Spring 2023 Issue 51-52

The page shares information requested through the Freedom of Information Law.

Binghamton activists have created a website that claims to track the use of Binghamton’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

ARPA — passed by Congress in March 2021 — is a relief bill created to provide economic support to governments, businesses, public health institutions and individuals in an attempt to offset the impact of COVID-19. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the City of Binghamton received $46 million in ARPA funds.

Srihari first joined the college in 1988 and initially became dean in 2009. Ella Connors news intern

The dean of the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, Krishnaswami “Hari” Srihari, will step down at the conclusion of the 2024 academic year.

Holi celebrated at Newing Field

The event was organized by Delta Epsilon Psi and the Hindu Student Council.

Emily Maca arts & culture contributor

The campus was alive and joyous this past Saturday with the

Appointed to the position in 2009, Srihari had originally planned to leave in 2018. However, a hiring hold hindered the search for a successor, and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic he agreed to remain as dean. He first joined Watson College in the department of systems science and industrial engineering in 1988, and acted as department chair from 2003 to 2009.

Donald Hall, Binghamton

annual celebration of Holi, a Hindu spring festival, on Newing College’s field. The event lasted for over two hours, amassing more than 100 people dressed in white shirts, all ready to throw colorful pouches at each other.

With a DJ in the background setting the soundtrack, participants were more than ready to run across

University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said Watson College has seen significant growth since Srihari took on the role.

“Since 2009, overall enrollment has grown from 1729 students to 3404,” Hall wrote in an email. “Of that, graduate school enrollment — which has been a priority for the University — has grown from 721 to 1259. Just in the past decade, full-time faculty has

the Newing Field to hurl gulal — a colored powder typically used in some Hindu rituals — at their friends and others taking part. Several rounds of throwing gulal at one another left students and the entire field covered in a cacophony of colors from head to toe by the time the event ended.

Many attendees, like Alvina

New webpage tracks city’s usage of COVID-19 relief funds Dean of Watson College to step down in 2024

grown from 88 to 118. A clear indicator of the extraordinary success of his faculty is that 19 of them have received NSF Career Awards, the highest recognition available for early career faculty.”

During Srihari’s tenure as dean, graduate programs at Watson College reached up to #95 in U.S. News & World Report’s graduate rankings, according to BingUNews. Additionally, Watson College appointed a

Prabhu, a freshman majoring in integrative neuroscience, said they found the event enjoyable.

“This was my first Holi celebration [at Binghamton] University, and I thought it was well organized,” Prabhu said. “They organized it in a very organized, yet chaotic way. It was fun!”

director of diversity programs and initiatives in 2014 — later raised to an assistant dean rank in 2020. Srihari added that since he took up the position, Watson College has increased its space footprint, improved infrastructure, enhanced the quality and quantity of educational facilities and increased investments in the development of its students, staff and faculty.

Softball sweeps UMass Lowell 3-0

Michael Carbone assistant sports editor

The Binghamton softball team hosted UMass Lowell over the weekend for another America East (AE) conference series. The Bearcats jumped ahead quickly against their AE opponents, winning game one on Friday and sweeping the doubleheader on Saturday to come out of the series with three victories.

The BU offense shined, outscoring the River Hawks 27-9 during the sweep as it fights for the top seed in the conference.

“Our team is starting to get a

lot of confidence in all aspects of the game,” wrote Binghamton head coach Jess Bump. “Our move the line mentality [is] really working for us offensively. Our pitchers are pounding the zone and not giving up a lot of walks, and our defense is playing sound. Everything is coming together at the right time.”

The Bearcats (24-13, 10-4 AE) offense began early in the series, making quick runs in the bottom of the first despite UMass Lowell (1524-1, 5-9 AE) taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame. Graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas capped the inning’s scoring with a double that brought home redshirt sophomore outfielder Brianna Santos as the hosts grabbed a 3-1 lead.

see softball page 10

mieraan haque contributing photographer

Students gathered on the Newing Field to celebrate the Hindu holiday known as Holi.

megan patterson staff photographer

Graduate student pitcher Sophia Pappas recorded 16 strikeouts over the span of two victories for BU against UMass Lowell over the weekend.

Local activists report allocation of ARPA funds

Recently, a group of Binghamton activists submitted a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request for a summary of Binghamton’s ARPA spending. The group then created the “Binghamton Slush Fund” website in late December, in order to share the information they received with the community.

Budget information was given to the website owners by Chuck Shager, the Binghamton City comptroller, in response to the FOIL request.

Tarik Abdelazim, who served as Binghamton’s director of planning, housing and community development from 2010 to 2013, was one of the creators of the website. Abdelrazim said the group chose to investigate and publicize the city’s ARPA spending because Binghamton opted not to hold community forums over the funds’ usage.

“If you’re going to design a program around recovery, you should center the voices and needs of those who were most impacted by the pandemic,” Abdelazim said. “They have never done that. That’s why these spending decisions are so out of line with the needs in this community.”

The website’s organizers took particular issue with ARPA’s “lost revenue” category, and the alleged use of Binghamton’s COVID-19 recovery funds for routine maintenance. The FOIL request appears to reveal that, under former Binghamton Mayor Rich David, $12,494,152 was allocated to lost revenue, while current Binghamton

Mayor Jared Kraham had allocated $964,943 — as of February 2023. Under ARPA regulations, “lost revenue” refers to revenue a locality had lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, with each city allowed to allocate $10 million of ARPA funding as such without using the U.S. Treasury’s loss formula. The Town of Union, which neighbors Binghamton, had opted for the $10 million standard allowance, despite initially estimating only $1.5 million in revenue losses.

In 2022, pressconnects reported that Binghamton was allocating $12 million for lost revenue. About $3.4 million remained in Binghamton’s “lost revenue” category as of January 2023, according to the Binghamton Slush Fund website.

The Binghamton Slush Fund detailed the use of ARPA funds classified under “lost revenue” and — according to the information from the City Comptroller — $7 million was allegedly committed to help rebuild the Boscov’s parking garage, which includes privatelyowned luxury housing, and $530,000 was allegedly used to purchase new undercover police vehicles.

Also at issue for the website’s organizers were Kraham’s announcements that some ARPA funds would be used to pay for routine maintenance such as upgrading the city’s water and sewer infrastructure, staffing costs at the new Southern Tier Crime Analysis Center, a retention incentive for police officers and the demolition of vacant buildings.

Abdelazim emphasized the importance of

Binghamton’s housing crisis, which he feels the ARPA funds could be used toward.

“For housing advocates, there was a strong interest in committing half of all the funds to invest in our significant housing crisis,” Abdelazim said. “From homeowners — foreclosure prevention — to tenants — tenants support, production of new affordable housing [and] improving health and safety of existing substandard rentals.”

In his 2023 Budget Message Kraham said the ARPA funding the city had received was a “down payment to American cities like Binghamton after decades of disinvestment by

the federal government.” In particular, Kraham said some funding would be allocated to infrastructure, public safety, housing and code enforcement, community development and a youth fund. Most of these plans are present on the Binghamton Slush Fund’s website.

Kraham also confirmed that $500,000 in ARPA funding classified as lost revenue will be made available to local businesses as part of a “Commercial Facade Improvement Program.” According to a press release by the mayor’s office, the program’s goal is to provide updated storefronts to small businesses that have “demonstrated incredible resiliency” throughout the

COVID-19 pandemic. The mayor’s office declined to comment on the Binghamton Slush Fund website.

Chance Fiorisi, the Student Association executive vice presidentelect and a sophomore majoring in political science, said he feels ARPA funds should be spent with more transparency.

“The fact that the mayor’s office refuses to comment on the matter, tells me all I need to know,” Fiorisi wrote in an email. “Hiding the truth is something this administration knows all too well about. The ARPA was passed to help the people of communities that are and have been facing

serious issues relating to the pandemic and its impacts on our society, not just what the mayor’s office wants. This is not a fund to just tap into.”

Lauren Hollander, a senior majoring in psychology, said more funding should be dedicated toward community initiatives.

“I think it’s crazy that Binghamton got so much money but didn’t consult with the residents,” Hollander said. “We need all the help we can with [COVID-19] research. This money needs to be put toward what it was intended to. If not, they are doing this community and themselves a huge disservice.”

Srihari to exit Watson College Deanship in 2024

dean from page 1

Srihari will remain at his post until the new dean arrives, according to Hall. This includes continuing to oversee the hiring of new professors in Watson College and continuing to lead its research initiatives. New faculty will also be added to the college over the next year, and it will continue to have strong ties to industry, alumni and the research community.

On the search for a new dean, Hall discussed the various factors to consider throughout the process.

“I want someone who will build on Dean Srihari’s success over the past decade,” Hall wrote in an email. “Watson [College] is on a remarkable trajectory and the next dean will be a leader, mentor, world-class researcher and supporter of student success, just as Dean Srihari was.”

Srihari expressed pleasure to have worked for BU President Harvey

Stenger and Hall, and commented that the caliber of the Watson College faculty and staff is “superb,” and that their goal should always be to do their very best for their principal customer — their students.

After he leaves the role of dean, Srihari expressed intent to return to Watson College’s systems science and industrial engineering department.

“In addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses, I will continue to work with graduate students,” Srihari wrote in an email.

“Furthermore, it would be an honor to continue to serve our campus in any way that I can.”

Stenger also wished Srihari the best, in the BingUNews announcement of Srihari’s impending departure. Stenger said that a standard was set as dean, and that he is glad that Srihari will still continue for this next year.

While she stated

her interactions with the dean were very few, Clara Rodriguez, a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, described Srihari as a “very caring person.”

“He is extremely passionate about equipping students for success, and he also is considerate toward his colleagues,” Rodriguez said. “From networking opportunities to simply helping clear plates off a table at an event, his compassion for others and humility speak volumes about his character.”

Frankie Rumreich, a freshman majoring in computer science, weighed in on the traits he would like to see in a new dean of Watson College.

“I’d say transparency is important since changes could affect Watson [College] students,” Rumreich said. “They should also pick someone who weighs student interest into their decisions.”

sourced from binghamton.edu

Upon stepping down as dean, Krishnaswami “Hari” Srihari expressed hope to continue serving the campus as a member of the systems science and industrial engineering department.

caspar carson assistant photo editor

The site’s creators expressed concern over how funds were being allocated throughout Binghamton.

Doctoral students to see raise in stipends

The increases will impact 380 students and cost about $1.54 million per year.

Hamza Khan editor-in-chief

Binghamton University

is the latest in a slew of universities committing to raising stipends for graduate student employees.

Over spring break, the University announced it would raise minimum stipends for full-time, 10-month doctoral students from $17,000 to $21,000 in fall 2023. Doctoral students already receiving stipends above $21,000 will receive a $1,000 raise.

Other large SUNY institutions have also recently committed to stipend increases in fall 2023, including the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University. The University at Buffalo announced on Dec. 6 that it would raise minimum stipends for 10-month Ph.D. appointments from $20,000 to $23,000. Two months later, Stony Brook University announced their impending stipend raise for graduate, teaching and research assistants — from around $23,000 to $26,000.

The stipends do not yet meet the demands of BU’s Graduate Student Employee Union (GSEU), which is calling for a “living wage” — or $31,896, which is the living cost of a single adult with no children in Broome County

as per Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. The GSEU is also calling for stipends for all graduate employees, beyond just doctoral students.

According to Donald Hall, BU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, BU’s stipend raise was funded by the University itself.

“This increase isn’t funded by SUNY or the state of New York,” Hall said. “We are using scarce internal resources to fund it. Approximately 830 doctoral students will be impacted by the raises, at a cost to the University of approximately $1.54 million per year.”

Last year, the University announced the removal of broad-based fees for Ph.D. students. Hall attributed recent initiatives largely to inflation and keeping the school competitive in recruiting and cost-of-living standards.

GSEU officials pointed to Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo as institutions more aligned with its goals. The former provides a minimum stipend for all graduate workers — regardless of program — while the latter’s offerings remain above the University’s doctoral stipends. Both institutions, however, do not provide living wages, but Emily Blakley — the president of GSEU and a sixthyear Ph.D. student studying psychology — feels their commitments to improving

stipends are different.

“However, both Stony Brook and Buffalo were quick to understand that graduate employee wages were critical to the functioning of their universities, and we wish [BU] had been much quicker to realize how important we are to this institution,” Blakley wrote in an email. “With all the pushback and delays, it really made a lot of us feel unappreciated despite the labor we contribute day in and day out, a lot of it unpaid.”

Many are looking toward Gov. Kathy Hochul for change, as 19 SUNY schools

are operating at a collective deficit of $170 million. Hochul had promised to allocate a historic $1.5 billion in new funding to SUNY and CUNY, but this would in-part be funded by a six percent annual tuition increase at SUNY’s four research institutions.

Hall said he cannot “predict the future,” but that the University will make effort to meet the necessities of doctoral students.

“SUNY provides no resources to our campus to support doctoral students or this initiative,” Hall said. “Similarly I can’t comment

on what Buffalo can do given its resources. We will do the best we can. All 10-month university supported Ph.D. students are covered by the increase in wages.”

The GSEU said it will continue advocating for further stipend increases.

Last week, its members raised signs outside of BU’s baseball stadium during national student employee appreciation week.

Troy Hunter, a second-year graduate student studying history, said he found recent stipend increases to be an encouraging start.

“Obviously, the increase from a $17,000 stipend to $21,000 is still quite a ways off from the $35,000 that the Living Wage Campaign has been advocating for,” Hunter wrote in an email. “That said, an extra $4,000 should still be seen as a victory, especially for workers such as myself who have found it difficult to cover the associated costs of living on a lower-end stipend.”

Lia Richter was a contributing reporter for this article

Students learn sustainability at Earth Day event

The festival featured environmental groups promoting green lifestyles.

Dayana Lucero news contributor

Binghamton University hosted its annual Earth Day festival last Friday to raise awareness for sustainable living.

Rooted in the practice

of zero-waste — a set of principles that focus on waste prevention in all aspects of day-to-day life — the festival gave students the chance to learn about the importance of sustainable living from a wide range of student organizations, academic departments and offices that focus on diverse environmental issues. Participants gathered on BU’s Spine from 11 a.m. to

2 p.m.

Martin Larocca, the resource recovery manager for the Office of Recycling and Resource Management, said his office has been organizing the annual Earth Day Festival for over a decade in order to engage the campus community on sustainability topics.

Larocca explained that becoming environmentally conscious can decrease the

amount of unsustainable practices people engage in.

“An example of [this] would be reducing the amount of objects or materials people purchase or [when] purchasing reusable items,” Larocca wrote in an email. “Changing these spending habits can reduce the amount of material being sent to landfills, and if enough people change their purchasing habits

they can change how goods are manufactured, reducing harmful impacts on the planet related to production.”

Among the many student organizations tabling at the event was the Sustainability Hub, a space that aims to foster a campus-wide value of sustainability. Located in the Science Library, the virtual and physical space hosts initiatives and promotes various organizations, including TerraCycle — a zero-waste company that sponsors recycling programs for hard-to-recycle items — and a seed library where students can get seeds for free throughout the year.

Jaqueline Jergensen, a student assistant at the Sustainability Hub and a senior majoring in environmental science, described some of the initiatives the hub hopes to implement.

“This past year, we’ve been organizing a Sustainability Hub interest group so we can create a space for students interested in environmental issues so they can come and discuss plans or goals,” Jergensen said. “Like how we got buses chartered to the [Broome County] Farmers Market and the Sustainability Fest we had in March.”

Multiple groups tabling at

the event sought volunteers interested in helping with future initiatives.

Hailey Faurot, a freshman majoring in environmental science, said she found Earth Day Festival to be effective in raising awareness about sustainability.

“There were a lot of giveaways, like a pencil you could plant once you were done using it,” Faurot said. “I think it serves as a reminder that all our actions matter and how we should work toward living a more sustainable lifestyle.”

The Office of Recycling and Resource Management has plans of sponsoring a series of panel talks discussing campus sustainability, as well as other initiatives. Currently, the office is also developing a paint recycling program that makes use of old paint containers from projects around campus.

Larocca said it is important to hold events such as these over the course of the academic year, not only during Earth Month.

“The more we can educate and inform the campus community, the more likely they are to engage with sustainability efforts and make them successful,” Larocca wrote.

Student organizations sold seeds and plants on the Spine as part of the event’s zero waste theme.

Over spring break, Binghamton University finally announced it would raise minimum stipends for full-time, 10-month doctoral students from $17,000 to $21,000 in fall 2023. Doctoral students already receiving stipends above $21,000 and will receive a $1,000 raise. While this raise is a big step forward, we hope the University will continue this momentum.

The University is — no doubt — in a tough spot. SUNY has been strained by years of underfunding, and BU’s administration must tap into its internal budget to fund increases in stipends. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul has a monumentous task ahead of her as a $160 million deficit looms over the SUNY system, but any significant changes

OPINIONS

Julia O’Reily Opinions Columnist

Do soulmates exist?

If you couldn’t guess, I — the heartless bitch behind this screen, who often finds her faith in love dwindling in the presence of frat douches and alpha-male gym-bros — do not believe in such a pretty-picture concept. Shocking, I know.

But my unyielding “men are assholes until proven otherwise” mindset is not the only reason why. To be fair, I hope for the sake of probability that the one-person-for-everyperson theory is untrue. Some, like a writer at the Atlantic, claim that “such

must begin with her. It should not be up to universities to ration their thinning budgets, and the Editorial Board strongly believes it is time for the state to step up.

That doesn’t take the BU off the hook, however. When looking at other large SUNY institutions, like the University at Buffalo — an institution comparable in both status and its surrounding area’s cost of living — BU falls short. Our raises for doctoral students on 10-month appointments are $2,000 lower and were announced months later. Additionally, Buffalo had already been paying its doctoral students $20,000 since 2019, higher than our current $17,000 floor.

Obviously, the circumstances faced by other schools are not necessarily

expectations are correlated with dysfunctional patterns in relationships.”

Not only can the idea of soulmates hinder individuals from entering a relationship for fear that their significant other isn’t their one true person, but it can also lead to harmful tendencies between partners. It can be conducive to a belief in “mind reading” and other unrealistic ideas that align with the unrealistic nature of soulmates. Because it’s “cosmically perfect,” people believe that their relationship should be immune to issues and challenges. This misconception can wreak havoc on relationships, hindering forgiveness and escalating the severity of conflicts, as people may

Samantha Rigante Opinions Columnist

On April 7, a federal judge from Texas issued an extremely controversial ruling claiming that the drug mifepristone, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over 20 years — since 2000 — is unsafe and that the FDA made a mistake in approving it to be medically available. Mifepristone is most commonly used as a way to induce abortions through a two-part regimen of pills, with additional uses including treating miscarriages and

diseases such as Cushing’s syndrome, in which people produce excess cortisol.

Mifepristone, which medical experts commonly agree is safe, is now at risk of being banned because of a judge appointed by former President Donald Trump.

After the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, the right to get an abortion has been banned or severely limited in many states throughout the country. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a law on April 14 banning abortions after six weeks, with no exceptions, and other states including Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana banned abortion procedures at every stage of pregnancy. In Texas, where the federal

Monday, October 2, 2017

Monday, April 3, 2017

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Tuesday, April 25 2023

EDITORIAL: A NOT-QUITE LIVING WAGE

to those identical to BU, but as a school that prides itself on its research ability — why shouldn’t our offerings be just as competitive? Provost Donald Hall warned that next year’s stipend increases would come at a $1.54 million annual cost to the University.

Last year, BU announced its largest-ever donor campaign, EXCELERATE, with a $220 million dollar goal. As of this past December, only 25 percent of that goal is remaining. If we want to continue to draw students to conduct research and graduate-level work at our school — integral for our status within the SUNY system — a small portion of that funding should be promised toward graduate stipends.

Though not mentioned in the University’s press release,

the recent stipend increases come after tireless advocacy by the school’s Graduate Student Employee Union’s (GSEU). The GSEU’s goal, an over $30,000 stipend for all graduatelevel employees, is certainly ambitious — and likely a far way off from possible in the near future. But these calls for change are not new, nor are they native to Binghamton. All around the country, from Cornell University to state schools in California, graduate employees are calling for living wages. While public universities have limited financial mobility themselves, an eventual path toward living wages can only be accomplished through assistance from those in government.

Hochul’s proposal to use tuition hikes to fund SUNY

deficits drew criticism — and it should. This massive burden should not be placed on students. The governor is now an entire three weeks late in announcing her state budget, but we hope she heeds the demands of those around her. Last month, the New York State Senate and State Assembly passed one-house budget resolutions that rejected SUNY tuition increases and called for increased operating funds for SUNY. We implore upon Gov. Hochul to find explore new ways to fund our schools without limiting what makes them appealing in the first place. Hochul’s $1.5 billion dollar promise in new funding is promising, but it should be well-thought-out too.

For our graduate workers — which, though the University

does not acknowledge in stipend increases, include more than just doctoral students — the path forward is certainly a difficult one, filled with bureaucratic hurdles. Nondoctoral graduate employees are still paying for broad-based fees, and their stipends remain low despite working comparable hours to their peers.

Still, the Editorial Board is glad to see that conversations regarding stipend increases are entering the public sphere in full-force. Like those calling for a living wage, we simply want what is best for our school, and we hope officials in both the University and state government will pledge the same.

assume a person is simply wrong for them rather than choose to persevere through issues that could be healthy for a relationship to endure.

Additionally, there are fundamental flaws in the inherent premise of soulmates. Lots of those who marry their proclaimed soulmates get divorced years later. How does the idea account for widows and widowers? It assumes that another person completes an individual rather than encouraging individuals to complete themselves. It also justifies staying in toxic and, at times, abusive relationships because the criterion of being a soulmate surpasses all others that could possibly matter. Ultimately, the idea of soulmates allows for the

compromise of personal standards, even though it is an archaic idea that has no reasonable basis.

While love and compatibility can be real and genuine, it is much more practical to assume that some people are just better suited for each other than others. And this theory, one of practicality, is contingent upon the single most human liberty an individual can possess — free will. Through the belief that a partner is not destined but rather found and worked for, people can see love from the vantage point that they have the power to choose. The theory acknowledges that love is not easy and shouldn’t be, and people should be satisfied because of their active choice to be with another person.

In Women’s Health, Sabrina Romanoff, a clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, explains that the traditional soulmate belief “paves the way for significant disappointment.” Instead, Romanoff suggests soulmates be “created,” not found. Those searching for soulmates should spend time learning about their prospective partner and work through difficult times, Romanoff says. This investment of time and energy that cultivates a relationship is a healthy facet of love and all of its complications. It inspires one to exercise agency and maintain high expectations for themselves, fostering a progressive and empowered outlook on love.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m

a sucker for a good Nicholas Sparks movie night. But as much as the heart-tugging plots make me wish for my own Ryan Gosling to build me a white house with blue shutters, I just don’t think it’s that simple. But the gray, the messy and the complicated — that’s how love exists beyond the big screen. I can admit that if it were easy, it probably wouldn’t be worth much at all. I guess that’s the point — to look for a soulmate and find someone pretty damn close.

Julia O’Reilly is a sophomore majoring in biology.

Texas judge’s attempt to ban abortion pills is dangerous Safe and effective abortion methods like mifepristone must be accessible

judge issued this new ruling, abortion is banned in nearly all cases, including in circumstances of rape or incest. Adding to America’s dismal health care system, there is a lack of availability to receive a safe abortion in so many states. With the new ruling, there is now the possibility that even in states where abortion is illegal, the most common method of receiving one may be banned. Abortion pills are known to be safe — according to over 30 years worth of studies analyzed by the New York Times, more than 99 percent of abortions completed using pills resulted in no severe side effects or hospitalizations. Dr. Caleb Alexander of

Johns Hopkins University noted that, “There may be a political fight here, but there’s not a lot of scientific ambiguity about the safety and effectiveness of this product.”

The decision to receive an abortion via a widely safe pill should not be the decision of one judge but rather the choice of women who actually receive abortions. Banning the abortion pill won’t decrease the number of women who have abortions, but it will decrease the opportunity for women to use a safe and effective pill. In addition, using a single-drug method to induce an abortion is somewhat less effective and safe than the currently used method, and banning

mifepristone will not allow women to receive abortions via mifepristone even in states where abortion is legal.

In response to the Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling, a federal judge from Washington State issued an opposing ruling — joined by 17 other states — stating that Kacsmaryk’s ruling is incorrect and is hindering the FDA from “altering the status quo and rights as it relates to the availability of Mifepristone.” Kacsmaryk’s ruling was initially supposed to take effect seven days after it was issued, but the Supreme Court, which is next to hear this case, has held off of banning it until Friday, April 21 right before

midnight.

While it is now under the purview of the Supreme Court to see whether or not mifepristone’s FDA approval will be removed and whether or not it will be banned, reducing access not only to abortions but to the safest, most effective way of receiving one is detrimental to women’s rights and health care. Removing the ability to receive the abortion pill via mail and in pharmacies jeopardizes women’s ability to make safe decisions for themselves in the United States.

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

Soulmates don’t exist

The ideal of soulmates compromises relationship standards.

Raises for graduate student employees should go further, but the New York state government needs to play its part.

BU students celebrate colorful spring festival

Also known as the “Festival of Colors, Love and Spring,” Holi is a traditional Indian festival meant to welcome spring, say goodbye to winter and welcome new and growing love. It is also meant to invoke a good harvest during the spring.

BU’s event was organized by Delta Epsilon Psi, a South Asian fraternity at BU, and the Hindu Student Council (HSC). Tickets were sold weeks in advance for $5 per ticket, with all proceeds going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit with a mission to cure, treat and prevent Type 1 Diabetes.

The festival is celebrated over two days, from night to day, and many students are away from home when the festival is typically observed. However, Delta Epsilon Psi and the HSC have found a way over the years for students to celebrate Holi on campus.

Holi is typically celebrated in India on the last Purnima — or full moon — of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month, honoring spring’s arrival during the month of Phalguna, which is typically seen around mid-March in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is meant to

commemorate the good spring harvests and fertile land for farmers, and with the coming of spring, many Hindus take this celebration as a reason to welcome change and leave behind any unwanted emotions and thoughts.

The festival is derived from the Hindu legends of the gods Radha and Krishna, celebrating their eternal love, as well as the legend of Vishnu, or the God of Preservation, and Narasimha Narayana, the God of Protection. Holi is meant to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, with Vishnu winning the fight for Hiranyakashipu, an Asura king, against Narasimha Narayana.

The Hindu legend of Radha and Krishna is also what inspired the custom of throwing gulal at one another during the festival.

The legend goes, Krishna was worried that Radha wouldn’t love him because he had dark skin and Radha had fair skin. Krishna’s mother suggested that he go and color Radha’s face in a color of his choosing, and when this happened, Radha fell in love with Krishna.

This legend serves as a reminder of the love people have for one another. Now, during Holi, lovers apply

gulal on the faces of their significant others to express their love and affection for one another.

Students have adapted to the circumstances of living on campus by organizing this event for students who celebrate Holi. While it isn’t a typical Holi festival, students at BU appreciated

the efforts the organizing parties go through to ensure the festival is fun and memorable.

One of those students was Meghana Gogineni, a freshman majoring in integrative neuroscience. Gogineni said BU had done an excellent job organizing events for her and her

friends to attend this past school year.

“I thought the event was a lot of fun,” Gogineni said. “There is nothing better than a little organized chaos!”

Students came and went throughout the festival covered in a myriad of colors that was sure to leave a lasting impression, both on

their white t-shirts and in their memories. With the success of this year’s Holi celebration, nobody would be surprised if the event was more crowded next year.

‘Rent’ astounds audiences at Anderson Center

principal characters.

Death. Romance.

Humor. Ensemble. Tension.

Community. Drugs. Family.

Love. All of these words could be used to describe Jonathan Larson’s hit 1996 rock musical “Rent” — which the Binghamton University theatre department is the latest to produce its own version of.

“Rent” tells the story of a

group of friends in New York City in the early 1990s as they struggle with finding their artistic voice, drug addiction, love and, of course, paying rent. The show’s history is full of tragedy, as Larson died the night before the premiere of the show in 1996. Despite this, “Rent” was a huge hit, winning a Pulitzer Prize, multiple Tony awards and even receiving a film adaptation in 2005.

The BU theatre department’s adaptation of “Rent” was directed by Brandon Wright and Tommy Iafrate, both faculty of the theatre department. Wright,

an assistant professor of acting and directing, spoke about what attracted him to the show.

“I think what drew me to it was the challenge of telling this story today,” Wright said. “And trying to find the overlaps in the themes and the message. And the excitement of characters that were close to the actor’s ages.”

One of the trickiest parts about adapting “Rent” for a modern audience is that the show is a period piece set in the 1990s.

“With the 1990s, even though it was a different

time, it’s still close enough to where some things are really particular, so we had to do our due diligence with our research and make sure that we weren’t going too contemporary or too far back,” Wright said. “So that was a challenge, but also a blessing.”

Fortunately, the similarities and parallels between the periods of “Rent” today facilitated strong connections between the actors and characters. Patrick Saint Ange, a senior double-majoring in sociology and English, plays Mark in the show, one of the

“[Mark] is super relatable in this idea of a character who has this immense responsibility of shaping the narrative about his friends’ lives,” Ange said. “It’s something that every filmmaker has to grapple with — why does your voice matter? That’s a big thing that’s helped me connect to the character because I very much relate to that.”

Beyond the characters, the music of “Rent” is important to the show as the rock undertones help build the realistic and fun, yet tragic atmosphere of the show. However, the many different types of music presented in “Rent” make the show feel unique and keep it fresh throughout its runtime.

“I love different things about different songs,” Wright said. “So I love the jazziness of ‘Santa Fe,’ the honesty of ‘Will I’ and the passion of ‘Rent,’ the opening number.”

Anna Waldbaum, a guitarist in the pit orchestra for “Rent” and a sophomore majoring in biological sciences, has a unique role in that she gets to both participate in the show and witness firsthand the themes and emotional core of the show. She described the show in just one sentence.

“A group of artists trying to find who they are in terms of self-identity, relationships, love, hate and trying to navigate all that,” Waldbaum said.

Likewise, Alondra Schuck,

a senior majoring in sociology, plays Mimi in the show, another main character. She spoke about what being a part of “Rent” means to her.

“‘Rent’ has been my favorite musical for many years,” Schuck said. “I think the reason is just that I relate so much to all the characters, and the story is so gritty and emotional and raw. And I just think it’s the best musical ever.”

Despite the almost 30year gap between the debut of “Rent” and BU’s production of it, the characters and themes are so potent and real that the performers and audience alike can relate to them.

“I would say ‘Rent’ is all about defiance,” Ange said. “Everyone who’s familiar with ‘Rent’ understands the story of [Larson] and the idea of the artists who never really got to see the impact of their work. There is no day but today because tomorrow is not promised and yesterday is gone.

So enjoy it now.”

The show runs for two and a half hours with a 15-minute intermission between acts one and two, with shows at 8 p.m. on April 21, 22 and 28, and at 2 p.m. on April 23 and 30. Tickets can be purchased on the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts’ website.

provided by marcus newton

“Rent” won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony awards.

mieraan haque contributing photographer

Students gathered on the Newing Field to celebrate the Hindu holiday known as Holi.

Brandon Wright and Tommy Iafrate codirected the show.

Eli Engler assistant arts & culture editor

ASO’s annual fashion show to return this week

fashion show is the Yoruba word, aṣiwaju, which means ‘one who leads,’” Hussein said.

The warmer weather is not the only thing that is headed our way. The African Student Organization (ASO) is hosting its annual Threads of the Motherland Fashion Show later this month.

ASO is a student-run organization founded in 1989 at Binghamton University, with a mission to create a safe and enjoyable environment for those who have ties to Africa, bring together various people from different countries and foster a strong sense of community away from home. It includes various members from different parts of Africa, including the spring 2023 semester’s E-Board members whose countries of origin consist of Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea and Mali.

The fashion show prep started in late January when they held a general interest meeting for individuals who wanted more details on the event and had questions. Later in early February, ASO was hosting fashion show tryouts which were open to everyone. It was held on three separate days, and participants had to come with heels at least three inches or higher.

Najat Hussein, the copublic relations chair of ASO and a sophomore majoring in economics, discussed the details of the upcoming event.

“The theme for this year’s

Yoruba is a language that is spoken primarily in West Africa, with more than 47 million speakers. The word, aṣiwaju, recognizes the impact of African fashion on trends throughout time. Hussein explained how through the past and present, African heritage has been used by fashion industries everywhere without any credit, hence why they are showcasing it in this year’s theme.

According to Hussein, the fashion show will highlight different aspects of African fashion including authentic African designs, modern African fashion and tributes to revolutionary African figures.

These features will give a glimpse into the influence of African fashion on the world, as well as acknowledge the use of it as a form of self-expression and resistance to Western influence.

“I’m eager to see all of the executive boards’ and interns’ ideas come to life,” Hussein said. “Everyone is so innovative, passionate and a pleasure to work with.”

The fashion show will have blend of new designers, as well as new pieces from designers that they have collaborated with in the past.

“[The] designers are of African descent,” Hussein said. “We are honored to display their craft to the Binghamton community through their event.”

In addition to the fashion show itself, there will be performances from Uyai Nnua African Dance Ensemble and

other well-known campus groups. The fashion show will embody and showcase many aspects of African culture, allowing viewers to get a closer look into African fashion and its impact on different fashion

trends. ASO chose this year’s theme of aṣiwaju to call attention to all the contributions of the African community to the world of fashion.

“The show will focus on a celebration of culture and

African pride,” Hussein said.

The organizing process for this event seems to be a semester-long project, so if you would like to see what ASO has been prepping for, the Mandela room doors will open at 7

p.m. on April 30, and the show starts at 7:30 pm. With presale tickets already sold out, general admission tickets are still available for $15, and tickets will be sold at the door for $20.

Writers find a home in storytelling workshops

running concurrently.

August Witkowski, the president of SWC and a senior double-majoring in English and psychology, described the turnout for the challenges.

The Storytelling Workshop Club (SWC) is a cozy enclave where aspiring fiction writers, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Fridays, may work on their writing projects among a creative set of likeminded people and forget about the academic troubles outside of Neverland.

One of SWC’s big events is the 24-hour writing challenge, held every semester since the creation of the club in 2019. Blake Tochilovsky, the liaison of SWC and a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, said the 24-hour writing challenge started initially for National Novel Writing Month.

“Basically, for people that don’t know what it is, it’s for the whole month,” Tochilovsky said. “A lot of people from all over come to write a full novel in a month, which is about 50,000 words.”

The most recent iteration of the SWC 24hour writing challenges was held on March 10, with two different competitions

“There were three, including me who wasn’t technically participating because E-Board cannot participate for a prize,” Witkowski said. “We also have the six-hour challenge, which a lot more people participate in. There’s a good dozen people that participated for a prize for the six-hour.”

Even though this challenge takes place during an incredibly restrictive amount of time, featuring sleep deprivation and the many productivity delays associated with that, some people are able to complete the monthlong challenge in just 24 hours. People entering the 24hour challenge are allowed to outline their plan for the challenge, and the story they want to write, but nothing that they write before the challenge counts toward their total.

Tochilovsky noted last year’s winner wrote almost 40,000 words, with Witkowski adding that the same person wrote almost

60,000 this year.

While the president is in charge of running the challenge and other various events, Tochilovsky, the liaison, is the star of the next of the club’s activities, the SWC Anthology —a long-form writing publication that was started last semester. Tochilovsky’s history with starting publications began in high school, when they were in the school literary magazine.

“It was something that I really enjoyed, and I feel

like this could be something that we do here as well,” Tochilovsky said.

After the club got its budget, its members were able to publish their first edition, Hyacinth, with an initial circulation of 100 copies. The concept of flowers came from Tochilovsky, and the flowers were decided by the rest of the E-Board. Hyacinth was selected because of the meaning of the flower, with connotations of rebirth and fresh starts.

This semester, a edition

released on April 24, 2023 was called Marigold. Tochilovsky claimed that all of the pieces were compelled to have this as part of the theme.

“Marigold may stand for despair and grief over the loss of love, beauty and warmth of a rising sun,” Tochilovsky said.

“[This includes] winning someone’s affections through hard work, creativity, desire for wealth, jealousy, sacred offerings to the gods celebrating the dead and promoting

cheering good relations in a relationship.”

The future of the club looks bright, despite the fact that the president and liaison are graduating this semester. Witkowski is dedicated to making sure that the publication is left in good hands. “We have our new liaison coming in,” Witkowski said. “We hope to continue the publication. It’s very popular. It’s something we have been talking about doing for years.”

sourced from instagram @_ramaaaas

This year’s Thread of the Motherland Fashion Show will be themed after “Asiwaju,” a Yoruba word meaning “one who leads.”

sourced from SWC

Individuals competed in a 24-hour writing challenge where they could get their creative juices flowing among other aspiring writers.

Thread of the Motherland fashion show will showcase African pride.

Saisha Thapa arts & culture editor

The SWC is a space for aspiring fiction writers.

Jason Tang arts & culture contributor

Baseball takes one of three against NJIT

Bearcats drop second straight conference series to Highlanders.

Aidan Jennings assistant sports editor

The Binghamton baseball team continued America East (AE) play with a road trip to NJIT over the weekend. The Bearcats were unable to get a win in a series-opening doubleheader on Friday, but for the second straight week, BU won the final game of the series and exited the weekend 1-2 against the Highlanders.

“[Sunday] was about as good as we could play,” said Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki. “We got a good start from [junior pitcher Gabe Driscoll] and played clean defensively. Unfortunately, we had a chance to win on Friday, and I normally don’t go down this road, but there were two calls, one in each ball game, that went against us, and I thought they were the wrong calls and actually, both of them led to the winning run in each game … So, a little disappointed but proud of our guys the way we came back and played today after sitting around in a hotel all day yesterday.”

Game one of Friday’s doubleheader proved to be the lowest-scoring of the weekend. The game’s only run came in the bottom of the sole extra inning, only after both pitchers had gone back and forth to keep the game scoreless. Senior pitcher Thomas Babalis got the start on the mound and lowered his ERA to 3.67, good enough for second in the conference. However, the Bearcats (20-14, 7-5 AE) were held scoreless in

the end. NJIT’s (16-21, 6-6 AE) run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth secured its opening victory. “[Babalis] was spectacular,” Sinicki said. “He was in complete control the entire outing. He kind of set the tone for us, we pitched really well this weekend. But you want your ace pitching the first game of the series to set the tone, and he was terrific — as good as I’ve seen him.”

The doubleheader continued, as both teams began to pick it up offensively. Immediately, the opening inning showed signs of this game

being more eventful, as Binghamton struck first. Senior outfielder Cavan Tully was sent home by sophomore catcher Evin Sullivan’s RBI sacrifice fly to lead 1-0. NJIT responded from there though, getting two runs in its half of the first while holding the Bearcats to just two hits through six innings.

By the seventh, the Highlanders had a 3-1 cushion. BU made a game out of it, however, as junior outfielder Mike Gunning drove Tully in with a double, quickly followed by another RBI from Sullivan that brought Gunning

home to level the score. The winning run was plated by NJIT in the end, as the hosts would walk off for the second game in a row for a 4-3 win. Game three was forced to Sunday due to a rain delay, as the Bearcats entered looking to secure a consolation win, already having dropped the series overall. Binghamton was on its way to doing so after a two-run first inning — kicked off by an RBI triple from sophomore second baseman Nick Roselli which allowed junior outfielder Tommy Reifler to score. Roselli remained on base

and eventually scored himself courtesy of a senior first baseman Kevin Gsell sacrifice fly. It would remain locked at 2-2 until the visitors displayed their best inning of the series so far, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth. The 7-2 win was secured by another Roselli RBI to send Reifler home in the top of the seventh.

“The last thing you want is to be swept and so the fact that we’ve been able to win — these last two weekends — the final game of the series, speaks to the level of character our guys have, but we certainly don’t

want to make a habit of this,” Sinicki said. “We want to try and do a better job in the first two games. One thing about these past two weekends is that all of these losses have been by one run, and we have to try [to] score runs when we have opportunities to, and maybe get a lead and extend it.” BU will return home for a midweek game against Siena on Tuesday, April 25. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Baseball Complex in Vestal, New York.

aidan emery contributing photographer

Junior pitcher Gabe Driscoll pitched seven full innings, striking out four and earned BU’s only victory against NJIT over the weekend.

Pipe Dream Bearcast

Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Softball defeats River Hawks in home series

The scoring didn’t halt there, however, as BU plated three more runs in the game including another Pappas double that scored Santos in the fourth inning. The River Hawks staged a late comeback which fell short as Binghamton won 6-3. Pappas shined on the mound for seven innings, notching nine strikeouts in the process, and earned her third win of the season.

“[Pappas] has a demeanor you can’t teach,” Bump wrote. “She’s fierce, competitive and

wants the ball. And because of those things, we are all very confident that she is going to give us a good chance to win when we [know] she’s on the mound. Her confidence on the mound is also translating to the batter’s box as well, and she had a great week all around.”

The second game of the series started in a different fashion than the first as a pitching duel surfaced early. The score sat at 1-0 after four and a half innings of play, with the only run coming from a Bearcat single in the second.

This changed in the bottom of the fifth, however, as the hosts put a six spot on the board to take a commanding 7-0 lead late. Pappas and Santos came through again, plating the first three runs of the inning in a joint effort. Senior utility Quinn DeCicco capped the run, however, with a threerun shot to center field.

The River Hawks had a four-run response in the next frame but still trailed to the hosts. BU followed up its hot fifth inning with another offensive flurry in the sixth. The Bearcats

added their second straight six-run inning, but this time with sophomore outfielder Sarah Rende hitting a threerun homer that would end the game at 13-4 due to the mercy rule.

The final contest began similar to game two as the River Hawks took an early 1-0 lead. However, BU plated runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings while the visitors managed just one more run for the game. Junior first baseman Allison L’Amoreaux brought in Rende after hitting a two-run homer in the third

and Santos plated two on her triple in the sixth that helped Binghamton secure an 8-2 victory and the sweep. Pappas earned her second win of the weekend and tossed seven strikeouts in seven innings.

The Bearcats recorded their second straight AE sweep with the victory, and have won eight of their last nine conference games. They sit in second place in the conference standings behind top-seeded UMBC.

“We had a really great weekend for many reasons,” Bump wrote. “Series wins

are always clutch, but getting that extra win with the sweep back-to-back weekends is huge momentum wise for us. It was also senior weekend and all of our seniors all had a lot of fun and performed well in front of all of their family and friends.”

Binghamton will remain home for a midweek doubleheader against Army on Tuesday, April 25. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Bearcats Softball Complex in Vestal, New York.

Women’s lacrosse downs River Hawks away

The Binghamton women’s lacrosse team traveled to UMass Lowell on Saturday evening for its final game of America East (AE) regular season play. The Bearcats looked to get back into the win column after dropping their first conference match last week to Albany. The visitors did just that, bouncing back and soundly defeating the River Hawks 16-8 in their regular-season finale, entering the AE tournament as the No. 2 seed.

“Just really proud of the team, bouncing back from that loss to Albany the week prior and finishing the season strong,” said

Binghamton head coach Stephanie Allen. “We worked all week to make some of those small adjustments and learn from that Albany game, and I think that showed especially in the second, third and fourth quarter yesterday.”

The River Hawks (6-9, 0-5 AE) got the scoring started after finding the back of the net less than two minutes into the first period. Not long after, they scored another goal, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead over the Bearcats (10-5, 5-1 AE).

Nearly halfway through the quarter, Binghamton finally got on the board as senior midfielder Isabella Meli fired one into the net.

UMass Lowell got on the board again to take a 3-1 lead. However, the Bearcats found their groove, scoring two consecutive goals to end the first period, tying

the game up at three goals apiece.

“We just talked about matching UMass Lowell’s energy out there,” Allen said. “We needed to pick up our energy after what we saw out there in the first quarter, and I thought our girls, after a timeout or two, really figured that out.”

The second period began with a UMass Lowell goal as the home team managed a slight advantage. The majority of the second period’s start went backand-forth as the Bearcats and the River Hawks traded goals. With the score tied at 5-5, the Bearcats clicked on offense, scoring three goals, coming from sophomore attacks Olivia Muscolino and Marisa Tancredi along with a goal from Meli. Going into halftime, Binghamton led the River Hawks 8-5.

“We were really just working on the constant

movement offensively,” Allen said. “We didn’t have as much of that in the first quarter [on Saturday]. After [the team] got their feet underneath them, they really turned things around.”

The Bearcats opened the second half with a quick goal from Tancredi less than one minute into the period, increasing their lead to four. Not long after, the hosts ended their scoring drought, adding their first goal since the 9:07 mark of the second period to make it 9-6. Binghamton began to pull away as the visitors put up three more goals in the period to take a 12-6 lead over UMass Lowell going into the final frame.

“[The offense] did a good job of making adjustments,” Allen said. “We were trying to generate some free position looks which I thought we did a nice job

of.” Binghamton got on the board first in the final frame after senior attack Kenna Newman managed a spin move on her defender and found the back of the net, making it 13-6. Later in the frame, junior midfielder Emma Conroy beat the defense, converting on a free position shot and burying one just past the River Hawk goalkeeper, giving Binghamton an eight-goal advantage. UMass Lowell added two goals in the final minutes, but it would not be enough. When things were all said and done, the Bearcats found themselves on top with a 16-8 victory.

“We deserve a little bit of rest and time to recover,” Allen said. “We’ve had some injury things go through the team these last couple of weeks. The extra weekend here to prepare will really serve us well.”

The Bearcats finished with 10 regular season wins, the most in program history.

Six Bearcats finished with multiple goals, including Muscolino, Meli, Newman, Tancredi, Conroy and junior midfielder Hayley Weltner.

“This is a group that I knew was talented, but it came down to them having chemistry out on the field, playing with the belief mindset that they could be winners and that they go out there and compete with any opponent,” Allen said.

“I’m really just proud of what we’ve strung together so far this season and look forward to still what’s to come.”

Binghamton will have a bye next week while the rest of the AE concludes conference play. The Bearcats will prepare for the AE tournament which will be hosted by Albany from May 5 to May 7.

megan patterson staff photographer

Sophomore attack Olivia Muscolino scored three goals and had one assist in BU’s 16-8 win over UMass Lowell on Saturday.

Johnny Yang sports intern