Tips on
SURVIVING YOUR FIRST COLLEGE ROOMMATES from Pipe Dream’s editors
See page 6
Monday, August 27, 2018 | Vol. XCIV, Issue 2 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Printing Pandemonium
BU creates four new safety initiatives The changes come after two student murders last semester Amy Donovan
Assistant News Editor
connected to the computer accounts properly and some large printing queues were going onto the network, slowing down the system. Additionally, earlier in the week, only Apple computers were working with the new system, rendering over half of computers in the library inactive. That issue was fixed on Friday, but others persist. Abigail Koerwitz, a junior majoring in psychology, said that after spending time in line to print, the computer alerted her that she was not yet given a print quota. “I just left after that — I couldn’t believe that I’d come down to the library to print and I wasn’t even able to,” Koerwitz said. “How could I not have money to print? It was the first day of the semester.”
Following a semester with two student murders, Binghamton University has officially drafted a new safety initiative that is intended to address security concerns while incorporating feedback from the campus community. The initiative features four different committees focusing on safety and security, communications, student engagement and counseling and student support. According to University President Harvey Stenger, the groups aim to encourage a collaborative effort between the administration and the student body. “Each committee has focused on campus procedures and practices, gathered feedback and worked to implement many of the ideas put forth,” Stenger said in a statement. “We are committed to making Binghamton a safe and secure campus, and we recognize that this requires the engagement of the entire campus.” The initiative also fulfills promises made by University administrators last semester, including the installation of a new campus notification system, an increase in dorm security cameras and three new positions at the University Counseling Center (UCC). Demands for increased safety measures came after the separate murders of two BU students, Haley Anderson and Joao Souza, in spring 2018.
SEE PRINT PAGE 3
SEE SAFETY PAGE 3
Rebecca Kiss Photography Editor Rob Mercogliano, a junior majoring in chemistry, prints at Glenn G. Bartle Library. As Binghamton University’s Information Technology Services navigates issues with its new system, Print@Binghamton, students face long lines and other difficulties.
ITS replaces printing system with Print@Binghamton Valerie Puma News Intern
As syllabuses and required readings pile up during the first days of class, students at Binghamton University are facing printing problems. Long lines formed at the Glenn G. Bartle Library last week after students ran into a number of issues while trying to print. The problems are linked to an updated printing system implemented over the summer by BU’s Information Technology Services (ITS). The new system, Print@Binghamton, was meant to allow students to print by emailing
print@binghamton.edu and using University web networks and their BU ID cards rather than limiting students to printing only from computer labs. According to students who work in the library at the ITS Help Desk, the new system utilizes an ID card scanner to connect PODS accounts’ printing jobs to the printer’s queue. “[With the old system], you could print from the library computer and then log in to a separate computer that was connected to the printer and print that way,” one student said. “Now, instead of where you logged in to the computer to print, you just have to tap your student ID on the scanner that is sitting on top of the printer.” According to Help Desk employees, there could be a few reasons for the issues seen this week. Some students may not have had the money for the print quota on their account, their cards might not be
Students struggle to find spots in required classes University adds seats to biology lectures, discussions Gillian Kenah
Assistant News Editor
At this year’s summer orientation, around 400 freshmen chose to pursue a biology major, causing an unexpected influx of freshmen into the program. As orientation groups came and went, new students planning to major in biology struggled to land seats in their required introductory-level biology courses. Now, professors and teaching assistants are seeing larger class sizes than normal. According to an introductory-level biology professor, the lecture section for BIO 114: Introduction to Organisms and Populations was originally set for 432 students but has been increased to 450 to cap out the class, adding additional students to discussion sections. According to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, Binghamton University aims to enroll a certain number of students each year. For the class of 2022, enrollment numbers increased. “For fall 2018, the enrollment objectives were finalized in November 2017 with a decision to increase the size of the freshman cohort by about 150 students while keeping the new transfer student cohort similar to fall 2017,” Yarosh wrote. “Initial enrollment data show that we are within 2 percent of these objectives.” Yarosh wrote, since the University admits students by school or department rather than by specific majors, that each dean’s office uses previous data to plan courses for the following
fall semester. However, the school must ultimately compensate for student interest as shown by course registration data. “This means that there is often an adjustment period during the summer to account for actual course registration trends, and this year Harpur College worked with a number of departments to adjust course availability in response to student interest,” Yarosh wrote. “As of Friday morning seats are available in a number of the most popular freshman courses, including BIOL 113, 114 and 115.” Additionally, there are still seats available in introductory-level courses such as ANTH 111: Intro to Anthropology; PSYC 111: General Psychology; SOC 100: Social Change: Intro Sociology; PLSC 117: Intro to World Politics; and GEOG 101: Intro to Geography. Carol Miles, an associate professor of biology and an undergraduate co-director of the biological sciences department, wrote in an email that the University cannot easily create more lecture sections because that would necessitate more professors and teaching assistants — a costly prospect. Nevertheless, Miles wrote that all students who need to take an introductory-level biology course will able to do so without delaying graduation. “I think we will be able to get everyone through Intro Biology who needs it, in a timely manner,” Miles wrote. “Some may have to wait a semester to get in, but it will not slow down their progression toward graduation. For our majors, there are not so many requirements that a person could not get through in four years, even if their Intro Biology course is delayed.”
ARTS & CULTURE
Sasha Hupka News Editor Marc Molinaro, Republican gubernatorial candidate, answers a question at a public town hall on Friday evening in Downtown Binghamton.
Molinaro hears local concerns Republican gubernatorial candidate holds town hall Sasha Hupka News Editor
Education, bureaucracy, economic struggles and gun rights were popular topics of discussion at a town hall held by Marc Molinaro, Republican candidate for governor of New York. The town hall, which attracted more than 100 voters from across Broome County, was held at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Binghamton. It was one of several stops in Molinaro’s tour
of Broome County on Friday, which included visits to Whittaker Farm of Whitney Point, Aiello’s Restaurant in Whitney Point and Crowley Manufacturing in Endicott. During his trip to the area, Molinaro was joined by State Senator Fred Akshar, a Republican who has publicly stated his support for Molinaro’s campaign. “Since announcing his candidacy in April, this is Marc’s sixth stop in Senate District 52,” Akshar said. “I think that speaks volumes. He’s all over this state; he’s crisscrossing every corner of this state to spread his message.” Molinaro, who is the current Dutchess County executive, kicked
OPINIONS
Lights come up on the fall 2018 campus theatre productions,
Pipe Dream dishes about the best places to gossip on campus,
Copy Desk Chief Sarah Molano writes in support of the recent nationwide prison strike,
See page 5
See page 6
See page 7
off the town hall by speaking about himself and his platform. He touched on his history as a member of the New York State Assembly and mayor of Tivoli, a village with a population of roughly 1,100 residents. Molinaro also highlighted key portions of his platform, including plans to fix corruption in Albany and lower taxes. “Let me be very candid with you,” Molinaro said. “This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. The governor’s had six or seven close associates, one of his top lieutenants, found guilty of federal corruption charges.”
SEE MOLINARO PAGE 3
SPORTS
Volleyball swept in opening tournament,
Women’s soccer captures second victory,
See page 9
See page 10