Pipe dream fall 2013 issue 5

Double trouble: Big Red sweep twin bill,

Considering studying abroad?

Opinion columnist Macon Fessenden laments being on the receiving end of study abroad tales, see page 9

Cornell takes down BU soccer teams, see page 11

PIPE DREAM Friday, September 20, 2013 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXV, Issue 5

It's

Week Dig In See Release Pages 5-8

Paige Nazinitsky/Managing Editor

Students exercise free speech The app that smiles back iOS matchmaker offers drinks to couples Rachel Kaplan and Hannah Gianninoto Contributing Writers

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Ben Sheridan, president of Dorm Room Diplomacy, sits in front of the “wall” set up for students to exercise their right to free speech on issues that matter to them most.

University chalking ban draws criticism Eurih Lee News Intern

Chalking up issues with Binghamton University’s posting policies to a matter of free speech, Dorm Room Diplomacy promoted the First Amendment by creating a poster board “wall” on which students could exercise their rights and express themselves.

According to Binghamton University posting policy, “Writing in chalk on any building or University sidewalk or roadway is strictly prohibited. Any group found claking [sic.] will be charged a clean up fee and will lost [sic.] reservation privileges.”

Ben Sheridan, vice president of Dorm Room Diplomacy International, said

he disagrees with the ban.

“The idea that chalking is illegal on campus — it’s ridiculous. You can get a ticket for it,” said Sheridan, a senior majoring in political science.

Jordan Clifford, vice president of Dorm Room Diplomacy and a senior majoring in political science, also said that the chalk ban restricts a student’s right to free speech.

“I could understand it if people were writing obscenities and stuff like that, but it still is free speech,” Clifford said.

On Monday students were encouraged to write whatever they wanted on a poster board “wall” to exercise their right to free speech. There was a diverse practice of free speech,

as postings on the wall ranged from animal drawings to political statements.

Clifford said the wall theme represents the various restrictions of freedom throughout society.

Although most of the postings on the wall were respectful and inspirational, there was an instance of “hate speech” when someone wrote, “Zionism is Fascism.”

“Oftentimes, we find that hate speech doesn’t accomplish anything,” Clifford said. “Free speech is free speech. It’s up to the person how they want to use it.”

After the event, Dorm Room Diplomacy plans to take the wall to a panel of professors and determine

See CHALK Page 2

In the fifth most depressing city in America, one former Binghamton University student has given the community a reason to smile.

Dan Berenholtz, 27, from Fresh Meadows, N.Y., created the iOS application SmileBack along with friends and cofounders Venkat Dinavahi and Roy Goldschmidt, and brother Doron.

SmileBack is an app that allows users to send a “smile” to other users they want to get to know. If they send a smile back, the two users will be able to text each other through the app.

Berenholtz attended Binghamton from 2004 to 2005 but transferred to Cornell University where he graduated in 2009. He hopes to bring SmileBack to Ithaca soon.

“We hope to launch it at Cornell soon, but Binghamton is the only city we are focused on right now,” Berenholtz said.

“We started with Binghamton because it brought me back to my roots.”

Berenholtz also came to an agreement with Tom & Marty’s and Dillinger’s Celtic Pub & Eatery to offer free drinks to matches that present the voucher on SmileBack. He plans to team up with Flashbacks/ Paradigm in the future.

“We went personally to each bar,” Berenholtz said. “I met with Larry Shea [the owner of Tom & Marty’s] … he loved the idea. We also spoke to someone at Dillinger’s. We were only [in

Binghamton] for two days, and we weren’t able to catch the owner of JT’s.”

“We started with Binghamton because it brought me back to my roots” — Dan Berenholtz App creator

However, the app is not a ticket to unlimited free drinks.

“When you match with someone on [SmileBack], you can only match with them one time. So the bartender presses ‘mark as used’ when the couple redeems the offer, so they can only redeem it once,” Berenholtz said.

Shea said he was excited about partnering with SmileBack.

“While I wouldn’t call their app social media, per se, it runs in the same area,” Shea said. “I love the role social media has now in running my bar. It’s not about simply running ads for specials; it’s about getting to know my customers, becoming a part of their social network and simply having fun.”

Although Shea is enthusiastic about the possibilities, he thinks there might be some problems during prime business hours at Tom & Marty’s.

“So far my one concern is that we probably will have to restrict it during times we’re crazy busy, those two-hour periods or so a night when it takes all our effort just to serve drinks,” Shea said.

SmileBack was officially launched as a mobile app in the spring of 2013 as a small private beta only for iPhones.

Berenholtz and his co-founders are currently working on an Android version.

The initial ideas for SmileBack came after the creation of their website whowentout.com, launched at Georgetown University and the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. last year while Berenholtz and his partners were living in the city.

“After you went to a party or a bar, you would go onto the website and see who else was at that party and try and find matches,” Berenholtz said.

The site was a success, so they elected to expand it by replacing the website with a mobile application.

“We changed it to a mobile app because we realized that smartphones were the desktop of the future,” Berenholtz said.

“We decided to use the app to center it around campuses.”

Students were informed of the SmileBack launch on Sept.

11, through a mass email sent

by Berenholtz. They also used Facebook to generate interest.

Berenholtz said about 3,000 people are using SmileBack, with about 1,050 in Binghamton alone. Over 5,000 smiles have been sent out in Binghamton,

See SMILE Page 2

www.bupipedream.com | September 20, 2013

NEWS

2

Job fair draws 90 employers to Events Center

Career Development Center helps students prepare cover letters, resumes for bi-annual event James Scott Contributing Writer

Binghamton University students donned their best business wear and armed themselves with freshly formatted resumes and well-rehearsed elevator pitches for the Job and Internship Fair at the Events Center Thursday.

Representatives from about 90 different companies spoke to students about internships and full-time job opportunities.

The Career Development Center offered workshops all day Wednesday, catered explicitly toward the Job and Internship Fair, on resume writing, what to say and how to make employers want to hire you.

“These workshops are essential — nobody writes resumes or markets themselves successfully without learning; you have to develop it,” said Eileen BauerHagerbaumer, assistant director of employer relations at the Career Development Center. “Look at these lines, you can see that they aren’t going to be spending 15

minutes talking to each person, so you want to make sure you say the right things, and you must be prepared to do that.”

Students lined up in hopes of talking to representatives from the various companies in attendance.

“Here at Target we are looking for people from all majors and backgrounds, the only thing that truly matters to us is how well you work and motivate your team,” one Target representative said. “I always ask hard-hitting questions like ‘What is your ultimate career goal?’ and ‘Why Target and not others?’ so it is crucial to do research about the company beforehand because if the responses aren’t deep, then you will not get in.”

While some companies were looking for students in specific majors, others had no preference.

“About 35 percent of the employers that are here are looking for any major, they are not targeting just those in technical or business fields,” BauerHagerbaumer said. “We also have communication, we have health care, we have education, we have service industries and of course

we also have those organizations looking for technical and business backgrounds.”

Attendees of the event ranged from curious freshmen to seasoned, job-seeking graduate students.

“I am going to the job fair today just to see what it actually is, to become familiar with the set-up and experience,” said Unpyol Han, a freshman majoring in accounting.

“I don’t even have a resume.”

Andrew Williamson, a firstyear graduate student studying marketing, said that he got more out of the fair this year than when he was younger and less experienced.

“I came around my freshman year and had no idea what I was doing, I was completely lost, but now I have a few companies that I have researched and I think would be a good fit for me,” Williamson said. “My parents said I can’t live in their house forever, I’m mostly looking into accounting and consulting firms.”

Zal Mirza, a senior majoring in industrial systems engineering, got an internship at Amphenol Aerospace Operations due to

Alana Ingham/Contributing Photographer

Students gather at the Events Center to attend the Job and Internship Fair on Thursday. The Career Development Center hosted approximately 90 firms and organizations at the biannual event.

the Job and Internship Fair last semester and went back in search of a full-time job.

Through all the nerves, sweaty palms and awkward smiles,

Mitchell Ostrow, a representative for Margolin, Winer & Evens LLP, recommended students relax.

“The only advice I really have to give is just to be yourself,” Ostrow

said. “Know what you want to be looking for and know what you want out of the company you work for, then we can decide if we think you’re a good fit too.”

Students school professors DRD celebrates free speech CHALK continued from Page 1 what the prominent issues on campus might be so that they can address them.

“It’s unclear if there’s one overriding issue that everyone cares about over something else, but we’re getting a good sense,” Sheridan said.

Dorothy Manevich, president of Dorm Room Diplomacy and a senior double-majoring in history and political science, said she hopes that seeing the expression of free speech on the wall will inspire students to become more engaged in international relations.

“A lot of what we [Dorm

Room Diplomacy] talk about comes back down to fundamental rights as a human being, and freedom of speech is one of those rights,” Sheridan said.

Paul Chen, a senior majoring in biochemistry, said he attended the event to show his support in raising awareness of the importance of free speech.

“Freedom of speech should be expanded upon to ensure that people can live in a just society,” Chen said. “People today take that right for granted while in other places, those people are not permitted this right.”

“...hate speech doesn't accomplish anything. Free speech is free speech. It's up to the person how they want to use it” — Jordan Clifford BU senior

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Associate professor Surinder Kahai competes against BU students in the event “Are You Smarter Than A Professor?” in Newing College Commons Thursday evening. The competition pitted students against five professors in a friendly battle of wits.

Undergrads narrowly win trivia contest

App features drink vouchers

Joseph Hawthorne

SMILE continued from Page 1

News Intern Led by Newing College Faculty Master Mark Reisinger, five professors in fields ranging from engineering to history challenged Binghamton University students to outwit them at math, science, history and Binghamton knowledge Thursday night in the Newing Multipurpose rooms.

“Are you smarter than a professor?” asked host Anthony Galli, a senior majoring in political science. “There are only two answers: ‘No’ or ‘Maybe.’

Because let’s be honest, you’re probably not.”

With that, the challenge was on. One by one, students came up to the stage to try and beat Newing Faculty Fellows Surinder Kahai, John Chaffee, Shannon Hilliker, Gary Truce and Master Reisinger.

One by one, most of the challengers returned to their seats empty-handed.

For students like Alim Uddin, a junior majoring in economics and Arabic, the contest seemed easy.

“My name means all-knowing,” Uddin said to the host. “No, it really does.”

But after learning he was incorrect in believing that fractions were integers, Uddin returned to his seat in silence.

“When I got up there, I didn’t do too well. We were falling behind, so yeah, I was pretty nervous,” Uddin said after the event.

The onslaught seemed to be endless, drawing students to sigh, guess and even surrender.

“In what war was ‘The StarSpangled Banner’ written?” Galli asked.

No student could answer.

“How many square yards are there in the Nature Preserve?”

Galli asked.

No student came close.

“Who invented the first practical safety elevator with brakes?” Galli asked Jacob Seidner, a junior majoring in industrial and systems engineering.

But Sneider knew when he was beat.

“I have no idea, but if any of my teammates do, please take my place,” he said as he walked to his seat.

Nearing the end, the team of nearly 30 students was still six points behind the professors and seemed poised for defeat. But then, the five-player team rounds began.

“What party was John Adams a part of?” Galli asked.

The professors were stumped.

“What is the Newing mascot?”

Galli asked.

No professors knew the answer.

With five students against five professors, the tenured doctors got a taste of their own medicine, and the teams found themselves in a tie with one question to go.

“I wasn’t worried,” said Jonathan Rodriguez, an undeclared sophomore. “I knew we could rack up some history

questions and get right back in it.”

Many students and faculty seemed happier to be interacting than winning.

“I had a lot of fun and I think the students did too,” Reisinger said. “It’s important for them to see us as human, we’re not perfect, and they saw us get questions wrong too. It’s great to just have faculty and students together.”

Students also had the opportunity to ask professors questions about their personal lives, such as what they would have done differently when they were students and what other fields they might have chosen.

“It’s really cool that faculty could be resting and being with their family but they want to come see us. I really appreciate that,” Rodriguez said. “They were really honest when we talked to them after the event.”

But before either team could relax, it came down to one last round.

“And for the win,” said host Galli, “factoring inflation, who was the richest man in world history?”

When Galli received the answers it only took him a moment to register the score.

“John D. Rockefeller,” he said as he looked up. “The students win.”

For the first, and only, time in Binghamton University history, the students were smarter than their professors.

the app creator said, with 90 percent having been opened by the receiver.

Berenholtz said that SmileBack’s advantage over Tinder, a popular social dating app with similar features, is that it’s much more intimate.

“Ultimately the best experiences are going to be the real life experiences, not the ones where you’re behind a screen,” said Berenholtz. “By offering free drinks, we’re incentivizing people to get off their phones and computers and go out and have a real night. And get drunk!”

Adam DeRise, a junior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, said he heard about the app from a few freshmen and decided to try it.

“I thought it looked professional, it was user-friendly and very simple to understand.

I liked the limited use of liking people, as opposed to Tinder. On Tinder you swipe right away and match with a bazillion people. But because on SmileBack you only have three choices or whatever a day — it matters more,” DeRise said.

The creators aren’t receiving income from SmileBack; the app is free unless users decide to download SmileBack pro for $2.99 a month in order to receive 100 tokens each month and the ability to see if their messages were read.

“Right now, we’re not really focused on making money off of it,” Berenholtz said. “We just want to help to foster connections in the real world. It can be for romantic love, it can be just for grabbing a drink with someone, it can be … just for getting out and meeting new friends. There are a million different reasons why people would want to meet other people.

App logo

We’re just here to help those connections be made.”

American culture as a whole might not be completely accepting of this new form of virtual dating as well. Scott Wisotsky, a junior majoring in political science, shared some concerns.

“I like it, I think it’s cool and all, but I’m not a huge fan of meeting significant others over the Internet,” Wisotsky said. “I think a relationship needs to have actual person-toperson chemistry to get the sparks going that can’t be found on the Internet.”

Despite his praise, DeRise still thinks there could be some improvements.

“I don’t see myself using it frequently,” DeRise said. “Maybe because it’s not as mindless … you have to put a little more thought into it than you do with Tinder. I might not use it as frequently.”

Fall 2013 Restaurant Week Giveaway Five $25 gift certificates Pipe Dream is giving away 5 $25 gift certificates to celebrate Restaurant Week! We are giving away one gift certificate to each of the following places:

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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Screen legends 6 Not exactly thoroughbreds 10 IOU 14 It may be a matinée 15 Abba of Israel 16 Allroad Quattro maker 17 Celebrate bigtime 20 Part of EST: Abbr.

21 Idiot 22 Bit of dental work 23 Boxing family name 24 Woodworking slot 26 “We’ve Only Just Begun” soloist 33 Long-nosed fish 34 Adams in a bar 35 “The Simpsons” clerk 36 Formal answer to “Who’s there?”

38 Place to retire to 39 River near Fairbanks 41 Badminton barrier 42 Show fear, in a way 45 British finishers?

46 Poise during adversity 49 Feedbag filler 50 You won’t hear them from toadies 51 Playground fixture 54 KGB country 56 Casual top 59 Lee’s command 63 Press 64 Soldier group 65 Garden statuette 66 Does, e.g.

67 Bouquet, to an oenophile 68 Playful fish eater DOWN 1 Little troublemakers 2 Nail polish layer 3 Exiled Roman poet 4 “Collages” author Anaïs 5 Agree to less than you really want

6 “M*A*S*H” soft drink 7 Provide a bank floor plan for, perhaps 8 Gangster’s gun 9 White precip, in product names 10 Big ball shooter 11 Work from a mound 12 Light bulb, in comics 13 Orderly 18 Castor and Pollux, e.g.

19 How popular people are known 23 Mars’ Greek counterpart 24 Peon 25 King Kong, for one 26 One passing bad checks 27 Japanese dog 28 Mountain homes 29 Make better 30 Selfish sort 31 Last part of a Greek lyric poem 32 The “R” in RHE 33 Bullet-on-metal noise 37 Cold snap to the max?

40 “The A-Team” weapons 43 It’s boring to be in one 44 Dadaist Max 47 Talk it over 48 Precede 51 Gulf War missile 52 Had on 53 “Picnic” playwright 54 “Exodus” author 55 Fill and then some

56 Gait between walk and canter 57 Former “Fashion Emergency” host 58 Once-over giver 60 Press for payment 61 Roxy Music musician Brian 62 A kind of one ends each of this puzzle’s four longest answers

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By Stella Daily and Bruce Venzke (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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September 20th, 2013 | www.bupipedream.com

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225 Water St (607) 722-7575

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41 Court Street (607) 217-4815

Washin gton Str ee

96 Front Street (607) 724-84244

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Thai Time

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222 Water Street (607) 771-6063

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Gallagers Irish Pub South Side Yanni's 92 Robinson Street 1200 Vestal Ave (607) 773-3333 (607) 723-1403 Loft at 99 Tranquil Bar/Bistro 99 Court Street 36 Pine St (607) 217-5911 (607) 723-04 95

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Menu

Official

Kathryn Shafsky | Release Whether you’re living on campus and facing the repetitive Sodexo menu or a student who only knows how to boil pasta and pour cereal, there comes a time when your palate needs something a little bit different. What could possibly satisfy that craving for something that’s both comforting and outside your comfort zone? Here in Binghamton, it’s Thai Time.

Located at 96 Front St., Thai Time offers reasonably priced, delicious Thai cuisine that will leave you questioning why drunken noodles aren’t a staple at every frat party.

While Thai Time may appear small upon first glance, stepping inside reveals a fairly large space great for both big groups or intimate meals.

Having designed an interior that makes you momentarily forget about the

Kieran Mcmanus | Release This Restaurant Week, make sure to stop by Galaxy Brewing Company.

Whether you want a delicious, cheap meal or want to try a few of its freshly brewed taps, Galaxy has you covered.

The Brewing Company opened its doors less than a month ago, and it’s here to stay. A very modern and sleek atmosphere makes for a terrific dining (or drinking) experience.

Thought Lost Dog Café was the only place to get a great vegetarian meal?

Think again.

Eggplant, quinoa, kale and fried

Downtown scene, the owners have done a great job creating a truly great restaurant experience. With a full bar downstairs and a new patio, Thai Time may even become a new, more refined hotspot for those looking to have some fun Downtown.

Thai Time is known by a number of students for having some of the best food in Binghamton. More importantly, the restaurant is consistent in the quality and taste of its food.

“I really enjoy Thai Time,” said Sierra Taccetta, an undeclared sophomore. “Of the multiple times I’ve went there, there hasn’t been one time that I disliked any of the food.”

With many entrees ranging from $9 to $15, it is easy to enjoy a meal at Thai Time without breaking the bank.

Best of all, Thai Time gives customers the most for their money. Portions are

green beans are just a taste of what’s on the menu for Restaurant Week, so feel free to bring your herbivore friends.

And of course there are juicy, meaty burgers to compliment your brews.

All fried items are made with their delicious tempura beer batter, so be sure to check those out.

Walk in and see the actual tanks where they brew the unique craft beers you’ll soon be drinking.

Try Galaxy’s Belgian ales, India pale ales, stouts or porters.

And if you’re feeling adventurous, try a creative brew like the mint chocolate stout. If

large enough to take home and eat for breakfast the next morning or after a drunken night, when nobody wants to wait painstakingly on line for food at Night Owl. “My favorite dish is the drunken noodle,” Taccetta said.

Deciding where to go during Restaurant Week can be difficult, and the great things about Thai Time are the value of its lunch and dinner deals and the wide range of dishes it offers. While other restaurants offer about four or five different entree options, Thai Time offers almost the entire menu. This includes various types of curry, noodles, stir-fry and fried rice, not to mention the eight different appetizers to choose from for dinner. Most of the dishes are served with vegetables or tofu as the base, making it easy for vegetarians to find a dish they’ll enjoy.

Both the fixed lunch and dinner prices offer a considerable discount on a threecourse meal from the restaurant, but to grab the best deal, go for the lunch menu. While there are fewer options, the choices are still vast compared to some of the other participating restaurants, and a lunch entree alone during a normal week would cost more than the entire three courses together.

“The food at Thai Time is great, and with such a great deal, I really don’t see any reason not to check it out,” said Ricki Zimmerman, a sophomore majoring in English. “Restaurant Week is a great time to explore what Downtown has to offer without feeling like you’re overspending.”

Thai Time is open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner. It’s open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and 12 p.m.

er g Photograph in/Contributin Roshana Sirk

Time Fry from Thai Noodle Stir-

you don’t want to miss out on any brews, pay $5 to sample four at once.

Stay awhile and sample as many as you can, since this is the only place you’ll get a chance to.

So if you’re looking for a filling and affordable meal, a terrific dining experience and a place to drink with friends, check out Galaxy this Restaurant Week. You’ll leave full, happy and a little buzzed.

The craft brews truly are … out of this world.

A beer flight fro m Galaxy Brew ing Company

Jules Forrest/Sta ff Photographe r

pher taff Photogra Franz Lino/S

i’s uth Side Yann Salad from So

Emily Mancini | Release For the best wings in Binghamton, you have to head south. South Side Yanni’s at 1200 Vestal Ave. is the place to go for good, old-fashioned comfort food with a Greek twist: from mac and cheese to gyros, burgers to buffalo wings. The corner-side pub has a casual, come-asyou-are atmosphere with prices that will satisfy your wallet as well as your appetite.

The menu features standard bar fare: fried appetizers, wings, burgers and sandwiches. It has Greek options as well, including gyros, souvlakis, salads and

the infamous Yanni burger, which comes smothered in tzatziki sauce and feta.

“Their regular buffalo wings are really delicious,” said Endicott local Mike Marulli. “They also have Greek-style wings that are made with oregano, garlic and lemon, which are good too.”

In addition to the menu, Yanni’s has a variety of specials that change daily, from spaghetti and meatballs on Thursdays to homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes on Tuesdays.

“The mac and cheese special on Friday is my favorite,” said Endicott local Kris Johnson. “The specials are all affordable and really, really tasty.”

Due to its location, Yanni’s is somewhat of a hidden gem, unbeknownst to the general student body.

“I don’t often see big packs of students in here,” said Binghamton local Edward Cranston. “It’s a big hotspot for townies because the food and the prices are so good. It’s like a local secret. It might also be that way because they’re kinda strict with their ID policy.”

To sweeten this delicious deal, South Side Yanni’s is participating in Binghamton’s fall Restaurant Week, which runs from Sept. 17-26. As per the deal, Yanni’s will be offering a three-

course lunch for $10 and a three-course dinner for $20. They will be releasing some menu favorites on the Restaurant Week selection, including spiedies, a Binghamton specialty. Proceeds from Restaurant Week go to CHOW, the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse, which supplies numerous local soup kitchens and community meal programs with food.

If you’re looking for a relaxing pubtype atmosphere complete with bigscreen TVs, rib-sticking comfort food, decent prices and no-nonsense tap beer, Yanni’s is the place to go and grab a bite.

Rich Kersting | Release

Paige Nazinitsky/Managing Editor

Enchilada from Zona & Co. Grille

Gabriella Ginsberg | Release At this point in your Restaurant Week journey, you’ve probably scoped out plenty of lunch places — it’s hard to beat three courses for $10.

However, you are an adult now, and that means it’s time to join the big leagues and have at least one nice dinner, too. The Loft at 99, which was recently remodeled, is the perfect opportunity for you to step out of your comfort zone and

If you’re one of the many campus bar crawlers, it’s very possible that you’ve walked right past Zona & Co. Grille’s on the corner of “Gorgeous Washington” Street. It’s that little place with the really cool patio outside. Yeah, you know the one. Emulating that very familiar, very comfortable American bar ambiance, Zona’s offers a very diverse and unique menu, spanning countries, cultures and cuisines. The menu offers a contemporary take on classic southwestern, Asian and American cuisine in an atmosphere that doesn’t feel like a gimmick.

Ever pass up a chance for good Mexican food because you didn’t really feel like putting up with sombreros and mariachi? Not at Zona’s!

The interior is warm and neat: red walls, dark tile floors, five TVs hanging all around the room. A few of the tables are made from slices of a log, very rustic. The menu may seem limited, but whether you like tacos, burgers or udon noodles, Zona’s has a little something for everyone. It shows in the clientele too. Whether you’re a crew of moms out for a glass of wine or a college bro pack out to watch the game, Zona’s is the place.

The food, of course, is incredible. The portions are big, which is good, because you’re going to want to take some home, and the appetizers are fair to share. The nachos are made with their house-fried corn chips (taste more like puff pastries), layered with black beans, jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, your choice of chicken or shrimp and melted queso. The beauty behind the dish lies in the cheese sauce; it’s more creamy than cheesy and

try some new twists on classic dining favorites. That being said, with so many amazing options, it’s hard to choose just one item for each course!

Kyle Bunker, one of the Loft’s owners, is here to help foodies with the incredibly difficult choice of dishes.

“We design all our dishes to satisfy the palate of our diners.

Their choice is driven by their own taste buds. When diners

don’t know what to choose, we often recommend they order a couple different items and share the dishes family-style,” Bunker said.

The Loft’s atmosphere is that of a fine dining establishment, but has a casual feel. The service is friendly and very professional, and the Restaurant Week menu is diverse but comfortable, featuring autumn-inspired choices such as butternut squash

avoids that fake cheese taste that you’d get in a high school cafeteria. They’re also seemingly never-ending, which is nice at a base price of $11 (with chicken). However, there is plenty to go around, and sharing among the table is highly recommended.

Gavin Morrow, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, claims they’re “the best nacho’s I’ve ever had.”

For the entree, Zona’s makes sure nobody is left in need. With seven different quesadillas for around $11 (they’re gigantic too), they have everything from plain queso to buffalo chicken to chicken bacon ranch. The tacos come soft, ready to be devoured. The burritos come at a price that rivals even the best that Chipotle has to offer. The sandwiches (burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, typical bar food, all around $12) come the way they should, and the homemade french fries are something to be applauded.

Not too greasy, and topped with a salivating seasoning. Oh, and if you’re feeling a little Pacific, they have udon noodles (about $12) that will make you want to say, “Hee, sore wa yokatta ne!” (Roughly, “Wow, that’s great!” according to japanese.about.com.)

Zona’s offers a unique contemporary take on everybody’s favorite foods and offers them in generous portions and beautiful presentations.

You wouldn’t expect it at first glance, but this isn’t your typical American bar and grill. So this Restaurant Week, consider Zona’s your stop for the food you love, in the atmosphere you enjoy, for fair prices with which you can’t help but agree.

soup and pumpkin desserts.

“We’re taking the opportunity to include some ‘taste of fall’ options,” Bunker said. “Our kitchen and dining room are extensions of our home. We hope that when customers leave they will have enjoyed the total experience — our food, our hospitality and our venue.”

So put on a nice shirt, beg your parents for some extra cash and give the Loft a shot — it’s time to

10 Healthy Options Binghamton’s most famous time of year, Restaurant Week, is back and in full swing.

With more than 20 participating restaurants offering great deals on (mostly) great food, mobs of students and locals alike have their forks and knives ready. Yet, with three courses being the standard of Restaurant Week, it’s easy to get carried away quickly and forget about everyone’s favorite word: calories. After all, Binghamton isn’t America’s second most obese city for no reason. The Downtown restaurants offer a huge selection of delicious foods, many of which are loaded with fat, sugar and yes, calories.

Yet it’s not hard to see the healthier alternatives if you’re willing to look for them.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. There are some restaurants, including Burger Mondays, Café West 46 and Czech Pleeze to name a few, which do not offer the healthiest meals on their Restaurant Week menu. If you wish, you could always order something that’s not on the Restaurant Week menu. But, who wants to do that?

In an effort to keep Binghamton from becoming No. 1 on American’s fattest cities list, here is a list of 10 healthy dinners from 10 different Restaurant Week locations, in no particular order. Now all you have to worry about is the willpower.

1. Whole in the Wall Course 1: Organic Mixed Green Salad (with seasoned oil and vinegar) Course 2: Stir-Fried Vegetables (with organic tofu over brown rice) Course 3: Fat-free Blood Orange Sorbet 2. Cortese Restaurant Course 1: Breaded Mushrooms Course 2: Fresh Salmon (with honey mustard glaze) Course 3: Espresso 3. Lost Dog Café Course 1: Sugarcane Shrimp Cocktail Course 2: Dog House Salad Course 3: Kale Pesto Salmon 4. saké-tumi Course 1: Edamame Course 2: Miso Salmon Course 3: Green Tea Ice Cream 5. Galaxy Brewing Company Course 1: Rocket Salad Course 2: Soup du Jour Course 3: Quinoa Barley Chili

6. Water Street Brewing Co. Course 1: Blackberry Salad Course 2: Corn Chips (with butternut squash salsa) Course 3: Apple Cider Chicken 7. Number 5 Restaurant Course 1: Apple Pecan Salad Course 2: Stuffed Peppers Course 3: Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich 8. Zona & Co. Grille Course 1: Black Bean Soup Course 2: Ancho Citrus Grilled Fish Tacos Course 3: Rice Pudding 9. The Loft at 99 Course 1: Kale Caesar Course 2: Grilled Salmon and Beefsteak Tomatoes Course 3: Gorgonzola and Walnut Stuffed Apples 10. The River Bistro Course 1: Spinach Salad Course 2: Pan-Seared Salmon Course 3: Warm Apple Turnover à la Mode

Rebecca Porath | Release

Alexandra Wolff | Release It’s everyone’s favorite week (or 10 days, rather) here in good old Binghamton …

Restaurant Week! That’s right, it’s time to ditch the ramen noodles, the Night Owl burgers and the failed homemade concoctions for a greatvalue lunch or dinner at one of the local restaurants. Personally, this is one of my favorite things about living in Binghamton, and I think every student should head out and explore the local cuisine.

Don’t know where to start?

Everyone loves Italian, so head over to Little Venice Restaurant. Little Venice is one of the best restaurants Binghamton has to offer, and it all comes down to one thing: home cooking. The pasta is juicy and made on-site. The tomato sauce is hearty,

and you’ll find yourself licking the plate just to savor every morsel of it.

The gelato is creamy and comes in so many varieties, you won’t know what to do.

Opening the door to Little Venice, you’ll nearly fall over from the smell of the food being cooked in the kitchen. The welcoming atmosphere and the friendly staff will usher you to a table as you admire the paintings on the wall. If you weren’t starving already, you’ll feel your stomach start to growl as you glance at the plate of everyone you pass, trying to scope out what dish looks the best.

From my experience, you can’t go wrong.

Zachery Szkolnik, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, is also a big fan of Little Venice.

“I really liked both my meal and

the atmosphere of Little Venice because it really seemed to be truly authentic … Everything was clearly handmade and had taken time to prepare, and I really enjoyed it because of that,” Szkolnik said.

For my appetizer, I got the bruschetta, which was prepared traditionally with olive oil, garlic and tomato. The portion was very generous, and I had to make sure to save room for the main course. For my entree, I chose eggplant parmigiana.

I’m not a huge fan of eggplant, but I wanted to try it because it was a dish I don’t usually have. And from all the reviews I had heard by wordof-mouth, if I was ever going to enjoy eggplant, it would be here.

Let’s just say I’m very glad I took the risk. The ratio of sauce-to-cheeseto-eggplant was well-balanced, and

I loved that it came with a side of pasta because I really wanted to try the famous homemade pasta I had heard so much about. I really got the best of both worlds.

Elizabeth Eng, a senior majoring in psychology, loved the food as well.

“My favorite part was definitely the homemade pasta. It was so fresh and delicious!” Eng said.

For dessert (not that I had room for much of it), I chose the gelato, which was rich, creamy and fresh.

With nearly 10 flavors — including vanilla caramel brownie fudge, cappuccino and mint chip — you have choices.

Freshmen, head down to Chenango Street and bring your friends for great, first-semester memories. Seniors, if you haven’t been, put this one on your bucket

September 20, 2013 | www.bupipedream.com

OPINION

9

P IPE DREAM The Free Word on Campus Since 1946 Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515 Fax: 607-777-2600 Web: www.bupipedream.com

Spring 2013 Editor-in-Chief* Christina Pullano editor@bupipedream.com Managing Editor* Paige Nazinitsky manager@bupipedream.com

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Lost Dog, Found Gems

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B

inghamton University students have a unique relationship with Downtown Binghamton.

The majority of students here only go Downtown to visit the cultural epicenter of State Street — that is, except for Restaurant Week. For two weeks every year, we take buses, cars and cabs Downtown and celebrate the unique restaurants Binghamton has to offer beyond Vestal Parkway.

But are we looking deep enough? It’s time to realize that there’s more to Restaurant Week than Lost Dog Café, and that there’s more to Downtown than meets the untrained eye.

Binghamton’s Restaurant Week launched only three years ago, and this fall the list is longer than ever, including some restaurants that didn’t even exist in 2010. There’s Thai Time and Zona & Co. Grille for students looking for Mexican or Asianstyle cuisine and outdoor seating. There’s Galaxy

Brewing Company and Water Street Brewing Co. for of-age students who want something extra with their meal. There’s Cortese Restaurant and Little Venice Restaurant for students searching for some old-school Italian. It’s out there, guys, and it’s good. And that’s not to call out Lost Dog Café either. Lost Dog is a terrific restaurant if you haven’t eaten there, but you have. So it’s time to move on! And if you’re not quite ready for such big changes, just flip to Release, where we feature six local spots on this year’s list.

But it goes further than the restaurants, guys.

Downtown has a lot of gems if you’re willing to look. Stephen’s Vintage Clothing on Washington Street is an amazing thrift store with items handpicked by Stephen himself. (Just don’t go there

asking for a Halloween costume. We warned you.)

A lot of students end up there after looking for Salvation Army and ending up at the soup kitchen.

But have no fear, it’s a happy mistake. There’s Tom’s Coffee, Cards & Gifts on Main Street, which has been in business for 30 years, and Sip of Seattle, which has been in business for one.

There’s Lupo’s Spiedies, Riverside Park, and mentally note that the ATM at Visions Federal Credit Union will give you any amount of money for a fee of only $1.50. It even does cents. Really, try taking out $11.50 sometime. We could go on, spoiling all of Downtown’s secrets, but you’re better off finding them for yourself.

All it takes is a bus ride. It’s easier than going to Walmart, and possibly more fun. So if you have

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Study abroad, or forever hold your peace Don't let college pass you by without taking the opportunity to travel The beginning of senior year brings many things. Chief among these is the great ambivalence over seeing your friends who just came back from the typical second-semester-junior-year abroad. It’s an ambivalence because while you’re happy they’re back in your presence, you have to hear what I’m sure they think are unique stories about their AMAZING time abroad, peppered with some local vernacular and pronunciations like “mate,” “Melbun” or “Bar-tha-lona,” and then deal with the few weeks of “Oh I’m going out with my Spain friends tonight, I’ll

Macon Fessenden Columnist

see you at Tom & Marty’s though!”

Let me provide a quick disclaimer: I am jealous of all of you. I wish I had planned better and been able to study abroad, and I am not trying to take away from your experience. But aren’t the twice-weekly Instagram updates of beautiful coasts and beautiful buildings and beautiful people and beautiful beauty enough? Do we have to now hear about that random sex you had with an Aboriginal Australian back in February? I’m sure it was great and different random sex, but to me all random foreign sex stories are the same. Yes, I’ve heard that Americans are prudes, thanks for the reminder.

I’ll keep that in mind next time at the Rat. Now don’t get me started on the classes you take: “Intro to the Australian Language,” “Italian Culture and Cuisine” or the most popular course at any college outside of the U.S., “How America Fucks Things

Up 101.” I’m glad you got to take a semester off, drink, travel, do an astonishing amount of drugs and still get 12 credits, all pass/fail. I’m sure there are students who take classes

Go and have those experiences we wished for as wideeyed freshmen like that here too, but we have to deal with jobs, shitty weather, a small selection of bars, fake IDs and the fact that “Well, she’s a Binghamton 7…” is a real and trusted scale.

I’m not trying to garner pity from those who were able to go abroad. And I’m certainly not asking you to change anything about what you should do while you’re over there. Take

easy classes, visit everywhere, drink anywhere, hook up with everyone, take thousands of pictures. Put them all on Instagram. On the same day. I’m simply asking for a little discretion upon your return. Don’t worry, we will also restrain from filling you in on our exciting semester of all-nighters, eight-hour shifts and Sodexo food.

To those who still have the opportunity, let this be a cautionary tale. Go study abroad. Don’t be like me, the bitter old man waving his cane at the youngsters because they’re making too much noise having fun.

Go and have those experiences we all wished for as wide-eyed freshmen reading study abroad pamphlets. The clichés are probably true: College is the best time to go to another country, do it while you’re still young, etc. Or gloriously wallow in jealous, selfpitying rage that is so profound that you write an article about it. I can’t

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Submissions may be e-mailed to the Opinion Editor at opinion@ bupipedream.com.

www.bupipedream.com | September 20, 2013

OPINION

10

Are we dumbing down? Not exactly.

Television doesn't melt your brain with today's complex story arcs There is a general consensus in this country that the culture today is getting dumber. We text on our phones, play too many video games and watch too much TV. Our minds are being numbed and are melting because we do nothing but stare at screens all the time. I agreed with this consensus until I read “Everything Bad is Good for You” by Steven Johnson. The book talks about how our minds are working harder than ever to

Jessica Connor Contributing Columnist

make us think more than past generations ever used to.

For television, Johnson describes how shows in the past were extremely predictable and how the plots followed the same formulaic patterns over and over again. For example, he compares the shows “Dallas” and “24” (for those of you who don’t know — “Dallas” was a kind of soap opera set in Dallas, Texas that followed the lives of rich oil millionaires back in the 1980s). He describes how “Dallas” asked you to follow six main characters and chart their social network in order to make sense of the show (who kissed who, who knew who, who flirted with who). Now, in the show “24,” you have to follow the plot line of 31 separate characters with countless relationships and social interactions in order to make sense of what happens in just one episode! The mental activity involved in that kind of cataloguing is, Johnson says, a type of intelligence that we as a generation today exhibit better than generations before.

In discussing video games, Johnson talks about how the top-selling ones are games that you can play for hours on end with a multitude of everchanging complexity. “Age of Empires,” “The Sims” and “Grand Theft Auto” have no “fixed narrative path.” Video gamers today have to figure out what is going on in the game as they progress through it. He talks about the mental labor of managing and keeping track of all the simultaneous tasks.

Johnson writes, “You can’t progress far in a game if you simply deal with the puzzles you stumble across; you have

Over the past 75 years, IQ scores have been increasing at an astonishing rate to coordinate them with the ultimate objectives on the horizon.” The talented minds of today have mastered this ability to keep the wide spectrum of objectives fresh in their heads simultaneously in order to complete the game.

In “Everything Bad is Good for You,” Johnson says there is an interesting phenomenon at play called the Flynn effect.

It is the observation that over the past 75 years, IQ scores have been increasing at an astonishing rate. When looking at other tests like the SAT, those scores have not increased at the same rate over the same time period. The logical step is to say that if schools are not accounting for the rise in IQ scores, popular culture must be. We are watching more complicated television shows, playing more advanced video

Letters to the Editor To the editor: In response to Joe Tannenbaum’s recent Letter to the Editor regarding the Civil War and Syria (9/17): When dealing with rather complicated topics and regions such as the Middle East- accuracy is crucial. Joe Tannenbaum’s piece places Israel’s use of Phosphorous Gas against Hezbollah, an organization recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States as well as many European countries, alongside the Assad regime’s heinous crimes against humanity on August 21st.

Nowhere in the Chemical Weapons Convention, of which Israel is a member, does it prohibit the use of Phosphorus Gas. Israel’s military, popular to contrary belief, is among the world’s leaders in going out of its way to prevent casualties and deaths of civilians. However, just north of Israel’s borders in the Golan Heights we see a very different reality.

Assad Sarin gassed his own citizens, and approximately 400 of those murdered were indeed confirmed to be children. In 2006, Israel used Phosphorous powder against a targeted terrorist organization with surgical precision in order to minimize civilian casualties.

The differences could not be more stark.

Hezbollah outwardly rejects Israel’s right to exist daily, and publicly boasts of the thousands of rockets it has pointing directly at Israel, ready to be launched at any moment without aim with the goal of killing innocent

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Israelis and destroying the Middle East’s only true democracy. But, Hezbollah has not only turned to threats and rhetoric. It has viciously attempted, and sometimes succeeded, in harming innocent Israelis abroad.

This has consistently been the reality. For example, the 2011 Istanbul bombings against the Israeli Consulate, the 2012 plot in Cyprus to harm Israeli tourists, and most tragically, the 2012 Burgas attack which killed five Israelis along with the bus driver.

I do not maintain that Israel is a perfect country- no country is perfect. However, the claim that Israel used Sarin Gas is simply not supported by the facts.

The Pro-Israel community on college campuses nationwide strives to be a network of advocates dedicated to the truth about a country that is consistently denied and robbed of this basic luxury of accurate reporting. Tannenbaum tries to juxtapose Israel, one of the United State’s strongest allies, alongside Assad’s brutal Syrian regime. To place Israel’s actions alongside those of Bashar-al Assad’s use of chemicals weapons is blasphemous, and places Israel, her people, and her supporters worldwide alongside the likes of Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein.

This create a reality that could not be farther from the truth.

Justin Hayet Class of 2016

Editor's note:

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the contraceptive DepoProvera without the consent of Ethiopian women. On that point, in an article in Time magazine, Dr. Paula Franklin of Marie Stopes International explained that this contraceptive is a “safe, medium-term reversible hormonal contraceptive” which is used around the world by countless women. In this regard, Israel once again shows that it places primary value on the welfare of its citizens.

The claim that Israel used Sarin gas provided by US aid is also a lie. No credible organization or government has ever levied such a charge.

Tannenbaum is simply writing slander about Israel He’s using the classic “Big Lie” tactic (or maybe he’s fallen susceptible to it); that is, if you say something so terrible, people will think it must be true. These accusations serve the sole purpose of demonizing the State of Israel.

The bottom line is that Israel wants peace and has made a number of sacrifices to achieve peace with its neighbors.

Tannenbaum’s accusations serve no productive purpose in his argument or otherwise.

Next time anyone wishes to make such claims against Israel, or any country, I hope they do their research.

Yael Rabin Binghamton University Zionist Organization President Class of 2014

In the Sept. 17 issue of Pipe Dream, a letter to the editor incorrectly stated that Israel has been accused of using sarin gas. The letter's author, Joe Tannenbaum, sent an email correcting the inaccuracy after the paper was sent to print. Pipe Dream welcomes letters and open debate from our readers. A correction has been issued to Tannenbaum's piece online.

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To the editor: On September 17th Pipe Dream published a Letter to the Editor by Joe Tannenbaum which critiqued three oped columns on the conflict in Syria and US military intervention.

Tannenbaum gives his opinions and criticisms of why he believes the US is not necessarily the model for human rights.

Tannenbaum, however, also uses his letter as a platform to spread false anti-Israel slander.

Tannenbaum writes: “But then there is the problem of Israel, a government accused by the international community of using sarin gas (provided by US aid) in its many conflicts, and of sterilizing Ethiopean Jewish immigrants.”

The author offers no evidence to support either of these ludicrous claims.

If one does their research, they would find no basis to support the notion that Israel is sterilizing Ethiopian Jewish immigrants. On the contrary, when it comes to women’s rights, Israel shines as a model in a region filled with misogyny, bigotry, and religious sexism. Furthermore, Israel’s record for absorbing and naturalizing immigrants from Ethiopia and elsewhere is stellar.

When issues do arise, Israel has an honest judicial system which isn’t afraid to investigate its own leaders. That’s why Yaakov Litzman, the Israeli Deputy Health Minister called for an investigation into the reported administering of

’’

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | September 20, 2013

11

BU scores first but can't hang on for win at Cornell Big Red pressure prevents Binghamton from finding offensive rhythm in 2-1 defeat Erik Bacharach Assistant Sports Editor The Binghamton men’s soccer team was bombarded with throw-ins, corner kicks and set plays in its own box as Cornell relentlessly applied the pressure in its 2-1 victory Wednesday night at Charles F. Berman Field.

“The game itself wasn’t an enjoyable game to watch,” Binghamton head coach Paul Marco said. “There wasn’t a lot of soccer played on the ground with the ball rolling, passing and receiving, players moving and build-up play. They were playing to their strengths, they were trying to get throw-ins and corners and pressing the game and not allowing us any time on the ball. But I thought our guys handled it great.”

After 50 minutes of scoreless play, the Bearcats (2-3-1) got on the board first. Junior midfielder Ben Nicholson launched a long ball over the Cornell defense to junior forward Vlad Finn, who slipped it past the goalie for his first goal of the season.

“It was an outstanding play between a few players, in particular Ben and Vlad, and an absolutely terrific finish that Vlad played over their

goalkeeper,” Marco said. “Great composure in that moment.”

Binghamton’s lead was short-lived, however, as Cornell (4-0-1) retaliated two minutes later with a goal of its own. A perfectly placed throw-in by Cornell junior defender Peter Chodas set up senior defender Jake Kirsch for the equalizer.

Senior defender Patrick Slogic also received credit for an assist.

“We probably had 25 throwins come in to our box in the second half alone,” Marco said. “And they had a guy who could throw the ball probably over 50 yards in the air. It was a challenge. We did pretty well with the initial ball in, but sometimes we didn’t clear it far enough. It’s an area that we really need to do a better job of.”

BU vs. Lafayette

The Big Red goal snapped a 372-minute span of scoreless soccer recorded by BU sophomore goalkeeper Stefano Frantellizzi and his defense.

With the score tied 1-1, senior defender Jake Rinow put himself in perfect position for the game winner. Frantellizzi stopped Slogic point-blank, but the ball ricocheted back to Rinow, who sunk it in the back of the net.

“I think we fell short in only a couple of moments, and there were many moments [Wednesday night] when we defended quite well,” Marco said. “It was disappointing a little bit that the two moments that we didn’t, they got goals.”

BU wouldn’t go down without a fight, however. Despite

Cornell’s 16-9 shot advantage overall, the Bearcats outshot the Big Red 4-0 in the closing 10 minutes.

Binghamton put two shots on goal in the final three minutes alone, but Cornell narrowly escaped.

“The disappointing part was why weren’t we doing that the 20 minutes prior to the last 10 minutes,” Marco said. “The last 30 minutes of the game,

why weren’t we still trying to press the game and get another goal. But the last 10 minutes of the game, for sure, we tried to get forward and get a goal and tie the game. I’m proud of the effort the guys put forth in some of the moments.”

It was BU’s first game without senior midfielder Tommy Moon. Moon, who has been Binghamton’s leading

shot-taker this season, suffered a broken leg last Friday against Buffalo and will miss the rest of the 2013 season.

The Bearcats will look to get back on track on Saturday when they travel to Easton, Pa. to battle Lafayette. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m at Oaks Stadium.

FINAL SCORE

DATE

September 21

1

LOCATION

Oaks Stadium TIME

2:00 p.m.

2

Kendall Loh/Photo Editor

Junior midfielder Ben Nicholson drove a long ball past the Big Red defense to tally an assist on BU’s only goal Wednesday night.

Cornell hands Binghamton third loss Dempsey adds Bearcats shut out for second time in three outings

recruit to 2014 class

Fayetteville-Manlius standout Schurman chooses Binghamton Ari Kramer Sports Editor

Kendall Loh/Photo Editor

Sophomore midfielder Katie Corcoran led the Bearcats with four shots in their 2-0 loss against Cornell Wednesday.

By Ashley Purdy Assistant Sports Editor Despite outshooting host Cornell 10-8, the Binghamton women’s soccer team fell, 2-0, Wednesday night at Charles F. Berman Field. Having wrapped up a stretch of three games in six days, the Bearcats (4-3-1) will now have five days off before their final non-conference match.

Big Red sophomore forward Caroline Growney led Cornell (4-1-1) to its third consecutive win with one goal in each half.

Her first came 26 minutes in, when senior midfielder Rachel Nichols played a long cross from 25 yards out from goal. BU senior goalkeeper Carrie Martin charged out for the save, but the ball tipped off her fingers and neared Growney at the end line.

From a sharp angle, Growney banked in the shot to the far post.

Cornell added its insurance goal four minutes into the second half, when Growney

launched a shot from the middle of the box to the far post.

The shutout was BU’s second of the season, the first coming six days earlier against Temple.

“I think that, honestly, [Wednesday] just was not our best day,” head coach Sarah McClellan said. “We just showed up and we did not put our best effort or performance out there.

We did not play the way that we’re capable of playing.”

Despite the Big Red’s deuce, neither team saw many opportunities. Cornell shot a total of just five on goal, exceeding BU only by the two that counted.

“The ball was in the air a lot and so there were very few chances,” McClellan said. “We had some really good ones early in the game and late in the game and Cornell had their two chances in the middle section of the game, and they capitalized on theirs.”

McClellan also said her team cannot rely on a stroke of luck.

“We can’t hope for a good

bounce or hope that the ball doesn’t have a good bounce for the other team to get a chance,” McClellan said. “We just need to get out for the game, and I’m confident that the team is going to respond well.”

Sophomore midfielder Katie Corcoran led the Bearcats with four shots, and freshman midfielder Katie O’Neill and sophomore midfielder Rebecca Raber followed up with two each. Martin added the three saves, bringing her to a sum of 27 this season and a .818 save percentage.

The Bearcats hope to use their extended rest period to find their footing again before facing Army.

“We’re going to be able to review everything, we’re going to be able to play confidently in training and really just work hard to be able to use this last non-conference game as an opportunity to improve and to get ourselves prepared and sharp and ready,” McClellan said.

The Black Knights (4-3-1)

are scheduled for a matchup on Saturday prior to hosting Binghamton in West Point, N.Y., but are currently riding a two-game winning streak, both of which were shutouts. The Black Knights most recently triumphed over Rhode Island with a 5-0 blowout on Sept.

15. The team logged its highest number of goals since recording six against Albany in 2005.

Army sophomore forward Katie Holder found the net twice in the game, and three teammates made up the difference for the rest. Both Army and URI (4-4) took 10 shots, but only four of URI’s were on goal, and Army freshman keeper Jordan Cassalia snagged them all. “[Army is] a really good team,” McClellan said. “They’re very fit. They’ve got some nice attacking players and so I’m expecting them to be very good.

I’m expecting our team to come out ready to play.”

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Clinton Field.

With the in-season signing period about two months away, Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey received his third verbal commitment from the class of 2014.

Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop tweeted on Thursday evening that John Schurman of FayettevilleManlius High School (Manlius, N.Y.) had given his verbal to Dempsey and the Binghamton men’s basketball team, joining Bobby Ahearn and Justin McFadden in next year’s class.

Schurman, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard and two-time All-CNY selection, drew interest from several Patriot League schools, but he ultimately chose Binghamton over Cornell of the Ivy League.

“Both are fantastic schools, both really presented a great education, but in the end I saw myself fitting in with the student body at Binghamton,” Schurman said. “I like the coaches. They were upfront and obviously recruited me very hard. In the end it was really just splitting hairs, and I thought I was going to thrive at Binghamton on the basketball court and in the classroom.”

As a high school junior, Schurman led Fayetteville-Manlius with 20.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

He also made 61 3-pointers while shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Fayetteville-Manlius head coach Tom Blackford said Schurman is a productive, efficient scorer.

“The coaches will look at each other — he’s had some 30-plus games — and we’ll go how the heck did he get 30-plus points if he only shot 14, 15 times,” Blackford said.

“The reason is because he’s a very accurate 3-point shooter.”

That shooting ability, by all accounts, made Schurman stand out on the recruiting circuit. The two guard is on pace to eclipse the 200 mark for career 3-pointers this season, and he has range out to 25

feet, according to Blackford.

“I think the coaches were definitely recruiting me as a shooter, someone who can help stretch the floor,” Schurman said.

“I’ve had a relatively successful high school career, scoring in multiple ways, and I think I can present that to Binghamton.”

With his size, Schurman could potentially log minutes at small forward as well. Blackford said he occasionally uses his 1,089-point scorer at the three, but sees him as a shooting guard in the America East.

Upstate Scout, which has kept tabs on Schurman throughout his high school career, said the senior made a good decision in a direct message on Twitter.

“Jump shot at 6-foot-5 will be the difference” — Upstate Scout

“[The America East is a] perfect fit,” Upstate Scout said. “That is the league we projected he would end up in! Great size and skill on the wing. Jump shot at 6-foot-5 will be the difference.”

Blackford also praised Schurman’s work ethic and competitive edge, and the player said he’s of the team-first breed.

“Next year, whenever the coaches decide to put me in, I’m going to be happy with that role and will take it on to the best of my abilities,” Schurman said. “I have no say over it. All I can do is my best, give my all.”

The Bearcats, whose 2013-14 roster features three seniors, still plan to fill one more scholarship for 2014, according to a source.

Dempsey and the Binghamton coaching staff could not comment on the commitment because of NCAA regulations.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

BU adds third 2014 commit Page 11

Friday, September 20, 2013

NFL

Welcome to the second week of Pipe Dream NFL Picks! Every week, Pipe Dream sports editors and one guest will attempt to correctly predict the outcome of four upcoming games of their choice, selecting one prediction as a LOCK. Getting the LOCK correct earns you three points, while getting it wrong costs you one. The other three games are worth one point each, and there is no penalty for wrong guesses on these. Ties give you a half-point. After the first week, Erik leads the group with five points. Ari follows in second with four points, and the guest sits in third with three. Ashley rounds up the standings at fourth with two points. If you would like to submit picks, email sports@bupipedream.com.

Pipe Dream Picks Erik 3-1 5 Ari 2-2 4 Guest 1-3 3 Ashley 3-1 2

SPORTS EDITOR

Ari Kramer’s Picks

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Erik Bacharach's Picks

LOCK: MINNESOTA (-6.5) over Cleveland I honestly appreciate the Browns acknowledging what they’re best at — losing and disappointing their fanbase ceaselessly — and trying to turn things around on their own terms.

LOCK: NY Giants (+1) over CAROLINA As much as I’d love to see it happen, the Giants won’t start 0-3. Eli’s not THAT bad, is he?

Jacksonville (+19.5) over SEATTLE Dare to be different.

Buffalo (+2.5) over NY JETS Cleveland just proved it’s never too early to start tanking, and the Jets would be wise to take notice.

DENVER (-15) over Oakland Peyton and the Broncos are just too good right now.

DENVER (-15) over Oakland The Broncos have the most dynamic passing offense in the league, and the Raiders have Terrelle Pryor.

MINNESOTA (-6.5) over Cleveland No quarterback + no running back = no shot for Cleveland.

SEATTLE (-19.5) over Jacksonville Jags suck.

LOCK: Tampa Bay (+7) over NEW ENGLAND More than 200 species of fish are found in Tampa Bay; that’s more than enough protein for the Bucs so they can keep scoring goals or whatever.

LOCK: SEATTLE (-19.5) over Jacksonville Seattle held the 49ers to three points last week for a 26-point deficit, and the Raiders ousted Jacksonville by 10. Besides, as I said last week, the Jags want the loss.

Arizona (+7.5) over NEW ORLEANS Great iced tea, guys.

PITTSBURGH (+2.5) over Chicago If Superman Heath Miller really will be in, even as a partially damaged good he should be enough to save the Steelers.

NY JETS (-2.5) over Buffalo So Geno Smith is definitely a player on the team.

Providing he keeps doing that thing he does, maybe run a little bit faster, they should win.

DALLAS (-4) over St. Louis The Cowboys always have a way of being disappointing when I pick them, but we’ll see.

Atlanta (+2.5) over MIAMI Despite their injuries, the Falcons still have that Matt and Julio bond. It should be enough to snap Miami’s streak.

Chicago (+2.5) over PITTSBURGH My godmother lives in Chicago; she’s just the best.

They’ve got it in the bag.

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Davina Bhandari's Picks

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Ashley Purdy's Picks

BU sweeps Siena for second straight win behind Ortiz's 17 digs Bearcats post season-best .247 hitting percentage, only trail Saints for one point in home opener

By Ari Kramer Sports Editor For the first time this season, the Binghamton volleyball team emerged on the positive side of a sweep, taking Tuesday night’s home opener from Siena in straight sets.

The Bearcats (2-8), who had lost their first eight matches of 2013, now stand as winners of two straight. Half of their losses have come via the sweep.

“We’ve been struggling trying to find a good rhythm, a good chemistry on the court,” BU head coach Glenn Kiriyama said. “The last weekend and this match [against Siena], it looks like things have sort of changed for us and we’ve gotten over the hill.”

After entering the week with a .152 hitting percentage, Binghamton hit at a season-best .247 clip. Siena, meanwhile, posted a .130 mark.

Senior libero Xiomara Ortiz played a key role in the match, tallying 17 digs.

Her 16th, however, earned her a spot in the record books. With it, Ortiz passed Jaclyn Strader’s program-record 1,605 career digs.

But she said she only cared about her impact on the game.

“At least for me, to know I [set the record] is great,” Ortiz said. “It just added onto the win.”

Kiriyama said Ortiz’s efforts helped

catalyze the team’s success.

“She’s earned every dig that she’s gotten here,” he said. “She’s done a great job for us. [Against Siena] she kept the ball in play when we needed it. She really took care of her area of the court.”

With senior hitter Grace Vickers leading the charge with three kills, Binghamton jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first set. The Saints (1-9) would never come closer than three the rest of the way, as the Bearcats ran away with a 2516 victory.

“It was nice to see Grace get on a nice roll in the beginning of the match,” Kiriyama said. “She made a big difference at the beginning and got us off to a good start there.”

Vickers opened the second set with a kill, but the Saints countered and took an 11-10 lead about midway through the frame. It would be their only advantage of the entire match.

From there, Binghamton built a lead and, though Siena kept things close, pulled off a 25-20 victory.

The third set started like every other frame, with a Vickers kill. The captain recorded three terminators as the Bearcats jumped out to an 11-8 advantage.

Then, with a combination of service aces, kills and Siena attack errors, Binghamton essentially put the set and match away with a 9-1 spurt. The Bearcats ultimately won the third frame, 25-16.

“Our passing was a lot better,” Kiriyama said. “Our serving was tough. It really took them out of their system. They didn’t pass so well, and they made quite a few errors.”

Freshman hitter Allison Hovie led Binghamton with 12 kills and vied for a second-best .429 hitting percentage, while Vickers added 10 terminators and hit .389. Sophomore hitter Megan Burgess, who capped off a breakout weekend with a career-high 21 kills against Columbia, posted five terminators on Tuesday.

After eclipsing her career-best assists mark with 57 helpers against Columbia, junior setter Amanda Dettmann distributed 33 assists against the Saints.

With four kills and a .111 hitting percentage, freshman hitter Bianca Anderson did not stand out in the box score. But Kiriyama took note of her effort.

“It was good to see Bianca get a few kills there,” he said. “It looked like she was having fun out there and finally getting into a small rhythm there with our setter.”

The Bearcats enter the final phase of non-conference play this weekend, as they are slated for three games at the Golden Flashes Classic. Binghamton is scheduled to open the tournament tonight against host Kent State.

Play is set for 7 p.m. at the MAC Center in Kent, Ohio.

Dassie Hirschfield/Contributing Photographer

Senior libero Xiomara Ortiz surpassed the program record of 1,605 digs en route to a sweep of Siena Tuesday night.

FINAL SCORE

3

Golden Flashes Classic DATE

September 20-21 LOCATION

MAC Center TIME

0

7:00 p.m.