Fall 2023 Issue 7

Tuesday, October 31, 2023 | Vol. CII, Issue 7 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

ELECTION ISSUE 2023 Women’s cross country wins first ever conference title

Chabad organizes solidarity and support trip to Israel Attendees brought supplies and visited Israelis whose homes had been destroyed or had recently lost loved ones.

Ella Connors

assistant news editor

See cROss cOuNTRY page 12 provided by seth polanski Graduate student Sophia Ryan, sophomore Sydney Leitner and freshman Brynn Hogan earned America East (AE) all-conference honors at the AE championship meet, leading the Bearcat women to their first conference title in program history.

SEE PAGE 2

Amid recent violence in the region, Chabad at Binghamton led and organized the “One People; One Body” mission trip of support and solidarity to Israel.

The 24-hour solidarity and support trip to Israel on Wednesday included several Binghamton University students, alumni and parents. According to Rabbi Levi Slonim, the director of development at the Rohr Chabad

Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University and the primary organizer of the trip, participants visited multiple army bases and provided soldiers with spiritual protection, as well as bringing both practical and morale-boosting items.

They also visited impacted families that were sitting Shiva — part of the mourning process in Jewish tradition.

The death toll in Israel has reached 1,400 — mainly civilians who were killed in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Slonim expanded on the importance of the solidarity trip, saying that “when a sibling is in trouble, you drop everything and you show up to support.”

See chabad page 4

PULSE hosts annual Breast Cancer Festival Proceeds from the event supported Bold and Breastless, a nonprofit that supports breast cancer patients.

Tyler Rizzo

news contributor

On Saturday, Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate (PULSE) hosted their 13th annual Breast Cancer Festival.

The festival capped off a week dedicated to breast cancer awareness, which included events like Chalk the Spine on Tuesday and a Breast Cancer Walk on

Friday. Organized by PULSE, an organization dedicated to empowering women of color, the events were planned for October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, to raise awareness and funding to support those diagnosed with breast cancer. This year, PULSE raised money for

Bold and Breastless, a nonprofit organization that aims to educate people about the importance of early detection and provide emotional support for those diagnosed, as well as offering financial support to those in treatment. The organization also provides necessary items to both

patients and caregivers.

Miah Barrow, PULSE’s community service events coordinator and a senior majoring in environmental studies, expanded on the organization’s mission.

See pulse page 5

SJP holds walkout for Palestine; speakerʼs comments draw criticism Part of a national effort, the rally featured community anti-war activists and advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Bella Daidone

Managing editor

In a continued effort to draw

attention to the Palestinian struggle, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) staged a “Walk out for Palestine” Wednesday outside the Library Tower.

Spearheaded by the SJP’s national organization and Dissenters, an anti-militarist movement organization, the walkout called for an end to the siege on Gaza and a stop to United States funding of the war.

Following several events aiming to bring awareness to the current and historical crisis in Palestine, the walkout protested the war and called out Binghamton University’s ties to weapons manufacturers. While the rally had a lot of support, comments made at the event sparked backlash among the Binghamton community.

“The event was meant to

perpetuate the momentum of the Palestinian cause and stand with our brothers and sisters across multiple university campuses as we speak with the voice of our friends and family hurting abroad,” SJP’s E-Board wrote in a statement.

Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, over 1,400 Israelis have been killed. In the 21 days of war, more than 7,300 Palestinians have been

killed in Gaza, according to local health officials. In the West Bank, roughly 110 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli raids. This is a developing situation. For more information, visit AP News live updates

See sjp page 4

BU’s Pappy Parker Players took improv to the next level BU’s sole improv group centered their show around all things Halloween.

Alexis Yang

arts & culture editor

aidan emery staff photographer The comedy show featured a variety of hilarious sketches ranging from turning your boyfriend into a demon to awkward public encounters with your professor.

ARTS & CULTURE

On Friday night, the Pappy Parker Players kicked off Halloween weekend with “Evil Pappys,” a night of improv sketch comedy.

As Binghamton University’s only improv group, the Pappy Parker Players aim to make students laugh with their clever acting skills. This semester’s show was inspired by the Halloween season and demonstrated the actors’ knack for creating skits on the fly.

OPINIONS

At the door of Lecture Hall 10, attendees were offered the opportunity to write funny words or phrases on slips of paper. These words contributed to the aspect of audience participation in the show, as the performers routinely utilized the slips of paper or called upon audience members for improv content.

The night opened with the video of a skit titled “Demon Boyfriend Show,” written by Ana McKiernan, treasurer of the Pappy Parker Players and a junior majoring in geological sciences. The skit was performed in an infomercial style and advertised the ability to transform your boyfriend into a demon.

See IMpROV page 6

SPORTS

A review of Swift’s vault tracks from ‘1989 (TV)’,

Comedian Chris Redd brought his humor to the Binghamton stage,

See Letter to the Editor in response to Theodore Brita’s Oct. 16 column,

Women’s soccer defeats NJIT 2-0 away,

Volleyball picks up victories against Albany , NJIT,

SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 7

SEE PAGE 8

SEE PAGE 12

SEE PAGE 11

ELECTION ISSUE Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,2,5, 2017 2017 2017 Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Election resources to know In preparation for the Nov. 7 general election, many local and national organizations offer resources to increase the accessibility of the voting process.

Eytan Saenger

news contributor

Election Day is right around the corner, so it’s the perfect time to get familiar with resources on campus to be involved and vote.

Scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7, many local offices, including the Broome County District Attorney, Binghamton City Court Judge, Vestal Town Board and the Binghamton City Council, are up for election, as well as several statewide ballot proposals.

Binghamton University and Broome County offer many

resources for students, professors, staff or anyone else who may need assistance throughout this vital aspect of our cherished democracy.

Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) Located at University Union room 137 in the middle of campus, the CCE is equipped with faculty ready to assist students throughout the entire voting process.

The CCE has established many partnerships, including with the Andrew Goodman Foundation, the Vote Everywhere Initiative and the Broome County Board of Elections, which promote voting, make voting more accessible and help voters that may have questions.

The CCE offers help in all areas of the voting process — including registration, requesting an absentee ballot, submitting completed forms and answering any election-

related questions. They can also be reached at (607) 7774287.

The Andrew Goodman Foundation The Andrew Goodman Foundation aims to promotes the voices and votes of young people — a group recognized as underrepresented — by funding select institutions with mini-grants and providing student leaders with financial assistance. It boasts partnerships with 69 campuses across the country and has a voting portal for BU students to register, request an absentee ballot, track their ballot and other resources to assist them. In partnership with the CCE, the foundation created a text message system for BU students to receive election updates and deadline reminders. Text “BinghamtonU” to 47020 to opt in.

Broome County Board of

Elections The Broome County Board of Elections has a bipartisan staff of deputy commissioners, technology coordinators, operation assistants and voter service specialists who manage the voter registry, announce election results, maintain records and administer all other election-related proceedings. Local election results, nearby voting center locations, absentee ballot information and more can be found on the Broome County Board of Elections website.

The office is located at 60 Hawley St., and they can be reached at (607)-778-2172.

Vote 411 Students wanting a personalized ballot to see which candidates are up for election in their specific community can do so using Vote 411. It provides candidate debate videos, a guide to how

elections work, individual candidate goals and election day reports in a variety of languages. Vote 411 can be reached at voterinformation@ lwv.org with any questions or concerns.

U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) The U.S. Election Assistance Commission was formed after the passing of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, as an independent, bipartisan commission to aid Americans through the voting process.

Their responsibilities include maintaining the national mail voter registration form, certifying voting systems and more. Those who are 17 and older can sign up to be poll workers through the EAC, and their website provides information in many languages to make voting more accessible. Located in Washington D.C., the EAC can

be reached at (866)-747-1471 or emailed at clearinghouse@ eac.gov with questions or concerns.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) The AAPD has fought for the right of individuals with disabilities to participate in government by providing aid and resources to disabled voters.

Their Rev Up Voting campaign includes resources, like a guide that explains the rights of those with disabilities, key issues relating to the government concerning this community and frequently asked questions about equitable voting access. The AAPD can be reached at (800) 840-8844 or emailed at communications@aapd.com for more information.

Court of Appeals to hear congressional redistricting arguments in November Disagreements between the state legislature and the judicial branch has led to a lengthy and litigious redistricting process.

Joseph Brugellis news intern

Over the past three years, the New York State Legislature and an Independent Redistricting

Commission (IRC) have been at odds over drawing congressional districts. This November, the New York State Court of Appeals will hear arguments in a case that will determine if the current maps should be redrawn or remain for the entire decade.

Every 10 years, each state draws new congressional districts utilizing newly released census data. Traditionally, state legislatures are responsible for redrawing the lines to

ensure that each congressional district has a roughly equal population. In 2014, New York state voters established the IRC, a 10-member body equally chosen by majority and minority leaders in the State Senate, the State Assembly and the remaining appointees, responsible for drawing new congressional districts going forward. While many hoped that the IRC would eliminate partisan fights over redistricting, the commission

deadlocked in January 2022, failing to come to a consensus.

Redistricting then returned to the State Legislature, where the Democratic supermajority in both chambers proposed new congressional maps that were projected to award Republicans four of 26 districts.

The map was criticized by legal and political experts as being overtly partisan. In a statement to the New York Times, Michael Li, senior counsel for the Democracy Program at the

fiona sullivan design intern New York state’s current congressional map was drawn by a court-appointed special master in Steuben County, which was credited for improving Republicans’ 2022 midterm election results.

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Brennan Center for Justice and a previous critic of Republicanled gerrymanders, said that the proposed map was obviously unfair.

“It’s a master class in how to draw an effective gerrymander,” Li said. “Sometimes you do need fancy metrics to tell, but a map that gives Democrats 85 percent of the seats in a state that is not 85 percent Democratic — this is not a particularly hard case.”

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Rep. Marc Molinaro, whose district includes the Southern Tier, criticized the redistricting saga. He narrowly won election in 2022 against Josh Riley, a Democrat running again in 2024.

“Dragging redistricting on for years is a disservice to voters,” Molinaro wrote.

“Voters deserve clarity and fairness.”

Democratic leaders in the Legislature defended their map as compliant with redistricting criteria. State Sen. Michael Gianaris, the chamber’s deputy majority leader, said that the maps were drawn fairly and consistent with political reality.

The proposed maps were passed by both chambers and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in February 2022.

After, a group of GOP-backed voters filed a lawsuit in Steuben County, claiming that the maps violated the state constitution.

A county judge voided the maps and ordered that the legislature redraw them before April 11, 2022. The Court of Appeals then ruled that the congressional maps violated redistricting procedure and directed the judge to appoint a

neutral expert to create entirely new districts.

The resulting court-drawn maps were implemented for the 2022 midterm elections, leading to Republicans flipping three congressional seats, which contributed to their narrow retaking of the House of Representatives.

Democrats have since sued, arguing that the courtdrawn maps were intended to be a temporary measure and that the redistricting process should restart to produce new district boundaries for the 2024 election cycle. In July, a state appellate court agreed, ordering the IRC to begin the redrawing process. In response, Republicans then appealed to the Court of Appeals, which will meet in Buffalo on Nov. 15 to hear arguments in the case.

Rachel Pasternack, a sophomore majoring in history, said that the GOP-backed voters had the right to file suit, referencing Minnesota, who avoided losing a district to New York state by 89 votes.

“The loss of a congressional seat in 2022 was extremely close and was likely due to the district being the most Republican, which is why Republicans want to win it back and they do have the right to sue,” Pasternack wrote. “I understand though why the seat was lost, and I think it’s more important that Minnesota gained it as it is — while mainly Democratic — much more politically divided compared to New York [state].

If Minnesota did not gain the seat, results could have potentially been different. New York [state], however, would’ve likely been the same.”

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stabilizing:pinochole

schedule:destabilizing

ELECTION ISSUE Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,2,5, 2017 2017 2017 Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Ryan, Battisti face off for Broome County District Attorney A former two-term Democratic Mayor of Binghamton, Matt Ryan has 15 years of experience as a public defender. Paul Battisti, his Republican opponent, has worked locally as a defense attorney for nearly 20 years and ran previously in 2019.

Luca Carrese

news contributor

The pivotal race for Broome County District Attorney (DA) between Matt Ryan, a former Mayor of Binghamton, and Paul Battisti, a local defense attorney, will be decided on Nov. 7.

Ryan, who has 15 years of experience as a public defender in addition to his

Paul Battisti Republican Paul Battisti, a local defense attorney, is the Republican and Conservative candidate for Broome County District Attorney.

Originally from Broome County, Battisti completed his undergraduate studies

Matt Ryan Democrat A former Binghamton Mayor from 2006 to 2013, Matt Ryan ‘82 is the Democratic and Working Families candidate for Broome County District Attorney. He worked as a public defender for 15 years, a pro bono attorney for 10 years and as a youth counselor for nine years. Ryan, who earned his law degree at CUNY School of Law, has also taught environmental law at Binghamton University as an adjunct lecturer.

Questionnaire responses have been edited for clarity.

1. What motivated you to run?

For me, running for office is not about prestige or money. I’m running because a prosecutor’s office can do so much more than just prosecute crime to make our community safer. I was inspired to run by young racial justice advocates nationally and locally, and the success of progressive prosecutors around the country at reducing mass incarceration, rolling back the punitive war on drugs and making their communities safer. Thanks to the efforts of committed activists, we know that safer communities are more just communities. Those goals are not separate. Decades of failed

eight years as Mayor, focused his campaign on addressing systemic causes of crime, establishing a relationship between the office and the community, increasing access to mental health resources and holding perpetrators of crime accountable. He specifically described the office’s “prosecution-overprevention approach” as archaic and “woefully out of touch.” Currently, Broome County has the second-highest incarceration rate in the state, with the average incarceration rate over double the national average.

“I’m running because a prosecutor’s office can do so much more than just prosecute crime to make our community safer,” Ryan wrote in an email. “I was inspired to run by young racial justice advocates nationally and locally, and the success

of progressive prosecutors around the country at reducing mass incarceration, rolling back the punitive war on drugs and making their communities safer. Decades of failed so-called “tough on crime” policies have not made us any safer. I know there is a better way. I have the experience to provide the leadership to put those ideals into practice.”

Battisti has nearly two decades of experience at different levels of the judicial system, and his campaign highlights a “law-and-order” approach to community safety, the opioid epidemic and reducing Broome County crime rates. Along with an opposition to defunding the police, Battisti expressed a desire to work with law enforcement throughout Broome County on the area’s most pressing issues.

“I’m running for six reasons — my wife and our

five children,” Battisti wrote in an email. “I want them to feel safe, and I want the same for every family and resident in Broome County. Over the last several years, crime rates are up, families feel less safe and fentanyl is killing people. It has to stop. I’m running for [DA] to bring common sense solutions that make our community safer. I have the experience and priorities that Broome County needs.”

In 2019, Battisti won the Republican primary over current DA Michael Korchak, only to lose the general election when Korchak ran as a Libertarian. In this June’s Republican primary, Battisti defeated Korchak with 55.6 percent of the vote. He has garnered support from Broome County’s local political establishment, including Sheriff Fred Akshar and the Binghamton Police Benevolent

Association.

Ryan looks to return to public service after his two terms as Mayor of Binghamton.

During his first term, Binghamton faced substantial economic hardship during the 2008 recession. Ryan touted his work to bring Binghamton through “the worst recession in 80 years” and noted that the city was in “excellent fiscal health” when he left office in 2013.

Atticus Fauci, the president of Binghamton University’s College Democrats and a sophomore majoring in economics, described the race’s significance.

“I’ve been following this race for a long time now,” Fauci said. “Back on parade day last March when [Ryan] was asking College Democrats to go out and petition for signatures.

It’s a very important election that decides how the criminal

justice system for Broome County acts and prosecutes.”

Arthur O’Sullivan, the treasurer of the College Republicans and a senior double-majoring in biology and classical studies, contrasted the candidates’ diverging platforms.

“Crime remains one of Broome County’s biggest issues,” O’Sullivan said.

“Naturally the DA race becomes a real barometer for public sentiment. It seems to me that Battisti is campaigning on public safety and a ‘tough on crime’ approach, whereas Ryan is appealing to his progressive stances and experience in office. I can’t say for sure whose messaging will win on Nov. 7, but it will sure be interesting to see.”

from Siena College and earned his law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. With a focus on criminal defense law, he has nearly two decades of experience spanning the municipal, county, state and federal levels. Questionnaire responses have been edited for clarity.

1. What motivated you to run?

I’m running for six reasons — my wife and our five children. I want them to feel safe, and I want the same for every family and resident in Broome County.

Over the last several years, crime rates are up, families feel less safe and fentanyl is

killing people. It has to stop.

I’m running for District Attorney to bring common sense solutions that make our community safer.

2.

How does your background and previous experience make you a strong candidate for this position?

Over nearly two decades as an attorney, I’ve handled thousands of cases in federal, state, county and municipal courtrooms across New York [state]. I have the experience and priorities that Broome County needs leading the District Attorney’s Office.

3. What do you believe are the biggest issues facing your constituents, and

how do you plan to address them?

Opioids are still a huge issue across Broome County (and throughout the country). We need to crack down on dealers who are peddling poison on our streets. However, we also must differentiate between those who deal drugs for profit and those who are fighting the scourge of substance misuse. When appropriate, I will strongly advocate for the use of Drug Court and other alternatives to help those who truly want to break the cycle of addiction and become productive members of our community. Similarly,

anyone who has spent time working in our criminal justice system can see that there’s significant room for improvement in how we deal with mental health.

Like with substance misuse, I believe that we can use alternative mental health treatment options to help those who need help rather than simply locking them up, releasing them and waiting for them to reoffend.

4. Many students and community members are concerned about increasing prices, including housing and household essentials.

How do you plan to address these concerns?

This question isn’t relevant to the Office of District Attorney.

5. Why should students and young people vote for you?

There’s no one simple solution to eradicate crime in Broome County, but working together, we can accomplish big improvements over the next four years. I respectfully ask the voters of Broome County to cast their ballots for me in this year’s important local election for District Attorney.

so-called “tough on crime” policies have not made us any safer. I know there is a better way. I have the experience to provide the leadership to put those ideals into practice.

I’ve seen firsthand how our criminal justice system perpetuates crime, rather than adequately addresses the criminogenic conditions. As district attorney, I’ll invest in building the infrastructure and partnerships to prevent crime in the first place, such as hiring a grant writer and a community liaison. A grant writer will garner funds to bring proven programs to our community that will reduce crime, end the cycle of incarceration and support crime victims.

2. How does your background and previous experience make you a strong candidate for this position?

I’ve dedicated my life to improving my upstate New York community through dedicated service, leadership and the fair application of the law. I am a lifelong resident of Broome County and a graduate of [BU] and CUNY Law School.

Before law school, I worked for the [New York State] Division for Youth for nine years. In 1991, I joined the Broome County Public Defender’s Office where I was known as a zealous and effective advocate for my clients during my 15 years on the job. I never lost a misdemeanor trial, and I won 27 out of 29 felony trials. In 2005, I ran for Mayor of the City of Binghamton and was elected two times, before being term limited out. Since 2014, I have done pro bono work for underrepresented clients.

Unlike my opponent, I

have extensive experience overseeing large budgets, managing personnel and working with community organizations to achieve common goals. I worked hand in glove with activists to prevent fracking in New York state and demonstrate our community’s opposition to the Iraq War. I strongly supported the Youth Bureau and youth mentorship programs, two very successful programs which were unfortunately ended by my successor. I was proud to have brought Binghamton through the worst recession in 80 years.

By the time I left, Binghamton was in excellent fiscal health.

Since I left office, I’ve been doing pro bono legal work supporting underrepresented clients, including a number of local social justice advocates arrested during peaceful protests.

3. What do you believe are the biggest issues facing your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?

There are several issues the next District Attorney will face. I’ll list them and then propose some solutions in the next few answers. Those are the overdose epidemic, violent crime, lack of leadership and vision to move our criminal justice system forward and the outflow of staff and attorneys in the District Attorney’s office.

The thing that frightens people the most is violent crime. There is no question violent crime inflicts terrible costs and we need to take it seriously, but it’s a small part of crime overall and it’s concentrated. That is to say — we can solve this problem in

Broome County.

Our country went from 200,000 people in prisons and jails in the 1980s to over two million today. Millions of kids growing up without parents or visiting them through bars. And yet no one feels any safer. What does that tell you about the tough-on-crime approaches?

I know from firsthand experience that when we had gang prevention and the Youth Bureau violent crime was lower. As District Attorney, I will focus on building pipelines to success rather than to prison. To do this, we need to prevent crime before it happens — prosecution is always after-the-fact. I will focus on supporting services that integrate people into our community and economy better through leveraging the ability of the District Attorney’s Office to get grants, seeking out resources from organizations around the country, and work in common with community groups and the businesses to build and improve mentorship programs.

We also need to make sure victims are kept safe. Victims are often scared to speak to police or the District Attorney’s Office because of lack of trust, concerns of retribution or their personal relationship with the offender. We cannot solve every problem in a victim’s life, but they deserve to be safe, be heard and have access to counseling. There’s a program that deploys trained people directly to hospitals when there’s a gunshot victim who can immediately begin to assess their needs and guide them. That’d be a big step

forward in Broome.

We have to realize that most people who end up within the criminal justice system are poor and if they do get locked up they will almost certainly end up back in our community. It is in our best interest to ensure we have excellent programming with demonstrable positive outcomes.

Probation is overworked with large caseloads. So we need to invest in pretrial release programs focused on education, job readiness, housing and mental health services.

Lastly, we have too many talented Assistant District Attorneys (ADA) leaving the office thanks to the years of negative campaigning by my opponent. He’s consistently lied about the current DA’s record and impugned the office. That is not leadership.

Now, they are operating with too few ADAs. Rebuilding morale and re-staffing the office is something we’ll need immediately after the election, if I win.

4. Many students and community members are concerned about increasing prices, including housing and household essentials. How do you plan to address these concerns?

Inflation, housing, and poverty are not traditional concerns of a DA. There are no direct steps I can take if elected to reduce the cost of essentials, in fact very few people — if any — officials have such power.

That does not mean these should not concern the District Attorney’s office however. The District Attorney is one of these most important elected positions in the

county. That office has a lot of resources and the ability to tap hundreds of millions in grants from governmental and nongovernmental sources. As I said before, almost everyone who gets incarcerated in Broome County — like everywhere else — is poor. Many people suffer from housing and food insecurity and lack access to appropriate health care.

To effectively make a strong, resilient community we must address these issues. I will be a strong voice to ensure safe housing for everyone in our community. I will make sure the District Attorney’s office is represented in all meetings on these issues to see how our office can provide support.

5. Why should students and young people vote for you?

I feel passionately that our community must do everything it can to support young people — ones who grow up here and those that come here for higher education. The University is a very important part of our community. I, myself, am a graduate of [BU] and a former adjunct professor. I taught environmental law for many years. It is one of the most powerful economic engines in Broome County and a huge resource.

If I am elected, we’ll need the talents and energies of everyone to take on the difficult challenges our community faces — [University] students and professors included. I can see BU students having internships in our office, doing outreach, performing research and working in community organizations designed to reduce and prevent crime.

4

NEWS

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2023

BU’s Jewish community supports impacted Israelis chabad from page 1 “The Rebbe — described by many as the most influential Rabbi in modern history and the founder of Chabad here in Binghamton — would always stress the importance of remembering that we are really part of one body,” Slonim wrote.

“When one part of the body is hurt, it is felt throughout.

The trip was about standing firm with our brothers and sisters in Israel and extending support on multiple levels.”

Sam Weingard, Chabad’s president and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said that the trip was a positive expression of Jewish unity.

“Jews on our campus were so passionate and feeling for our friends and family in Israel that they had to go and help,” Weingard wrote. “The trip had a real positive impact for Jews on campus and garnered a lot of positivity online. Even though we don’t live in Israel, we still care very deeply for everyone there and are showing our support in any way we can.”

The group visited Assuta Hospital in Ashdod, where they visited and heard the story of Ofir Dahari, who was shot three times in battle. The mission also visited three bomb shelters in Ashkelon — which people had been living in for the past couple of weeks — to hear their stories

and bring the children games to play. In an area where Engineering Corps soldiers had been sent, they distributed requested items and sang and danced with them.

Ari Weingarten, an undeclared freshman who attended the trip, acknowledged that both Israelis and Palestinians have suffered losses since the start of the war.

“Hamas’ [Oct.] 7th attacks resulted in the single most deadly day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Weingarten wrote. “Since then, Israelis have been living in constant fear. My heart also aches for the Palestinian people, as they have also endured much hardship. Thousands of innocent people have been caught in the crossfire, resulting in only more death and pain.”

Slonim added that their group was met with tremendous emotion.

Visiting families whose homes had been destroyed or who had lost loved ones allowed them to express unity, and he emphasized the strength of the connection between the Jewish communities, despite the ocean between them.

Mia Raskin, a first-year graduate student studying business administration, credited an organization called Athletes for Israel as vital in making the trip possible. The

The group visited hospitals and bomb shelters to hear the personal stories of impacted Israeli families.

organization uses the reach of professional and collegiate athletes who represent universities to promote education about Israel. Raskin coordinated a packing event on Oct. 22 that allowed other BU students to donate supplies to Israelis and pack them together.

“I think right now the Jewish people are more united and are coming together in ways that we’ve

never seen before,” Raskin said. “There’s all sorts of subsets of responsibility because we are not in a physical war zone, although there are anti-Semitic war zones on campuses across America right now. We owe it to our brothers and sisters who are fighting in Israel to do whatever we can.”

Slonim added that It was inspiring to see the dedication of students at the University, both those

who participated in the trip and those who didn’t. He emphasized that the group did not make any leisure stops, spending every minute supporting Israelis on the ground.

Jenna Nemetski, an undecided freshman who went on the trip, called for an end to the ongoing violence between Israel and Palestine.

“The situation is a tragedy with significant

provided by rabbi levi

suffering on both sides,” Nemetski wrote. “We call upon Hamas to release all of the hostages and disavow violence and aggression — both against Israel and the Palestinians — so that we can see an end to this conflict and peace for freedom for both Palestinians and Israelis.”

Rally calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip sjp from page 1 Among the walkout’s attendees was Sari Al Zerey, a third-year Ph.D. candidate studying material science and engineering, who is from Palestine. He said that supporting the Palestinian cause is not anti-Semitic, but anti-occupation, and elaborated on the suffering faced by those in both Gaza and the West Bank.

“The media tries to show that it started on [Oct.] 7 [when] this actually started in 1948,” Al Zerey said. “So

we can’t just say Hamas is the problem, because we have the West Bank where we have a government there collaborating with the occupation — with Israel — and still the Palestinians in the West Bank are being killed every day.”

The walkout was met with campus and community support from several organizations, including Broome County Peace Action, Veterans for Peace, Dissenters at Binghamton and a speaker

from the Black Student Union. Organizers invited representatives and attendees to speak, leading to a variety of speeches, either prepared or from impassioned passersby.

Jack Gilroy, 88, of Endwell — a member of Veterans for Peace and a longtime anti-war advocate — encouraged students to continue future protests and reflected on his memories of the decades-long conflict.

“I’m old enough that I remember the whole 75-

year history of Israel,” Gilroy said. “When Israel was first created I thought it was just wonderful, after that terrible genocide, that terrible Holocaust, now the people had a place to rest in peace. But what they did was … they went in, dispossessed [the Palestinians], took their land and began massacres over long periods of time.

There are 10s of 1,000s of reasons why the apartheid system is a terrible slavelike condition. What the

kate mcdermott digital assistant The walkout which advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza was supported by several community groups, including Broome County Peace Action and Veterans for Peace.

Israelis are doing now is just unbelievable, just beyond the pale.”

Despite the support of local and campus organizations, the demonstration drew a crowd of counterprotesters holding signs and Israeli flags.

One sign read “Hamas is worse than ISIS” and eventually drew a response from an SJP E-Board member, who has since stepped down, despite the SJP’s policy of discouraging engagement with opposition.

In a video that has now circulated online, the E-Board speaker can be heard saying “If Hamas is worse than ISIS, then Israel is worse than Nazi Germany.” The comment has received heavy backlash from BU students, community members and elected leaders. Rep. Marc Molinaro, whose district includes Binghamton, released a statement condemning anti-Semtisim on BU’s campus and the dangerous remarks made at, what he referred to as, the “anti-Israel” protest.

The counterprotesters had no direct affiliation with the BU Zionist Organization (BUZO), though the club had sent a message to their members reaffirming their policies of non-engagement for those that wished to attend. In response to the viral video, BUZO expressed shock toward both the comment and subsequent applause heard in the clip.

“This isn’t just a divergence in viewpoints,” BUZO wrote in an email.

“Such a comparison profoundly diminishes the Holocaust’s atrocities, where 6 million Jews were systematically and brutally murdered. To draw upon such a tragic chapter in

human history for political leverage is not only historically misguided but deeply offensive, especially to Jewish students who bear the weight of the Holocaust’s legacy.”

Following the event, discourse has been sparked surrounding the inflammatory statement, which, for some, brought into question the intention of the rally. The SJP expressed hope that the clip would not be the characterizing feature of the event or overshadow the other speakers, and clarified their wish to not make the campus any more hostile or divisive.

“Even though he spoke as an individual, this statement was a highly inappropriate thing for an SJP E-Board member to say in such an assertive position as a rally leader,” SJP’s E-board wrote. “We stand together as E-Board members to represent Palestinian liberation, but also to amend the gap between the two sides and to not contribute to the alienation of any Jewish students on campus.”

The event closed with an invitation for attendees to chalk the Spine with their messages. Although several verbal altercations occurred between rally members and counterprotesters, no intervention was required from Binghamton’s New York State University Police (UPD) officers, who remained present throughout the event.

“The land of Palestine diminishes and decreases every day,” Al Zerey said.

“They put people in jails for no reason, so Hamas is not the problem. Finally, I can just say that we are calling for an immediate ceasefire and to stop arming Israel.”

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2023

NEWS

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Event’s proceeds to support Bold and Breastless pulse from page 1 “PULSE is a womancentric multicultural organization that aims to educate, elevate and empower the women on campus,” Barrow said. “We focus on women of color, but we’re inclusive to all selfidentifying women. We just basically want to create a safe space for women to just come and talk about different issues that you can’t really talk about anywhere else on [Binghamton University’s] campus because there’s not a lot of women-centered organizations or even women of colored-centered [organizations].”

Gathering in the Mandela Room at noon, several organizations — including the Feminist Collective, the Healthy Campus Initiative, the Indian International Student Union and the Caribbean Student Association — tabled. After, a presentation educated attendees about the history of the event and relevant information about breast cancer.

Barrow expanded on the event’s planning.

“I’ve been working on it since this summer, so since May [or] June, and … what I usually do is I have a document with all my ideas,” Barrow said. “I made

an outline of the month.

Every week, we had a breast cancer-related general body meeting. And then this week, we tabled on the Spine for the Chalk the Spine event and raise awareness [for] breast cancer.”

During Tuesday’s event, PULSE members sold cookies and provided chalk for students to write messages of hope and encouragement.

Another event was the 13thannual Breast Cancer Walk, during which participants united to create signs and honor both survivors and those who have lost their lives to breast cancer.

Ellie Gross, a senior majoring in psychology who was tabling for BU’s Healthy Campus Initiative, expressed her support for the festival.

“They definitely did an amazing job of putting the entire thing together,” Gross said. “It looks beautiful. I think it’s been going really well.

What we’re doing is looking at what you should know about breast care and breast examinations, and how to do self-examinations. It’s really important for both women and men to understand how to go through that process, [what] it looks like and how easy it is to do even on a daily or monthly basis.”

sue lall staff photographer After several organizations tabled, a presentation educated attendees about the history of the event and relevant information about breast cancer.

SA Congress passes free speech resolution The Chicago Statement holds universities responsible for protecting free speeh on their campuses.

Luca Carrese

news contributor

The Student Association (SA) Congress voted Tuesday to adopt the Chicago Statement, which pertains to freedom of speech and expression at colleges and universities.

Produced in 2014 at the University of Chicago, the Chicago Statement focuses on holding universities accountable to uphold free speech and expression for all members of their community.

Over 100 colleges and universities nationwide have adopted the policy, including the University at Buffalo and Princeton University. The resolution was proposed as a response to concerns

from some students and campus organizations in recent years over perceived biases and mishandling on the part of Binghamton University relating to freedom of speech.

Christopher Ribaric, speaker of the SA Congress and a junior majoring in accounting, described the legislation’s deliberations.

“I believe that those who are passionate about passing this resolution believe that their fundamental right to free speech on campus is not as protected as they had hoped,” Ribaric wrote in an email. “Perhaps it is also a response to recent incidents on campus and around the world. I am happy that Congress was able to engage in a civil and well-mannered debate around this legislation.”

A commonly referenced University-specific free speech conflict is when Arthur Laffer, a former economic adviser to former Presidents Ronald Reagan

and Donald Trump was invited to speak by the College Republicans in 2019. Laffer’s appearance, sponsored by the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), was brought to a halt when student protesters entered the lecture hall to voice objections over a bullhorn.

A few days prior, the College Republicans had tabled with Turning Point USA, an event that was also met with protests. The perceived mishandling of the event and its aftermath by the University was at the center of a lawsuit filed by the College Republicans, their then-president Jon Lizak and YAF. The lawsuit cited First and fourteenth Amendment violations by the University and listed BU President Harvey Stenger among the defendants.

The SA resolution to adopt the Chicago Statement was authored

by Logan Blakeslee, the secretary of the College

Republicans, an off-campus Congress representative and a senior double-majoring in history and political science, who expressed a desire for all students’ speech and expression to be protected.

“Whereas [BU] is committed to free and open inquiry in all matters, it guarantees all members of the [campus] community the broadest possible latitude to speak, write, listen, challenge and learn,” the resolution read. “Except insofar as limitations on that freedom are necessary to the functioning of this institution, [BU] fully respects and supports the freedom of all members of the community to discuss any problem that presents itself.”

In response to the recent concerns over the protection of free speech and expression at BU, Blakeslee said that the resolution’s passage would ease campus tensions.

“I received a lot of great feedback from many students who were concerned about free speech and related issues as they appear on campus,” Blakeslee said. “I feel as though this is definitely a major statement that will go out to students who feel as though they cannot express their deeply held beliefs or opinions in the classroom, with their friends or with clubs. I feel that now this has passed students can have more genuine conversations, and I think in the long term this will lead to a healthier campus environment.”

BU was investigated by the Department of Education (DOE) in 2020 for potential violations of students’ free speech and free inquiry rights regarding the events that took place from Nov. 14-19, 2019. The aforementioned tabling event and the Laffer incident were cited in the letter, which also said that

Christopher Ribaric, the speaker of the Student Association Congress, said the deliberative process on the legislation was “civil and well-mannered.”

evidence suggested that the University “selectively applies its stated policies and procedures” in a biased way.

Not all who voted at the most recent session of the SA Congress were in favor of adopting the Chicago Statement. Many abstained from voting, including Yuki Li, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, citing a lack of time for debate.

“I just think there wasn’t enough time to discuss how the resolution was relevant to the students on campus,” Li said. “Or how the changes to the resolution were impactful from last meeting’s discussion. I think if we spent more time on it, I would’ve been more inclined to make a more resolved decision rather than abstaining.”

caspar carson photo editor

“Evil Pappys” was witty and spontaneous McKiernan explained the inspiration behind this semester’s Halloweenthemed show.

“Because the Pappys tried to plan our performances this semester to not overlap with performances by the student theatre groups or a cappella groups, we decided to have a show during Halloweekend and knew we had to make it something special,” McKiernan wrote in an email. “The theme ‘Evil Pappys’ was originated by one of our senior members, Ryan Nostro, and we just thought it was such a funny show title unlike anything we’d done before.”

The live improv skits

began with performances inspired by audienceprovided words on slips of paper. Using the prompt “Where could you get a cold glass of milk,” the actors performed a humorous skit about two farmers.

Throughout the skit, the actors reached into a hat for slips of paper to add new lines into their sketch.

Audience inspiration and participation continued to play a role in the hilarious sketches.

With audiences calling out words of inspiration, the sketches included a girl who wants to break up with her boyfriend because he fishes too much, running into your professor at Olive Garden and a skit inspired

by the worst conversation you’ve had with an ex.

The performers also challenged themselves with creative restrictions.

During the middle of the show, the actors performed a 15-minute straight improv set that was inspired solely by words provided by audience members. In the game “A-B-Scene,” every line had to start with the next letter in the alphabet, inspiring off-the-cuff solutions and even the phrase “zoo wee mama.”

Jack Harkins, vice president of the Pappy Parker Players and a senior majoring in cinema, discussed the process of preparing for the show and

experience of improv.

“The planning of the show is one of the best parts of being in the Pappys,” Harkins wrote. “Everyone submits the games they’d like to play during the show, so everyone gets a game they enjoy playing.

After practicing how to play these games we’re ready for the show! Best part of improv, you don’t need to learn any lines.”

Toward the end of the event, the actors played a game called “Frankenstein,” in which one actor stood behind another and served as the actor’s arms. The actors also invited audience members to the front for “Mad Libs,” in which actors

cued volunteers to finish their lines.

Ryan Lang, a senior majoring in music who manned ticket sales at the door, talked about his experience watching the show.

“I’ve been watching the Pappys for a good couple years, and I’ve been helping out at the door and everything,” Lang said.

“They’re always funny.

It’s always gut-busting.

I’m always laughing really hard.”

The show concluded with more free-form sketches, including a skit with cowboys debating how they should style their rodeo dances. The sketches drew laughter

from audiences throughout the night in response to the actors’ clever adlibbing and the inclusion of audience prompts.

Lilli Butler, president of the Pappy Parker Players and a senior majoring in music, expressed her wishes for viewers of the show.

“The most important thing [for] all of us is making everyone laugh,” Butler wrote. “We know how stressful the semesters and life in general can get, and we are all so grateful to be able to lift people’s spirits even just for an hour.”

Swift reclaims her fifth album with ‘1989 (TV)’ Swift’s “From the Vault” tracks have fans speculating on the meaning behind the songs.

Casey Monahan

arts & culture writer

Exactly nine years after the release of her fifth studio album “1989,” Taylor Swift released the rerecorded album with an additional five new songs “From the Vault” in her pursuit to have legal ownership over her past music. These new songs have been wellreceived thus far with fans already speculating about the meaning behind her lyrics and why exactly the songs were omitted in the original release. Here is a closer look and analysis of these new songs and how they fit in with the original record.

“Slut!”

Swift revealed on Tumblr that the single “Blank Space” was chosen instead of this track because she felt it did not have an appropriate place in the album. However, she does note that she is very glad it is finally public and for good reason. The song does not contain the notable pop beat that is heard in the rest of the album, but instead, opts for a slower and more dramatic style as Swift reflects on how she has been scrutinized by the media for her dating life since the beginning of her career. In the “1989” prologue, she states, “I had become the target of slut shaming … the jokes about my amount of boyfriends.

The trivialization of my songwriting as if it were a predatory act of a boy crazy psychopath.” This song portrays her feelings about the public criticism that she endured during this era

of her life and how she did not let it prevent her from seeking love.

“Say Don’t Go” In this track, Swift writes as if she is speaking to her lover as she begs them to give her a reason to stay once she realizes her feelings are no longer reciprocated. The song was co-written with Diane Warren, an award-winning songwriter who has also written hits such as Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time” and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” In an interview with People, Warren exclaimed that she is overjoyed that the song is finally out and that she loves it so much that she hopes that it will be a single. The song very much fits into the “1989” vibe by being upbeat and cheerful despite the sorrowful lyrics.

“Now That We Don’t Talk”

“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” expands the narrative of Taylor Swift’s pop debut and her brilliant lyricism.

“Now That We Don’t Talk” focuses on the thoughts and feelings that arise at the end of a relationship and how neither person has any idea what is happening in each other’s lives when they used to know each other so well. This song can be seen as a continuation of “Say Don’t Go” by showing the aftermath of a doomed relationship. In a voice memo via Tumblr, Swift said, “I think it’s the shortest song I’ve ever had, but I think it packs a punch,” which is accurate, as the song is only two and a half minutes long, but is still lyrically striking.

However, the song still properly articulates the story that Swift wishes to be told, and it does so through a melodious, bright tone.

“Suburban Legends” This tells the tale of an impactful and genuine

relationship that didn’t work out but the effects are still felt long afterward. It discusses how both people found success in their careers but could not seem to keep the relationship afloat. This can be seen in the lyric, “We were born to be national treasures / When you told me we’d get back together / And you kissed me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever,” showing the emotional aftermath of a powerful relationship despite the achievements the two experienced professionally. It reveals how negative emotional and personal relationships have the ability to overpower great professional accomplishments.

“Is It Over Now?”

Wish You Would,” according to Swift on Tumblr. It is fitting as all three styles stylistically match and coincide with catchy choruses and fast-paced lyrics. The song discusses her contemplation about the recently dissolved relationship as she leaves her partner behind to return home alone. The song is very “1989-esque” because of how well it fits into Swift’s place in the pop genre and how it adheres to the album’s overall story.

These newly released songs are exceptional additions to an album that fans have adored for years.

Though they were excluded the first time around, the songs do hold up in true Swift fashion through their fantastic production, lyrics and vocals.

Seemingly another fan favorite, this song can be considered a “sister” to the songs on the original album “Out of the Woods” and “I

sourced from ap news

bupipedream.com | October 31, 2023

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SAPB presents comedian Chris Redd An Emmy-award wining comedian and prominent SNL cast member, Redd filled the Anderson Center with laughs.

Karlie McGann

arts & culture writer

From discourse about therapy to Portland to ghosts, Emmy-winning comedian Chris Redd did not let down the students gathered in the Anderson Center for the annual comedy show sponsored by the Binghamton University Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) on Tuesday, Oct. 24.

Redd is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live (SNL), where he was a cast member for five seasons from 2017 to 2022. In 2018, during his time on SNL, he was awarded the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for “Come Back, Barack,’’ a musical skit that he cowrote. In addition to releasing his stand-up special, “Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?” last year, he also acted in films and television series such as “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” “Disjointed” and “Kenan.”

The show began with a short set from comedian Reg Thomas, who warmed up the audience by joking about topics such as The Notorious B.I.G. ‘s “Me and My Bitch” and his experience growing up in New York City. He then began to ask members of the audience where their families were from before opening up about his own experiences and habits as a child from an immigrant family.

“I still get dressed up for the airport,” Thomas remarked.

“That’s mad immigrant.”

Despite being an opening act, Thomas brought some of the first big laughs of the night with his Barack Obama impression and his explanation about how falling in the middle of a busy airport made him realize he was getting older.

At the conclusion of his set, Thomas introduced a second opener, Matty Ryan, another New York-based comedian. Ryan began by quipping about how he is often told he looks like a character from the sitcom “Workaholics” before sharing stories about riding the New York City subway and taking mushrooms before going to a museum.

When giving a spiel about a mummy exhibition at a museum in his hometown of Chicago, Ryan assured his credibility.

“These jokes are meticulously researched, I’ll just let you guys know,” Ryan said.

Ryan concluded his set with his thoughts on the unhealthiness of Lunchables before Thomas came back out to introduce Redd, the headliner. Redd then entered from offstage, and energetically began to interact with students in the audience, asking those in the front few rows their name, their major and whatever else came to his mind. One student Redd picked out of the audience told him his name was Marco, to which Redd immediately responded, “Polo!” Much of his show was almost improvisational in nature, as he continuously

Chris Redd performed an interactive and hilarious show about politics, ghosts and Binghamton.

referred back to these students and the audience as a whole throughout the set.

Some of the biggest laughs of the night came from Redd’s repeated imitation of the excited “woo!” that many students would exclaim after he made a statement they agreed to or a relatable joke.

“The funniest moment [of Redd’s set] was when he started picking on people,” said Nur Yucel, a sophomore majoring in psychology. “I did not expect that.”

Redd also joked about how far Binghamton is from New York City, both in terms of location and difference between the two places.

“I’m so confused where I’m at,” he added. “Do you guys even have police here?”

After talking about some current political issues and ghosts, Redd then transitioned into discussing a highly publicized incident from last year in which he was randomly punched in the face by a man wearing brass knuckles and a bucket hat outside of a comedy club he was supposed to perform at.

“The fact that he was wearing a bucket hat pissed me off,” Redd joked. “I was just hit by a fisherman!

I’m the only comedian still performing at the scene of his crime.”

kai depalma assistant photo editor

Redd likened the incident to the infamous Oscars slap involving Chris Rock and Will Smith, and clarified that his attacker neither mugged him nor “slaughtered” him, despite what many news outlets reported.

Redd then began to talk about politics again, criticizing the age of many of the politicians currently in office.

“You shouldn’t be able to run for president unless you can run physically,” Redd said. “Like imagine after a debate you have [Donald] Trump and [Joe]Biden do a 100-yard dash.”

Toward the end of his

set, Redd opened up about his experiences with therapy and mental health before wondering aloud how he would end the show. After shutting down a question about which of his former SNL costars, Michael Che or Colin Jost, is funnier (“Me! It’s my show!” Redd exclaimed), and conversing with a few more audience members, Redd concluded his set with a final “Marco!

Polo!” before exiting the stage.

“The show was fun,” Yurcel said. “I came here to get a laugh in, and I got what I wanted, so I’m really happy about it.”

LASU’s Palabras celebrates all forms of art In an effort to celebrate cultural and racial expression, students gathered to read poetry, sing songs and dance.

Revati Gelda

asst. arts & culture editor

This past Tuesday, the Latin American Student Association (LASU) hosted their biannual Palabras in the Binghamton University Union Underground Cafe from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Palabras — which translates to “a word” or a “speech” — encapsulates LASU’s goal to create a safe space for anyone to share their art.

Jiene Feng, la voz coordinator for LASU and a sophomore majoring in psychology, described the impact of Palabras on the BU community.

“Palabras itself is such a wonderful event, and I feel like it really does reach out to a lot of people,” Feng said. “It keeps that balance where you can still have fun. Having that outlet and having that source of just voicing our thoughts and opinions and concerns is a way for us to, again, work toward our mission — which is to serve the community.”

The evening was filled with a wide range of entertainment including covers of songs such as Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” and Mac DeMarco’s “My Kind of Woman,” as well as various acoustic and electric guitar performances and spoken word poetry such as a reading of Pablo Neruda’s “You Are the Daughter of the Sea.” There were also interactive

performances which included a crash course on how to create your own origami, magic tricks and dancing.

Valeria Ortiz, a junior majoring in psychology, instructed a mini salsa lesson to Joe Arroyo’s “La Rebelión” and invited all audience members to join.

“It’s a Colombian song about two Afro-Latinos that were unfortunately slaves to the Spanish man and a main lyric in it is ‘no le pegue a la negra’ which is like, ‘don’t hurt my woman,’” Ortiz said.

Ortiz went on to explain her reasoning behind choosing to dance.

“Last year, I did Palabras in the spring semester, and I did a poem, but it just makes me feel less nervous when I’m moving, so I thought a nice little salsa would be better,” Ortiz said.

Individuals also shared artwork such as printmaking pieces and photography that captured places like Colombia and Chile.

Kayleigh McGeeney, vice president of LASU and a senior double-majoring in mathematical sciences and history, explained the importance of sharing art.

“What I really hope for this event is for people of color to feel safe or have a safe space to perform their art,” McGeeney said. “Whenever we talk about race or anything like that, it’s often in the political mindset because race is political, but there is also the expression.

A lot of people come from different cultures and we all have different art forms, and it’s just nice to express it.”

Feng illustrated the positive atmosphere Palabras creates.

lia richter editor in chief The Latin-American Student Union celebrated a multitude of cultures through musical performances and spoken word poetry.

“I feel like it’s a good time,” Feng said. “It’s a good way to bond and to get to know people because it’s such a large community, and this is catered toward people of all different backgrounds.

Coming together in this tiny room and saying, ‘Oh, you

sang a song? I like that song!

Did you write that song?’ It’s just another way to mingle together, share art and get to know each other.”

As the night drew to a close and performers packed up their equipment, Feng explained Palabras’ ability

to create an environment that fosters the curiosity and celebration of different cultures.

“Palabras is an event made for people to show their art and show anything that they like,” Feng said.

“It doesn’t have to be made

by themselves. It doesn’t have to be original. As long as you enjoy it and as long as you find it beautiful, I feel like you can just come in and share it with us, and we are not going to judge.”

OPINIONS Tuesday, October ,2017 2023 Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,31 2,5, 2017 2017

EDITORIAL: STUDENT VOICES ARE KEY IN TIMES OF WAR We commend student response to events in Israel and Palestine.

In response to the events occurring in Israel and Palestine, there has been a wave of student activism on Binghamton University’s campus. Action has varied in medium and message — for example, several student multicultural organizations have recently released statements in support of the Palestinian people and BU’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter led a “Rally for Palestinian Solidarity.”

Additionally, student groups like Hillel at Binghamton and the Orthodox UnionJewish Learning Initiative on Campus (JLIC) held a vigil space for students to express solidarity with Israeli victims.

We are proud to see students

mobilize to educate and express solidarity amid such a polarized and terrifying situation, and encourage continued engagement.

College campuses have long been an important setting for anti-war and political protest.

The Vietnam War brought one of the biggest mass waves of college student protests across the United States, which played a key role in spreading antiwar ideas in public discourse. In fact, “Pipe Dream” replaced our paper’s former name, “The Colonial News,” in response to the Vietnam War. Universities are microcosms of democracy and political discourse. Young people have always been an important force

in our political sphere, and college students, especially, often have the resources and networks to mobilize in really powerful ways. Additionally, universities are primarily learning environments. By being exposed to the ideas of people from different backgrounds and perspectives, students are able to expand their worldview. Additionally, college campuses are a space where students can form community organizing frameworks and practice political action in ways that they hopefully can continue to exercise throughout their lives.

In recent weeks, student organizations have played a key role in bringing attention

to the Israeli-Palestine crisis, holding officials and organizations accountable, and fostering spaces for education and conversation.

Several multicultural student organizations have criticized President Harvey Stenger’s statements for failing to comment on the human rights abuses also being faced

by Palestinian citizens, not just Israeli citizens. Student organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Muslim Student Association (MSA), Black Student Union (BSU), and Hillel, have also released their own statements seeking to educate students on the events occurring and express solidarity with those

directly impacted by the crisis.

Multicultural organizations, especially, are crucial political forces on BU’s campus. It is important that we listen to students who are directly or proximately impacted by the events occurring in both Israel and Palestine and affirm their experiences, regardless of political views.

While student protest is impactful, it is also important to try to center action around real change and avoid unproductive over-polarization. While the events occurring in Israel and Palestine are extremely distressing and angering, as students currently residing on the other side of the world, it can be easy to quickly become

polarized and get caught up in conflict rather than working to educate and address the human rights abuses occurring to Israeli and Palestinian people.

For example, organizations like the Latin American Student Union (LASU) also linked resources in their statements where students could donate to organizations providing direct humanitarian aid in Gaza.

As young people and students, we are a powerful force for change. As we continue to experience this increasingly polarized political climate, we hope that students will continue to engage in educating and organizing with each other in a respectful way.

Views expressed in the opinion pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece which represents the views of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial, above. The Editorial Board is composed of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, News Editor, Opinions Editor, Sports Editor and Arts & Culture Editor.

Letter to the Editor: Loaded language distorts Israel-Palestine conflict Letter to the Editor in response to Theodore Brita’s 10/16 column.

Ada Hepner Guest Columnist

A Letter to the Editor is a column written by a writer not affiliated with Pipe Dream, sent in for publication in response to a column or article previously published. In this case, this is in response to Theodore Brita’s 10/16 column.

Theodore Brita wants more people and governments to recognize the “Palestinians’ struggle for freedom.” This is a broad phrase. What means and ends does it entail?

Perhaps by “Palestinian struggle,” Brita refers to the rhetoric of our local Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)

protestors, who chanted slogans such as “from the river to the sea” and “long live the Intifada.” I in no way believe that SJP protestors are morally equivalent to Hamas, nor do I accuse all SJP protestors of genuinely advocating an ethnic cleansing of Israelis or Jews from the Levant. However, as a Jewish student hearing these slogans, I cannot help but associate them with the beliefs and actions of Hamas. “From the river to the sea” recalls the words of the Hamas Charter, which describes a future Palestinian state as exclusive to a Jewish one. And when I hear “long live the Intifada,” I think of the indiscriminate violence perpetrated in the name of the Palestinian cause during the Second Intifada and

beyond — suicide bombings, rockets targeted at civilians and, presently, according to the IDF, sickening displays of rape, decapitation and immolation and the kidnapping of innocent Israelis and foreign citizens.

Brita does not define the ends of the Palestinian struggle, which is a careful omission — if those ends are consistent with the updated Hamas Charter of 2017, the end of the Palestinian struggle is the non-negotiable destruction of Jewish presence in its historic homeland. I am aware that Brita explicitly disagrees with Hamas. His article decries both Hamas’ war crimes and the conflation of Palestinians with Hamas. He therefore seems clearly uncomfortable with the current means and ends of this

“Palestinian struggle,” as he defines by omission.

Then what does Brita want promoted? It seems that Brita sees “the Palestinians’ struggle for freedom” as a historical narrative that he wants more broadly accepted, one that flattens a highly complex ethnic history into a “colonial genocide.” Brita defines colonialism, or a “typical colonial dynamic,” as a dynamic between two nations with a “disparity in power,” which is definitely true between Israelis and Palestinians. However, a disparity in power alone does not constitute colonialism.

Colonialism requires a homeland external to the colony, which the colonizers could feasibly call home. This is not true of Israel, Israelis and

Jews. Brita cannot avoid the anti-Semitism of the colonial narrative he unwittingly parrots — denying the Jewish connection to our historic homeland, denying our right to live as expressly self-sovereign in said historic homeland and denying any difference between Jews and the white Europeans who oppressed and continue to oppress us.

The end of human rights violations against Palestinians will only come about through forcing both groups to recognize the basic human dignity of the other. In my opinion, the most effective methods for this change are not through violence or policy but through grassroots educational efforts from organizations such as Shorashim in the West Bank and

the Adam Institute in Jerusalem, which bridge the divide between Israelis and Palestinians on the ground.

The linguistic frameworks surrounding the IsraeliPalestinian conflict, such as indigeneity and colonialism, are often fraught and ill-defined.

Even so, as exemplified in Brita’s article, these frameworks often hold undue weight in proving moral claims about the conflict and can impede a solutionsoriented approach. A nuanced view of the conflict must involve deep research and empathy, not mindless labeling.

Ada Hepner is an undeclared sophomore.

Social media fuels misinformation and polarization Social media should not be a substitute for real activism.

Antonia Kladias Opinions Columnist

The ensuing conflict in Israel and Palestine has filled social media feeds, creating a polarized and partisan environment.

When contentious issues come to the forefront of the media, it is important to remind ourselves of the role social media plays in spreading misinformation, pressuring uneducated voices to share opinions and promoting performative activism. Social media can be a convenient place to stay informed on current issues. However, social media on its own is not sufficient for education or activism.

Recently, social media has fostered the spread of large amounts of misinformation.

This has become an especially large issue surrounding the Israel-Hamas war, as fabricated disinformation has made its way

onto numerous social media platforms. There have been numerous instances of people pretending to be authoritative figures in voice memos and videos with the intention of sparking conflict and spreading hateful messages. For example, one video of a woman claiming to be a former soldier on the Gaza Strip sparked rumors of Israel’s government aiding Hamas’ entry into the area. This video rapidly spread through the internet, spreading an almost sensationalist claim that has not been proven. In another instance, a voice memo from someone claiming to be an intelligence soldier for Israel’s Arab population described a false attack plan in which Palestinian citizens would ambush Israeli citizens using vehicles with Israeli plates.

This, again, was spread rapidly on social media and taken to be true. These fabricated messages have been used to dehumanize both groups of people and has

created contention in a conflict that is deeply intricate, leading to extreme polarization on social media. Some say misinformation is being intentionally spread by both sides to garner larger support which has ultimately sparked violent sentiments and confusion and created mistrust of authorities.

This isn’t the first time social media has created deep polarization. The past two presidential elections in the United States have been notably polarized, in a large part because of social media disinformation.

But polarization over a political election is not the same as in a conflict where so many human lives have been lost on both sides. In a political election, people’s livelihoods are not being actively threatened and destroyed through violence. By treating conflicts like politics, we lose sight of the larger issue of violence and turn people’s lives into statistics to use in a debate. Social media separates

us from the issue at hand and focuses people’s attention on who is posting rather than what is actually being shared. People base their opinions on a few short posts they read — which likely come from biased sources — instead of fully educating themselves on what they are seeing. People’s opinions are also easily swayed by what they are seeing from their friends or celebrities, and there is a large pressure to post despite not being invested in or educated on an issue, further spreading misinformation.

There is almost an expectation that exists in the current nature of social media that when there is a contentious issue in the news, you should post your reaction to it. This expectation has largely been the reason for much of the performative activism and misinformation we are seeing now on social media and that we’ve seen in the past. This idea isn’t a new one, but why

has nothing changed? Social media platforms benefit from mass user engagement when polarizing issues are trending and their automated systems and algorithms seem to push out more contentious media.

Research on these platforms and their attempts to limit this is minimal, but it is clear that they do not do a good job of policing themselves to limit the polarization they create and prevent the spread of misinformation. Many have called for governments to take action against these platforms through policy, but, realistically, it would be difficult to pass a law to police everything on the internet. Because of this, it is important for social media users themselves to be vigilant and cautious of what they share and see on social media.

There is power in connecting people who share similar beliefs through social media, but when action doesn’t continue beyond these platforms, no real

change is being made and the importance of these issues is diluted to trends or criticism of others for what they do or don’t share. In this way, social media has disincentivized activism through the surfacelevel satisfaction people feel after sharing a post instead of becoming more involved in the issues they are posting about.

Education is only the first step of activism and much more — like pressuring leaders and rallying — needs to be done if real change is to happen. Social media has played a large role in separating us from the issues we see and dividing people in polarized sides, fostering dangerous dehumanization and performative activism. During times like this, it is important to remain diligent and take action to educate yourself before sharing information with others.

Antonia Kladias is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry.

OPINIONS Tuesday, October ,2017 2023 Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,31 2,5, 2017 2017

Your Jewish friends are not okay Collective shock, grief amid events in Israel.

Samantha Rigante Opinions Columnist

As I was preparing to go to sleep during the early hours of Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, I received a stream of alerts from Israeli news sources, identifying a barrage of rockets that had come from Gaza and were being sent toward Israel. Initially, I was not incredibly concerned when I saw this news. Rockets are often sent from Gaza toward Israel and usually inflict little damage on Israel itself due to both the Iron Dome, a rocket interception system used by the Israeli military, and the availability of bomb shelters. Knowing this was probably one of many similar instances in the ongoing conflict, I simply turned my phone off and went to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I realized that I had been incredibly wrong.

Reports of rockets being used as a distraction to allow for Hamas terrorists to infiltrate into Israel, along with the news of vast amounts of Israelis killed and taken hostage,

flooded my social media.

I was beginning to sense that what was currently happening — and what was going to continue happening — in Israel was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and, to say the least, I was scared.

Over the past week, my friends and I, both in Binghamton and literally around the world, have been in a state of shock.

Every single Jewish person I know, including myself, is close with someone who is currently missing and being taken hostage, fighting in combat or has been brutally murdered.

This shock is a collective feeling among the Jewish people I speak to — the inability to focus on anything except the rapidfire news coming out of Israel, the death toll and the constant checking of social media and WhatsApp to make sure that your family and friends there are safe and okay. It has been the only thing anyone has been able to talk about.

It is exhausting, and there is a collective sense of grief that is too large to describe.

And yet, we feel as though we are not doing enough.

Donations are being made to emergency services, families devastated after their communities were demolished and soldiers needing equipment.

But how can any of our struggles here compare to what the Israeli people themselves are going through?

I have seen the Jewish community come together in an unimaginable way.

Binghamton University’s Jewish community held a vigil the following Monday night after putting a program together in under 24 hours — over 600 members of the Jewish community and allies came to show their solidarity with Israel. We read prayers, sang and shared personal stories on the verge of tears. The sentiment of the week was said best by Emily Lillian, Hillel at Binghamton’s Israel fellow who has since been called back to go fight in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) — “Israel is my family.”

The larger Jewish community has come together to pray for peace, and yet, even in places we are supposed to feel safe, on our college campuses and in

our schools, there are calls of “long live the intifada,” “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” and in Sydney, Australia, “gas the Jews.” We understand the enormous privilege we have in the United States of America, and every single person I have spoken to wants to make sure innocent Palestinian civilians are protected during this time, in addition to condemning the deaths of innocent civilians in Gaza. These calls, however, of “long live the intifada” are simply reprehensible disguises that call for the destruction of the state of Israel and ask for continued acts of violence against the Jewish people, proving to us again that there is simply nowhere for us to feel safe.

In addition, the language being used surrounding the conflict right now lacks any sort of context or understanding of the history that led to the creation of the State of Israel or of what the Jewish people have gone through.

To simply label the state of Israel as a “colonial state” ignores the basic fact that the Jewish people are indigenous to the land

of Israel. It also compares the Jewish people who started the state of Israel to incredibly powerful empires during the 18th and 19th centuries, at a time when Eastern European, Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews were experiencing pogroms — violent riots started with the goal of massacring Jews — at the hands of these very colonial empires and who also experienced violence at an unprecedented level.

The state of Israel came about after the systematic genocide and destruction of the Jewish people by the Nazi regime, and labeling it a “colonial state” in an effort to undermine what the Jewish people have gone through is incredibly ignorant and dismissive of the actual history and generational trauma we share.

The Jewish people right now, myself included, feel incredibly alone. I am not defending the incredibly right-wing government of Israel or extremist Israelis calling for the destruction of Gaza, both of which contain serious issues and contribute to the very real lack of rights that Palestinian

civilians face. There is, of course, a legitimate call to make sure that innocent civilians everywhere are protected and receive basic human rights from their governments, but that does not justify the rabid calls of anti-Semitic language that have arisen and the lack of condemnation for Hamas as a terrorist organization that subjugates its own people.

I am grateful to the Jewish community, all the non-Jews that have supported us and to my friends that have stood up and come together during this time. But it is not enough for us to only stand together. This incident is sadly just one of many that has made it more than obvious that the Jewish people are alone — antisemitism has always been and will probably continue to be the form of hatred most accepted by the world. Your Jewish friends — and the Jewish people as a whole — are not okay.

Samantha Rigante is a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law.

It’s time to squash satanic panic

Criticism of The Satanic Temple reveals government hypocrisy.

Jordan Ori Opinions Columnist

With the ever-increasing popularity of social media, misinformation has become more prevalent, especially in the form of conspiracy theories. One of the most infamous internet conspiracies of all is the “Pizzagate” theory, which alleges the presence of a satanic cabal comprised of Hollywood and political elites who drink the blood of children to stay young. This blatant attempt at fearmongering, often fostered by far-right conspiracy sites such as QAnon, has caused an alarming resurgence of “satanic panic.”

The term “satanic panic” refers to the 1980s and ‘90s phenomenon of widespread hysteria surrounding the alleged existence of Satanists hiding in plain sight, performing ritualistic acts of abuse and indoctrinating people through music and other entertainment forms.

While these countless accusations were unsubstantiated, they became popular

nationwide and had detrimental implications, such as the ostracization of people who did not fit into the Christian norm and the stigmatization of religious organizations who use values of “Satanism” rhetorically to call for political freedom and social justice.

For instance, in May of 1993, three young boys were found brutally murdered and mutilated, causing residents of West Memphis, Arkansas, to believe they were killed in a satanic ritual. Almost immediately, Damien Echols, an 18-year-old high school dropout, was accused of the crime. Echols was a selfproclaimed “wiccan” who wore all black, read gothic novels and listened to Metallica, which deeply disturbed his Bible Belt neighbors. He was arrested along with two other young men. During their trial, the prosecution argued that Echols was the leader of a satanic cult and murdered the boys for a ritual despite a complete lack of DNA evidence. Although the prosecution’s case was entirely circumstantial, the two other men were sentenced to life in prison

while Echols was sentenced to death. However, viable DNA evidence was finally recovered in 2010 and suggested that the original West Memphis Three were innocent, and all three men were freed via an Alford Plea. An Alford Plea is a very complicated guilty plea where the defendant maintains their innocence but recognizes that there is enough evidence for a jury to find them guilty.

Today, Echols is a writer, artist and activist for those wrongly convicted.

He is also a symbol of the harmful effects of satanic panic.

Christian extremists definitely got it wrong with Echols, but even when vilifying modern satanism, they misunderstand the religion they’re so afraid of. The primary satanic religious organization in the world and the United States is The Satanic Temple (TST). TST is a non-theistic organization that sees Satan as a literary figure representing defiance of abusive authority and a tool for social justice rather than an actual being. According to their website, “The Mission Of The Satanic Temple Is To Encourage

Benevolence And Empathy, Reject Tyrannical Authority, Advocate Practical Common Sense, Oppose Injustice And Undertake Noble Pursuits.”

Their work is political rather than religious in the traditional sense, and they are far more inclusive than most denominations of Christianity.

TST was specifically founded to point out the United States government’s Christian bias despite the separation of church and state. For instance, one of their most well-known campaigns is their Satanic Representation Campaign.

According to their website, this representation can include “erecting a religious statue on public property, delivering a prayer before a government meeting, displaying a religious decoration during holidays in a public space, distributing religious literature in public schools and participating in community improvement activities such as cleaning up public parks and highways.”

This often sparks outrage and attempts to exclude TST from public spaces where other religious organizations frequent despite these

same spaces claiming to support religious freedoms.

Moreover, this selective outrage demonstrates the hypocrisy that the general American public and legislators have when it comes to religious expression. Time and time again, TST proves that religious freedom only exists in the United States if the government respects your religion.

At the moment, TST’s primary focus is reproductive rights. As well as suing various states for their restrictive abortion laws violating their religious practices, TST started a free telehealth abortion clinic in New Mexico that allows people to get abortions under the guise of religious freedom.

Their so-called “religious abortion ritual” exempts TST members from abortion regulations when seeking to terminate a pregnancy, therefore providing safe access to abortions. They also advocate for schools, public spaces, government institutions and addiction recovery groups to not force Christianity on people. Is this advocacy something to be fearful of?

People cannot be forced into Christianity in the

same way people cannot be forced into satanism. Just because you believe you have found the superior way to live does not give anyone the right to judge or oppress others for having a different opinion.

Students across the United States are forced to stand for the pledge of allegiance every morning, say the lines “one nation under God” and attend religious studies classes even though they may not believe in God. Yet people become outraged when an organization like TST starts a “satanic” afterschool club. To complain about satanic indoctrination while youths are constantly forced to adhere to Christian beliefs and practices is hypocritical.

So, if you ever come across a satanic conspiracy video on social media, like TikTok or Instagram, ask yourself who is posting this, what their sources are, what political agenda they might have and how it could affect people.

Jordan Ori is an undeclared sophomore.

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RANKY TANKY “Performing songs carried down through generations in the Sea Islands of the Southeastern United States in the Gullah tradition, Ranky Tanky (“get funky”) has established itself as a group of passionate global ambassadors for local culture and community, helping to faithfully preserve the traditions originated by African Americans in the coastal South during slavery.”

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bupipedream.com | October 31, 2023

SPORTS

15

Volleyball goes 2-0 in AE weekend series Ilieva surpasses 1,000 career kills against NJIT Luca Carresse

sports contributor

After its five-game winning streak was snapped against UMBC last week, the Binghamton volleyball team captured two America East (AE) conference victories at home against Albany and NJIT this weekend. On Friday, the Bearcats took on Albany, dropping a closely contested first set, before going on to take the final three sets. BU then competed once again on Sunday, sweeping NJIT in three sets.

“Every game from here on out is so important,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “We have everything to lose. Every time we take the floor we have to be very focused. We’re gonna find teams like Albany that play really hard, they never went away tonight.”

In the first set, the Bearcats (13-9, 6-1 AE) got on the board first before Albany (7-15, 2-6 AE) put together a five-point run to go up 5-1. The Great Danes controlled the pace of the set from there on out. Ultimately, Binghamton tried to close the margin with a few key blocks, but Albany maintained its lead to close out a 25-18 win in set one.

BU went down early to the Great Danes to begin the second set before a kill by graduate student right-side hitter Lydia Adam helped BU take control. The set would go back and forth from there.

Later in the frame, a Great Danes attack error followed by a service ace from senior

outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva gave BU a 19-18 lead.

Binghamton stayed in control from there with a kill from Adam securing a 25-22 set win for the Bearcats.

“Our blocking and defense really picked up,” Yaeger said.

“With the run going back and serving by Ilieva, it’s all about momentum. Volleyball is all about momentum. Once we had it in that set, I felt like we ran with it.”

In the third set, BU jumped out to an 8-3 lead, spearheaded by a kill from sophomore setter and right side hitter Lottie Scully alongside a pair of kills from graduate student middle blocker Anna Sprys. The Great Danes fought back to tie the game before a sequence of Albany errors gave the Bearcats the momentum and the 25-22 set win to go up 2-1. In the final set, the Bearcats managed to pull away early on. Later in the set, two kills from Adam gave BU the lead. A final effort from Albany came up short as a closing kill from Sprys gave BU a 25-19 set win and a 3-1 match victory.

Following the victory over Albany, the Bearcats earned a 3-0 sweep in another conference matchup against NJIT (9-14, 1-6 AE) on Sunday afternoon.

“I felt like the second half of every single set we played was really good,” Yaeger said. “I’m still just a little disappointed with our starts in every single set. Too many errors, too many missed serves, but I’m happy with how we’ve finished.”

The Bearcats pulled away with double-digit wins in the first two sets against NJIT. In the first, multiple

caspar carson photo editor Senior outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva tallied 32 kills in two matches over the weekend, including her 1,000th career kill on Sunday against NJIT.

kills from Ilieva, freshman middle blocker Misa Dlouha and freshman outside hitter Ella Schabort gave BU the momentum. In the second set, BU stayed strong with Scully adding two more tip kills at the net. Binghamton’s strong play at the net in the second set helped the Bearcats earn its second double-digit win.

“Our blocking definitely picked up,” Yaeger said. “The net play was really good, our passing was good and our serving was really strong.

And [Scully] having four kills today as a setter was really good.”

To close things out, the Bearcats got multiple kills from Adam and Schabort to keep the momentum going after Ilieva’s historic moment. Dominance at the net continued for BU, with two key blocks from Dlouha helping to give the Bearcats the 3-0 sweep.

“We needed the win,” Yaeger said. “We have to play like our lives depend on it if

we want to host and want to take first. We gotta continue to get better. It’s obviously a good 2-0 win this weekend, heading into next weekend which is huge.”

Ilieva led the Bearcats with 32 kills throughout the weekend, including her 1,000th career kill on Sunday against NJIT. Adam finished the weekend with 21 kills of her own, and the Bearcats’ defense made its presence known at the net with 55 blocks for the weekend.

“It feels awesome [to reach the 1,000 kill mark],” Ilieva said. “I’ve been thinking about that for a while. My goals for this season were to break the school record for most kills in a season and get a thousand kills. One goal is off the table, now on to the next one.”

Binghamton will continue AE play against Bryant on Friday, Nov. 3. First serve is set for 7 p.m. in the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

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Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Cross country competes at AE championships Women win first ever conference title, men finish fourth overall.

Jacob Knipes

assistant sports editor

History was made at the America East (AE) Championship meet on Friday, with the Binghamton women’s cross country team leaving Maine as AE champions for the first time in program history.

With three all-conference runners, the team beat out eight other programs to secure the title. Meanwhile, the Binghamton men’s crosscountry team secured a fourthplace overall finish in the 8k.

“It’s been 10 years since we won a championship and the last time we did it was the men’s team in Maine,” said Binghamton head coach Annette Acuff. “A lot of the

team was like, ‘Oh gosh, we gotta go all the way up to Maine’ and I said, ‘Listen, Maine has been good to us’.

I’ve been saying Maine’s been good to us all fall and it was.”

After sitting out the Canisius Alumni Classic to prepare for the AE Championship, graduate student Sophia Ryan returned to action with a fourth-place result in the 82-runner women’s 5k field.

Ryan clocked in a time of 17:46.00 to achieve the result and also earned her second consecutive AE all-conference first-team placement.

“I was kind of hoping for a little more, but I’m just happy I got to hang in just as long as I could and just focus on more of a team outcome,” Ryan said.

“I knew that finishing in the top five would put us in a really good spot to do well as a team and get the result that we were

hoping for.”

Securing second consecutive AE all-conference first-team honors alongside Ryan was sophomore Sydney Leitner, crossing the line in 18:13.36 to place seventh.

Freshman Brynn Hogan, meanwhile, slotted herself onto the AE all-conference second team with a 13th-place finish, clocking in a time of 18:37.01.

Also in the top 20 overall for BU was junior Jennifer Mui, who crossed the finish line with a time of 18:43.80, good enough for a 17th-place finish.

With a cumulative team score of 69 points, the Bearcat women won their first-ever AE championship. The team joined the AE for cross country in 2001 and over the last 23 years, its previous best finish for the women was a runnerup result in 2022. This marks Binghamton cross country’s

third AE title overall under Coach Acuff, their first in nine years.

“The accomplishment is huge for a lot of people,” Acuff said. “23 years is a long time to wait to win a cross country championship … and if you look at the women’s program, they’ve continued to climb the ladder within the conference over the past four years, and we had some individuals who have done very well in the conference and regionally.”

Over on the men’s side, senior Josh Stone and fifthyear Ryan Guerci spearheaded the Bearcat men’s fourthplace overall effort, as the team finished with 97 points.

Both runners earned AE allconference first-team honors alongside career-best AE championship finishes, with Stone earning a bronze medal in the men’s 8k with a time of

24:31.20 while Guerci punched in a 24:46.90 to finish in 7th.

This marks Guerci’s third career all-conference selection, tying him for first place alltime in the men’s program.

“They’ve had a great year,” Acuff said. “And … to give [Guerci] a lot of credit, he’s been all-conference three out of the four times that he’s competed at the [AE] meet.

So I’m really proud of him and [Stone] stepping up from last year and finishing third. You know, I think both of them quite honestly had about as good of days as they were going to.”

For her team’s efforts on Friday, Acuff was awarded the AE women’s coaching staff of the year honors, the third overall awarded under Acuff and the first for the women’s team. Notably, Acuff achieved the award despite coaching

without an assistant coach for the entire season.

“It’s just her manning both the men’s team and the women’s team,” Ryan said. “So … she’s had to step up this year and continue to just be such a great coach to every single person on the team. For her to get the coaching staff of the year award with just her on the coaching staff is really special. I think that meant a lot to us as a team to have her be recognized for all the hard work that she’s put in.”

With the AE conference meet now concluded, Binghamton will move on to the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet. The time of the first race is to be determined and will be held on Friday, Nov. 10 at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, NY.

Women’s soccer shuts out NJIT on the road Bearcats capture America East regular season title Suhiliah Lall sports Intern

After tying 2-2 against Maine last Sunday, the Binghamton women’s soccer team defeated NJIT 2-0 on Thursday night in Newark, New Jersey. In its final America East (AE) regular season matchup, Binghamton consistently attacked the Highlanders with strategic movement of the ball. After taking an early one-goal lead in the first half, the Bearcats added an insurance goal, tacking on another goal in the second half en route to a 2-0 victory over NJIT. Not only did BU earn a victory, but it also secured its second consecutive regular

season title and the No.1 seed in the AE tournament.

“Overall we were very pleased with the performance Thursday evening at NJIT,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “We knew going into it no matter what — that a win and three points were going to secure the regular season title and postseason homefield advantage.”

NJIT (7-6-5, 3-4-1 AE) was able to get two shots in at the start of the game, but it was only a matter of time before Binghamton (6-4-6, 5-0-3 AE) gained control of the ball and essentially maintained possession for the rest of the half. In the 18th minute, graduate student defender Grace Vittoria got the ball out of the corner and made a cross to senior midfielder

Molly McClelland who was able to get her foot on the ball. Eventually, McClelland attempted a shot for the Bearcats and found the back of the net, putting the Bearcats up 1-0 over the Highlanders.

After this point, things went back and forth as both teams were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. Going into halftime, Binghamton found itself up 1-0. The Highlanders tried to make a comeback in the second half, tallying seven total shots, however, most of the attempts were results of aimless kicks. In the few times when NJIT was able to get on the offense, junior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams was ready to stop them in their tracks, totaling six saves throughout the match.

Senior midfielder Molly McClelland netted a goal in BU’s 2-0 win against NJIT on Thursday night.

“Overall it was a strong defensive performance to keep the clean sheet,” Bhattacharjee said. “Our best part of the game was our possession and how we kept the ball.“ The Bearcats had a comfortable rhythm and were playing in unison, earning 10 shots in the second half and never allowing the Highlanders to get the upper hand.

Between the efforts of freshman forward Paige Luke and senior defender Lexi Vegoda, along with the senior midfielder Victoria McKnight and graduate student midfielder Olivia McKnight, Binghamton’s offense was able to capture a lead while also keeping NJIT off the board. Toward the end of the second half, in the 80th minute, Luke was able to serve the ball

right to O. McKnight who scored the Bearcats’ second and final goal of the match.

“We scored two nice goals, the first from [Vittoria] for a quality finish by [McClelland],” Bhattacharjee said. “Then later in the second half got the insurance goal with another service from [Vittoria] flicked on by [Luke], and then a composed finish by [McKnight].

Binghamton continued to keep the Highlanders off the board and when the final whistle sounded, BU secured a 2-0 victory over NJIT. With the win, Binghamton captured the AE regular season title for the second consecutive year and will be the No.1 seed, earning home-field advantage throughout the AE tournament.

“We are feeling confident

going into the semifinal as we await Monday’s winner between [NJIT] and [UMass Lowell],” Bhattacharjee said. “Either one will be a good opponent and it’s typically tough to beat an opponent a second time.

But if we keep our quality of play and the team continues to feel and show good vibes we know we can have another strong showing in front of our home fans on Thursday night.”

The Bearcats will begin preparing for the AE Semifinals on Nov. 2.

Kickoff is set for 6:07 pm at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York where they will face either No. 4 UMass Lowell or No. 5 NJIT.

caspar carson photo editor