Fall 2019 Issue 25

Artists honor transgender lives, See page 8 Thursday, November 21, 2019 | Vol. XCVI, Issue 25 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Two arrested after sit-in protest

pipe dream photo Around 200 students and community members participated in a sit-in protest that filled Lecture Hall 8 and shut down a speech from economist Arthur Laffer on Monday evening.

Protesters fill classroom, tell stories of racial discrimination

University faces backlash over First Amendment rights

Gillian Mathews

Jacob Kerr

news intern

news editor

Two individuals, a student and a community member, were arrested on Monday evening at Binghamton University after a speech from economist Arthur Laffer was interrupted by protesters.

Laffer, who worked as an adviser to former President Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump, was set to speak at BU College Republicans’ and Young America’s Foundations’

“Trump, Tariffs, Trade Wars” event, but around 200 attendees were part of a sitin protest, filling Lecture Hall 8 to the point that officers with Binghamton’s New York State University Police (UPD) prevented any more people from entering.

Official charges against the individuals arrested have yet to be

see protest page 4

As protests have erupted on Binghamton University’s campus, administrators and student leaders have been faced with questions about freedom of speech and expression.

The University has come fire from multiple government officials and right-wing online blogs after student activists protested members of College Republicans and Turning Point USA while they were tabling to promote gun

rights and an event featuring Arthur Laffer, a former adviser to President Ronald Reagan and President Donald Trump. Days later, at “Trump, Tariffs, Trade Wars,” Laffer was interrupted after a few sentences by one of many sit-in protesters. Laffer eventually left the event, and the initial protest speaker was arrested by Binghamton’s

see rights page 3

Bangali BU aims to increase out-of-state enrollment group earns provisional SA charter First-year applications down 1,200 from last year Gillian Mathews news intern

In upcoming admissions cycles, Binghamton University will aim to

New student organization aims to build community Hamza Khan

diversify the student population with more out-of-state admits following the release of unofficial admissions statistics from fall 2019.

The statistics were released at the most recent Binghamton University Council meeting by Donald Loewen, vice provost for undergraduate education and an associate professor

of Russian. Loewen said out-of state recruitment has been a focus for several years and the 2019 admissions statistics show an increase in first-year out-ofstate enrollment from 2017 to 2019, but a decrease in international enrollment.

“Recruiting out-of-state brings us voices from around the country and it really helps to enrich the conversations

on campus to have a broad variety of diversity on campus through those recruiting initiatives,” Loewen said.

According to the statistics provided by the undergraduate admissions team, first-year applications for 2018-19 increased by almost 5,300 for 2017-18,

see admissions page 4

Men’s basketball comes back to stun NJIT Sessoms’ last-second layup propels BU past Highlanders

contributing writer

As the semester draws to a close, the Bangali Student Association (BSA) is just getting started.

As of Nov. 11, the BSA is now a provisionally chartered club at Binghamton University, gaining approval from the University’s Student Association (SA).

The chartering marks a significant achievement for Bangali students who wish to celebrate the language and culture, according to Faisal Alam, a freshman double-majorin gin political science and psychology. Alam noted the adjustment to university life can often be difficult, and for many students, the lack of the same community or culture they experienced back home can be challenging.

“I wasn’t used to having less diversity and felt at odds from the beginning, as I had grown up in Brooklyn and Queens,” Alam said. “I lived near Ozone Park and saw Bangali people every day and [now]

Justin Zion

sports editor

There were under 30 seconds left to play in the second half. The Binghamton men’s basketball team and NJIT were deadlocked at 75 points. NJIT junior forward San Antonio Brinson had just missed a go-ahead 3-pointer, and a rebound by senior forward Pierre Sarr gave the Bearcats the opportunity for the final shot. There was no doubt as to who would take that shot.

“I basically told [head] coach [Tommy] Dempsey on the play before, if they were to miss the go-ahead shot, don’t call timeout,” said sophomore guard Sam Sessoms. “I wanted to end the game. I feel like it’s my team and so I had to step up.”

With under 20 seconds left to play, Sessoms kept the ball near midcourt to hold for the last shot of the game. Then,

see bangali page 4

see basketball page 12

ARTS & CULTURE

rose coschignano photo intern Sophomore guard Sam Sessoms had a season-high 33 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in the team’s 77-75 win against NJIT.

OPINIONS

SPORTS

HPC’s “If/Then” to open Thursday night,

Malena Szlam talks experimental film,

The Editorial Board criticizes the lack of holiday travel time for Binghamton University students,

Sports Editor Justin Zion talks winners and losers from week 12 of college football,

Wrestling team competes at South Dakota State,

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 11

SEE PAGE 12

PAGE II Thursday, November 21, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2,5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

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

Check your privilege

weB: bupipedream.com

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

MAnAging eDitor* Katy Wong manager@bupipedream.com

news eDitor* Jacob Kerr news@bupipedream.com Asst. news eDitors Valerie Puma Leora Schwadron Jeremy Rubino opinions eDitor* Evan Moravansky opinions@bupipedream.com Asst. opinions eDitor Elizabeth Short Arts & Culture eDitor* Gabriela Iacovano arts@bupipedream.com Asst. Arts & Culture eDitors Calendra Scahill Patrick Earns sports eDitor* Justin Zion sports@bupipedream.com Asst. sports eDitors Edward Aaron Samantha Marsh

lucas peterka contributing photographer Students attend the “Active Ally Deep Dive: Unpacking Cis-Het Privilege” presentation on Tuesday afternoon, sponsored by the Q Center, to learn about privileges and how to become a better LGBTQ ally.

photogrAphy eDitor* Ariel Kachuro photo@bupipedream.com

Police Watch

Asst. photogrAphy eDitor Sidney Slon fun eDitor* Annabeth Sloan fun@bupipedream.com Asst. fun eDitor

Daniel Eisenhower

Design MAnAger* Kade Estelle design@bupipedream.com Design Assts.

Mikayel Harutyunyan Charlotte Monsour Copy Desk Chief* Lia Berger copy@bupipedream.com

Asst. Copy Desk Chief Cherie Litvin

DigitAl eDitor* Kimberly Gonzalez digital@bupipedream.com ViDeo eDitor* Nate Platzner video@bupipedream.com newsrooM teChnology MAnAger* Michelle Tan tech@bupipedream.com Art DireCtor* Max Samson

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DistriBution MAnAger Preston Hill distribution@bupipedream.com

Pipe Dream is published by the Pipe Dream Executive Board, which has sole and final discretion over the newspaper’s content and personnel.

Positions seated on the executive board are denoted by an asterisk.

Pipe Dream is published Mondays and Thursdays while classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and academic breaks.

The content on the Opinions page with bylines represent the views of those authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Pipe Dream Executive Board.

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All letters submitted for publication must include the author's name, year and major. Please limit letters to the editor to 400 words and guest columns to 750 words. Pipe Dream reserves the right to edit submissions, and does not guarantee publication. All submissions become property of Pipe Dream. Guest column submissions may be emailed to the opinions editor at opinions@ bupipedream.com, and all letters to the editor may be sent to editor@bupipedream.com. © Pipe Dream 2019

stabilizing:productionstaff KSKKRGKC:destabilizing

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

Finding Nemo FRIDAY, Nov. 15, 8:00 p.m. — Officers responded to Windham Hall of Mountainview College after a 19-year-old male discovered a glass bowl on the ground outside that contained three beta fish swimming in dirty water. The male said he felt bad for the fish because of the temperature outside and the conditions of their bowl. The male brought the fish inside, kept one fish for himself and found a new home for each of the other two fish. Officers reviewed exterior camera footage from around Windham Hall, but were unable to determine who left the fish outside.

Face-plant!

SATURDAY, Nov. 16, 1:50 a.m.

— Officers on foot patrol outside Delaware Hall of Newing College observed an 18-year-old male being helped off the ground by another 18-year-old male. The officers approached the males to see what had happened, and it became evident the male on the ground was heavily intoxicated. Harpur’s Ferry was called to conduct an

evaluation. Officers observed the male on the ground had a wound on the right side of his face. When asked what had happened, the male said he fell when getting out of his Uber on campus and hit his face on the sidewalk. Every other time the officers attempted to ask the male questions about what happened, he could only repeat his name. Both males reported drinking vodka in Downtown Binghamton. After being evaluated by emergency medical technicians with Harpur’s Ferry, the male found on the ground was transported to UHS Wilson Medical Center while the other male went home.

Sippin’ and trippin’ SUNDAY, Nov. 17, 12:47 a.m. — Officers responded to the Tillman Lobby in the University Union after a third party observed two 18-yearold male suspects who were heavily intoxicated and had just gotten off the bus. The reporting party said one of the suspects vomited on the bus. While attempting to speak to the suspects, officers noticed one of the suspects was vomiting in a trash can and was unable to answer any questions.

Officers saw the other male was also intoxicated, but was a little more coherent. The suspects

Nicole Kaufman Pipe Dream News

confessed to drinking vodka and beer on campus. Both suspects also admitted that they had done psilocybin mushrooms.

Harpur’s Ferry was contacted and

emergency medical technicians conducted an evaluation. The suspect who was vomiting was transported to the hospital. The other suspect refused further

medical treatment and willingly turned over the remaining mushrooms. Neither suspect was charged, in accordance with New York’s Good Samaritan law.

Make the most of your winter break Winter Intersession: Dec. 30, 2019 - Jan. 21, 2020

Get Ahead.

Stay on Track.

Earn 3 credits in 3 weeks Accelerate your academic progress Maintain your eligibility for the Excelsior Scholarship Enjoy the flexibility of online classes

Open Registration 11/11 Visit KnightWeb for a list of courses

For more information, go to geneseo.edu/intersession

bupipedream.com | November 21, 2019

NEWS

3

Our Climate encourages action through phone calls Tabling group looks to fight climate change Zirong Chen

contributing writer

Amid the aroma of chicken tenders and pizza, Binghamton University students tabled at the Marketplace to ask their peers to fight climate change by making a single phone call.

The students tabling were members of Our Climate, a nonprofit organization advocating for government policies addressing climate change. They, along with BU’s chapter of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), were asking students to call government officials such as Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who will be appointing officials to the Climate Action Council (CAC).

According to Phariha Rahman, a member of Our Climate and a junior majoring in history, the CAC will be in charge of designing

provided by mike groll

a plan to implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The purpose of the bill, which was approved in July, is to get New York state away from fossil fuels by 2050. Rahman said the council must be composed of responsible

people for the bill to work.

“Obviously, you don’t want anyone who is part of the fossil fuel industry,” Rahman said.

“But you want people who are dedicated to getting New York state off of fossil fuels and people who are responsible for at-risk

communities and also care about indigenous people.”

The students representing Our Climate handed out flyers that direct other students on how to contact New York state legislative leaders, hoping the phone calls will convince them to appoint

the people they support. The flyer also contained a phone call script that students can follow.

Rahman said student responses to the tabling were mixed.

“Whenever you’re tabling, there are always people who are annoyed and brush you aside,” Rahman said. “But there are also people who are really interested and want to know what they can do.”

One of the students who was interested in the table’s message, Nancy Huang, a senior doublemajoring in physics and music, said she learned about the impact of climate change from the group.

“I heard that this year the winter is getting warmer, but there are a lot more storms,” Huang said. “[Climate change is] something that affects everybody, including students, although I wouldn’t have learned about this unless [Rahman] told me.”

Huang also noted that some might find it hard to contribute since students have

other priorities, such as their education.

“I am sure everybody is aware about climate change,” Huang said. ”It’s just a matter of fact of finding a little bit of time to do something about it. Especially when finals are coming up, people aren’t going to be aware about it too much. They’re going to be worrying about their grades.”

According to Rahman, the CLCPA is still in its infancy stages. To have the bill function, Rahman said student support and voices are necessary.

“There’s still a lot up in the air about how the bill actually works, and what people are trying to iron out is how the bill works,” Rahman said. ”It’s so important to show that we care and that we want this bill to work. Otherwise, it will end up being something that ends up on the books, but doesn’t really do anything.”

Editor’s note: Rahman previously contributed to Pipe Dream as a writer in News and Arts & Culture.

Government, University officials condemn protesters rights from page 1 New York State University Police (UPD) officers.

The protesters aimed to draw attention to racism on campus, inaction on the part of University administrators and police brutality.

However, arguments against the protesters quickly surfaced online, with some students receiving racist and threatening messages.

Additionally, misinformation, including rumors that the protests were being led by Antifa, began circulating online in right-wing forums.

Some arguments against protesters claim the demonstrations call for the use

of the heckler’s veto. According to The First Amendment Encyclopedia, the heckler’s veto gives governing bodies the right to suppress speech in the event in “which opponents block speech by direct action or by ‘shouting down’ a speaker through protest.”

The veto was first recognized by the Supreme Court in the 1966 Brown v. Louisiana case.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a nonprofit that aims to maintain individual rights in university communities, wrote a response to Monday’s protest saying the heckler’s veto applies to this situation, giving UPD the right to interfere with the protest.

“The First Amendment right to peaceful protest doesn’t override

someone else’s First Amendment right to speak — and to hear those they’ve invited to speak — in spaces they’ve reserved,” FIRE’s statement read.

Several government officials have also written direct responses to Monday’s protest, including State Sen. Fred Akshar (R-Binghamton).

“Like many campuses across the country, it appears that leftist mob mentality and brute force intimidation have been given preference over free speech and the right to peacefully assemble,” Akshar wrote in a statement on Twitter on Nov. 18.

Akshar also canceled a scheduled appearance at the University on Tuesday, writing that “Binghamton University’s

campus has no longer become suitable for civic engagement.”

The University’s Student Association has also seen criticism from conservative students online after SA President Emma Ross announced College Republicans have been banned from making room reservations. According to Ross, the organization was tabling on the Spine on Nov. 14 without reserving the space, a direct violation of Student Association (SA) rules.

University officials said the public statements made by government officials, including Akshar, are based primarily on their own political gain. While the University is currently investigating the protests, Brian Rose, vice president for student

affairs, said these statements hold no power in their current and future decisions.

“Opinions expressed by political figures for political purposes have had no bearing on our decision-making, and won’t have any bearing on our decision-making,” Rose said. “I’m not interested in aligning ideas or statements with any external statement — we’re going to continue to be guided by our own values, our own principles and our own policies and procedures and our understanding of our responsibility under law.”

Rose also said the University is making plans to prevent this situation from happening again.

“We certainly are already in conversations about what type of

programming and ways we can facilitate a campus conversation, particularly in the context of the upcoming national election,” Rose said.

Donald Nieman, vice president for academic affairs and provost, said he knows several professors have taken it upon themselves to have in-class discussions about the recent events. Nieman said discussion like this is productive.

“I think it is probably in those small groups, mediumsized groups, that you have an opportunity for discussion for reflection and to get away from an environment where people are more about theatre and acting out than they are about a dialogue, and I know a quite a bit of that has gone on,” Nieman said.

4

NEWS

bupipedream.com | November 21, 2019

Unofficial report indicates decrease in first-year applications

4,238

4,605 4,634

250

20 1 20 7 1 20 8 19

180

20 1 20 7 1 20 8 19

57,516

58,716

310

Fall First-year total enrollment Transfer applications out-of-state applications

53,406

while 2019-20 admissions showed a decrease of 1,200 students from last year.

With 37,516 first-year applicants for 2019, and 2,896 students enrolled, BU had an enrollment rate of roughly 7.7 percent.

In addition, statistics show a decrease in transfer applications from 2017 to 2019 by approximately 350 students.

First-year SAT scores have stayed consistent with past years, showing a two-point increase in the average scores of accepted students. Loewen said this year’s average score of 1374 accurately shows which students BU looks for.

“These scores show a pretty good representation of the quality of students that we are being able to recruit here, including out-ofstate students,” Loewen said. “The whole group as a cohort has been very strong in the past couple of years.”

Admissions counselors also compiled a list of the schools that serve as top competitors for admitted students. This year, Harpur College competed with schools like Stony Brook, Cornell, New York University (NYU) and Boston University. BU’s School of Management is challenged by Baruch College and the University of Michigan. Watson is rivaled by the Rochester Institute of Technology, University at Buffalo and the Stevens Institute of Technology. The College of Community and Public Affairs is shown to compete with Stony Brook, Cornell and NYU. The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences competes with Villanova University, Hunter College and the University of Delaware.

“What we do every year is that we take all students that we have admitted and we send their names to the National Student Clearinghouse and they report back where those students actually end up,” Loewen said.

Loewen said the team is placing focus on outof-state admissions and international admissions by touting a strong alumni base and competition for students within New York state.

“We are a New York [state] institution; we are the best SUNY,” Loewen said. “We say that with pride and we want to make sure that we keep that in the lens of our New York state constituents and high school counselors.”

20 1 20 7 1 20 8 19

admissions from page 1

kade estelle design manager

BSA aims to provide a community for Bangali students bangali from page 1 it has changed.”

Similar concerns of exclusion were raised by Sanzidul Haque, founder of BSA and a junior majoring in business administration.

“There’s not enough action that takes place when it comes to communities within campus, which makes people that live on campus uncomfortable,” Haque said.

It was a desire for a community that led Haque to hold the first general interest

meeting (GIM) for the BSA in March 2019.

“It’s definitely something a lot bigger than myself,” Haque said. “[Chartering] was something we weren’t even thinking about because our goal wasn’t the chartering — our goal was bringing the community together. I believed in the community so much.”

Holding a GIM is one of the first steps of the chartering process, meant to gauge interest in a potential club, according to the SA website. Haque described the response to the first

meetings as a welcome surprise.

“Honestly, we’ve had a really successful first semester,” Haque said. “I guess I’m just experiencing the first wave of, ‘Hey, you’ve accomplished something, and people are starting to take notice.’”

The BSA’s recently awarded charter status is the next step to making the organization a permanent space for students with Bangali roots. With charter status, the club will now be able to utilize room reservations, a B-Engaged page, an account number and other resources,

according to the SA website.

However, the journey is not over yet for the BSA. In accordance with SA guidelines, the club must wait one year to receive full charter status to take full advantage of other SA resources, including funding.

Haque said the group currently relies on independent funding.

“We self-fund ourselves as an organization — we are not reliant on the SA budget,” Haque said.

“We’re independently funded, which challenges us.”

The organization has found its own ways to raise club funds,

including operating a cultural food sale on Nov. 18. The event, dubbed “Biryani Bari,” provided students with a range of Bangali dishes on campus. However, it was more than just a fundraiser to its members.

“One thing that I’m really proud of my organization for is that we always welcome people to our food,” Haque said. “That’s something I want to emphasize — our food allows us to share the love of our culture and bring diversity onto campus.”

For freshmen like Alam, finding this aspect of BU’s

diversity was all it took to feel welcome.

“I found out about BSA from my [resident assistant],” Alam said. “He saw me and started speaking in fluid Bangali, and I immediately felt welcome.

He told me about it and I was interested in joining.”

A few meetings were enough for Alam to find himself at home.

“I wish to attend more meetings and I love the fact that we can all relate to a lot of the same things,” Alam said.

“It’s like a family here at [BU].”

Economics talk canceled after protesters execute sit-in protest from page 1 released by UPD or the University.

The sit-in, which was organized by BU students from multiple organizations, including BU Progressives, comes days after a protest on the Spine against College Republicans and BU’s chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA). Demonstrators also aimed to address racism and overpolicing on campus.

Video footage taken by conservative students during Thursday’s demonstration has gone viral online, raking in 128,000 views in one video and 120,000 on another.

These prompted Republican Assemblyman Douglas Smith, who represents New York state’s 5th assembly district and is a ranking minority member of the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education, to send a letter to BU President Harvey Stenger on Nov. 15, addressing the protest and advocating for the protection of free speech for students on campus.

The first student to speak out at Monday’s event read news stories highlighting injustice and oppression of minority community members from his phone. As he spoke, members of College Republicans held signs that read, “Disrupting speech is fascism.”

“We will mention the stories of the lives lost due to the administration that you, this man, this liar, Arthur Laffer, supports,” the protester said.

A bullhorn was handed to the protester, and Laffer left the event.

Officers with UPD asked members of College Republicans if they wanted the protester removed from the event. Several officers converged to remove the student, but other protesters formed a circle, protecting the speaker.

After the first protester was removed by police, other students continued to read similar stories out loud. A number of protesters followed the officers out as the protest spread to the hallway and just outside Lecture Hall.

Outside, protesters played music and directed the protest through a microphone system.

The protester removed from the event was arrested in the basement of Lecture Hall. Once the protests moved outside, demonstrators formed a large circle and shared thoughts on discrimination imposed upon the community.

During this part of the protest, many students declined to talk with media, and some blocked journalists with cameras from taking video footage and photographs.

Before the event, Jon Lizak, secretary of College Republicans, vice president of BU’s chapter of TPUSA and a freshman majoring in business administration, said his group was aware of the planned sit-in, but planned to continue regardless.

“I think right now the most important part of this event is just letting it happen because we have a free speech crisis going

on right now,” Lizak said. “Just the fact that this is happening is a pretty sad reflection of the way we are going in this county.”

Broome County community members, most with Progressive Leaders Of Tomorrow (PLOT), also contributed to the protest.

Shanel Boyce, ‘18, a member of PLOT, spoke through the microphone to protesters, telling them community members stand behind them.

“You guys have to remain united because honestly, the enemy is the people up in Couper [Administration Building], all the departments that didn’t sign our letter,” Boyce said. “We have been waiting for a very long time to see this happen on this campus. I want to let you know the community has your back.

But this is your campus and we are only here to support you. “ Nicole Francik, a junior majoring in sociology, said she came to the protest to show support for her peers, but did not participate in the speaking portion of the event.

“I’m just here to not stand out too much,” Francik said. “As a white person, it’s not really my place to speak — I’m just here to show my support.”

Along with community members, several faculty members were also present.

Tina Chronopoulos, an associate professor of classical and Near Eastern studies and interim director of the Center of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, said she wanted to be at the demonstration

to provide another perspective on the situation.

“I care very much about the safety of our students and I wanted to make sure that there are some people who are not the police and students to observe what is going on,” Chronopoulos said.

In the aftermath of the demonstration, Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, released a public statement indicating the University will investigate individual students and organizations who “encouraged or participated in any activity that violated applicable law and University policies.”

“The University is incredibly disappointed with the events that happened tonight, particularly given that demonstrators were provided an adjacent lecture hall to engage in a counter discussion,” the statement read.

“The protestors chose instead to infringe on the expressive activity of others and to prevent those who wished to hear the speaker from doing so.”

Rose also wrote that the University chose to deploy “a large number of police to maintain order at the event.”

Roughly 10 officers were present in the Lecture Hall at the start of Laffer’s talk.

State Sen. Fred Akshar (R-Binghamton) also weighed in on the protest, announcing via Twitter that he will be canceling an event he was scheduled to speak at on campus on Tuesday.

“These kinds of unconstructive and abusive stunts should have no place on campus for an institute of higher learning,” Akshar wrote. “They do nothing but impede meaningful dialogue, higher learning and the expression of beliefs and ideas. On-campus organizations should be able to peacefully and respectfully gather, and the very fact that this needs to be stated is

disheartening.”

Rose wrote that the University will defend freedom of speech on campus.

“As an institution of higher education, freedom of speech is fundamental to our core mission; academic inquiry and the exchange of ideas rest on the principle that all have a right to express their beliefs,” his statement read.

OPINIONS Thursday, November 21, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2,5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

EDITORIAL: GIVE US A BREAK Building an effective calendar requires consideration for more than just the holidays themselves

jo myers pipe dream illustrator

Last week, the Student Association passed a resolution calling for Binghamton University to extend Thanksgiving break to allow students adequate time to travel home to their families.

Building an effective calendar requires consideration for more than just the holidays themselves.

Students and faculty both need, and deserve, enough time to travel and enough time to celebrate the holidays. When the schedule fails to account for this, students and faculty are forced into situations where they might have to decide whether to travel during the holiday or risk academic consequences — something that could easily be avoided.

We didn’t have a fall break

this year, and in times past, BU has closed the dorms in an attempt to prevent students from participating in Parade Day. This suggests that the school has considerable control over what days students have off, but that there was perhaps a lack of consideration for the logistics behind traveling home and then back to the Binghamton area.

While the University’s policy is to maintain a 14-week schedule each semester, with each day of the week having 14 occurrences per semester, they still have control over when those days fall.

Thanksgiving is an important family holiday for many, but the current academic schedule will also likely impact the

observance of religious holidays such as Easter, with students expected back in the classroom the Monday right after Easter Sunday. Be it for family or religion, many students and faculty who want to observe the holiday may be forced to sacrifice their time, potentially forgoing celebrating Easter at all. This issue occurred this semester with Rosh Hashana, which similarly forced students to pick between their faith and attending class. Although it’s great that BU recognizes its large Jewish population and gives time off for Jewish holidays, it’s made it difficult for them to be celebrated.

The issue extends to resident

assistants (RAs), who are often required to stay longer and arrive earlier than their non-RA peers.

After hearing student concerns about this year’s schedule, the University is attempting to mitigate this issue by reducing the number of Residential Life employees who have to return to BU early from 50 percent to 33 percent of its total staff.

Although this is a step in the right direction, it still means that some students are stuck choosing between their families and their jobs. They take up a role that requires more from them than the average student, but there’s no reason that being an RA should mean they have to skip out on holidays.

Travel time isn’t the same for every student and faculty member, either. There’s a difference for people who have to travel an hour versus those who have to drive five, especially for those who need to go through different forms of transportation and those who live out of state.

Having to return to campus the day after a holiday is certainly more feasible for those close to Binghamton, and near impossible for those many states away.

There’s also a discussion to be had on the lack of breaks BU students and faculty have had this semester. With little time to decompress, it’s been difficult for many to push through to the

end of their courses. The start of the semester and the end of the semester is malleable, and it’s much more useful to students to get more breaks throughout the academic year than it is to have a long break without classes.

These problems have already been amended in the 2020-21 academic calendar, but that doesn’t fix the issue for this year.

With Thanksgiving so close, the Editorial Board doesn’t expect the University to change its schedule now, but there’s still hope for later in the academic year. Easter is the next time in the academic schedule that poses this kind of conflict, and there’s still time for the University to give us one more day.

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.

Bolivia’s current elections are jeopardized by U.S. involvement We must acknowledge our history of interference in foreign governments Seth Gully Contributing Columnist

In the past month, the situation in Bolivia has changed from bad to worse. On Oct. 20, Evo Morales, the first indigenous president of Bolivia, won his fourth election by the necessary margin of 10 points to prevent a run-off election. “Run-off election” in a Bolivian election means that when multiple people are running to be president, if no one person receives 50 percent or more of the vote or wins by more than 10 percent over second place, then a second election will take place between the top two candidates. This came after the vote count by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal was paused for about 24 hours when Morales

had less than a 10 percent lead on Carlos Mesa, with only 84 percent of the count being complete.

Proponents of Morales argue this sudden jump is caused by the rural vote, which takes more time to count. But opponents argue that an audit by the Organization of American States (OAS), an international body made up of many varied North American and South American countries, found evidence of “clear manipulation” and security flaws.

Now, Jeanine Áñez, former leader of the Bolivian Senate, has proclaimed herself president following the line of succession after the vice president, following the Constitution of Bolivia. Áñez, a religious conservative, has already packed her cabinet with businesspeople and not a single indigenous individual, despite the indigenous community making up 40 percent of the population in Bolivia. This does

not help her image, as she has already been caught making racist remarks about indigenous Bolivians on Twitter before ascending to the presidency.

Nevertheless, much of the commentary on this issue has annoyed me, as I believe a crucial aspect is being missed. By hyperfocusing on this election, we will overlook the past and current external influences of countries such as the United States.

We should be very skeptical of what authority has to say about this election, particularly the American government, which time and time again has overthrown democratically elected governments around the world, but particularly in South America. Whether it be the CIAbacked coups of Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Haiti in 1959, the Congo in 1961, Brazil in 1964 and on and on, the United States has a deplorable track record

of coups and attempted regime change. All these insurgencies were arguably done in the name of U.S. capitalists and the military-industrial complex guised as fighting for “freedom” and “liberty” to merely instill right-wing dictatorships.

Furthermore, the U.S. government has lied to the public time and time again. The Iraq War, a war based on lies about weapons of mass destruction, has already occurred during our lifetimes. The act of U.S. regime change is not merely a fact of history, but a reality that persists to this day. That is why all of us should be very skeptical when the U.S. government, in particular, states “Bolivia did this,” “Iran did that,” “Venezuela did this.”

In South America more specifically, fascist coups either backed or supported by the United States include,

but aren’t limited to, Brazil, Guatemala, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Chile, Ecuador and so on.

Because of this past, skepticism is warranted. You don’t just accidentally overthrow a dozen countries here and there. It’s not a coincidence that leftists from the pink tide movement in Latin America are the ones targeted by U.S. empire with declared support for its downfall from its president. It is an orchestrated and systematic problem propagated by those industries that benefit from a corrupt political system.

Because of this history, we shouldn’t blindly trust the U.S. government declaring Áñez the legitimate president of Bolivia, just as we shouldn’t blindly trust the United States declaring the Bolivian election illegitimate.

We should always question the United States’ motives and statements. Those in power

always lie to protect themselves.

Bolivia is in the midst of a political crisis. Morales, the former president, is claiming asylum in Mexico after being forced out of the presidency by the military. Áñez, a staunch conservative, has seized the presidency without a vote.

Meanwhile, for the public, tensions run high and trust is low. It is important for the U.S. government to stay out of these affairs. We should not be backing Áñez, and it is not our job to influence the outcomes of foreign elections when we simply don’t like the outcome. And we must all stand up to demand this. Fascism, militarism and imperialism go hand in hand and we must fight to dismantle them.

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

bupipedream.com | November 21, 2019

OPINIONS

7

shutterstock

Freedom of speech does not extend to silencing others

BU protesters were exercising their First Amendment rights

Open discourse is the best way to air grievances

An ‘attack on freedom’ of speech isn’t a legitimate concern

privileged few.

Instead, and I need not go into the details here as you can easily find them elsewhere, I was greeted upon my arrival by a boisterous crowd intent wholly on shutting down Laffer’s talk in the name of “free speech,” which demonstrators continually chanted. I’m not sure where the poisonous idea that free speech is the same thing as enforcing the silence of others’ speech came from, but for the first time in my seven years at Binghamton University, I have been forced to confront this idea head-on.

The U.S. Constitution was a paradox in its writing, one which simultaneously developed a revolutionary system of limited self-government and a particularly virulent system of institutionalized racism and slavery. As a society, we still have a long way to go to overcome the historical injustices that minority communities have suffered. Decades of policies at federal, state and local levels in the forms of redlining and eminent domain seizures, among a myriad of others, have deprived many communities of intergenerational wealth transfers and created today’s socioeconomic disparities.

It is right for students to protest against racism; it is right for students to protest against the policies that perpetuate long-term inequities.

If the purpose of protesting Monday night was to highlight how the policies advocated by Laffer create economic inequalities, however, I didn’t personally hear

Laffer are my allies in this fight for free speech? I feel insulted by the suggestion that this could be true.

“Freedom of speech,” an inviolable principle of political democracy, has been turned into a political bludgeon by the political right. There is not a single student or student organization on campus that has the power to threaten the “freedom of speech” of someone like Laffer. Freedom of speech exists so that people like Laffer can be held accountable, not so that they can endlessly run the university lecture circuit. I was under the impression that student protest was considered a component of freedom of speech, and not evidence of “crazed leftism.”

When students yell, lack civility or use politically polarizing language, are they not exercising their right to freedom of speech? We may disagree politically and on what manner of action is appropriate to voice our views, but this disagreement is not one around the freedom of speech. Progressive student organizations on campus have their political views and goals, and clearly so do Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and College Republicans. Are we supposed to pretend these arguments will never result in protests, angry yelling or confrontation?

While the average BU student enjoys a relatively privileged

Robert Holaran Guest Columnist

Allow me to begin with a simple, but important point: Freedom of speech does not equate to freedom from speech. To quote esteemed former Associate Justice Louis Brandeis, “If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the processes of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.” If ever a place existed where the combined efforts of a community should be applied toward these sagacious words, it is on a university campus.

On Monday, Nov. 18, I went to see a talk by noted, if not minorly controversial, Reaganera economist Arthur Laffer. For me, as a faculty member with an interest in policy and economics, it was a chance to hear a firsthand defense of “Trump, Tariffs, Trade Wars,” the talk’s central purpose and title. Let me be clear — I am strenuously opposed to tariffs and trade wars as economic policy, though I certainly recognize their value in international political policy. Yet, we live in a time of all three, and it seemed a worthy intellectual exercise to hear one of the chief architects of the current trade war defend his perspective.

This is what an intellectual life is all about, and what the college experience affords the

HOW

DO

I

SUBMIT?

it. I simply saw people intent on shutting down discussion and shutting down debate.

How do you protest against a policy if you don’t know what that policy’s defense is? How do you protest against racism if you don’t engage the nuance of people in government who craft the policies that you believe are racist? On the flip side, how do you create policies that help to bridge racial and socioeconomic divides if you shut yourself off to real-world economic policymakers? The list of unintended consequences from well-intentioned policies is long; frequently what seems like an “obvious” solution is really anything but, when put to the rigor of intellectual debate. This is why speech is so important.

I believe strongly in the BU community and I have never had a reason to doubt our respect for intellectualism and respect for the rights of all students, faculty and staff. I still have no reason to doubt it, because in the 24 hours since I tried to attend Laffer’s event, I have been engaged in truly wonderful and free discussions with people throughout campus.

And that is what an intellectual community should do now — discuss openly and freely what happened, why it happened and how we as a community want to move forward. For me, the choice is obvious — more speech by more voices, attended and respected by more people.

Robert Holahan is an associate professor of environmental studies and political science.

Guest Column A full-length column that argues a particular point of view Can be a response to previously-printed columns 500-650 words in length

John-Paul Keblinski Guest Columnist

If you’ve been reading Binghamton Review headlines, you’ll know that “crazed leftists” have been preventing conservative students from expressing their right to free speech by forming a “leftist mob.” However, if you look a little closer at the real story, you’ll recognize the headlines and statements for what they are: an attempt to spin events in conservatives’ favor.

On Nov. 18, protesters shut down an event hosted

by Binghamton University College Republicans and Young America’s Foundation, who invited Arthur Laffer to speak on campus. If you’re familiar with Laffer, the most recent target of the “crazed leftists,” you may know that he was a key adviser to former President Ronald Reagan and an architect of the explosion in inequality that transpired under that administration.

Does that sound like someone who’s at risk of having their free speech taken away by college students?

Am I expected to believe that my freedoms, security and comfort are under threat from college protesters, and powerful and wealthy men like

Letter to the Editor A response to any of the content in Pipe Dream, including opinions columns, editorials, news, arts and culture and sports stories Should end with a signature (e.g. From, Your Name)

lifestyle, it is important to remember that political decisions affect people’s lives.

People like Laffer helped construct policies that hurt workers, while their superiors like Reagan went on racist rants behind closed doors. When Reagan dealt a death blow to the power of organized labor in America, the right did not protest the repression of their freedom of speech or right to strike. Rather, they celebrated the accomplishment of their political goal. When you choose to agitate for your political views, when you choose to bring archconservatives to campus, you have entered the sphere of public debate. I think that TPUSA and College Republicans should be allowed to say what they say. But I think if politics is to be understood as the serious matter it is, then rhetorical tricks using “free speech” as a bludgeon against “crazed leftists” should be off the table. Calling organized students “mobs” also strikes me as a deeply anti-democratic sentiment. If students of color, LGBTQ students and their allies see a reason to yell and protest, people should listen.

Disagreement is a natural fact of political life and is protected by freedom of speech — which is exactly what protesting students were exercising.

John-Paul Keblinski is a junior double-majoring in sociology and geography.

Voices A free-form piece that shares your unique story or experience Less formally structured than a column, meant to share an experience in a meaningful way, not necessarily to argue a point Varying lengths

Accompanied by a headshot portrait (taken by our photography staff)

200-500 words in length Optionally accompanied by a headshot portrait (taken by our photography staff)

Student artists honor Transgender Day of Remembrance Q Center sponsors ‘Art is Power’ exhibition Rebekah Ehrlich

contributing writer

Following Transgender Awareness Week, Binghamton University participated in Transgender Day of Remembrance by putting on the “Art is Power Exhibit” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20.

There were three parts to the art exhibition: a series of paintings that commemorated 22 transgender people who were murdered this year, 21 of whom were transgender women of color; a national exhibition from the organization Forward Together and a collection of artwork celebrating life and resilience by transgender and gender-expansive BU students.

Soleil Aster, director of Transcend and a senior majoring in geological sciences, also contributed to the exhibition with performance art.

Michael Burt, co-organizer of the event and a first-year graduate student studying social work, said the exhibition was set up in the Tillman Lobby of the University Union since many people pass through the building. He said the

event aims to raise awareness about transgender violence.

“When we were coming up with ideas, basically we’re thinking what would be the best way to bring awareness to the victims and also transgender violence in general and celebrate their lives, so we came up with this pop-up art exhibit[ion],” Burt said. “This is something that could very well happen here in Binghamton … We need to be aware and also be advocates for transgender people and use, as cis[gender] people, our power and privilege to help them and not put everything on the weight of transgender people to make a difference.”

According to Burt, people made portraits for the first display at a different event last week.

Transcend, a social group for transgender, nonbinary and genderexpansive students, created artwork for the third display.

“We had a lot of support from different parts of the campus, which is great,” Burt said. “We also invited our trans students on campus — they’re part of the group Transcend — to create works of art that celebrate their own lives and puts out their message and what they want to say.”

However, Aster expressed

concerns about the exhibition’s setup within the University Union.

The artwork displayed was confined to standing wall panels, which were set up near the entrance of the Mandela Room.

“It came to a point where it was last minute, some of these decisions were made that [the exhibition] would be enclosed,” Aster said. “I think some of it had to do with the protests and kind of like the escalated tension and I think some of the visibility for [BU] … They originally made a little box right here and they told me I had to stay in it. They told me it was for my safety. I told them I wanted to be visible because this is our chance to use our voice and so I went out here and they told me I couldn’t do it, and they told me I need to get back in or I needed to leave the exhibit[ion] and it was my choice … So now I’m out on my own and I feel much safer.”

Aster said she wants transgender people to have more control in the exhibition on a day meant for them.

“I appreciate the work that the Q Center put into letting us have this representation, it’s just one of those tough intersectionalities where even though it’s for us, does it get to include us?” Aster said.

“Do we get to have our say? I don’t

miya carmichael staff photographer A pop-up art exhibition was constructed in the Tillman Lobby to recognize Transgender Day of Remembrance on Wednesday.

know, it’s a tough balance for them and I think the Q Center has their hands tied a bit and it’s tough for me that the campus’ response to the hate and what’s escalating is to like hide us on our day.”

A candlelight vigil took place after the art exhibition at 5 p.m. on the Spine to honor the victims of anti-transgender violence. The

names of the 22 honored victims were read aloud, and Rev. Becky Drebert gave a speech, according to Alyssa Seigel-Laddy, undergraduate programming intern for the Q Center and a senior majoring in business administration. Drebert, a transgender activist, served at Trinity Memorial Church in Binghamton and is now an

episcopal priest in Bainbridge, New York.

Seigel-Laddy helped select Drebert as a speaker for the event.

“We got a speaker who’s an activist within the community,” Seigel-Laddy said. “They’ll be coming to speak because we felt that they were the most aware about this type of issue.”

Visiting Artist’s Speaker Series brings Malena Szlam to BU Szlam discusses her experimental films Kyle Reina

staff writer

The Visiting Artist’s Series, a national series that highlights a filmmaker’s work and invites them to introduce an audience to their films, visited Binghamton University on Tuesday evening to showcase a series of Malena Szlam’s landscape-inspired experimental films.

Szlam, a Chilean experimental filmmaker who works out of Montreal, visited BU to speak at the screening. Her films are primarily frameless and use moving image works. Tuesday evening’s collection was shot in a variety of films, such as 35 mm, which transitioned to digital, Super 8 mm and 16 mm. The main film of the series, “Altiplano,” was shot in 35 mm.

Szlam was invited for the series by the cinema department for her role in the field and her award-winning works, according to Tomonari Nishikawa, undergraduate director of cinema and an associate professor of cinema. “[Szlam] is one of the leading artists in this field,” Nishikawa said. “Her work has been shown at many prestigious venues, including International Film Festival Rotterdam, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and Hong Kong International Film Festival, and her latest film, ‘Altiplano,’ has won numerous awards.”

“Altiplano,” the longest film of the series and the only one with sound, studied the Andes Mountains with heavy editing to transform the landscape into a flurry of visual prospects. A frequent underlying theme throughout the series was time and the difficulty of understanding it, as well as nature. The films largely portrayed nature from different perspectives.

Liam Fitch, a junior majoring in cinema, said he enjoyed how nature played a role in the films.

“I thought it was really well structured,” Fitch said. “I really thought that the themes of depicting nature, or of capturing nature in an unconventional way with those infrasounds they were talking about, was very interesting with the tones of the earth and the ocean.”

Fitch said the use of quick editing and overlays stood out to him.

“I liked her use of overlay a lot, of the mountains and the scenery,” he said. “Sometimes she would put

a mountain right-side up in the reflection of the light so it looked like there were two horizons.

I know she likes editing and using the camera to make really quick edits.”

Each film focused on a specific aspect of nature. “Lunar Almanac” lays out the lunar cycle, with overlapping half-moons to create full moons. The only film to veer from nature as a focus was the

first installation of the series, “Chronogram of Inexistent Time.”

The film instead uses objects and heavily edited images of people to study stillness and motion.

Nishikawa took note of how the theme of time played a role in the film series.

“The theme of time expressed in her films is complicated,” Nishikawa said. “There is a sense of time that is similar to how

we would sense at these sites, and there is one that the viewer will experience in a cinema.

There is also a sense of time or duration that she has exposed a frame of the film, especially the part with the moon where the exposure changes from one frame to another.”

According to Szlam, a particularly tenuous part of the series was the sound used

in “Altiplano.” Szlam said she produced the sound by editing sounds of nature, such as volcanoes, geysers and Chilean blue whales.

“Producing the soundscape for ‘Altiplano’ was intense labor because we had a deadline of a week for it,” Szlam said. “I spent time in a studio producing the sound, and it was a lot of fun.”

Nishikawa said the screening

was a faithful representation of Szlam’s body of work.

“The program was very interesting, showing almost in chronological order so that we would get a sense of how her interests had changed, not changed, and how she had developed her ideas and skills, as well as how she had discovered new methodologies to work with a celluloid medium,” he said.

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kim gonzalez digital editor The Visiting Artist’s Series welcomes Chilean experimental filmmaker Malena Szlam.

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ARTS & CULTURE

9

Delta Sigma Pi hosts annual ‘Purple With A Purpose’ Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity, held its annual “Purple with a Purpose” charity event on Tuesday in Old Union Hall. The event featured performances by various campus organizations, club sport Kung Fu, Hula Hoop Club, Binghamton Glee Club and Masti. Members of the fraternity also participated in the ghost pepper challenge, where 10 members got on stage with cups of water and each ate a piece of a ghost pepper. All proceeds from the event went to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

ezra beede contributing photographer

HPC’s fall musical explores a life in two timelines ‘If/Then’ opens Thursday evening Krishna Patel

arts & culture intern

Have you ever found yourself wondering how your life would have turned out differently if you hadn’t switched majors, if you hadn’t pulled an all-nighter for a midterm or if you had actually said yes to that coffee date? This Thursday, the Hinman Production Company (HPC) will be performing its rendition of “If/ Then,” a musical following one woman, Elizabeth, and how one simple choice leads to two very different outcomes in her life.

Erin Stahley, co-director of the show, president of HPC and a senior double-majoring in English and political science, discussed how “If/Then” was more ambitious than previous HPC projects.

“Over the past few semesters, HPC has been starting to push the limits of our previous shows,” Stahley said. “‘If/Then’ is a larger production than what we might have done a few years ago, especially from a technical aspect.

For example, we did a lot of fun things to help the audience along the way to understand what’s going on with the two lives, like different lighting with our new LED lights.”

HPC performs its shows in the Hinman Commons each semester.

According to Stahley, the limited space and resources serve as a challenge for the cast and crew of “If/Then.”

“The thing that makes HPC unique is definitely our space,” Stahley said. “It’s small, so we have more of a black box [theater] feeling to our shows, which I feel is really special and unique and gives the audience a more intimate experience.”

Stahley explained how the limited space restricted cast size, thereby influencing the music in the show.

“We had to limit our cast size because of our space,” Stahley said. “We had a little difficulty getting the vocal parts to fit our cast size because a lot of the music requires everyone to be on their own harmony.”

Claire Mills, music director of the show and a junior majoring in music, helped adapt the vocals for the cast size.

“Since we have such a small cast, I had to go through every written vocal part and assign who I thought would best sing every line,” Mills said. “They’re doing such a great job — I’m so happy with it.”

Sydney Perruzza, a junior

majoring in psychology, plays the main character, Elizabeth.

Perruzza she said portraying two narratives at the same time can be a challenge.

“I feel like this is one of the hardest productions we’ve ever done,” Perruzza said. “There are a lot of elements to the show.

The music is really difficult, and for my character, her life splits in the first part of the show. You’re

watching the show, but there are two lives happening at the same time. We’re trying to make it so everyone understands that. This is one of my dream roles, so I’m so excited I get to play it.”

“If/Then” is a show about choices and the impact they have on the outcomes of peoples’ lives.

Stahley said the show’s message has resonated with her, especially as a college senior.

“The message of this show really speaks to me,” Stahley said.

“It’s about choices and fate. Being a senior in college, I have a lot of those things to think about, a lot of what-ifs and what is to come in the future. Should I be worrying about every decision I make, or should I just make a decision and let it take me somewhere, and that’s really what the show is about. It’s been really eye-opening

and has helped me a lot with senior year.”

Stahley said audiences can look forward to entertaining music, dance and a strong message.

“We have some really great dance numbers and vocals, and this show has a lot of really great messages that audiences can look forward to,” Stahley said. “You can expect to leave feeling like you saw something valuable and

have a new perspective on what it means to make a choice and where it can lead you. Even if you don’t trust the universe, hopefully you can learn to trust yourself and the decisions that you make.”

“If/Then” will be performed in the Hinman Commons at 8 p.m. on Nov. 21 and 22 and on Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for general admission.

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david grinberg contributing photographer “If/Then” explores the two potential life paths of Elizabeth, an urban planner seeking a fresh start in New York City.

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bupipedream.com | November 21, 2019

SPORTS

11

Rumble Ponies face elimination from Eastern League MLB plan calls for transfer of Mets’ Double-A affiliate Ryan Giglio

pipe dream sports

The city of Binghamton is set to enter the ring and fight to keep the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in the community.

A Major League Baseball (MLB) proposal, first reported

by Baseball America last month, would radically reorganize minor league baseball (MiLB) leagues across the country. If MLB gets its way, the four Single-A short season leagues would be eliminated, meaning 42 MiLB teams would no longer exist.

While the Rumble Ponies are the New York Mets’ Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League, MLB’s plan would make the Mets’ current Single-A short season team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, its new Double-A squad, leaving Binghamton without a team.

Rumble Ponies owner John Hughes, city of Binghamton Mayor Richard David and State Sen. Fred Akshar held a press conference at NYSEG Stadium on Monday and expressed their objections to the plan.

“This plan that’s been proposed by Major League Baseball is outrageous,” David said. “It’s unacceptable and we will fight tooth and nail to protect our team here in the city of Binghamton.”

Hughes said game attendance was not listed as a factor in the league’s plan; however, it is an area in which the Rumble Ponies have struggled. The Cyclones led their league last season by attracting an average of 4,848 fans per game, while Binghamton was last in the Eastern League with an average attendance of 3,000.

Despite the recent reports, Hughes said the plan has not been finalized and the team and city will be involved in every step of the fight.

“There has been no formal

provided by the press & sun-bulletin Binghamton Mayor Rich David, along with Rumble Ponies owner John Hughes and State Sen. Fred Akshar, addresses journalists at a press conference on Monday following reports that the Rumble Ponies could be eliminated from minor league baseball.

vote on whether a plan has been accepted by MiLB or has been approved,” Hughes said.

“That vote has not happened.

We will continue to be informed and educated as things move forward until there is ultimately a decision. I think we’re a ways away from a decision at this point.

But you know how negotiations

work — anything can happen.”

The MLB has expressed that one of its top concerns with MiLB is the condition of team facilities. However, the Rumble Ponies’ NYSEG Stadium is in full compliance with MiLB standards, per the team.

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and Hughes have invested $9.5 million in stadium renovations. David said the proactive renovations should put Binghamton in a strong position to keep its team.

The MLB has also voiced concerns with travel, geography and hotel accommodations for MiLB players, though Hughes

said none of these issues pertain to the Rumble Ponies.

David and Akshar said investing in NYSEG Stadium was a wise decision, citing the upto-standard stadium conditions.

They added there is nothing the MLB can complain about regarding the team’s facilities.

Akshar also criticized the

MLB’s plan, and said he believes the move is motivated by monetary gain.

“Shame on [MLB commissioner Rob Manfred],” Akshar said. “The fact that we would let a group of millionaires and billionaires turn small communities like ours on our heads is despicable and it’s motivated by one thing — greed.

That’s what it comes down to. The commissioner should be ashamed of himself that he would even suggest something like this.”

Under the proposal, each MLB team is expected to save $660,000 per season. Akshar called these savings a “rounding error” for a league that generated $10.3 billion in revenue in 2018.

“What this baseball team means to this community goes without saying,” Akshar said.

“It’s incredible what it does to our economy, what it does for the spirit of the people who live here and the fact that a group of millionaires and billionaires could make this random decision to upend communities is ridiculous.”

David described the Rumble Ponies as an “economic engine,” and said the MLB’s current plan would seriously hurt Binghamton.

“We actively have plans right now to invest and improve around the stadium,” David said. “The stadium has been an anchor for major public investment and we have plans to address some of the other blighted areas around the stadium.”

Binghamton was close to losing its team in 2015 before Hughes purchased the club and worked with the city to keep it in Binghamton. With its future in doubt once again, Akshar called on fans and community members to join the fight to save the Rumble Ponies at Monday’s press conference.

“What this minor league team means to this community is significant,” Akshar said. “We need the entire community — we need the Southern Tier — to stand up.”

RUMBLE PONIES

Possible MiLB exit SEE PAGE 11

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Sessoms’ go-ahead layup propels Bearcats past NJIT basketball from page 1 with under 10 to go, he struck, driving the ball down the lane and laying it up and in to give BU the lead with only 2.2 seconds to go. The Bearcats went on to win the contest 77-75, capping off a comeback victory in which they were down by as many as 16 points in the second half.

“It was a heck of a win, it really was,” Dempsey said. “For sure, Sam played a big-time game, but it was the contributions of everybody else that was just as significant. I thought we had really good contributions from our entire starting lineup.”

Sessoms took charge of the game for the Bearcats (2-3 America East), contributing both offensively and defensively to the team’s effort. He garnered 33 points and 12 rebounds in the contest, his second straight double-double and the second of his career. The most important defensive contribution Sessoms made was a key block down low on senior guard Shyquan Gibbs with 31 seconds left to keep the game knotted at 75.

The other two Bearcats to score in double digits were freshman guard Brenton Mills and freshman guard Hakon Hjalmarsson, who had 17 and 10 points, respectively. Mills and Hjalmarsson each made some 3-pointers in the first half to keep the Bearcats within striking distance in the contest.

“I thought Brenton [Mills] did a good job giving us a spark

Freshman guard Brenton Mills scored a career-high 17 points in Binghamton’s comeback victory over NJIT.

throughout the game,” Sessoms said. “There were moments in the first half where they were about to blow the gates open on us, but Brenton [Mills] and [Hakon Hjalmarsson] [made]

some [3-pointers]. I thought I did a good job finding them.

I think it was a great team effort today.”

In the first half, the Bearcats had no answer for the scoring

prowess of Brinson and junior guard Zach Cooks, who both scored the vast majority of the Highlanders’ points in the contest. NJIT (2-3 AE) converted 50 percent of its shots from the

rose coschignano photo intern

field in the period, resulting in 43 first-half points given up by the Bearcats. Binghamton was only down by eight points at the break, but similar lights-out shooting from Cooks early in the second

half plunged the Bearcats into a 64-48 hole.

Then, the Bearcats’ defense started to click. NJIT reached the 64-point mark with 12.5 minutes to play, but the Highlanders scored only 11 points for the remainder of the game. During that span, Cooks scored just three points. A 12-0 run powered by Sessoms, Mills and Hjalmarsson brought the Bearcats right back into the game, setting up Sessoms’ heroics at the buzzer.

“I told our guys coming in here that it was going to be a very difficult road win to get, and that we were going to have to match their passion,” Dempsey said. “I didn’t think we did that early, but I did think we responded.”

The Bearcats’ win represents the second consecutive game in which BU came back from a double-digit deficit, as the team was down 15 points to Sacred Heart in its first win. Given this, Sessoms believes that the team has the resilience necessary to be successful down the road.

“Obviously I played well in the second half, but it was a great team effort,” Sessoms said.

“Most importantly, it’s a young team, and that was a very gutty win. I would rather win like that than win by 20 points.”

The Bearcats’ next game is a home matchup against Army. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Wrestling defeats South Dakota State in first dual meet Sessoms scores go-ahead layup with 2 seconds to go Justin Zion

sports editor

In a weekend trip to compete at South Dakota State University last weekend, the Binghamton wrestling team had a couple of successful outings. The Bearcats (1-0) won their first dual match of the season on Friday and had two wrestlers place second at the Daktronics Open on Sunday.

Six Bearcats won their bouts in the dual meet against the Jackrabbits (0-1). Headlined by a major decision from redshirt sophomore Lou DePrez and a win by fall for redshirt sophomore Joe Doyle, the Bearcats defeated South Dakota State 25-16.

“The dual meet that we won on Friday, I think we did really well, [winning] six out of 10 matches [and] losing a couple close bouts,” said Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff.

In the Daktronics Open, senior Anthony Sparacio reached the semifinals of his weight class

before medically forfeiting out of his last match, and Doyle reached the finals of his weight class to come in second to redshirt senior Bobby Steveson of Minnesota.

“There were a few matches that I wish we had been on the winning side of,” Borshoff said.

“We didn’t have a couple of our better guys competing [Sunday], but everyone on the team got some matches. We wrestled a lot of guys that we probably won’t see otherwise — Big Ten guys from Nebraska, Minnesota [and] South Dakota and North Dakota. It was a good mix for us.”

Redshirt sophomore Zack Trampe and DePrez, two of BU’s NCAA qualifiers from last season, did not compete in the open after winning their bouts in the dual meet.

Doyle was the Bearcats’ top finisher at the event, taking second in the heavyweight class.

He earned a win by fall in his first bout and a major decision in the second before falling in the first place bout. Borshoff said Doyle did a great job controlling the match and winning positions.

Sparacio’s performance also

stood out to Borshoff, as he placed fourth in the event in his weight class. He faced five opponents from Minnesota, defeating three and falling in one before a medical forfeit in the third place bout.

“That guy is constantly attacking, is always [on] offense,” Borshoff said. “We just have to clean up some of his finishes, but he had a good day.”

The tournament provided a chance for the Bearcats to compete against talented opponents while preparing for the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) competition.

“We need to improve our rate of attack,” Borshoff said. “We’re wasting too much time sitting back and allowing our opponents to dictate the way they want the match to go instead of us being offensive.”

Next Saturday, Binghamton will return home for a marquee matchup against No. 9 North Carolina State. The match will serve as the nightcap of a doubleheader with the men’s basketball team, who will take on Army immediately before.

“The season for us is a

marathon, all these matches for us are practice to get ready for the conference championship and national championship,”

Borshoff said. “For the most part, we’re just gonna go out and wrestle hard.”

The match against the

Wolfpack is set to begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23 at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

sidney slon assistant photo editor Redshirt sophomore Joe Doyle placed second in his weight class at the Daktronics Open after earning a win by fall in Binghamton’s dual meet against South Dakota State two days prior.

College football week 12: winners and losers Justin Zion Sports Editor

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, and with it, the end of the college football regular season. The few teams still in contention for the College Football Playoff only have a handful of games left to make their case. Here’s how the most recent week of college football went down: Winner: Oklahoma The marquee matchup in week 12 sure lived up to all of the hype.

No. 10 Oklahoma at No. 13 Baylor was billed as an elimination game between the two best teams in the Big 12, and both teams certainly played like their

playoff hopes were on the line.

The Sooners especially showed their grit and determination to stay in the playoff hunt by not throwing in the towel when they went down by 25 points in Waco, Texas. Oklahoma gave up no second-half points to the Bears’ potent offense and scored the final 24 points of the game to secure a major road win. After 12 weeks, Oklahoma (9-1, 6-1 Big 12) finally has a standout victory on its résumé and has the inside track to a Big 12 championship …

Loser: Oklahoma … But despite the Sooners’ big accomplishment, the selection committee saw fit to only move them up one spot in its rankings, putting them in ninth. The come-from-behind victory did not give the Sooners the boost in the rankings they

were hoping for. Oklahoma still sits behind No. 6 Oregon and No. 7 Utah and is even still ranked below No. 8 Penn State.

Clearly, the committee is saying that it does not put much stock in the Big 12’s strength and that it still holds Oklahoma’s loss to floundering Kansas State against it. If beating an undefeated Baylor team in Waco isn’t enough to impress the committee, I don’t know what would be. The way it looks, the Sooners would need a lot of help to get into the playoff at this point, and I’m very doubtful they’ll get it.

Winner: Michigan Not many people have been paying attention to No. 13 Michigan over the past couple of weeks, but the Wolverines (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten) have been dominant in their last three games or so. Two of them were against fierce rivals,

Notre Dame and Michigan State, and the Wolverines conquered both of them by large margins.

Michigan’s average margin of victory in its last three games is 32 points. Defensive coordinator Don Brown’s defense is shutting opponents down, while senior quarterback Shea Patterson is settling into a rhythm that’s allowing this offense to hum.

Even though Ohio State still has Penn State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten) on its schedule, with the way Michigan is playing, you could argue that the Wolverines are the toughest obstacle in the Buckeyes’ path right now. And you know Jim Harbaugh will relish the chance to land a blow to Ohio State’s perfect season and earn his first victory against Michigan’s fierce rivals to the South.

Loser: Alabama For the second time in two

games, No. 5 Alabama’s season took a big hit. In week 11, the hit came in the form of the Crimson Tide’s loss to LSU, their first home loss in four years. This past week, the hit took the form of an injury to a key player. Junior quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a dislocated hip in Alabama’s game against Mississippi State on Saturday, an injury that will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Mac Jones is expected to step into the starting role for the remainder of the year.

Jones performed admirably in his single start this season, when Tagovailoa was nursing an ankle injury, throwing for 235 yards and three touchdowns against Arkansas. However, it is obviously very doubtful that Alabama (9-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference) will be as good with Jones under

center as it was with Tagovailoa.

The Crimson Tide already needs help to make the College Football Playoff, and this costly injury isn’t doing them any favors.

Honorable Mention: Oregon State Every Power Five conference seems to have that one team that’s perennially terrible. The Big 12 has Kansas, the Big Ten has Rutgers and the SEC has Vanderbilt. In the Pac-12, the distinction usually goes to Oregon State, a program that won only nine games from 2015 to 2018, but this season things are turning out differently. The Beavers are 5-5 through 10 games this year and are only one win away from becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013. Sometimes it’s the less important things in college football that are the most interesting.