Jacob Knipes news editor
SUNY Broome Community College (BCC) may soon be one with Binghamton University.
On Dec. 1, BU President Harvey Stenger announced that the University
Jack Oh sports editor
After accumulating a season-high 77 points and shooting a seasonbest 56.9 percent from the field, the Binghamton women’s basketball team defeated Fairfield at home on Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats led for nearly the entire game and held off a late-game comeback by the Stags to earn their fifth win of the season 77-72.
“They just kept their mindset right,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “They knew if they’re not knocking down shots, I’m gonna do something else. The team was really a unit today, they were selfless. They took care of each other, moved the ball, knocked down shots and when they passed it to each other, they gave them that confidence.”
BU (5-4) and Fairfield (3-4) both came out attacking on offense as they traded baskets through the first five minutes of action. Redshirt freshman guard Ella Wanzer and sophomore forward Genevieve Coleman combined for the team’s first 14 points.
was pushing forward a plan to further integrate with BCC, whose main campus is located on Upper Front Street in Binghamton. According to the announcement, the two institutions have been discussing the integration over the past few months. The plan is now being pushed forward to the SUNY Board of Trustees for further consideration.
Stenger said the plan is still in its early stages, and described the work needed to bring the concept to reality.
“While SUNY and local leaders have expressed support for the concept, many more conversations and negotiations need to be held that will include academic and administrative leaders on both campuses,” Stenger wrote in the announcement. “Administratively, we will need to establish new practices, rules and regulations. These would include things such as how to report statistics of students from each campus separately, how to integrate administrative staff and systems, how
to manage the fiscal identity of each campus separately, changes to our accreditation and others.”
While the initial announcement did not provide many specifics on what the integration would look like, Silvia Briga, director of marketing, communications and public information for BCC, said more details will come as the proposal moves forward.
Celia Woodruff assistant news editor
A new, Southwestern-inspired build-your-own outlet has opened in the Marketplace.
As students returned to campus from Thanksgiving break, Quesera, a build-your-own quesadilla, salad and soup station, served its first customers in the Binghamton University Union. The dining station, which offers gluten free, vegetarian and vegan-friendly options, will remain open for the duration of the fall 2022 semester from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Quesera is located in the center of the Marketplace.
Tom LaSarso, general manager of retail operations for BU Dining Services (BUDS), described Quesera as a collaboration between the Student Culinary Council (SCC),
Brandon Ng News Contributor
On- and off-campus activists visited Binghamton University to educate the community about the dangers of medical racism on Monday.
Organized by the Lambda Zeta chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, the “Fight Against COVID” event brought together a coalition
of cultural organizations from the University’s campus. This included the Latin American Student Union (LASU), the Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate (P.U.L.S.E.), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Binghamton Association of Mixed Students (BAMS) and the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society. The intent behind the evening was to spread awareness about and highlight the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color, with an emphasis on vaccine hesitancy, according to an Instagram post from the sorority.
Marielle Joseph, basileus of the Lambda Zeta chapter and a senior double-majoring in human development and linguistics, described the sorority’s organizational mission and her conceptualization of the sense of duty felt by historically Black Greek institutions.
“My sisters and I have worked to make an impact on- and off-campus by not only doing our part to be revolutionary where we see fit, but by also being friendly faces on campus, which allows us to bridge that gap between those who are and aren’t Greek,” Joseph wrote in an email. “As a historically Black sorority,
there is that added responsibility to champion prevalent issues like this one, not only because it affects us directly, but because we recognize that we do have power in numbers and our outreach is extraordinary because of this.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a plethora of factors impact ethnic and racial minority groups’ just and equitable access to vaccines. These include gaps in health care coverage, prejudice in systems of public health and a fundamental lack of trust as a result of past medical racism.
Jamie H. Nguyen assistant arts & culture editor
The Mandela Room was packed full of formal dresses and suits on Saturday for Asian Night 2022: A Tap Away.
Asian Night is the biggest annual event for Asian organizations on Binghamton University’s campus, courtesy of the Asian Student Union (ASU). This year’s theme, A Tap Away, is a rom-com skit parodying K-dramas, full of charmingly cringe, funny and — most of all — emotional moments. Apart from the video skit, the event included more than 15 performances that have been in the works all semester.
Constance Chen, a sophomore majoring in computer science, and Dechen Pema, a junior majoring in business administration — both coevent coordinators — wrote about the hectic experience of working with and recruiting different performers.
caspar carson photo intern
Around the holidays, volunteering usually increases by around 50 percent, and donations toward food banks spike. While this uptick in generosity is useful, issues of food insecurity should not only be prioritized and be gaining attention during the holiday season. Those suffering from food insecurity feel its impacts every day.
There were about 25,950 food insecure people in Broome County in 2019 — around 13 percent of the county’s population — which has been exacerbated by inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, more than 21 percent of children in Broome County live in food insecure households. The prevalence of food insecurity in Broome County is likely due to a combination of a lack of access to grocery stores and high poverty rates — Broome County has a poverty rate of about 18.4 percent. Many food insecure individuals also don’t qualify for assistance — onefifth of food-insecure children are part of households with earnings too high to qualify.
Those that fall within this gray zone are especially vulnerable, as they struggle to provide for themselves and their families without help.
Significant areas of
Binghamton have for long been considered food deserts, or areas in which affordable or highquality food is sparse, including Binghamton’s North Side and other areas of Downtown Binghamton, like south of Floral Avenue, along the Susquehanna River, Riverside Drive in Johnson City, Endicott and south of Main Street. The first grocery store in 25 years finally opened in Binghamton’s North Side in January of 2021.
In 2017, the city of Binghamton launched a shuttle program to bus residents of the North Side to grocery stores. Before this program, residents without cars had to take long bus rides and expensive cabs to get groceries.
There are a variety of ways that BU students and local residents can get involved in efforts to combat food insecurity. Local organizations like the Binghamton Food Rescue and Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW), the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES) and the BU student-run Poverty Awareness Coalition seek to address food insecurity in Broome County through food drives and community gardens and shares year-round.
COVID-19 has both increased food insecurity and hindered efforts to alleviate food insecurity. 2020 saw an almost 5 percent increase in food insecurity across the Southern Tier, as many became unemployed or were unable to
leave their homes due to the pandemic. As demand rose, supply dramatically dropped for the same reasons — the amount of food donated to the Broome County Council of Churches, which operates the CHOW program, was 101 pounds less than usual. Schools also faced
difficulties in providing meals for the increasing number of students in need, so BroomeTioga BOCES supplemented 1.8 million meals between March to August for their own students and those at home.
As students, we are part of the Binghamton community
— those facing food insecurity are our neighbors, community members and fellow students. Looking past the holiday season, our obligation to the other members of our community cannot be forgotten, and the opportunities available to students cannot be ignored.
“As our discussions are still at a very early stage, further information will be provided as we progress,” Briga wrote in a statement. “[BCC] will be working closely with [BU] to coordinate updates and communications. We anticipate further details may be available after the holidays. These matters are complex and will take time to work through.”
Binghamton Advantage Program (BAP), which sees admitted students live on the BU campus while attending classes at BCC. Nicolas
Rampelotto, an undeclared freshman enrolled in BAP, said that while he was “happy” about the proposal, he was concerned for what it might mean for his education.
“I also feel that it would make my future as a [computer science] major unclear, because what are they going to do with me?” Rampoletto wrote in an email. “Are they going to label the [Applied Technology] building at [BCC] an extension of Watson, for example? I guess time will tell.”
Stenger described the potential benefits of the integration if it is approved, including, “providing a clearer path for student transfers from [BCC] to [BU], resulting in greater academic success for those students” and “lowering administrative costs through economy of scale.” Another described benefit would be increased attendance for BCC, according to Stenger, as enrollment has declined for BCC over the past few years while it has risen for BU.
Stenger described how these “challenges” were a key consideration behind the proposal.
“Given these challenges, I believe that an integration of University and community college functions would have positive impacts on both institutions as well as the community,” Stenger wrote.
“And most of all, it would improve educational outcomes for transfer students, especially those coming from first-generation and underrepresented minority backgrounds.”
Both schools already work together through the
Other BAP students expressed more support for the proposed integration.
Melissa Lopez, an undeclared freshmen enrolled in BAP, expressed hope that the integration would continue to support BAP, and give more students the transition period before university that she received.
“With the drastic changes compared to high school — the extremely large campus, the larger classes, the highest expectations — I think I might have crumbled under pressure,” Lopez wrote in an email. “Yes, there are resources to use to help me on both campuses, but it really is an overwhelming amount of responsibilities at once. But, with this program I can experience a trial of college before the University to better myself to meet those expectations.”
from page 1 fight from page 1
a student organization that advocates for students’ dining options on- and off-campus, and BUDS. The groundwork for bringing Quesera to campus began around a year ago, according to LaSarso, with BUDS planning to phase in the station’s dinner hours after the upcoming winter break.
“The thought process was to make a change to a static station that was Farmer’s Field,” LaSarso said. “By implementing a station that serves quesadillas, [which are] popular with students, we are also given flexibility to provide vegan and vegetarian options. Customers will have the choice of [three] build your own options, each will provide opportunity for more fillings.”
Quesera’s webpage describes its services as featuring “an array of fresh ingredients to customize a quesadilla all your own.” This includes your choice of a
white, wheat, jalapeño cheddar or gluten-free tortilla, a filling, including various meat options or Mezcal infused jackfruit — Mezcal being a smoky liquor made from roasted agaves — your choice of cheese and your choice of a finisher, including various salsas, avocado toppings and condiments to choose from, according to Quesera’s menu and azcentral. Quesera also offers a soup of the day, salad bowls or chips. Featured soups of the day can be found on Quesera’s BUDS webpage, and has featured options such as poblano and cheddar and chicken tortilla soup. Lauren Tarpey, a freshman majoring in biology, tried a Quesera quesadilla while having lunch with some friends.
“The food is a little pricey, but overall good,” Tarpey said. “I like that there is a Mexican-style place on campus now.”
Farmer’s Field, a salad bar which used to be located in the center of the Marketplace, has
been removed from the University Union, with Quesera taking its place. Ryan Marrone, a senior majoring in biology, said he was happy Farmer’s Field was gone, recalling how the establishment had served him a “gross” salad with “rotten lettuce in it twice.”
However, Marrone recommended that BUDS and the SCC further advertise their openness to student input when it comes to introducing new dining options to campus.
“I was told that students are able to vote for what restaurants they want to see in the University Union while touring the University before my freshman year,” Marrone said. “However, I am now a senior and am just learning that you need to be a part of a club to vote. I think the voting should be made accessible to every student, either via email or on [BU] PODS somehow.”
Prior to BUDS’ contract with Quesera, BUDS was searching for
a new concept to take over the Farmer’s Field station, according to the SCC. The SCC saw Quesera as a “great opportunity” to fulfill the requests of many students who were asking for quesadillas on campus.
Both the SCC and BUDS were involved in the formulation of Quesera’s menu, with the SCC prioritizing providing students of all dietary needs with vegan and vegetarian options, according to the SCC. As a part of this collaboration, the SCC was able to test and choose from the provider’s various cheese blends.
“It is exciting that the SCC has the opportunity to taste test items and be in on the discussion when new concepts are coming to campus,” the SCC wrote in an email. “We think it is important for students to be a part of the discussion when new caterers are coming to campus and that is exactly what the BUDS and SCC partnership allows for.”
Tara Delcarmen, a sophomore majoring in sociology, shared why they think initiatives and representation matter, especially at schools like BU.
“These types of outreach and awareness building events on campus provide students of color the space for education and for our voices to be heard,” Delcarmen wrote. “Additionally, having Black Greek life on campus, especially on campuses that are predominately white like [BU], is valuable and empowering because it demonstrates how [Black and Indigenous people of color] can be leaders and bring about positive and impactful change in their communities.”
Participating organizations tabled for the first portion of the evening. Stands were set up around the room touting individual club identities and information about how COVID-19 has impacted different vulnerable groups. Interactive displays
included recipes for cultural food, informational slideshows with statistics on the impact of COVID-19 and a jeopardy game with questions about physical and mental health.
The event also featured a speech from Hajra Aziz, an adjunct lecturer at the University, the executive director of the Broome Community Land Trust and a parent-mentor coordinator for CARES — a local organization that “helps students and families of color in the Binghamton school district” with “social injustices,” according to the CARES website.
Aziz spoke about how COVID-19 impacted communities of color, especially Black ones, using CDC statistics to demonstrate how Black and Brown people are twice as likely to die compared to their white counterparts. She also described her advocacy work as a “sounding board” for people without a voice, like frontline workers who were at work and unable to help their children through the COVID-19
schooling experience.
“Fortunately, when [COVID-19] struck us all, I was employed in a position [where] I was able to work from home,” Aziz said. “I was immediately able to be there for my 9-yearold daughter who was doing remote learning. But I was also surrounded by many folks who did not have that opportunity or that privilege.”
Kayleigh McGeeney, a junior double-majoring in mathematics and history, gave her thoughts on how political events impact the need for COVID-19 education, and how the “Fight Against COVID” initiative contributed to filling that gap.
“I have to say it’s a really great event,” McGeeney wrote. “They have an amazing speaker tonight and I’m happy to see that so many clubs came out. This is a very important topic to discuss since it was both so recent and with the mask mandate no longer [in place], it seems like a lot of discussion has died off.”
Over the course of a week, flu cases rose by 76 percent throughout Broome County.
Hunter Akins news internAs finals week approaches, flu season is underway in Broome County.
According to the New York State (NYS) Flu Tracker, as of the week of Nov. 20, 231 total cases of influenza type A have been confirmed in Broome County, a 76 percent increase from the week of Nov. 13. There have been 27,171 total confirmed cases in New York state, compared to only 1,137 cases at the same time last year.
Chelsea Reome-Nedlik, a public health educator for the Broome County Health
Department, encouraged students to receive their flu shots, as large numbers of flu-related hospitalizations can overwhelm hospitals’ ability to care for other health issues.
“It’s not too late to get a flu shot if you haven’t already,” Reome-Nedlik wrote in an email. “This season is off to an early and strong start — and a flu shot is your best defense against the flu. Additionally, stay home if you’re feeling sick, avoid contact with sick people, wash your hands and consider masking in public if you’re living in or visiting an area with a lot of flu cases.”
The Decker Student Health Services Center’s (DSHSC) Flu Clinic website states that influenza is thought to be contracted through exposure to respiratory droplets from
those who have it. The center encourages students and staff to reduce their risk of spreading or catching the flu by getting the flu shot, washing their hands regularly, avoiding close proximity to people who are sick, covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing and disinfecting surfaces that are touched often.
Some students believe university conditions make avoiding illnesses such as the flu difficult. Jun Na Peng, a senior majoring in psychology, described how although she managed to avoid illness throughout middle school and high school, upon arriving oncampus she has contracted an illness at least once every semester.
“I think the nature of
living with other students who are told to quarantine in their dorms — given that they test negative [for COVID-19] — [makes] their roommates much more susceptible to catching whatever illness [they’ve] got,” Peng said. “And — last thing — being in 400-plus people psychology lectures, where people are constantly coughing and spreading germs around to literally hundreds of other people, doesn’t help the situation either.”
Those who are feeling sick or have the flu are encouraged to isolate, only leaving home for medical attention, until their temperature has dropped below 100 degrees for 24 hours, according to the DSHSC Flu Clinic website. Students experiencing flulike symptoms can make an
appointment for a check-up with the DSHSC through the student health patient portal.
Andy Getzow, a sophomore majoring in computer science, said that although he has not personally seen much sickness on campus, he still believes taking preventative measures against the flu is important.
“I always try to get a flu vaccine — it’s free at the school or apparently you can get it at the same time as the [COVID-19] vaccine at like CVS,” Getzow said. “There’s no personal reason for me not to get the flu vaccine. I also had the flu once and it was really really bad. I was out for like a full month, it’s probably the most sick I’ve ever been.”
Students are able to sign up for a free flu vaccination
through DSHSC, accessible through the student health patient portal. Faculty, staff and community members can also use the VaccineFinder tool on Vaccines.gov to find and book appointments to receive the flu vaccination in places such as CVS and Walgreens in Broome County.
Kerry McBrearty, a medical secretary with United Health Service (UHS), encouraged students to be aware of sickness in their environment and, accordingly, make the appropriate medical choices.
“We all need to take responsibility for educating ourselves and consult our doctors on the options available to us,” McBrearty said. “If we all start to take steps to protect ourselves we’ll protect each other as well.”
There are countless reasons why I hate Ron DeSantis. He is, unfortunately, a really excellent politician who has essentially transformed Florida into DeSantis-Land. It seems inevitable, or at least very likely, that he might be the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. He’s fairly identical to former president Donald Trump on policies, supporting lots of populist conservative bills within the state. His entire demeanor and public image are quite similar to Trump’s, but he removes just a little bit of the insanity and racism off the edges so that enough moderates and independents fall for his charm. But, one thing that makes me angry above everything else is what his administration has been doing in Florida’s schools. I’ve written a few columns about education and the importance of protecting schools from conservative influence. DeSantis is a man you’re probably going to see more and more of in the coming years, so
here’s a story about how he’s changing education for the worse all over his state.
According to the New York Times, DeSantis won the recent Florida gubernatorial election by a margin of 59.4 percent to 40 percent against his Democratic opponent, Charlie Cristy. This 19.4 percent victory is a swing of nearly 19 points greater than his 2018 victory over Democrat Andrew Gillum. DeSantis, understanding his power and influence over the electorate, took another big step during this election. He endorsed a slate of school board candidates in races that were supposed to be nonpartisan. Under the banner of so-called “parental rights,” these boards are now actively suppressing the rights of transgender students and firing superintendents who disagree with their political cause. I don’t think I have to tell you why this is so dangerous. But in order to understand the nature of this uprising, let’s take a second to talk about Moms for Liberty.
Moms for Liberty is a growing organization of rightwing parents who want to reverse the track of American education. They have led multiple successful campaigns to ban books by civil rights leaders and others who expose
the racist structure of the American political system, and are attempting to whitewash contemporary and pre-20th century American history in order to prevent students from learning about oppression within the state. They have also denounced many of the decisions to increase education of LGBTQ history and rights and have strongly denounced the rightful normalcy of transgender students both in sports and the classroom. These types of organizations, inspired by white parents who are seeking to erase the teaching of oppressive tendencies in the classroom and who are willing to take over school boards in elections in order to fire superintendents and essentially overthrow democratically chosen school curriculum, remind me of another organization that was prominent in the 20th century — The United Daughters of the Confederacy. In light of the role that the United Daughters of the Confederacy played in solidifying the racist textbooks of the South that were produced into the 21st century, the fact that this comparison can be drawn is terrifying.
As was the case in the past, students today are being exposed to intentional disinformation
by organizations like Moms for Liberty, which are sponsored by powerful and increasingly influential politicians like DeSantis. DeSantis acts to uplift the message of these organizations from the bottom tiers of conservative activism to a movement that has taken hold in many school districts.
By endorsing these rightwing activists in school board elections, he is endorsing the election of problematic people who will do damage to schools. The United Daughters of the Confederacy used textbooks to perpetuate a false version of the institution of slavery and the Confederacy, and now we see organizations like Moms for Liberty do the exact same thing with a more friendly and, therefore, more dangerous demeanor. DeSantis and these organizations are seeking to remove gender nonconforming and non-heteronormative education from the classroom. Whether it be through the banning of textbooks or the firing of teachers who seek to protect any students who are different, we are reaching a point of no return when it comes to the politicization of classrooms. For parents who so often complain about the liberal education students receive in colleges,
they are being extremely hypocritical. Professors who give unheard voices a chance to speak by selecting students to answer questions in their classroom because they are from a traditionally oppressed background are just another step in making our community more egalitarian — Binghamton University should definitely know that lesson. Or rather, they should’ve embraced that lesson. Nevertheless, these conservative parents are turning a sacred space into a sphere of Republican influence for generations to come.
What will be the effects of this hostile takeover in the long-term? Well, many students who are already facing oppressive circumstances in American schools will be even more at risk of harm and isolation. Additionally, if many students are not exposed to America’s past and present as a colonizer and oppressor, future generations will likely be at risk of making the same mistakes again and again.
It is quite cliche to say that history repeats itself, but if we don’t teach younger people the mistakes of the past they are likely to recreate more oppressive systems. Whenever politicians seek to change curriculum in the classrooms,
either themselves or via sponsors, it’s likely because they want to reshape the next generation of students to adhere to their political mindset. This is unacceptable. By banning books and censoring a bleak past, we are setting in stone a bleak future.
Authoritarian states have traditionally used their control over education to stamp their ideology on the next generation.
Vladimir Lenin said, “Without teaching there is no knowledge and without knowledge there is no communism.” The classroom can be a place for the state to implement its will upon students who are naive and unable to fight back, especially in increasingly non-democratic states. As a democracy, our primary goal should be to protect the teaching of all ideologies that don’t espouse hate, which includes learning about oppressive American institutions. The idealization of racist institutions and heteronormative teaching bends students toward the politics of conservative Republicans. We must be wary of these social movements and protect the truth.
Sean Reichbach is a sophomore double-majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law.
On Jan. 6, 2021, far-right insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol Building.
Sporting “Make America Great Again” — or MAGA — hats and Confederate and Gadsden flags, they made clear that their aim was for former President Donald Trump to be declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, despite Joe Biden having won both the popular and electoral vote. This protest was indicative of trends that had begun some time before, including the radicalization against and increasing disdain for democratic processes that have been emerging within the American Christian right. Although Trump had become a figurehead, this shift had
begun long before he had announced his intention to run for president. The rioters’ demand that Mike Pence, Trump’s former vice president, be hanged was particularly memorable. Despite Pence’s status as a target, however, I believe that he helped bring the insurrection about through his promotion of religious fundamentalism prior to and during his singular term as vice president, and that he continues to propagate the ideology responsible for its occurrence through his continued association with the far-right.
Pence has since expressed a greater willingness to condemn Trump, most notably for his willingness to speak to Nick Fuentes, a prominent Holocaust denier working to bring his neofascist ideology into the mainstream. Pence has also willingly admitted that there was no election fraud in 2020 and that Trump
lost legitimately, confirmed by the committee responsible for carrying out hearings following the incident. He has since commented that he does not feel that Trump has violated any laws, but continues to distance himself from the insurrection and claims of election fraud. He even emphasizes his refusal to declare Trump victorious in his recent book, “So Help Me God.”
Pence was correct in his refusal to declare that there had been election fraud. It is also true that Pence’s life was threatened, as I genuinely believe that the insurrectionists would have hung him if they had the chance. However, as a member not only of the Republican Party, but also of its more radically religious sect, and as a prominent figure in the MAGA movement since its emergence, Pence remains complicit in the emergence of the movement that would
bring the insurrection about. Pence’s policy aims prior to his appointment as vice president have been consistent with those demanded by the MAGA movement. As governor of Indiana, he enacted a “religious freedom” law that would potentially allow increased discrimination against gay and lesbian couples seeking to get married in 2015, after gay marriage would be legalized nationally. He would also oppose a bill preventing discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace in 2007. As a member of the religious right, he would place his anti-abortion stance at the center of his agenda since his entrance into politics was in Indiana. He stated after its dismissal this year that he yearns for a future where the abortion procedure is “unthinkable.”
Pence’s policy aims on their own have historically coincided with the sentiments
of the MAGA movement since his beginnings in politics as a member of the House of Representatives. But it must be reaffirmed that, as Trump’s vice president, he did little to mitigate the rise of nationalism that Trump would promote within the conservative movement. Although he denounced Trump’s association with Fuentes, he did endorse Tom Barrett for the Michigan House race despite Barrett’s association with the far-right organization Stand Up Michigan, which has, among other things, called for the abolition of the federal government and worked to further the “Big Lie Theory,” which holds that the 2020 presidential election results were falsified.
Pence has continued to collaborate with and support a political movement whose members were calling for his execution just a few years ago. He has worked
Welcome to college! It’s very different than high school. In high school, you had to study everything — like math, English, science and history. But in college, you get to specialize and major in something you’re passionate about! Only take classes that you want, you know, other than that pesky math general education (Gen Ed) requirement. And of course there’s that English Gen Ed credit you need to fulfill, that science lab Gen Ed and that history one too.
PSA: It’s not that different — don’t be fooled.
Gen Ed requirements are one of college’s whimsical ways of setting students up to fail.
As described by Southern New Hampshire University, “[Gen Ed] courses provide a wide breadth of learning opportunities and skills
that can be applied to everyday life.” However, this is actually completely counterintuitive to the point of college learning, which is to hone in on specific specialties as seen in the establishment of majors and minors. The only degree that Gen Ed requirements contribute to is a B.S. in BS, and here’s why.
Gen Ed requirements dilute a student’s education with often tedious and random classes that are not at all geared toward that students’ interests. College students often find themselves struggling to fit courses they might actually enjoy into their jam-packed schedules. While the intentions behind the Gen Ed system are admirable — encouraging students to step out of their comfort zone and try classes and studies they wouldn’t have otherwise tried — it undermines the so-called process of becoming selfsufficient adults that universities claim to be conducive to. The instate estimated undergraduate cost of attendance for a student
at Binghamton University is currently $29,784. By telling students what they are paying to study in the form of these Gen Ed requirements, institutions like BU are sending the message that students are not responsible enough to make these choices on their own, making a significant part of earning their degree contingent upon the university’s agenda — like bringing business to departments that would otherwise be neglected.
Students spend their entire primary education experience trying to see what they like or don’t like for the sake of streamlining their interests to decide what to study in college. And now, the Gen Ed requirements make students work backward, putting them back in this large pool of interests for the sake of sifting through them again, rather than allowing students to allocate their time, money and course load to where they see fit. By forcing students to conform to these academic guidelines, colleges stunt
students’ educational freedoms and interests rather than encouraging them to exercise their agency as academics. “Cracks in the Ivory Tower,” written by Jason Brennan and Phillip Magness, argues that “The problem is that Gen Eds have both a high monetary cost and a high opportunity cost for students. If students must take — and pay for — a largely superfluous and ineffectual class, that burden comes out of their time and their bank accounts.”
If students would like to, they will choose a plethora of classes on different topics in the search for what they are passionate about. And they’ll do so without having a gun held against their heads while BU President Harvey Stenger says, “Take Intermediate Drawing — or else.” And, other students who have known they wanted to be veterinarians since age 5 will choose to embrace classes centered around that. Every student is different, and their educational paths should
reflect that rather than the students being forced to conform to the same cookie-cutter system like that of the never-ending Harpur Writing requirement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t enjoy fulfilling my health and wellness requirement by allocating thousands of dollars to a yoga class just to carry the damn mat around all day and re-roll it up more often than a pothead rolls blunts. I’m just saying that if students are paying for their own education, shouldn’t they be able to dictate what it is they are paying for?
And I’m not the only one who thinks this. Brown University, an Ivy League institution known for being one of the best universities in the nation, crafts its own curriculum around that very question. Known as the Open Curriculum, Brown University has adapted their learning systems to the individuality of every student by ridding them of the set guidelines of Gen Eds and requirements that prove unrelated to their interests.
since before Trump entered politics to further the aims of the American far-right and continues to do so through his own policy advocacy, as well as through his promotion of figures connected to organizations that promote conspiracy theories that call for his death. He represents the suicidal, dogmatic tendencies of a group that remains loyal to a leader who has lost his mind and lost touch with political reality. He also represents the political mainstream’s willingness to engage with the far right. Even as he works to distance himself from the insurrection, he must continue to be held accountable for the role he played in bringing it about, as should the mainstream conservative politicians who have and continue to engage with America’s emerging fascist tendencies.
Desmond Keuper is a junior majoring in philosophy.
Brown claims that, “At most universities, students must complete a set of core courses. At Brown, our students develop a personalized course of study — they have greater freedom to study what they choose and the flexibility to discover what they love.” This provides students with the freedom to explore varied interests while also allowing them to be the “architect of their own education.”
Students are adults, and BU, as well as colleges across the nation, must understand that it’s time for them to let go of the $30,000 bicycle and let students pedal along their educational path on their own, and in whatever direction they choose. It is a university’s job to provide a student’s education, not to control it, and the sooner universities gear their curriculums toward that idea, the sooner we all get to be the architects of our own education.
–Julia O’Reilly is a sophomore majoring in biology.
Monday, April 3, 2017 Thursday, September 28, 2017 Monday, October 2, 2017 Thursday, October 5, 2017
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Desmond
Happy Santacon, Weekend Warriors! You conquered the endless crowds of Cortland students and the blurry expanse of white, red and green. Despite getting puked on at Tom and Marty’s and suffering through a cold Binghamton weekend severely underdressed, you’ve made it to the semester’s final stretch virtually unscathed. Let’s face it, this is the last fun you’ll have until final’s week, but at least you’ve made the best of it.
Michael Golann Photo Editor
“For performers, we reach out pretty early in the semester to gain interest,” Chen and Pema wrote in an email. “The most important thing we focus on is consistent communication between all parties to ensure that tasks are getting done and deadlines are being met.”
Most of the performers are members of the various cultural organizations of BU. Apart from classic acts such as the Vietnamese fan dance, Taekwondo choreographies and group dances from various E-Boards, this year also brought many unique acts from emerging clubs and solo artists. Shaarang Sawale, cultural chair for the
Indian International Student Union (ISU) and a sophomore majoring in computer science, showcased an acoustic guitar performance of “Castle on the Hill.” Additionally, the musical group Sulpoong played the four traditional Korean percussion instruments, and an a capella song was performed by the a capella group No Strings Attached.
Chen and Pema wrote about the pressure of planning an event with such a long history, and why they picked a video medium this year for the skit over playing it live.
“It definitely is difficult to maintain tradition, while also bringing new ideas every year to Asian Night,” Chen and
Pema wrote in an email. ”Every year, our [event coordinators] try to think of new ways to make Asian Night unique — whether it’s through inviting new performers or trying a new medium for the skit.”
In the skit’s first act, the first main character, Robin, is under heavy pressure to find an A+ boyfriend from her powerful family, and the second main character, Elias, is so broke he’s fake dating for rent. Throughout the skit, it is revealed that Robin risks losing her inheritance if she doesn’t have an impressive boyfriend, and Elias’ dreams of being an artist got his parents to cut him off. Robin offers to let him come live with her. A collection
of their peaceful moments together plays, revealing that Elias’ real name is Sam, ending with a classic K-drama fade-toblack kiss.
Chen and Pema wrote about how the E-Board landed on this theme.
“This year, ASU decided to go with a skit plot that we felt was entertaining, both for the audience and for us as skit writers,” Chen and Pema wrote in an email. “Additionally, we felt that the main problem, which was dealing with parental pressures, was an experience the audience could relate with.”
The skit’s second act starts with Robin’s parents finding out Sam is a poor art student, threatening her to cut ties
with him. Her friend, Hannah, promised to help her because “Harvey owes her a favor.”
The skit ends with them finally reunited, prompting an emotional response from the audience.
The event also received visits from Asian organizations from other schools, including Cornell University and Rochester Institute of Technology, strengthening the camaraderie between these organizations.
Cornell’s drumming team, Yamatai, brought a three-song performance on traditional Japanese drums near the end, reinvigorating the crowd with their heavy drums and lively cheers.
Other acts included a step
routine from Binghamton Lambdas, beatboxing by Darren Yu, ‘19 and light art by BU’s Flow team. MODA impressed with a hip-hop performance — with perfect synchronization and creative choreography — as a fitting final act.
The night concluded with ASU President Hubert Zhou, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, giving a thank you speech to everyone that helped bring the event to life, and an emotional acknowledgment and send-off to the graduating members.
With a heaping 16 performances and a professionally produced skit, Asian Night 2022 was a resounding success.
stage. Additional elements like snowfall, drums, magic tricks and new set pieces were also present.
Jamie H. Nguyen and Samantha Goldman assistant arts & culture editor, contributorBinghamton University’s Mainstage production of Jazz Nutcracker, a biennial tradition broken by COVID-19, has finally returned.
Coming to the stage with Choreographer and Director JoEllen Kuhlman — an adjunct lecturer in the theater department — at the helm, the show reimagines the classic Nutcracker by altering the storyline, choreography and soundtrack.
Much of the Act 1 storyline stayed the same as in the original. It begins at a Christmas party — the costumes are mainly dresses and suits. The children, played by students from the wider Binghamton community, are given wonderful presents — toy cowgirls and ballerinas that come to life and dance for them accompanied by “Pass The Duje (Pas de Deux)” by Shorty Rogers and “Doll On a Music Box” from “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” by Guy Dearden.
Kuhlman described her background and how it informed the style of the show.
“Being mostly a jazz and tap dancer, the music I chose needed to fit the styles I like to dance, and [to] fit into the swing of the show,” Kuhlman said.
The music revitalized the Nutcracker to create an entirely new show where jazz, tap, ballet and pointe were all performed on
The Nutcracker — played by Ravin Van Gelder, a junior majoring in dance — comes to life riding a gigantic toy horse and the toy soldiers are awakened with him. They come out carrying drums and drumsticks which are vital to their dances. The clacking of the sticks together overhead and on the drums themselves were part of the music.
This unique feature was most noticeable when they were fighting against the mice who entered the music of “Pink Panther” by Henry Mancini. Dressed from neck to toe in black, they had rat tails and heads attached. The Mouse Queen could be spotted by the glittery pink outlining her neck and between her ears. After the mice’s defeat came the last few numbers of Act 1, featuring the Snow Queen, her snowflakes, and Clara, played by Dior Wright, an undeclared freshman. Clara was dressed in a red dress with golden snowflakes, while the snowflakes themselves were in silver asymmetrical skirts and white leotards — performing ballet and pointe. Snowfall came down from the lighting rig bringing Act 1 to a close. Kuhlman said specific changes were made to Act 2.
“We are now set in Drosselmeyer’s sweet shop and have also switched up a few of our songs,” Kuhlman said. “It’s nice to be able to change things up a bit and keep it fresh and entertaining,” Kuhlman said.
Some songs included were “Hot Chocolate from the Polar Express” by Mike Lewis, “Russian Dance” by Glenn Miller and
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pentatonix. The second act featured a menagerie of dancers, from the waiters running the sweet shop to the candy they served. Lollipops, marzipan, gingerbread, sugar plums and cupcakes were all performed in colorful costumes. The lollipops, for example, were dressed in bright dresses and danced with sashes, while the Sugar Plum Fairy was dressed in a brown leotard with a long sheer purple skirt.
The costume that took the cake, however, was Mother Ginger, played by Tommy Iafrate, an associate professor and director of musical theater at BU, who came out in a giant dress that needed to be moved on wheels. Numerous girls playing cupcakes came out from underneath the dress with hats on their heads that looked like cherries for their entrance and exit. Clara danced alongside many of them, and the Snow Queen also reappeared from the first act. The last song was
“Peanut Butter Brittle Brigade (March)” by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, in which the cast took their bows.
Kuhlman discussed providing recurring holiday entertainment as the reason for putting the show on every year, along with other reasons.
“It was designed to be something we do for the local community as well as the campus community,” Kuhlman said.
“Particularly to engage children, both so that they can enjoy it and
also to participate in it.”
Overall, the show achieved those goals, creating a kid-friendly show and atmosphere — with a raffle in the lobby to win things like a magician for a kid’s birthday party. However, you would be mistaken to think the show is just for children. The innovative music, storyline and showcase of numerous dance styles make the piece appealing to all students. If you’re a fan of dancing, music and the holiday classics, then this is a show for you.
caspar carson photo intern Asian Night 2022 brought back classic acts, including Vietnamese fan dance and Taekwondo choreographies.Now located on 127 Main St., the store has added a reading room.
Starting in a small room that barely fit a few people, the Riot Act Bookstore, located at 127 Main St., has recently expanded its space and added vibrant colors to its walls.
Riot Act Bookstore began in October 2020, with the plans to provide the Binghamton community with affordable and relevant reading that serves to educate and inspire a change in the world. The store’s selections involve anti-capitalist, antiracist and pro-liberation politics that challenge the status quo. Their store is also anti-profit, meaning all the money from the book sales go into community events, local activism and new books.
Riot Act Bookstore also offers ways to give back through its reparations fund, which is a pool of money designated to subsidize purchases for Indigenous people and African Americans.
The store began with a few people, and the Bundy Museum of History and Art gave them a space in the annex to set up shop. Now, after growing into a whole community, they
have made the move to their new location —which is on the Bundy Museum campus still — but is the only building there that’s a public storefront.
The move was relatively easy, according to volunteer Shams Harper, 30.
“We just basically had to move across a parking lot,” Harper said. “Just over two days our volunteers carried all the books over and shelves.”
Harper said that the new space is a wonderful expansion that fits a lot more people than the previous place.
“It’s awesome,” Harper said. “We were just looking at our old location and being like, ‘Wow we really fit into basically a large storage closet.’ Which is what our former location is now actually.”
The space has opened up more room to walk around and browse, with a reading room that has big windows to let the light shine through. The reading room allows patrons to sit, relax, hang out, read or play board games. Harper said that part of their goal is to have a spot where people can feel comfortable and not pressured to purchase anything.
“We are devoted to anticapitalist politics, so we never turn away someone who just wants to hang out and ready and not have to buy anything,” Harper said.
According to Harper, both
volunteers and customers have come to give congratulations and praise for the new location. Harper himself is impressed with the quirks of the storefront, including the unique and lively color scheme and the store’s temperature.
“We have no control over the temperature, so it’s set at a nice balmy 80 degrees,” Harper said. “So if it’s cold outside people can come in to warm up.”
Harper, along with other volunteers, described a day in the life of their responsibilities, including choosing books to purchase, handling online orders, social media marketing and coordinating with other groups.
Riot Act Bookstore places a lot of importance on their events, such as poetry nights and a casual lecture series called “friend lectures.” Earlier this month, they held an event hosting author Raymond Craib, who discussed his book “Adventure Capitalism: A History of Libertarian Exit, from the Era of Decolonization to the Digital Age.” Coming up in January will be a talk by writer Peter Gelderloos, who focuses on concepts of democracy and anarchy.
With Riot Act Bookstore developing and thriving in their new space, you can visit them during the hours of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
All around BU in the coming days will be fun, relaxing events to clear the mind.
Sam Lillianthal arts and culture editor
Finals are undoubtedly one of the most stressful times for students throughout the semester. Big exams and papers are the only things on our minds, but sometimes the mind should be cleared. All around Binghamton University, there will be de-stress events to provide a relaxing break from the overwhelming mental agitation of finals week. Here are some of the best ones to check out.
De-stress before finals event (Cayuga Hall, Dec. 9 at 11:30 a.m.)
Sometimes, the best answer to stress is in a form of pet therapy. At Cayuga Hall in College-in-the-Woods, therapy dogs will be hanging out for you to play and give love to. Being around dogs can be energizing and a helpful distraction from the most stressful week for students.
Mindfulness and Meditation with RA Joe and RA Victoria (Lehman Hall, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m.)
Mindfulness and meditation provides huge benefits to recovering from stress.
Meditation has been known to improve mental clarity, concentration and self-control.
At Hinman College’s Lehman Hall, students can come and practice techniques of relaxation and mindfulness for finals week.
Pickleball Basics with Campus Recreation (East Gym Gymnasium, Dec. 13 at 3:30 p.m.)
Pickleball is a curious sport that has been in increasing in popularity over the years.
Mixing badminton, tennis and ping-pong, pickleball is a fun time for anyone to play no matter what the experience level. Trying to be active and doing something new is a perfect way to de-stress from finals. Campus Recreation will be hosting the event and explaining the rules of the game, providing opportunities to play with two to four players.
Free Chair Massage with Campus Recreation (East Gym, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m.)
A little-known fact about Campus Recreation is that they offer massage therapy. Helping to reduce irritation, free chair massages will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Wellness Suite on the lower level of the East Gym Recreation Center.
Finals Destination Stress Prep (Johnson Hall, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.)
At Johnson Hall, you can
make finals care packages full of fun snacks, listen to some chill lo-fi music and get tips on how to manage stress effectively in finals week. The event will feature toys, snacks, stickers and much more.
CRAM JAM! (Appalachian Collegiate Center, Dec. 12 at 9 p.m.)
Cram Jam will feature student activities, entertainment and music — with a breakfast-themed menu at the Appalachian Collegiate Center — for the most productive and relaxing late-night study session. Student band Dr. Dana and the Jam Dept. will be performing on stage to provide what will surely be an awesome musical experience for stressed-out students.
Visions S’mores and Hot Cocoa Bar! (Union Marketplace Fireplace Lounge, Dec. 13 at 12 p.m.)
Sponsored by Visions Federal Credit Union, free offerings of s’mores and hot cocoa will be presented with different varieties of s’mores at the Marketplace. Crushed candy canes and marshmallows for the cocoa will be available as well. A cozy, winter beverage with one of the essential fireplace desserts provides a great opportunity to kick your feet back and not worry for a little bit.
the late stages of the set. However, the Bearcats began to find their groove, staging a 7-1 run of their own to cut the deficit to just three. Despite the late comeback, the Red Storm would not relinquish their lead, closing out the set 25-19.
Despite losing in the first round of the America East (AE) tournament to UNH, the Binghamton women’s volleyball team earned itself a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) after claiming the AE regular season title. On Friday evening, BU traveled to Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to take on St. John’s in the first round of the tournament. The Bearcats, however, failed to advance to the next round, losing in three sets to the Red Storm, ultimately ending their 2022 campaign.
“We had a couple of starters out, and it’s always tough when you don’t have your full squad with you,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “I thought we fought really well … [St. John’s is] the most physical team we’ve played all season. They’re big, they’re international and they’re really good.”
In the first set, BU (17-9, 8-2 AE) went down early to the Red Storm (20-13, 10-8 Big East) and was unable to recover. St. John’s jumped out to an early 9-4 lead that sparked a 6-0 run to make it 15-5. Despite a pair of short runs by BU, St. John’s still led 18-12 going into
“When we’re out of system and we’re not winning that serve and pass game, it’s really hard for us to compete at the level that we want to compete at,” Yaeger said. “We could not put a serve receive ball in from the 10-foot line.”
The second set followed a similar theme to the first, as once again BU found itself trailing early. St. John’s retained its momentum from its first-frame victory, jumping out to a 5-1 lead over the Bearcats. However, BU was able to keep the match close, tying the score at 5-5 and even keeping pace with the Red Storm with the score knotted up at 8-8 soon after. Despite this, St. John’s pulled away, staging a 10-2 run that it would not relinquish for the remainder of the set. The Bearcats struggled to get in system, resulting in a 25-18 defeat in set two.
“Our offense was never the problem,” Yaeger said. “We were hitting almost .300 [attacking percentage], which is crazy against a team like St. John’s,” Yaeger said. “It was always just our passing game, we made errors on our end.”
BU’s struggles continued into the third set. Early on, however, both teams went back-and-forth exchanging points. At the 17-14 mark, with the Red Storm leading,
the Bearcats lost their footing on defense as St. John’s began to pull away. The Red Storm went on an 8-2 spurt to close out the set, taking the match and advancing to the second round of the NIVT while ending BU’s season.
Senior middle hitter Anna Sprys and junior outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva led the Bearcat
with nine kills each. As a team the Bearcats tallied 30 kills, seven aces, four blocks, 29 assists and 28 digs.
“In the beginning of the sets, we would get down significantly and always have to try to fight and claw our way back,” Yaeger said. “It was tough.”
In Yaeger’s first year as head coach, the Bearcats finished the
season with a 17-9 overall record and an 8-2 conference record to capture the AE regular season title. Additionally, they hosted the AE championship for the first time in program history. This was a steep improvement from the season prior, in which the Bearcats finished 7-17 without clinching an AE playoff berth.
“I’m so proud of these players, this program and this team, they work really hard,” Yaeger said. “We completely turned this program around … I’m not satisfied … we have to continue to stay hungry, but the future is so bright, and this is a very special team that we had this year.”
Men’s team comes out on top, women’s drops two meets.
On Saturday, the Binghamton men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams competed in their final dual meet of 2022, making the trip to Amherst,
Massachusetts to face off against UMass and Vermont. The men, whose only opponent was UMass, defeated the hosts 172.5-127.5, while the women lost both of their matchups against UMass and Vermont, 72-228 and 100200, respectively.
“I felt the men competed well right from the beginning,” said Binghamton head coach Jerry Cummiskey. “UMass diving was very strong, so they started
the day with a decent lead, and we were able to win just about every event except for the two backs. So I think our guys did well and we were a little shorthanded with some guys out sick, but overall one of our best top to bottom dual meets in a long time, coming out with a win against UMass for the first time in program history.”
Leading the way for the men’s side against the Minutemen was
sophomore Eli Lanfear, who won three individual events in the 100 back, 50 free and 100 fly, with times of 50.12, 20.92 and 48.69, respectively. Lanfear has now racked up 13 individual victories this season for the Bearcats.
“[Lanfear] has just been great, he’s been consistent,” Cummiskey said. “He does a bunch of different things for us. He helps us on relay, sprints, free, fly and snuck in a 100 backstroke
win yesterday. He’s worked hard. He’s worked for it, and hopefully he’s got another step forward he can still take.”
Other individual winners for Binghamton included senior Justin Meyn, who secured the 100 breast with a time of 57.85 and the 100 free at 46.47, as well as freshman Liam Preston — who also won twice — coming out on top in the 1000 free with a time of 9:43.99 and the 500 free at 4:42.82. Juniors Liam Murphy, Lewis Lin and Jake Vecchio rounded out the individual winners, getting the gold in the 200 free, 200 breast and 200 fly, respectively. In the relays, the men also found plenty of success. Binghamton got first place in the 200 medley relay, as Lanfear, freshman Max Kaback, Lin and senior Ryan Maierle finished with a time of 1:32.22.
The Bearcats also captured first in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:23.76, achieved by a team of Preston, Meyn, Murphy and Maierle.
“Meyn had probably his best meet in his four years, winning the 100 free and the 100 breaststroke in a really fast time for him, so he was great,” Cummiskey said. “Vecchio probably had his best two-fly … Preston was great, won the [1000 free], [500] free and was second in the [200] free.”
Despite the men’s success, the women could not find a win against a duo of opponents, UMass and Vermont. Junior Courtney Moane brought home silver for the Bearcats with a time of 1:06.69 and 2:26.84 in the 100 breast and 200 breast, respectively. Moane joined
freshmen Olivia Philbrick and Maria Pignatelli, along with junior Molly Greeley, to grab another second-place finish in the 200 medley relay with a time of 1:48.64.
“I thought the women swam well, competed well,” Cummiskey said. “The UMass women are very good, we know they’re a good team in our conference. Coming up against two very talented teams, I thought we were pretty good. We’ve still got some work to do. We’ve got to keep grinding to get some people where they need to be, but it’s December so we’ve got time to do that.”
This was Binghamton’s last dual meet of the year as the team heads into winter break before returning home for the final stretch of the season and a possible America East (AE) championship berth.
“It’s certainly a challenge,” Cummiskey said. “We don’t compete for another six weeks or so and three of those weeks our team is at home after exams before we come back for the new year. Our expectations are that they get the work in while they’re home and do what they’ve got to do to be in the right place coming back, and then you’ve got a five or six-week grind to finish off the season with hopes of swimming really well and competing well. We’ve got our championship meet, but that’s really determined by what we do in the next six weeks.”
The Bearcats will start the new year off against St. Bonaventure. First race is scheduled on Saturday, Jan. 21at 1 p.m. in the Patricia A. Saunders Aquatic Center in Vestal, New York.
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Wanzer initiated the scoring in the first with a layup and Coleman followed up with two straight baskets. Wanzer then hit two straight three-pointers and Binghamton closed out the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 23-13 lead. The Bearcats shot 60 percent from the field and connected on all of their threepoint attempts. In the first period, Coleman and Wanzer had nine and eight points, respectively.
“[Wanzer and Coleman] took care of business and knocked down shots and did what they had to do,” Shapiro Ord said. “They didn’t think about offense, they just got
in there and did an incredible job.”
Senior guard Denai Bowman opened up the second quarter scoring with a stepback jump shot. This sparked a seven-point solo-scoring run for Bowman, followed by a Coleman layup to put the Bearcats up by 19. BU’s defense was able to hold the Stags to 14.3 percent shooting in the second quarter and took a 39-25 advantage going into halftime. Coleman and Bowman led the way for BU, entering the break with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“I think we were just all really excited and super energetic coming out there,”
Coleman said. “We wanted that win and we wanted it so bad. We had nothing to lose coming out there, so we came out ready to ball out. And everything was going our way and we were hitting our shots, everything was falling.”
Binghamton opened the second half hot, hitting all four of its shots in the first two minutes. Senior guard Clare Traeger got the scoring started with a layup that sparked an 11-3 run that included a Wanzer three-pointer, her third of the game. Fairfield attempted to make a comeback around the midway point of the penultimate quarter, going on a 5-0 run that was promptly
halted by another Wanzer three. The Stags closed out the last five minutes of the period on an 11-2 run to cut their deficit to 11.
“We have a ton of guards that can get in the paint,” Wanzer said. “[Redshirt freshman guard Jadyn Weltz] and [Bowman] are always getting into the paint and seeing me, and I think that since they are such a threat, it gets me a shot … I’m thankful that I have teammates that can find me to shoot.”
In the final quarter, BU’s defense held the visitors scoreless for nearly four minutes. Bowman began to heat up again as she scored five
points in a row before Wanzer struck again from three. The Stags chipped away, narrowing the lead to as little as five points with under a minute to go, but it was not enough as the Bearcats closed the game out at the free throw line and secured a 77-72 win.
“We stayed with the basics,” Shapiro Ord said. “We worked on our defense. Offensively we didn’t change anything because I knew these guys were gonna knock down shots.”
Wanzer led the team, finishing with 20 points — a collegiate career high for her. The redshirt freshman knocked down six of her nine attempts from three, the most
by a Bearcat so far this season. Coleman was not far behind with 19 points of her own, while Bowman added 17 in the winning effort.
“We really wanted to show what we can do, especially today,” Wanzer said. “We knew it was going to be a tough battle. [The Stags] were the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) champions last year. They’re a great team with great players, and we really knew that and kind of stepped up to the challenge.”
BU returns to action against Siena on Monday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the UHY Center in Loudonville, New York.
Bearcats concede lastsecond buzzer-beater, lose 69-66.
With less than five seconds remaining, the Binghamton men’s basketball team knotted the score against Stonehill at 66 when senior guard Jacob Falko drove into the lane for a layup. However, the visitors fired back on the other end, hitting a last-second three-pointer that connected as the final buzzer sounded, handing the Bearcats a 69-66 loss on Saturday.
“It’s just something we gotta learn from,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “We get a basket [to] tie the game, but now we gotta identify everybody [and] matchup so we don’t give [Stonehill] that opportunity, but I’m happy with the way we played.”
After winning the opening tip, BU (3-5) struggled to score before graduate student guard Christian Hinckson connected on a jump shot two and a half minutes into play. After four minutes, Stonehill (4-6) managed only a 3-2 lead as both teams stumbled offensively. Around midway through the first half, the Bearcats found themselves down 17-6.
Despite the slow start offensively, with just under nine minutes remaining in the half, junior guard John McGriff completed an and-one basket. On the next possession, McGriff hit a three-pointer to narrow the deficit to seven. Graduate student forward Miles Gibson followed
McGriff up with a three of his own to bring it to four, but the Skyhawks responded with one of their own.
However, Binghamton did not let up, as junior forward Tariq Balogun finished a rim-rattling dunk followed by a McGriff three-pointer that brought the Bearcats’ deficit back to two points with just over five minutes remaining in the half.
“[McGriff] got a lot of kick outs and he knocked shots down,” Sanders said. “I thought that was pretty good in how we needed to play because we figured [Stonehill] was going to pack it in [defensively].”
With the remaining time left in the half, both teams went back and forth as the score read 36-32 at the halftime buzzer. BU struggled to contain Stonehill’s offense as it allowed 50 percent shooting from three by the visitors for the game.
“The unique thing about [Stonehill] is that they have five guys on the floor at all times that can shoot threes,” Sanders said. “It really puts pressure on your defense… It’s hard to guard teams when they have five guys on the floor that can make threes.”
Binghamton opened the second half by giving up a quick 5-0 run to fall behind 4132. Coming out of a timeout, Hinckson hit a quick threepointer. A few minutes later, Falko hit a step-back three, cutting the deficit to six. After giving up a three-point play on defense, the Bearcats rallied back as McGriff hit another three-pointer, his fourth of the game. Just over three minutes later, Gibson hit
back-to-back mid-range jumpers to shrink the deficit to four with under 13 minutes to play.
“In the second half [Gibson] kind of got going,” Sanders said. “We ran a few plays for him [to] isolate him a bit. He made a couple of shots, so I think at any point on our team we have a number of guys who can carry us offensively … We needed [McGriff] and [Gibson] to step up, and I thought they did a really good job.”
Over the next nine minutes of play, this margin did not vary much as BU was unable to close the gap. However, with under four minutes to play, Hinckson hit a three-pointer to cut the Stonehill lead to two. With two and a half minutes to play and the Bearcats down by three, Falko turned the ball over on offense. However, the Bearcat sprinted back and blocked Stonehill’s fast break opportunity and raced back, converting an and-one layup to even up the score at 61 apiece.
“Our ability to get some stops and then our ability to rebound the ball,” Sanders said. “I thought [that] really helped us stay in the game and give us extra possessions.”
Down four with less than 30 seconds to play, Falko drove into the lane and hit a strong layup plus the foul. After the Skyhawks hit one-of-two free throws, Falko pushed the tempo on offense once again and tied the game at 66 with a tough layup. Despite knotting up the score, five seconds still remained on the clock. Stonehill inbounded the ball and quickly pushed it up the court, leading to an open three on the left wing.
“I
thought we did a pretty good job of defending … But for the most part, we had 62
[Stonehill] got 48
We had 14 offensive rebounds, so I really liked the way we came out