees the sustainable benefits of the OZZI system, but thinks it will be convenient to use, since students can return a dirty container.

“I’m really concerned about the environment,” Liu said.

“I’d definitely be using that. I also feel a big thing is washing your own stuff. Not everybody has a sink to really do that,

not everybody has a sponge or whatever, so I think that token system is actually a pretty good idea.”

On the other hand, Vashni Rampersaud, a sophomore majoring in economics, said having to bring back the container is a burden on students.

“I feel like a big thing with these [single-use] containers is that you can throw it away after,” Rampersaud said. “And people aren’t going to like that.”

Austin Rodriguez, a sophomore majoring in nursing, said the switch is a positive move, although there may be a learning curve for students.

“I don’t get why they would switch from these [compostable containers] to plastic ones,” Rodriguez said. “It will take some time to get used to, but I think we’ll get the hang of it after a while.”

While students may have to put in more effort with the OZZI system, the main goal is to move BU in a sustainable direction, according to Jim Ruoff, resident district manager for BUDS.

“One of the beauties of our meal plans is the ability of students to take their food out,” Ruoff said. “I think students like it — they use it — I want to make that more environmentally friendly.”

Zakrepine expressed a similar sentiment behind his push for the OZZI system.

“I want to see a more sustainable shift to this campus,” Zakrepine said. “And I think OZZI is one of the biggest ways to do that.”

The OZZI system has been implemented at other colleges and universities, including McGill University, Tulane University and Rochester Institute of Technology.

BU is in the beginning stages of the transition, but Ruoff said he hopes to see the system spread and have a major impact on BU’s sustainability efforts.

“We use thousands of these carryout containers a week that end up in our waste stream,” Ruoff said. “I would love to cut that to zero. That’s my dream.

I think that would be a real positive for our community.”

UPD hosts active shooter training to educate students Workshop aims to prepare students for real-life scenarios Gillian Mathews news intern

Gunshots fired on campus is a sound no student hopes to hear. While many do not like to think or talk about the possibility of an active shooter scenario on campus, Binghamton’s New York State University Police (UPD) is providing training and resources through drills and alert systems in an attempt to enhance the preparedness of students and faculty.

In this year alone, there have been 404 shootings across the United States, according to Mass Shooting Tracker, a crowdsourced database of active shooter situations. A mass shooting is defined as a single event in which four or more victims were shot, and in previous years, college

campuses have often been targets.

In response to these numbers, UPD has launched a significant increase in preventative measures in recent years, including campus-wide violence prevention programs, efforts to identify troubled students and the creation of notification systems and refined response strategies to get law enforcement on the scene faster.

According to UPD Officer Richard White, the department hosts workshops on surviving active shooters to teach people how to respond in a mass shooting situation. The presentation and accompanying activities are held by UPD officers publicly several times each semester, and the workshop is also offered to student and faculty groups.

“In any given academic year, we give this presentation about 20 times according to the want and needs of students and faculty,” White said. “We want

to give students an idea of what to expect and how to handle yourself during an active shooter incident.”

The training aims to enable the campus community to effectively handle dangerous situations with a clear mindset, so students and faculty can be better equipped to react with purpose in a mass shooting situation and maximize chances of survival.

Ryan Gennarelli, a UPD officer and firearms instructor, stressed the importance of recognizing a dangerous situation and following proper steps to increase safety. Officers discussed three options in an active shooter scenario: run, hide and fight.

The “run” option urges victims to find an accessible escape route, evacuate immediately and prevent others from entering the area. The second option, “hide,” applies to victims who cannot evacuate. In an active shooter situation, officers advise finding

a place to hide that is out of the shooter’s view and silencing electronic devices. If you cannot run or hide, “fight” is the third option.

Gennarelli stressed the importance of throwing a shooter off.

“The average SUNY response time is about three minutes, which means it is up to you to follow the proper steps to ensure your safety,” Gennarelli said. “If you are in this situation, you must do what you can to either get yourself to a safe location or make efforts to take the shooter out until law enforcement arrives at the scene. When we arrive, we ask that everyone comply to make sure we can remove the threat of the shooter as soon as possible.”

Rachel Moss, a sophomore majoring in English, has attended UPD’s mass shooting workshop in the past and said she worries because an active shooter scenario could occur

anywhere, anytime.

“It makes me very upset that this is something people have to be prepared for and completely ready to go through because it could happen anywhere,” Moss said. “I know now that I would be prepared, but I can’t imagine how I would feel if I had no prior knowledge on how to act and what to do.”

While Binghamton University has never encountered an active shooter situation, past mass shootings have hit close to home. In April, Binghamton remembered the 10th anniversary of the Binghamton American Civic Association shooting in which 14 people died, including the perpetrator, and four were injured. Last week, SUNY Oneonta faced an active shooter threat from the hacked phone of a student — a threat that sent the university into lockdown. The student was not placed under arrest, and no

charges were filed once she was located.

Gennarelli said there is no direct connection between the drills and what occurred at SUNY Oneonta and in Downtown Binghamton. Still, he cautioned students to keep in mind that shooting threats are real and prevalent in today’s society. ”We offer the same drill multiple times in a year and in almost every case, a student will question whether the drill is in regards to the recent shooting in ‘X’ place, and we want to remind them that we don’t want to create a sense of fear on campus,” Gennarelli said. “We want to train our students to be prepared if they were ever involved in an active shooter situation.”

Concluding this month’s round of workshops, UPD will host a session on surviving a mass shooting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22 in University Union West room 325.

BU students, faculty aim to connect with local youth University offers ITC field trips, classroom visits Zirong Chen

contributing writer

In April, BU invited every Vestal fourth grader on a tour of the Innovative Technologies Complex (ITC) to expose them to the campus and a world of science, part of recent efforts to open doors to local youth through campus field trips and student volunteering.

Rachel Coker, director of research advancement in the Division of Research at BU, has been responsible for organizing

youth events for several years.

While the most recent tour took place at ITC, Coker has also organized tours to explore the main campus, including the E.W. Heier Teaching and Research Greenhouses.

“The trips first started from National Lab Day, when we opened up our labs and a few people came,” Coker said. “Over the years the trips have grown, and during the [2018-19] year, every Vestal fourth grader was invited. There were 250 kids, and they were split up into groups of 50 kids.”

The groups also had the opportunity to receive a handson science learning experience.

Coker said many of the children on the tour may not have exposure to research, especially in a college atmosphere.

“Some people have never been to [the] University,” Coker said.

“Bringing kids to the lab shows the more academic side of the University — this may be the first time that kids get to see a scientist.”

Before visitors arrive, faculty members from different departments, such as psychology and biology, set up small science experiments for the children.

The experiments vary depending on the age group on the tour, but include activities such as a microscope set-up so a group can

take turns looking at slides and have a chance to ask questions.

Students have also connected to local youth through other programs offered by the University. SUNY Kids is a club that organizes field day trips for kids every Saturday, the Center for Civic Engagement has a youth initiative that offers opportunities to connect with local youth through volunteering or interning and the Johnson City Mentor Program is open to BU students who want to become mentors at Johnson City Middle School.

In the Writing 111: Inquiry and Academic Writing course taught by Alvin Vos, an associate

Change in RA application process aims to assist housing decisions application from page 1 “It does not change the fact that I want to help residents,” Ciniglio said. “It doesn’t matter where I am personally because it is the duties of the job that are most important to me.”

Several current RAs declined to comment on the application changes.

Residential Life staff members are expected to develop a community atmosphere within each living community, engage in training throughout the year and establish effective communication with supervisors and residents, in addition to other duties. RAs are compensated for

their on-campus job through coverage of their housing and meal plan costs. The application process is a long one, according to Calegari.

“The process of applying for the RA job on campus consists of attendance at an RA [info session], submission of an application, résumé and one professional reference, along with a group and individual interview,” Calegari wrote.

“There is also an opportunity for candidates who complete the full application process to network with residential community staff at our community showcase.”

Nevertheless, these changes could be beneficial for RA

applicants, Ciniglio said. “[Residential Life] said that now all living communities will be looking at our applications, which allows for a higher chance of getting accepted and for being placed in the best fit for the person,” Ciniglio said. “I think it is a good idea that the future RAs will be placed in the living community which they would thrive the most in.”

The changes to the application process have not affected the number of applicants, according to Calegari.

“Our numbers for the mandatory attendance for RA information sessions this past weekend were right at our usual

average of [600 to 700] students in attendance,” Calegari wrote.

According to Ciniglio, Residential Life has been responsive to questions regarding the application process.

“At the meeting, they clarified any confusion that anyone had about the application process in terms of deadlines, what to include and not and people who we should be asking about for our recommendations,” Ciniglio said. “[Residential Life] also made it extremely clear if anyone had questions at any point in their application process that they could be reached via email, which was extremely helpful.”

professor of English, a collegiate professor of Hinman College and coordinator of Hinman College’s Public Service Learning Community, students are expected to volunteer at nearby schools to encourage communityengaged learning.

“I try to incorporate servicelearning into as many of my courses as I can, just as I am also an advocate for community and public service,” Vos wrote in an email.

For the course, students volunteer for an hour a week at Horace Mann Elementary School and write journal entries about

their experience. Local schools have given positive feedback, saying they appreciate the volunteers.

“Just so you know — we love having your students at Mann,” Peter Stewart, principal of Horace Mann Elementary School, wrote in an email to Vos. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with your students.”

Coker said other local schools that have inquired about participating in her tours, and both Coker and Vos said they plan to continue their efforts to engage with students in the community.

4

NEWS

bupipedream.com | October 17, 2019

Activists, officials continue efforts to prevent overdoses overdose from page 1 death, especially since official statistics are an undercount of actual fatalities.

“If someone overdoses and dies after a few days on life support in a hospital, the cause of death is often listed as a heart attack,” Pleus said.

These deaths are not included in the overdose statistics, she said, adding that overdoses with prescription drugs are also not typically counted.

Garnar praised the work of Truth Pharm, which he said reaches drug users who could not be helped by other groups.

He said his work aims to build off local outreach efforts, recalling that when he took office in 2017, detox units were overwhelmed with calls for treatment and people would have to wait for weeks to get it.

“Right off the bat, the first step is getting people detoxed,” Garnar said. “We didn’t have anywhere near the detox capability that we needed.

The minute someone who is addicted decides that they want to stop using, they are not going to wait very long for a bed. Inevitably, within an hour

or two, or maybe a day or two at the most, they’re going to start using again if they don’t get the help they need to detox.”

Garnar helped convince New York state to fund a $3 million, 50-bed detox center at the former Broome Developmental Center. Expansion is underway to double the facility’s bed count and offer extended service.

“By the end of 2020, we expect to have 50 additional beds designated for long-term use where people can stay for six to 12 months,” Garnar said.

He said he hopes immediate access to detox can help decrease the opioid crisis’ death count in Broome County.

“Within 14 months of me taking office, we had the whole thing up and running,” Garnar said. “From 2016 to 2018, we cut fatal overdoses by 60 percent, which is unheard of.”

BU is also aiming to prevent opioid casualties, and was the first university in the state to be certified by the New York State Department of Health for its Opioid Overdose Prevention Program (OOPP), which trains nonmedical individuals to administer overdose preventatives, like Narcan, according to Ryan Yarosh,

senior director of media and public relations at BU. “[The University’s OOPP] is geared toward offices like Residential Life, as it has the most contact with students, faculty and staff on campus,” Yarosh wrote.

Hui Zhu, a junior majoring in chemistry, said he is aware of the opioid crisis, but doesn’t know anyone that uses the drug. One of his roommates volunteers for Harpur’s Ferry, but he said he did not know emergency responders on campus carry Narcan. Still, he is concerned about long-term treatment options.

“I’m wondering if students and local people who need treatment have access,” Zhu said.

Garnar said overdose reduction efforts touch everyone in Broome County, including students and faculty.

“The epidemic affects everybody, students and nonstudents alike,” Garnar said. “All of the services we have are always available at any time to students who are struggling with addiction. I’ve also worked with students who have helped raise money and raised awareness.”

2016 24

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kade estelle design manager Third-quarter overdose deaths in Broome County indicate the number of overdose fatalities has slowed since 2016.

Binghamton mayor condemns PLOT demonstration protest from page 1 demonstration was met with backlash from government officials and some community members, including Mayor Rich David, who made a statement over microphone to the crowd after the protest was cleared. Later, David also released a press statement.

“You have hundreds of kids who have practiced to be in this competition,” David said on Tuesday. “It was really selfish and disgusting that these individuals would choose this particular venue to try to protest.”

Emily Jablon, 35, of Binghamton, also condemned the group’s actions. Jablon, who participated in the parade with a group of mosaic artists, described the parade as “joyful” and “happy” before the protest.

“It was scary to say the least,” Jablon said. “We were stopped on the bridge while cop cars flew by us, we could see physical interaction at the end of the bridge, and children were crying. Everyone protesting [had] masked faces from what we could see.”

A few members of the protest did cover their faces, including

a man who led the protest with a megaphone. PLOT members discussed the demonstration on Facebook on Tuesday, writing that they succeeded in their goals.

“Yesterday’s action was an undeniable win for those of us in the community attempting to dismantle oppressive power structures and institutions,” PLOT’s post read. “The politicians and law enforcement present yesterday only served to reinforce their incompetence and inefficiency to the public.”

Their official goal, according to the same post, was to stop the

parade for a minute for each of the 10 recent deaths of Broome County Jail inmates. In total, the parade was stopped for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Although PLOT saw the protest as a success, Robert Murphy, Binghamton’s director of economic development, said it accomplished the opposite.

“If they want, they can make a statement on Facebook, on their own publication, with leaflets — there are many other ways to get your point across,” Murphy said.

“And frankly, I think if nothing else, they hurt their cause in the process

of just turning people off.”

Nevertheless, other local officials, including Binghamton City Democratic Chairwoman Teri Rennia, voiced support for the protestors, writing that “civil disobedience is a cornerstone of our society.”

Elizabeth Nutig, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, participated in the protest and said she experienced a lot of pushback at first, but also some support afterward, with some people shaking demonstrators’ hands and thanking them.

“Some people came up to us

and were asking, ‘Why are you doing this?’” Nutig said. “Two people came up and tried to rip the poster from us, which I thought was a pretty violent reaction to a nonviolent protest … The police started showing up and more people started yelling. I personally didn’t interact with the police, but some[one] near me I know did.”

The protestors are being arraigned in Broome County Court on Monday, and PLOT created a Facebook event titled, “Pack the Court for Binghamton Protesters.”

Nutig and Georgiou said they will both be attending.

pipe dream illustration staff

“Stick and poke” it to the man with DIY tattoo methods Exploring the pros and cons of at-home ink Thomas Raleigh

contributing writer

It’s a cold, gloomy October night in Binghamton. As you try desperately to think of some way to procrastinate all of your

homework, you realize you have a friend who told you they could give you a stick and poke tattoo!

Great idea, right? Here are a few things to consider before you decide to get one.

What is a stick and poke?

The stick and poke tattoo method is becoming a DIY alternative to traditional tattooing, where a needle is

dipped into ink and then into the skin. The tattoos do not normally last as long as professionally done tattoos, but this is part of the reason that people are drawn to them. They are simple and less permanent than a traditional tattoo, meaning they will fade more quickly. However, you can always touch it up later on, or even have a professional go over

While stick and pokes may be painful, they offer a quick and cheap option for getting a tattoo.

it and make it more permanent.

Stick and poke tattoos are also generally inexpensive. It is easy to have a friend give you one for free, especially when professional tattoos can cost upward of $100 at a tattoo parlor.

Tools Stick and pokes are usually created with a sewing needle, thread or dental floss and ink.

sidney slon assistant photo editor

All these items that can be found around the house, a fact that has greatly contributed to the growing popularity of the method. Stick and poke tattoo kits and tools are also widely available online, and are generally a safer idea. Most kits provide everything you will need to tattoo, including gloves, needles, ink and instructions.

Safety There are some health risks involved in doing a DIY tattoo.

As with any other form of tattoo, people using the stick and poke process are at risk of developing a skin infection, especially because these tattoos are typically done at home in unsanitary environments by nonprofessionals.

That’s why it’s extremely important to prepare and disinfect an area before starting the procedure.

Additionally, be aware that your body could have an allergic reaction to the ink you’re using.

If you’re concerned about this, stick to black ink, which is widely considered the safest ink to use to avoid infections and reactions.

Process The stick and poke process involves repeatedly poking into the surface of the skin with a needle. It will hurt, and it will take a longer time to complete than a normal tattoo would.

Normally the tattooer will have to go over the lines they made multiple times to ensure the lines are filled. Once the design is finished, aftercare should be done virtually the same way as with a conventional tattoo. Clean the tattooed area with green soap or rubbing alcohol and distilled water, apply antiseptic ointment and bandage.

Should you try it?

There are two main questions you should ask yourself before you decide to get a stick and poke tattoo. First, can you handle the pain?

Hanna Fritsch, a freshman majoring in biology at Binghamton University who has given herself three stick and poke tattoos over the last five years, said it feels like “being stabbed over and over again by a needle.”

She believes that most people would not want a large stick and poke tattoo because they take a long time, and the process is very painful. So, if you are interested in getting a big, complex or longlasting tattoo piece done, stick and poke will likely not be the most efficient method. It might be worth it to break the bank and invest in a professionally done tattoo at a tattoo parlor.

“Doing a larger stick and poke would be off the table for most people,” Fritsch said. “They don’t want to be there for an hour and a half being stabbed.”

Secondly, do you want to choose to do stick and poke rather than going to a tattoo parlor?

One of the biggest reasons these tattoos are becoming so popular is because of the aesthetic and trendiness they offer.

“People want to show that they’re different,” Fritsch said.

“Like how people pierce their nose at home.”

Stick and poke tattoos will mainly appeal to people who want to save some money and are not super serious about getting “real” tattoos. If you are into the “I can do it myself” movement that stick and pokes have come to be a part of, be safe and start poking!

Skin care tips for tending to a new tattoo How to minimize itching, infections and more Lakhsmi Chatterjee arts & culture intern

You did it! After years of going back and forth on designs and debating whether you really wanted a permanent mark on your body, you got a tattoo. The process was a little painful, but nothing you couldn’t handle, and now you have a work of art on your body. But, the process isn’t over yet. To make sure your ink lasts forever, you’ll have to take special care of your skin.

Replace your wrap After getting tattooed, your artist should place a small layer of petroleum jelly over the tattoo and wrap it with a bandage. About two to five hours after the procedure, you should remove the bandage and replace it with a new one.

There might be plasma or blood oozing from the site, but that’s completely normal. If you are using regular bandages, they should be replaced every two hours for anywhere from one to six weeks, depending on the design and color.

Sophia Tovpeko, a freshman majoring in mathematics, recommends using Saniderm bandages to keep the tattoo glossy and vibrant, which can be replaced weekly instead of every few hours.

“Saniderm can stay on for a lot longer and is way easier than traditional processes,” Tovpeko said. “You should replace it every week when you notice the area get too dry.”

Carry unscented soap with you Aubrey Doyen, a sophomore majoring in biology, said keeping your tattoo clean is one of the most important steps in the healing process.

“I carried around soap and lotion and washed it like five times a day if my arms touched anything that might be dirty,” Doyen said. “I also wore long sleeves to bed to keep it clean.”

Remember, getting tattooed is a procedure. Keeping the area around it clean is essential for a speedy recovery. In addition, remember not to go swimming until healing is complete.

Wear sunscreen This is something you should do every day, but it’s even more important to protect your skin from UV rays after getting a tattoo. Tovpeko suggests using a higher SPF sunscreen.

“If you go out a lot, especially for the first month or so, put a layer of sunscreen on it,” Tovpeko said. “Use SPF 30 or higher to make sure it’s fully protected.”

Remember to use sunscreen instead of sunblock, which can irritate the area with its ingredients. Instead, a light sunscreen, lotion or spray should do the trick.

Don’t use Vaseline Although your artist may apply a layer of petroleum jelly

to the tattoo, Camille Shapiro, a sophomore majoring in biology, said you should not use it again because petroleumbased products can make the ink fade. Instead, keep your skin moisturized with unscented lotions.

“Vaseline is bad if you want a list of products not to use,” Shapiro said. “I washed [my tattoo] with soap for two weeks, morning and night. After my skin was dry, I used Aquaphor lotion for the first three to four days, then Aveeno lotion for 10 days after that.”

Don’t itch or pick your tattoo Zoe Heiderstadt, a junior majoring in psychology, said the itchiness of getting a tattoo is the worst part. Picking at it can also ruin the lines of a tattoo and lead to an infection.

“I feel like something people don’t tell you about the healing process is how itchy your tattoo will feel after a day or two,” Heiderstadt said. “I use a thin layer of Aquaphor healing ointment on my tattoo when it feels dry or itchy.”

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Parlor city ink: tattoo shops in Binghamton and beyond

mikayel harutyunyan design assistant

Alternative tattoo options that won’t break the bank Our guide to lowcommitment body art Cristina Zirilli

contributing writer

As a college student, it’s common to look for new ways to express yourself, and tattoos are a great option to show off your creative side. However, tattoos can be expensive to obtain, as well as care for, and you might not be ready to commit to a design for the

rest of your life. Luckily, we found some nonpermanent options that can allow you to experiment without breaking the bank.

Henna Temporary Tattoo Henna temporary tattoos are a form of temporary body art using Henna dye, which comes from the Lawsonia inermis plant. These types of tattoos trace back to antiquity, used historically in cultures of the Indian subcontinent, North Africa and the Middle East.

You can buy Henna at Walmart

or online, and some cultural clubs on campus will give you a Henna tattoo for free at special events. It is generally applied with a stick or a plastic cone.

The longer the paste is left on your skin, the darker and more durable the tattoo will be. In order to stop it from falling off, you can use a sugar and lemon mix over the dried paste.

Henna tattoos are relatively inexpensive and give you the ability to choose your design.

They can last for one to four weeks.

Airbrush Tattoo Airbrush tattoos can give you a variety of colored designs using a stencil. Airbrush temporary tattoo ink should be FDAapproved, so ask your artist to verify that this is the case. It should also be hypoallergenic, as it will be sprayed directly on your skin. Binghamton University’s Late Nite frequently brings in airbrush tattoo artists who will allow you to get a design for free. It is also common to see airbrush tattoos at events such as amusement parks or fairs.

You could buy your own airbrush spray kit online, but it might be a better idea to get it done by someone else if you are not experienced. The airbrush itself is made of rubbing alcohol, an emulsifying agent to make the skin smooth, and mica pigment, which gives the tattoo color.

These resemble real tattoos quite well and cost about $10. They can last for about a week.

Temporary Tattoos While temporary tattoos are typically meant for kids, with the right attitude, they don’t

have to be. You can look online for themes that are relevant to your interests or use them to decorate your face for game day or special occasions. Temporary tattoos usually have an image on a special type of paper that you can apply to your skin with water. These tattoos can last from a few days to a week depending on how often you wash the area.

They can also be easily washed off to change to a new design.

Temporary tattoos are fairly inexpensive and cost a couple of dollars at most.

Tattoos of BU and the students, stories behind them

miya carmichael staff photographer

“I out of the blue impulsively got a tattoo this past Friday for my 20th birthday, even though my parents hate tattoos and my mom is very scary. My tattoo’s of a sprig of baby’s breath because it represents an everlasting unconditional love, whether it be platonic or romantic. It’s supposed to represent all of the positive and steadfast connections in my life, whether they’re friends or family. I was kinda hoping my parents wouldn’t hate it because it’s supposed to represent them too.”

— Zoe Heiderstadt, a junior majoring in psychology

miya carmichael staff photographer

“We’ve lived together and been roommates ever since freshman year, and knew we wanted to get matching tattoos. We weren’t sure for a while of what we would get, but when we passed the iconic polio vaccination billboard just outside of Johnson City, we knew that we had to get an homage. We’re this close to ending polio.”

— Beck Gore, a junior majoring in human development, and Dori Hicks, a junior majoring in nursing

miya carmichael staff photographer

“Female form tattoos in thin line black ink always stuck out at me — even my own art incorporates the female form using fine line work. It wasn’t a difficult decision once I found the one I ended up showing my artist for inspiration. This piece, to me, represents the balance and serenity found within any kind of relationship between two women. As a woman who greatly values all of the relationships I have had, whether they be romantic or friendships with other women, this piece was very important to me.”

— Aubrey Doyen, a sophomore majoring in biology

miya carmichael staff photographer

“I got this tattoo for my uncle who overdosed on heroin in January at 38 years old. His last post on Facebook was two graphs: One had a linear straight line, and the next looked just like my tattoo but the line in the end doesn’t go up. Under the first graph was the label ‘what I expected’ (from life) and the next was what happened.

He was very aware that he had an addiction problem and I think him posting that further proves that addiction is truly a disease. He wanted better, but he was sick. After the funeral, I got that second graph tattoo of ‘what happened,’ but the line goes up in the end to symbolize that he’s finally relieved of all his pain, and in the minds of all that knew him, he succeeded in life by the positive impact he made on everyone that knew him.”

— Jill Pizzuto, a senior majoring in Spanish

OPINIONS Thursday, Weekday, Month October Day, 17, 2019 Year Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October April 3, 2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

EDITORIAL: THE CONFEDERATE FLAG IS NOT A JOKE, SKORMIN Professor Viktor Skormin’s understanding of race is especially troubling because of his position as a figure of authority in an educational space.

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Victor Skormin has long been a polarizing figure at Binghamton University, but his recent social media post has reignited concerns about his offensive behavior. On Sept. 30, Skormin posted a photo of a man toting a gun, wearing a shirt that read “REDNECK JEW” and a hat with the Confederate flag on his public Facebook page, inciting backlash from the University’s students and faculty alike.

A distinguished service professor of electrical and computer engineering, Skormin has earned a reputation as a tough but respectable educator in his field. In the same breath, however, students have noted that Skormin is an “ultra-conservative” who often brings his politics into the classroom. His conservative beliefs are not the reason for the backlash he’s continually faced — rather, it’s Skormin’s consistent pattern of racist behavior that illustrates his unwillingness to listen to his students and colleagues.

In March 2018, Skormin replied

to an email sent to the electrical and computer engineering graduate Listserv about a dinner fundraiser hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers, stating “Please let me know about a dinner of the National Society of White Engineers. Thank you.”

Amid backlash from students and faculty, he later issued an apology for his response.

This time around, Skormin has yet to issue an apology. Instead, when asked why he posted the photo, Skormin noted that he is not the person depicted in the image. He also wrote in an email to Pipe Dream that the post was meant to be a joke, as “Jews are not known of being rednecks, and the antisemitism is very common among rednecks,” and that he puts on his Facebook page “everything that I believe is humorous and useful to my students and friends.”

He later wrote that, “The Confederate flag is a part of American history that we outlived.

Do not forget that all Fathers of America had black slaves. Should

most Americans believe that Confederate flag is an important part of our history, we would see it on every corner.”

Skormin’s response to questions about his post is problematic for a number of reasons. The fact the person in the image is not him does not excuse the fact that he chose to post it and views it as something humorous.

We have not outlived the history of the Confederate flag, as evidenced by its frequent and continued usage by white supremacists and neo-Nazis. The comment about the Founding Fathers only worsens Skormin’s argument, adding no clarification to his reasoning beyond normalizing the practice of slavery. While the Confederate flag is, in fact, a part of history, it represents the worst of what America has stood for. Additionally, the presence of a firearm in the image is deeply troubling, and could be interpreted as threatening. For all these reasons, no amount of time can render Skormin’s post acceptable.

Skormin’s understanding of race is especially troubling because of his position as a figure of authority in an educational space.

For students of color, especially those who must take his classes as part of their engineering degree, it might be difficult to trust a professor who refuses to recognize that the Confederate flag is undeniably a symbol of hatred — particularly given that Skormin is not quiet about his political views in class.

Although the University has not commented on what kind of discipline Skormin may face for his post, Donald Nieman, provost and vice president for academic affairs, condemned Skormin’s post and declared in an email statement to Pipe Dream that the Confederate flag is a symbol of hatred, racism and bigotry that stands against the BU’s values of inclusiveness.

Douglas Summerville, chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering, wrote in an email to the department’s Listserv on Wednesday that Skormin’s

post stands “in stark contrast” to an inclusive educational environment, and Nasiah Brown, president of the National Society of Black Engineers, wrote in an email that Skormin should be fired and noting his “‘jokes’ or comments he makes are sensitive topics.” A number of students, both past and present, have discussed his tendency to share problematic comments in class on RateMyProfessor, and one source said they filed a formal complaint against him because of inappropriate conduct, confirming that Skormin has been a troublesome professor for decades.

The overwhelming majority of students have decried his decision to post the Confederate flag, and the Editorial Board feels no differently.

In the course of questioning Skormin via email, he threatened to “contact my lawyer” if a news article was published about his Facebook post. Such threats will not stop Pipe Dream from reporting on issues important to

the study body. Students deserve to know the truth about the faculty that presides over them, and Skormin’s threat reveals that he may be aware of how poor his judgement has been.

Knowing the consistency of Skormin’s history, it’s easy to question why he hasn’t faced harsher punishments from the University. We understand, however, that the University has limited power in issuing punitive measures to its professors, and for this specific instance, BU cannot speak freely on its handling of Skormin’s reprehensible actions because of legal constraints.

That said, the Editorial Board asks that the University exercise its greatest possible disciplinary action against Skormin — ideally, a permanent solution to Skormin’s inexcusable behavior.

For Skormin himself, our advice is simply to listen. It’s far more valuable to consider the needs and concerns of your students than to constantly rail against them.

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.

A new Florida law wrongly imposes a dangerous poll tax on ex-felons Withholding voting rights to collect court fees disenfranchises millions of citizens Seth Gully Contributing Columnist

Imagine being barred from voting for the rest of your life.

That is the reality for too many people in this country — millions who, right now, simply don’t have the right to vote. Some will get it back, some will not. That is what felons in this country face.

Last year in Florida, a referendum known as Florida Amendment Four passed with overwhelming support, restoring ex-felons’ voting rights. Recently, the Republican legislature responded to Florida Amendment Four by introducing a bill that would require all court fees, fines and liens to be paid to restore an ex-felon’s right to vote. As a result, a group of exprisoners are suing, arguing that

HOW

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SUBMIT?

these restrictions amount to a “poll tax.”

We should all find this troubling. Paying all fines in order to vote is archaic and unnecessary. If you get a parking ticket, you don’t need to pay that off before voting, yet if you have court fees, you must.

This is a major hoop for people to jump through in order to vote. In Florida, if an individual is convicted of the theft of agricultural animals, that person faces a minimum $10,000 fine per count. This means that the individual would need to pay, in full, $10,000 before voting.

Inmates in the U.S. prison system are paid, on average, less than a dollar per hour of work, so any expense is next to impossible to pay. This bill proposed by the legislature is, in fact, a poll tax and we need to call it out for what it is. When we don’t confront our errors of the past, we don’t learn from them. And when we

don’t call this what it is, we are neglecting the long history in this country of denying people their rightful vote.

Before I continue, we must discuss the prisoners. First of all, this amendment does not apply to those who commit murder or sexual offenses. Secondly, only focusing on this group misses the entire picture of what constitutes a felony. The full picture includes many other lesser offenses, such as those incarcerated for drug-related offenses that are punitive and unnecessary. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of institutional racism and how African Americans are targeted by our society through overpolicing, the drug war and the war on crime of the 1990s.

Some may argue that we cannot trust those who have committed felonies to vote after they have served their sentences.

They compare this to other crimes which result in the limiting of

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rights: Sex offenders still can’t get close to schools, violent offenders can be barred from buying a gun and so on. However, there is a glaring distinction to be made. Taking the right to vote away from felons does not logically follow from taking the right to a gun away from a violent offender. In the latter case, there is significant concern that the individual may commit more violent acts, but, the right to vote will allow felons to do what harm exactly? Nothing; taking away voting rights is merely a punitive solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

Taking this argument one step further, consider when prisoners are incarcerated. Their rights are curtailed while in prison.

But why, exactly, are the rights to things such as freedom of speech, movement and autonomy curtailed? Society argues that this is necessary because of this logic: “The offender has broken

the law. Offenders deserve to be incarcerated, and in order to incarcerate someone, some rights must be taken away — therefore, we should take some rights away from prisoners.” I will not argue against the second premise at this time; that requires a longer conversation. Instead, I argue, this conclusion has another problem with it. Even if we agreed on this argument, that would not justify taking away voting rights of prisoners because restricting voting rights is not necessary to incarcerate someone. There isn’t a danger to the prisoners, the employees or the public. It is simply punitive and unnecessary.

We should not be disenfranchising millions of people in this country. We should be expanding voting rights, not curtailing them, and that includes prisoners. This means that once someone is out of prison they should be allowed

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to vote. That is the whole idea behind their reintegration into civil society. But more than that, we should allow prisoners while incarcerated to vote as well. In theory, we need good reason to justify the removal of peoples rights in this country — unsubstantiated fear is not one of those.

Felons should not have their rights revoked in such a punitive way; they are still just as human as all of us. The actions of Florida’s legislature and governor do not reflect the vote that occurred last year and continue to put roadblocks in front of prisoners. Consider the irony of this: an ex-felon could be drafted into a war started by a Congress which they couldn’t have voted against. That, to me, is frightening.

Seth Gully is a sophomore triple-majoring in philosophy, politics and law, economics and French.

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Essie Bonney breaks out in junior campaign for Bearcats bonney from page 1 never be comfortable, and we understand that. So, that’s why going forward for our last three conference games, we know that we can’t underestimate any of our opponents and we have to come in with full energy from the start to finish, and everybody needs to give their all.”

Prior to her junior campaign, Bonney took time this summer to focus in on the gaps in her game, going especially hard on her fitness and diet.

“I personally struggle with our fitness test — they are no joke,” Bonney said. “So, I really decided this is my year and if I want to take it seriously, I have to take some extra steps, and that’s what I did.”

Coming from California, Bonney made the decision to go to college a long distance away from her family. The harsh winter of Binghamton presented a challenge, as did homesickness.

“My first semester of freshman year I did struggle with the fact that I was so far away from home,” Bonney said. “I don’t think I fully thought that through because there were some times where I was like, ‘Why did I do this?’ and I was so far away from my family. Sometimes, my roommates, if they’re having a rough week or something they’d just be like, ‘Alright, I’m going home,’ whereas I can’t do that.

I can only call my mom or call my dad or call my sister, so that was really rough, knowing I couldn’t go home all the time.

I remember Thanksgiving of

Junior forward Essie Bonney has scored a career-high five goals this season after stepping into a starting role for the Bearcats.

freshman year I couldn’t go home, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is the first Thanksgiving away from my family, what the heck did I get myself into?’ but as time has gone on, I’ve gotten used to it. Here I am, enjoying myself in the state of New York.”

Despite the absence of her relatives, Bonney has found a second family in her teammates; the team’s togetherness is present both on and off the field.

From making the best of long bus rides by playing games and watching movies, to hanging

out after practice, the team’s cohesion never ceases to exist.

“This team is the most it’s ever felt like a family,” Bonney said. “We’re all super close from the freshmen to the sophomores, juniors, seniors. I would say if you were a stranger and came to

our team and watched a practice, you wouldn’t be able to tell what year anyone is because everyone on the team has a big voice.

Everyone is comfortable speaking and we’re just all fun, we hang out outside of the team, it’s not just like a practice type of thing

john atkinson staff photographer

and then we don’t see each other anymore. We’re always hanging out. It’s like a sisterhood, really.”

The team continues its season on Thursday, Oct. 17 against Hartford at 2:30 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Swimming and diving College football week seven: prepare for season opener winners and losers Smolar, McGraw lead Bearcats’ women’s roster Samantha Marsh

assistant sports editor

In last year’s season-opening tri-meet against Siena and Niagara, the Binghamton men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams won every single event in the meet. With a new head coach and roster, the teams are aiming to repeat their performance on Saturday, Oct. 19 in this year’s season opener.

Last season, the men’s team went 4-1 and placed second in the America East (AE) Swimming and Diving Championship. But since then, the team has lost some key swimmers to graduation and transferring. Among them were Alex Brion, who holds the pool record for the 50 free (20.90) and graduated last year, and junior Patrick Wilson, who is a part of two pool record relays and transferred to Fordham this year.

On the women’s side, the team went 7-1 but placed fifth of seven in the AE Championship,

a surprising result considering their regular season success.

Both the men’s and women’s teams, however, did not drop a single meet at home and are looking to continue that trend in the 2019-20 season.

Following Brad Smith’s resignation to become the new head swimming and diving coach at Youngstown State, Jerry Cummiskey was tabbed to take over the program this season.

He led his first Green vs. White meet on Oct. 5, a simulation meet where the teams are split up and compete against each other.

Cummiskey said he is pleased with the way the team performed.

“We had some good swims,” Cummiskey said. “We learned about where we’re strong and where we have some weaknesses.

I think overall we had a pretty good day to get started. Once we’re all on the same team, we’ll get a little deeper.”

There are several impactful returners, such as junior Kaitlyn Smolar, who holds three pool records, sophomore Amanda McGraw, who won the one-meter dive at the AE Championship

sidney slon assistant photo editor Sophomore Amanda McGraw won the one-meter dive and was named the Women’s Most Outstanding Diver in the 2019 America East Championships.

and senior Ross Bernstein, who crushed David Holmes’ 200 fly pool record last season.

Additionally, the teams have some freshmen that Cummiskey is impressed with so far.

“I think a couple of our freshmen had some really good swims,” Cummiskey said. “Matt Palguta had a good day. Justin Meyn was very good. Jackson Homan showed us some stuff. On the women’s side, we had some good swims — Meadow Perez in the fly and Audrey Pesek had a good backstroke swim in the 200.

She had the best time, so that was really good.”

In addition to all the freshmen and the head coach, there is another new face on the team: assistant coach Mike Kline. After going without an assistant for close to two months, Kline, a former Division I swimmer at Miami (OH), was hired and began coaching just one week ago.

“Mike had some good experiences in the past with both where he swam and schools where he’s worked at,” Cummiskey said.

“Between his experiences and his personality, I think he’ll bring a lot. He’s got some good energy on deck. He knows his ins and outs, technique-wise, training-wise, so he should be a good addition.”

While Cummiskey said he doesn’t know what’s going to happen at Saturday’s tri-meet, he thinks the team is in a good place and wants to use the competition as a way to assess what the team can do at the AE Championship.

“I think we just have to swim our race, focus on what we’re doing and make sure we utilize every one of our races all year to prepare for [the championship],” Cummiskey said. “Everything else is a dress rehearsal for what we do in February.”

The opening meet for the men’s and women’s teams will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19 against Niagara and Siena at the Patricia A. Saunders Aquatic Center in Vestal, New York.

Justin Zion Sports Editor

We’re officially halfway through the college football season, and with each passing week, the College Football Playoff picture gets clearer and clearer. Here are the winners and losers from the latest week of college football action: Winner: LSU Is LSU finally for real this year? The Tigers (6-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) have fooled us before, making themselves out to be championship contenders once or twice, campaigns that usually ended in disappointment against that team from Tuscaloosa. But the AP Top 25 Poll seems to think this year might be different, as the Tigers’ recent victory over No. 7 Florida catapulted LSU over Clemson and into the second place spot in the poll. It isn’t hard to see why, especially when comparing Clemson’s stale start to the season with LSU’s electric play thus far. The Bayou Bengals have the best offense they’ve had in years, as redshirt senior quarterback Joe Burrow is finally playing his best game possible. Burrow threw only three incomplete passes against the Gators (6-1, 3-1 SEC) on Saturday, accumulating 293 yards and three touchdowns in the process. LSU scored 42 points overall against a Florida defense that was averaging fewer than 10 points coming into that contest. Maybe this is finally the year that LSU returns to the top of the SEC West. Then again, Alabama head coach Nick Saban will certainly have something to say about that in a few weeks.

Loser: The SEC East On the flip side of that coin, you have the top two teams in the SEC East suffering their

first defeats of the season. In Florida’s case, the defeat was understandable, even though it obviously wasn’t great for them. The Gators were on the road, playing a team that is better than they are, and even though he has played above expectations so far, redshirt junior quarterback Kyle Trask is still a backup. No. 10 Georgia, however, has a lot more to worry about after the performance the Bulldogs displayed against South Carolina. The Bulldogs (5-1, 2-1 SEC) were at home against an inferior opponent, yet they had no answers on offense.

Junior quarterback Jake Fromm threw three interceptions in the game, all to the same guy and one was returned for a touchdown. Those were only the worst of his bad decisions that day. And of course, a crucial kick in overtime to keep Georgia alive went wide. The only two championship contenders in the SEC East both suffered major setbacks in week seven.

It remains to be seen if they can recover.

Winner: Rivalry Games I cannot remember the last time there were so many big rivalry games in the same week of college football outside of rivalry week at the end of the season. Not only did we have so many, but they were all great games. Many of college football’s greatest rivalries have become very one-sided in recent years. For every five Iron Bowls that occur, Auburn wins one. Ohio State has dominated Michigan this whole decade and Minnesota only recently ended a 14-game win streak by Wisconsin in the battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. Yet, Saturday’s three rivalry games were close, entertaining contests. The Red River Showdown between No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 11 Texas was close the entire way, and the aforementioned Georgia-South Carolina contest came down to

an overtime kick. Additionally, USC took archrival No. 9 Notre Dame down to the wire. It was nice to see so many intense rivalry games this early in the season.

Loser: The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) After a few seasons of being among the top three conferences in the country, the ACC may be losing its touch. At the top of the conference, No. 3 Clemson does not seem like the dominating force it has been in recent years. Moreover, in order to be considered among the best of the Power Five, a conference has to have some depth of good teams beyond its top teams. The Big 12 has Oklahoma, but they also have Texas and Baylor. The Big Ten has Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan, in addition to the Buckeyes. The SEC has an ungodly number of great teams.

But beyond Clemson, the ACC has no teams ranked in the AP Top 25, with Virginia and Wake Forest both dropping from the Top 25 after losing on Saturday.

Even the Pac-12 has more than one team ranked. I still don’t see Clemson missing the Playoff, but because of the weakness of the conference, the margin of error for the ACC to be represented in January is slimmer than it was previously.

Honorable Mention: First and Very Short Last week, I wrote about how Oklahoma had a fourth and goal from outside its own 40-yard line, and I thought that would be the strangest down and distance I ever saw. Then, the AlabamaTexas A&M game came along.

Thanks to two offsides penalties, football’s half the distance to the goal rule and perfect field position, the Aggies ended up with a first and inches. Yes, a first and inches. The likelihood of all of things going right for that to occur is unbelievably small, so I had no choice but give it this week’s honorable mention.