Fall 2019 Issue 19

ELECTION ISSUE 2019, See Page 2 Thursday, October 31, 2019 | Vol. XCVI, Issue 19 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Ex-coach, BU agree on $160K settlement Eizabeth Naumovski posed allegations of sexual discrimination Sasha Hupka & Samantha Marsh pipe dream sports

think it was proper to demand that a foreign government investigate a U.S. citizen, and I was worried about the implications for the U.S. government’s support of Ukraine. I realized that if Ukraine pursued an investigation into the Bidens and Burisma, it would likely be interpreted as a partisan play which would undoubtedly result in Ukraine losing the bipartisan support it has thus far maintained. This would

Just days before a lawsuit against Binghamton University was set to go to trial, administrators agreed to pay a $160,000 settlement to former women’s basketball assistant coach Elizabeth Naumovski.

The lawsuit, which was filed in 2011, came after Naumovski was fired from her position at the University in March 2010 for “performance” issues, according to lawsuit documents.

Naumovski alleged she was a victim of sexual discrimination during her employment at BU. She sought $3 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.

The settlement comes months after Pipe Dream reported that BU saw four cases alleging discrimination that were resolved with violations or corrective changes by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights between Jan. 20, 2015 and May 2, 2018. In her initial lawsuit, Naumovski filed seven claims of harassment against the University, but four were thrown out during the course of litigation.

In a statement to Pipe Dream, Ryan Yarosh,

see vindman page 3

see lawsuit page 12

BU alumnus testifies in Trump impeachment inquiry provided by army times Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, ‘98, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, center, arrived on Capitol Hill in Washington Tuesday morning to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump.

Alexander Vindman, ‘98, testified Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. to lawmakers in Ukraine probe Sasha Hupka editor-in-chief

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, ‘98, appeared voluntarily under congressional subpoena on Tuesday to tell impeachment inquiry investigators on Capitol Hill the details of a July phone call between U.S. President

Vindman, top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council (NSC) and the first witness to appear in the impeachment probe, was on the phone call and said Trump undermined U.S. national security when he pressured Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

He also told investigators he raised concerns regarding the call

with the NSC’s lead attorney, directly contradicting testimony from Gordon Sondland, U.S. ambassador to the European Union and a Trump appointee. Sondland, who met with impeachment investigators earlier this month, told House investigators that no concerns had been raised about the phone call and defended Trump’s actions.

“I was concerned by the call,” Vindman wrote in his statement to the impeachment committee. “I did not

BU gains Lupardo talks civic engagement at UDC grants for diabetes research Assemblywoman partners with BU, local organizations Gillian Mathews news intern

Total of $1.2M in awards to fund experimental treatment Lily Kolb

contributing writer

The first woman to represent Broome County in the state legislature, Donna Lupardo, spoke to Binghamton University students and community members on Tuesday night.

The event, hosted by the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at BU and the Southern Tier Young Professionals, provided an opportunity for students and others to connect with an elected representative and explore ways they could be more politically involved.

Lupardo started off by telling the story of how she came to understand and appreciate the local area and its people.

Coming from Staten Island in 1976, she graduated from BU with a master’s

in philosophy. Lupardo worked as an adjunct lecturer of human development before working to improve community mental health education and public service. She said staying in the area gave her the opportunity to connect with residents and the community as a whole.

“I’m not from around here — I came to BU for graduate school and actually chose to stay here,” Lupardo said. “I am the classic ‘Why did you stay here?’

question that people never forget to ask.

I think sometimes there is an advantage to not being from here. In some ways, I am more protective of everyone and everything because I chose to be here.”

Lupardo was first elected in 2004 and is currently in her eighth term representing the city of Binghamton and the towns of Union and Vestal in the New York General Assembly. She has

see lupardo page 2

University plans Fine Arts renovations

A diabetes researcher at Binghamton University has racked up $1.2 million in grants toward her current studies.

Sha Jin, undergraduate director of biomedical engineering, received grants from both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand her laboratory’s research in diabetes modeling, drug discovery and disease treatment.

So far, Jin and her team in the Tissue and Biomolecular Engineering Laboratory have focused their research on stem cells and the relationship between cells and their microenvironment.

Ultimately, they aim to generate clinically relevant tissues for diabetes research and experimental treatment.

“The grants support my team, mainly Ph.D. students, performing experiments in order to develop biologically functional human endocrine tissue from stem cell differentiation, and use the islets for disease modeling, drug testing and transplantation,” Jin said.

Jin said her interest in diabetes research stems from the disease’s widespread effects on global health.

“Diabetes is predicted to be the third-

Students, faculty voice opinions on possible building improvements

see diabetes page 3

see renovations page 3

Osama Teepu

contributing writer

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger hinted at changes coming for art students and other Fine Arts Building frequenters in his annual State of the University address on Oct. 17, when he posed the possibility of creating a “master plan” to address student and faculty concerns about the building’s spacing and functionality. “[Fine Arts] need a master plan, they need a better building, so we will spend the next year putting together a plan,” Stenger said. “But we don’t have the money yet. If we get a good plan together, and we bring that to SUNY, the money will flow.”

Besides minor retouches over the years, the Fine Arts Building has not been significantly altered since its most recent construction 35 years ago. According to the Facilities Master Plan Final documents from 2013, the L-wing portion was constructed in 1960, the Memorial Courtyard in 1966 and the Anderson Center in 1985. Andrew Walkling, a dean’s professor of art history, English and theatre, said the lack

ARTS & CULTURE

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OPINIONS

SPORTS

Local filmmakers find horror in Broome County,

Learn about zombies in Arabic culture,

The Editorial Board reviews Anthony Brindisi’s first year in office and election prospects,

Women’s tennis competes at Akron Shootout,

Men’s soccer earns draw against Hofstra,

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 9

SEE PAGE 7

SEE PAGE 11

SEE PAGE 12

PAGE II October 31, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

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stabilizing:west side story

editorial:destabilizing

Erin Kagel Pipe Dream News

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

officers came back and reviewed the security footage from the elevator and all seven males were observed simultaneously jumping.

Drunks of hazard SATURDAY, Oct. 26, 12:20 a.m. — Officers were on stationary patrol in Parking Lot T when they observed a black pickup truck speeding eastbound on East Drive near Dickinson Community.

The vehicle did not slow down as it approached the crosswalk speed table, causing the vehicle to go airborne. The driver then used the left lane to pass vehicles in the right lane. Officers stopped the vehicle in front of Old Dickinson Community. Upon speaking with the operator of the vehicle, a 31-year-old male, the officers noticed the odor of alcohol, along with slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes. Officers had the male exit the vehicle and perform standard field sobriety tests, which he performed poorly on. The suspect stated he was delivering for DoorDash and brought a Chipotle order to somebody on campus. He was brought back to the station for processing and consented to a breathalyzer test, ultimately blowing a .20. He was issued six tickets for charges of driving while intoxicated (DWI), aggravated DWI, improper passing on the right, speed not reasonable and prudent, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle and failure to keep right. He will appear in Vestal Town Court.

Stolen stinky shoes SUNDAY, Oct. 27, 3:30 p.m. — Officers responded to Hillside Community for a report of stolen shoes. They spoke with a 19-year-old male victim who said he put his shoes in the dryer in the laundry room and when he returned, he found his shoes missing. He said there was a female in the laundry room at the same time as him, who informed the victim that she had taken them out of the dryer and set them aside, but they were no longer there. Officers followed up with the female, who said there were three other females in the laundry room with her at the time when she removed the shoes from the dryer. She provided information on who those individuals were and while officers followed up with them, one of the females, a 19-year-old student, acknowledged that she took the shoes outside and threw them in the dumpster. She explained that the victim continually puts his shoes in the dryer, causing the entire laundry room to smell like dirty feet.

Officers recovered the shoes from the dumpster and returned them to the victim. The victim chose not to press criminal charges, and Student Conduct will handle the case. All three females were advised to speak with their resident assistants and Residential Life about the smelly laundry room problem.

Elevator jumpers SATURDAY, Oct. 26, 1:00 p.m. — Officers responded to Rafuse Hall of Dickinson Community for a report of several people trapped in an elevator. When they arrived on the scene, they spoke to Binghamton University residents who stated their visiting friends had gotten stuck in the elevator. Officers checked with the people inside the elevator, who said they were all alright and no one was injured or required medical attention. Officers asked if they had been jumping in the elevator and they said they had been. The elevator repair company was contacted and responded 20 minutes later. They were able to extricate the individuals, who were identified as seven 18-year-old male students from Manhattan College, Sacred Heart University and University at Buffalo. The elevator repairman said they did not break anything, but they jarred the security sensor, which was activated when the elevator began to fall. The sensor had to be reset. The officers declined to press charges, but the seven males were advised that they could be charged with criminal mischief for trying to break the elevator by jumping in it. The

Sexy scam MONDAY, Oct. 28, 1:15 a.m. — Officers responded to Hinman College after an 18-year-old male reported an attempted extortion. He explained that he received a Facebook friend request from an unknown female who identified herself as a 27-year-old. He accepted the request and was contacted via Facebook Messenger by the person who identified themselves as “Sarah.” He was asked to video message with the suspect, which he agreed to, and after briefly speaking over Facebook video chat the suspect asked the victim to expose his genitals for her, which he complied with. This went on for about two minutes before the suspect told him that she wanted $1,000 or she would send the video of him exposing himself to all of his friends and family. She continually tried to pressure him for money, but he refused to pay. He then called the police. The victim chose criminal prosecution and the case will be handled by the Binghamton FBI office. UPD reminds students that these kinds of Facebook contacts are almost always scams, and officers encourage students to protect themselves from extortion.

Lupardo stresses community involvement at talk lupardo from page 1

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zachary canaperi contributing photographer

Students participate in Rainbow Pride Union’s Halloween party in the University Union on Monday.

held a number of positions in the assembly, including chair of the committee on agriculture, cochair of the New York Legislative Aviation Caucus and former chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Lupardo also serves on the economic development, higher education, rules and transportation committees.

She gave an overview of her platform and concerns for the area, speaking about her special interest in public health and prevention of environmental hazards, as well as economic and structural recovery for the area.

“I spent a lot of time seeing how bad policies on the state level impacted families — I never dreamed in a million years that I would run for political office,” Lupardo said. “I’m not a better voice in the room, I am a needed voice in the room. We need people in politics who are comfortable confronting and engaging in real-life problems.”

The CCE aims to cultivate partnerships that strengthen communities and develop active

and engaged citizens. The center serves as a resource to help students connect with the local community and supports voter education activities. Alison Handy Twang, associate director of the CCE, said events like this one help students connect with their elected officials and understand the role of government in the community.

“Binghamton University students are an important part of our community, but many of our students come from outside the area and are not familiar with the opportunities and challenges our community faces,” Handy Twang said. “Many people are also unfamiliar with the role of government at the local and state level, and this event will help students feel more informed about the roles of their elected representatives.”

Elizabeth Nutig, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said the event gave her the information she needed to be able to educate others about local government while getting to meet a local politician.

“I’ve heard a lot about Donna

Lupardo, so this event gave me the chance to be in a more intimate setting with a politician and being able to interact with her,” Nutig said. “I feel more educated in her role and the structures of government because if you want to make a change, you have to be familiar with things like these.”

Brian Bennett, a junior majoring in English, said it is important for community members, not just students, to attend similar events.

“I’m taking a civic engagement class this semester with Professor David Campbell and he is always trying to get us to attend local community events to see what is going on,” Bennett said. “This event got people raising questions as to what actually needs to be addressed in the community and getting answers about the information they really desperately need.”

Lupardo ended the night by stressing the importance of civic engagement and encouraging students to get involved in local elections and politics.

“I’m always happy to come to

kimberly gonzalez digital editor Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo spoke to Binghamton University students and local residents at the University Downtown Center on Tuesday night.

the University because I think it is important for students to understand the new narrative we are trying to build for this community,” Lupardo said.

“We really are welcoming the

involvement of everyone and as much as the University is an important anchor, these students are even more important because of the insight they can bring.”

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2019

NEWS

3

BU political group hosts panel to critique socialism

david grinberg contributing photographer George Phillips, candidate for New York’s 22nd congressional district seat in the U.S. House, presents at “The Case Against Socialism” in Lecture Hall 9 on Monday night.

College Republicans host open forum to discuss beliefs Nicole Kaufman news intern

Arguments against socialism were presented to students and community members alike during a political discussion hosted by Binghamton University College Republicans on Monday night.

The event was held in Lecture Hall 9 and included a panel featuring George Phillips, candidate for New York’s 22nd

congressional district seat in the U.S. House, Morgan Zegers, Young Americans Against Socialism (YAAS) founder and chief executive officer and Michael Vasquez, a political commentator. According to the Facebook event page, the event was open to the public with the aim of encouraging respectful dialogue on the topic.

The event was prompted by the continuous rise of socialism, according to John Restuccia, president of College Republicans and a junior majoring in political science. Restuccia said he expected people to leave the

event with new knowledge on socialism.

“I hope that people not only got an understanding of the devastating effects of socialism, but how important a respectful, open dialogue is to have between both the right and left,” Restuccia wrote in an email.

Jesse Parsons, a senior majoring in economics, said he was excited to discover the College Republicans and attend this event.

“I began following politics over the summer, then I saw [the College Republicans] tabling on the Spine,” Parsons said. “It was

nice meeting people with similar political views.”

Lacey Kestecher, president of the University’s Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter and a freshman majoring in business administration, said the primary objective of the event and TPUSA is to educate others on free speech, limited government and free markets through respectful discussion.

“When I started my TPUSA chapter, I didn’t think the pushback to this organization, which really looks to resemble our founding fathers’ mission for us as a country, would be so great

and so negative,” Kestecher said.

“I’ve realized now more than ever why our chapter is so necessary.”

When discussing the establishment of YAAS, Zegers said the spike in support of socialism from her generation is what prompted her to build the organization. “[Socialists] are changing what freedom means to our generation,” Zegers said.

“Freedom isn’t freedom from repressive government anymore.”

Zegers said her organization has been traveling and filming stories of people who have lived

in countries run by socialism.

By sharing these stories, Zegers aims to highlight the negative aspects of a socialist government.

“We’re putting their stories on social media,” Zegers said.

“Our 2020 program starts in January and goes through December. Month by month, we will be breaking down different pro-socialist arguments by explaining why they’re wrong and why capitalism, the free market and entrepreneurship will find better solutions for the American people.”

Vasquez, who is originally from Moscow, is one such person.

“If it is such a great idea, why are people coming [to America] when we’re not socialist?”

Vasquez said. “I can tell you why — because I lived it.”

Phillips said he also encouraged an open discussion on the topic, particularly among students.

“You are our future,” Phillips said during the panel. “From surveying the audience, it sounds like many of you are on what I would call the freedom side. This should be the case against socialism and for freedom. Others here might have questions, and that’s great. Let’s have the debate.”

Restuccia said the event was meant to serve as a precursor to a different one. On Nov. 18, the College Republicans will be hosting Arthur Laffer, who served as an economic advisor for former President Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump.

He recently won the presidential medal of freedom and is credited with creating the Laffer curve of economics.

Talia Chasen, a senior majoring in psychology, said she was excited to see College Republicans command a more active presence on campus.

“They are coming out of their hole this semester,” Chasen said. “I was happy to discover them. I align with their views, and I’m excited to learn more about what they have to offer the campus community.”

Stenger pushes ‘master plan’ for Fine Arts updates renovations from page 1 of significant renovations is a result of a lacking budget and few alumni connections.

“We haven’t really fully tapped into Binghamton University’s alumni network in the arts,” Walkling said. “I’m well aware that people are not, not fixing these buildings just to be annoying.

They’re doing it because they have budgetary considerations that they have to take into account.”

During his address, Stenger also floated the possibility of

creating a School of Fine Arts, a move he hopes will increase the alumni network.

“There are some concepts, perhaps we could create a School of Fine Arts,” Stenger said.

“I think the departments are working well together right now, so maybe this would give some extra effort to move forward with alumni relations.”

Walkling is part of the University Faculty Senate, a body that discusses development plans and the current state of the campus as it relates to

faculty and the student body. He noted that issues in the building include poor climate control infrastructure because of dated windows and a lack of centralized air conditioning.

“These single-paned windows are designed more for a subtropical climate,” Walkling said. “When winter hits, they are not very good. You can actually feel the prevailing winds coming through.”

Additionally, Walking said some fire emergency exit doors are very hard to open, so they act

as an “accessibility barrier” rather than an exit.

Pamela Smart, an associate professor of art history and anthropology, wrote in an email that the main issues in the Fine Arts Building revolve around space.

“From my perspective, the most critical issue is one of space,” Smart wrote.

“Departments currently housed in [the] Fine Arts [Building] struggle to meet their performance, studio and instructional needs in spaces that are ill-designed for their

specialized uses.”

Smart also pointed out that the BU Art Museum has significant design flaws, including a lack of an entrance that has direct access and visibility to the rest of the campus, as well as faulty room linkage layouts.

Several students said they feel the building’s layout is its biggest fault. Kristin Weyhrauch, a sophomore majoring in human development, said the layout makes it more difficult for her to navigate the building.

“The staircases are very

confusing, because some of them lead to only one classroom,” Weyhrauch said.

Iliana Miranda, a sophomore majoring in English, shared similar beliefs about the building’s layout.

“Sometimes staircases only lead to the floor above them, they don’t lead to the third floor,” Miranda said. “It would be a lot more convenient if one staircase just went all the way up.”

University officials have yet to release specific plans for the building.

Alumnus testifies Professors get $1.2M for diabetes studies about phone call diabetes from page 1

vindman from page 1 all undermine U.S. national security.”

Vindman went into the military immediately after graduating from Binghamton University with an undergraduate degree in history, completing basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia in 1999, and deploying to South Korea the following year. Later, he would serve in Iraq, where he was injured by a roadside bomb, and was awarded the Purple Heart.

He is a Ukrainian immigrant, and arrived in the United States with his father, grandmother and twin brother at 3 years old. Since 2008, he has been a foreign area officer with the U.S. Army specializing in Eastern European and Asian affairs. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard in Russian, Eastern Europe and Central Asian studies.

Trump took aim at Vindman on Tuesday morning, calling him a “Never Trumper witness” in a tweet. But following attacks from Trump and his allies, several top Republican lawmakers stepped

up to defend Vindman on Tuesday afternoon, including Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who called Vindman a “patriot,” and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who said he would not “question the patriotism of any of the people who come forward.”

Following Vindman’s testimony, House Democrats released a rules package for the impeachment inquiry, and plan to vote on it Thursday.

The new rules would make the currently confidential inquiry public, directing the Intelligence Committee to convene open hearings and produce a written report on the findings of its investigation. It also includes measures to implement new due process rights for Trump.

In the meantime, Democratic lawmakers are also subpoenaing more witnesses to testify in the inquiry, including Robert Blair, a top national security adviser to Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff. It is unclear whether potential witnesses will comply with the requests.

leading cause of worldwide death by 2030 due to its complications, as the disease may induce other diseases, including heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, kidney disease [and] blindness,” Jin said.

Diabetes causes blood glucose levels to be dangerously high in the body, an effect that can come from the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body not responding to insulin normally.

The pancreas regulates the body’s insulin, and Jin’s team is researching ways to build new, healthy tissues that could perform the same functions.

“One of the major focuses is to engineer tissue cues to facilitate the development of biologically functional islet organoids, and to build microenvironments for promoting the maturation of stem cells-derived islets,” Jin said. “In addition, my lab interrogates the molecular mechanisms underlying the synergistic regulation of physiochemical signals essential for islet development.”

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a new

experimental treatment for diabetes. Sections of tissue — islets — are removed from the pancreas of an organ donor.

These sections should have healthy beta cells. Islets are then injected into a vein, one that carries blood to the liver, of a person with Type 1 diabetes.

The islets should eventually make and release insulin in the recipient’s body.

Jin said she hopes to explore two main questions. Firstly, she wants to understand how oxygen tension affects the development of islets in a three-dimensional scaffold. Then, she hopes to study the mechanism’s underlying protein and how it can promote endocrine tissue development.

Transplantation of the islets shows potential, according to Jin, but it is important that her team find a way to create and maintain a supply of them.

“While islet transplantation is promising, the supply of transplantable islets is limited,” Jin said. “An alternative source of islet supply is humaninduced pluripotent stem cell differentiation. Therefore, my team is focusing on generation of functional islet tissues using

stem cells.”

While Jin’s lab is growing with these new grants, she said

self-motivated students with an interest in stem cell research should reach out to her.

provided by jonathan cohen Kaiming Ye is one of the BU biomedical engineering department faculty members who received a shared $400,000 grant award from the National Science Foundation to fund research on diabetes.

4

NEWS

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2019

ELECTION ISSUE 2019 In September, Pipe Dream partnered with Binghamton University’s Center for Civic Engagement in an effort to educate and inform voters leading up to 2019 elections on Nov. 5.

BU voters will encounter several races on the ballot next week. For our election issue, Pipe Dream reached out to every candidate in every local race on that ballot, aiming to provide coverage in areas that statewide and national news outlets often miss. We sent each candidate a questionnaire, asking them to discuss their platform, experience and campaigns. We also gathered biographical information on each candidate.

Pipe Dream is committed to informing student voters and ensuring their voices are heard.

BROOME COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Michael Korchak Michael Korchak is the Libertarian candidate for Broome County district attorney. He is currently the Broome County chief assistant district attorney, and has worked as an attorney for roughly 30 years. Originally from the

Paul Battisti Paul Battisti is the Republican candidate for Broome County district attorney. He is originally from Broome County, and has worked in criminal defense law for 15 years. He holds a law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of

Debra Gelson

Bronx, Korchak holds a law degree from Pace University.

Why are you running for your position? What experiences and perspectives do you bring to the table that will help make Broome a better county?

“Currently I am the chief assistant [district attorney]. In my 30 years as a lawyer, I have been a prosecutor, a defense attorney and a judge. I was raised in the Bronx.

After graduation from Holy Cross College and Pace University Law School, I served as an assistant DA for seven years in the Bronx DA’s office, where I developed my skills as a trial attorney. I have prosecuted thousands of the most heinous criminals, including murderers, drug dealers, child molesters [and] the first murder first-degree conviction ever in Broome County. The job of the DA is to evaluate cases, train younger attorneys, take difficult cases to trial and achieve justice

for victims. Only an attorney with years of experience of working with law enforcement and crime victims is qualified to lead the DA’s office.

It would be an injustice to victims to elect someone who has never served as a prosecutor.”

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue facing Broome County as it pertains to the district attorney’s office and why?

“As a procedural question, two major laws go into effect on Jan. 1. Bail reform legislation will mean that a person charged with most misdemeanors or nonviolent felony offenses will not be incarcerated. Exceptions will include domestic violence, criminal contempt and certain sex offenses. More individuals are expected to be placed in the Department of Probation’s Pretrial Release Program. This will be an additional burden on the county’s understaffed probation department. The second new law

is the Discovery Reform Bill. This will require prosecutors to turn over to the defendant all witness statements, police reports and body camera recordings within 15 days of arraignment. There are approximately 1,500 felony cases and 3,000 misdemeanor cases each year. This will be a challenge for the police to quickly provide us with the required documents.

Witnesses may be less likely to cooperate because by law, their identity will be turned over to the defendant.”

How would you address opioid and drug problem in the county?

Please explain with specific details.

“The Broome County DA’s Office is already addressing this problem. Over the last four years, drug overdose deaths have been cut in half. This has been accomplished by vigorously prosecuting drug dealers and working with the Broome County Health Department, Broome

County Emergency Services and law enforcement to educate the public, especially our youth, as to the dangers of drug use. The DA’s office has placed school resource officers into our schools to help belter educate our children and spot those at risk. Drug Treatment Court has also been expanded to provide treatment to users in need rather than incarceration. The DA’s office has also implemented several ‘diversion’ programs for nonviolent offenders to provide job training and employment opportunities that allows their charges to be dismissed. Though we have made significant gains, the drug problem in all of upstate New York is a difficult challenge that we face every day.”

Do you believe that the district attorney’s office should put more resources toward the prosecution of cybercrimes, such as identity theft and internet fraud?

“Due to the fact that

cybercrimes may be committed from anywhere in the world, it is important that the DA’s office have a close working relationship with the New York State Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The current DA’s office has this relationship, having worked jointly with these agencies to conduct investigations leading to the arrest of cybercriminals that perpetrate crimes against citizens and students. This is a necessary relationship, since the County DA’s Office may not have jurisdiction or the resources to locate and prosecute all cybercriminals. The DA’s office has met with senior citizens as well as students to educate them as to the latest frauds, scams and identity theft operations. Our office has also worked with the local FBI on internet child sex crimes. Due to this ever-changing online world, it is important that the office keeps abreast of changes in technology.”

Law. Why are you running for your position? What experiences and perspectives do you bring to the table that will help make Broome a better county?

“I’m running because we need a big change in leadership.

Broome County has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest crime rates in the state, and the opioid crisis is an epidemic. Over the past 15 years, I’ve handled thousands of cases across every spectrum of the law.

I’ve worked in the courtroom every day, handling multiple felony cases and numerous trials in federal, state and local courts across New York state. But the job isn’t just about the courtroom.

A well-rounded district attorney needs to understand our

community — the struggles that families face, the causes behind crime and the ways we can prevent crime. I was born and raised here and am raising my family here.

Aside from my career, I’ve spent my life dedicated to community service, volunteering as a youth coach, on the Drug Treatment Court Team, Criminal Justice Advisory Board, Bar Association and more.”

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue facing Broome County as it pertains to the district attorney’s office and why?

“Overdoses and drug abuse have touched too many families in the Southern Tier. Violent crime went up from 2016 to 2017. Index crimes went up, too. The current DA’s office can try to spin the numbers any way they want, but

it’s obvious that something is not working right with how they’re prosecuting crime. The current DA’s office also has a history of mishandling cases — from filing indictments that weren’t actually presented to a grand jury, to recommending the release of violent felons who went on to commit heinous crimes almost immediately upon release. This incompetence must stop.”

How would you address the heroin and other drugs problem in the county? Please explain with specific details.

“If elected, I will tackle the heroin and opioid crisis head-on, seeking results instead of chasing cheap headlines. To put it simply, my approach calls for throwing the book at dangerous drug dealers, while seeking treatment

options for users who truly want to get clean and become productive members of society. I’m an advocate for Drug Treatment Court and Mental Health Court.

These options are important tools in overcoming this crisis.

You can’t just temporarily lock up addicts, let them out and then have the cycle repeat. We need to utilize treatment to help those suffering from addiction so they can overcome it and become productive members of society.”

Do you believe that the district attorney’s office should put more resources toward the prosecution of cybercrimes, such as identity theft and internet fraud?

“In this day and age, it’s obvious that the DA’s office, working with other law enforcement agencies, should

focus on cybercriminal activity.

While these crimes can affect anyone, senior citizens are particularly vulnerable, according to national and state statistics.

This type of abuse, neglect and exploitation is largely hidden, shrouded in secrecy and shame.

Older adults are sometimes reluctant to reveal incidents of abuse — particularly when the abuser is a family member. That’s why earlier this year I announced my four-point comprehensive plan to combat elder abuse to protect those who have given so much to our community. No other candidate has focused on these issues and the current DA’s office has an empty track record on this point.”

Debra Gelson is the Democratic and Working Families Party candidate for Broome County district attorney. She is originally from Little Falls, New York, and works as a private attorney in Binghamton. She has 35 years of experience in law and previously worked as an assistant county prosecutor in Monmouth County, where she headed a sex crimes and child abuse unit.

Gelson’s campaign did not respond to Pipe Dream’s questionnaire request.

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 2

Daniel Livingston Incumbent Dan Livingston is the Democratic candidate for Binghamton’s 2nd district seat on the Binghamton City Council.

Livingston has previously served as an appointee to Binghamton’s Community Development Advisory Committee, and has worked with AmeriCorps. He is a founding

member of Binghamton Urban Farm.

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue in your district and why?

“The governance and oversight of the [Binghamton-Johnson City Joint] Sewage Treatment Plant.

This is the most significant locally managed construction project in a generation, and the burden of its cost will be carried by residents for the next 20 years. If we fail to deliver a quality-functioning project to the ratepayers, then we will be paying for that failure for decades to come. Increased rents and increased financial stress on homeowners and businesses are coming because of the almost $300 million price tag on this project.

Oversight and accountability is critical at this final stage of construction, and we need a city council that has the will to act independently, ask tough questions and work together to ensure that these private contractors deliver

the facility that was promised. We need to address the long-standing issues with the governance structure of the facility.”

How do you envision engaging with the community and addressing the concerns they may have? More specifically, what would you do to engage Binghamton University students in these community issues?

“In 2014, I founded the Nextdoor community for Binghamton. The community now includes close to 4,000 residents. Nextdoor is a social networking site for people who live in our city, and it has served as a positive way for residents to engage with each other online.

Since taking office in January, I have used Nextdoor, as well as other digital platforms, to engage publicly with constituent concerns and requests. I have also filmed all of the meetings I have attended inside City Hall, and posted them publicly on YouTube

as well as reposting them with contextual commentary on Facebook and Twitter. From time to time, when there has been a public hearing on an important issue, I have worked through my online platforms to inform the public and encourage participation.”

Do you have any plans to address the housing blight in your district, and the city as a whole? Please explain why or why not.

“I plan to work with the Broome County Safe Housing Task Force to adapt some of their recommendations, such as inclusionary zoning and proactive code enforcement to the city of Binghamton. Because the task force is comprised of such a broad base of stakeholders, community members, government and elected officials, they are uniquely positioned to provide recommendations to our city that can best help us address

blight, and to improve and create housing that is [of] quality, safe and affordable.”

If you could make changes to the building codes or code enforcement in the city, what would they be? If you would not make any changes, please explain why not.

“At the Oct. 26 business meeting of the Binghamton City Council, there will be a public hearing on an overhaul of the city’s zoning ordinances. I believe that these changes strike a balance between preserving the character of our neighborhoods while also accommodating a lot of the student life that’s happening in our city right now. Because the zoning ordinances haven’t adequately addressed student housing, much of that housing has existed in a regulatory gray zone. These changes aim to create a coherent framework for student housing in the city. With respect to code enforcement, I

will continue to work to bring more resources to our code enforcement office to ensure that compliance and enforcement with the city’s zoning ordinances shift from a reactive system, to a proactive one. There’s a lot of work to be done. Properly funding our code enforcement will be a big part of getting us there.”

What changes, if any, would you make to public transportation in your district and why?

“Unfortunately, the public transportation system is managed by Broome County, so as a City Council member I wouldn’t have any direct control over what happens within that system. If I had any power in that regard, I would like to see a greater investment in our public transportation system. Studies of poverty in our region identify transportation as a considerable factor in exacerbating the impact of poverty on a household.”

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2019

Sophia Resciniti Sophia Resciniti, ‘06, is the Republican, Conservative Party, Libertarian and Independent Party candidate for Binghamton’s 2nd district on the Binghamton City Council. She is a lecturer in Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs.

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue in your district and why?

“The most pressing issue is determining how we make our neighborhoods places where people want to live for generations to come. This boils down to three main issues: public safety, taxes and blight. First, residents need to feel safe in their neighborhoods. This starts with making sure our police and fire departments have the necessary

resources and training. But it also means making sure residents have access to safe and healthy housing. Next, we need to continue lowering property taxes. Our high property tax rates burden families, hurt property values and deter individuals looking to buy homes in our area. Renters also suffer when landlords pass the high-tax burden onto them.

Lastly, we need to crack down on blight, increasing penalties for bad landlords and providing code officers with needed resources.

This also means improving the housing stock so that no one has to live in dangerous or substandard conditions.”

How do you envision engaging with the community and addressing the concerns they may have? More specifically, what would you do to engage Binghamton University students in these community issues?

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“The West Side is the only area of the city without a neighborhood group that meets regularly with residents and city officials to talk about neighborhood-specific issues. As a member of City Council, I would change that. And I would encourage Binghamton University students to attend and make their voices heard as valued members of our community. I would also remain accessible to constituents and happy to meet in person, talk over the phone or email about issues, concerns and ideas. I’ve spent the last several months knocking on residents’ doors and listening. Many of these residents have been students.

These conversations have directly informed my priorities and helped shape my platform. This kind of engagement is critical for a candidate and even more important for an elected official.”

Do you have any plans to

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address the housing blight in your district, and the city as a whole?

Please explain why or why not.

“Blight is one of the issues I hear about most often about as I go door to door. Almost every neighborhood has an eyesore that frustrates residents, and some deal with clusters of blighted buildings.

I will work with my colleagues on City Council to ensure city code officers have the resources, training and technology they need to do their jobs effectively. I will also push for increased penalties for irresponsible landlords who fail to maintain their properties. And I’ll advocate for expanding programs that provide assistance to good landlords and homeowners, including the Senior Home Repair Program and the First-Time Home Buyer Program. I would support the city’s blighted property demolition program in cases of extreme

blight, where properties have deteriorated to the point where they are unsafe or are too costly to rehabilitate.”

If you could make changes to the building codes or code enforcement in the city, what would they be? If you would not make any changes, please explain why not.

“Again, I will advocate for increased penalties for irresponsible property owners who fail to maintain their buildings.

While state law dictates much of the city’s building and housing codes, I’ll push for making sure residents, including students, know about the free resources available to them from the City’s Code Department, including free property inspections prior to signing a lease. The city should be working to inform residents about these services, which help ensure their living conditions are safe,

and increasing access to them wherever possible.”

What changes, if any, would you make to public transportation in your district and why?

“Broome County operates public transit in the city, and the University runs the blue bus system used by many students.

My role on City Council would be to advocate for necessary improvements and changes on behalf of public transit users. I believe the city can and should continue to work with the county and the University to assist with improving residents’ experience with public transportation whenever appropriate. The city should also invest in infrastructure projects that support diverse means of transit, including roads that are more walkable and safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as vehicles.”

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 3

Angela Riley Angela Riley is the Democratic and Green Party candidate for Binghamton’s 3rd district seat on the Binghamton City Council.

Since 2016, Riley has been assistant dean of Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She holds a pharmacy degree from Midwestern University.

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue in your district and why?

“One of the most critical issues

Shawn Atkinson

facing Binghamton is poverty and safe, affordable housing. As a member of the [Binghamton] City Council, I will work to ensure safe and affordable housing — not only by upholding code enforcement but also by expanding first-time homeownership through new city partnerships. I will build stronger community and law enforcement relations and develop beautification programs because every Binghamton family deserves a secure and welcoming place to call home. I believe ensuring access to healthy food, stable housing, safe living environments, a source of income and social support or social determinants of health is the key to addressing our issues because each directly impacts one’s overall health and well-being. I will also work with municipal agencies to provide increased support for small business development, [and aim to] offer programs to help job seekers gain access to advancement training, networking and other vocational support.”

How do you envision engaging with the community and

addressing the concerns they may have? More specifically, what would you do to engage Binghamton University students in these community issues?

“We must talk to our constituents face to face, on the front porch. During this campaign, I have knocked doors and met with my neighbors, many of whom are students. I took this time to listen to what concerns our neighbors most, while also taking time to get to know each person as my neighbor. As a member of the City Council, I will use these same techniques to hear from my neighbors, as well as share information that needs their feedback. My continuous message to my neighbors, particularly students, is that Binghamton is your home. Because Binghamton is your home and the third district is your community, we must work together to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe, well maintained, and remain an environment where we can thrive together. You can assist in this effort by being continuously engaged in local initiatives.”

Do you have any plans to address the housing blight in your district, and the city as a whole?

Please explain why or why not.

“As defined by Will Kenton of Investopedia, blight is the visible and physical decline of property, neighborhood or city due to a combination of economic downturns. The presence of blight has profound negative impacts on affected communities. Not only do blighted properties decrease surrounding property values, but they also destroy the health of local housing markets, pose safety hazards and reduce local tax revenue. To improve our communities and the quality of life for Binghamton residents, we must address blight. To do so, we must update laws that impede local efforts. We can create new initiatives, policies and commissions that will work with local agencies to continue to transform blighted and abandoned property into quality, affordable homes for our residents. There is a correlation between rates of homeownership and blight, and offering opportunities for

ownership will eliminate or reduce the frequency of vacant or poorly maintained homes.”

If you could make changes to the building codes or code enforcement in the city, what would they be? If you would not make any changes, please explain why not.

“One of my major plans for this city, as a city councilperson, is to strengthen code enforcement to ensure the properties in the city are safe and well maintained.

By enforcing New York state and local municipal codes, we not only ensure that the stability, fire safety, sanitation and safe wiring are supported, but we retain the integrity of the Binghamton neighborhoods. We can directly improve the quality of life within our city overall when the beauty of our areas is preserved.

We can achieve this goal by working directly with landlords, tenants and the community to address absentee landlords and irresponsible tenants while developing policies to strengthen our code enforcement team.”

What changes, if any,

would you make to public transportation in your district and why?

“Public transportation is a significant concern in the entire region. Access to transportation is a vital component of social determinants of health, as described previously because it directly impacts one’s ability to maintain employment, obtain housing, health care services and quality health care. We need to strengthen the infrastructure within our community, county and region to address these concerns. Similar to my goals stated previously, I will work with agencies working to heighten the visibility and awareness of their services to address these obstacles or limitations. For example, the Get There Call Center is available to assist with local transportation, but not likely known by those who need the service. This call center can provide residents with information on local transportation, including public transit, carpooling, volunteer transportation rides to work and more.”

Shawn Atkinson is the Republican, Independent Party and Conservative Party candidate for Binghamton’s 3rd district seat on the Binghamton City Council.

Atkinson’s campaign did not respond to Pipe Dream’s questionnaire request.

CITY COUNCIL, DISTRICT 4

Aviva Friedman Aviva Friedman, ‘14, is the Democratic and Green Party candidate for Binghamton’s 4th district seat on the Binghamton City Council. She is a member of Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow

John Cordisco

(PLOT), a progressive grassroots organization that aims to empower and liberate marginalized members of society.

In your opinion, what is the most pressing issue in your district and why?

“The most pressing issue in my district is the disparity in wealth distribution. There has been an incredible amount of development that has benefited the Downtown area–luxury housing complexes, new restaurants and businesses cropping up, but the North Side has been relatively stagnant in that regard. At [their] doors, residents have told me that they have been waiting years for a grocery store.

Not only is this morally wrong, I believe that it is a major factor contributing to the disconnect and resentment often felt between long-term North Side residents

and students.”

How do you envision engaging with the community and addressing the concerns they may have? More specifically, what would you do to engage Binghamton University students in these community issues?

“Politics and government are purposely designed to be bureaucratic to disenfranchise people. Meetings often occur around dinnertime and do not provide food or child care. Notices are confusing and convoluted, and decisions are made behind closed doors. It is my duty as an elected official to ensure that the decisions I make are reflective of what the residents of my district would make if they were in my position. I envision meeting people where they are — coffee house meetings, neighborhood cleanups,

office hours at the library or the University Downtown Center, in addition to canvassing the district continuously. Fortunately, student housing complexes are located near a plethora of local businesses and public spaces which makes it easy to bring government to them.”

Do you have any plans to address the housing blight in your district, and the city as a whole? Please explain why or why not.

“Safe, affordable housing is one of the primary tenants of my platform because communities can only thrive when the residents’ basic needs are addressed. I do believe that Mayor [Rich] David has done a good job at addressing blight in the city by knocking down condemned houses that are unfit

for human habitation. However, we must have a plan for filling in the missing teeth left by the empty lots. I would love to develop vacant lots into things that benefit the community, such as mini solar farms, orchards, parks, gardens or interactive art installations.”

If you could make changes to the building codes or code enforcement in the city, what would they be? If you would not make any changes, please explain why not.

“I believe that the building codes and code enforcement should exist to protect tenants.

I would increase and codify tenant protections so that there cannot be retaliatory action taken against tenants who call code enforcement on their landlords.

I also believe in proactive code

enforcement, making sure that homes are up to code before they are rented out to tenants. I am excited by the new statewide Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 and look forward to ensuring that the provisions are enacted locally.”

What changes, if any, would you make to public transportation in your district and why?

“It is always beneficial to increase the scope and scale of public transportation! Public transit reduces traffic, pollution and parking congestion.

Additionally, many people rely on public transit to get to work and school. If it were in my control to do so, I would expand the bus schedule so the buses run later at night, and especially on the weekends.”

John Cordisco is the Republican, Independent Party and Conservative Party candidate for Binghamton’s 4th district seat on the Binghamton City Council.

Cordisco’s campaign did not respond to Pipe Dream’s questionnaire request.

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NEWS

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mikayel harutyunyan design assistant

New York sees voting reforms ahead of 2019 elections Changes could encourage student voters to hit polls Kimberly Gonzalez digital editor

For the first time in state history, New Yorkers will have the opportunity to participate in an early voting process for 2019 general elections.

New York joins 38 other states with the early voting change, extending the voting days from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3. There are three early voting centers where voters in Broome County can go to vote: the Broome County Public Library, the Oakdale Mall and the George F. Johnson Memorial Library.

According to Christina Dutko, deputy commissioner for the Broome County Board of Elections, the new early voting change comes with the implementation of electronic polling.

“Since we have vot[ing] centers, it is now written into the law that we are able to have electronic poll

books,” Dutko wrote in an email.

“The company that we went with utilizes iPads, so now instead of going and signing in the paper booklet that had your signatures, voters will be signing in with a stylus on the iPad.” According to Broome Votes, the record of voters are uploaded into an electronic poll book, and by scanning a voter’s ID or searching for the voter’s name through a typed search, a voter is allowed to vote if their record shows up.

Poll books are encrypted to ensure updates of votes and security in the voting process. The changes are expected to make voting a faster process and avoid crowded and long lines that usually plague voting centers on Election Day. Lejing Lin, political director for Binghamton University College Democrats and a sophomore majoring in political science, wrote in an email that her experience with early voting in Broome County was one of ease.

“My friend and I went [to the

Oakdale Mall voting center] on the first day of early voting and we were in and out in under five minutes so it was super convenient and fast,” Lin wrote.

“So, I really recommend doing that to avoid the wait time on Election Day.” With these implementations, legislators also hope voter turnout will increase. Alison Handy Twang, associate director for the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), wrote in an email that early voting is a positive change for students.

“Early voting will be beneficial to students who might have trouble making it to the polls on Election Day due to classes or other obligations,” Handy Twang wrote. “Especially for off-campus students who may be on campus most of the day Tuesday for classes, early voting provides the option to vote at an off-campus site at a day and time that is more convenient for them.”

According to Handy Twang, the CCE has tried to make students

aware of early voting through presentations, tabling and social media. On their website, there are available bus routes for students to travel to early voting centers in Broome County. Students can also text BinghamtonU to 555-888 for more information on voting.

Lin said she hopes the change in early voting will increase student turnout.

“This can hopefully help to increase voter-turnout rates, especially since it’s very low during local election years,” Lin wrote. “I don’t know how much of the student body is aware of early voting if they stay on campus and are not really involved in politics.”

Kira Hawes, a sophomore majoring in environmental studies, said she found out about early voting through oncampus organizations such as the Roosevelt Institute and the Andrew Goodman Foundation, student-run organizations that work to engage students with voting processes and political discussions.

“Many students have busy lives between classes, studying and extracurricular activities and early voting allows students to fit voting into their own schedule,” Hawes wrote in an email. “I think on-campus organizations such as the [Andrew] Goodman Foundation and the Roosevelt Institute did a great job getting the student body informed about early voting through posters and social media.”

Brendan Nevins, a sophomore majoring in political science, wrote in an email that social media also informed him on early voting.

“I am aware of early voting thanks to the group Bing Votes which I follow on Instagram,” Nevins wrote. “I do not believe the general student body is aware due to the fact that I only learned through the Instagram page which I would assume most do not follow. I think for those who have become aware of it, there will be a significant boost in student turnout because it makes

the whole process easier.”

Makenna Athanassiou, a sophomore majoring in biology, wrote in an email that she was not aware early voting was an option, but believes it will be beneficial for many student voters.

“I was not aware of early voting,” Athanassiou wrote. “I do not think many students are aware either especially if they are not fully following politics in the media, like myself.”

Handy Twang said the trend of voting reforms could aid young voters who have began turning out to the polls, and that she hopes it stays that way.

“We’ve seen steady growth in student voting over the last few years and expect that to continue,” Handy Twang wrote.

“Early voting and the other New York voting reforms, including the statewide transfer of registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, will help students and all voters have greater access to participate in the democratic process.”

University faculty run campaigns for Binghamton offices Riley, Resciniti run while teaching classes Jeremy Rubino

assistant news editor

This year’s local elections are seeing a direct intersection of education and politics as two Binghamton University faculty members are running for Binghamton City Council.

Angela Riley, executive director of experimental education and assistant dean for the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Sophia Resciniti, ‘06, a lecturer of social work and former council member for Binghamton’s second district, are both campaigning for office.

Riley and Resciniti are running to represent Binghamton’s third and second districts, respectively.

They join a line of BU students and faculty that have run for office. Patrick Madden, an associate professor of computer science, ran for Congress against former Rep. Claudia Tenney in 2017, and Giovanni Scaringi, an associate professor of economics and a Ph.D. student at the time, won a seat on the council representing Binghamton’s first district in 2015. Scaringi still holds that position, and following in his footsteps, Conrad Taylor, ‘17, a sophomore majoring in political science at the time, won a seat on the council for Binghamton’s fourth district, becoming the youngest council member in Binghamton history.

Riley, who has been serving as assistant dean since 2016, is centering her campaign around combating poverty and ensuring safe and affordable housing for Binghamton residents. A Democrat, she faces opposition from Republican Shawn Atkinson. The incumbent council member for the third district is Dani Cronce, who announced she would not be seeking another term earlier this year.

One of Riley’s main focuses, according to Pipe Dream’s election questionnaire, is to engage directly with community members, many of which are students. Riley said she has knocked on doors throughout her campaign to know her neighbors more.

“During this campaign, I have

knocked doors and met with my neighbors, many of whom are students,” Riley said. “I took this time to listen to what concerns our neighbors most, while also taking time to get to know each person as my neighbor …

My continuous message to my neighbors, particularly students, is that Binghamton is your home.”

Riley said she also aims to combat poverty, arguing that the city must support its residents through social welfare programs.

“I believe ensuring access to healthy food, stable housing, safe living environments, a source of income and social support or social determinants of health is the key to addressing our issues because each directly impacts one’s overall health and well-

being,” Riley said.

Resciniti was previously appointed as council member for Binghamton’s second district in January 2018 to fill a vacancy left by Joe Mihalko, who became county clerk. Resciniti remained a council member until November 2018, when opponent Dan Livingston won the seat.

He has been in the position ever since.

Since Binghamton’s second district covers most of the West Side, Resciniti said she wants to improve community relations through regular neighborhood meetings.

“The West Side is the only area of the city without a neighborhood group that meets regularly with residents and city officials to talk about

neighborhood-specific issues,” Resciniti said. “As a member of City Council, I would change that and I would encourage Binghamton University students to attend and make their voices heard as valued members of our community.”

Resciniti also said she aims to make Binghamton into a city that invites people to stay for generations to come. To do so, she hopes to tackle crime and housing issues.

“First, residents need to feel safe in their neighborhoods,” Resciniti said. “This starts with making sure our police and fire departments have the necessary resources and training. But it also means making sure residents have access to safe and healthy housing.”

OPINIONS Weekday, October Month Day, 31, 2019 Year Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3, 2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

EDITORIAL: THE FUTURE OF NY-22 Brindisi needs to navigate the remainder of his term with a greater consideration for the student voters that made his shot-in-the-dark campaign more likely than impossible In 2018, Anthony Brindisi became the third Democrat to represent New York’s 22nd congressional district in the last 119 years, representing

an area spanning from Utica to the Pennsylvania border, including Binghamton.

But Brindisi only won NY22 by approximately 4,800

jo myers pipe dream illustrator

votes, and given this razor-thin margin, he cannot count on an easy reelection in a traditionally red district. Records from the 2018 midterm election show that much of the Binghamton area voted for Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney. On the other hand, on-campus voters largely voted blue, and Brindisi was significantly boosted by a huge increase in student voters from the previous midterm election in 2014.

It’s unclear if Brindisi can count on a similar turnout in the upcoming 2020 election, but it’s possible that the presidential election will mean even greater student participation. That, however, doesn’t guarantee a second term for Brindisi, given student turnover and his lukewarm reception in the past year.

With Hamilton College, Colgate University, Utica College and the largest of the bunch, Binghamton University, being part of NY-22, Brindisi has a sizable student constituency that’s more likely to not vote at all than vote against him. If he has any intention of winning by a similar margin in 2020, Brindisi must work to ensure that he doesn’t lose student interest before his name appears on the ballot again. Additionally, the Republican field has grown beyond Tenney, potentially

signifying that many feel that Brindisi’s hard-fought seat is up for grabs. Worse yet for his reelection chances, among the three Republicans seeking a primary win is similarly moderate and well-experienced Republican contender, District Attorney Steve Cornwell.

Brindisi has made an effort to engage with BU’s student body both before and after his election by coming to campus to talk to his college constituents.

Additionally, according to FiveThirtyEight, a website that focuses on polling and tracks the voting record of elected officials, Brindisi has voted in line with President Donald Trump about 8 percent of the time. Tenney, who is running to regain her seat in 2020, voted in agreement with President Trump 96 percent of the time during her term in office.

While this stark difference might suggest that Brindisi is more aligned with the majority of BU students’ views, his voting record has done little to incentivize students to return to the polls. Brindisi has voted in favor of multiple proenvironment bills and against Trump’s most recent budget plan, but voted against raising the federal minimum wage to $15— an issue that many students care about.

Furthermore, he was placed

on committees to assist with legislation regarding agriculture and veterans’ affairs. While his work there has been solid, it’s unlikely that his actions on those committees will largely influence the student vote. Most importantly, Brindisi has voted against measures that would expand gun control policies. His voting record is worth further scrutiny as Binghamton was subject to a mass shooting only a decade ago, where a gunman shot and killed 13 people at the American Civic Association in Downtown Binghamton.

Additionally, spring 2018 survey results from Generation Vote’s BU chapter determined that approximately 85 percent of BU students believe that gun violence is one of the biggest issues facing the nation. While Claudia Tenney has a much worse track record on gun control measures and made the wildly inaccurate, inappropriate and unsubstantiated claim that most mass shooters are Democrats, Brindisi’s failure to do more to prevent gun violence doesn’t fare him well.

Brindisi isn’t the only Democrat representing a traditionally red district, but he is unusually apprehensive in taking a definitive stance on the impeachment inquiry against Trump. He has thus far remained on the fence, even while other

Democratic House members from typically red districts, like Reps. Jeff Van Drew (DNJ) and Max Rose (D-NY), have offered hard stances in favor of or against the proceedings.

This has arguably been his poorest decision as an elected representative so far, as taking the middle ground on such a polarizing issue has only served to alienate both his conservative and liberal constituents looking for strong answers. His middleof-the-ground response to the inquiry has struck a nerve, with the most popular Google query for his name being “Brindisi impeachment.” Later today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will force wavering Democrats like Brindisi to provide a yes or no answer to the impeachment proceedings, potentially altering the course of his future political career in NY-22.

All things considered, Brindisi needs to navigate the remainder of his term with a greater consideration for the student voters that made his shot-in-the-dark campaign more likely than impossible. It isn’t enough to dance the line between conservative and liberal and still earn the votes of such a divided constituency. When push comes to shove, it may very well be the student body that again determines Brindisi’s fate come November 2020.

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.

Is sacrificing sleep worth a better grade?

Students should be aware of the long term cost of inadequate sleep Sophia LoBiondo Contributing Columnist

We’ve all been there before: staring at computer screens until the early hours of the morning, stuck in the rat race we call college, tottering between calling it quits or grinding for another hour. We trudge to our classes like the walking dead, joining the line of hunched zombies in front of the Starbucks truck waiting to fuel up. We sit in lecture and struggle to keep our eyes open, let alone listen to what the professor is saying. At least we actually went to class.

Sleep deprivation can become a vicious cycle with some serious side effects, and, although challenging, students should try to break from this cycle to

improve both their mental and physical health.

More than half of college students suffer from a lack of sleep. In juggling homework, studying, classes, sports, clubs and work, it can seem impossible to get a good night’s rest. For example, a student taking 16 credits is expected to put in at least 48 hours of work outside of the classroom — far more than the standard 40-hour work week.

It is no surprise that, according to a study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, more than 72 percent of college students say they’re giving up sleep. College students sacrifice sleep because of their hectic schedules and heavy workloads. Therefore, students should consider how they are using their time and ways they can improve their time management. Whether this is accomplished by breaking up assignments into small daily

goals or setting a certain time each day for studying, students may find they are able to work more efficiently when they take a close look at how they are using their free time.

While many of us may place sleep on the bottom of our list of priorities, students should be wary of sleep deprivation because of its direct link to mental health.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep impacts one’s “outlook on life, energy level, motivation and emotions.”

The stress of college alone can compromise a student’s mental health, and sleep deprivation can increase feelings of depression and anxiety. As a result, students may find that they are experiencing racing thoughts, have difficulty completing dayto-day tasks and constantly feel fatigued. A study conducted at Binghamton University found that poor sleep “makes negative,

intrusive thoughts stick around.”

The subjects of the study were University students who experienced repetitive thoughts, and the results suggest that these thoughts may be affected by lack of sleep.

While a sleep-deprived individual may feel physically exhausted, they also may not realize the mental health consequences linked to loss of sleep, which can affect the student’s ability to reach their maximum potential in college.

Sleep deprivation can also negatively impact students by affecting their motivation and ability to attend classes, thus impacting their grades in accordance with University attendance policies. This may increase levels of stress in students, further impeding mental health.

Sleep deprivation can also have serious, long-term effects

on the body. While a cup of coffee may be able to mask the initial feelings of exhaustion and fogginess, constant sleep deprivation can lead to chronic issues including heart disease and hypertension that caffeine is not going to fix. In fact, caffeine consumption itself can lead to long-term, negative effects, including difficulty sleeping, nervousness and restlessness.

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can also lead to other health issues including diabetes, obesity and poor immune function. While an individual may feel like they are able to function on a few hours of sleep, their body will suffer over time. Falling into a habit of getting little sleep can severely compromise the body’s ability to function, which is why the cycle of sleep deprivation is one that students should try to break free of.

While the negative effects of

lack of sleep are clear, getting a full night’s sleep isn’t always possible for college students.

Therefore, try your best to maximize your use of time.

Functioning on a few hours of sleep can make it so much harder to complete tasks, which ultimately takes up more time — meaning more time is spent on trying to do work and less time is spent sleeping. Sleep deprivation is only occasionally worth it when work has piled up and you have no choice but to stay up and get everything done for the next day. However, this should not be habitual. Students who find they are constantly sleep deprived may need to reconsider how they are using their time, and even lighten their workload to improve their mental and physical health.

Sophia LoBiondo is a sophomore majoring in political science.

Banning e-cigarettes will only lead to further harm The government needs regulation - not bans - to protect e-cigarette users Adam Malev Guest Columnist

New York and Michigan have recently banned flavored e-cigarettes, and there is a bill gaining support in Congress to ban them nationwide. At the same time, India has banned all e-cigarette products and China has stopped Juul nicotine vaporizer sales. While many think these efforts will protect young people from the dangers of a new generation of nicotine addicts, I, as an 18-year-old, don’t see things that way.

Like the prohibition

of alcohol in the 1920s, criminalizing these increasingly popular products will not curb their use. Instead, it will make them more expensive to obtain, more dangerous and less reliable to use. These products should be regulated so consumers know what they’re smoking, but the ban means that young people will not have reliable access to information about what they’re consuming when they inevitably turn to unregulated, blackmarket products.

As an economics student at Binghamton University, I’ve been learning about what the government must provide to ensure that safe and reliable trade can occur. When the exchange of legal goods occurs,

the government establishes property rights, maintains law and order and enforces contracts. With an e-cigarette ban, the government will not be able to ensure a safe exchange of these unhealthy products and will likely incarcerate dealers and users. As we’ve seen from the thousands of minorities imprisoned for minor drug charges, these nonviolent crimes will put otherwise good people in prison for seeking out a product they want to use recreationally.

By contrast, when the use and sale of e-cigarettes is legal, the government will be able to protect consumers from bad suppliers and protect suppliers from unsafe consumers. If

e-cigarettes are criminalized, young people will resort to getting their products in the same way they’ve resorted to obtaining other illegal drugs — from drug dealers with inflated prices and unreliable quality.

This will lead to more, not fewer, instances of hospitalization from tainted e-cigarette products and a new unnecessary drug crisis, all while solutions better than criminalization are available.

This will greatly affect BU students who vape, as it will be harder for them to obtain quality products at reliable prices. This may result in a rise in the blackmarket sale of vaping products from dangerous suppliers who couldn’t care less about the

product they’re selling. Legal distributors have much greater incentive to provide a safe product to buyers, as tainted products would lead to lawsuits, and payment issues would be resolved through legal means instead of through violence.

When more than 480,000 people die from smoking those original tobacco cigarettes per year and about 88,000 die from alcohol-related deaths annually, it seems absurd that we are so quick to criminalize a product that has led to just 35 deaths so far, most stemming from THC products tainted by the cutting agent vitamin E acetate. These few deaths and numerous hospitalizations can be reduced not with a

ban, further distorting the contents of illegally purchased e-cigarette products, but with safer, better-regulated products and rehabilitation programs for those with addictions.

We should treat e-cigarettes less like heroin and more like alcohol or paper cigarettes. We should raise taxes on sales of the products and allow for a reliable and safe way of obtaining these vices for those who demand them. Criminalizing e-cigarettes won’t curb their demand, but it will ensure that they’re supplied exclusively by drug dealers and cartels, making it much harder for consumers to freely and safely vape.

Adam Malev is a freshman majoring in economics.

A look at Broome County’s locally produced horror Area directors have produced two films Gabriela Iacovano

arts & culture editor

With its overcast skies, wide selection of wooded areas and legacy of science fiction, the Greater Binghamton area might seem like the perfect setting for some eerie art. Binghamton community members Doug Bush and Ted Nappi, ‘06, have taken advantage of the atmosphere by creating independent horror films around the varied landscapes of Broome County.

Bush and Nappi have produced two self-funded feature films in the area. “Demon Messenger” (2012) and “House on Ghost Hill Road” (2016) were both lowbudget projects borne of Nappi’s interests in film and theatre and Bush’s lifelong passion for horror.

The two met during their time at Broome Community College before Nappi went on to get his master’s in theatre at Binghamton University. Bush said the pair’s first forays into feature filmmaking coincided with broader changes in the medium, which made largerscale projects easier to complete.

“We used to do short films because back then we were still shooting on actual film, which was cool, but everything was kind of changing to digital at that point, so you could afford to just get a digital-editing software and it was a big change in things,” he said.

Both films were directed by Nappi, with Bush writing and acting as a jack of all trades, filling in for missing sound or camera workers. “Demon Messenger” tells the story of a woodland spirit awakened by conflicts over fracking, and “House on Ghost Hill Road” borrows its villain, the King in Yellow, from a late 19th-century short story collection that inspired

the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Bush said the film was inspired by the debate over fracking in New York state.

“I live just outside Broome County and it’s very rural, and I had a lot of people around me who wanted fracking to come because they were going to make money, and I had a lot of people who did not want fracking to come because of the environmental concerns,” he said. “This is kind of the classic tale about a family who wants to make money at it, and one member doesn’t know about it and they call on this made-up demon — based on some legends of Bigfoot, Rougarou, all these demons of vengeance — to stop the frackers.”

Bush said his stories are often based not just on experience, but around the physical resources that are available to him. The story of “House on Ghost Hill Road” was built around the house it was shot in, which was offered to them as a set by its owner, a fan of their previous work.

Andy Horowitz, ‘89, an artist in residence in the theatre department at BU, has been in over 30 films and played villains in both the team’s features. He got involved with the project because he knew Bush and Nappi from the area and said he appreciates the spontaneity of low-budget filmmaking.

“It’s really fun — the problem solving is ad hoc, when something goes wrong you have to fix it, the lighting is often a long string of extension cords going to someone’s house or car,” he said. “Everybody is ready for the adventure.”

For both films, the pair locally sourced their cast and crew with open calls for auditions. To work around busy schedules, they only shot on the weekends, which resulted in approximately sixmonth-long shoots. Horowitz

said “Demon Messenger” was shot mostly outdoors from the summer into the fall.

“Everything was difficult — sudden downpours, cold, heat, you name it,” he said. “All of a sudden we’d all be huddled in a little tent [to] keep our costumes dry and our makeup on our faces while we waited for Mother Nature to decide whether we could keep filming or not.”

The two features are Horowitz’s only horror projects to date. He said the job of playing a villain, much like that of acting in an independent film, is a distinctive experience, one that has been made more enjoyable by the creative freedom granted by Bush and Nappi.

“There’s this thing that any actor understands — you never play evil, you always believe your character is right at any given moment,” he said. “The fun of it is finding the wit and laughter. If you’re playing an evil villain, but you’re also charming and engaging and you laugh readily and you shake people’s hands very warmly, it adds a new level of creepiness to the role. Working with [Bush] and [Nappi], who are dear friends of mine and who really trust me as an actor, if I have an idea, they’re going to let me try it in one of the takes, and that’s just great. It’s very freeing and it’s largely why I was interested in doing the films.”

Bush said while the pair is not currently working on any features, there might be a few shorts coming up, which will likely be released in an anthology.

He said he’s motivated to make horror films because he grew up with the genre and because of its allegorical potential.

“I enjoy the way it can be used to broach wider issues like equality in gender and race, as well and many other social and political issues through a safer lens,” he said.

“House on Ghost Hill Road” was released in 2016.

provided by doug bush

November’s First Friday Students bring Trunk-orto feature history, culture Treating to community A look at this month’s artistic offerings Lakhsmi Chatterjee arts & culture intern

While some students may be focused on celebrating their second Halloweekend, it’s not too early to make plans for November.

Check out our monthly roundup of First Friday’s offerings to find something to do during the first few chilly Binghamton evenings.

Oct. 4 — Nov. 16 at Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts (186 State St.) The “Play” exhibition will feature the work of A.J. Fries, a Buffalo-based artist. Fries uses toys to call on his viewers to notice their place in the world and bring them back to their childhood innocence.

Nov. 1 at Atomic Tom’s (196 State St.) The Binghamton Live Songwriter Series will feature live music performed by John Kanazawich and guest songwriters, which might escalate into an impromptu jam session with surprise guests.

Nov. 1 — Nov. 2 at Atomic Tom’s (196 State St.) The 2019 Rude and Bold Women Visual and Performance Art Show will feature works from local and regional female artists.

Nov. 1 — Nov. 26 at Binghamton Photo (32 Cedar St.) The SUNY Broome Photography Student Show will be hosted by the Broome Community College (BCC) Photography Club and present work from BCC photography students.

Nov. 1 — Nov. 23 at Cooperative Gallery 213 (213 State St.)

The gallery will feature ink drawings of snow-covered mountains by Karen Fedczuk in “Winter Ascent” and oil paintings and pastel drawings by Linda Ciallelo in “Figures and Flowers.”

Nov. 1 at the American Civic Association (131 Front St.) “Pan African Night” will feature songs and dances from the African diaspora and a Ghanaian cooking demonstration presented

by Anthony Bak Buccitelli.

Nov. 1 at the Garland Gallery (116 Washington St.) “The Famous Devinne Myers” will feature a performance by singer-songwriter Devinne Myers as she releases her new album, “Silver Line.”

Nov. 1 — Dec. 31 at the Marcy Swartz Gallery (5 Riverside Drive) “The Best Faces” will feature portraits of suffragettes, Holocaust victims, Underground Railroad passengers, war veterans and Native Americans made by Patricia Evans’ students at BCC. Nov. 1 — Nov. 3 at the Phelps Mansion Museum (191 Court St.) “The Normal Heart” by Larry Kramer will be performed at 7 p.m. Produced by Rob Egan from The Southern Tier Aids Program and directed by Kate Murray of Studio 271 Productions, the play is based off of the true story of the beginning of the AIDS crisis in New York City and the gay men who fought an entire political system to have their plight taken seriously.

Nov. 1 — Nov. 6 at the Redeemer Lutheran Church (72 Main St.) “Christian Music Jam” will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and feature a variety of styles of Christian music videos from around the world. Singing along

is encouraged.

July 21 — Jan. 20 at the Roberson Museum and Science Center (30 Front St.) “Focus on Nature” will feature over 30 pieces of contemporary national history illustrations from all over the world.

Nov. 1 — Dec. 3 at Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.) “Women to Worship” will feature a photo montage collection of female figures in world cultural history, created by artist Ramona Lena Kacyvenski.

Nov. 16 — Nov. 30 at the Artisan Gallery (95 Court St.) “Threads: Regional Quilt Work” will feature quilt art by Jean McCreary and Anne Copps.

Whether the work is traditional or contemporary, there is always a story stitched into every quilt.

Oct. 16 — Nov. 6 at Debra Gelson for DA Headquarters (31 Court St.) “Beautiful Binghamton” will feature 16 local scenes of art

by Victor Lay with a cider and doughnuts reception featuring cellist Hakan Tayga.

Nov. 1 at The Memory Maker Gallery (215 State St.) The “Spirituality” exhibition will be presented by United Methodist Homes community members as part of The Memory Maker Project, which features artwork by local artists living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of memory loss.

Oct. 4 — Nov. 29 at the Orazio Salati Studio & Gallery (204 State St.) The “Making an Impression” gallery will feature the work of artist Beth Atkinson, who specializes in relief printmaking in linoleum and woodcut.

Campus clubs offer Halloween alternative Melanie Gulbas staff writer

Halloween isn’t just for kids, and Binghamton University students are sharing the spooky season festivities with local children in the area. Dickinson Town Council (DTC), SUNY Kids and the Panhellenic Council are all hosting events this year to celebrate Halloween with the Binghamton community.

On Oct. 26, DTC and SUNY Kids collaborated for their “Lift your SPIRITS” event and gave out treats to children trick-or-treating in Dickinson Community, continuing a yearly tradition.

Tyler Glovin, president of DTC and a junior majoring in accounting, wrote in an email that the council partnered with SUNY Kids because they wanted to help give back to the community.

“SUNY Kids is very involved in helping young children [in] the Binghamton area and to be able to get all [1,600] Dickinsonians to help make their day was an opportunity that we couldn’t pass up,” Glovin wrote.

In order to ensure the event ran smoothly, DTC made flyers and encouraged students to sign up to volunteer to give out candy. SUNY Kids organized the transportation for the children, bought the candy and collected volunteers from their organization to assist with the event. The SUNY Kids

members gave candy to the Dickinson Community resident volunteers to hand out to the children, and the members chaperoned the children while they trick-or-treated door-to-door.

Glovin said he and his suitemates participated in the event by handing out candy, putting up spooky Halloween decorations and dressing up in costumes.

“I personally wanted to do my part in helping make the kids’ day a little extra special,” Glovin wrote. “I remember when I was a kid, I loved going to the house that was a little bit spookier, so I went above and beyond to help make these kids’ days. The kids were so energetic and had the biggest smile on their faces when they arrived at my suite.”

Emily Kogan, chief financial officer of DTC and a sophomore majoring in business administration, wrote in an email that she enjoyed the event and being able to give back to the community.

“Back home, I live right by a park that always has many festivities for Halloween, and giving out candy for SUNY Kids this year brought me home,” Kogan wrote. “I’m glad that I was able to help the kids involved have a happy Halloween.“ But DTC and SUNY Kids are not the only student groups working on Halloween-themed events.

The Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council have been working setting up a “Trunk or Treat” event that would serve as another alternative to trick-or-

treating.

From 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 30, fraternity and sorority members had more than 20 trunks set up in Downtown Binghamton in the Horizons Federal Credit Union lot on Main Street.

Tara Mandel, vice president of philanthropy and community service for the Panhellenic Council and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, wrote in an email that the goal of the “Trunk or Treat” event is to have all of Greek life come together and get more involved with the community.

“I really wanted to have everyone involved in giving back to our own community that gives us so much,” Mandel wrote.

Mandel wrote that the event is intended for children to have a safe environment to trick or treat in, which will allow parents to relax and enjoy the holiday as well.

“Our goal was to help ease the minds of parents during this holiday, giving their children a safe and fun place to trick or treat,” Mandel wrote.

“I know that the holidays can be a stressful time; I just hope that this can alleviate some of the stress and let families enjoy our safe ‘Trunk or Treat.’”

The event offered face painting, tattoos, crafts, a costume contest and, of course, more than 10,000 pieces of candy.

“What I look forward to most is seeing the expression on these children’s faces, for them to make an amazing memory and having an equally amazing time,” Mandel wrote.

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE

9

‘An Evening of Eccentricities’ held at the Bundy Museum Event features Reiki masters and tarot cards Patrick Earns

assistant arts & culture editor

Reiki masters, psychic mediums and essential oil sellers crowded into the Bundy Museum of History and Art on Oct. 26 for “An Evening of Eccentricities,” the museum’s second-annual Halloween season exhibition that offers a crash course in paranormal phenomena.

The eccentricities were spread throughout all three floors of the historic building, with experiences ranging from a ghost investigation on the ground floor to a demonstration of the potential mystic powers of dowsing rods in the third-floor art gallery.

Attendees were free to roam the hallways of the museum while waiting for presentations to start, and check out the various vendors stationed in the museum’s annex.

The evening’s activities had a local focus, building off of the rich and spooky history of the Binghamton area. The annex contained a “Rod Serling Room,” which screened Twilight Zone episodes created by the longtime Binghamton resident. A reading of ghost stories on the third floor told tales of hauntings throughout the Southern Tier.

While some of the event’s volunteers and presenters were affiliated with the Bundy Museum, many volunteers came from the Unity of Light Spiritual Center, a Vestal-based religious center that describes itself as a “Christian spiritualist church,” including Lorie Jarrold, a Vestal resident who came to the Bundy Museum to read local ghost stories.

sidney slon assistant photo editor

The second-annual “An Evening of Eccentricities” served as a fundraiser for the Bundy Museum of History and Art.

“It’s a great place because there’s people there with the same frame of attitude that I have,” Jarrold said. “If I walk in there and say, ‘Hey, I bet you that happened in another lifetime,’ they sit there and go, ‘Yep, got it. I understand what you’re talking about.’”

Jarrold’s attitude toward the paranormal comes from her own life, and she discussed her own experiences with ghosts and hauntings in vivid detail. She pushed back against the idea of spirits as a scary phenomenon, a

misconception she believes has been spread by popular media. For Jarrold, hauntings are meant to be heartwarming — a connection with the friends and family you have lost.

“They want you to know that you’re still loved by them, that you’re important to them, you’re important to be here on this earth touching other people’s souls,” Jarrold said.

One of the more interesting demonstrations came from Jarrold and Don Truesdale, an Owego

resident who specializes in the use of dowsing or divining rods to predict the future and clear negative energy from individuals.

He said the rods told him six months before the 2016 election that Donald Trump would win the presidency and never strayed from their conviction, despite his hopes they would change their mind.

“I hunt low entities in homes and I drive them out,” Truesdale said. “If you have an attachment to you or a lot of negativity, I can clear it off with the rods. They

answer yes or no questions, I can find out a lot of things and I always ask God’s good spirit world to work with me and through the rods.”

While his claims may sound outlandish to those who consider themselves skeptics, Truesdale is sincere in his beliefs. He said he is simply allowing the spirits to do what they may.

“The thing I tell them is, ‘If I thought I was influencing them I’d throw them away,’ because I’m not that kind of person,” Truesdale said.

Author AmarA sat on the first floor near the doorway, selling copies of her new book “AWAKE: A Vampire Tale.” She said she admires the museum, which has been beneficial to her as an artist.

“The Bundy Museum is really an amazing resource in the community for artists, art lovers, history lovers [and] photographers,” AmarA said. “They do so much here, and they’re so supportive of the people who work with them that it makes it easier to be an artist.”

A walk through Roberson Museum’s ‘Dance of the Dead’ Attendees enjoy Victorian parlor games, performances Gabriela Iacovano

arts & culture editor

From 8 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 26, the Roberson Mansion’s “Dance of the Dead” fundraiser invited guests to partake in

an evening of food, drink and supernatural delights inspired by the Victorian macabre. A connoisseur of all things goth, I jumped at the chance to attend.

I arrived a little over half an hour into the party and immediately found myself underdressed in a leather jacket and jeans as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Partygoers stuck to the

theme, sporting crinolines wide enough to part a crowd, more top hats than I could count and dark accents like jeweled canes and black feathers. One guest showed me a rubber crow they had modified into a purse. In one small room, a taxidermied deer and squirrel — perhaps a clue into what morbidity meant to the people

“Dance of the Dead” featured drinks in the funeral parlor and a mentalist performance.

ariel kachuro photo editor

who actually lived in the early 20th-century home — loomed over an old desk littered with festive glasses. Kitschy touches like holographic-moving photos clashed with the genuinely eerie air of the mansion itself.

I wasn’t hungry and didn’t feel much like drinking, so I passed up the spread of food and the bar on the first floor, which offered specialties like the “Poison Apple and Black Magic Sangria.” A sign reading “curiosities” instead pointed me up the stairs, where I participated in a few Victorian parlor games — an old version of “mafia” and a game where a ring of guests passed a card behind our backs.

Later, I found myself seated before a Ouija board with two ghost hunters. Before we gave it a go, one asked me if I’d ever tried it (I hadn’t) and the other told a story about their own Ouija board disappearing. After a few minutes of chatting, one predicted, “I bet if we all touch this thing, it won’t move.” It didn’t. Once the ghost hunters left, I had a second try with a self-identified medium and two other guests. One looked at the board with weary eyes before we began, concerned that they had too much “baggage” to participate. When we all touched the triangle, I finally felt it move, though I suspected the medium might be helping it along. I’ve read some of the science behind Ouija boards — I’d guessed that the stronger the participants’ convictions, the more likely it

is to move. As the movements formed random letter jumbles, “ENS,” “CMAT,” “DABCE” (“dance?”) and “BLUCOX” (“maybe it’s been a while”), the guest who’d been worried about baggage reported a numb feeling in the hand touching the board, which persisted even after they switched hands. I learned a few basic rules: that you’re supposed to have an equal number of women and men at the table, that you can’t rest your arms on the table and that the crucifix I was carrying was possibly damaging our connection with the ghosts.

I briefly stopped at the thirdlevel ballroom and heard Kesha’s “TiK ToK” — unfortunately, not as atmospheric a choice as I was hoping for — while bustled skirts swished across the dance floor. I stayed for only a moment before hurrying down the stairs to catch the 9:45 p.m. séance, one of the three performed that night at times advertised outside the small room where they were held. A line had already formed when I got there 10 minutes early, and after just making it into the room, I was told by the mentalist conducting the séance that we’d be calling on the ghost of Alonzo Roberson. It played out a bit like a magic trick, culminating in a hypnotized audience member correctly choosing the key to a wooden box. The box contained a fishing lure supposedly cherished by Roberson, and the image of the mentalist dangling the lure before the audience is one I won’t

soon forget. This particular amalgamation of spirituality and performance didn’t quite agree with me, and I probably won’t be biting the hook anytime soon. I was admittedly a little creeped out, though, later walking down the mansion’s long, secluded hallways and passing the elevator, the most haunted part of the building according to several guests.

Before leaving, I sat to take some notes in the “funeral parlor” on the first floor. A speaker played a recording of Claude Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” near a few rows of chairs, which faced a black coffin decorated with what looked like a horse skull with black flowers pouring from its empty cavities. The seats were empty, save for a few couples chatting and looking through their phones, but at the front, a lone guest in a huge fur coat looked solemnly downward as if at a real wake. The image struck me, maybe because I saw in it the same impulse that had pushed me to spend my Saturday evening in a creepy mansion full of strangers. For each guest who approached the night’s festivities with skeptical lightheartedness, there was surely another who came in search of fulfillment — be it aesthetic, Dionysian or spiritual. As I left the mansion, its green-light-bathed exterior recalling the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Nick Cave or Félicien Rops that I gravitate toward every autumn, I decided I’d found mine.

Lecture explores the role of zombies in Arabic culture Visiting professor discusses undead in books Lakhsmi Chatterjee arts & culture intern

Zombies are usually seen as terrifying and mindless creatures, especially in recent American literature. In Arabic culture, however, zombies can represent both a passage of time and a reflection on the past. On Monday, the Middle East and North Africa studies (MENA) department

hosted “Arab Zombie Arts,” a lecture by Samuel England, an associate professor of Arabic and African cultural studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

In his talk, England discussed how the undead have been portrayed in two main pieces of classic Arabic literature: “What ‘Isa Ibn Hisham Told Us: Or, A Period of Time” by Muhammad al-Muwaylihi and “Epistle of Forgiveness” by Abu al-Ala alMaarri.

“A Period of Time” tells the fictional story of the recently

resurrected al-Basha and his living friend ‘Isa ibn Hisham as they walk through the recently modernized city of Cairo in the early 20th century. Al-Basha wanders around the city in a daze as he learns how Egypt, no longer under the Ottoman Empire, has westernized with new institutions such as a civil-code court system.

While al-Basha is seen as a zombie in most ways, he is well versed and well spoken, understanding the changes as they are explained.

“Arabic literature fixates on the undead,” England said.

“However, they see it more as a reflection on the passage of time than Westerners do.”

The idea of a man from ancient times examining how the world changes in the future, however, is a concept first brought up in “Epistle of Forgiveness,” a lengthy letter written by Abbasidera poet al-Ala ala-Maarri about change and forgiveness. While this piece of work was popular at the time of its publication and is well known in the Arab world, Western scholars often consider its importance based on the

West’s “discovery” of it and how it influences modern writers.

“Many Western scholars who have retranslated this work claim that it owes its fame to the rediscovery of in modern times by a ‘Western Arabist,’” England said. “I don’t believe it.

Why do they think that it owes its existence to Orientalists rather than to the Arabs who would have heard it and known its worth?”

In both pieces, zombies are seen as people who are capable of thought, but need modern concepts to be explained to them,

such as al-Basha in “A Period of Time.” This concept has trickled into popular Western science fiction works such as the “Star Wars” and “Matrix” series, where the main protagonists need big chunks of information to be explained to them by mentors.

“The intelligent-but-lost zombie character is brought to the very edge of anxious modernity,” England said. “They have to look past modernity and colonialism and also reflect on their pasts to make sense of it all.”

F UN

Monday, October August 31, 2018 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,27, 2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

Lil’ Reaper

Woodshop would have been worse

Daniel Eisenhower You do the monster mash

Daniel Eisenhower

Sarah Teper

Sudoku

By The Mepham Group

Level: 1 2 3 4 Solution to last issue's puzzle

© 2019 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Release Date: Thursday, October 31, 2019

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Costume party

Pumpkin spice

Tara Regan

Spencer Lubell

ACROSS 1 Spot for a salt scrub 4 Aromatic evergreen 10 Wind with nearly a three-octave range 14 Fresh from the oven 15 Collection of hives 16 Sullen look 17 Track 18 Halloween feeling in a warren?

20 Buffalo lake 22 Like the vb. “go” 23 Belly laugh syllable 24 Halloween feeling near a water supply?

27 Valleys 31 “Take Care” Grammy winner 32 “We’ve waited long enough” 34 Bebe’s “Frasier” role 38 Overlook 39 Halloween feeling in the office?

44 Enjoy privileged status 45 Poise 46 It may get the ball rolling 48 Trio in “To be, or not to be” 53 “Borstal Boy” author Brendan 54 Halloween feeling in the yard?

58 Angel dust, initially 60 “You wish, laddie!”

61 Put out 62 Halloween feeling in the loo?

67 Summer hrs. in Denver 68 Stood 69 Paparazzo’s gear 70 Mature 71 Lumberjacks’ tools 72 Gave it more gas 73 Finch family creator DOWN 1 Astute 2 Bartender, often

3 Fifth-century conqueror 4 Soap unit 5 Two (of) 6 Cuba __ 7 Brand of hummus and guacamole 8 Actor Millen of “Orphan Black” 9 Folk story 10 Wheeler-dealer 11 Feathery neckwear 12 CSNY’s “__ House” 13 Many “Guardians of the Galaxy” characters 19 Latest things 21 Rockies bugler 25 Sandwich source 26 “Same here” 28 Vehicle with a partition 29 Mideast potentate 30 Slowly sinks from the sky 33 Those folks 35 Confident words 36 Suit part sometimes grabbed

37 Unhealthy 39 Nursery piece 40 Narrow way 41 Engrave 42 Backslides 43 Hitting stat 47 Advance slowly 49 Big club 50 Koala, for example 51 Game based on whist 52 Living room piece

55 Japanese art genre 56 Carried on 57 Big name in Indian politics 59 Some GIs 62 Monk’s address 63 Cured salmon 64 Employ 65 31-Across genre 66 Covert information source

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

By David Alfred Bywaters ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

10/31/19

10/31/19

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2019

SPORTS

11

Women’s tennis completes fall season at Akron Shootout

provided by stan torres

Sophomore Michelle Eisenberg picked up a singles win on Sunday as Binghamton competed in its final event of the fall season.

Four players win singles flights for Binghamton Samantha Marsh

assistant sports editor

The Binghamton women’s tennis team ended its fall season on a high note, having its best singles performance of the season, as four Bearcats picked up singles wins at the Akron Shootout over the weekend.

BU head coach Libby McGovern said this was their overall best performance of the season.

“They showed a lot of heart

and a lot of fight all weekend,” McGovern said. “And that’s the most important thing.”

McGovern partially attributes the success of the team to having the courts set up in a side-by-side manner, suggesting it helped teammates feed off of each other’s energy.

“I think that seeing each other really helped them feel more comfortable and to compete even harder,” McGovern said. “They knew that they were out there competing for each other.”

Two out of the four singles winners were freshmen Jamie Lau and Julia Gumieniak.

Gumieniak was able to secure

the first win for the Bearcats when she defeated Akron freshman Aliona Kruglov 7-6, 7-5 on Friday, while Lau bested Akron sophomore Enya Forgaci 7-5, 6-4 on the final day of the competition. Her singles record for the season is now 3-3.

On the second day, sophomore Regina Furer earned a three-set win against Youngstown State junior Lucia Zagar 6-1, 2-6, 1-0.

“I started to see the fight in Jamie and Julia and Regina,” McGovern said. “Pretty much everybody up and down the line started to feed off of their energy and the way that they were playing, which started a chain

reaction among everyone on the team.”

Joining the other three singles flight winners was junior Michelle Eisenberg, who captured a win against Cleveland State sophomore Lara Prosenjak 6-1, 6-4. Michelle Eisenberg’s twin, senior Samara Eisenberg, competed with her in doubles, and the pair came close to a win against Akron junior Miruna Vasilescu and senior Rita Pedroso, but ultimately dropped the match 7-6. Samara Eisenberg came close to singles flight wins on both Saturday and Sunday but was edged out in the threeset matches. McGovern said she

is impressed with the way the twins played over the weekend and how they have been playing all season.

“The Eisenbergs go out and they just work hard from start to finish,” McGovern said. “They make opponents work really hard for every single point. I think they set the tone for our entire team, so when they’re playing that way it helps everybody else realize that’s where they need to be.”

With the fall season now over, BU is preparing for the spring season, where it will begin to have dual matches instead of just invites. McGovern is preparing

by giving each player individual attention and workouts.

“We’re just going to be tweaking little things here and there, and it’s different for every single person,” McGovern said.

“We’re also going to be working on our thought process and making sure that we’re able to assess what’s happening in our matches appropriately to make adjustments and problem-solve.”

After the break, the team will partake in a series of dual matches throughout the spring semester. This will kick off with a match against Boston University at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19 in Boston, Massachusetts.

College football week nine: winners and losers Justin Zion Sports Editor

Week nine of the college football season is in the books.

Soon, we’ll only be one month out from Selection Sunday, but there’s a lot of exciting football left to be played between now and then. Here’s how everything stacked up after an eventful Saturday for college football.

Winner: Chaos in college football To those college football fans out there who are getting tired of the same two teams dominating and the playoff picture constantly being certain, rejoice! This year’s College Football Playoff hunt is wide open. Just to demonstrate how tight things are at the top, take a look at this week’s AP Top 25 Poll. Louisiana State

University jumped into the top spot this week, but No. 2 Alabama is only two points behind the Tigers (8-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) and No. 3 Ohio State is only six points behind the Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0 SEC). For those of you who are less familiar with how the AP Poll works, take my word for it. That’s a razor-thin margin. Look further down the poll, though, and you’ll see that as many as 12 teams are still alive for a playoff spot, from the usual suspects like No. 4 Clemson and No. 8 Georgia to more surprising teams like No. 9 Utah and No. 13 Minnesota. A lot of these teams play each other in the next month, too. Buckle up, folks; it’s about to get good.

Loser: Big 12 That said, if there’s one conference whose playoff hopes took a hit this week, it’s the Big 12. The most prominent game that caused this was No. 5 Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas State,

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in which the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) put the Sooners (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) into a deep, second-half hole from which the latter could never overcome. In addition to that, however, is the fall of Texas.

The Longhorns (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) have lost two of their last three games, most recently to mediocre Texas Christian University, and their one win in that span was a squeaker against Kansas. As a result, they’ve dropped out of the AP Top 25 entirely, and deservedly so. For a while, the Pac-12 was universally regarded as the worst Power-Five conference, but now I think the Big 12 may have taken over that mantle.

Winner: Jim Harbaugh One of the biggest knocks on Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh was that he could never win the big games. Whether that is true or not is, of course, still up in the air, but he and his defenders now have a large piece of ammo to make their case. No.

14 Michigan dominated their rival, No. 16 Notre Dame, on Saturday night. It was a rainy game that could have messed with the poise of any collegiate team, but the Wolverines (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) kept their cool and went to their ground-and-pound game, which the Irish had no answer for. A Big Ten title and College Football Playoff spot are probably out of reach for the Wolverines this season, but a program in much need of a huge win got one.

Loser: Nebraska Scott Frost’s tenure as the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is not going as planned. Their loss to Indiana at home this past week underscores the shaky season that the Huskers (4-4, 2-3 Big Ten) are having. Nebraska barely slipped

by Illinois, barely took down a one-win Northwestern team and predictably got blown out by both Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) and Minnesota (8-0, 5-0 Big

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Ten). With No. 18 Wisconsin and No. 19 Iowa still on Nebraska’s remaining schedule, the Huskers face a real possibility that they might miss out on bowl season for the third year in a row.

Honorable Mention: Saturday Night Football on ABC For a while, the prospects for week 10’s edition of Saturday Night Football on ABC looked bleak. Faced with a choice of Miami (FL) at Florida State or Southern Methodist University (SMU) at Memphis, ABC went with the latter, as SMU was ranked 16th at the time and the game

could have major ramifications for the New Year’s Six bowls. It almost turned into a disaster, as both the Mustangs (8-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) and the Tigers (7-1, 3-1 AAC) were almost upset on the road.

SMU survived a late rally by Houston, who is having a down year, to win by three points, while Memphis only won its game last week because of a missed 29-yard field goal by Tulsa as time expired.

Luckily for ABC, both teams survived, and it now has two AP Top 25 teams duking it out in its prime time slot this weekend.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

BU ends fall season SEE PAGE 11

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Former women’s basketball coach settles lawsuit with BU lawsuit from page 1 senior director of media and public relations at BU, said the University is “satisfied with the outcome and the closure it brings to this case.”

Naumovski could not be reached for comment.

Naumovski, who is now the head women’s basketball coach at Queens College, said

she suffered both physical and emotional harm as a result of a hostile work environment sustained by colleagues’ rumors that she was in a relationship with an adult female student, according to court documents.

She claimed the rumors began in January 2009, roughly five months after she began working for the University, and quickly escalated. Under

provisions established in 1993 in the University’s Faculty-Staff Handbook, all faculty-student relationships “when the faculty member is in a direct supervisory role with that student, [shall] normally be deemed unprofessional conduct.”

Court documents contend that the rumors were “perpetuated by employees of Binghamton University,” including former

athletic director Jim Norris and former women’s basketball head coach Nicole Scholl, who failed to put a halt to the allegations, despite Naumovski’s complaints. She said University employees treated her differently in front of students, and, according to court documents, an anonymous letter was sent to the family of the female student, describing her alleged

relationship with Naumovski in “highly inflammatory and discriminatory terms.”

Naumovski testified that she felt the letter influenced her termination from the University.

Following the sudden loss of her job, Naumovski also testified that she had difficulty finding employment, receiving a position at Queens College in August 2011 more than a year

after her departure from BU and after she “applied for and was not offered three assistant coach positions at three other colleges.”

Prior to coaching at BU, Naumovski coached at the University of Toronto between 1999 and 2003 and served as the head coach of U17 Ontario Provincial Team during the 2004-05 academic year.

Men’s soccer ties Hofstra in final nonconference game

rose coschignano photo intern

Senior forward Haris Brkovic netted his first goal of the season in the Bearcats’ 2-2 draw against Hofstra.

Svalander, Brkovic score goals in road match Spencer Lubell

contributing writer

On a rainy Tuesday evening, the Binghamton men’s soccer team earned a draw against Hofstra, leaving the final score even at 2-2. The Pride (7-6-2, 4-21 Colonial Athletic Association) battled the Bearcats (5-7-3, 2-30 America East) in an Empire State battle for both teams’ final nonconference game of the regular season.

“I thought we were really good yesterday,” said Binghamton head

coach Paul Marco. “We didn’t start very well. [Hofstra] has a lot of older guys on their team — Hofstra is a very good team. They had a lot of juniors and seniors on their team and they are even older ‘cause they’re international guys. We started, I think, eight freshmen in yesterday’s match.”

In the first 10 minutes of the game, Hofstra controlled the pace.

The Pride pinned Binghamton into their own defensive zone, but Binghamton stood tall.

In the 29th minute, freshman defender Oliver Svalander scored an unassisted goal to give BU a 1-0 lead, netting his third goal of the season.

Fewer than six minutes later,

in the 35th minute, Hofstra equalized the score off a header from junior forward Matthew Vowinkel on a pass from junior midfielder Storm Strongin. The half ended at 1-1.

In the 70th minute of the game, Binghamton took the lead once more on a goal from senior forward Haris Brkovic. Brkovic danced around multiple Hofstra defenders to put the ball in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

Then, in the 82nd minute, a shot by freshman midfielder Ethan Homler hit the post and ricocheted out for a Hofstra counterattack. Less than a minute later, graduate student defender

Stephen McKenna committed a foul in BU’s penalty box, leading to a penalty shot being awarded to the Pride.

Vowinkel converted on the penalty shot to tie the game for the Pride at 2-2. This marked his fifth goal in the past two games and his second of the night.

“It for sure was a penalty — we fouled him,” Marco said. “I think our response for what happened moments before wasn’t great. We get in behind them and Ethan Homler hits an absolute rocket that hits the post so hard that it comes outside the [18-yard box], and they counterattack off that and that’s where we take the penalty from. An inch or two to

the left, that ball is in the back of the net and we are comfortable in the lead with five minutes left.

Instead, the game gets tied within less than 10 seconds.”

The two teams competed evenly in both overtime sessions, with no goals scored. BU had three shots on net in the extra frames, but was unable to get anything past Hofstra graduate student goalkeeper Alex Ashton.

The Pride did not record a shot on goal in the extra periods, but BU’s sophomore goalkeeper P.J. Parker had three saves on the night.

In the past four games, Binghamton has gone unbeaten at 2-0-2. Veteran players, such as junior midfielder Noah Luescher,

have seen that the team has been playing much better as of late.

“The team has grown a lot over the past couple weeks,” Luescher said. “We don’t give away games anymore and fight for each other every game. The effort and grit the team shows is outstanding. We still need to gain more experience and start doing the right thing at the right time.

But altogether we look good and the future looks bright.”

Binghamton will look to keep its unbeaten streak alive when they travel to play against AE foes Hartford this Saturday, Nov. 2.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the AlMarzook Field at Alumni Stadium in West Hartford, Connecticut.