Fall 2017 Issue 23

Thanksgiving

recipes beyond the Monday, November 20, 2017 | Vol. XCII, Issue 23 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

turkeySee page 6

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

BU Council discusses diversity, admissions Student representative raises concerns on code of conduct Orla McCaffrey News Editor

to their Quran study series and holds a banquet every semester. Occasionally, the organization teams up with other multicultural and religious groups on campus to plan volunteer events.

“After break, we are pairing up with Hillel for a charity and volunteering event, which involves making blankets for the homeless,” Qayyum said.

“We love doing interfaith community service events, since it shows different faiths coming together to serve one purpose, to help those in need.”

The organization also aims to serve as a

Last Friday’s Binghamton University Council meeting was scheduled to focus on admissions and athletics. A considerable portion of the meeting, though, centered on the concerns of Student Representative Adam Wilkes: faculty diversity and the penalties for students caught using and selling marijuana, among others.

The council, a group of nine local professionals appointed by a former or current New York state governor, is tasked with overseeing certain University operations and hearing progress reports in different areas of campus. The council meets seven times each academic year.

Wilkes, a senior double-majoring in economics and sociology, said he was concerned that there had been little change in the level of faculty diversity since fall 2011, when 72 percent of faculty members were white. That number is now 68 percent, according to Wilkes, but the number of black and Hispanic professors has remained constant at 4 percent.

“A diverse faculty is important because it helps students connect with relevancy of material,” Wilkes said.

Council Chair Kathryn Grant Madigan, a partner at Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP in Vestal, replied to Wilkes that diversity was the slated topic of next month’s meeting.

Dennis McCabe, a member of the Council

SEE MSA PAGE 2

SEE COUNCIL PAGE 4

Kevin Paredes/Photography Editor Omid Ghaemmaghami, an assistant professor of Arabic, leads a discussion on the first 20 verses of the story of Yusuf. The discussion is part of a series of Quran study sessions hosted by the Muslim Student Association.

Muslim students promote inclusivity MSA hosts weekly Quran studies, interfaith events Eric Lee & Sasha Hupka Pipe Dream News

On a Friday at 5 p.m., most students are gathering in the dining halls around campus to grab a bite to eat before heading out for late-night activities. In a room in the Fine Arts Building, though, several students take time each week to study the Quran.

The sessions, part of a Quran study series

dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of the religion, are held by the Binghamton University Muslim Student Association (MSA), a multicultural student group founded in 1992.

According to Hira Qayyum, president of the MSA and a senior double-majoring in classical and Near Eastern studies and business administration, the series is one of many events the organization holds to spread knowledge, build awareness and dispel misconceptions about Islam.

In addition to the study sessions, the MSA also hosts community-service events, lectures, trips and special events for Islamic holidays such as Ramadan. The group invites guest speakers

OCCT enforces Best Buddies partners with nonprofit no-standing rule Policy limits capacity on Late Nite buses Sasha Hupka Assistant News Editor

It’s late Saturday night in Downtown Binghamton — technically Sunday morning. A crowd of students has formed on the corner of State and Hawley streets, waiting for the Downtown Center Leroy Inbound bus back to campus. When the blue bus rounds the corner, students start pushing, fighting for one of the nearly 40 seats on board.

This semester, Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) has reinstated its no-standing policy, effective Friday and Saturday night after midnight. During this time, OCCT will only allow passengers to board if seats are available, so students won’t be allowed to stand in the aisle.

According to Glenell Jaquez, ‘16, OCCT’s public relations coordinator, the measure has been in place at several points during OCCT’s history.

“It’s been on and off,” Jaquez said. “We had semesters where we took it away, but we decided to bring it back this semester for safety reasons.”

Late Nite buses, which run on Friday and Saturday after midnight, are sometimes delayed

or canceled due to students vomiting on the ride from State Street to campus. Jaquez said this problem, along with crowdcontrol issues, led OCCT to revive the no-standing policy.

“Once there is a biohazard on the bus, it has to be taken offline,” Jaquez said. “That contributes to a lot of late and canceled runs, and often, with all the time we’re putting into getting another bus, we don’t have time to alert students through social media.”

Each bus can sit about 36 students, although the exact number varies depending on the bus. While standing will be prohibited on Late Nite buses, riders will be able to stand on outbound buses going Downtown before midnight. OCCT said they won’t run additional buses to make up for the decreased number of people able to take the buses back to campus.

“We feel bad that we can’t take the same number of people back to campus as we bring Downtown, but even with monitors, people are a little hard to manage at night,” Jaquez said. “It goes down to being able to control the crowd.”

Jonathan Rettig, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said the new policy will only make crowds worse, because students will be vying for a limited number of

SEE OCCT PAGE 2

OPINIONS

Amy Donovan/Assitant News Editor Members of Best Buddies gathered in the TAU Club Room in the Events Center to bond and engage in Thanksgiving-themed activities. Binghamton University’s Best Buddies chapter partners with local organization Life is Washable, and was founded in spring 2017.

Students connect with people with developmental disabilities Amy Donovan Assistant News Editor

Pin the tail on the turkey, Thanksgiving crafts and bingo were just some of the activities Binghamton University’s Best Buddies chapter participated in on Sunday afternoon in the Events Center.

Around 40 people gathered in the Tau

Bearcat Club Room for the chapter’s third event since its chartering in spring 2017.

Best Buddies, an international organization that aims to facilitate friendships between volunteers and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD), began on campus after Simone DeBellis, the president of the University’s Best Buddies chapter and a sophomore majoring in biology, set out for a Student Association charter last semester to join over 400 college chapters in the nation.

DeBellis said she wanted to bring Best

ARTS & CULTURE

Buddies to BU because she was a part of her high school’s chapter, and wanted to continue her work with the organization in college.

“I really missed having the opportunity to be in Best Buddies,” DeBellis said. “It’s just really awesome because we’re able to show people that have IDD that they’re not excluded from anything, because so often they are and it’s not fair.”

Best Buddies caters to individuals with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. While many school chapters aim to facilitate relationships between students and people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, the Best Buddies organization also aims to integrate people with developmental disabilities into the workforce.

To do so, the University’s Best Buddies chapter partners with Life is Washable, a local family and caregiver engagement program for children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Jennifer O’Brien, the executive director of Life is Washable and the Magic Paintbrush Project, said she’d wanted to implement a Best Buddies chapter in the Southern Tier ever since she saw the organization present at a conference. When DeBellis contacted her about creating one at BU, she jumped at the opportunity.

The chapter provides peer buddies and associate buddies to people with developmental disabilities. Peer buddies are paired up with one other person, while associate buddies interact with everyone during meetings.

O’Brien said she’s known many of the participants of Best Buddies for years and said that Best Buddies not only helps tackle the obstacles that people with developmental disabilities face, but also benefits the students who volunteer.

SEE BUDDY PAGE 2

SPORTS

Contributing columnist Sarah Molano discusses misogyny in alternative music,

Hinman College students collaborate on picture book,

“Justice League” brings DC superheroes to the big screen,

Women’s basketball kicks off West Coast trip with a victory,

Volleyball falls to Stony Brook in AE Championship,

See page 5

See page 6

See page 7

See page 9

See page 10

2

NEWS

bupipedream.com | November 20, 2017

Late Nite buses limit passengers OCCT FROM PAGE 1 spots on the bus.

“I would rather people get to stand because I have had to wait two extra buses trying to get back to campus because no one could stand,” Rettig said. “When less people are allowed on the bus, people push harder to try to get to the front of the line.”

Seth Price, an undeclared freshman, said he could see the benefits to the nostanding policy.

Kevin Paredes/Photography Editor “Although it may seem Students line up outside the University Union on Friday night to go Downtown. According to OCCT’s no-standing policy, Late Nite buses heading back to campus will only board students if there is space to sit. annoying to have to wait in

line longer than usual, it definitely benefits the overall well-being of students,” Price said. “Whenever you put that many young adults in one area that are most likely inebriated, something bad is bound to happen.

It’s always better to be safe than sorry.”

Jaquez said he encourages students with strong feelings on the policy, whether against or in support, to contact OCCT via the company’s feedback form, which can be found on its website.

Buddies build bonds MSA fosters interfaith ideas BUDDY FROM PAGE 1 “They get people so much better and they are often overlooked, they are often left in the corner, they are often ignored and they’re hardly ever appreciated for who they really are and who they can be,” O’Brien said. “They bring more to the table in learning, in growing, in potential and I think that’s a gift to all the BU students who get involved with them.”

Emma Ross, the treasurer for Best Buddies and a sophomore double-majoring in political science and psychology, is a peer buddy to Megan Marrero, a 22-year-old woman with Down syndrome, and said that they text and talk all the time about topics including boys and fashion.

“[Best Buddies] basically gives them what societally is often denied to people with disabilities and creates a really amazing environment because we’re all equals here,” Ross said. “We’re just friends and that’s why we’re here.”

Pat Szczepanski, a mother of a 23-year-old woman with a developmental disability, has been utilizing the Life is Washable organization for over 10 years. She said Best Buddies is a good way for her daughter to socialize with people her own age.

“I am the mom of a 23-yearold girl who just wants to be a part of something,” Szczepanski said. “She wants a friend, she doesn’t know how to do it, socialization is very difficult, so she’s very

excited to participate.”

Life is Washable also works with the University’s athletic department to offer adaptive sports programs for people with developmental disabilities, called the Fair Play program.

O’Brien says that although this previous partnership with the University has been beneficial, Best Buddies helps foster a special relationship with BU and the community.

“I’ve seen these kids since they were in elementary school, middle school and here they are now in their young 20s and they have so much potential and they have so much friendship to offer people and to see other people wanting to be that with them here on campus,” O’Brien said.

MSA FROM PAGE 1 support group to Muslims at BU and is the major artery for Muslim students seeking to practice their faith in college. In addition to holding meetings and other events, the MSA maintains a prayer room in University Union West Room 308, which is always unlocked.

According to Qayyum, the group has recently begun to focus on providing more support services for Muslim students.

“One of the MSA goals is to always be there for its members and any Muslim on campus,” Qayyum said. “Within the last two years, we have definitely been focusing on this more due to the current political situation and the various obstacles that Islam is now facing.”

Additionally, the MSA helps students questioning their religion or considering converting to Islam,

and educates them on the religion and its customs. The group also works with local mosques to provide places for students to turn for guidance and prayer.

“In the past we have also had many students who found themselves walking along the path of Islam and feeling ready to convert to the religion,” Qayyum said. “Thus, we welcome them and personally invite them to our meetings with open arms, and always willing to set aside time to help them understand the religion more.”

Omid Ghaemmaghami, an assistant professor of Arabic, is one of the many guest speakers whom the MSA has invited to its Quran study sessions. Ghaemmaghami said he isn’t Muslim but has studied Islam extensively and hopes these discussions on the Quran help overcome common misconceptions about Islam.

“One of the things that we could’ve continued to highlight in these sessions we have is that Islam and Christianity share the same spiritual heritage according to a Muslim understanding,” Omid said.

“The Quran has stories of many of the prophets that are found both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.”

Shamsudeen Gimala, a senior majoring in business administration, attended the Quran study session.

She said she was encouraged by the attendance of both non-Muslim and Muslim students in studying the text.

“It was very enlightening and the explanations were more indepth than what I expected it to be,” Gimala said. “I love how this is an opportunity for both Muslims and non-Muslims to learn more about the religion when there are so many misconceptions about Islam today.”

This winter, Learn to tend bar

for credit.

Get TIPS alcohol service & intervention training certified.

Get NYS Responsible Vendor certified.

For more information, contact: Professor Rey Wojdat wojdatrc@sunybroome.edu

or call (607) 778-5171

9 ROUNDTRIPS A DAY

TO NYC! DAILY ROUNDTRIPS TO WESTCHESTER, QUEENS AND LONG ISLAND!

Great Student Fares, EXPRESS buses & FREE ON-CAMPUS PICKUPS ON FRIDAYS! ONLINE LIKE US ON FACEBOOK TICKETING REFUNDABLE

TICKETS

follow us on Twitter

FREE WI-FI Join Fre e!

VIP STUDENT TRAVEL CLUB www.Shortlinebus.com www.sunybroome.edu/bartending

FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION

BINGHAMTON BUS TERMINAL Chenango & Henry Street, Binghamton 607-722-7553

O PINIONS FFUN PAGE UN III Thursday, Monday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, November September October October April 3,2, 20, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017 2017

WORD STREET on the

Pipe Dream asked students,

“What do you think of the Late Nite OCCT bus service now that it has a no-standing policy?”

Stephanie Eisenberg

Thomas Galvin

Jasmine Chevez

Ann-Sophia Isaac

Colin Baker

a senior majoring in graphic design

a senior majoring in political science

a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience

a senior majoring in human development

an undeclared freshman

“Not many people are going to be able to go Downtown, and it’s going to take a lot longer.”

“The only way I really see it being fair is if the OCCT actually compensates for the lessening of the actual bus space and provides more bus transportation past that 12 o’clock time.”

“They take so much less people now that it’s a little frustrating to wait for the next ones that are sometimes not even on time.”

“I think that it occurs too early in the semester, especially when you’re a freshman and just learning who you’re going to be friends with.”

“[The policy] can be considered actually dangerous for students, because instead they have to resort to other ways to get home. Waiting for taxis can be tough, and Ubers can be a lot of money.”

Jillian Forstat/Assistant News Editor

Pipe Line LOCAL NEWS Power outage hits 1,926 in Broome County On Saturday night, 1,926 Broome County residents were left without power, according to WBNG. According to New York State Electric and Gas, 1,926 of the 23,264 customers in the county were without power as of 7:15 p.m. The cause of the outage was unknown at the time of production.

All power was restored by 11 p.m. that evening.

Local law firm provides turkeys to veterans Tully Rinckey PLLC and Price Chopper Supermarkets have partnered to provide free Thanksgiving turkeys to local veterans on Monday, Nov. 20, according to WBNG. The organizations have partnered each year since 2009 to give out 1,200 pounds of turkey to active-duty service members, veterans and their families through the Turkey for Veterans program. Those eligible can pick up turkeys at 4100 Old Vestal Rd. from 10 a.m. until noon.

STATE NEWS Dozens displaced in Manhattan fire Dozens of tenants were displaced

#MeToo

after a large fire on Friday afternoon in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, according to The New York Times.

According to the New York City Fire Department, more than 250 firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the scene at around 3:15 p.m. No serious injuries were reported, according to NYFD Chief James Lenoard. The Red Cross relocated 11 affected families to shelters and hotels on Friday evening. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

LAW OFFICE OF PATRICK J. KILKER “Protecting you and our constitution”

PATRICK J. KILKER, ESQ.

Stephens Square Building 81 State Street, 5th Floor Binghamton, NY 13901 Phone: (607) 238-1176 | Fax: (607) 238-1489 Email: kilkerlaw@stny.rr.com Website: patrickkilkerlaw.com

phone: 607-777-2515 web: bupipedream.com

Fall 2017

eDitor-in-Chief* Gabriella A. Weick editor@bupipedream.com Managing eDitor* Noah Bressner manager@bupipedream.com news eDitor* Orla McCaffrey news@bupipedream.com asst. news eDitors Amy Donovan Jillian Forstadt Sasha Hupka opinions eDitor* Emily Kaufman opinions@bupipedream.com asst. opinions eDitor Savanna I. Vidal arts & Culture eDitor* Georgia Westbrook arts@bupipedream.com asst. arts & Culture eDitors Kara J. Brown Rachel Greenspan sports eDitor* Samuel Ditchek sports@bupipedream.com asst. sports eDitors Evan Cole Grace Palumbo photography eDitor* Kevin E. Paredes photo@bupipedream.com asst. photography eDitor Rebecca Kiss fun eDitor* Nate Walker fun@bupipedream.com Design Manager* Cory Bremer design@bupipedream.com Design assts.

Shawn Fleming Jonathan Flores Copy Desk Chief* Shauna R. Bahssin copy@bupipedream.com asst. Copy Desk Chief Bridget McCusker Digital eDitor Alana B. Epstein digital@bupipedream.com newsrooM teChnology Manager* Henry Zheng tech@bupipedream.com asst. newsrooM teCh. Manager Michelle Tan eDitorial artist Jorden James business Manager* Andrew Genussa business@bupipedream.com asst. business Manager Maryam Soomro businessassistant@bupipedream.com Distribution Manager Elisabeth Standard distribution@bupipedream.com

Upstate woman accuses Empire State Development president of sexual harassment In a recent federal lawsuit, an upstate New York resident accused a state employee of sexually harassing her, under the governor’s knowledge, according to WBNG. The plaintiff, Lisa Marie Cater, said that starting in 2015, William “Sam” Hoyt, former aEmpire State Development Corp. regional president, used his experience helping her get a job at the Department of Motor Vehicles as an excuse to harass and assault her through inappropriate messages, nude photos and groping her, according to the complaint.

According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office, investigations were launched after the office received the allegations in October 2016.

aDDress: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902

Rachel Tomei/Pipe Dream Photographer On Friday night, It’s On Us Binghamton University and the Binghamton Slam Poetry club held a joint “Me Too Open Mic Night” as a part of the It’s On Us Week of Action. The event, held in Lecture Hall 5, featured student performers like Darren Yu, a senior majoring in business administration.

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.

The content of advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of the Pipe Dream Executive Board.

We reserve the right to reject ads for any reason.

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.

stabilizing: gannett

cornucopia :destabilizing

Council talks campus progress COUNCIL FROM PAGE 1 and a retired New York state assistant attorney general, suggested the board give Chief Diversity Officer Valerie Hampton, who was present at the meeting, a chance to present at next month’s meeting before further discussing the issue.

Next, Wilkes called for the Council to consider reducing the consequences for students caught using and distributing marijuana on campus. “The penalization of marijuana has a history of racism and white supremacism,� Wilkes said. “On this campus, perhaps something that could be most progressive is rolling back the fact that our code of conduct penalizes using, possessing and selling marijuana.

Wilkes directs the Student Association Advocates, a program that informs students on the University’s conduct process and advocates on their behalf. He said he’d seen students forced out of campus housing with no proof that they had sold marijuana.

Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, was quick to disagree with Wilkes’ claim, saying students aren’t removed from housing without proof of distribution. “Overall several years, penalties students get have been reduced, except for distribution,� Rose said. “We don’t get to determine what the law of the state of New York is.�

According to the sanctioning guidelines of BU’s Office of Student Conduct, the sale of marijuana can result in a suspension between one semester and two years, or in some cases, expulsion. Upon return from suspension, a student can no longer live in campus housing and cannot visit residential areas.

Following Wilkes’ student statement, Donald Loewen, BU’s vice provost for undergraduate education and enrollment addressed the council, detailing this year’s freshman class.

According to Loewen, a record 33,406 applicants applied for fall 2017, of which 13,445 were admitted and 2,676 enrolled.

Loewen said he thinks the implementation of the Excelsior Scholarship will be twofold. “First, we think it will increase the number of applicants,� he said. “And then, we really hope the fouryear graduation rate will rise due to some of the requirements.�

Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott provided the final presentation, highlighting the athletic teams’ achievements over the past year.

He noted the men’s lacrosse team’s national ranking last spring, and the average GPA of 3.19 on the team.

Elliott also said the support of the Binghamton-area community is important to the athletic department. “I’ll be the first to say our [basketball] product hasn’t been great over the last couple of years,�

Elliott said. “But this is a really special community. I don’t think they have ever booed, and they probably had some reason to.�

The next BU Council meeting is scheduled for Dec. 15 at 9:15 a.m.

Rebecca Kiss/Assistant Photography Editor Zeta Beta Tau fraternity will soon have a fraternity flag in the lobby of Glenn G. Bartle Library. The fraternity, which will be returning to campus this spring, had its charter revoked in November 2013 due to Student Conduct violations.

ZBT set to return to BU 4WdS AbO` C`US\b 1O`S Wa 6S`S b] 6SZ^ AOdS bVS 2Og 4`][ Q]ZRa O\R TZca b] a^`OW\a O\R ab`OW\a 4WdS AbO` C`US\b 1O`S Wa VS`S b] VSZ^ g]c USb POQY b] ZWTS TOabS` Âł eWbV ZWbbZS b] \] eOWb O\R \] O^^]W\b[S\b \SQSaaO`g EOZY W\ b]ROg

EVOb ES B`SOb EV AW\ca O\R `Sa^W`Ob]`g WaacSa 1]ZRa O\R TZca A^`OW\a O\R ab`OW\a O\R []`S

AQ`SS\a AQV]]Z O\R a^]`b ^VgaWQOZa AB2 ZOP bSabW\U F `Oga

=^S\ % ROga O eSSY ;]\ROg Âł Ac\ROg( &( O [ Âł &( ^ [ #"' DSabOZ >O`YeOg 3Oab DSabOZ <G !&# $ % # ##$ 4WdSAbO`C1 Q][ 4W

Interfraternity Council approves reinstatement Julia Donnelly Contributing Writer

Although Binghamton University has an undergraduate Jewish population of more than 3,700 students, it currently only has one Jewish fraternity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a number that will rise to two in spring 2018.

Zeta Beta Tau, a Jewish social fraternity, will return to campus after its charter was revoked in November 2012 due to Student Conduct violations including hazing, alcohol misuse and owing more than $20,000 in debt to its national organization.

Laurence Bolotin, executive director of Zeta Beta Tauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national organization, said he sees the reinstatement of Zeta Beta Tau at BU as a fitting opportunity, especially for the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish students. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The University can benefit from having another organization dedicated to the large Jewish population,â&#x20AC;? Bolotin wrote in an email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We can provide an option that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t currently exist as an inclusive Jewish fraternity without pledging.â&#x20AC;?

Zeta Beta Tau was founded in 1898 by Richard Gottheil, a professor at Columbia University, who sought to give Jewish students who had been previously excluded from fraternities the chance to join a brotherhood. Today, Zeta Beta Tau has grown to include more than 90 chapters across the United States, and claims to be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first Jewish fraternity.

Currently, Alpha Epsilon Pi, which was founded in 1913 at New York University and brought

to BU first in 1895 and again in 2010, is the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only Jewish fraternity.

Yitzhak Maurer, the outgoing president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, Interfraternity Council (IFC) president-elect and a junior majoring in classical and Near Eastern studies, expressed his optimism for Zeta Beta Tauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reinstatement and membership in the BU Greek life community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My hope is whether or not they

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The University can benefit from having another organization dedicated to the large Jewish population" Laurence Bolotin executive director of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity's national organization have a strong Jewish influence in their chapter, that the national representatives from Zeta Beta Tau will select men that are committed to our shared ideals of the IFC,â&#x20AC;?

Maurer said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Men committed to academic excellence, philanthropy and shared brotherhood, and ultimately men who will make all of our campus community proud.â&#x20AC;?

BU policy states that after a fraternity or sorority is removed from campus, the group is ineligible to return to campus for three years, or until at

least 80 percent of the original members on the roster are no longer students at the University.

Brian Hoffman, Zeta Beta Tauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director of organizational growth, presented to the IFC last week to establish an expansion chapter on campus.

Until the national organization sent a cease-and-desist letter to the unrecognized Zeta Beta Tau chapter last year, Zeta Beta Tauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letters were still seen on the BU campus. The new fraternity chapter, however, will consist of students recruited and trained by the national organization.

L.C. Coghill, the director of fraternity and sorority life at BU, noted the efforts on behalf of the organization to ensure an effective establishment, as well as efforts to prevent previous issues from reoccurring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zeta Beta Tau, nationally, is putting significant resources into the success of the chapter upon reactivation,â&#x20AC;? Coghill wrote in an email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As for debt, the national staff will be providing education to the men on appropriate chapter budgeting and their dues collections will be closely monitored.â&#x20AC;?

According to Matthew Kreitman, vice president-elect of Alpha Epsilon Pi and a junior majoring in environmental studies, the addition of Zeta Beta Tau to campus poses further questions about the Greek life community at BU. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The University needs to address our lack of Greek life staff before we bring on more chapters,â&#x20AC;?

Kreitman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;However, I do think Zeta Beta Tau has the potential to be a meaningful addition to the BU campus.â&#x20AC;?

OPINIONS FFUN UN Thursday, Monday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, November September October October April 3,2, 20, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017 2017

Progressive states lead the battle against climate change President Trump has only discredited federal practices that could help the environment Georgia Kerkezis Contributing Columnist

Jorden James / Editorial Artist

BUS BLUES

This semester, Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) has reinstated its no-standing policy, which will be effective Friday and Saturday night after midnight.

During this time, students will not be able to stand in the aisles of buses; only the number of students who are able to be seated will be allowed to board. This provision has been in effect on and off during OCCT’s history.

Although the Editorial Board acknowledges that this will make the buses safer when transporting students back to campus after they have spent time drinking on State Street, we are concerned for the students who will be left behind both in Downtown Binghamton and on the West Side when there isn’t enough space for everyone to board the buses.

Currently, OCCT said they

have no plans to run additional buses to compensate. Each bus seats approximately 36 students, and we estimate that there is usually space for about 20 students to stand. This means that with each bus that brings students back to campus, there will still be a significant number of students left Downtown.

These students will be forced to either wait for the next bus, or find another way back to campus, which usually involves some sort of monetary expense. Of course, cabs might be available, along with ridehailing services like Uber and Lyft, but these services should not be required.

However, the OCCT

buses come at no additional cost to students, while other transportation options can become expensive. Students rely on this service in terms of safety and convenience, and hundreds of students who are trying to get back to campus will need to find other ways of doing so.

We question whether or not this puts students’ safety in jeopardy by giving them fewer opportunities to make it back to campus safely and easily.

It is the University’s responsibility to transport as many students back to campus as it brings Downtown. This bus service is in place for a reason.

While we acknowledge that the

policy is for students’ safety, it also ignores students’ safety in a different capacity. The University must compensate with additional buses for the number of students who will potentially be stranded Downtown after missing the last bus of the night, and who will not be able to pay for a ride home.

We understand that OCCT and the University must adjust their policies sometimes.

However, while some students will be safer, other students might be placed in more danger. The University must account for this disconnect and provide additional buses during these times.

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.

greenhouse gas emissions. Current initiatives focus on clean and efficient energy and transportation. Some states like New York, Delaware and Minnesota have introduced a carbon cap and emissions trading system, grants and loans for local projects and investments in solar and wind power.

We can already see that the work being done by the United States Climate Alliance is yielding positive results for the environment. The aligned states are on track to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 24 to 29 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2025. This is the goal that scientists of the Paris Agreement believe is necessary to curb the worst effects of climate change.

Though Trump’s policies aim to continue the nation’s dependence on coal and other fossil fuels in order to grow the economy, states in the U.S. Climate Alliance are showing that economic growth can be achieved better by investments in renewable energies — without damaging the environment.

Trump may turn a blind eye to the real impacts of climate change, but states and cities are seeing these consequences firsthand. It is the elderly suffering during heat waves, it is their farmers without a harvest in the drought, it is their residents whose homes are demolished by hurricanes, wildfires and floods. These communities recognize the urgency of climate action and they are doing something about it.

There is hope for the future of the environment, despite Trump’s presidency. Three hundred and eightythree mayors, including Binghamton Mayor Rich David, have committed their cities to the battle against climate change.

Even universities and businesses from across the nation have signed on to the battle. Now it is our turn, as individuals whose very existence depends upon the well-being of the Earth. We must step up, join the efforts and do our part in the battle against climate change.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that President Donald Trump isn’t doing much to combat climate change. For his 10 months in office, he has acted primarily in the interest of the economic sector and not of the earth, upon which the economy fully depends. He’s passed environmentally damaging policies, strongly discredited the Environmental Protection Agency and disrespected the truth of science.

This seems like reason to feel hopeless over the future of the Earth, but I assure you it’s not. As Trump is busy repealing many of former President Barack Obama’s policies, states and cities are stepping up and implementing their own. And they are proving to be more successful.

In June, Trump announced that he was pulling the United States out of the Paris climate agreement — a treaty among nations to combat climate change and adapt to its impacts. At first, pulling the United States out of this treaty showed that the country was unconcerned about the fate of the environment and its people. Yet, it has had the opposite effect of inspiring action at lower levels.

Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York, Jay Inslee of Washington and Jerry Brown of California have joined forces to create the U.S. Climate Alliance. This coalition of states has committed itself to continuing the battle against climate change, despite the federal government’s lack of initiative.

So far, 14 states, as well as Puerto Rico, have pledged their allegiance to the Climate Alliance. I expect that more will follow suit.

Each member of the U.S. Climate Alliance acknowledges that climate change exists, is worsening and threatens the security of people, communities and economies. To act upon this acknowledgement, the members are making bold — Georgia Kerkezis is a sophomore investments in order to decrease their majoring in environmental studies.

Recognizing misogyny in alternative music Rap is often solely criticized, but the trend is prevalent in other genres as well Sarah Molano Contributing Columnist

Unfortunately, music and misogyny often go hand in hand; many revered musical figures have ugly histories of domestic violence and sexual assault, or the content of their songs contain misogynistic ideas, or both. It’s obvious that this can be seen through all genres, but what’s the first one that pops into your head when you think of problematic artists and lyrics?

I’ll bet you said rap or hip-hop.

Kendrick Lamar played with

this in his album “DAMN.” when he used clips of Fox News hosts talking about how hip-hop is doing “more damage” to black youth than racism in recent years. There have been various viral videos showing parents’ angry reactions when listening to the rap music that their children listen to. Many describe the music as “poisoning” the minds of children.

We can discuss the appropriateness of this music for children at a later time. The bottom line is that rap and hiphop are often regarded as vulgar, misogynistic and problematic.

However, this isn’t the only genre this happens in.

Let’s talk about rock, specifically alternative-rock genres

such as emo, pop-punk, indie and the like. I’ll use “alternative” as an all-encompassing word for these genres.

Alternative music is not exempt from having problematic lyrics. There’s song after song including slut-shaming, like The Story So Far’s “Mt. Diablo”: “Do you look yourself straight in the eyes / And think about who you let between your thighs?”

The unfavorable lyrics about women in these genres stem from this idea of the idealistic girl who rejects you, and suddenly she becomes manipulative, a whore and deserving of bad things. A song by Brand New, “Jude Law and a Semester Abroad,” contains the lyrics “I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly

contagious on his lips.”

Aside from lyrics, the behaviors of the majority male band members in these genres are also problematic.

A staggering amount of artists in the alternative music scenes are facing sexual assault allegations, ranging from harassment to statutory rape.

Bigger names of accusers that fall under this category are Jesse Lacey, the frontman of Brand New, and Mike Fuentes of Pierce the Veil. Bands like Neck Deep and Moose Blood cut ties with members who were accused in the past.

Perhaps the most sinister recent case was that of Front Porch Step, a solo musician who was accused of having

sexual online relationships with underage fans, including the exchange of explicit photos.

I want us to think about why rap or hip-hop is the face of problematic music when all these other genres have displayed the same attitudes. Rock does it, country does it — it’s certainly not exclusive to rap.

Could it have to do with our perceptions of black people? Perhaps.

One study, titled “Blame It on Hip-Hop: Anti-Rap Attitudes as a Proxy for Prejudice,” found that “negative attitudes toward rap were associated with various measures of negative stereotypes of Blacks that blamed Blacks for their economic plights (via stereotypes of laziness). Anti-rap

attitudes were also associated with discrimination against Blacks, through both personal and political behaviors.”

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that rap, a historically blackdominated genre, is the supposed face of problematic music.

We should think about why we have these perceptions. Many say, “Well, why does it always have to be about race?” It’s because race perceptions have shaped so much of what we’re used to, and many don’t recognize that. College students especially need to be wary of the information we’re taught, including what we’re taught outside of the classroom.

— Sarah Molano is a junior majoring in English.

Students should always stand for displays of patriotism Regardless of First Amendment rights, it's disrespectful to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem during school Brad Calendrillo Columnist

If you attended kindergarten through 12th grade in the United States, you probably remember standing for the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. In New York state, it is a law that every public K-12 school must conduct the pledge at the start of each school day, but it’s optional for students to recite it.

I believe that New York has a fair law regarding the Pledge of Allegiance because it does not

force students to participate.

However, that does not mean I agree with a student who remains seated during the pledge.

In high school, one of my classmates didn’t want to stand for the pledge and kept their head down. My teacher called them out in front of the entire class for not standing up.

I understand my teacher’s frustration. Thirty seconds of a student’s morning can be dedicated to the pledge, and the student should have stood regardless of how they felt. To me, remaining seated is disrespectful to those who went to war and put their lives on the line to fight for

our rights.

I have been shocked to hear other students say that they don’t respect our country enough to stand up for the pledge. This mindset takes for granted our land of the free and those who fought for it.

This sentiment is not exclusive to just the Pledge of Allegiance, but also the national anthem.

Parkway High School in Louisiana has recently threatened to remove student-athletes from their sports teams or limit their playing time if they fail to stand “in a respectful manner throughout the National Anthem,” as written

by Principal Waylon Bates.

This has received backlash, and it’s clear why. It is within one’s First Amendment right to freely express what they believe.

Although I believe that studentathletes and everyone else should be respectful to the national anthem, it was too extreme for the principal to impose such a rule.

Just last year, there was a peaceful protest against police brutality right here at Binghamton University. During a soccer game, over 250 students and faculty marched from the Clock Tower to the Bearcats Sports Complex dressed in all black and did not stand for the national anthem.

Despite anyone’s feelings on the matter, a student’s right to protest is protected by the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker v.

Des Moines. The ruling was that schools cannot tamper with a student’s free speech and their right to protest, as long as it is not disruptive to the learning environment. Therefore, the First Amendment prevailed, and it continues to prevail, despite my personal beliefs on the issue.

This applies to a student’s right to not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance or the national anthem. It doesn’t cause harm to students around them, much like the protest here at BU. Therefore,

although I may disagree with people not taking part in these national traditions, schools do not have a right to force students to stand up for the pledge.

While U.S. citizens are protected under their First Amendment rights, it’s important to recognize that this right would not be possible without our country in the first place. Americans today and in the past have gone to war and died for our rights; therefore, I believe the least we can do is stand for a few seconds, even if we are not obligated to do so.

— Brad Calendrillo is a junior majoring in English.

ARTS & CULTURE Vegan for Thanksgiving

Creative ideas to stay festive without turkey Gabriella Iacovano Arts & Culture

Hazelnut Baked Pears

Being a vegan or vegetarian during a holiday focused on the consumption of meat can be taxing. Grocery stores offer alternative options like Tofurky, but a lot of these products are heavily processed and a little nauseating. Check out Pipe Dream’s vegan Thanksgiving recipes that make use of seasonal produce, cozy spices and other wholesome ingredients.

Fall Harvest Crostini

Beet Noodles with Kale and Chard We spiralized five small beets for this recipe, but packaged spiralized beets can be purchased at Wegmans.

Sauteed kale and red Swiss chard create a vibrant redand-green color palette and add texture to the noodle dish.

— 1 pound spiralized beets — 2 cups of kale — 2 cups of chopped red Swiss chard — Olive oil

Root vegetables are in season all fall and winter, making them great for holiday recipes. Here, sweet potato hummus balances the earthiness of those root vegetables and the spiciness of the parsnips.

—One tub of sweet potato hummus —Six Brussels sprouts — One shallot — Half a turnip — One small parsnip — One small beet —1 tablespoon of rosemary — One baguette — Olive oil 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Slice bread into halfinch slices, lay on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil.

3. Bake five to 10 minutes, or until bread slices are golden brown.

Flip halfway through.

4. Dice beets, parsnips and turnips. Toss with olive oil and herbs.

Roast for 10 minutes, tossing the vegetables once after five minutes.

5.

Saute brussels sprouts and shallots until caramelized.

6. Spread hummus on toast slices. Top with mixed vegetables and Brussels sprouts, and serve.

Kevin Paredes/Photography Editor Serving these toffee bar desserts is a great way to keep your holiday dinners interesting when guests get sick of pie.

Don't settle for the pie Try unique dessert recipes this holiday

Nikkolette Sather Contributing Writer

Toffee Bars Caught in a pinch and signed up to bring a dessert to the family dinner? These toffee bars are easy to make and share.

— 1 cup of butter — 1 cup of brown sugar — One egg yolk — Pinch of salt — 2 cups of flour — 1 teaspoon of vanilla — One bag of chopped nuts of your choice — One bag of semisweet chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch pan.

2. Use an electric mixer to mix butter, brown sugar and egg yolk until fluffy.

3. Add a pinch of salt and vanilla, and mix.

4. Add flour slowly, mixing until it becomes thick.

5. Press dough into the prepared pan, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust, and wait five minutes before spreading evenly with a spoon.

7. Add chopped nuts of your choice while the chocolate is still warm.

8. Cool on counter for approximately two hours before cutting into bars and serving.

Adapted from a family recipe.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the beet noodles with olive oil and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.

3. Saute kale with olive oil over medium heat for about five minutes. Remove and set aside.

4. In the same pan, saute Swiss chard with olive oil over medium heat for about eight minutes.

5. Toss together noodles and greens with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Hannah Oh/Contributing Photographer Contrary to popular belief, you can have a Thanksgiving dinner without the turkey. Impress your guests with these vegan fall crostinis.

Chocolate Nut Angel Pie Still a classic pie fan but looking for a new twist? Filled with chocolate, this unconventionally crusted pie is far from ordinary.

— 1/2 cup of granulated sugar — 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar — Two egg whites — 1/2 cup of chopped nuts — 3/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips — 3 tablespoons of hot water — 1 teaspoon of vanilla — 1 pint of heavy cream 1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees, and grease a 9-inch pie plate.

2. Sift the granulated sugar and cream of tartar together, then set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the two egg whites to a stiff consistency with a hand-held mixer.

4. Add sugar and tartar mix into the beaten egg whites and beat until sugar dissolves.

5. Add a thin layer of this mix to

the pie plate, keeping the center hollow and being sure not to spill batter onto the rim.

6. Sprinkle the chopped nuts across the top.

7. Bake in oven for one hour, until the meringue becomes a delicate brown.

8. Cool thoroughly in refrigerator.

9. Whip the cup of heavy cream in a small bowl with a hand-held mixer. Set aside.

10. Melt the chocolate chips in double boiler and remove from heat once melted. Stir in hot water.

11. Stir vanilla into the chocolate mix, then fold in the whipped cream.

13. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pie crust and smooth out the top. Sprinkle a few more nuts on top and chill in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Adapted from a family recipe.

Texas Fruit Salad This fruit salad adds a twist to the classic fruit salad with marshmallows — perfect for either dessert or as an appetizer.

— One 15-ounce can of pineapple tidbits (drained) — One 20-ounce can of mandarin oranges (drained) — 1 cup of shredded coconut — 1 cup of sour cream — 1 cup of chopped pecans — One bag of miniature

marshmallows 1. Mix the pineapples, oranges and sour cream in a mediumsized bowl.

2. Stir in the shredded coconut and chopped pecans.

3. Mix well with wooden spoon.

4. Chill the mixture in the bowl and refrigerate for two hours.

5. Re-mix, then pour into a clean bowl before serving if desired.

Adapted from a family recipe.

Hinman pens children's book for Campus Pre-School

The tight-knit residential community prioritizes community outreach and creative spirit

Gabriella Trinidad Contributing Writer All housing communities on campus hold events like festivals, spirit events or co-rec sports.

While Hinman College also holds events like these, it asserts that its main focus is on community service. This semester, Hinman College is giving back by making a children’s storybook for Binghamton University’s Campus Pre-School and Early Childhood Center.

The book, “Tiki’s Adventures in Hinman,” follows Hinman College’s mascot, Tiki the lemur, as he travels from building to building in the community, learning a different value at each residence hall, like service, leadership, community and tradition. He teaches these values to the children along his journey.

For example, when Tiki visits Lehman Hall, he sees his friend Lehman playing co-rec soccer and joins in, and through the game, he learns spirit and pride in his community. At another point in the book, Tiki stops by Roosevelt Hall, learning the value of tradition by seeing residents practice an annual skit for dorm wars.

The inspiration for the book came from a desire to help children in the Binghamton area community. The community members eventually narrowed their target audience to the Campus Pre-School, according to Rebecca Rios, Roosevelt Hall’s vice president of service and leadership and a freshman majoring in business administration.

“I was looking into local organizations that help children and some of them were saying that they’re looking for books and they had a list of specific books they wanted, and that gave me the idea to write our own book about Hinman College and make a whole story about it,” Rios said.

“We’re gonna go to the Campus Pre-School and do a reading for them and give the book to them at the end.”

Once Rios suggested her idea to residents of the other buildings, the writing process quickly began, with each of Hinman College’s hall governments working to come up with the best way to demonstrate Hinman College’s values in a kid-friendly way. On Thursday night, each building had a drawing session where students could help out with the illustration of the book.

The illustration sessions mostly focused on drawing Tiki as he went from building to building.

Brandon Vaglio, a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering, said being a part of the bookmaking process was important to him as a community member.

“I have an interest in how kids grow and I feel like the ideas Hinman preaches can help promote positive development in terms of character,” he said. “I think the kids would appreciate a book like this.”

Residents of Hinman College will be reading “Tiki’s Adventures in Hinman” to the children at the Campus Pre-School on Monday, Nov. 20.

Colleen Magowan, copresident of Roosevelt Hall and a sophomore double-majoring in biology and French, said she felt this book was the perfect way to give back. “[Rios] had this idea of sharing the things we value with the little kids and I thought that was a really good thing to do,” she said. “We always talk about the Hinman spirit and it’s just a really special feeling that the Hinman community — we’re just one big family.”

Kojo Senoo/Staff Photographer Residents of Hinman College created illustrations for “Tiki’s Adventures in Hinman” last Thursday night. “Tiki’s Adventures in Hinman” is a children’s book written by the Hinman College community.

November 20, 2017 | bupipedream.com

7

ARTS & CULTURE

ASU celebrates 30th year with annual Asian Night

'Bridges and Borders' event highlights intersection of Asian and American cultures Gabriella Trinidad Contributing Writer K-Pop YouTubers and oncampus cultural organizations helped the Binghamton University Asian Student Union (ASU) celebrate its 30th anniversary at their annual Asian Night. This year’s theme, “Bridges and Borders,” showcased the intersections of Asian culture and U.S. culture.

The title for this year’s event came from the complex identity of Asian Americans, according to Katie Lhungay, co-events coordinator for ASU and a senior majoring in political science. ”What this title embodies is the struggle of identity that Asian Americans living in the U.S. face,” Lhungay wrote in an email. “Asian Americans act as ‘bridges’ between Asian and American culture, being able to understand and experience parts of both, while simultaneously acting as ‘borders,’ as they are never truly considered Asian nor American.”

In collaboration with other BU organizations, including Asian Outlook, the Chinese American Student Union (CASU) and the Korean American Student Association, Asian Night was filled with traditional celebrations of Asian culture, along with aspects of U.S. culture, demonstrated through song, dance, poetry and skits. The event, which took place in the Anderson Center’s Osterhout Concert Theater on Saturday night, had over 350 people in attendance.

CASU performed a traditional

Kojo Senoo/Staff Photographer Sigma Psi Zeta performs at Asian Night, an annual event hosted by the Asian Student Union. This year’s theme was “Bridges and Borders.”

Chinese fan dance that originated in the Han Dynasty. The Taiwanese American Student Coalition’s ribbon dance aimed to show powerful emotions while demonstrating tranquility through a flurry of red and blue ribbons.

The Philippine-American League’s dance utilized bamboo sticks that performers smashed against the ground, while dancers skipped along the stage — a traditional Philippine tinikling dance.

Philip Mo, a sophomore majoring biology, said that communicating Asian culture is very important to him.

“This concert, this play expresses the Asian voice,” Mo said. “[Asians are typically] very internal, they normally don’t express themselves so, I guess, like, having a play where everyone can see it and understand how Asian history is important.”

One of the most captivating moments of the night was when YouTube sensation the JRodTwins performed a set of K-Pop (Korean Pop), V-Pop (Vietnamese Pop) and U.S. songs. Brothers Jason and Justin Rodjanapanyakul wooed the crowd with acoustic covers in four languages, and they closed out their performance with arguably the song

of the summer: “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber. When the instrumentals cut out, the twins did an impromptu salsa while the crowd sang along with the lyrics.

Within the tributes to traditional Asian cultures, U.S. culture was represented through the interspersion of hip-hop dances set to mainstream songs like Kanye West’s “Stronger,” 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop” and Zedd and Alessia Cara’s “Stay.”

The BU Japanese Association and Chanbara, a martial arts group, captured the audience’s attention as

well when they put on a multimedia display of the Suwa people of central Japan rising up against their corrupt rulers. Videos projected onto the stage provided the background for a choreographed number inspired by the people fighting back against their government. These students were dressed in traditional clothing and held long sticks substituting for swords.

In between the Asian and American cultural presentations were several skits involving students discussing what it means to be Asian and American and how the two cultures shape their identities. The

first skit involved students eating dinner, pretending to be a family with a daughter home from college for a break. She expresses that she wants to be more American and to eat IHOP for dinner. The skits follow the daughter as she returns to school and talks with her friends about what it means to be Asian and American and the conflict between the two identities.

In the final skit, the students decide their Asian American background doesn’t need to be two conflicting personas, but instead they can coexist. This sentiment was summarized by Lily Do, a senior majoring in graphic design.

“We don’t have to choose whether we’re American or Asian, we can be both,” Do said.

A similar feeling was expressed

by Christine Liang, a junior majoring in mathematics. Liang said that what struck her about Asian Night was the diverse representations of all types of cultures. She said that there is a place for every culture.

“Just to understand everyone’s differences is important,” Liang said.

Mike Messina, an intern for ASU and a freshman majoring in political science, performed spoken word at Saturday’s event and said the experience connected him to other students.

“Performing in Asian Night gave me chills,” he wrote in an email. “Contributing a small piece to an incredible event and standing beside other members of the community is an amazing feeling.”

DC continues its universe Latest film, 'Justice League,' premiered Friday Josh Rosenthal Staff Writer Every so often, the release of a certain movie either elevates a franchise or destroys it. “Justice League” is one of those movies where the stakes are high.

The cinematic presence of the DC Comics cinematic universe opened up in 2013 with the release of “Man of Steel” — for many, this movie still represents the current state of the DC extended universe.

Prior to “Man of Steel,” DC extended universe movies had varied wildly in terms of their general reception, and “Justice League” could be what many people point to as indicative of the future of the franchise. Not only that, but it’s significant on its own that the Justice League is finally getting their first liveaction movie. Called the “Justice Society of America” at the time of its first related publication, “Justice League” was the comic industry’s first mainstream superhero team, later inspiring the Fantastic Four, X-Men and The Avengers. The “Justice League” franchise, more than most, has a lot of pressure on it to succeed.

Taking place after the events of 2016’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” the newest movie follows Batman and Wonder Woman as they form a team of superheroes to combat the invasion of the alien conqueror Steppenwolf. This team consists of Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg.

So, how does the film stack up against expectations for it? For starters, the cohesion of the tone and the structure of the movie must be commended. That’s not something I’d praise most movies for, but “Justice League” is a special case. After the movie completed principal filming, director Zack Snyder decided to step down after a family tragedy, and director Joss Whedon was tapped to write and direct needed reshoots. Having two directors can often result in a messy movie with conflicting tones (2015’s “Fantastic Four” is an infamous example), but “Justice League” almost never lost its consistency.

It’s admirable that the movie pulled through despite its difficult production process.

Beyond that, the movie succeeds where it most needed to: with its characters. All the main heroes are well-portrayed, and each brings

something to the League that makes for a solid superhero team.

The heroes returning from other films — Ben Affleck as Batman and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman — are just as effective as they were in their past movie appearances — granted that you liked them to begin with.

Batman falls into the role of leader and mentor to the team, while Wonder Woman maintains the optimism and heroism that defined her character in her previous solo movie.

From the start, the rest of the team poses a bigger uncertainty, as this is our first time meeting them.

Fortunately, all of the members serve as great additions to the DC extended universe, and not one of them feels like a drag or like the odd one out. The Flash, played by Ezra Miller, is funny and quirky, serving as both the comic relief and the heart of the team — plus, his speed powers, displayed through the Speed Force, look very cool on screen. Aquaman, played by Jason Momoa, is often considered to be a joke of a character in the mainstream comic book world, but it’s likely that Momoa will break that conception forever. Aquaman is the definition of badass in this movie, and the absolute joy he takes in battling with the alien villains is infectious. Cyborg, played by Ray Fisher, is probably the biggest wild card, since he has a large role to play in the movie and is the least-known member of the League. However, Fisher plays the role well, portraying Cyborg grappling with his new life and the responsibility of being a superhero, without reducing those struggles. Altogether, the group

makes a great team of superheroes.

This is the most important aspect in influencing the film’s reception because the ways in which these characters are perceived will affect the desire to see them in future movies, especially their solo movies.

The movie falters mainly in its pacing. According to the Wall Street Journal, Warner Bros. required the movie to be no more than two hours long. While I understand the desire to keep the movie from becoming bloated, the film would have benefited from a longer run time. For one, the main villain Steppenwolf gets very little screen time, and thus character development. This is a problem with many superhero movies: When the villain is underdeveloped, it diminishes the effectiveness of the final climax. I’m glad the time on the superhero characters was well-used, but I still wish there were more scenes available for Steppenwolf. Another problem is that there are many times in the movie that feel like scenes were taken out, and events that should have lasted longer are cut short, making it confusing and hard to follow at times.

“Justice League” was definitely an enjoyable ride. The main characters are great, their powers are cool and watching them go up against the armies of alien invaders brought me back to the days of the older “Justice League” cartoons and “Justice League Unlimited.”

It’s certainly not perfect and would benefit from a longer cut, but the film undoubtedly got me excited for the future of the DC extended universe.

Provided by DC “Justice League,” the latest installment in the DC Comics cinematic universe, premiered on Friday. The eponymous “Justice League” consists of familiar characters from previous films, plus new additions like Aquaman (played by Jason Momoa).

Provided by Roc Nation Records Jaden Smith’s debut album, “SYRE,” was released by Roc Nation Records on Friday. The young artist explores genres across his tracks.

Introducing Jaden Smith

The artist debuted his solo album on Friday Ryan Muller Contributing Writer Following a child celebrity through the years can often feel like watching them grow up, especially when you can follow the work they produce or appear in. When it comes to Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, his album “SYRE,” released by Roc Nation Records on Nov. 17, sees him reaching artistic maturity — and arguably even adulthood itself.

Smith has been performing and recording in the music industry, particularly hip-hop, for years already; some might remember his feature on 2010’s “Never Say Never” by Justin Bieber, which elevated him to popularity. Since then, Smith has appeared on more recent albums and collaborations with artists, including Tyler, The Creator’s track “Pothole” from this year’s album “Flower Boy.” Smith’s new album takes inspiration from a style Tyler, The Creator frequently uses, as Smith speaks through the eponymous character Syre throughout the album. It hasn’t been until now, with the release of “SYRE,” that Smith has been able to establish his own musical style, but it seems like he’s still trying to find it.

The album does not have a set mood or style to it, with the

instrumentals and type of rapping changing throughout. This variety reflects Smith’s own interests and his search for a place within the subgenres of hip-hop. The tracks “B,” “L,” “U” and “E” flow into each other cohesively and form somewhat of a formal introduction to the album. They are grandiose and electronic neo-soul tracks with what sounds like influences from Childish Gambino and Frank Ocean. But as soon as “E” ends, Jaden breaks into the song “Breakfast,” featuring A$AP Rocky, a track influenced by the New York rap scene that samples Mobb Deep, a New York rap duo. Later on in the album, Smith’s non-hip-hop influences shine on the tracks “Ninety” and “Lost Boy.” The instrumentals on these tracks sound like dreamy indie music, reminiscent of Tame Impala in some parts. As soon as that interlude is over, Smith breaks into trap-style songs “Batman” and “Icon.”

The themes and messages of the songs — like the genres — vary. The slower, more rhythm-and-blues-influenced tracks are personal and honest, covering more sensitive topics.

The four opening tracks discuss heartbreak, the perils of materialism and race. In the

track, “Hope,” Smith gets into the politically minded realm of hip-hop, rapping, “Lobbyists are in the Senate, lobbying to make it obvious, innocent people are prosecuted for a living.” The trapinfluenced songs, in contrast, mainly cover typical materialistic trap themes like cars and fashion.

He does, however, communicate his own unique fashion sense through these songs, saying things like, “I’m ‘bout to put Hello Kitty on my neck, just to show whack rappers how to get it.” Smith is known for his unique and diverse fashion sense, which he reflects through both his lyrics and his style outside of the recording booth.

Due to this switching of styles, Smith is not able to create a signature flow or specific niche for himself on “SYRE,” but he does show his versatility as a hiphop artist. This ability reflects the larger trend among the new era of millennial hip-hop artists, a hip-hop world where so many subgenres exist that there is no longer just a singular definition of hip-hop. Smith is intertwined with all of these scenes and subgenres, and he jumps between them on “SYRE.” What the album lacks in cohesiveness, however, it makes up for it with Smith’s creativity and his conceptual vision for a new, diverse, multifaceted school of hip-hop.

F UN

Monday, November 20, 2017

Big Bang

Nate Walker

Coffee Break

Sudoku

Annabeth Sloan

By The Mepham Group

Level: 1 2 3 4 Workin' Harv or Harvly Workin'

Nate Walker

Danksgiving

Nate Walker

Solution to Thursday's puzzle

© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

11/20/17

FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 20, 2017

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle Have a Good Break

Horoscopes

Annabeth Sloan

The Cosmos

ACROSS 1 Lemon meringue __ 4 Wounds with a knifepoint 9 Coat or shawl 13 In a __; instantly 15 Tea variety 16 Make sharp 17 __ along; progress slowly 18 State one’s views 19 Feed bag morsels 20 Abbreviated 22 Leave out 23 F#, G# or A# 24 Once around the track 26 Snobbish 29 Football field 34 __ over; studies intently 35 Twinges 36 “Roses __ red, violets...”

37 Landing place 38 For the time __; meanwhile 39 Hitchhiker’s hope 40 Feminine suffix 41 Mark one’s cattle 42 Sat for an artist 43 Lifesavers 45 Petty & Andretti 46 Years lived 47 Keep an ice cream cone from dripping 48 Hat’s edge 51 Singer Aguilera 56 In the __; kept informed 57 Lift with effort 58 __ off; dozes 60 Carryall 61 Enthusiastic 62 Stare 63 “__ Trek” 64 Snow toys 65 Chop down DOWN 1 Sorority letter

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

2 Trip stopovers 3 Per person 4 Irregular; inconsistent 5 Sioux dwelling 6 Related 7 Femur or fibula 8 Very young tree 9 Ms. Goldberg 10 Meander 11 Prefix for septic or social 12 Pain in the neck 14 More insincere 21 Decays 25 Commercials 26 Higher berth 27 Self-confidence 28 Flatten; squash 29 Puts on weight 30 Orange peel 31 Employee’s delight 32 Tell the waiter what you’d like 33 Requirements 35 Bosc or Bartlett

©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

38 Pants 39 __ chair; item in a nursery 41 Annoy 42 Treaty 44 Travel trailer 45 Early __; those up with the sun 47 __ in; inhabited

48 Lunch orders 49 __ for; cheer on 50 Smidgen 52 Make well 53 Hit the ceiling 54 Actor Wyle 55 Shaping tool 59 Stitch

November 20, 2017 | bupipedream.com

9

SPORTS

Jonathan Flores/Design Assistant Sophomore guard Kai Moon tallied 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists during Saturday’s victory against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

Women's basketball downs Thunderbirds on the road Bearcats record best start since 2011-12 season behind balanced scoring output

Julian Guevara Pipe Dream Sports

The Binghamton women’s basketball team is off to its best start since the 2011-12 season.

The Bearcats (3-1) kicked off their road trip with a strong team performance, taking down Southern Utah, 72-66.

“This is such a great experience,” said BU head coach Linda Cimino. “The smiles on their faces have been tremendous.

Some of these kids have never been on a plane before so getting the chance to come out here to hit a couple new states and have an opportunity to bond is really

helping our culture.”

Senior guard Imani Watkins led the scoring effort for the Bearcats, putting up a gamehigh 19 points, but the offensive production was a collective job.

Sophomore guard Kai Moon finished one rebound away from a double-double, ending the game with 13 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

“Everybody stepped up,” Watkins said. “We stuck together through adversity. We were down a little in the first half but we rallied and came out with the win.”

After getting outscored 18-11 in the first quarter, the BU offense came back and pulled ahead to lead 39-36 at the half. Junior forward

Rebecca Carmody started for BU and played a solid 30 minutes, contributing in multiple facets of the game. She finished with 12 points and eight rebounds after sinking all six of her shots from the free-throw line. “[Carmody] had some family here from Utah, and I think that helped her,” Cimino said. “She was playing with a lot of confidence tonight and I was really proud of her. She played really well defensively and did a great job offensively for us as well.”

BU played with high intensity and often rode its momentum to big scoring runs. Moon sunk a go-ahead 3-ball at the half, which would prove to make a

huge difference in this game, with Binghamton winning by just six points.

Senior center Alyssa James showcased her versatility on both sides of the court, scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, a game-high five blocks and a pair of steals.

“Our defensive intensity in the third quarter was unbelievable,” Cimino said. “[James] played really, really well and had three or four blocks in a couple minutes.”

The eventful third quarter served as a precursor to a nervewracking fourth. BU saw its biggest lead of the game with just six minutes left in the game.

Sophomore guard Carly Boland

BU falls to GMU, Evansville Men's basketball drops two despite Show's sharp shooting

Yaakov Spivack Pipe Dream Sports

This Thursday and Saturday, the Binghamton men’s basketball team participated in its first two games of the Cancun Challenge.

The contests took place on the road as the team faced off against the George Mason Patriots and the Evansville Purple Aces. The Bearcats (1-3) dropped both games and extended their losing streak to three games.

The Bearcats began play against the Patriots (3-1) with an impressive showing, maintaining the lead for nearly the entire first half. Leading by as much as 12 at one point, BU held a six-point lead at halftime.

Binghamton shot 53.6 percent from the field during the first half, demonstrating smart-shot selection on the offensive end.

The second half, however, was a different story.

“We broke down in some key moments,” said BU head coach Tommy Dempsey. “A lot of it was George Mason, they stayed poised when they were behind, they came back, they took the lead, their crowd really got into it …

I think we’re still growing up.

We had an opportunity tonight to beat a really good Atlantic 10 team in their building and we didn’t take advantage of it. But that’s part of the learning curve.”

The Bearcats were able to maintain their lead throughout most of the second half, retaking it for the final time via a tippedin rebound from redshirt junior forward Caleb Stewart with just 5:49 remaining. Following this, however, the Patriots cashed in

on three 3-pointers in just over a three-minute span to decisively take back the advantage.

Binghamton ended the game with five missed shots and three missed free throws. During this second half, the Bearcats shot just 26.1 percent from the field (6-23). BU lost decisively to George Mason, 69-57.

A highlight of the game was junior guard J.C. Show, who led Binghamton in scoring with 13 points in 36 minutes. This figure includes two 3-pointers made in a 17-second span, a critical aspect of a 15-4 Bearcats run during the first half.

Show carried this momentum into Saturday’s game versus the Purple Aces (4-0), scoring 27-points. Despite this effort, the Bearcats were unable to take the lead more than once throughout the game. Following a dunk by junior forward Thomas Bruce for the first points of the day, Evansville went on a 23-5 stretch to take control of the first half. The Bearcats went 9-23 from the field during this half, shooting just 39.1 percent. Show, however, did everything that he could to keep Binghamton in the game, scoring eight points in just over one minute to bring his team within 12 points at the break.

“I’m proud of our players,” Dempsey said. “We got down big on the road, we had a hard time finding offense against that stingy defense of Evansville. We really hung in there … the fight in our guys is strong right now, and the wins are coming.”

During that second half, the Bearcats went on a 13-4 run to bring them within one point

drilled a 3-point shot to put BU up, 65-54. In need of an immediate spark, the Thunderbirds (0-3) began to claw themselves back into the game.

“Together we were able to progress defensively throughout the entire game,” James said.

Southern Utah dominated with its reserves, forcing turnovers and crashing the offensive glass to go on a 7-0 run, bringing the Thunderbirds within four points of Binghamton with four minutes remaining. The Bearcats fought back to keep the game scoreless for a couple of minutes before coming together for a 7-2 stretch, solidifying their lead at 72-63 with less than a minute remaining.

BEARCATBRIEFS SWIMMING AND DIVING Rachel Visser Contributing Writer

Jonathan Flores/Design Assistant Junior guard J.C. Show earned a team-high 27 points in BU’s game against against Evansville on Saturday.

of Evansville with just 3:13 remaining. A traditional 3-point play from junior guard Everson Davis, who had a fancy finish in the paint to provide the andone opportunity, was a major feature of the stretch. A 3-pointer from Evansville redshirt junior guard Ryan Taylor in response put the Bearcats out of reach.

Six free throws during the final

39 seconds of the game was all Evansville needed to claim its narrow victory, 66-61.

After completing their U.S. games for the Cancun Challenge, the Bearcats will now travel to Cancun, Mexico to face off against Big Sky member Montana State. Tipoff is set for 12:30 p.m. this Tuesday from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.

“Our defense is what won this game,” Carmody said. “Credit to [James] and [Boland] with some big blocks. Everyone was boxing out and getting rebounds, so it was a good team effort.”

Boland finished with six points, five rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal off the bench.

Redshirt junior guard Jasmine Sina contributed 31 minutes of strong play, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Binghamton is set to pick up play tomorrow night against Tulsa in the Great Alaska Shootout.

Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. from the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska.

With both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams being 3-0 in their last three meets, Binghamton dove into Bucknell University’s invitational this weekend hoping to make waves. With seven schools competing in the men’s division and eight teams in the women’s, both Binghamton teams finished second to last, with Towson winning both the men’s and women’s meet.

On the first day of competition, senior diver Ryan O’Connell secured a secondplace finish in the 1-meter diving final with a score of 278.60, while freshman diver David Walters finished fourth. Both the men’s and women’s 400-yard medley relay received eighth place, ending the first night in fifth place for the men’s team and seventh for the women’s.

Additionally, Binghamton’s relay teams proved successful entering the rest of the weekend with another eighth-place finish for both the men’s and women’s 200 medley relay, and a sixthplace finish in the men’s 800 freestyle relay. Individual efforts also earned points for Binghamton with junior Brooke Pettis finishing in

sixth place out of 40 competitors and fellow junior Matthew DeVito placing first in the B-final for the women’s and men’s 100-yard butterfly, respectively.

On day three, the Binghamton men’s divers performed well again, this time with Walters coming in fourth and O’Connell finishing sixth in the 3-meter dive.

The men’s team also captured an eighth-place finish in the 200-yard backstroke courtesy of junior Zachary Kaplan.

Freshman Patrick Wilson managed to get sixth place in the 200-yard breaststroke, as well as 10th in the 100-yard breaststroke and he also participated in the 400-freestyle relay alongside senior Amit Bachar, sophomore Tyler Meyers and junior Alex Brion. The men’s team concluded the day with 725.5 points.

The last day of the meet for the women consisted of a first-place finish in the Bfinal for senior Maria Trivino in the 200-yard breaststroke, and a second-place finish for the B-final for Pettis in the 200-yard butterfly. Binghamton finished the Bucknell Invitational with 430 points.

Both the men’s and women’s teams are set to compete against Canisius for their first home meet of the season on Dec. 2.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Bearcats defeat Southern Utah SEE PAGE 9 Monday, November 20, 2017

Week 6: Waiver wire steals Samuel Ditchek Sports Editor

Fantasy Basketball

Jonathan Flores/Design Assistant Redshirt junior Joe Nelson captured victory over Penn State’s redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp in the 125-weight class during Friday’s showcase match between the Bearcats and PSU.

BU struggles against No. 1 PSU Wrestling notches only one victory across 10 matches Grace Palumbo Assistant Sports Editor

For the first time in program history, the Binghamton wrestling team hosted No. 1 Penn State in the Events Center.

The Friday night wrestling event attracted over 3,000 fans from the University and the local community.

“It’s good to show how exciting this sport can be and how exciting it is for our community,” said BU head coach Matt Dernlan.

The unprecedented event set Binghamton’s wrestlers against some of the top competition in the nation, and despite the 40-2 loss, the Bearcats felt that they still took a lot away from the experience.

“We know what we’re up against, from being there and from coaching with those guys,” Dernlan said. “And you know what, that’s what Penn State wanted. They didn’t want us to come and just lay down. They wanted to say, ‘Hey, come give us your best shot.’”

Coming into the match strong in the 125-pound weight

class event, redshirt junior Joe Nelson successfully claimed victory over Penn State’s redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp, 7-4.

From here, the competition proved too stiff for the Bearcats, as they went on to lose each of the remaining nine matchups over the course of the night. Some Bearcats fared better than others against Penn State’s nationally ranked roster, however.

Redshirt sophomore Frankie Garcia was pinned by PSU senior Zain Retherford just two minutes and 37 seconds into the 149-pound weight class matchup.

Teammates redshirt sophomore Tristan Rifanburg and redshirt junior Anthony Lombardo also succumbed to the Penn State wrestlers in their respective 157-pound and 174-pound weight classes, via a pinning. They managed to last slightly longer in each of their matches, clocking out at 4:23 and 3:14, respectively.

“I wish that we would’ve seen [the fight] a little bit more consistently throughout the lineup but, again, this is where we have to build,” Dernlan said.

Each of the other Bearcat

wrestlers finished their rounds, but lost by decision. Redshirt junior Mark Tracy remained within just six points of his opponent in the 197-pound weight class, the smallest point difference over the course of the night in any single match.

Looking toward the future, Dernlan was optimistic about improving for the remainder of the season.

“The goal is to build and not replicate the mistakes every week,” Dernlan said. “We’ve got to recognize what the mistakes are and improve them.”

On Sunday, the Bearcats looked to correct some of their mistakes from Friday night at the Black Knight Invitational in West Point, New York. They succeeded in placing in every weight class except the 184-pound event.

Taking second place was redshirt junior Joe Russ in the 141-pound event, Garcia in the 149-pound event and Tracy in the 197-pound event.

Garcia, who lost quite defeatedly Friday night, made a comeback in the 149-pound weight class to take second place

at the Invitational, falling only to Lock Haven senior Ronnie Perry in the final round.

Redshirt junior Connor Calkins (285) and Rifanburg (157) managed to overpower their opponents in their respective third-place matches and take the honor.

Junior Steven Bulzomi placed fourth in the 125-pound event. Redshirt junior Vincent DePrez (165) and Lombardo (174) also took fourth in their respective weight classes.

Rounding out the Binghamton placers was redshirt senior Jacob Nicholson, who earned fifth place in the 133-pound weight class event.

As a team, Binghamton finished fifth out of sixth in total match points, earning 261, and edging out Bloomsburg.

The Bearcats are set to return to the mats next weekend for matches against Eastern Michigan University, Indiana University and Indiana Tech at the Indiana Duals on Sunday, Nov. 26. Competition will last all day from the University Gym in Bloomington, Indiana.

Point Guard Spencer Dinwiddie (BKN): D’Angelo Russell is recovering from arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his knee, and the Nets are failing to offer any timetable on his return. In the meantime, Dinwiddie will continue to capitalize on his starting gig. Although the four-year man has never been a consistent option offensively, the streaky shooter is capable of exploding with regard to point production.

For a team struggling with an injured backcourt, Brooklyn will look to Dinwiddie to be a primary scorer. In 14 contests this season, Dinwiddie is averaging 11 points, close to two 3-pointers and six assists. He may not be the point guard of the future, but Dinwiddie is certainly worth owning.

Shooting Guard Will Barton (DEN): Experiencing an increase in minutes in his past several games due to Gary Harris nursing soreness in his shooting shoulder, Barton continues to be a reliable scoring option for the Denver Nuggets.

On the season, Barton is logging approximately 30 minutes, two 3-pointers, five rebounds and 14 points per game.

Barton is also shooting a career-best 40 percent from long range and 45 percent from the field. Similar to Dinwiddie in terms of offensive explosion, Barton posted 26 points against the Orlando Magic and 21 points against the Golden State Warriors. If you’re lacking in offensive output and 3-pointers, Barton is your guy.

Small Forward Wesley Matthews (DAL): Fitting into the theme of offensive-minded wings, Matthews is another streaky shooter who gets buckets primarily from beyond the arc. Although he is having the second-worst season of his career in terms of points,

Matthews remains a solid option for owners depending on threes and occasional steals. For head coach Rick Carlisle, Matthews has generally not succeeded in Dallas despite turning in several strong seasons for the Portland Trail Blazers. Regardless of his dip in production, Matthews remains a reliable 3-point option who periodically lights teams up.

In his match against the Milwaukee Bucks, Matthews contributed six long balls, eight assists and two steals. Look to Matthews in deep leagues, especially if you’re lacking in the threes department.

Power Forward Marcus Morris (BOS): Owned in only 53 percent of Yahoo fantasy leagues as of Sunday evening, Morris provides decent value as the starting power forward for the Boston Celtics. With his ability to stretch the floor and play both the three and four, Morris does most of his damage from long range.

While averaging close to 14 points per game, he crashes the glass to a degree on both ends. Although he has only suited up in eight matches due to injury, Morris has been beyond efficient offensively. The University of Kansas product is shooting a career best from deep (40.7 percent), the field (46.9 percent) and from the charity stripe (87.5 percent).

Center John Henson (MIL): With the departure of former Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe, Henson has earned himself the starting job at the five. Even though the numbers are not there yet (6.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game), Henson is certainly a player for owners to keep on their watch list. Henson grabs boards consistently, shoots well from the field and serves as the Bucks’ premier rim protector.

He is not quite the double-double machine or a stat-sheet stuffer, but he is certainly capable of providing double-digit rebounds and points.

Don’t expect too much from Henson while Giannis Antetokounmpo is running the show for head coach Jason Kidd.

Volleyball stumbles in AE Championship match Facing off against fourth-seeded Stony Brook, Bearcats fail to capture conference title

Rebecca Kiss/Assistant Photography Editor Senior setter Sarah Ngo succeeded in multiple facets of her final game as a Bearcat, recording 26 assists and 18 digs against Stony Brook in the AE Championship.

Samuel Ditchek Sports Editor

Following its sweep of New Hampshire in the America East (AE) Semifinals, the Binghamton volleyball team fell in three consecutive frames to Stony Brook in the AE title game. BU (12-15, 8-4 AE) captured six consecutive victories before dropping what ultimately became its final match of the season to

the Seawolves (18-12, 6-6 AE).

“We’re coming in on sort of a roll here, so hopefully we’ll be able to keep it up and come out strong against the University of New Hampshire,” said BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama prior to Friday’s match. “As the season has progressed, I can see the confidence level of the whole team just get stronger, especially our outsides who have been carrying the load a lot for us.”

Having beaten the defending champions twice during the regular season, Binghamton was in prime position to take down UNH in the playoffs. Capitalizing on their strong play, the Bearcats could not have had a better start to their weekend as they dominated in almost every category. BU’s advantage in points, kills, aces, assists and digs propelled them to the championship match.

“From the get-go, you can

tell the intensity was there on both sides,” Kiriyama said. “It was good to see our girls were ready to go at the start and they just never let up through the whole match. They didn’t have any lapses and played hard the whole time, so it was really good to see that consistency and that amount of effort. They put a lot into this match.”

After taking the victory by scores of 25-20, 25-19 and 25-23, Binghamton awaited its next challenger — the winner of the match between Albany and Stony Brook. With the Great Danes (11-14, 11-1 AE) as the clear favorites, the team may have been expecting to face off with the conference-leading No. 1 seed.

To seemingly everyone’s surprise, the Seawolves dominated the host and completed a three-game sweep as the underdogs. With scores of 2520, 25-21 and 25-20, Stony Brook appeared to be rolling even with the No. 4 tag.

The news of the upset may have appeared initially fortunate for the Bearcats as they already defeated SBU on two occasions this season, the most recent of which was the final regularseason match. As opposed to the Seawolves, the Great Danes swept the season series against BU. Despite what seemed to

be a great opportunity for the Bearcats to win the title, the outcome of the match was far from great for Binghamton. BU ultimately fell to Stony Brook in three sets by scores of 25-20, 2518 and 25-19.

The first frame featured SBU jumping out to an early 13-7 lead and the Bearcats attempting to mount a comeback. BU was able to trim the deficit to just 19-18; however, the Seawolves closed out the sequence on a 6-2 stretch and claimed victory in the game, 25-20.

Hoping to bounce back, Binghamton was unable to stop a 7-1 run that put Stony Brook up with a familiar 13-7 lead. Even though BU went on to trim the margin to only three points, the Seawolves logged seven straight and ultimately took the second frame, 25-18.

With the match, title and season on the line, Binghamton was trying to hang on in the third set as the score read 10-9.

Unable to keep the game within reach, SBU went on a 7-3 run that powered it to a 17-12 edge.

Maintaining at least a four-point cushion for the remainder of the sequence, Stony Brook cruised to a victory and captured the conference title with a sweep.

Although Binghamton came up short during its playoff weekend, senior setter Sarah

Ngo turned in two strong performances to conclude her collegiate volleyball career. The AE Setter of the Year posted 62 assists in the postseason and close to 1,000 assists in her senior year alone.

“I’ve been playing volleyball since I was seven years old and to work my whole life to get even to college volleyball and to be able to end with even making it to a finals for the conference is just amazing, and it’s really the cherry on top to my volleyball career,” Ngo said.

Even though BU was unable to take the title, it did finish its regular season with five straight AE victories, claimed the No. 2 seed in the tournament and advanced to the conference finals for the first time in five seasons.

It is undeniable that volleyball fans have much to be happy about with the amount of success the Bearcats had this year.

“It was a pretty amazing season for the team,” Kiriyama said. “We struggled even in preseason trying to find some identity on the court and trying to work things out. In conference, the first part, we had some pretty bad games there and some good ones too. Finally … we found our way and it was good to see them come together. It’s just night and day, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”