Fall 2019 Issue 27

Meet artist, entrepreneur and motivational speaker Kristen Nicole Mann, See page 7

Thursday, December 5, 2019 | Vol. XCVI, Issue 27 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

TEDx selects student speaker

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

University shuts down ahead of snowstorm

Daniel Mathews to talk about personal storytelling Jane Mou

contributing writer

TEDxBinghamtonUniversity is returning for another year in March, and organizers have chosen its student speaker, who aims to explore stories people tell themselves about themselves in his talk.

David Mathews, a sophomore doublemajoring in integrative neuroscience and philosophy, will be the 2020 student speaker for the TEDxBinghamtonUniversity conference.

Each year, TEDxBinghamtonUniversity selects one student speaker who has “an idea worth sharing” through an application and interview process.

Lorin Miller, one of the directors for TEDxBinghamtonUniversity and a sophomore double-majoring in English and Italian, said this year’s selection for the student-speaker role was competitive and a difficult decision to make.

“We received a record number of student-speaker applications this year,” Miller wrote in an email. “Of those 28, we invited 12 applicants in for interviews, where candidates gave us a pitch of their

see tedx page 3

pipe dream archives

Binghamton University students trek through the snow in the wake of a winter storm.

Thanksgiving travel plans disrupted by winter storm Zirong Chen

contributing writer

As Winter Storm Ezekiel blanketed much of upstate New York in snow,

Binghamton University administrators and students made adjustments to arrive back on campus safely.

Immediately after Thanksgiving, BU experienced its first snowstorm of the fall semester. According to The Weather Channel, the storm was a bomb cyclone, meaning its barometric pressure dropped significantly in 24 hours. As a

storm’s pressure decreases, the strength of the storm increases.

The storm first hit the University on Sunday and continued through early Tuesday morning. Vestal received roughly 11 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

To help students travel safely from home to Broome County, University

officials sent a B-Alert on Friday announcing the cancellation of Monday classes. According to Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, canceling class and opening residence halls early was a decision made by several University offices, as well as state-level

see snow page 4

BU conducts second controlled deer hunt Wellness professor breaks record Student inventor talks card game success Up to 50 deer were hunted over Thanksgiving break Brendan Enochs & Lily Kolb pipe dream news

Binghamton University’s Nature Preserve closed for the second year

in a row over Thanksgiving break as bowhunters came to campus to hunt deer in an effort to combat overpopulation in the area.

A Nov. 26 B-Line email announced that the Nature Preserve would be closed on Nov. 30 for a controlled deer hunt while students were away from campus for Thanksgiving. Binghamton’s New

York State University Police blocked off the entrances and exits to the Nature Preserve to prevent people from entering the area as one group of bowhunters, vetted by the University, were allowed to enter and remove up to 50 deer.

Since this the second time the hunt has taken place, Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations,

wrote in an email that the feedback this year was more accepting.

“In general, the response was overwhelmingly positive,” Yarosh wrote.

According to the University’s deer management plan, the overabundance of deer can be attributed to the extinction of

see deer page 3

William Clark discusses anxiety, stress before finals Jacob Kerr

As Good As It Gets offers safe-for-work party game

news editor

The Guinness World Records now reserves two spots for a Binghamton University professor — first for ripping license plates, and now for bending metal spikes.

William Clark has spent his life focusing on personal health and fitness through weightlifting. After racking up multiple international medals for lifting, Clark became an adjunct lecturer in health and wellness studies at BU. On Tuesday, Clark set his second Guinness World Record as he bent seven metal spikes in a one-minute period, breaking the previous record of four.

However, Tuesday’s event meant more than just breaking records for Clark.

“This record means absolutely nothing to me,” Clark told the crowd before he attempted the record feat.

“At this stage in my career, what is another record? Unless I can attach it to something bigger, something more important.”

That “something bigger” for Clark is spreading awareness for dealing with mental illnesses like anxiety.

Patrick Earns

assistant arts & culture editor

In a crowded industry of party games propelled by the success of projects like Cards Against Humanity, Nick Pellegrino, creator of Game Quill, LLC and a sophomore double-majoring in computer science and mathematics, is intent on breaking through.

Game Quill, LLC’s first offering, As Good As It Gets, is a card game that Pellegrino has been working on since high school. The deck is broken into “GET” and “BUT” cards, with each player receiving four of each. In each round, a new player becomes the judge, and the other players pick a “GET” card that they believe the judge would like, which is then passed around the participating players until the judge tells them to stop.

Each player then chooses one “BUT” card, which puts a condition on the terms of the “GET” card. For example, a deal offered to the judge using cards from the deck might read “You are immortal, but

see game page 7

Nick Pellegrino founded Game Quill, LLC to sell As Good As It Gets, his new card game.

ARTS & CULTURE

zachary canaperi contributing photographer

OPINIONS

see record page 2

SPORTS

Get tangled up in a good cause this weekend,

A look at December’s First Friday lineup,

Contributing columnist Hanako Montgomery analyzes cultural appropriation in dance,

Unbeaten women’s basketball defeats Eastern Michigan,

Men’s basketball snaps winning streak with two straight losses,

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 10

SEE PAGE 10

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

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

Police Watch

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FALL 2019

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

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Traffic stop FRIDAY, Nov. 22, 11:30 p.m. — Officers conducted a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle in Parking Lot Y in Mountainview College. While speaking to the driver, the officers observed a 30 pack of Bud Light and a bottle of Bacardi in the vehicle. Four students were inside the vehicle, three males and one female, none of whom were above the age of 21. One of the passengers was also in possession of a forged driver’s license. Officers obtained consent to search the vehicle and did not find any other contraband. The driver was issued a speeding ticket, and the alcohol and fake license were confiscated.

I’m ‘Vodka’ years old SATURDAY, Nov. 23, 1:30 a.m. — Officers responded to a call from Hunter Hall of Mountainview College regarding an intoxicated person. Upon arriving, officers observed an unconscious intoxicated college-aged male lying in a stairwell around a heap of vomit. The officers woke up the male and he was coherent enough to speak. He said he was visiting campus from Penn State University and trying to find a friend in Marcy Hall. He could not remember where he had been drinking. When asked how old he was, the male responded by saying “Vodka,” responding in a similar manner when asked other questions by the officers. Harpur’s Ferry eventually responded and evaluated the male, who was transported for further medical treatment because of his high level of intoxication. No charges were filed.

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SATURDAY, Nov. 23, 3:19 a.m. — Officers responded to the West Drive taxi stand near the University Union after receiving reports of a cab dispute. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers spoke with the cab driver, a 43-year-old male. The driver said he gave three students a ride, and upon reaching the destination, two students left without paying, while the third remained and argued with the driver. The officers then spoke to the student, who said his group asked the driver if they could pay with a credit card, and that the driver initially agreed. Upon arriving at their destination, the driver said he would only take cash. The officers found the other two students walking near the Admissions Center, and provided them transportation to a Visions Federal Credit Union ATM. The students withdrew cash and paid the driver. The cab driver did not press charges following the payment. One of the students was in possession of a forged New Jersey driver’s license, which was confiscated and destroyed.

Just some bros blazin’ SATURDAY, Nov. 23, 10:40 p.m. — Officers responded to Endicott Hall of Newing College for a marijuana complaint.

Officers spoke to the resident assistant (RA) on duty, who made the call. The RA reported smelling an odor of marijuana coming from a room. Upon knocking on the door, the RA heard people moving around inside, but the door was not answered.

Officers knocked on the door and announced themselves as UPD. Initially there was no response, but eventually, a male exited the room and claimed he was a visiting friend, and that the resident of the room was down the hall in the bathroom. Officers spoke with the resident and the visiting friend, both of whom denied knowledge of marijuana usage, despite having bloodshot and watery eyes. Eventually, after some conversation, the resident student admitted that they were smoking marijuana, produced a bag of marijuana and a glass pipe and admitted ownership of the items. The items were confiscated.

Clark breaks second Guinness World Record record from page 1 Throughout his talk, Clark said anxiety and stress are not things to fight, they are things to learn to live with.

“I know I may look calm and cool, but I’m about to throw up,” Clark said. “I’ve been through this enough times, I’ll tell you the difference is this — I am comfortable being uncomfortable.”

In August 2018, Clark ripped 23 license plates in a minute to set his first Guinness World Record.

After he finished speaking on Tuesday, he performed an extra demonstration of lifting his son in the air and simultaneously ripping an entire deck of cards.

Then, he left to change into his dirty jeans so he could attempt the world record.

With encouragement from the crowd and loud yelps of his own, Clark bent seven chalkedup spikes over his quadricep area.

One of the students watching the performance was Helen Najjar, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering. She previously took Clark’s weightlifting class, and said she was so inspired by his motivational talks that she decided to help spread his message as Clark’s social media coordinator.

“I got involved because I

believe that [Clark] is a genuine instructor on this campus who has a strong passion for helping anyone who needs it, whether it be advice about how to handle an issue in life or a question about fitness and lifting,” Najjar said.

Najjar said she was most fascinated by Clark’s ideas of connecting anxiety and excitement, and thought this is an important concept to keep in mind heading into finals week.

“He talked a lot about the idea that there is no difference between anxiety and excitement,” Najjar said.

“I thought this was extremely interesting. In our minds we can be anxious and stressed out and at the same time, be excited by telling ourselves that we can overcome that stress. Going into finals week, I am definitely going to implement some of the techniques that he mentioned.”

The event was part of the University’s Stress-free Bing initiative, implemented with the aim of providing students with mental health and wellness events around finals season.

Owen Collier, a resident assistant in Dickinson Community and a senior majoring in Spanish, brought some of his residents to the event to de-stress.

“It’s also a little bit more outside of the ordinary programming that happens

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at [BU], so I thought it was a good thing to expose people to and show them what else is happening in the community,” Collier said. ”It was unlike anything I’ve seen and it was interesting to see how his mentality on facing anxiety, on facing stress [and on] facing fear

can be translated across more things.”

One of Collier’s residents, Ivy Lu, a freshman majoring in geography, said she almost did not attend the event, but was thankful she did after hearing Clark’s motivational advice.

“Now, with finals coming up,

everyone is really stressed out, especially me,” Lu said. “[Clark] really taught a lot about anxiety and not giving up and how to stay on track. It’s great to even hear it from someone like him who is super accomplished [but] he feels anxious and gets stressed out too. It’s very inspiring.”

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NEWS

3

TEDx student speaker to discuss self-imaging tedx from page 1

tyler gorman pipe dream photographer Binghamton University’s second controlled deer hunt took place in the Nature Preserve over Thanksgiving break.

BU officials say deer population threatens Nature Preserve health deer from page 1 historical natural predators such as wolves and mountain lions in the region, as well as human alteration to the environment, which has caused increased habitat fragmentation. The plan states that the Nature Preserve currently contains about 260 deer, but research suggests a healthy campus can only sustain 15 to 20 deer.

The deer management plan outlines the effects of an overabundance of deer.

The overpopulation has resulted in a loss of many species of wildflowers and a layer of vegetation underneath the forest canopy. Additionally, because deer eat tree seedlings, the ecosystem has lost its ability to regenerate. This has led to declines in small mammal populations and the disappearance of many ground-nesting birds in the Nature Preserve.

Kassidy Robinson, a senior majoring in environmental studies, said she knows about the deer overpopulation problem because of a

tour she took as a freshman.

“The guide pointed out that there is a lack of understory vegetation and a clear browse line present at about four feet, which is the reach of a deer,” Robinson said. “After learning all of the detriment to the forest they cause due to their overpopulation, my image of them shifted and I wanted to know what could be done.”

A controlled hunt took place for the first time last year, between Dec. 16 and Dec. 18, while students were home for winter break. It was the first action taken by the University to deal with the deer problem since proposing a cull in 2011. The cull never happened because it was met with backlash in the form of a lawsuit from Charles Carpenter, a former English professor at BU, and In Defense of Animals (IDA), a national nonprofit organization. The case eventually made its way to the New York State Supreme Court where the court ruled against the University, halting any plans for a cull.

The past two years have been

considered controlled hunts, not culls, because culls generally involve baiting or trapping deer before killing them and need to be repeated for several years. After the controlled hunt, the bowhunters are free to choose what they want to do with the deer, including the option to give back to the local Binghamton community through food pantries.

The bowhunt is deemed by the University as the most humane and plausible way of controlling the deer overpopulation, according to its management plan. Relocating often results in mass survival issues because of stress, and other solutions like sterilization are not affordable for the University.

Robinson said while hunting can seem cruel, she supports the decision in the long run.

“Though many perceive deer hunting to be inhumane, there is a net benefit to reduced populations of deer on campus as well as a direct benefit to deer populations overall,” Robinson said.

talk.”

Miller said the four TEDxBinghamtonUniversity directors chose Mathews as the 2020 student speaker because he was well prepared, lively and entertaining.

“As directors, we look for speakers who not only have an idea worth sharing, but who can present their idea[s] in an accessible way while keeping the audience engaged,” Miller wrote. “Mathews was the candidate that did both of those things best.”

Mathews said the main idea behind his talk is to explore how people envision themselves.

“It has to do with the fact that what we think and what we remember has a lot to do with who we are today,” Mathews said. “The different questions some of these memories bring up, the different concepts that they bring to mind and the different parts of ourselves that we see in these specific stories all have a lot to do with who we are today.”

Mathews attributes some of his fondest memories to growing up in New Hartford, New York, and said his childhood played a large influence in creating the idea for his

talk.

“My upbringing had a large part to do with my talk,” Mathews said. “Most of the stories that I will be bringing up will be from earlier [in] my childhood so where I’m from definitely has a large impact in my talk.”

In his free time, Mathews said he enjoys listening to podcasts and videos discussing new ideas, specifically in psychology and philosophy.

“Psychology is [a field] that I can see myself in,” Mathews said. “Right now, I’m pre-med trying to pursue [a career] in psychiatry.”

Mathews said he feels that the TEDxBinghamtonUniversity platform is a great way to get ideas across because of its accessibility to the student body. He said he values diverse opinions and believes in personal growth through interacting with these perspectives.

“The reason why I applied for this talk is because I went to last year’s conference and was really impressed by all the diverse speakers they had,” Mathews said.

The 2020 TEDxBinghamtonUniversity event will be held on March 22 on campus.

Editor’s note: Miller contributes to Pipe Dream as a copy editor.

rose coschignano photo intern David Mathews, a sophomore double-majoring in integrative neuroscience and philosophy, will be the 2020 student speaker for the TEDxBinghamtonUniversity conference.

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NEWS

bupipedream.com | December 5, 2019

Students face bus delays because of weather snow from page 1 weather officials. “[We] met as a group three times over the course of this current weather emergency,” Rose wrote in an email. “It was this group that provided early notice of Monday class cancellation, that mobilized resources to open residence and dining halls early and that encouraged a return to campus on Saturday ahead of the storm. We spent significant time over the holiday weekend giving due consideration to all interests.”

As residence and dining halls opened a day early, some

students, such as Grace Moon, an undeclared freshman, decided to leave early to get to BU before the weather worsened. Moon said because she was worried about the road conditions, she thought it was best for her to arrive on Saturday.

“I went home on Wednesday and I planned to come back on Sunday afternoon,” Moon said. ”However, I got the text that there would be a huge storm and school was going to be canceled so this freaked out my parents. I was actually going to take the bus back, but I was worried about the road conditions and I convinced

my parents to drive me back to BU early on Saturday.”

But others, including Steven La, an undeclared freshman, stayed home and faced travel delays as the snow and ice made the roads to Binghamton dangerous. La said he made plans ahead of time and did not want to leave early, a decision that ultimately caused difficulties in his travel.

“After hearing about the storm, my parents panicked about how I was going to get back,” La said. “They wanted me to get back to BU on Saturday, but that would ruin my plans to meet with my

friends over the weekend. I stuck with my original plan of leaving on Monday, but the buses got delayed until Tuesday. I finally got back on Tuesday evening.”

University officials ultimately canceled Tuesday classes before noon as the storm pushed on.

Since La’s classes were in the morning, he didn’t miss any classes because of the bus delays.

But the delays prompted many students to call for the University to cancel class for Tuesday entirely. A petition on Change. org created by Kailey Williams, a junior majoring in psychology, noted that students should not

risk their safety trying to get to their classes in the afternoon.

The petition reached around 4,000 signatures, but Rose said clear weather for almost all of Tuesday enabled maintenance crews to clear the roads in time for afternoon classes.

Connor Gallagher, an undeclared freshman, said he was forced to skip class because of the bus schedules. He initially planned to come back to campus through ESCAPE Bus Company, a student-run charter bus company that drives students home to regions in New York City, Long Island and

Westchester. However, the delays to the ESCAPE buses caused him to miss class.

“The weather postponed the bus by two days and I couldn’t leave until Tuesday,” Gallagher said. “The bus ended up being three hours late, so I hitched a ride with other people. When I first heard about the storm, I was okay with it because that just meant I would be home for a couple more days — but when I ended up missing class, it was horrible. I do wish they just canceled class for everyone on Tuesday because of how the buses worked out.”

Bartle Library to undergo asbestos removal in 2021 Forum solicits student input on renovations Rachel Tavares & Rebekah Ehrlich pipe dream news

Part of the Glenn G. Bartle Library will undergo renovations starting in July 2021 to remove asbestos and perform extensive mechanical updates.

Faculty leading the library’s third-floor renovation designs are considering student input to create a study space best suited for studying. The project has a four- to five-year timeline and, although it is still in the planning phase, is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

According to the Binghamton University website, the renovations will include asbestos abatement and the installation of new flooring, ceilings and lighting.

Mechanical systems and energy management systems will also be upgraded, and the third floor will be connected to the existing south stair tower.

The third floor is currently home to an adaptive technology room, reservable group study rooms, open group study rooms and individual study carrels.

The Student Library Advisory Committee (SLAC) is a campus organization that allows for communication between students and the University Libraries.

Megan Benson, SLAC creator and instructional outreach librarian at BU, wrote in an email that the organization values student ideas.

“I started [SLAC] this semester in order to gain student input concerning library services, resources, spaces and policies,” Benson wrote. “Members are both undergraduate and graduate students and we meet twice a semester.”

Benjamin Levine, a firstyear graduate student studying geography, was nominated to join SLAC this semester.

He said he is looking forward to a quiet space for reading newspapers and periodicals after the renovation.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to get involved with the future of an important campus space,”

Levine said. “Since joining, I’ve enjoyed listening to the input of library staff and other students on current library space and its future. I’m learning a lot about how University Libraries work.”

Benjamin Buchanan, a junior majoring in computer science, said he hopes to see more group study rooms in the space.

“I know sometimes it’s hard to get one when things are busy, and maybe adding more rooms would help with that congestion,” Buchanan said.

Jordan Dundas, a first-year graduate student studying accounting, said she thinks having more outlets would be beneficial to the students who prefer to study in the library.

“I’d love to see more outlets,” Dundas said. “One of the hardest parts of studying in the library is the lack of places to charge my laptop and it would make life a lot easier.”

Other students, including Samantha Ziesel, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, agreed. Ziesel said the renovation is needed.

“I’m happy they’re redoing the third floor,” Ziesel said. “I think it’s time for them to clean the place up. Along with the new changes, I hope to see new desks with lights underneath and chargers.”

SLAC is asking students for their opinions on the changes via an online form, which can be found in the news and events section on the University Libraries website. The current form asks students about colorcoding preference for the new floor plans.

In addition to the form, University Libraries has hosted three open forums this semester, one on Nov. 21 and two on Nov. 22, with the goal of presenting information about the renovations and gaining feedback from students, faculty and staff. According to Benson, some of the feedback from the meetings might be used in the final plans for the renovations.

“We heard some fantastic ideas that we’ll be passing along to the design team,” Benson said.

Jill Dixon, associate University librarian for public services and collections, said

The third floor of Glenn G. Bartle Library will undergo renovations beginning July 2021.

many students have already expressed interest in a variety of study spaces.

“The renovation will allow us to transform the floor into an innovative, inviting space for study, teaching and research,” Dixon said. “Students are interested in group study rooms, an enclosed quiet study area and a quiet lounge area for reading. They also want to have access to our books and lots of outlets. In [SLAC], the students expressed interest in the Digital Scholarship Center and provided ideas for workshops.”

The Digital Scholarship Center would expand the digital scholarship services currently offered through the University, which provides research practice and digital creative activities while educating students and faculty through workshops.

Dixon said students who want more information on the renovations or are interested in participating in a focus group about the changes should contact her.

rose coschignano photo intern

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

Participating in Greek life can force some to choose between parts of their identity Fraternities and sororities can feel exclusionary to those with multiple backgrounds Willa Scolari Contributing Columnist

As you walk around campus, you’ll see bold Greek letters embroidered on some students’ apparel. These letters show which Greek organization one belongs to and may also highlight how membership in a particular Greek council reflects their ethnic or racial identity. While these organizations provide a sense of home and comfort for many students, they also demonstrate the segregation of students by membership in some Greek councils.

There are seven Greek life councils at Binghamton University to oversee the 56 fraternities and sororities, some of which are ethnically or racially oriented.

These councils include Asian Greek

Council, Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek and Fraternity Council, National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Panhellenic Council and Professional Fraternity Council.

While students should have the ability to choose an organization that reflects their ethnic or racial background, the ethnic and racial division in BU’s Greek life emphasizes that division in student life. While these organizations are home and comfort for many students, those separation of councils can be problematic because it could force people to choose between two parts of their identity.

It is both common and normal for people of the same background to gravitate toward one another.

This is called ethnic nepotism, which is defined as “a human tendency for in-group bias or ingroup favoritism … for people

with the same ethnicity within a multiethnic society.” Ethnic nepotism strengthens a human’s identity; it is understandable why one would gravitate toward the people who look like them, and hence, most likely experience life similarly to them. People drift toward people who are similar to them because it’s easier to connect with them and form relationships. A Yale University study about identity states that, “Generally, people act more favorably toward persons who share with them an important attribute of their identity compared to persons who differ significantly on that attribute. For example, fans of the same sports team give each other high fives but jeer fans of a rival team; enthusiasts of certain musical groups may work more readily with those who share their preferences than with others.” Race is a key attribute of people’s identity, so it makes sense that it is common for people of

the same race to connect, bond and come together. While I think it is beneficial for people to find a group of people and a place they can fit in, the segregation in Greek life is not always advantageous for everyone — particularly for someone like myself who doesn’t fit the mold.

I am an adopted Chinese woman who has grown up with a white parent. I’ve struggled with my identity in the sense that I have had my feet in two different worlds: my Asian heritage and my Caucasian family, which is dominant because of the environment that I grew up in. To some people, I am whitewashed and not Asian enough. That was especially emphasized when I began exploring Greek life at BU. Because of who I am, and the family in which I was raised, I found it frustrating that I did not fit into any Asian sorority because I am seen as too “white”

and Americanized. A place where one could normally find people and a place to call home wasn’t an option for me. Understandably, “Asian” Greek life tends to only hang out with their organizations and “white” Greek life tends to hang out with their organizations, creating a very distinct separation.

While I recognize that having different backgrounds warrants the separation between organizations, I was disappointed that I had to choose between them. I wish there were a group that was integrated so I didn’t feel I had to choose which part of my identity to favor.

Organizations that are meant to bring people together and give them clarity about their identity actually did the opposite for me.

This might not be a popular opinion, but it’s one that has been felt by other people at BU. In speaking to a close friend of mine, she noted that, “People go to college and want to fit in, and

it’s easy to fit in by race. However, it also establishes cliques that can come off as less racially open. I wish there was more diversity, because I am not proud about it, but the idea of feeling judged by other Asians as whitewashed, or vice versa, you can never win … It’s weird to just seemingly choose one.”

Culturally, ethnically and racially oriented Greek life is not completely negative. It can strengthen the representation of people of color, foster pride and provide a place to develop everlasting friendships. However, based on my and others’ experiences, I think there are problems with the current segregation of Greek life at BU. Having to choose between two important parts of one’s identity is hurtful and not what Greek life is supposed to be.

Willa Scolari is an undeclared freshman.

Can we depend on RateMyProfessors.com to help pick our classes?

The website can help design a better schedule — but not a perfect one Sophia LoBiondo Contributing Columnist

I use RateMyProfessors. com obsessively. I came into Binghamton University as a freshman with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. As an undeclared major, I knew that my first year would be spent getting my general education requirements out of the way and taking classes to explore my interests. I discovered RateMyProfessors.com before signing up for classes and have used it as a crutch ever since. It was seemingly foolproof during the fall semester of my freshman year and I spent hours carefully

choosing classes based on the general education requirement they satisfied, if it sounded interesting and, most importantly, what score the professor received online. If the professor did not get good reviews, I wasn’t interested.

With so many options to choose from, I eventually crafted my “perfect” schedule, every professor with excellent ratings, confident that I had worked my way through scheduling classes successfully. I was lucky. Every professor matched exactly to what I read on the website. “Easy A?” Absolutely. “Attendance matters?”

Sure does. “Wonderful person?”

Without a doubt. I may have been lucky my first semester of college with the help of RateMyProfessors. com, but students should be wary of just how much they rely on this website. As I myself am still

learning, it is a tool to help you, not a foolproof system.

RateMyProfessors.com lets students write anonymous reviews for their professors based on several criteria, including a numerical score ranging from one to five, level of difficulty also ranging from one to five, whether or not they would take the class again and short tags that best describe the professor and their class, such as “lecture heavy,” “caring” and “participation matters.” These reviews can be extremely helpful to gain insight as to how a professor teaches and what to expect in a class before deciding to commit to it.

Professors can significantly impact students and their overall performance in a class, which is why many students find themselves relying heavily on

RateMyProfessors.com as well as on insight from fellow students who have taken the class. A 2010 study suggests that students who have a positive view of their professors and are able to form a relationship with them outside of the classroom often have a stronger desire to study, increased confidence in the material and may come to enjoy learning. While ratings on RateMyProfessors. com may help in describing the general impression students can have on a professor, every individual interacts with others in a way unique to them. Therefore, an individual may find that they get along well with a professor other students generally do not like. Personality ratings on RateMyProfessors.com should be taken into consideration; however, this should not be the

deciding factor on whether or not the student should take the class.

A feature of RateMyProfessors. com that may be more helpful allows students to understand the teaching style of the professor. Regardless of whether or not someone liked the professor or the class, there are usually commonalities in reviews about what to expect in terms of teaching style, pop quizzes, if participation makes up a significant portion of the grade, how many tests there are and more. These are factors that would usually be included in the syllabus, so it is helpful to know this information ahead of time before signing up for the class.

Some students know that they are not good test-takers or that they experience significant test

anxiety that can impede their ability to perform well in the class, so RateMyProfessors.com may help them avoid signing up for a class that is test-heavy.

RateMyProfessors.com reviews should not always be the deciding factor on whether or not a student should sign up for a class. While it may be helpful to gain valuable insight as to what you may expect in a class, every individual has a unique perspective, and you may find yourself thoroughly enjoying a class that received mixed reviews from students. RateMyProfessors. com can be used to guide you in trying to make a schedule, but don’t let it deter you from a class you really want to take.

Sophia LoBiondo is a sophomore majoring in political science.

Is sharing cultural dances with others an act of cultural appropriation?

Salsa and stepping are examples of how cultural dances diffuse in college Hanako Montgomery Contributing Columnist

Cultural appropriation in performing arts has long been debated, especially in cases where cross-cultural borrowing teeters on stealing for economic gain.

The most outlandish examples of cultural appropriation in dance, such as Miley Cyrus’ adoption of twerking to rebrand herself, are easily identifiable. The artist took a culturally significant aspect of dance to popularize her identity, making it profitable for her musical career. But what about the more subtle examples of crosscultural “borrowing?” Take, for instance, those who practice salsa

dancing in ballroom competitions who aren’t from Cuba, or nonblack fraternities practicing strolling or stepping. Where is the line of cultural appropriation drawn then?

Some argue that no harm is caused in dancing different cultural styles for fun, and that placing restrictions on who can dance in certain ways would diminish freedom of expression.

shutterstock

But wouldn’t ignoring a dance’s history be diminishing its significance?

Let’s analyze salsa. Salsa is a dance, as well as a musical style, with deep Caribbean and African roots. Its origins date back to approximately the 1900s in Cuba, combining various musical styles and elements. Its two main styles are Cuban Son and Afro-Cuba rumba, which utilize a plethora of instruments that gives the music great complexity and depth. Some 50 years later, the style reached Havana, where salsa began absorbing influences from other local Cuban music and American jazz. When the revolution in Cuba began, many musicians fled to the United States, namely to New York City. Salsa musicians would develop another community there, what is known today as El Barrio.

The music and dance provided a voice for those who sought refuge from the Communist Party in Cuba. It gave the artists both freedom and a memento of home in new environments.

Stepping is another dance form with a long history. Though predominant in African and black communities, it has now spread to Latino, Asian and other multicultural fraternities. West African slaves, brought to the United States in the 17th century

by British and French imperialists, began developing this unique dance tradition. According to Ofosuwa Abiola, an assistant professor of theatre arts at Howard University, “The dance tradition in

this region [America] incorporated foot percussion, swift movement, leaps and simultaneous body movements.” Stepping blends African dance with dance as practiced by American slaves, resulting in a narrative form of Southern plantation life.

African gumboot dance is also one of stepping’s biggest influences. The modern form of stepping as we know began in the early 1900s when fraternities and sororities in the National PanHellenic Council, alternatively known as the Divine Nine, used songs and dance as a call and response to energize audiences.

It’s now become a point of pride and identity for organization members. Knowing this, how is a dance form as rich in history as stepping practiced by nonblack or non-African Greek organizations?

I asked other Binghamton University students for their thoughts. One student said, “I like it when Asian or Latino frats and sororities stroll, but it doesn’t invoke the same feeling in me when I see [Divine Nine] organizations do it. But also, in my opinion, strolling is such a small plus about being Greek. I think too much attention is focused on this now, and members don’t remember why they joined their organization in the first place. Those groups emerged from fighting for human rights, or to educate members of their community. Strolling is just a plus. When members do stroll, I think it’s important they put in the same passion their founders

did when starting it.”

Some students also recognized that there is room for crosscultural understanding, if gone about in a respectful way. As another BU student responded, “I think it’s important that people who do stroll make an effort to learn about its history and to recognize that there is a story behind what they’re doing. I don’t know how long nonblack and [nonAfrican] organizations have been doing the stroll — I don’t want to say they shouldn’t be allowed to do it, because there is a shared history of racial discrimination among all minority groups, but people should be aware of their actions.”

Culture should never be denied, nor should it be silenced. It’s an aspect of our society that allows for vast examples of individualism, as well as community building.

When culture is warped, whether it be for purposeful economic gain or mere naivety, it eradicates people’s roots. The voices that dared to speak loud enough to share the culture would be buried under ignorance.

But in a similar manner, we should be flexible to allow for cross-cultural borrowing. Global art has the potential to draw alliances that transcend racial differences, bringing the people of the world under one, unifying category: human.

Hanako Montgomery is a senior double-majoring in Asian American studies and Japanese studies.

Local artist’s success stems from move to Binghamton Kristen Nicole Mann is a painter and entrepreneur Calendra Scahill

assistant arts & culture editor

A local artist has paved her own way to success — and her move to Binghamton sparked her journey.

Kristen Nicole Mann is a Binghamton-based painter who focuses her work on African American women. Mann said her unique art style is a reflection of her culture and what she saw was lacking in the art community.

“I would describe my art as being abstract in technical terms, but I kind of created my own style as time went on,” she said. “A person like me, that looks like me, I want us to be represented in the correct way, the correct manner and not always in historical terms, but what black women are dealing with or inspired by, or just being as beautiful as she can be through a day-to-day task or life in general.”

While she mainly works with canvases, Mann also paints on different objects, including denim jackets, hats and earrings. She does custom work, but often collaborates with local organizations to share her experiences and art with the community.

Although Mann has long had a passion for art, she didn’t always make it a priority. By the time she was 4 years old, she knew she enjoyed painting, but was discouraged from pursuing painting as a career when her friends and family shared their concerns about her dreams.

“People were telling me that I wasn’t going to make a lot of money,” she said. “They didn’t understand what the art industry was like. They didn’t accept it really too well.”

After an abrupt reality check, Mann tried to pursue a more conventional career path and majored in journalism and

ezra beede contributing photographer Kristen Nicole Mann, a local artist, followed her dreams of being a painter and entrepreneur after moving to Binghamton.

business. She even worked at a law firm for a few years and thought she would become a lawyer, but nothing compared to how she felt about painting.

“I just kind of suppressed it and that was probably the worst thing that I could have done for myself, because I went down this path of trying to replace that void that I was feeling with different things like bad relationships and going out and partying,” she said.

However, Mann said her creative spark returned after she moved to Binghamton to raise her son.

“One day I just snapped out of it and I was like, ‘Let me go get supplies and see if I still have it,’ and I went and I just started painting whatever came to my mind,” she said.

Once Mann started creating, she couldn’t stop. For fun, she shared one of her paintings

on Facebook, and that’s when she knew she had to fulfill her passion. “[People] were going crazy over this basic piece that I thought was crap, but they thought it was great and they started asking how much,” she said. “It was so fast that I was like, ‘I have to do something with this,’ so I was like, ‘I’m going to come up with an art show.’

I didn’t know anybody, I didn’t have resources in Binghamton — I just kept putting it out there.”

But it wasn’t easy at first. New to Binghamton, Mann didn’t know much about the local art scene. She said she has made her own mark on the artistic community, combating the idea that events such as First Friday are the only venue for emerging artists to showcase their work.

“I would say I influenced [the art scene] because there was this

distant or divided type of nature that I was starting to recognize in the art community here,” she said.

Seeing this gap, Mann decided to create her own art show to allow other artists to showcase their talents. By networking through Facebook, Mann gathered a few artists for her first show, which gained a crowd of about 60 people.

However, Mann said they had no idea she was behind the magic.

“They didn’t know who I was,” she said. “I kept hearing them in their conversations, [and] they were like, ‘Who threw this together? Who is this person?’ and I would come up to them and I would say, ‘It’s me, my name’s Kristen.’”

After gaining local buzz, Mann received more recognition when the Broome County Urban League donated a building in Downtown Binghamton for her

art shows. From then, Mann regularly hosted shows directly competing with First Friday, and added live music, poetry readings and local vendors to her events.

Now Mann has grown into her role as an artist and has evolved her work, coordinating with the United Way of Broome County and Binghamton University. She served as an adviser for the curation of BU’s current art exhibition, “not but nothing other: AfricanAmerican Portrayals, 1930s to Today,” and hopes to work with the University again in the future.

Mann is also the founder of 1VersatileChic, her own painting business, and Grow.

Bloom.Project, a project aimed to help local entrepreneurs find their following. She is also the owner of Mannifest, an online boutique, and a motivational

speaker.

“It’s really branched out into more meaningful projects which made a world of a difference to me because I wanted it to mean something, so I’m very pleased with how the journey has went with that,” she said.

Through Grow.Bloom.

Project, Mann said she hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams like she did.

“We continuously grow and we continuously bloom, but we’re always going to be a project,” she said. “I just starting seeing people blossom.

It really created an atmosphere where people were getting out of their comfort zones and growing into who they’ve really been all along.”

Along with these projects, Mann runs a podcast titled “Karefully Kreated,” where she discusses her childhood and everyday thoughts. Mann said her podcast is a relaxing outlet for her to show another side of herself.

“I wanted to have a fun way of expressing my emotions in more of [a] conversational way,” she said. “If a person relates, they relate, if they don’t, maybe the next episode they will, so it’s really a therapeutic thing for me to talk about my opinion and put it out there because maybe other people feel the same way.

You don’t always have to look at a painting to get to know me. I want you to know all of me.”

Mann said she hopes her work will inspire young artists to follow their dreams no matter what obstacles they may face.

“I want the generation that’s coming up now in Binghamton to know that they are able to achieve anything that they put their minds to,” she said. “It’s your determination that gets you to a point of living in your perfect life in your passion.

I want them to see someone like them and to know that it’s possible, and to know that they can do so much with the gifts that they have.”

Sophomore entrepreneur brings card game to market game from page 1 over the course of one year you slowly turn into a potato.” The judge chooses the scenario they would like the most out of the available options, and the player who chose the “GET” card receives a point. The game is won when one player reaches five points.

The result is a game that’s easy to learn in a few rounds, which was Pellegrino’s original goal. As Good As It Gets allows players to join in while the game is in progress, which makes it ideal for party atmospheres where participants might be jumping in and out.

“I started Game [Quill, LLC]

over the summer because I was working on this in high school, and people really liked it,” Pellegrino said. “The joining in and falling out kind of thing while the game’s in motion, that’s kind of something you can get with Cards Against Humanity, and I really like that, so I wanted to try a different spin on it.”

By the time Pellegrino graduated high school, his working prototype of the game had become popular enough in his social circle that he had a list of nearly 100 people who were interested in buying a copy. He said part of his decision in choosing Binghamton University was based on the support

he was able to find in becoming an entrepreneur, mentioning Hawley Street’s Koffman Southern Tier Incubator and Tony Frontera, a hot spot entrepeneur-in-residence at BU and a lecturer of business administration in the School of Management, as vital sources of assistance.

“When I was choosing a college and ended up choosing here, I wanted a place where I could find the resources to kind of get myself forward in business even though this business and graphic design stuff isn’t my major,” Pellegrino said.

To aid his business skills, he has participated in business pitch

competitions, including the New York Business Plan Competition, which took place last spring.

Pellegrino took first place in the Consumer Products & Services category at regionals, and earned a trip to the finals in Albany.

Even though he did not win, the opportunity allowed him a chance to network with investors and solicit feedback on how to improve his business model.

Based on the recommendations of interested investors and feedback he has received at game conventions, Pellegrino has expanded his inventory to include expansion packs with additional cards, as well as a junior version of

the game suitable for children under 12. Despite the junior version, the original As Good As It Gets is safe for work and doesn’t have the explicit cards that often stand out in more controversial party games. Pellegrino said this helps him target an underappreciated market that has been the core of his early sales.

“I’ve learned that … the target market is actually the parents of teenagers [or young adults],” Pellegrino said. “They want something that is fun for the young adult, but also they don’t want to play Cards Against Humanity with their teenager. They don’t want to play a mature game.”

Pellegrino noted three key aspects that he considers crucial to the game’s chance at broader success.

“It’s got the rules on the back, so there’s no paper to lose,” Pellegrino said. “It is quick and simple to learn. And people can join in and drop out while the game is in progress, which kind of already makes you start thinking, ‘Oh, I can see how I would use it then.’”

Game Quill, LLC’s online shop, gamequill.com, is currently closed as orders are manufactured, but interested customers can contact Pellegrino through the site for updates. The original As Good As It Gets game starts at $29.99.

bupipedream.com | December 5, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE

8

Local competitors to let their hair down at annual event Eight salons will compete in this year’s ‘Hair Warz’ Krishna Patel

arts & culture intern

Every year, the holidays ring in the season of giving. Charitable events like food and clothing drives are happening nearly everywhere, providing students and community members opportunities to give back to the local and global community. In true holiday spirit, the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) will be hosting its ninth-annual Hair Warz to raise money for its organization.

According to Mary Kaminsky, director of development at STAP, the organization has more than 1,000 clients, many of whom live well below the poverty line. STAP

provides prevention services and outreach for people who are HIV positive or have AIDS. STAP also works with Southern Tier Care Coordination to run syringe exchanges, a food pantry, housing, transportation to appointments, a youth center for LGBTQ youth and allies called Identity and numerous other programs and initiatives. Hair Warz is STAP’s annual fundraising event in which eight local salons compete to create the most outrageous and show-stopping hairstyle.

Kaminsky said she originally got the idea for Hair Warz 10 years ago at a conference for local AIDS resource agencies.

“One of the groups had done a hair competition and I thought, ‘What a great idea,’” Kaminsky said. “They shared with us that they didn’t have a lot of success with it and they shared why.

That’s what helped me when I decided to create Hair Warz here.

This collaboration of groups was really instrumental in starting Hair Warz.”

Kaminsky also explained why STAP decided to work with hair salons.

“We know that a lot of conversations happen in salons,” she said. “It’s a very intimate relationship that people develop over time with their stylists. We thought, who better to partner with than these people who can spread the word about what we do? It was a great collaboration.”

This year, eight local salons and multiple models plan to compete. The competing salons are given the freedom to choose their own theme and walk-out music. Kaminsky said Hair Warz has expanded throughout the years.

“We have salons coming from Ithaca and Pennsylvania — our reach is getting further,” she said.

“Salons spend a fortune and put in countless hours, so it’s a lot that we ask of them to do this.”

This year, the event will have two judges who will travel to Binghamton from Rochester.

“L’Oréal sponsors our event and provides a judge for us every year, so the judges are artists who are very well respected in the community,” Kaminsky said.

Kaminsky emphasized the reach of Hair Warz in the community.

“What’s really valued is conversations that our stylists will have within their salons about us and what we do,” she said. “And the money that we raise will help us do the work that we do and help countless people in the area.”

Apart from raising money for STAP, Kaminsky said Hair Warz highlights the talent of local hairstylists.

“It’s amazing to see this kind of talent — you feel like you’ve gone to the city, and we try to bring a piece of that right here with the

runway show,” Kaminsky said.

Hair Warz will be taking place this Sunday, Dec. 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Downtown Binghamton. The doors open at 3 p.m. and the show runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are available online for $35.

facebook This year’s Hair Warz will see eight salons compete at the DoubleTree Hotel on Water Street.

Student bands and holiday fun: December’s First Friday De-stress before finals with local art and culture Lakhsmi Chatterjee arts & culture intern

With the stress of papers and finals around the corner, try passing the corners of Binghamton’s Artists’ Row to take a break from it all. Check out our monthly First Friday roundup for an assortment of relaxing galleries and events to destress with on Dec. 6.

Dec. 6 at Community Options Inc. (182-184 State St.) The “Noise Ratio” exhibition will feature a collection of work by artist Luke H. Dec. 6 — Feb. 1 at Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts (186 State St.) “Sweet 16,” an anniversary group show, will feature work

from multiple artists as Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts celebrates 16 years of representing artists from all over the world.

Dec. 6 at Atomic Tom’s (196 State St.) The Binghamton Live Songwriters Series will feature live music performed by John Kanazawich with feature act Honker and guest songwriters, which might escalate into an impromptu jam session with surprise guests.

Dec. 6 — Jan. 27 at the Orazio Salati Studio & Gallery (204 State St.) The holiday group show will feature photographs from Greg Chianis and David LoParco, drawings from Wayne Claypatch, ceramics from Fern P. Lynn, laser relief sculptures from Justin Kovac and small sculptures from Marie LoParco.

Dec. 6 — Jan. 2 at Southern Tier AIDS Program (208 State St.) “Perspectives” will feature various local artists in an exhibition dedicated to uplifting artists of color.

Dec. 5 — Dec. 21 at Cooperative Gallery 213 (213 State St.) The Annual Holiday Show will feature supporting and exhibiting members and will sell gifts and art.

A workshop for children to make gifts will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 14. Memberships cost $35.

Dec. 6 — Dec. 20 at The Memory Maker Project (215 State St.) The Memory Maker Gallery will have art and prints created by people living with memory loss for sale. All sales support art programs for people living with memory loss.

Dec. 6 at Garland Gallery (116 Washington St.)

Singer-songwriter Pat Raube will perform and all art on the wall will be sold at 30 percent off.

After the scavenger hunt, kids will be invited to the ballroom for a holiday-themed craft activity.

Nov. 12 — Dec. 24 at Mabel D. Orr Fashion Boutique (118 Washington St.) The “Electric Holiday Gifts” shop will be selling clothes, handcrafted jewelry and gifts.

Items are made by Mambu Design and Sandora Chappelle.

Nov. 14 — Jan. 5 at the Roberson Museum and Science Center (30 Front St.) “Home for the Holidays” will feature hundreds of trees lighting up the Roberson Museum and Science Center. Roberson will also be offering special seasonal planetarium shows and tours.

Dec. 5 — Dec. 28 at Artisan Gallery (95 Court St.) “Celestial Bodies: de revolutionibus orbium coelestium” will feature stellar images provided by the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center.

Dec. 6 at the Phelps Mansion Museum (191 Court St.) The Phelps Mansion Museum’s Elf on the Shelf, Dash, will have a scavenger hunt and invites families and children to visit the museum.

Dec. 6 — Dec. 31 at the Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.) The “Tall Boy and Other Paintings” exhibition will feature acrylic and oil paintings by artist David Hull.

Dec. 6 at the Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.) Student band Jackfruit will be playing from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Bundy Museum Annex.

Dec. 6 — Dec. 31 at Gallery 131 (131 Main St.) “Seasonscapes” will feature an art exhibition and silent auction featuring the art of Cary Fellows in partnership with Community Baptist Church. Proceeds will go to “Stroll for Cole” and the “Walk to Defeat ALS.” Dec. 6 — Jan. 31 at Binghamton Photo (32 Cedar St.) The “From Within Dreams” exhibition will feature silver gelatin prints by artist Matthew R. Browning.

Nov. 1 — Dec. 31 at the Marcy Swartz Gallery (5 Riverside Drive) The work of Patricia Evans’ students at Broome Community College will be on display at “The Best Faces,” which will feature portraits of suffragettes, Holocaust victims, Underground Railroad passengers, war veterans and Native Americans.

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Fire Man rises

Daniel Eisenhower

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Sudoku

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

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Release Date: Thursday, December 5, 2019

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

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Me on my last night at the bars

COMIC CLUB

A place For Everything Comics! everyone is welcome! comicclub@binghamtonsa.org

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ACROSS 1 Distillery mixture 5 The Flyers’ Gritty, e.g.

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Women’s basketball breezes past Eastern Michigan BU earns second-best start in program history Samantha Marsh

assistant sports editor

Facing an aggressive Eastern Michigan team, the Binghamton women’s basketball team extended its season-opening winning streak to eight, knocking off a tough opponent from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Bearcats (8-0) defeated the Eagles (2-5), 78-67.

“The team that we played today, Eastern Michigan, was very scrappy, very athletic and I think we did really good at staying together as a team and getting this big win,” said sophomore forward Annie Ramil.

Ramil was fierce from the get-go, scoring six points in opening four minutes to contribute to the Bearcats’ 14-3 game-opening run. She finished the game with 10 points and 11 rebounds, BU’s first doubledouble of the season, and Ramil’s second in her career. Ramil is now fourth in the America East in rebounding.

“I’ve been working with

[assistant] coach [Devan] Newman and all the other coaches on attacking stronger and more aggressively, and I think that just worked for me this game,” Ramil said.

Three Bearcats, including Ramil, senior guard Kai Moon and junior forward Kaylee Wasco, were in double figures, and nine players contributed to scoring overall. Prior to the game, Moon was honored for scoring her 1,000th career point on the road in the team’s previous game. Senior guard Carly Boland and senior guard Karlee Krchnavi each had eight points. Boland also had two blocks, putting her in seventh in the America East in blocks.

Sophomore guard Hayley Moore saw the court for just 39 seconds, but in that time, she was able to secure a 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the third quarter, putting BU up 62-44.

“We call [Moore] ‘Bang Bang’ because she can shoot it,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “She can knock it down, and [Eastern Michigan] hadn’t really seen her very much, and we just knew that she’d be open.”

Moon led the Bearcats with

21 points, marking the seventh time that Moon has seen more than 20 points in a game. She leads the America East with 194 points and finds herself tied for second in the NCAA for points per game, averaging 24.3.

Things were up in the air at the beginning of the match for Moon, as she committed two fouls in less than four minutes, sending Eastern Michigan’s sophomore guard Jenna Annecchiarico to the free-throw line. But the tables turned when Annecchiarico sent Moon to the free-throw line twice and fouled out with just under three minutes left in the game.

The Bearcats were strong from the free-throw line in their victory. Eastern Michigan committed 26 fouls, resulting in 27 BU free-throw attempts. The team made 21 of them.

Freshman guard Zahra Barnes was sent to the line three times, going five-for-six and ending the game with seven points, one rebound and one steal. Wasco was sent to the line three times and went sixfor-six, contributing to half of her 12 points. This marks the second time this season Wasco has gotten to double digits in scoring.

“They were a scrappy team,” Wasco said. “They were sending us to the line, and seven minutes into the first half, we were shooting at the line, so we took advantage of that. Every day in practice, every time we finish a drill, someone is shooting free throws, so we’re just constantly getting reps in. Free throws make a game.”

The Binghamton win overshadowed the performance

by Eastern Michigan’s redshirt junior guard Areanna Combs, who scored a game-high 29 points. This was Combs’ Eastern Michigan debut, and she recorded the highest-scoring game by an opposing player at the Events Center so far this season.

The victory over the Eagles marks BU’s second-best start in program history. Shapiro Ord attributed the successful start to the team’s camaraderie.

“We have kids who trust each other, who take care of each other,” Shapiro Ord said.

The Bearcats will look to extend their winning streak in a matchup against Cornell on Thursday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Newman Arena in Ithaca, New York.

sidney slon assistant photo editor Sophomore forward Annie Ramil saw the second double-double of her career over the weekend, recording 10 points and 11 rebounds in the Bearcats’ win against Eastern Michigan.

College football week 14: winners and losers Justin Zion Sports Editor

Week 14 featured many great rivalry games across the college football landscape, some of which provided a lot of clarity to the College Football Playoff picture.

Here are the winners and losers of week 14 of the college football season.

Winner: Ohio State If there was any doubt as to who is the best team in the country, those doubts were erased on Saturday when No. 1 Ohio State rolled past their archrivals, No. 13 Michigan, with extreme ease.

Michigan (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) had been playing tremendous football

over the past few weeks and were facing the Buckeyes (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) at home, but none of that mattered. Ohio State moved the ball up and down the field at will, putting up 56 points without much resistance. There’s an argument to be made for No. 2 LSU being the best team in the nation, but after beating No. 10 Penn State and Michigan in back-to-back weeks without difficulty, there’s no doubt in my mind that the Buckeyes are at the top of the totem pole.

Loser: Alabama For the first time in the era of the College Football Playoff, the Alabama Crimson Tide will not be one of the four teams selected to compete for a national title. This was ensured when No. 5 Alabama fell in the Iron Bowl to No. 15 Auburn.

Alabama’s offense played well enough to win the game, scoring 45

points, but the Crimson Tide (10-2, 6-2 Southeastern Conference) got in their own way against the Tigers (9-3, 5-3 SEC), committing several unforced errors, including an illegal substitution late in the game to seal Auburn’s victory and end Alabama’s playoff hopes. The Crimson Tide played a weak schedule this season.

Only two of the opponents they faced are currently ranked, and Alabama lost both of those games.

It’s almost unthinkable to say this of Nick Saban’s team, but what I’ve seen from Alabama this year leads me to a simple conclusion: This year’s Alabama Crimson Tide is not an elite team. The selection committee seems to think so too, dropping them to 12th in the latest rankings. As a result, the Crimson Tide will likely be spending their postseason in the Cotton Bowl.

Winner: The College Football

Playoff Selection Committee Thanks to losses by Alabama and No. 8 Minnesota, the selection committee’s job just got easier.

A one-loss Alabama team always presents the committee with a difficult choice to make, but Auburn took that potential snag out of the equation. Minnesota’s loss to No. 12 Wisconsin took the Golden Gophers (10-2, 7-2 Big Ten) out of the playoff picture as well.

Strong wins by No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 9 Baylor ensure that the Big 12 champion will be a one-loss team after those two teams clash this Saturday. Potential tough decisions do remain, such as what to do if LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC), Ohio State or No. 3 Clemson lose their championship games, or who to put in between the Big 12 champion or No. 5 Utah. But overall, the playoff picture is much clearer now than

it was prior to this week, and that always benefits the selection committee.

Loser: Intense rivalries The Iron Bowl aside, Saturday’s rivalry games were hardly exciting.

It’s not unfair to expect both teams in a rivalry game to bring the best intensity they can muster, given that they’re going up against the team they hate the most, but too many of the week’s rivalry games were awfully one-sided. Ohio State trounced Michigan, No. 4 Georgia rolled past Georgia Tech, Clemson (12-0, 8-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) romped past South Carolina and Oklahoma (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) won comfortably over No. 21 Oklahoma State. Each of those winning teams extended long winning streaks against the teams they beat. For a rivalry to be at its best, the two teams involved need

to be on relatively even footing, and we didn’t see that across most of the games this weekend, which was disappointing, to say the least.

Honorable Mention: North Carolina I mentioned at the beginning of the season that it would be a remarkable story if Mack Brown’s return to North Carolina resulted in a turnaround, and that’s what Brown managed to achieve this season for the Tar Heels (6-6, 4-4 ACC). After beating up on NC State on Saturday, North Carolina has won more games this year than in the past two seasons combined. Its six wins this season also makes the Tar Heels bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. Turning a two-win team into a six-win team represents the first step to potentially building the North Carolina football team into a respectable program.

Men’s basketball drops games to Loyola (MD), Colgate Mills hits five 3-pointers in home loss to Raiders Edward Aaron

assistant sports editor

Facing the defending Patriot League champions, Colgate, the Binghamton men’s basketball team trailed for much of the game.

In what ended as an 82-74 loss, the Bearcats (4-5) kept the game close against a top regional opponent.

“We talked about it the last couple of days, that they were an NCAA tournament team with all of their guys back,” said BU head coach Tommy Dempsey. “We viewed it as a team that would have a chance to win our league.

As you look toward league games in January, February, we viewed Colgate as a team that would be in the top tier for sure of our league.”

The Raiders (6-3) led for 85 percent of the game, and the Bearcats were forced to battle back.

“I was proud of our players,” Dempsey said. “I thought we did a lot of good things out there, came back, battled back. We played hard for 40 minutes.”

The Bearcats’ leading scorer on the season, sophomore guard Sam Sessoms, was held in check by the Raiders’ defense for the entire game. He scored just nine points, shooting 4-for-15 from the floor and 1-for-9 on 3-pointers.

“That’s gonna be the focus,” Dempsey said. “They’re gonna

come in and they’re gonna design their defense around trying to make him have a tough night.

I thought we did a good job sharing the ball. Other guys really got involved.”

With Sessoms taking a back seat in scoring, two Bearcats stepped up with strong performances. Most notably, senior forward Pierre Sarr scored a career-high 24 points, as well as 11 rebounds to complete his double-double. His previous career high was 16 points.

Three-pointers were a struggle

for most of the team, but freshman guard Brenton Mills stepped up.

He went 5-for-7 from beyond the arc as part of a 21-point effort, also a career high. Prior to the game, neither Mills nor Sarr had ever scored 20 points in a game.

“We’re not by any means a one-man show,” Dempsey said.

“We have a really special point guard and we have a lot of guys around him and I think that was on display tonight.”

The first half ended with the Raiders holding a 40-31 lead,

but the Bearcats closed the gap throughout much of the half, tying the game at 71 with a 3-pointer from Mills with just four minutes remaining. However, an 11-3 run closed out the game for the Raiders. Despite an 82-74 loss, the Bearcats competed from start to finish against one of the top midmajor programs in the region.

“We had a lot of guys contributing, and that’s what it takes,” Dempsey said. “You need a lot of guys that can make plays and this team has a lot of guys that

lucas peterka contributing photographer Senior forward Pierre Sarr recorded a double-double with a career-high 24 points in the Bearcats’ loss against Colgate on Wednesday night.

can make plays. We still to need to continue to improve defensively.”

Wednesday’s game marked the second consecutive loss for the Bearcats. Last Tuesday, the team earned its fourth consecutive win against Division III Oneonta, but had its streak ended on Sunday

by Loyola Maryland. Freshman

forward George Tinsley led the Bearcats with 24 points in the 7765 loss to the Greyhounds (5-4).

Next up for the Bearcats is a matchup against former America East member Boston University on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.