Spring 2023 Issue 38-39

‘As long as it takes’

BU hosts Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

The unique performance took place at the Osterhout Concert Theater on Feb. 25.

Community members flocked to the Osterhout Concert Theater on Saturday to attend Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, a male comedic ballet company that has been performing en travesti — drag — since its founding in 1974. The ballet company has garnered both critical success and a dedicated audience with its playful parodies of well-known pieces.

Around 130 community members honored the Ukrainian lives lost in war this past Saturday.

The Binghamton community rallied for Ukraine outside the Broome County Courthouse on Saturday.

Around 130 people attended the gathering, which included an interfaith prayer service, speeches from local activists, live music and appearances from elected officials.

The rally was organized to “express support for Ukraine in its fight for freedom, democracy and justice on the one-year anniversary of the unprovoked full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine,” according to a press release from the Together for Ukraine Foundation. The organization was formed in 2014 as a response to Ukraine’s growing needs in medical and humanitarian aid.

The Russian military invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 in an attempt to prevent Ukraine from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to

the BBC. The war has continued for a year with a current estimate of 8,006 civilian deaths and 13,287 civilians injured, according to Statista. In 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden created the “Unite for Ukraine” program, which allows Americans to sponsor Ukrainian citizens and expedite visa applications for asylum seekers.

Anatoliy Pradun, president of the Together for Ukraine Foundation, opened with a tribute to Ukrainian lives lost during the war effort, also recognizing networks that have emerged to help survivors.

The Trockaderos, or the “Trocks” as they are also known, engage in a kind of “character-ception.” These performers are not just playing the characters of the piece they are performing — they are also taking on a dancer’s persona. Takaomi Yoshino does not just play the Queen of the Swans, they play as Varvara Laptopova — a dancer who is credited within the program as being “awarded for her artistic misinterpretation.” Each performer takes on a specific kind of personality that affects how they perform each of the piece’s roles.

Giovanni Pesce, a Binghamton resident, said that he felt inspired by the show.

“I thought it was amazing,” Pesce

said. “When you step back from it all and look at all the dancers, you kind of realize how arbitrary gender is. Being a queer person, seeing this dismantling of binary parts — something about that is just really beautiful.”

The night began with Le Lac des Cygnes, or Swan Lake, Act II. The set design was elaborate, featuring a backdrop of a mountain and a lake as the evil wizard Von Rothbart cast a spell that ushered in a giant cloud of smoke. This piece combined incredible technique and storytelling with comedic elements that kept the audience delighted. A recurring comedic gag of this piece was all of the swans disliking Prince Siegfried’s friend, Benno, who they continuously deny the advances of and even beat up on stage. The Trocks’ reimagining of Swan Lake featured incidents of musical cues gone awry, where in one instance the Prince did his starting position across the entire stage waiting for his music to begin — only to be forced to give up and leave. Other examples were dancers that were out of formation and one performer who embodied the classic “hi, mom!” archetype — dedicated to waving at the audience whenever they got the chance.

BNL’s 14 Going on 40 delves into college romance

HPC’s show was codirected by students Aubrey Strier and Anne Muha.

“Hey, how would you feel about directing Binghamton Night Live with me?” Aubrey Strier, director of BNL 14, asked their co-director, Anne Muha, an hour before the

application deadline.

A month later, ‘14 Going on 40’ became a testament to the latent greatness of their spur-of-themoment decision.

This past weekend, Hinman Production Company (HPC) put on their 14th production of Binghamton Night Live (BNL), ‘14 Going on 40.’ BNL is noted for showcasing the comedic talent that runs within the campus community, and BNL 14 did

Swimming and diving competes at AE Championships

Men earn second place, women finish fifth in final standings of conference competition finale.

Over the weekend, the Binghamton swimming and diving teams competed in the culmination of their entire season at the America East (AE) Championships in Massachussets. After four days full of events, the men and women achieved second and fifth place finishes, respectively, and several BU students received individual honors for their performances.

“Both of our programs had great weekends that we are very

proud of,” said Binghamton head coach Jerry Cummiskey. “We had multiple school, freshmen and conference records throughout the weekend, and collectively, I think it was our best conference meet in the last four years. Our team got better this week, and we look forward to building off this meet into continue success in the seasons to come.”

Highlighting day one of competition for BU was the 800 free relay team composed of juniors Jake Vecchio, Henry Shemet, Liam Murphy and freshman Liam Preston. The quartet took first place with a time of 6:30.57, setting a new conference, meet and pool record.

just that by satirizing the romcom that is none other than an authentic college experience.

Muha, a junior majoring in political science, expanded on how sometimes the funniest content is sourced from real life.

“In the sketch ‘The Outbreak,’ pretty much all of the main character’s dialogue was based on DMs that I wrote to my friends, and we recontextualized [them] for the purpose of the show,”

Muha said. “Everything from ‘God smiles upon the wicked’ to the ‘femcel T-swift style poetry,’ you look into yourself and make fun of yourself a little bit.”

Getting by in college means poking fun at the utter absurdity of each day. A situationship, for example, is a dramatized, all-consuming relationship that avoids the dreaded act of confrontation, an effort feared by many. “The Outbreak,” a sketch

written by Muha and Strier — a junior majoring in computer science — themselves, brought the situationship to the stage by portraying it as a deadly disease, rendering the gravity that college students place on their social lives.

Muha discussed how the relatable content was perceived by the cast.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Word on the Street

a junior majoring in psychology

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “I was in the FRI program, and that was definitely my favorite class that I’ve taken.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I just watch Netflix.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “Definitely Science IV.”

a freshman majoring in biology

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “Biolab.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I will go on walks and watch a movie to destress.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “I go to the EOP room and the library.”

Smith

a freshman majoring in accounting

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “This semester I like my writing class, Writing 111. You pick your own topic and you kind of write things that interest you, but I think next semester I’ll get some more interesting business courses.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “My roommate has a Wii. So we like to play Wii Sports and that’s a lot of fun. Just kind of hanging out with friends and stuff is good.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “I do most of my studying in my dorm room, but the lounge too. I like to go to my lounge in the building.”

Halpin

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “I took a class last semester called earthquakes and volcanoes, and I came [to BU] undecided so that’s what really made me decide to pick geology in the first place, but just thought it was a really cool class.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I play video games all the time, so that’s what I do. But that and listening to music. I make earrings. Just like doing anything artsy — stuff like that.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “I like going to the Science Library a lot. It’s very quiet, definitely, and it’s nice to be away from people. I feel like Bartle is not the quietest place most of the time.”

Jenna Sallin a junior majoring in mathematics

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “My favorite class that I’ve taken was probably Math 447 which is Probability and Statistics. I really enjoyed that one. It was fun.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I listen to a lot of music, and I just make sure to take time for myself.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “Science Library basement.”

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “Right now I’m taking sophomore design, and it’s the only class that really speaks out to me because all of the other classes just seem like normal classes or I don’t do that well, but sophomore design I can excel because that’s where I would do the best in.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I take naps from time to time. That’s about it though because the stress in engineering is just there — can’t really do much about it.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “Since I live on campus, I take my time in one of the separate rooms in the common lounges because those are usually empty most of the time, if it’s not midterm season. If it is midterm season then everyone is there, so maybe I’ll spend it in my room instead.”

a junior majoring in English

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “I’ve taken a few that I’ve liked so far. I had the chance to take Astronomy as a Gen-Ed requirement last semester, and that class was honestly kind of sick. I’m in a Shakespeare class this semester. That’s also pretty cool.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “Being comfortable with the material always helps, but also just making sure you take breaks. Honestly, drinking water has been my best friend. Anytime, for some reason, when I’m really mad or really upset about something, I have a nice glass of cold water and make sure you’re around good people. Just stay positive. We got this, we’re gonna do well.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

Chris Ribaric a sophomore majoring in accounting

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “In a previous year physics. I’ve always just been interested in physics and it came easy to me.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “The gym. Whenever I’m super stressed, just going there takes my mind off everything else going on, and kind of just focuses my attention.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “Only place I really do work or study is in my room. Me and my roommate are both engineers, so we tend to do all of our stuff together. It’s just easier and quieter that way … I haven’t stepped foot in the library yet, pretty much just only in my room.”

a sophomore majoring in industrial and systems engineering

Q: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken?

A: “I liked Cinema 121. That was fun. It was really interesting watching all of these movies that I’ve never heard of. They were foreign films that I never looked into watching before. So getting exposed to that kind of material was really cool.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I like going to the gym and listening to music to destress, definitely.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “I love going to the CIW library. I like the big rooms with the white boards.”

A: “100% I’m a massive Science Library guy. I found it last semester and was like okay let’s check it out. You go to the top floor, it’s always quiet up there. I always tend to see people who I know in there who are willing to help. All the people who work there are pretty helpful. Very easy to print stuff there too, I usually have a little bit of trouble in the bigger library, so just a usual go to for me.”

A: “Right now I’m taking Turkish literature which is a pretty laid back class. It’s more about reading and talking about what you read. Normally I wouldn’t like a class like that because a lot of books and the subject content in it is just mundane and you’ve heard it all before, but a lot of these stories are pretty interesting. They’re older stories, but they tackle issues that are pretty relevant.”

Q: How do you de-stress?

A: “I’m a big believer in listening to music to just decompress and get your mind off of things. I listen to a lot of Lauryn Hill recently, really a big fan. She has, in my opinion, a song for every emotion that you’re feeling, so I just put that in my rotation when I’m having a stressful day.”

Q: What’s your favorite study spot on campus?

A: “I’m a big fan of the Innovation Lab. I know it gets noisy in there sometimes, but I just like the atmosphere of it, so I find that it’s a good place to get my work done.”

Kate

a freshman majoring in geological sciences

Bradley

Nick Freeman a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering

Vianely Maria

Hailey Robson

Dylan Kluepfel

Daniel Yee a sophomore majoring in computer engineering

Mikayla Beauregard

Binghamton community rallies for Ukraine

“We remember the people that [have] sacrificed so much,” Pradun said. “Lots of lives were lost in this war. Lots of people gave to the many refugees [and] this conflict has really connected people all over the world.”

After, participants lit candles while religious leaders offered prayers for Ukraine and the victims of the conflict. An interfaith coalition was present, which included clergy from the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches who gave a panakhyda — a service that remembers the deceased in the Eastern traditions — rabbis from local temples, an imam representing the local Islamic community and the executive director of the Broome County Council of Churches.

Elected officials, including New York State Senator Lea Webb, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar and Johnson City Mayor Martin Meaney, were invited to demonstrate collaboration between activists and the government. Garner described the continuing sympathy the local community has for Ukraine.

“I stood beside you a year ago committing Broome County’s unwavering support of Ukraine and its people, and I stand here again to reiterate that support,” Garner said. “I’m so proud of all that our neighbors have done to help and give back. I sincerely hope that we won’t have to stand here again next year, but I am committed to standing here with all of you as long as it takes.”

Angelica Romanova and Natalia Vaschenko, both recently sponsored Ukrainian refugees, gave testimony about living through the invasion. They described living without basic necessities, like heat and running water, as well as the violence of the frontlines and atrocities perpetrated by the Russian army in their hometowns of Mariupol and Bucha. At the Munich Security Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris declared that the United States had determined Russia had committed war crimes, including the systemic and “gruesome” targeting of Ukraine’s civilian population through murder and mass

executions, torture and rape. Representatives from community organizations spoke about the steps they took to aid the Ukrainian community. Laila Hernandez, deputy director of the American Civic Association (ACA), elaborated on the immigration services, job training and readiness programs the ACA provides to Ukrainian refugees in pursuit of its mission to “help immigrants and refugees start a new life in our community, while preserving their ethnic and cultural diversity.”

Wendy Deis, the district governor-elect of Rotary District #7170, explained how rotary districts from across upstate New York worked together to raise “$19,000 in 30 days” for essential medical supplies, which were sent to Ukraine to treat those wounded in the war.

The rally also included multiple musical exhibitions in a larger tribute to the endurance of Ukrainian culture throughout times of hardship. The Ukrainian Community Choir, composed of many newly arrived child refugees from Ukraine, sang a prayer song and a violin quartet performed a traditional Ukrainian melody. At the end of the event, Taras Hudz, the musical headliner, performed songs from his musical project “To War.”

Mark Pradun, a sophomore majoring in biology at Binghamton University, was among the rally’s attendees. Pradun commended the diversity of the crowd.

“This event from Together For Ukraine was excellent,” Pradun wrote. “Seeing all people from different nationalities and religions come out in support of Ukraine during the one-year anniversary of the war with Russia has impacted me and shows that people still care about the conflict.”

Eliana Hansen, an undeclared freshman, discussed the importance of bringing awareness to those affected by the invasion of Ukraine.

“I think that bringing the community together is very important to bring attention once again to the war that is not happening on our soil,” Hansen said. “It can be very easy to forget that other people are dying while we are safe at home.”

Buffalo shooter, from Conklin, sentenced to life in prison

Payton Gendron, the Buffalo supermarket shooter and an avowed white supremacist, has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole.

On June 1, 2022 — about two weeks after Gendron opened fire at a Buffalo supermarket — an Erie County grand jury charged him with committing a “domestic act of terrorism motivated by hate,” 10 counts of first-degree murder, 10 counts of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted murder in the second degree and a felony weapons charge. According Gendron’s online posts on Discord, the location was chosen specifically because of its location in a predominantly Black community. Gendron drove from his home in Conklin, New York — a town just under 20 minutes away from Binghamton University.

In November, Gendron pled guilty to 15 of the charges, including the one accusing him of domestic

terrorism, which carries a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. Despite being sentenced for state convictions, he still faces federal hate crime and weapons charges, carrying the potential of the death penalty.

During the sentencing hearing, family members of victims emphasized the need for justice. Kerry Whigham, the director of BU’s Institute of Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) echoed this sentiment, characterizing it as necessary for the sake of society.

“When a teenage boy murdered 10 people last May in a violent racist attack, I-GMAP asked that we view this hate crime in the same category that we view genocide and other related atrocities,” Whigham wrote in an email. “It was an attempt to terrorize, demoralize and destroy a group of people because of their identity. As with genocide, justice and accountability are essential in the aftermath of hate crimes like this, not only to punish the perpetrator but to exemplify for the victims and the whole of society what we most value and what we will not tolerate as a people.”

In a manifesto posted online, Gendron referenced the “great replacement theory,” a racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy alleging a coordinated effort to “replace white populations” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) — an organization that “[works] in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy.” The idea influenced restrictive immigration quotas and the American eugenics movement in the early twentieth century.

Before the sentence was read aloud, Gendron spoke, apologizing to the families of his victims and appearing to express remorse for his actions. Judge Susan Eagan then declared that there would be “no mercy, no understanding and no second chances” for a crime of this nature, before handing down the sentence.

BU students responded to the process of bringing Gendron to justice and its greater implications for the United States. Kenny Pasato, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, described his personal connection to the attack.

“My mom was worried because my brother, who lives less than a

mile from Tops [Friendly Supermarkets], was going to go there that day,” Pasato said. “Having the shooting so close to his apartment terrified him. I think that the punishment given is necessary and fair because he needs to be punished in a way that reflects the severity of the crime.”

Angel Avila, the graduate assistant for administration at BU’s Multicultural Resource Center (MRC), an organization that “supports and educates the campus community through initiatives designed to increase awareness and understanding of cultural diversity,” and a secondyear graduate student pursuing a masters of business administration, expressed his thoughts about America’s path forward.

“It hits on the personal side for me because I have family that lives in Buffalo not too far away from where it happened and the first thing I did was make sure they were okay,” Avila said. “It’s sad that hundreds of years [after America’s founding], even though people don’t hate each other as visibly as they used to, there is still so much more that needs to be done.”

sourced from ctv news

The Erie County grand jury charged Payton Gendron with committing domestic terrorism, which carries a mandatory life sentence.

Peyton Gendron was sentenced for his racially motivated shooting last May. Brandon Ng news intern

Fall ITS error linked to SCCM system failure

ITS is working to improve the system following the incident last fall.

Ella Connors news intern

An incident that occurred last fall involving Central Information Technology Services (ITS) that led to the damage of several computers has been linked to a Microsoft tool.

The incident took place when an information technology (IT) administrator installed an IT operation on their computer, causing many other computers to subsequently be impacted as well due to the System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). According to Niyazi Bodur, the chief information officer of ITS, the SCCM is a “powerful Microsoft system that allows centrally managed domain joined computers to be controlled.” SCCM has the power to enable administrators to remotely install a new operating system, upgrade and fix existing operating systems, collect inventory information and allow the Help Desk to provide assistance remotely.

Bodur, alongside Donald Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, elaborated further on the incident with SCCM and how other computers were impacted as a result.

“The incident last fall was related to one local IT administrator aiming to re-build one computer, but mistakenly issuing the command to rebuild all

computers in the domain,” Bodur and Hall wrote in an email. “Becoming aware of this ITS stopped the process, but a number of computers were affected and they were rebuilt. This caused loss of data to a small percentage of the University community.”

ITS support is a distributed function, as stated by Bodur and Hall. ITS manages computers that belong to certain academic departments, schools and administrative divisions.

Computers in other divisions and departments are managed by local IT administrators.

Bodur and Hall outlined some of the progress that has been made in order to assure that a similar incident does not occur again at Binghamton University.

“The complete SCCM system has been re-built to make sure that the incorrect job is completely purged,” Bodur and Hall wrote in an email. “The local IT administrators’ access is limited to the computers in their own units only.”

Additionally, when the incident first occurred, access was taken away from people outside of ITS, in order for ITS to organize and regroup.

Bodur explained that if any large changes need to be implemented through SCCM in the future, two administrators will need to confirm that these changes are necessary and that they will not result in any negative repercussions.

Bodur and Hall later addressed how SCCM will continue to assure that any actions that are taken

involving a number of computers are approved and overseen.

“Jobs that affect a large number of computers must be prepared by one administrator and reviewed by the ITS SCCM Administrator before being deployed,” Bodur and Hall wrote in an email. “ITS has engaged Dell Technologies Consulting to assist us further to establish industry best practices to manage SCCM in the most

efficient and safe manner.”

Moving forward, Bodur has emphasized that SCCM is powerful, but can become dangerous in situations such as this one, therefore it has to be handled accordingly.

Jacqueline Ayala Flores, a sophomore majoring in psychology, expressed her thoughts about the importance of minimizing technology risks at BU.

“I think trial and error is especially important in

helping avoid technology struggles,” Ayala Flores said. “Because there was a mistake made, we can use it as a learning experience to determine the effects of what could go wrong and most importantly how to react and solve problems when they arise.”

Yuki Wada, a sophomore majoring in business administration, explained why there should be transparency between groups like ITC and

BU’s student body. “I think students should be made aware of these events happening,” Wada said. “A lot of events may not be advertised and are just overlooked, but being knowledgeable about what is happening on campus can help us work together to find solutions.”

BCHD looks to increase Narcan accessibility

of fentanyl, a painkiller, in the illicit drug market — now suspected to be the top contributor to overdose deaths.

As overdoses reach a record high, the Broome County Health Department looks to Narcan. According to gobroomecounty.org, Broome County had 80 suspected fatal overdoses in 2022, the highest death rate due to drugs that the county has seen since 2016, when statistics were first recorded. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were increased reports

Illicit drugs, like painkillers, cocaine and heroin may now be laced with varying amounts of fentanyl, according to the Broome Opioid Awareness Council. In response to the overdose crisis, the Broome County Health Department is advocating for Narcan to be available over the counter in an effort to prevent fatal overdoses by making the product accessible to the public.

Narcan, also known as naloxone, reverses an opioid overdose and can be

administered through the nasal passage. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), naloxone can be used without medical training, can be administered at any time without causing harm and is easy to use. Once the product is administered, normal breathing is restored in two to three minutes.

Marissa Knapp, the Opioid Overdose Prevention Coordinator at the Broome County Health Department, emphasized the importance of being knowledgeable about the drug market today, and described how to prevent a fatal overdose using Narcan.

“Counterfeit pills now are so sophisticated that they look

real,” Knapp said. “Now the concern is you really cannot trust anything. The amount of fentanyl being put in the drug supply is scary. We want to make sure they understand that if you’re using drugs either daily or recreationally that you have a Narcan kit.”

Bennett Doughty, director of Binghamton University’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program (OOPP) and a clinical assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said Narcan is beneficial for everyone to have, including those that are not opioid users. During the 20222023 academic year, over 300 campus community members have been trained to administer Narcan through the OOPP.

“One-hundred-percent I think all of us should carry naloxone,” Doughty wrote in an email. “Just as you don’t plan for a house fire to occur, if it happens, you’d want to make sure you have an extinguisher. We should carry naloxone for all those around us because Broome County has proven to be one of the counties within New York state that has an above average overdose rate, unfortunately.”

Knapp spoke of the recreational use of drugs at BU, and the risks it poses to students both on and off

campus. She said finals week can be one of the riskiest times for students to have an accidental overdose, and it is best to be prepared.

“I would 100 percent say for advocacy it would be amazing if dorms had Narcan kits,” Knapp wrote. “If all the fraternities and sororities had them in the houses. Places students go should have Narcan.”

Students across campus expressed their thoughts on increasing the presence of Narcan. Dorota Waszczyszak, an undeclared freshman, expressed her belief that Narcan kits should be available in areas students frequent.

“The kits should definitely be in the dorms, fraternity houses, bars, really anywhere people go for more of a social scene,” Waszczyszak said. “Even if you would never use drugs, there might be someone around you that needs help.”

Bianca Suiu, a freshman majoring in nursing, commented on how Narcan awareness is important, especially for college students, despite there being limited mandatory education opportunities on the topic.

“As much of a problem as this is in Broome County, I don’t think it’s talked about enough,” Suiu said. “I think there needs to be more education on how to get it and also how to use it — even if they added Narcan training into freshman orientation, anything would help.”

While Narcan is not available over the counter, there are currently many resources to get a kit for free both on and off campus. On campus, the OOPP holds monthly training and training per request. Off campus, the county has programs such as the Addiction Center of Broome County (ACBC), Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP) and Truth Pharm.

According to Knapp, the county wanted to make this product more accessible, and getting the product on the shelves of drug stores is the next step.

“I always say, the only thing Narcan is going to do is save someone’s life,” Knapp said. “I personally don’t know what’s more important than saving someone’s life, [and] it’s as easy as a ten-minute training and then you’ll always have a kit with you. It really is so important.”

brianna crowther design assistant

Aiming to rebuild only one computer, a local ITS administrator mistakenly issued the rebuilding of all computers in the domain.

harry karpen managing editor

The Addiction Center of Broome County is one of the off-campus resources available for Narcan training.

The BCHD is advocating for overthe-counter Narcan to fight overdoses.

Lauren Macdavid news contributor

BU’s ‘SNL’ parody embraces creative spontaneity

“What was funny is when we were doing the cast read and went through it, there were at least two or three people who said, ‘This is me,’” Muha said. “Again, the best comedy is the most real.” When it comes to how BNL 14 stands among past shows, Strier touched on how the group merged theatre with reality.

“It’s a very grounded BNL,” Strier said. “There are some sketches that are more fantastical, but overall, many are entrenched in reality and everyday situations that are then escalated with something new and special.”

Creative spontaneity occurred throughout the show, as Muha recalled how Jessica Knaster, actress in BNL 14 and a freshman majoring in psychology, incorporated improv in “Untimely Birthday,” when a kid’s party is ruined by the revelation that Santa isn’t real.

“She asked us and was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if we were Jewish and didn’t believe in Santa Claus?’ And we kept building on that every time we ran the sketch,” Muha said. “More

so than other BNLs, there’s a lot of background talking in this one, and a lot of opportunities for people to really just add their own flair and I think everyone killed it.”

While comedy comes from talent and experience, the show wouldn’t have been possible without the time and commitment set aside by everyone involved.

Rachel Pasternack, stage manager of BNL 14 and a freshman majoring in history, recalled what rehearsals demanded of the cast and crew.

“It’s a whole six-week process from choosing the directors to putting on the show,” Pasternack said.

“Rehearsals were Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., then tech week was this week from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.”

Needless to say, the hilarious and relatable production was telling of the hard work that was put into the show. From table reads to premiere night, an environment full of passionate students-turnedcomedians is bound to elicit a sense of camaraderie.

To Muha, that is exactly what HPC has become.

“To some it might sound silly, like, ‘Oh, it’s just a tiny college theatre group,’ but the idea of being part of

this legacy is so incredible to me,” Muha said. “I love [HPC], I love this community, and I truly feel

like these people are a family for me here on campus. We only have known each other for a month, and for the

by

sake of sounding like Vin Diesel — we ain’t friends, we’re family here.”

Comedic ballet performance captivates audience

Following the pas de deux, all of the stage lights turned off and a single spotlight took its place. Laughter echoed throughout the concert hall as the spotlight then began a slow pan across the stage, looking for the dancer it was supposed to be highlighting. As the music started, the spotlight started frantically searching for the performer until it finally landed on them a couple of moments later. The Queen of the Swans had returned to perform her final goodbye. Feathers rained out of her tutu as she dramatically passed away on stage.

The final performance of the night was Majisimas, a Spanish-inspired piece. Señoras and Señors took the stage by storm as they played with the more passionate form of ballet.

performance],” Mulroy said. “It’s hard to be a good dancer and make mistakes on purpose. That’s difficult to do.”

The costumes in particular were notable. Every costume was unique, visually alluring and fitting for its respective character — from the rainfall of feathers from the Swan Queens tutu to the layers and pop of color in the Señora’s skirts.

Jesse La Scala, a sophomore doublemajoring in environmental studies and women, gender and sexuality studies, was very impressed by this aspect of the show.

After an intermission, the curtains opened again to feature three shorter pieces.

The group dance told the story of two people in love. Or at least, it tried to. For this piece, the comedy

came from one of the ensemble members, who was determined to outshine the leading lady. From mimicking the lead’s moves behind her as she performed what was meant to be a

solo section, to getting in between the two leads to prevent them from dancing together, audiences were laughing the entire time as they watched.

A pas de deux afterward

featured moments such as the male character getting lifted by the woman character, as well as a cartwheel. All in all, those two just seemed really happy to be there.

Overall, the Trocks put on a mesmerizing and hilarious performance. The comedic aspect never felt overdone, and every joke and misstep was carefully thought out and planned.

Susan Mulroy, a former ballerina from Oneonta, New York, was particularly impressed.

“I really enjoyed [the

“I want to give the costume designer a kiss on the mouth,” La Scala said. “Literally, the costumes were so good. The makeup, the costumes, the hair, the wigs, everything — on point.”

The Trocks have managed to find the perfect balance between showing off their impeccable technique and lifting the atmosphere with their comedic timing. This is a perfect ballet for beginners to the scene and longtime viewers alike.

provided

aidan emery

BNL’s “14 Going on 40” brings the authentic college experience to stage through relatable and witty sketches.

mieeran haQue contributing photographer

The all-male comedic ballet company gave a riveting performance to a packed Osterhout Concert Theater on Saturday.

Inventive play remembers the life of Jeanne Baret

The Binghamton University theatre department took audiences around the world from Feb. 23 to Feb. 26 for “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic},” a stage play inspired by the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.

Directed by Lisa Rothe, “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” told the story of herb woman Jeanne Baret. The theatre department brought Jeanne’s story to life with a spirited cast, beautiful set design and an ever-changing narrative that brought audiences on a swashbuckling 18thcentury voyage.

The play opens in 1765 France, following Jeanne as she debates with botanist and love interest Philibert Commerson on the validity of Latin nomenclature.

When Commerson receives an opportunity to sail around the globe and botanize, he invites Jeanne to join him as his assistant. However, in order to sail with him, she must disguise herself as a man — thus adopting a new identity called Jeanne. The story then develops into a journey that explores questions of identity, love and historical legacy.

Loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s genderbending play “Twelfth Night, Or What You Will,” “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” is playwright

L M Feldman’s fresh take on historical drama. With a witty, powerful yet contemplative tone, the

play brought a modern spin on Shakespeare’s themes of identity swapping. The play has been recognized for its LGTBQ+ themes, as it won the Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries Award from the American Shakespeare Center and was nominated as a 2022 finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards.

As Jeanne travels around the world, she faces challenges such as hiding her identity from the crew, navigating her complex relationship with Commerson and dealing with darker topics such as grief and abuse. Jeanne switches identities throughout the play, indicated by different actors playing her at different points in her life. Her identity becomes blurred between genders and even between herself and Commerson. As a result, the play unfolds as a commentary on gender identity, all woven into a metaphor of scientific nomenclature.

Jared Wofse, cast member and a senior double-majoring in electrical engineering and musical theatre, elaborated on his experience portraying several characters in the same production.

“As far as the acting itself, it’s not my first time playing multiple characters on stage, but it’s the first where (almost) every actor does,” Wofse wrote in an email. “It’s amazing to see some amazing transitions between characters, and ultimately helps weave together a strong story.”

In addition to the feat of each actor portraying multiple characters, “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” brought

a unique opportunity for BU to produce a recently released stage play. Jillian Carley, cast member and a sophomore majoring in psychology, wrote about the freedom of producing such a new play.

“My favorite part of being involved in this production, besides the cast, would probably be the exploration of the story and play itself,” Carley wrote in an e-mail. “Because this is only the second time ‘Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}’ has ever been produced, we had a lot of freedom to choose how we played our characters or emphasize specific moments.”

Wofse conveyed his gratitude for the unique opportunities that “Thrive,

Or What You Will {an epic}” offered the cast.

“What was amazing about this was not only putting our acting skills to a further test, but we had a great director, [Rothe], who specializes in new works and guided us every step of the way,” Wofse wrote in an email. “Further still, since the script is so new, we were actually able to have a sit-down Zoom call with the playwright, L M Feldman, and we got a ton of insight on what they were thinking.”

As the story develops, “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” becomes a commentary on the lack of female autonomy and the importance of historical memory. Although Jeanne

becomes the first woman to circumnavigate the globe, the tragedy of her lack of agency in that 11-year journey becomes palpable to the audience.

Gavin Code, cast member and a senior majoring in biochemistry, described the significance of the tragedy of Jeanne’s life.

“I hope audiences leave satisfied learning about Jeanne and seeing her contributions to botany, but unsatisfied by the lack of justice, the lack of credit and what was lost to time,” Code wrote in an email.

Carley conveyed the importance of telling Jeanne’s story and keeping her memory alive.

“I hope that audiences take away from the play the

memory of who Jeanne was, as she did really exist and was almost lost to history,” Carley wrote in an email. “In addition to that, I hope they come away with having felt the tragedy and hope in each of the characters’ experiences, and perhaps reflect on how they can reclaim control in their everyday lives.”

With an inventive, complexly woven narrative and carefully crafted set pieces to boot, BU’s production of “Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” remembered the life and legacy of Jeanne in a multilayered exploration of identity, scientific pursuit and female autonomy.

Local art museums collaborate for Glass Blowout

and Science Center and the Vestal Museum, with each hosting different themes and styles.

art, according to WiesnerRosales.

A new trio of exhibitions is showcasing various uses for glass.

The Glass Blowout Exhibitions of Binghamton can be found at the Binghamton University Art Museum, Roberson Museum

The director of the BU Art Museum, Diana Butler, coordinated with the executive director of the Roberson Museum, Michael Grasso, and the director of the Vestal Museum, Cherese Wiesner-Rosales, to showcase this exhibition. This allowed for a great moment of interaction between the city and the

“This was an opportunity to bring three local museums together and encourage people from both the local and University community to attend all three exhibitions,” WiesnerRosales said.

The exhibition in the Roberson Museum is called “Looking at Glass,” which according to Grasso, features a small sampling of the diverse uses of glass in

art, industry, architecture, fashion, medicine and beyond. The exhibition is held from Feb. 11 to May 13, 2023, and allows viewers to get a glimpse into how glass is a part of various aspects of their lives — whether it be in history or now. Grasso mentioned specific objects, such as vessels, windows, containers and artwork from various historic epochs and cultures.

“There are Ancient Roman perfume vials,

bottles from shipwrecks on the Spanish Main, 19th century patent medicines, stained glass from local lost architecture, early optical technology, telescopes, period eyewear, fanciful Steuben figurines [and] historic lighting devices,” Grasso said.

“Found in the Ground: Glass Artifacts of Broome County” is the exhibition at the Vestal Museum, from Feb. 11 to May 3, 2023. The exhibition showcases a whole variety of cool items, according to WiesnerRosales.

“Objects were found at excavation sites in Downtown Binghamton,” Wiesner-Rosales said. “Visitors will encounter medicine, cosmetics and perfume bottles, along with other artifacts from the 19th through the mid-20th centuries.”

These objects were given on loan to Vestal Museum by the Public Archaeology Facility (PAF) at BU. The project director of the facility, Claire Horn, selected the objects. According to WiesnerRosales, the current response by visitors is that they have enjoyed the subject matter, with many people coming to visit.

BU Art Museum is exhibiting the “Bonds: Glass Bonds,” from Feb. 2 to May 13, 2023. This exhibition shows an array of objects manifesting the atomic bonds that constitute glass and the social bonds that

glass enables. Throughout the exhibition space, triplets of objects will touch on the art and science of glass, as well as exemplify one aspect of bonds, according to Wiesner-Rosales.

“Visitors will encounter the composition, structure and properties of natural and artificial glasses, view some glass production techniques and actively engage with the diverse ways in which glass objects can be used to create social bonds,” Wiesner-Rosales said.

The BU Art Museum showcases different themes and presents glass that relates to the theme presented. It showcases different glasses, the tools used to form glass, the shattering of different glass, how glass is used as a weapon or form of decoration, different forms of glass being used in history and artworks and tools made up of glass. This exhibition allows visitors to understand the different uses of glass, and to learn how it is incorporated into our lives now or in the past.

The Glass Blowout Exhibitions at the BU Art Museum, Roberson Museum and Science Center, and the Vestal Museum are all open and free to the public. With so much to see and learn, individuals that visit all three of the sites receive a small glass figurine as a bonus.

The play was inspired by the first woman to travel around the globe.

The three exhibits focus on all forms of glass art for art lovers.

provided by marcus newtown

“Thrive, Or What You Will {an epic}” follows the first woman to circumnavigate the globe as she faces challenges with grief, abuse and her identity.

david barshay contributing photographer

The Glass Blowout Exhibitions feature a variety of glass creations, from local lost architecture to vintage shipwreck bottles.

Two Fridays ago, Just Breathe opened its doors as the first legal cannabis dispensary in New York outside of NYC. Owner Damien Cornwell, a local production studio owner and partner with the Broome County Urban League, was one of only 36 people granted dispensary licenses by the state this past November.

Just Breathe’s opening represents a milestone for the state of New York, coming with a wealth of potential financial, safety and social benefits for Binghamton.

Cornwell has noted that dispensaries offer opportunities for economic growth in cities like Binghamton, which have been in economic decline.

When marijuana was legalized in Colorado in 2012, financially devastated cities like Pueblo saw their economies injected with tens of millions of dollars.

In 2021, the 21 states that allowed for legal personal consumption of marijuana saw tax revenue more than double from 2019, as well as increases in job growth.

Additionally, legalization offers community

‘JUST BREATHE’ — A STEP FORWARD

The dispensary’s opening introduces new, safer era of marijuana sale and use

members like Cornwell the opportunity to become business owners.

In addition to the economic benefits that dispensaries can bring to communities, buying marijuana from a legal dispensary greatly reduces the risks associated with its consumption. When marijuana is untested or unlabeled, buyers can be victim to lacing, which can expose users to harmful substances like lead or synthetic cannabinoids, which often have a stronger effect on the brain than marijuana —

and can be dangerous or even life threatening. The marijuana sold at licensed dispensaries are subject to a series of quality assurance regulatory standards for production, manufacturing and advertising by the state.

Although marijuana legalization does not address the past criminalization of marijuana, which has disproportionately impacted Black communities, we hope that entering a new chapter of marijuana sale and use will prevent future harms. Just Breathe begins a progression of legalization and attempts to correct past criminalization, such as the Marijuana

Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE)

Act. In an area like Broome County, which has long had one of the highest incarceration rates in the state, we are happy to see that arrests for drug misdemeanors, which have made up a disproportionate amount of misdemeanor arrests in the county over the last decade, have been decreasing since their peak in 2017. Although we can’t attribute this directly to the 2021 recreational legalization of marijuana, we are excited by the positive correlation. Moreover, as dispensaries begin to pop up in the state,

the de-stigmatization of marijuana sale and use is likely to follow.

Just Breathe is representative of a new decade of marijuana sale and use, and we welcome it. We hope that Just Breathe brings economic growth and de-stigmatization to the community, and we are eager to see the business thrive. It has been a long time coming to move away from marijuana regulation, but we hope to see more effort to provide reparations to harmed communities.

Young adults should drink prior to college

Julia O’Reilly Opinions Columnist

Prospective college students should learn how to drink responsibly prior to college, no matter what the law says. Sound ridiculous?

Well not as ridiculous as pretending underage drinking doesn’t happen just because parents don’t see it. Just because they hide the liquor bottles. Just because their kid doesn’t “do that.”

While the National Minimum Drinking Age Act raised the drinking age to 21 in 1984, the law has hardly evolved to reflect how drinking culture has evolved in high schools and colleges across the country since then. Underage drinking is associated with a plethora of harmful risks, including drug use, bad grades, injuries and health issues like anxiety or depression. And while both the legal and healthrelated implications are reason enough for parents to put locks on liquor cabinets to try and shelter their children from these consequences, it doesn’t

stop underage individuals, especially college students, from acquiring their own alcohol through sneaky and, oftentimes, illegal means.

The Alcohol Rehab Guide has confirmed that “roughly 80 percent of college students — four out of every five — consume alcohol to some degree.”

And yes, while this ranges from the double-fisting, alcoholic frat-bros to the low-key movie-and-boxedwine-night roommates, drinking in any capacity can be extremely dangerous if you haven’t learned how to do it responsibly in the first place. Drinking in college with little to no experience is like throwing a bear cub into the lion’s den and rolling the dice as to whether those countless green tea shots and keg stands will leave them dead, alive, or with their heads over toilets — like staring down the barrel of the gun.

While the law prohibits underage drinking for good reason, it doesn’t change the fact that young adults still drink despite legal restrictions. And the hard truth is that often enough, the consequences of unsafe, inexperienced drinking in

spite of its legality can be far more dangerous than those that come from the act itself.

Uncontrolled drinking can lead to worse consequences than cataclysmic hangovers and walks of shame that could single-handedly convince one to abstain from the act of drinking altogether. Dangerous situations, regarding injuries and assault, are all events that are often catalyzed by drinking. According to the Maryland Collaborative, “excessive alcohol consumption among college students is a contributory factor for unintentional injury, fatalities and sexual assault.” While it is a terrifying thought for a parent to picture their daughter or son as the victim of such a tragic event, it is equally as scary for them to picture the lesser-known alternative, in which their child is the aggressor, because ignorant drinking “might increase sexual arousal, disinhibition and aggression among perpetrators.”

Though drinking by no means excuses violent or aggressive behavior, drinking can cause people

to act uncharacteristically, violently or even foolishly due to impaired judgment. Either narrative, whether someone is a victim or an aggressor, is heartbreaking for a parent, and, more importantly, they can both be mitigated if preemptive measures are taken to familiarize a child with the pleasures and risks of drinking at home first.

Knowing limits when drinking and selfproclaiming the notorious title of “lightweight” or “heavyweight,” terms associated with people who can either handle fewer or more drinks, respectively, is a lesson and an experience — when learned in a safe environment — that can prove to be critical in college.

If drinking is perceived as less taboo by one’s parents, the child is less likely to drink excessively and do so solely to get drunk because it removes the notion that to drink while underage is to rebel. And in the case of a college ingenue, parents can help cultivate that culture of safe drinking at home.

James Madison University’s The Breeze claims that “if college students knew how to handle a few drinks and had

a concept of their tolerance before coming to college, their experiences may be much less clouded with blackouts and nights spent vomiting after a party.” This outlook on drinking, one that is realistic rather than hopeful, deals with underage drinking from a vantage point that guarantees at least some degree of success.

Statistics that represent how prevalent underage drinking is bring to light how the solution should be much more focused on how to ensure safety and minimize harm as much as possible, as well as to understand that underage drinking in its entirety is much less a question of if it will occur than of when and what we can do about it. This can lead to the development of safe drinking practices among college students, such as “planning a safe context for drinking, using safety measures to minimize harm when drinking and taking care of someone who has consumed too much alcohol.”

People cannot be so naive as to think that the law or a stern “no” from mom will keep young adults from drinking underage. Parents tell their children

not to have sex before marriage, and yet, I’m sure they would still be relieved to know that their child knows how to use a condom when they find themselves in bed with a girl from Alpha Delta Apple Pie with no ring on her finger. It’s time we prepare for events we know will transpire to assure the safety of young adults on campuses everywhere rather than pretending underage drinking won’t exist until the magic number 21 rolls around — because it will, and ignorance isn’t bliss. Ignorance is hospital visits, stomach pumping, sexual assault allegations and a boatload of regret. And the hangover might pass, but the trauma of those events doesn’t, not even with a good night’s sleep and the best over-the-counter pain relievers money can buy.

Julia O’Reilly is a sophomore majoring in biology.

Learning how to drink responsibly prevents dangerous drinking in college.

bella daidone design manager

Baseball earns 1-2 record at Wake Forest

[Rhett Lowder].”

ahead 3-0.

talent in all of the classes,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “Last year we got pretty good talent out of the guys who were freshmen, so we just need to just continue on developing every year, every class.”

Looking to bounce back after being swept in its season opener by Clemson, the Binghamton baseball team traveled to WinstonSalem, North Carolina for a three-game weekend where it faced off against Wake Forest, Mount St. Mary’s and Towson, respectively. Despite exiting the weekend with a 1-2 record, the Bearcats plated 27 runs, the most since 2005, during their win over Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday.

“We’ve got pretty good

During BU’s (1-5) first outing on Friday, it took the field against No. 4 ranked Wake Forest (9-0), the highest-ranked opponent that the Bearcats have faced in 13 years. Binghamton got off to a quick start in the first inning, getting two runners on base, but its early success was promptly extinguished by the Demon Deacons. In the bottom of the frame, three hits from the hosts, including a tworun homer, a double and a single, sprung Wake Forest

Then, after two full scoreless frames, the Demon Deacons added to their lead with a two-out, two-RBI double. BU’s lone hit came off of the bat of junior outfielder Mike Gunning in the top half of the sixth. The Bearcats had a chance later in the ninth inning when they loaded the bases. However, the visitors were unable to plate any runs as they left all runners stranded on base. The Demon Deacons finished with a 6-0 win over the Bearcats.

“They’re the fourthranked team in the nation for a reason, but I think we played pretty well,” Sinicki said. “We pitched really well, but we went up against preseason All-American

After a scoreless first game of the tournament, the Bearcats defeated Mount Saint Mary’s (5-3) 27-2 on Saturday thanks to the offensive efforts of sophomore infielders Devan Bade and Nick Roselli, who combined for 13 RBIs. The 27 runs scored are the most BU has scored since defeating St. Peter’s 34-3 on Mar. 22, 2005. Every Bearcat position player notched at least one run and one RBI — totaling 27 runs on 22 hits with 10 of those hits going for extra bases.

Bade went 4-5, tallying a season-high four hits and seven RBIs. The Bearcat also notched two home runs, a triple and two walks.

Roselli registered six RBIs in the contest, three

of which came from a home run in the first inning.

The sophomore added another RBI in the fourth and a two-run single in the eighth. Junior pitcher Gabe Driscoll earned the win on the mound, allowing just five hits and one run over six innings pitched. Driscoll notched five strikeouts in the Bearcats’ first win of the season.

“We have to go out there and be consistent,” Sinicki said. “It can’t just be one game. If you’re a good ball club, you have to have some consistent play.”

Binghamton dropped its final game of the weekend to Towson (1-6) on Sunday by a score of 10-1. BU got out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a single

by junior outfielder Tommy Reifler, plating junior catcher Kevin Reilly. The Tigers responded in a flurry, notching three runs in the top of the third, four in the top of the fourth and closed the game out with two in the ninth.

“Baseball’s a game of rhythm and of repetition,” Sinicki said. “When you play three games and drive back [to Binghamton] … It’s not easy to go out there, play full games and then come back and then practice inside.”

The Bearcats will take the field again next weekend starting Friday, March 3 for a three-game series against Norfolk State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Marty L. Miller Field in Norfolk, Virginia.

27 runs against Mount St. Mary’s marks second-most in program history.

Seth Schlank sports contributor

Pipe Dream Bearcast

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Men’s basketball falls to Black Bears at home

Alex Chiffy sports contributor

The Binghamton men’s basketball team hosted Maine on Saturday afternoon for its penultimate regular season matchup, looking to break a two-game losing streak. BU looked to rebound from its first contest with the Black Bears, where it fell by 21 on the road. Despite a strong start in their second meeting, the Bearcats came up short, falling to the visitors 71-67 in overtime.

Binghamton (12-16, 8-7 America East [AE]) got the game’s scoring started after graduate student forward Miles Gibson made a jump shot. Gibson scored BU’s first seven points of the game. Maine (1216, 6-9 AE) struggled on offense early on, calling a timeout after falling behind by seven points just four minutes into the matchup. The Bearcats continued to build on their early lead with contributions from senior guards Jacob Falko and Dan Petcash, junior guard Armon Harried as well as graduate student guard Christian Hinckson. “We came out, we were

moving the ball well, we made some shots, then we kind of relaxed,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “I think we made some substitutions and then we kind of got out of whack a little bit offensively which affected us defensively.”

Maine struggled to contain the Binghamton offense on as the hosts jumped out to a 15-point lead with less than eight minutes left in the half. Despite going up by doubledigit points early on, BU failed to maintain its lead as the offense began to stagnate. The Black Bears began to chip away at the Bearcats, closing out the frame on a 15-3 run, shifting the momentum and propelling them into just a one-possession deficit heading into the break. Binghamton’s late-period woes reduced its lead but kept it ahead 35-32 as the game entered the second half.

“I think the biggest difference was we couldn’t come up with a rebound when we needed it,” Sanders said. “We got stops … we just gotta box out and get the rebound.”

Coming out of the halftime break, both teams exchanged baskets early on as BU maintained a slight lead over the visitors. Although the Binghamton offense slowed

down, an explosive scoring effort from Harried kept the hosts afloat. The junior scored 10 straight Bearcat points to put the hosts up 49-45. However, the visitors were able to keep pace as they managed to secure a three-point lead at the six-minute mark — the Black Bears took their first lead of the game during this time. The advantage would not last for long, however, as senior forward Taveion White slammed one in, sparking a brief turnaround. Not long after, Falko made a three-pointer to give BU its twopoint lead back.

With 11 seconds in regulation, Hinckson was called for a foul, sending the opponents to the free throw line. The Maine player hit one of his two attempts and knotted the score at 59 a piece. Falko drew a foul with five seconds left and had a chance at the free throw line to win the game but failed to convert, sending the game to overtime. At the start of overtime, Binghamton would get on the board first after Gibson hit a jump shot. The Bearcats, despite scoring first and taking a four point lead, were unable to maintain their lead as Maine closed the game on a 10-2 run to secure the victory 71-67.

Despite playing well defensively, it was turnovers and fast break points that contributed to Binghamton’s loss. Eighteen of Maine’s 71 points came off of fast breaks and 14 points were generated from turnovers. BU’s defense racked up seven steals and six blocks, but Maine was

still able to score consistently despite only shooting 35 percent from the field.

“We had way too many turnovers,” Sanders said. “We had 16 turnovers. You can’t be a good offensive team if you turn it over… There’s no defense for that.”

Binghamton will host UMBC in its final AE regular season matchup on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and have a chance to clinch a home playoff game with a victory. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Swimming and diving teams take second and fifth

swim from page 1

The men went on to set another school record in the 200 medley relay consisting of freshman Max Kaback, sophomore Elijah Lanfear, and seniors Ryan Maierle and Justin Meyn, clocking in a time of 1:27.85. On the women’s end, junior Maddie Hoover stood out, leading the 800 free relay with a split of 1:49.20. Both teams sat in third place at the end of the day.

Day two of the

championships saw several Bearcats continue their winning ways. Murphy took gold in the 500 with a time of 4:24.52, making it his third straight in that event.

Additionally, senior Ryan Cohn won the three-meter diving, tallying a score of 294.60. Hoover continued her solid tournament for the women, getting a school record time of 4:54.47 in the 500 relay to finish third in the event. At the end of the day, the men remained in

third while the women dropped to fifth overall.

The tournament’s third day saw two more winning representatives from Binghamton, including Murphy who achieved victory once again, grabbing a time of 1:37.26 in the 200 free. Shemet also picked up another win, finishing six seconds ahead of the runner-up to win the 400 IM with a time of 3:52.33. BU’s top performer in the women’s bracket on the day was junior

Courtney Moane, who got second in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:03.27. Their performance saw the men move into second place overall, while the women remained in fifth going into the final day.

On the last day of the AE Championships, Binghamton added just one more individual winner to its tally before honors were handed out. Lanfear won the men’s 100 free with a time of 44.53, his first-ever individual

AE title. After everything was all said and done, the BU men remained in second place, finishing just behind UMBC. The women remained where they were the prior day as they finished in fifth place while New Hampshire took the top spot.

Cohn and Preston were both given individual awards recognizing their performances in the AE this season. Cohn was named Most Outstanding Men’s Diver, making it the fourth year in a row a Bearcat

has held this title. On the other hand, Preston was made the first Binghamton student in 14 years to win Men’s Most Outstanding Rookie.

“While we ended up short of our goal on the men’s side, our guys should be extremely proud of the effort and fight they had all meet,” Cummiskey said. “I am so proud of both our teams and especially our seniors for their efforts over the last four years to continue to elevate our program.”

Women’s basketball drops road matchup to Maine

The Binghamton women’s basketball team made the journey to Maine on Saturday afternoon for its final regular season contest in hopes of snapping a four-game losing streak. A hosting Black Bears squad looked to secure another

win and clinch the three seed in the conference, which would pit them against the Bearcats again on Wednesday in the America East (AE) quarterfinals. Despite a rallying effort in the final minute of the game, the Bearcats could not overcome the Maine defense as they were defeated 69-65.

“[Maine is] a good team,” said Binghamton coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “I just kept reminding them, especially in the second half

and the fourth quarter, that we have to lock in on defense because you have to get stops. If you get stops, you get a chance.”

The first points came from Maine (15-13, 11-5 AE), just 21 seconds into the first period and began a seven-point scoring streak that would last most of the quarter. Redshirt freshman guard Jadyn Weltz ended the drought after coming out of a break nearing the end of the first period of play, hitting a

layup to put Binghamton (1316, 6-10 AE) on the board for the first time in the game. The remainder of the first saw both teams trading baskets, with contributions from senior guard Denai Bowman, sophomore forward Genevieve Coleman, graduate student guard Shannon O’Connor and Weltz to get the game within four points before the second quarter. In the second period, Binghamton continued to

build on its offensive output, with Weltz opening up scoring for the Bearcats within the first 40 seconds. The Black Bears didn’t answer until almost a minute and a half later, with a three to respond. Binghamton’s defense was able to gain a little bit of traction in this quarter, holding Maine to 13 points and tying the game for the first time since the first whistle after a Bowman jumper with 1:21 to go in the first half. The Bearcats went into halftime facing a twopoint deficit.

“Our defense really gets our offense going,” Shapiro Ord said. “But [Maine] is a good defensive team as well.”

The third quarter of play saw the most scoring productivity from both ends of the court. Coming out of halftime, both teams went toe-to-toe from close and mid-range, with redshirt freshman guard Ella Wanzer and Coleman making critical baskets in the third period. Turnovers continued to be a struggle for the hosts, but rebounding and ball movement allowed them to put up 26 of their own points in the quarter. The Black Bears’ rebounding paved the way for a six-point differential in this frame as they found themselves up 55-47. Maine out-rebounded BU 41-34 for the game.

“We need to have a good, positive assist-turnover ratio, and we need to be better in the rebounding game,” Shapiro Ord said. “We gotta win the points. We need second chance opportunities.”

The final period saw a relentless effort from the Bearcats to overcome the deficit. Bowman and Weltz had their way on offense, dishing and dealing to one another at will with trips to the free throw line to boot. The gritty defensive effort continued to be a thorn in the side of the Black Bears, who were only able to notch 14 points in the fourth. This would not be enough, however, for the Bearcats to overcome the cushion that Maine had built over the first three quarters of the game. Despite Binghamton’s attempt to ignite a comeback within the final two minutes, when the final buzzer sounded, Maine ended up on top 69-65.

“That’s the way our girls are,” Shapiro Ord said. “They’re gonna fight. They’re gonna fight as hard as they can.”

Binghamton will begin its postseason when it faces Maine again in the AE Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at “The Pit” in Memorial Gymnasium in Orono, Maine.

william walsh contributing photographer

Junior guard Armon Harried scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds in BU’s 71-67 overtime loss against Maine on Saturday.

Andrew Ashinoff sports contributor