Fall 2023 Issue 8

Tuesday, November 14, 2023 | Vol. CII, Issue 8 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

SAPB, mental health advocates spearhead ‘Day of Caring’ The event featured tabling by mental health advocates, musical performances, art stations and a bonfire.

Ella Connors and Brandon Ng

asst. news editor and news editor

A “Day of Caring” was held at the Appalachian Collegiate Center Amphitheater Friday afternoon in remembrance of Natalia Malcevic and others lost to tragic circumstances.

Largely planned and executed

by Sydney Ferreira, the Student Association’s (SA) vice president for programming and a senior majoring in anthropology, and the SA’s Programming Board (SAPB), the event offered the campus community an opportunity to write both heartfelt messages to Malcevic’s family and

general messages in support of mental health. Ferreira credited collaboration with the rest of the SA, Brian Rose — the University’s vice president for student affairs — and his assistants, the Consultation, Advocacy, Referral and Education (CARE) Team and the Dean of Students office for the event’s success.

The Office of Residential Life, Binghamton University’s Interfaith Council, the CARE Team, the Healthy Campus Initiative, the Student Psychological Association, the University Counseling Center (UCC), Active Minds, Health Promotion and Prevention Services (HPPS), Support Empathy Empowerment Kindness (SEEK) and the Employee Assistance Program were among the organizations tabling at the event.

SHADES’s annual Vogue Ball See sHaDes page 5 lily tener staff photoGrapher SHADES presents their annual Vogue Ball with student entrants and professional performers.

Check out a ʻnight in the lifeʼ of an OCCT bus driver

See caring page 3

See page 3

Men’s basketball blows past Keystone BU records 54 point win in home opener, five Bearcats score in double figures.

Jacob Knipes

assistant sports editor

kaitlyn depalma assistant photo editor Sophomore guard Chris Walker tallied 15 points and seven rebounds in BU’s 104-50 win against Keystone on Sunday night.

Coming off a road trip that included two losses against power five teams in Northwestern and Pitt, the Binghamton men’s basketball team secured its first win of the year in its home opener, defeating Keystone 104-50. BU took charge in the paint and dominated Keystone in the first half while maintaining its lead in the second half to secure a 54-point victory.

“I think it was a great opportunity for us to come out in front of our fans and put on a good product,” said Binghamton associate head coach Brian Johnson. “Obviously to get our first win of the year is something that we’re extremely excited

about. [We were] able to get pretty much everybody playing time and double-digit minutes. So excited for what’s next and hopefully we can build off this win going into [the game against Loyola University Maryland].”

After Keystone knocked down a jump shot to kick off the scoring, senior guard Armon Harried drew a foul in the paint that he converted into two points from the line to make it 2-2. BU’s offense continued to build momentum when graduate student guard Symir Torrence tipped in a layup, off the rebound of a missed threepointer from graduate student guard Dan Petcash, to put BU up 4-2. Binghamton continued to separate themselves from there, with Torrence faking out a Keystone defender to move the ball down the court where it ended up in Petcash’s hands, as he sunk in a three-pointer and gave BU a 11-5 advantage.

See basketball page 10

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OPINIONS

SPORTS

Chabad brings students together for this year’s Mega Challah Bake,

Tulane Professor, Holly Flora, delivers lecture on medieval lay readers,

The Editorial Board wishes the Vestal tree safe travels to Rockefeller Center,

Women’s basketball drops game late to Loyola,

Cross country concludes season at Northeast Regional Meet,

SEE PAGE 5

SEE PAGE 6

SEE PAGE 2

SEE PAGE 10

SEE PAGE 9

Page II Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,2,5, 2017 2017 2017

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

EDITORIAL: A BINGHAMTON CHRISTMAS CAROL CAME EARLY The Pipe Dream Editorial Board is delighted to hear about the Vestal tree being chosen for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. It is so heartwarming to know a piece of our home will be shared with the larger community, and we are excited to see our friend in bright lights. We wish them safe travels!

We hope you enjoy our Christmas carol from the perspective of our tree!

As December approaches every year, I’ve watched the students leave for winter break.

Despite the snow and festive season, my heart can’t help but ache.

I’ve peered through neighboring windows as trees are brought in, Decorated in warm houses, and underneath, presents left for kin.

While my shape is round and my top is pointed, To be a Christmas tree, I have never been anointed.

I’m much too heavy and much too large,

So all my life, I’ve been relegated to the yard.

I had almost given up hope, on this 80th year of my existence, When, one day, a man appeared, who had come from a great distance.

He slowed his car and exclaimed, in a jolly tenor, “This must be the tree for Rockefeller Center!”

But you look like a tough tree, one whose spirit won’t get muffled.

How will I fare in New York City, will I belong?

As I listened to him speak, my emotions became suddenly conflicted,

But then, a thought, that cleared my mind,

I’ve always wanted to leave Binghamton, but now, I realized, I would really miss it.

For once, the students wouldn’t be leaving me behind!

I’ll stand tall in midtown, wrapped in lights,

While the winters are long and the weather overcast,

And when the students see me, they’ll squeal with delight!

Living here has been a blast.

A Binghamton tree, hee hee, ho ho!

I ruffled my branches — I could hardly believe my ears!

I’ll miss the rolling hills and the freshness of the air,

The chance to be a real Christmas tree, and spread Christmas cheer!

And all of the plant and animal friends for which I’ve grown to care.

The journey to the city would be long, he warned, and some branches might get tussled,

This town is small, but its spirit is strong,

How lovely to be reminded of our other home!

That’s the thing about moving on to new opportunities, You’re leaving something special behind, but you’ll find new communities.

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.

Intramural Handball

lia richter editor-in-chief

Students spend a Tuesday night playing handball with friends at the West Gym.

Fall 2023 Editor-in-Chief* Lia Richter editor@bupipedream.com Managing Editor* Bella Daidone manager@bupipedream.com

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stabilizing:pinochole

schedule:destabilizing

bupipedream.com | November 14, 2023

NEWS

3

Event organized in support of mental health caring from page 1 Ferreira described her motivations for spearheading the event.

“Being that this semester has been difficult for a myriad of reasons, I thought a free event with food, musical performances, a bonfire, art stations and mental health resources tabling would be comforting,” Ferreira wrote in an email. “This event was proof that collaboration between students and faculty [and] staff can result in beautiful outcomes and that there are so many wonderful people on this campus working hard to advocate for and improve mental health resources on campus for everyone.”

In response to the tragedy, the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society organized a candlelit vigil that night, and students left candles, flowers and messages at memorials on the Peace Quad and the Pegasus Statue.

Elisheva Ezor, the SA president and a senior double-majoring in mathematics and business administration, said the event’s focus on community building and its emphasis on the connection between different groups helped to expand its positive impact.

“I was really impressed and moved to see all of the collaboration,” Ezor said. “I think also creating spaces that are solely there for the promotion and creation

of a safe place for mental health is really important.

Personally, just being at the event and knowing the event was solely there to promote mental health was really beautiful and a lot of students, I think, appreciated that, and that’s why I think it’s important to our community because mental health reform and advocacy shouldn’t be an afterthought.”

Mark Rice, the UCC’s clinical director, emphasized the importance of accessible mental health resources.

“It’s so incredibly important that students have mental health support — in multiple ways across campus with multiple services, but particularly for the [UCC] — that we’d be able to provide services for students to support their mental wellbeing,” Rice said. “Those services should be quickly accessible, which we really do a lot of work to provide urgent appointments and then get people in quickly for ongoing appointments.”

In a Dateline message announcing the event, University administration wrote that students can connect with the CARE Team to learn about available resources and briefly meet a UCC counselor in University Union 122 from 4-5 p.m. on Wednesdays for the remainder of the semester.

Gavin Suwara, the vice president of applications and training for SEEK —

caspar carson photo editor Student leaders, including Elisheva Ezor, the Binghamton University Student Association (SA) president, and Sydney Ferreira, the SA’s vice president for programming, said that the event showcased the power of collaboration and advocacy for greater mental health resources.

a student-run helpline — and a senior majoring in psychology, said that the event sought to raise awareness about the need for additional resources.

“It’s important that [BU] does more to grow with society in this aspect and provide help for the

students here that need it,” Suwara said. “That’s kind of what this event is all about — raising awareness and making sure we can make people aware of the resources we have, but also make people aware that we need more resources.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, the UCC’s urgent service line can be reached at 607777-2772, extension two.

The CARE team can be reached at 607-777-2804.

The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline provides free and

confidential support for people in distress. SEEK, the student-run helpline, can be reached at 607-7774357 and is open from 7-10 p.m. every day classes are in session.

Our night on the road with OCCT from page 1

Pipe Dream’s News and Video Editors rode OCCT’s Late Nite routes from midnight to 3:30 a.m., meeting the students driving Binghamton University’s bustling nightlife.

Brandon Ng and Chris Carrara

news editor and video editor

On a chilly Saturday night, we rode the Off

Campus College Transport’s (OCCT) Downtown Express (DE) line from midnight to 3:30 a.m., both to meet the drivers and to get an inside look at the operations behind the beating heart of Binghamton University’s nightlife.

Driven, managed and operated by students, OCCT allows on-campus students free travel Downtown to Binghamton’s bar scene, the University’s Greek life and residential housing on busy weekend nights. The DE route begins at 9:45 p.m. on Fridays and 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays, running

until 3:15 a.m., though the route changes after 1 a.m.

We met our first driver, Michael Guberman, a sophomore majoring in economics, at the University Union at midnight sharp.

He said that he started driving for OCCT about a month ago, with his first shift on Halloweekend. He shared how he feels about driving in the new position.

“I love it,” Michael said. “They pay me to do something that I love.”

On our first trip Downtown, around 40 students boarded — a rowdy crowd but not nearly

as many people as we had expected. We arrived at the State Street and Hawley Street stop around 12:15 a.m. expecting a long line to board, though our bus returned only about half full. As we arrived back on campus, Michael performed a visual inspection of the bus, ensuring that it was clean and safe for the next trip.

After two round trips with Michael, we then boarded a bus driven by Liam King, a freshman majoring in biology, at around 1 a.m. This was just the second week he had

chris carrara video editor Off Campus College Transport’s Downtown Express route begins at 9:45 p.m. on Fridays and 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays, running until 3:15 a.m., though the route changes after 1 a.m.

spent on a Late Nite shift, but he had logged “70 hours over the past two weeks.”

He said that driving for OCCT helped him acclimate to college.

“Being a freshman, I came in not knowing this place at all,” Liam said.

“Being able to learn the routes and drive the campus shuttle around, I just got used to campus [and] got used to Downtown.

It’s really just a great opportunity to learn the geography of this place.”

Once our hour with Liam was up, we had a quick break at the University Union stop before joining Katie Maldonado, a junior majoring in psychology, who was on her first Late Nite shift at around 2:15 a.m. It was her fourth day driving.

She said that everybody had been relatively tame, and she had received several compliments on her music.

After arriving Downtown at around 2:30 a.m., we picked up some of the last students of the night.

Shortly into the return trip, a student vomited on himself and the bus floor.

Katie handled the situation like a professional, following procedure by radioing OCCT dispatchers and remaining calm and collected throughout.

After the student started hunching over in his seat and nearly fell on the ground, we called Harpur’s Ferry, BU’s student-run volunteer ambulance service, who met us at the University Union.

The emergency medical technicians assessed the situation and led the student to the ambulance.

His name was taken down for OCCT’s $150 cleanup fee.

An OCCT dispatcher met

us at the University Union to coordinate a response and ensure that everybody felt safe and comfortable.

With Katie’s vehicle now out of service, the dispatcher rerouted our last bus to take the [West Side] Inbound route, so that the student safety officers at the Downtown stop could get home.

We embarked on our final ride of the night with Daniel Kogan, a sophomore majoring in mathematical sciences, leaving campus at around 3 a.m. A member of the fall one training class, as were the rest of the night’s drivers, Daniel said that he found peaceful solace in driving for Late Nite.

“In my opinion, it’s a little less chaotic than the day shift,” Daniel said. “Or in some ways, because first of all, there’s less people on the bus, and there’s no traffic, so I feel like I get a lot more downtime.”

After we returned to campus at 3:30 a.m. and thanked Daniel for his time, we left with a deeper appreciation for the work and challenges experienced

by Late Nite drivers. As students, just like us, we came to understand a little of what they meant when they described OCCT’s community. Every driver we met that night spoke about the benefits of the job, both tangible and intangible, describing the sense of camaraderie they felt.

“There’s a lot of support with this job,” Daniel said. “[The four] drivers for Late Nite night tonight are actually all from my training class, so we know each other pretty well, and I think OCCT has allowed me to form some valuable connections.”

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NEWS

bupipedream.com | November 14, 2023

Judaic studies department marks 50 years The Judaic studies program was founded in 1973 before evolving into an established department in 1991.

Eytan Saenger

news contriBUtor

On Nov. 10, Binghamton University’s Judaic studies department commemorated its 50th anniversary.

Held on the Judaic studies floor in the Bartle Library Tower, the event was held in the department’s conference room and was attended by both professors and students. It included a speech from Allan Arkush — a professor of Judaic Studies who has been associated with the department since its inception — a cake and a card explaining how to say “happy birthday” in Hebrew, Arabic, Ladino and Yiddish.

The event marked a major department milestone.

C. Beth Burch, a professor of Judaic studies and the chair of the department, said that recent events had shifted the tenor of the event.

“Because of the solemnity and occasional discord of recent events, we are deliberately keeping the event low-key, observing and appreciating rather than celebrating the fact that we do have a Judaic studies department on campus,” Burch wrote in an email.

First founded in 1973,

the Judaic Studies program evolved into an established department in 1991 following efforts from multiple faculty members. Its academic range covers topics ranging from American Jewish history to Hebrew and Yiddish, Israel studies and religious studies.

In his speech, Arkush gave an overview of the department’s history during his time. He spoke to the important scholarly literature and books that have come out of the University’s Judaic studies department, including “The Ministry of Special Cases,” a novel by Nathan Englander ’91, Litt.D. ’17.

He also mentioned “Jewish High Society in Old Regime Berlin” by Deborah Hertz, Lance Sussman’s “Isaac Leeser and the Making of American Judaism” and “The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times” by Norman Stillman.

He stressed that both nonJewish and Jewish students take the department’s classes and mentioned multiple notable alumni.

Arkush expanded on the department’s ability to focus on academic study.

“Some of the work that we do here transcends political struggles,” Arkush said.

“So much of our teaching has served as a means for preparing people for grappling with these issues in an honest and objective way. Our ability to stay apart from the fray is highly valuable.”

caspar carson photo editor Members of the campus community were invited to attend the Friday event, which included a speech from Allan Arkush — a professor of Judaic studies — a cake and a card with how to say “happy birthday” and “thank you” in Hebrew, Arabic, Ladino and Yiddish.

When it was initially founded, the core faculty of the Judaic studies department included Samuel Morrell, who taught rabbinical and modern Hebrew literature in the Classical and Near Eastern studies department along with three new hires — Stanley Isser, who later became the coordinator of the program, Yedida Kalfon Stillman, who taught Hebrew language courses

and Norman Stillman, a Jewish history and Arabic instructor.

Natanya Ruben, a junior majoring in Judaic studies, spoke highly of the department’s course offerings.

“I find the classes to be extremely interesting in the Judaic studies department,” Ruben wrote. ”Being able to deep-dive into topics within Judaic studies that

I never learned before is so cool and gives me a broader knowledge of Judaism itself.

As for the professors, I feel as though I am able to form a relationship with each of them, given the size of the department and the amount of Judaic studies majors there are. They all care very much for the topics they teach as well as the engagement of the students.”

Michal Levine, a junior

majoring in Judaic studies, took the time she spent at the event to engage in conversation with faculty members.

“It was a great opportunity to speak to my professors from this semester outside of the classroom, see old professors and meet potential future professors within the department,” Levine wrote.

Vestal Christmas tree bound for Rockefeller Center The official tree lighting ceremony, which dates back to 1933, will take place Nov. 29 in New York City.

Vera Then

news intern

As fall starts to slip away, this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is getting ready to embark on its journey from Vestal to the heart of Manhattan.

The 2023-24 season’s tree, weighing approximately 12 tons, is a Norway Spruce standing

80 feet tall, with a diameter of 43 feet. The tree was cut in Vestal on Thursday morning, where it was hoisted onto a 115-footlong trailer at 204 Murray Hill Road in Vestal. The donors of this year’s tree are the McGinley family, and it was selected by Erik Pauze,

Rockefeller Center’s head gardener.

In an interview with Rockefeller Center’s magazine titled “The Center Magazine,” Pauze shared how he discovered the tree while venturing in the Binghamton area.

“I found the tree in

Jacob Gressin photo intern The approximately 80-year-old Norway Spruce tree, donated by the McGinley Family of Vestal, stands 80-feet-tall with a diameter of 43 feet and weighs approximately 12 tons.

Vestal, New York, when I was on my way to look at another tree, not too far away,” Pauze said. “I had driven to the other tree and took a slow road back, and saw this one … I went back this spring and decided to knock … The McGinley family told me that not too long before I knocked on the door, someone told them, ‘that looks like a Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.’”

According to Rockefeller Center’s website, Pauze has been responsible for selecting, nurturing and transporting the Christmas tree each year for the past three decades. He specifically looks for Norway Spruce trees because of the number of lights the tree can hold on its branches.

“The Norway Spruce is great for the scale it can achieve,” Pauze said to the magazine. “[I]t can hold the lights on its branches, and it stands there nice and proud as the tree should.

It’s so tall, and it has the perfect shape. I knew when I saw it that it was going to work … I just had to trim the branches up to [five] or [six] feet. It’s a nice shaped tree, and it looks beautiful.

When you stand in the street, and look at it against the blue sky, it really looks

awesome.”

He added that his work centers on choosing a tree that can bring happiness and a sense of wonder to those who come to witness the lighting ceremony, especially the children whose eyes light up at its sight.

Once the tree is safely secured on the flatbed truck, its journey to its final destination in Manhattan will begin. Arriving on Nov. 11 and carefully put into place by a crane, the tree will be ceremoniously lit on Nov. 29 in a ceremony that dates back to 1933. Marking the start of the holiday season in New York City, the Vestal tree will stand until Jan. 13, 2024.

Gabriel Nam, a freshman majoring in mathematical sciences, said that he looks forward to going back home and seeing the tree in person.

“I’m from the city, so I can’t wait to go back home and tell my friends and family that this tree came from less than a mile away from my school,” Nam said. “I can’t wait to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, a piece of Vestal, become the brightest star in the city that never sleeps.”

SHADES hosts third-annual Vogue Ball sHaDes from page 1

This year’s Vogue Ball celebrates ballroom and drag culture while honoring the LGBTQ+ community at Binghamton.

Autumn Jacobs

arts & cULtUre contriBUtor

SHADES, an on-campus organization serving LGBTQ+ students of color, hosted their third annual Vogue Ball on Friday, Nov. 11.

The event was themed around Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” album and was stated in SHADES’s program as “a time to honor the spirit of inclusivity, creativity and empowerment that defines our vibrant community,” with energetic performances and an equally energetic crowd.

The event was a celebration of all things ballroom-drag culture, especially the art of voguing.

Ballroom-drag culture was created by William Dorsey Swann, a Black, formerly enslaved man.

Swann’s balls in the 1880s included

many of the same elements associated with balls and drag culture today, including walking and competing for prizes.

These balls continued for decades, eventually creating voguing. The dance emerged from the Harlem, New York ballroom scene around the 1960s, based off of the poses seen in fashion magazines such as Vogue, evolving into a “highly personalized, freestyling house dance.”

The entire night was emceed by Derek Jorden, resident director of Rafuse Hall, who provided entertaining commentary and introduced the many performers and categories during the event. Jorden introduced the first performer of the night, Ms Vivi Nox, a local drag performer who lip-synced and danced to “Hair, Nails, Hips, Heels” by Todrick Hall.

The first category of the night, Runway/Face Card, followed Nox’s performance.

Akunna Njoku, a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, was the first entrant, walking into the Mandela Room wearing a red lace dress and gold

circular necklace, prompting a thunderous applause.

After showing her face to the judges, professional performer Nuci entered, taking off their hood for the first time and revealing their face before posing for the audience and the judges.

“COZY” by Beyoncé played after the two main entrants were done, and any audience member who wanted to was able to walk the category.

After some deliberation by the judges who included two audience members, Njoku was chosen as the winner and given a trophy. It wasn’t Njoku’s first time modeling or walking in the show, but it was nonetheless thrilling.

“It was a good feeling,” Njoku said, “I’ve walked a lot of runway shows, but I was looking at the other contestants and I was like, ‘Okay, she ate that, she gobbled me up.’ But I was surprised because I thought Nuci was incredible when I was watching from the window out here.”

A number of performances followed, starting with the Binghamton University Black Dance Repertoire (BDR) dancing to a mix of multiple

songs including SZA’s “The Weekend” and “CUFF IT”

by Beyoncé. Ending the mix with “Attention” by Todrick Hall, BDR got even more applause and cheers from the audience as they vogued and death dropped to conclude their performance. Next, Joe, a professional performer at the event, lip-synced and performed Doja Cat’s “Wet Vagina,” which included floorwork and voguing.

There was a short intermission, where Jorden asked audience members trivia questions about Beyoncé, such as her birthday and the names of her first five albums. The winners received condoms and advice from Jorden to always “wrap the willy before you get silly.”

After a quick outfit change into a black blazer, Nuci was the only person to walk for Femme Queen/Butch Queen, entertaining the audience with voguing and death dropping as the room lit up.

A performance from Major Noire, Binghamton’s black majorette dance team, followed, dancing to a medley of songs, including “HERE COMES THE HURRICANE LEGENDARY KATRINA”

by Kevin Jz Prodigy and “Flawless” by Beyoncé.

Once again, there were few silent moments in the room with how many people were applauding and cheering for the dancers.

The final category of the night, Lipsync, followed Major Noire, with a number of performers competing for the trophy. Njoku performed “Rules” by Doja Cat and Joe vogued to “America Has a Problem,” ending the song with a death drop that had the audience roaring. The winner of the category was Ayman Habib, a freshman contestant majoring in computer science.

Habib explained how he chose to dance to “ALIEN SUPERSTAR” by Beyoncé because of the meaning it has to him.

“It was kind of the message behind it,” Habib said. “As LGBTQ+ people, we’re special and I wanted to make the audience feel special. I wanted to make myself feel special.”

After the final performance by Nox to “Formation,” many attendees and participants in the Ball lingered and enjoyed the

space that had been made in the Mandela Room. The event space included a cardboard cutout of Beyoncé in front of a shell à la “The Birth of Venus” by the painter Sandro Botticelli and multiple prime photo-ops.

When asked about what they hope the attendees and participants of the ball would get out of the event, two winners, Njoku and Habib, shared similar sentiments.

“You know, life is performance art,” Njoku said. “And I think it’s just a fun getaway from doing chemistry all the time. [I hope they come away with] a more secure feeling in queerness, being LGBTQ+, being a part of the Alphabet Mafia. I think it’s just a great space where you can be your best queer self, wear funky makeup, be really creative.”

“For me, this was a way to see that there is a community for you here,” Habib said.

“Because when you come to [BU], you don’t really see a lot of LGBTQ+ things, like gatherings. There’s so many people like me, and it was just really heartwarming.”

Chabad at Binghamton’s Mega Challah Bake BU students gather to make challah, celebrate Jewish culture and find comfort in each other.

Michael Waxman fUn paGe editor

At 7 p.m. on Nov. 8, The Rohr Chabad Center

for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University hosted the Mega Challah Bake in the Mandela Room.

Hundreds of students and Binghamton community members gathered to pray together, connect with one another and make challah bread. Eight flavors of challah were available to

taste, as well as dozens of tables with ingredients portioned out for people to prepare challah dough themselves. In addition to the delicious and culturally significant bread, the event was a chance to interact with and engage in the local Jewish community.

Ami Schreiber, a junior

majoring in psychology who regularly attends Chabad, explained his appreciation for the event.

“It’s important to come here to be part of the community and to just be part of something, especially in times like this with the stuff going on around the world,” Schreiber said.

Joanna Fishman video intern Students join The Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at Binghamton University to make challah from scratch and unite with the Jewish community.

“When you have everybody physically together in one room doing something, it promotes unity.”

Before the baking began, Goldie Ohana, director of programming and engagement at Chabad, gave a short speech reminding attendees of the importance of camaraderie and togetherness during these turbulent times.

“Now, more than ever, is the time we need to find our friends, find our family, find our people and unite, gather with the Jews around us, do mitzvot and bring light and goodness into this world,” Ohana said. “That is our job right here.”

Following the speech, attendees held a short prayer for their fellow Jewish community members both in Binghamton and across the world. Ohana stressed that the Jewish people, near and far, are one big family.

Michelle Grant, 56, of Binghamton, commented upon the relevance of the event.

“It’s a time when we all really need to be together and do something like this,” Grant said. “I think with everything going on right now, people are stronger in their faith.”

Spirits in general were high at the event. Following the group prayer, a short comedy sketch video titled “Apron Man” was played, in which Apron Man runs

about the Binghamton area helping people and collecting ingredients to give Apron Woman a bagel. After this, there was a Chabadthemed game of Kahoot.

Each table competed as a group, further promoting teamwork and community before the main event began. Donations were also accepted for the Chanukah Toy Drive.

Once these activities were done, it was time to bake. While Ohana walked the attendees through most of the process, there was plenty of time for talk among the tables. Coupled with the recipes being provided and the ingredients already measured out, the event ran smoothly and efficiently while remaining accessible and inviting. Attendees ranged from members of fraternities such as Alpha Epsilon Pi, BU students, Chabad members and local residents and their families.

This massive turnout represented what the event was all about. From frequent Chabad attendees who were already familiar with Jewish culture to those who’d never engaged in prayer or baking before, all were welcomed just the same.

Students joined one another in the Mandela Room for a celebration of compassion, faith and culture — and an appetite for challah.

6

ARTS & CULTURE

bupipedream.com | November 14, 2023

DCP presents ‘The Lightening Thief’ Musical Based on Rick Riordan’s best selling series, the play follows the adventures of Percy Jackson – a young demigod.

Christina Forte

arts & cULtUre contriBUtor

The Dickinson Community Players (DCP) brought Camp Half-Blood to the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center this past weekend with their rendition of the off-broadway production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.”

The musical is adapted from the first book of author Rick Riordan’s famous series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” and featured a variety of catchy and upbeat songs, as well as several recognizable inside jokes and iconic moments from the books that fans of the series could easily catch.

The musical follows Percy Jackson — a boy with ADHD and dyslexia who can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble as he is expelled from school for the sixth year in a row. Percy’s mother decides that it is time to tell him the truth about the identity of his father who has been absent throughout his life, and Percy discovers that he is the son of Poseidon. Soon after this realization, Percy is thrown into a world of gods, half-bloods and monsters and has to go on a quest to retrieve

Zeus’s lightning bolt. He is accompanied by Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, and his best friend Grover, who turns out to be a satyr. Throughout the production, they face many challenges on their quest to save Percy’s mom and prevent war among the gods.

“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is a series that many have grown up with and love. Director Chris Chang, a sophomore double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and theatre, described the process of choosing to put on this musical.

“A lot goes into deciding which shows to choose — a process that’s run by the E-Board based on what is feasible based on our budget, our stage space and tech requirements,” Chang said.

“There’s also the nostalgia aspect that makes ‘The Lightning Thief’ attractive, at least on my part in choosing to direct. I grew up with [Riordan’s] book, so it’s an honor to be able to put my own spin onto something that has been a large part of my childhood.”

With relatable characters and an entertaining storyline, it is easy for people to connect with “The Lightning Thief.”

The musical highlights themes of family, friendship and acceptance in a lot of its songs, which many people can identify with.

Alvaro Mijangos Guzman, who played the main

The play brought humor, heart and friendship to the stage.

character Percy in his first DCP production and a junior majoring in chemistry, commented on how he relates to Percy and how it translated in his performance.

“There have been times where I felt like I was trying to be a good kid and trying to stay focused in school in my early school years but still feeling like no one will listen or recognize my worth,” Mijangos Guzman said. “Using those connections, I was able to channel that raw emotion and energy to provide more

power into each scene and musical number, especially in the song ‘Good Kid.’” Emma Pralle, a first-time performer in a DCP show and a sophomore majoring in linguistics, reflected on how her experience as playing Annabeth with this cast has affected her.

“We really all just kind of seamlessly fit together,” Pralle said. “We didn’t really know each other at first. For a lot of us, this was our first DCP production. It was all really fun, and we made a lot of fun

mieraan haQUe staff photoGrapher

out of it. I’ve met some friends that I know I’m going to hang out with and be around after this show. I’m definitely gonna come back to DCP. This has been so great.”

The audience was very receptive to the humorous aspects of the show, which included the centaur Chiron — played by Sean Mealey, a freshman double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and theatre — having a comically small horse half that was made with the bottom half of a teddy bear, and Grover

— played by Ally Restrepo, a junior double-majoring in environmental studies and theatre — having a long conversation with a squirrel for directions, among many other things.

Overall, the DPC successfully entertained the audience with their rendition of “The Lightning Thief” musical and emulated both the comical and heartfelt aspects of Riordan’s nostalgic book series.

33rd Annual CEMERS Bernardo lecture The lecture, presented by art historian, Holly Flora, discussed medieval history and religion.

Andrew Ashinoff

arts & cULtUre contriBUtor

This past week marked the 33rd installment in Binghamton University’s annual CEMERS Bernardo Lecture Series. Held last Thursday in the Admissions Center, the event honors Professor Aldo Bernardo, distinguished service professor of Italian and comparative literature. The CEMERS Bernardo lectures are dedicated to Bernardo’s fields of interest, with a focus on medieval and Renaissance history. This year’s lecture was given by Tulane Professor of Art History Holly Flora, entitled “Beyond the Book of Hours: Female Lay Readers and the Wounds of Saint Francis.”

Upon arriving, attendees were immediately greeted by a catered meal complete with charcuterie, turkey meatballs and a small wine bar by the center desk. The first hour of the event acted as a short reception, encouraging the attendees to interact with one another and engage in academic conversation before the lecture began.

Deborah Howell, assistant dean of academic affairs at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, gave her thoughts on the draw of the Bernardo lecture series toward the campus community.

“I think an event like this can draw in people from a lot of different places on the campus that are interested in the topic that might not have anything to do with medieval and renaissance studies,” Howell said. “I work in engineering. I’m an engineer myself, but because of the topic of the lecture — that’s why I’m here. I think lectures like this are great.”

Ann O’Connor, a sophomore majoring in psychology, introduced her own idea as to why people may decide to attend.

“I think that it enhances the overall student experience because it introduces students to something they haven’t learned about before,” O’Connor said.

“You get to learn about certain cultures, like in [the medieval] time period. I think it’s very informative and a good experience to hear from professionals.”

The topic of this lecture, particularly its focus on female lay readers in the medieval time period, seemed to have drawn in many of the attendees present.

Colin Hannifan, an undeclared freshman, discussed how lectures like this one are useful opportunities to connect with people who share similar interests.

“It’s a good place to meet people,” Hannifan said. “You can bond over the speakers you like to hear. I went to a lecture yesterday for one of my other courses, and it was just a super good bonding experience for all the students.”

Hannifan cited other reasons why he appreciates events like this one.

“It’s good for students who are struggling in specific classes,” Hannifan said.

“It’s something to do and something to learn from.”

Howell explained why she felt an interest in this topic specifically.

“I’m interested in Saint Francis, and I am a reader at church,” Howell said. “When they said female lay readers I thought, I wonder what this has to do with Saint Francis.”

After the hour-long reception, attendees were treated to Flora’s research on an Italian manuscript, MS 411 at the Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele II in Rome. The manuscript depicted the relationship between a female reader and her genuflection toward Saint Francis, wherein Flora

Jacob Gressin photo intern The lecture honors Aldo Bernardo, a distinguished service professor of Italian and comparative literature.

examines the emphasis of Saint Francis’ side wound as a ‘focal point’ for the female reader.

The consistent depiction of the woman in MS 411 as a woman of worship and of impressive proximity to the subject of her prayers, Francis, suggested some unexpected details about the potential history of the document. When analyzing the imagery through a feminist lens, it’s unusual and surprising to witness a female

lay reader being depicted so physically close to Francis, asserting that the woman in the images may be of some religiously influential origin.

Flora raised some questions about MS 411 and its origins. She emphasized the interesting capability of the document in subverting certain expectations placed on manuscripts of its like.

The absence of identifying heraldry, the appropriation of Christ’s wounds and the unprecedented access to

Saint Francis all contributed to a curious mystery about MS 411. Did the woman’s importance prompt the creation of the manuscript?

The answers to these questions may be lost to the tides of time.

Flora closed out the lecture with some of her favorite words from Saint Francis himself.

“A perfect life can be lived anywhere,” Flora said.

“Poverty is everywhere, charity is everywhere.”

OPINIONS Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,2,5, 2017 2017 2017

Music heals Listening and playing music can help you cope with loss.

Sean Reichbach Opinions Intern

Music has always been a way for me to cope with the instability that comes with waking up in the morning and choosing to leave my bed. My routine each night always involves blasting music at full volume, laying on my bed and staring at the small holes and bumps in the ceiling that are barely noticeable with the lights dimmed. I place my phone on the dresser next to me, lay flat on my back with a pillow covering my face and enter a trance as the Red Hot Chili Peppers escort me into dreams.

Taking into account the

amount of headphones and AirPods I see on campus every single day, I think that I’m not overstepping by claiming that music plays a pretty crucial role in all of our lives.

I’ve been repeatedly told that music isn’t just a way to distract ourselves from the mundane, but can also be a catalyst for growth after something traumatic or painful is experienced. Music has been known for generations and generations to have a beautiful healing effect on those that are physically or emotionally hurting.

Until recently, I had not personally experienced the transformative effects of playing music. But, like many people around

the world each day, I went through an experience that shattered my entire world, and playing music has helped me to slowly start using the shards to build a new one.

Traditionally, we are told that the five stages of grief go something like — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

When something traumatic occurs, like a loss of someone that has shaped who you are, or a loved one walking out of your life, it is completely understandable that our hearts tell us to contest the memory of each step in the play-byplay occurrence of the loss.

Anger toward the world or the person who you think wronged you also

undeniably comes about and can often be redirected at ourselves. You might be so angry at yourself that you lose sight of all the ways that you can love or continue to be loved.

This self-hatred leads to deep sadness, feelings of loneliness and we begin to try to act in particularly uncomfortable ways that we think will make us feel whole again. For me, learning to play the guitar has reshaped the final stage of grief — acceptance.

Acceptance that something tragic occurred in your life can be extremely hard to come to terms with.

However, you never need to force yourself into believing that what happened to you was meant to happen, or

that it was entirely your fault or that you should have done something different.

Accepting what happened in the past is simply a realization that something really awful happened to you, and that your life has changed because of it.

When I pick up my guitar after a long day of classes and clumsily try to learn a song or two, I can enter a place of comfort where I am able to face the reality of the situation without blaming myself. Music places you in a state where your heart is already placed out of your body and sits in your instrument, so that you don’t need to spend time digging and scratching and bruising yourself to locate your regrets and mistakes.

Playing music makes me cry. Listening to songs on my favorite movie soundtracks, or placing a new vinyl record in my record player or watching a movie with songs that make me think about my life in reflective ways makes me cry. But, as I’m sure many people have told you before, this vulnerability is a state of strength and resilience.

So, to anybody in a hopeless situation, or to anyone who has experienced loss and is trapped in a state of regret, I strongly recommend picking up an instrument and playing, and then crying and then crying some more.

Sean Reichbach is a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law.

Foreign policy will be key in 2024 elections Appealing stance on public affairs is important to electoral victory.

Deniz Gulay Opinions Columnist

Right now, we are less than a year from the presidential elections and only months away from the beginning of the race for the White House, with the conclusion of the primaries and caucuses, which will set the stage for the coming election in November. Both Republicans and Democrats are now going through the process of preparing their campaigns, which will most likely be based on issues at home, such as immigration, abortion, inflation and unemployment.

Given the rather tenuous circumstances in current international affairs, however, there is a very strong chance that the outcome of this election will depend on the parties’ stances on foreign policy and the diplomatic relations of the United States.

The office of the president in the United

States enjoys a unique political function, which is that the power and influence of the United States as a global superpower can seriously impact the outcome of international matters and disputes.

Consequently, whoever controls the White House can also greatly influence world affairs via the diplomatic power the United States can exert around the world. It is no surprise, after all, that the elections in the United States are often covered by foreign news networks across many nations, as the motives of a president sitting in Washington D.C. can easily alter the strategy another leader sitting in Helsinki, Ankara or London will use for their own national interests.

President Joe Biden, who is as of now the likely candidate for the Democratic Party, has had a very tumultuous career as president since coming to office in January 2021.

He was and — to a certain

degree — is still praised for his strongly Atlanticist and pro-NATO stance in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump’s inclinations toward a more isolated United States foreign policy. Yet his own tenure is marked by incidents such as the Fall of Kabul in Afghanistan, which cast doubt on the United States’ military strength and its policy of “nationbuilding,” the outbreak of both the Russo-Ukrainian War and the rising hostilities with China, which have greatly increased global tension during his rule, and, most recently, the violent eruption of hostilities in Gaza, where the United States government has been repeatedly criticized for not supporting a cease-fire or any solid peacemaking efforts. These incidents are subjects that plague the image of the Biden administration and are likely to influence his image as a candidate for a second term.

On the opposite side,

the Republicans have to deal with a diverse range of issues — most important of which is the fact that, as of right now, there are no clear and definitive indications toward who might become the candidate for the presidential race in the first place. Former President Trump is viewed by various observers as the likely candidate, but there are other candidates who can become an alternative choice for the party, such as Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy. All of these candidates have overlapping views on the economy, human rights and other legislative and judicial affairs. However, their respective stances on China, Russia and future foreign policy goals that will be pursued in relation to national interests all have differences that can greatly influence and even alter the image of the Republican Party from an ideological viewpoint.

Most importantly, both parties and their

respective candidates will likely have to find ways to adapt to the fast pace at which circumstances in international affairs change today and influence their own opinions and positions for the future. As an example, the war in Ukraine has become a notorious point of contention between the Democrats and the Republicans in recent days, despite the initial bipartisan support for military aid at the start of the conflict. After the infamous failure of the widely publicized southern counteroffensive campaign at the cost of expensive aid efforts as well as the recent increase in demands from Israel for their own defense needs, global affairs are now putting a limit on how much the United States can do to support its strategic partners. The United States is actively supporting such partners across a wide range of conflicts throughout the world and should current economic hardships begin to strain the capacity of the United States to support

these partners, serious sacrifices in diplomatic efforts would be necessary in order to sustain national interests and address important domestic concerns.

Currently, there is no clear way to determine the outcome of next year’s presidential election — new developments can easily and rapidly sway public opinion, as they, for example, did back in 2016, when the idea of Trump becoming president was seen as nothing more than a funny joke. Consequently, and especially with global affairs influencing both Washington’s diplomatic strategies as well as stances on domestic affairs, a key strategy for electoral victory for any candidate might depend on having an appealing stance on world affairs that could potentially bring a significant shift or even a surprise victory at the ballot box.

Deniz Gulay is a freshman majoring in history.

What do you want to do after college?

Life is like the peanut butter aisle — appreciate your choices.

Eli Klein Opinions Columnist

There was once a man who won every argument.

He would argue anywhere he went with anyone he knew.

He’d dominate debates, leave no room for agreement and quickly flesh out the flaws in his peers’ logic, which was promptly followed by them walking away with their tails tucked between their legs. Eventually, though, after all his success and triumph, he had no one to argue with, much less even talk with.

If you want to win an argument, don’t argue in the first place.

The last argument I had was with Doris, my friend

and opinions editor of this fine paper. What started as a simple conversation about which brand of mac and cheese is the best quickly spiraled into a tempered debate about which Kardashian is the hottest — I stupidly made an analogy comparing the supremacy of Annie’s Mac and Cheese to that of Kim Kardashian. Without realizing it, the living room transformed into the UN, we turned into world leaders and the Annie’s Mac and Cheese that started the debate sat idly by as two idiots hurled subjective and inconclusive evidence at each other. Now, Doris thought Kylie Jenner was the hottest, and I, like any good old-fashioned patriotic American, defended Kardashian. The red, white and blue blood coursed through my veins,

and I was ready to die on the hill I stood on.

However, five minutes into the debate, I realized I actually did like Jenner more than Kardashian, and that I don’t, in the slightest, care who Doris, much less anyone, thought was hotter.

But what was I going to do?

Admit I was wrong, and let Doris have the satisfaction of defeating me in battle?

Helllllll to the fuck no!!! What do I look like?

We argued for the next 30 minutes.

Arguments are the verbal manifestation of war.

People don’t debate the issue at hand, but rather, they debate you, which in turn makes it feel like you’re being attacked. All of a sudden, your opinion manifests itself into a part of your identity, and the notion of you being wrong convolutes itself into you

being stupid and false about everything you believe is true. Your fight-or-flight instincts kick in, your heart starts racing and in turn, you stop acting rational.

How many times have you argued about something you couldn’t give the slightest shit about? Have you ever argued even after realizing you were wrong?

More importantly, when was the last time you changed your mind, or changed the other person’s mind, after a heated argument?

If an argument is a war, why don’t we first engage in diplomacy? Before telling someone they’re wrong, why don’t we calmly offer our perspective? Without saying we’re right, why don’t we tell someone how we reached our conclusion?

Before raising our voices, why won’t we consider whether this issue merits

such attention? As it happens, nobody is more easily influenced when they’re comfortable, and no one is more stubborn when they’re confronted.

Doris and I weren’t really talking about the mac and cheese (everyone knows Annie’s is the best), and we didn’t really argue about the Kardashians (#RayJHitFirst), but you didn’t doubt it because you, like everyone else, engage in pointless debates for no reason. Maybe you, like me, have lost friends because of arguments you can’t even recall, or you, like I, get upset by the same stupid argument with your mom about an issue neither of you is willing to compromise on.

Nobody ever wins from arguments, but everyone learns from conversations.

Without saying who is right

and who is wrong, the next time you are confronted with a disagreement, remember that you can’t spell disagreement without an agreement first, and that you can’t change someone’s mind without being willing to also change yours.

Eli Klein is a senior majoring in political science.

Fun

Tuesday, November 14, 2023 Thursday, Monday, Monday, October October April 3,2,5, 2017 2017 2017

One of those Days

Send dudes

Michael Waxman/Fun Page Editor

Michael Waxman/Fun Page Editor

Join Partners in Health Engage!

PIH focuses on fundraising and running events designed to increase global health equity. Scan the QR code to join the groupme!

MONDAY NOV. 20 DakhaBrakha is an “ethno-chaos” world music quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine.

Accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, and Ukrainian traditional instrumentation, the quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a trans-national sound rooted in Ukrainian culture. At the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theater, their musical spectrum is at first intimate then riotous, plumbing the depths of contemporary rhythms, inspiring “cultural and artistic liberation.”

CENTER YOURSELF 2023-24 7:30 P.M. | OSTERHOUT CONCERT THEATER TICKETS FROM $25 STUDENTS + CHILDREN: $10 ANY SEAT 607-777-ARTS | ANDERSON.BINGHAMTON.EDU

bupipedream.com | November 14, 2023

SPORTS

9

Cross country competes at Northeast Regionals Men finish 19th, women finish 21st to conclude sesaon.

Jacob Knipes

assistant sports editor

On Friday, the Binghamton men’s and women’s cross country teams wrapped up their season by competing at the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet. Out of 37 competing teams, the men netted a 19th-place finish while the women placed 21st. Without a runner qualifying for nationals, the cross-country season has concluded.

“You get to the end of the season and some kids are a little bit more tired coming off of the conference meet,” said Binghamton head coach Annette Acuff. “It’s always kind of a mixed bag of results at regionals every year, but overall, my goal was to be at least around that top 20 mark.”

To close out his five-year career as a Bearcat, fifthyear Ryan Guerci led the timesheet for the Bearcat men for the first time this season. Guerci punched in a time of 30:51.1 in the men’s 10k to earn a 71st-place result out of 257 runners.

Meanwhile, after running in the top 40 for most of the race, senior Josh Stone faded back to 77th at the line as he battled through illness to clock in a 30:58.9. “[Stone] had an off day, but he had a little bit of illness going on,” Acuff said. “So, unfortunately, it was just bad timing for him.

[Guerci] got out and was pretty aggressive, but he

kind of fell off just a little bit in the last mile, and I think that’s just [because] he’s used to racing more 8ks than that 10k distance. But I thought in the guys’ race, we competed a lot better, and we executed even a little bit better at regionals than at the conference meet.”

Other competitors in the field included graduate student Marty Dolan who placed 104th with a time of 31:25.8. Freshman Tim Smith, one of two freshman runners selected for the trip to the Bronx, crossed the line with a time of 32.01.1 in his Northeast Regional Meet debut to finish in 146th. Rounding out the men’s top five for BU was graduate student Andrew Harrell, whose time of 32:34.5 was good enough for a 172nd-place finish.

In her final cross county race for BU, graduate student Sophia Ryan led the way for the Bearcat women with the best individual result for BU at the meet — 41st out of 264 women’s 6k competitors with a time of 20:50.0. Also inside the top 100 for the Bearcat women was sophomore Sydney Leitner, clocking in a time of 21:31.8 to reach the finish line in 94th.

“Believe it or not, it’s kind of hard to believe, but both [Leitner] and [Ryan] ran faster this year than last year, even though with their places you wouldn’t really think it,” Acuff said.

“Last year the conditions weren’t as good, so I think that had a little bit to do with it, but for different reasons, they didn’t place

provided by seth polanski Fifth-year Ryan Guerci clocked in a time of 30:51.1 in the men’s 10k, earning 71st place out of 257 runners at the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet on Friday.

as high this year as what they did last year. But they certainly contributed a lot to our success this year … without either one of them we certainly wouldn’t have won the conference championship.”

Also contributing to Binghamton’s 21st place finish on the women’s side was junior Jennifer Mui, with a time of 22:23.3, as she collected 153rd place.

Graduate student Sheridan Talada brought home a time of 22:36.7 to secure a finish

of 165th while crossing the line in 173rd by punching in a time of 22:48.9 was graduate student Kyra Guerci.

“The women were a little off of what we did at conference,” Acuff said.

“At conference, we had a spectacular day and we had so many kids run well on the same day. That’s what it takes to win championships and those days are rare when you can just kind of get everyone really well on the same day, especially

freshmen. The women had a solid day but it wasn’t as strong as what we put together at conference.”

The cross-country teams finish their season with five all-conference runners and for the first time in 10 years, an AE Championship.

Women’s cross country secured their first conference title off the backs of all-conference performances from Ryan, Leitner and freshman Brynn Hogan, while Stone and Guerci repeated all-

conference honors on the men’s side. With the indoor track and field season around the corner, Acuff reflected on a healthy crosscountry campaign.

“With having three seasons, especially for freshmen, you try to find a way to balance them out and keep them healthy,” Acuff said. “We did a really good job of that. I think if we did anything right this year, we kept our kids healthy. I’m super proud of that.”

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Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Men’s basketball overpowers Keystone at home basketball from page 1 “One of the things [Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders] preaches is respecting our opponent,” Johnson said.

“So it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. Whether it’s an ACC, Big 10 opponent, we want to make sure that we’re as physical as we possibly can, and if it’s a division three opponent we still want to bring that physicality.”

After the first media timeout, freshman guard Evan Ashe came in to make some big plays for BU which included getting the ball to senior forward Tariq Balogun who drove it downcourt for a quick two. Not long after, Ashe scooped in a layup of his own to make it 21-12 for BU. Ashe would go 6-7 from the field in the half to solidify BU’s lead, including a sequence where he took a defensive board to the rim for a slam dunk to put BU up 40-18. Outside of Ashe’s perimeter play, in the first half, BU outscored Keystone by 26 in the paint with 21 defensive boards to establish control. The

score would grow to 59-22 for Binghamton at the half after Harried tipped his own rebound in the closing seconds. “[Ashe] is somebody that we’re extremely excited about,” Johnson said. “Him playing the last two games, you’ve seen his versatility not just from the offensive end but also on the defensive end. But for him to come out here and still bring that same energy and intensity and to make some highlight plays where he’s driving down the sideline, dunking the basketball shows you what he can be. It’s a product of his work.”

Harried picked up right where he left off to open the second half by taking the ball to the basket for a quick layup to make it 61-22, before jetting down the court a few minutes later to deny a dunk

by Keystone. The plays would keep coming when Torrence lobbed the ball up to Harried for an alley-oop to make it 72-38.

The Bearcats’ second unit took control from there, cementing a

104-50 win.

Ashe led the way for BU with 19 points in 26 minutes while shooting 7-10 from the field.

Behind him was sophomore guard Chris Walker who put up 15 points with seven boards, while Harried filled the stat sheet with 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.

“The one thing that we were excited about as a staff is seeing our guys on the bench cheering for each other,” Johnson said.

“We played our starters the first four minutes, but then they were the loudest guys on the bench throughout the rest of the game. So we’re building that team chemistry, that camaraderie, and I think these guys are really connected and gelling where it’s going to help us much down the line as we continue to grow.”

The Bearcats will hit the road once again for a matchup against Loyola University Maryland on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Reitz Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

kaitlyn depalma assistant photo editor Sophomore guard Chris Walker tallied 15 points and seven rebounds in BU’s 104-50 win against Keystone on Sunday night.

Women’s basketball falls short against Loyola Wanzer scores career-high 36 points in losing effort.

Johnny Yang sports editor

Coming off a 73-64 loss against Siena, the Binghamton women’s basketball team was unable to flip the script and get back into the win column, suffering a 77-73 loss to Loyola on Sunday night.

Despite trailing at halftime, BU bounced back in the second half and headed into the final quarter with the lead. However, the Bearcats relinquished their lead in the final minutes as they dropped the matchup to the Greyhounds.

“We never gave up,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We went up a little bit, but then we went back and forth, and we kept trading baskets.”

After Loyola (1-1)

won the opening tip and got on the board first, BU (1-2) responded as graduate student guard Denai Bowman drove into the paint and converted on a layup. Bowman then managed to get a steal which she turned into another layup after beating her defender. The Bearcats’ offense stayed hot as redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer drained a three-pointer to give Binghamton a 7-5 lead.

However, Loyola was able to keep up, converting on several opportunities to take an 11-7 lead. The Greyhounds extended their lead to nine before a threepointer from freshman guard Yanniah Boyd stopped the bleeding. At the end of the first quarter, Loyola found itself up 1712.

“When it’s a tight game, you gotta string some stops up,” Shapiro Ord said.

“We definitely had a few

moments, a few rebounds that you can’t give up.”

The Bearcats started the second period strong. After a Greyhound turnover, Wanzer knocked down a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two. On BU’s next possession, Wanzer made another shot from beyond the arc to give the visitors an 18-17 advantage.

Both teams continued to exchange baskets with Loyola maintaining a slight lead. The Greyhounds’ array of small runs later in the period went up 3024. Wanzer continued to stay hot, converting on an and one opportunity in the quarter’s final minute but, going into the half, Binghamton trailed 32-27.

“We just gotta clean things up on defense.”

Shapiro Ord said. “We gotta be better. In close games you gotta stay disciplined on defense, which is, being where you need to be, communicating well, doing

your job and you can’t let up.”

Heading into the third quarter, Loyola made a layup to go up 36-27. However, Wanzer continued her strong shooting performance, hitting two free throws and a three-pointer to make it a four-point game. Midway through the period, sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria drew a foul and made two free throws to give BU a 37-36 lead. Three-pointers from sophomore guard Meghan Casey and Wanzer allowed the Bearcats to maintain their lead. Going into the final quarter, Binghamton held a 53-52 lead.

“I was proud of their effort for sure,” Shapiro Ord said. “You know, that wasn’t a question. They didn’t give up, and they stuck to the things they know.”

Wanzer maintained her hot hand heading

Redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer led all scorers with a career-high 36 points in BU’s 77-73 loss against Loyola on Sunday night.

into the fourth quarter, splashing a three-pointer less than a minute in.

Graduate student guard/ forward Shannon O’Connor followed this up with a three-pointer of her own to give BU a 59-54 lead. The rest of the game continued to be highly contested as both Binghamton and Loyola refused to take their foot off the gas. Baskets from Bowman, Wanzer and freshman forward Kendall Bennett cemented BU’s lead until the two-minute mark when the Greyhounds took the lead. With less than a minute to go, Loyola converted on a three-point play to take a 75-73 lead and then followed this up with another basket to go up by four. When the final buzzer sounded, BU found itself on the losing end, dropping the matchup 7773.

“We kept trading baskets when we needed to get some stops,” Shapiro Ord

said. “We’ve got to clean things up on defense.”

Wanzer led the way on offense with a careerhigh 36 points, with seven three-pointers.

Bowman contributed on both sides of the ball adding 13 points, three steals and two blocks in the losing effort. As a team, Binghamton shot 55.1 percent from the field and shot 64.7 percent from the three.

“When that first one went in [for Wanzer], I just knew it was [gone],” Shapiro Ord said. “I thought, ‘yep, she found it.’ You know, when they’re shooters, they have their moments and she’s good.”

Binghamton will continue its nonconference slate against St. Bonaventure in its next matchup on Saturday, Nov. 18. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

caspar carson photo editor