Pipe Dream sits down with the most decorated gymnast of all time: Shannon Miller Read Pipe Dream's exclusive interview with the Olympian
PIPE DREAM Tuesday, February 5, 2013 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXIII, Issue 3
Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor
Scoreboard’s liquor license was revoked late Thursday evening.
Lights out for Scoreboard that the actions taken against the bar were racially motivated and unjust. Scoreboard’s license was Scoreboard is closing its doors revoked late Thursday evening, for good, after its liquor license was according to the Press & Sunrevoked following serious liquor Bulletin, following the bar owner’s violations, but the owners are not plea of “no contest” to a charge going quietly, as statuses posted that 14 minors were found in the on the bar’s Facebook page allege bar in early May.
“The establishment has been a continued problem over the past several months,” Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski told Press & Sun. But on Friday, the Scoreboard Facebook page posted a status claiming the decision to close Scoreboard was racially motivated, citing New York State
Liquor Authority violations by the Rathskeller Pub and Uncle Tony’s, who continue to operate on State Street, to show Scoreboard was treated unfairly. “As our neighbors all around get away with serving minors we got persecuted despite the
Born 10 pounds 3 ounces, Jerry Yang has always been a big guy, but after his freshmen year, the 6-foot-3-inch 200-plus pound standout found a hobby that could allow him to realize his potential: competitive eating. Yang’s first taste of competition was at the 2011 Mutant Mania eating contest in the Dickinson Community. As a first-timer, Yang plowed his way through a carb-heavy menu that included cold egg noodles, bran muffins and biscotti to win the first-place title in just over six minutes. Since then, Yang, now a junior majoring in accounting, has competed in a number of eating contests including CommuniKey’s garbage plate eating contest at Binghamton Hots, a wing-eating contest hosted by Dickinson Town Council and a hot dog eating contest, which remains the only competition to date in which Yang has not been victorious. Competitive eating for Yang comes with little preparation. “The day before an eating
competition, I’ll try to eat a lot of lettuce to stretch out my stomach,” Yang said. Though he turns to the Travel Channel’s “Man v. Food” and the Food Network for inspiration, Yang said his reasons for getting into competitive eating elude even him. “I don’t know what drives me to do this stuff,” Yang said. “My mom, she sees me do these things and she’s like ‘What’s wrong with you?’” Yang, a resident assistant in Dickinson Community, said he always has to add money to his meal plan account throughout the semester, usually totaling about $1,400 by the semester’s end. “And then I’ll go to Walmart and buy chicken and stuff to cook on the side, too,” Yang said. “So I’ll go through enough food to feed a whole year of someone else in a semester.” Yang’s superfluous intake of food doesn’t stop at the end of each competition. “I eat about five to six meals a day,” Yang said. “Each meal could probably feed a person for the whole day.”
Kadish bids BU a warm farewell
After a 50-year career as a professor at Binghamton University — spanning back to when the school was still called Harpur College — history professor Gerald Kadish is set to retire at the conclusion of the semester. Kadish’s office reflects his long career, decorated with replica swords and sarcophagus-themed trinkets, and filled with history books covering every part of the room — lining the walls and even blocking the windows. After his retirement, Kadish will be given a one-year grace period to keep his office and eventually face the challenge of cleaning out his
library and the collection he has compiled through many years and several positions at BU. “I was chairman of the history department, once for three years and once for one year. I was chair of classics for five years, and I’ve chaired a number of major committees on campus.” Kadish said. “I’m also a procrastinator of all sorts.” Despite his self-proclaimed dawdling, Kadish has accomplished many things during his time at BU. In his 50 years, Kadish studied five different languages, taught a medley of courses and published a variety of papers, with an interest in future publications. “I’ve taught all of the ancient histories: I’ve taught Greek and Roman history and other related
Jules Forrest/Managing Editor
Gerald Kadish, a history professor, plans to end his 50-year career at Binghamton University at the end of the spring 2013 semester. Over the years Kadish has seen class sizes grow and traditions like “stepping on the coat” die.
subjects, ancient Mesopotamia and things of that nature, and then Egypt is my primary field of interest,” Kadish said. Interestingly enough, Kadish’s lengthy stay at BU was never part of the plan. “I remember vividly that when my ex-wife and I came into Binghamton on Labor Day 1963 from Chicago, we looked around and said ‘two years, three years, five years tops,’” Kadish said. “She’s gone but I’m still here!” Over the years, professor Kadish gained the respect of many of his colleagues and fellow faculty members. “When you go and talk to alumni, you go and talk to donors, one of the people that’s frequently mentioned by them as someone who was very influential is Gerry Kadish,” said Donald Nieman, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Gerry is enormously respected by faculty on the campus. They recognize him as someone who is a person of complete integrity, who is devoted to the highest quality undergraduate education and who has a wonderful sense of humor. He’s fun to talk to and has vast knowledge, so he’s the colleague that everyone likes.” Nieman remembers Kadish as the very first person to greet his wife, professor Leigh Ann Wheeler, when she came to BU to
Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor
Shannon Miller, the most decorated American gymnast of all time, and members of the local and Binghamton University communities line up at the start of Walk for the Health of It. Monday’s event, sponsored by Sodexo, UHS and the athletics department, was held to promote a healthy lifestyle.
community. Robert Griffin, district marketing manager for Sodexo, said that walking is an important Students, staff, community part of a maintaining health and members and even an Olympic well being. gold medalist gathered in the “One of the things that we’ve Event Center Tuesday night to been working with, with UHS promote a healthy lifestyle. Hospitals, Broome County Health “Walk for the Health of it,” a Department and some other program sponsored by Sodexo, agencies, is trying to reinvigorate UHS and the athletics department, the BC Walks program, which featured an appearance by the was for seven or eight years, a most decorated American gymnast pretty active walking initiative of all time, Shannon Miller, in in the community, and I don’t order to advocate for healthier want to say that it fell apart, but lifestyles on campus and in the it wasn’t as maintained as we
hoped it would be,” Griffin said. “So, we’ve been working with them to try and reinvigorate it and our hope was to be able to, along with Shannon Miller, who is a big advocate of walking programs, to create a kick-off if you will, for this reinvigorated BC Walks program.” Students in attendance could register for BC Walks and receive a free pedometer, along with some free samples of healthy Sodexo snacks like peanut energy bars and walnut cranberry quinoa salad. Children from around the
Rachel Bluth | Pipe Dream News Shannon Miller is the most decorated gymnast, male or female, in American history. Winner of a combined 16 World Championships and Olympic medals between 1991 and 1996, Miller was also the most successful American athlete at the 1992 Barcelona Games, winning five medals altogether. Miller was part of the famous “Magnificent Seven” team, which won the gymnastics team gold in Atlanta in 1992, the first team since the 1950s to beat the Soviet Union in gymnastics. Miller also won gold for the beam in the 1996 Olympics, in addition to
numerous gold medals in the World Championships. Miller was on campus Monday for a Women’s Athletics Luncheon followed by “Walk for the Health of It” at the Events Center where she autographed head shots and walked around the track with students and community members. Pipe Dream got the chance to sit down with Miller and discuss what it means to be one of the most recognizable gymnasts in the country.
Shannon Miller Lifestyle
Shannon Miller, from left to right, in the 2000, 1996 and 1996 Olympics.
Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor
Pipe Dream: First, can you tell me a little bit about what it meant to be on the first American team to win in gymnastics since the Soviet Union began winning this event every year since the 1950s? Shannon Miller: You know it’s been incredible. Certainly with the history of gymnastics and to be a part of it is amazing. The ‘92 team that I was a part of was my first team. Winning the Bronze for us was just an amazing achievement, and to be able to follow that up four years later with gold in the team competition was certainly a highlight for all of us and something we’ll always cherish. Hopefully for us it was just reminding little girls everywhere that if you dream it, it is possible. If you’re willing to work hard and stay dedicated, you can make it happen. PD: So what does it mean to be an Olympic gold medalist? How has that affected your life at all? Miller: I think that being an Olympic gold medalist has affected my life in so many ways. I mean really just being an athlete has affected me in so many ways, it’s built my confidence and my selfesteem, certainly on the physical end just with the strength and the flexibility and coordination and all of that growing up as a child, but then all of the other life lessons you get out of it, like goal-setting skills how to manage your time, how to
remain dedicated and how to set goals for yourself and really follow through. I think that’s the biggest thing, just following through, so just all those things that help you for the rest of your life. PD: Can you tell us a little bit about what it’s like to live in the Olympic Village? Miller: I was in the Olympic Village during my first Olympics, so I was only 15 years old. So for us, being in the Olympic Village was great because you got to see all the other athletes from all the other countries, but also so many different sports, like when you’re headed to the cafeteria to eat. But at the same time, we were very focused on workouts, you know. Training in the morning, come back, take a nap, training in the evening, so there wasn’t a lot of time for socializing and doing all that. PD: So given that this is a college newspaper, can you tell us if there is really as much sex in the Olympic Village as people say there is? Miller: (Laughs) Well like I said, I was 15, so I really can’t comment on any of that. PD: Are you still close with any of the rest of the “Magnificent Seven” or anyone else in the gymnastics community? Miller: Yeah, absolutely. We’ve all grown up, and we have kids and families, and so our conversations
have changed over the years. Six of us were just together in Chicago in November, which was fun to get so many of us together at one time. We do get to see each other at different events, whether it’s a competition or a speaking event or the Olympics or whatever it is, so we still get to touch base which is nice. PD: So are you still involved in the world of gymnastics? Miller: I’m very involved with health and fitness outside the world of gymnastics, but I get to stay involved through broadcasting. I commentated the Olympic Games, I continue to commentate for USA Gymnastics and help promote events, so that’s the way I can kind of stay involved and get my gymnastics fix. PD: Have you seen gymnastics change at all? What do you think of the current state of gymnastics as a sport? Miller: I think it’s incredible, and that’s the thing about gymnastics, it’s always evolving. I mean every four years, it’s changing. I mean, take the London Olympics as compared to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. There’s different equipment: it’s no longer a vaulting horse, it’s a vaulting table, which is a completely different shape. All of the equipment has springs in it now. So the technology has changed so much, the skills that the
athletes do are things that we just never imagined possible, and now, like 10-year-olds are doing these skills. It’s pretty incredible, and you wonder, where’s it going to top out? How many twists, how many flips can someone really do? They always surprise us. PD: Do you worry that it’s going to get to be too many twists, or too many flips? Is it going to get dangerous? Miller: I think there’s an innate danger in any sport, but what I’ve seen is the level of difficulty, as that has risen, so has the technology and the safety aspect. Now we don’t have 4-inch mats that we land on, we have 8-inch mats, so there’s softer padding. The technology has gained along with the difficulty levels, and as long as that stays in check, then the athletes are good. PD: Can you tell me a little bit about your foundation and the work that you’re trying to do with it? Miller: Well my company is Shannon Miller Lifestyle, and we are dedicated to helping women make health a priority, whether that’s helping them lose their last 5 pounds or combating cancer, or heart disease or diabetes, just focusing on good nutrition, all of those things, so that’s what my company does. My foundation is separate, it’s dedicated to fighting childhood obesity. Right now in Jacksonville there are about
300 kids who we support within school running clubs. PD: What do you think about, in the most recent Olympics, the “Fab Five?” Do you relate at all to that team? Miller: You know I think it was amazing to watch these five girls come on strong. They really were the ones to beat coming into the Olympics, and to be able to hold on, I think that’s more difficult than coming in in the underdog position, you know everyone’s coming for you. To see these girls go out and just nail every routine, and be so strong, for all of them, this was their first Olympic games, so that was tremendous. They’re extremely well-prepared athletes, and what I see in them that was similar to our team, is that they work so well together. They knew each other, they had a strong team captain, and they just kind of had their goals in place and went for it. PD: As the most decorated American gymnast of all time, do you feel pressure on you and how you act now because of that legacy? Miller: I think my parents, and the way I grew up, I understood from them, from the very beginning, that it doesn’t matter if you’re 10 years old, if your name’s in the paper and little girls are watching what you’re doing, then you need to take that seriously. That’s not to say that we’re
not human and we’re not going to make mistakes, but I try my best to be a good role model, and someone that I would want my children to look up to. PD: Do your children do gymnastics? Miller: My son does, yeah. (Pointing to stomach) One is yet to be born, but my son is 3 [years old]. He’s done gymnastics since he was 15 months old, primarily because he wasn’t walking at 15 months old, so we got him into the gym and he was walking two classes later. Gymnastics at a young age, you know they can’t hold a bat or throw a ball at that age, but they can move their body and learn body awareness, flexibility, coordination and strength. Those are really the foundations for any sport he’ll want to do later. PD: One more thing, we heard that you fainted earlier today. Is that true? Miller: I got a little lightheaded towards the end of my speech, yeah. I’ve been battling severe morning sickness lately because of the baby, and with this cold on top of it, I just got a little dehydrated. PD: Are you feeling better now? Miller: I am, I am. (Laughing) They got me some orange juice and some food, so I’m a lot better.
BU junior discusses competitive eating
Roshana Sirkin/Staff Photographer
Alumnus William Laffer, class of ‘12, participates in the Expresso Fitness Challenge Monday night in the East Gym. The competition is designed to see who can accumulate the most miles during the month of February.
holding a competition to see which university can log the most miles on Expresso bikes in the month of February. As of Monday night, Binghamton University Binghamton was in second place students have trekked thousands with 1,401 points, behind only of miles, through Mayan ruins and the University of Iowa with 1,771. outer space, riding BU toward the The winning school receives an top of a national cycling leader Expresso bike worth $7,000. board — all without leaving the Expresso stationary bikes comfort of FitSpace. feature screens that take riders on Expresso Interactive Fitness is exotic, interactive virtual tours,
such as through a dinosaur-littered valley or through a backyard as a shrunken rider, while they use the handlebars to steer through the course. Riders can also connect the bikes to their Facebook or Twitter accounts to share their rides and earn bonus points toward the competition. Other schools in the competition include Northeastern, Brown, Florida State, University of Pittsburgh, William & Mary and Harvard Business School. In addition to the nationwide cycling challenge, Campus Recreation is holding its own challenge. “We will be giving prizes to our top two riders here at FitSpace,” said Jenna Domin, program coordinator at Campus Recreational Fitness. “We’ll be giving away massages and PT sessions. In order to win these prizes, you have to register your ID online so that we have your name in the Expresso system.” The competition has encouraged both experienced and inexperienced gym-goers to use
the bikes for their cardio workouts. “For me it’s just one version of cardio to another,” said Dakota Gangi, a senior double-majoring in environmental science and English. “I’m going to do it anyway. So why not put it to good use and help us win.” As of Saturday, Gangi was ranked sixth at BU with 11 points. Jeremy Bernstein, an undeclared freshman, said the competition has helped him develop an interest in cycling. “To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in the sport much at all before this,” he said. “But the competitive aspect of it is pretty cool. It’s good incentive to make me get on the bike and go a few miles.” While Bernstein admits that cycling is one of the most difficult activities he has participated in, it has not kept him off the bike. “I’m going to keep improving every day,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to make it onto the leader boards soon.”
Yang, who boasts that he has never thrown up following an eating competition, said that putting away excessive amounts of food comes naturally. “When my mom cooks, I’ll eat half the food for the whole family,” said Yang, joking that his ability to out-eat members of his family has helped determine his size. “My sister’s really short though; she’s like 5’4”. I think it’s because I eat too much of the food. I don’t know why I’m so big.” A wrestler during high school, Yang also uses his size and capacity to eat in his bodybuilding pursuits, a hobby he hopes to pursue competitively over the next few years. “I wanted to do Greek God, but I don’t know if they’re going to let me do it,” said Yang, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity. “It’s usually
social fraternities that do it.” To help his bodybuilding, Yang follows a nutrition regimen that includes vitamin supplements — he even paused to pop a few pills mid-interview — and two to three cups of water at every meal. Yang is well known among his friends for his unusually big appetite. “He eats everything he sees,” said Jae Yoon, a junior majoring in accounting. “When I’m next to him, I feel like I’m eating nothing cause he’s eating so much.” Paula Haffen, Yang’s girlfriend, said she benefits from his unique eating habits. “I never have to worry about having leftovers because he always finishes what I can’t eat,” said Haffen, a sophomore double-majoring in history and psychology. “And not only does he eat but he cooks for me, too!”
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Break it down
BU Art Museum opens “Quiet Cruelties” exhibit New York City is beginning a $15 million program to clean up at least 2,000 homes that became contaminated with mold after they flooded during Superstorm Sandy. The program, paid for by private donations, comes following months of desperate pleas from storm victims and advocacy groups, who said mold had become a nightmare for many homeowners in flood-ravaged parts of the city. People enrolled in the program will be able to get their homes treated for mold at no cost by private contractors or trained volunteers. Three charities are paying for the project: The American Red Cross, the Robin Hood Foundation and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. No federal, state or city tax dollars are involved. The work is being overseen by a nonprofit development company, Neighborhood Revitalization NYC, which is an affiliate of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
Nine arrested in fight at Syracuse University Police said nine students were arrested after a fight erupted outside the student center at Syracuse University following a dance. Syracuse Police Sgt. Tom Connellan said hundreds of students were leaving the center and numerous fights were going on when officers arrived at 1:40 a.m. Sunday. When police tried to disperse the unruly crowd, Connellan said they were met with strong resistance. Connellan said officers arrested nine Syracuse University students on a variety of charges, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of government administration. The cause of the fights is still under investigation.
DEC has no timetable on “fracking” decision The state’s top environmental official said his agency has no “timetable” for finishing shale gas drilling rules, with the completion date dependent on recommendations made by the health commissioner. Elected officials questioned Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens about the environmental review at a legislative budget hearing on Monday. He said he expects to get a report from Health Commissioner Nirav Shah in “a few weeks.” Martens said there’s no separate health study being reviewed by Shah and a panel of experts. He said they’re reviewing DEC’s entire environmental study, which he says runs “several thousand pages.” If regulations aren’t finalized by Feb. 27, they’ll expire and will have to be put out for public comment again. That would likely extend a 4.5-year drilling moratorium by months. New York state seeks to buy out storm-wrecked homes New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he wants to spend up to $400 million to buy and demolish homes wrecked by Superstorm Sandy and permanently preserve the land as undeveloped coastline. A Cuomo administration spokesman confirmed the state would use a portion of the $51 billion disaster relief package approved by Congress last week. That would be subject to federal approval. The plan was presented to federal officials Friday. The program would offer previous full market value for homes in the 100-year flood plain substantially damaged by the storm and related flooding. It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of 10,000 owners might apply. Cuomo raised the buyout proposal earlier, along with other new measures to protect New York City’s underground infrastructure from flooding. N.Y. voters split on “fracking” moratorium A poll showed that New York voters are nearly evenly divided on natural gas drilling using hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The Siena Research Institute poll released Monday said voters statewide were split 40-40 percent when asked if the Department of Environmental Conservation should lift a 4.5-year-old moratorium on fracking. The remaining 20 percent had no opinion. In the Southern Tier region, where drilling would most likely start, the poll showed 48 percent opposed and 47 percent favored lifting the ban. The poll found opponents of fracking were far more passionate in their positions than supporters were. The agency has a Feb. 27 deadline to complete fracking regulations or let them expire. The telephone poll conducted Jan. 27-31 surveyed 1,154 registered voters and has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor
The Binghamton University Breakdance Squad practices before the Black History Month kickoff event in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center.
Police Watch It pays to cooperate THURSDAY, JAN. 24, 1:38 p.m. — Officers on patrol were called to Newing College’s Broome Hall for a complaint about the smell of marijuana on the building’s fourth floor, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The officers identified the room the smell was coming from, but the resident assistant told the officers that the room’s resident was across the hall. The officers were able to find the suspect, an 18-year-old male student, and gained access to the room. When asked if he had any marijuana in possession, the suspect took a small baggie of marijuana and a pipe with residue in it from a desk drawer. The officers told the suspect that because he cooperated he would not be arrested, and the case was sent to University Judicial. #AntiSocialPeopleProblems FRIDAY, JAN. 25, 1:40 p.m. — A 30-year-old University employee reported to University police that he thought someone had tampered with one of his experiments, Reilly said. The victim found that a wire had been displaced from an experiment he had been conducting in the Engineering Building, causing him to lose 24 hours worth of data. He had been having problems with certain people in the University and suspected they had moved the wire intentionally. However, officers could find no evidence that the experiment had been sabotaged and concluded that it had probably been done accidentally, perhaps by the building’s cleaning staff.
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— Beyonce, after being told the power went out after the halftime show
From now until noon Feb. 11, Pipe Dream is selling Valentines for $1 each. Valentines will be printed in our Feb. 12 issue. Orders can be placed by emailing manager@bupipedream.com or by visiting UUW B03. Valentines must be paid for in person
Dealing with ceilings SATURDAY, JAN. 26, 1:17 a.m. — Officers who were called to Newing College’s Broome Hall noticed that several ceiling tiles had been damaged, Reilly said. The tiles looked like they had been punched by someone walking down the hallway. The maintenance staff was called to the building and they fixed the problem. There were no witnesses and the case is still under investigation. Parental misguidance SATURDAY, JAN. 26, 3:28 p.m. — A 19-year-old female student reported being harassed by her roommate’s parents in Hinman College’s Cleveland Hall, Reilly said. Both roommates were moving back into the room, and the victim had been asked to rearrange the furniture to better store everything in the room. The victim was reluctant to move things around, and the suspects began arguing with her, telling her that the room would be rearranged no matter what she wanted. The victim felt uncomfortable and reported the case to University police. Officers spoke with the parents, who said that they had not used foul language and that the dispute was part of an ongoing issue between the roommates. The case was referred to Residential Life, and an agreement was reached on how the room would be arranged.The officers think that someone could have taken the victim’s clothes by mistake, as a similar bag was found in the room, but the case is still under investigation.
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Roadmap Spotlight
A proposal is on the table for Binghamton University to reexamine class scheduling and look at the possibility of completely revamping the system. The proposal, created by the Advancing Learning team of BU President Harvey Stenger’s Road Map plan, states that a “comprehensive study needs to be undertaken to determine if Binghamton’s current semester schedule and weekly class schedules are the best utilization of space and time without compromising our desired learning outcomes.” In addition to examining BU’s weekly class schedule, the proposal calls into question whether the 15week semester is an appropriate length, suggests the possibility of Saturday and Sunday classes and calls for experimenting with selfpaced classes that would provide all course material up front and allow students to progress at their own pace. William Ziegler, a member of the small subcommittee of the Advancing Learning team and an associate professor in the Watson School of Engineering, said in an email that scheduling alternatives would give students more options for coursework and professional experience throughout the semester.
“Flexible semester scheduling could be advantageous to students to pursue internships, co-ops, research, study abroad, community engagements, and other opportunities,” Ziegler wrote. One option that could offer students that flexibility, Ziegler said, is having classes for seven weeks followed by seven weeks of service or internship. Ziegler said this would also help international students and adult workers returning to school. “The more flexible our scheduling, the more opportunities for adult students to attend college,” Ziegler said. “The overriding concept is that flexible scheduling could be an advantage to faculty and students to allow each to compartmentalize their time and focus/engage to adapt to changing opportunities.” Ziegler said the experience of the members of the subcommittee led them to want to challenge BU’s traditional course scheduling. “In my 34 years at Binghamton, I think we have always used the M/W/F and T/Th scheduling model,” Ziegler wrote. “Obviously, it is successful, but we should try other models as well.” Tom O’Brien, co-chair of the Advancing Learning team and a professor in the graduate school of education, said the proposal calls for an investigation of different scheduling possibilities rather than any specific changes to class scheduling. “This is about the unquestioned answer,” O’Brien said. “The unquestioned answer is that a class has to meet three times a week for an hour or twice a week for an hour and a half. This proposal is not really narrow in scope, but it’s more to empower faculty and individuals in departments to try something new.” O’Brien said this proposal stems
from the Advancing Learning team’s main proposal to enhance the Center for Learning and Teaching. “We’ve had a center for learning and teaching for maybe 12 years,” he said. He noted that in the last year or so, the center devoted a lot of energy to student services like tutoring but that “the faculty development piece is significant.” Optimally, O’Brien said, the team would like to have a full-time director, support staff and a physical place. Sarah Glose, member of the Advancing Learning team and a sophomore majoring in English, offered a student’s perspective on nearly all of the team’s proposals. “Not having been college students for many years, sometimes faculty and administration need to hear how things have changed for college students in today’s environment, and I tried to represent that the best that I could,” Glose said. Glose said the proposal to reexamine class scheduling could most directly impact students by allowing them to schedule jobs and internships around class. Though she said it requires further research, Glose supported the proposal and said it could open up significant options for students. “There are definitely pros and cons to the current scheduling proposal, but right now I think it’s working reasonably well, and there’s no reason to rush into anything new without doing our homework first,” Glose said. David Unger, a sophomore majoring in management, was interested in the proposal but said that it isn’t necessary to change up weekly class scheduling. “Leave it the way it is,” Unger said. “We’re already becoming one of the top schools — clearly what we’re doing is working.”
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apply for a job. “She came here to a campus interview before I’d ever been here,” he said. “And the person who picked her up at the airport was Gerry Kadish. And when she came back home, she talked about this lively, wonderful man who picked her up at the airport, and was really so devoted to undergraduate teaching that it was a breath of fresh air and gave her a real insight into the campus and the culture of this campus.” Kadish recalled being interviewed by Glenn Bartle, the very first president of Harpur College. “One of the first questions Bartle asked me was, ‘I see you’re divorced.’ And it was clear it worried him a bit,” Kadish said. “In those days there was a notion
that universities stood in the place of parents and they have certain responsibility for the well being and moral rectitude of students. And I think he was concerned about predatory faculty, and I reassured him that I was about to get married, and he immediately relaxed.” He also remembered taking part in “stepping on the coat,” a BU tradition which signified the end of winter. “It was an annual spring celebration on campus in which students, sometimes faculty, ritually step on the coat of a student who had left it here years and years ago, and it was a sign that winter was over,” Kadish said. “That was a great deal of fun — we had music and speeches, and I gave one of the orations for stepping on the coat. It was a spring festival where everyone was tired of the
goddamn winter.” Kadish made a habit of interacting with professors and staff from all across the University. “I typically have lunch with faculty of different departments,” Kadish said. “The other day, recently, at the table there was geologist, one chemist, one English professor, and one person from the computer center.” Although Kadish gets hundreds of emails from alumni every year, his door is always open to the current student body as well. Jacky Ly, a junior majoring in history, said that he was a very social professor. “He is extremely approachable both by email and in person,” Ly wrote in an email. “You can sit down and have a chat with him, about anything, really.”
fact that we made all efforts to maintain and uphold the laws,” the Facebook post said. “Tony’s the Rat are part of the good ole boys on State St. with the mayor on their side kissing butt. Biggest difference between Scoreboard and these bars… The color of our clientele.” The post, and a subsequent post on Saturday, continued to criticize Zikuski by name for calling Scoreboard a “problem,” and accused Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan of persecuting Scoreboard for its “diverse crowd.” Andrew Block, the executive
assistant to the mayor, sent an email to Pipe Dream dismissing Scoreboard’s claims that race played any factor in the revocation of the bar’s liquor license. “The Scoreboard closed because the State Liquor Authority revoked the bar’s liquor license after its employees committed multiple legal violations,” Block wrote. “The case is very unfortunate all the way around, and it speaks for itself. The allegations of racial bias are not only unfounded, but also an insult to all those who have suffered racism and worked to eliminate it.” The owners of Scoreboard
could not be reached for comment. The Rathskeller Pub, the establishment most berated in the Scoreboard Facebook post, is open again after suffering a litany of liquor violations in 2011 — including a citation after a bar owner ordered a DJ to announce “fire” to clear out underage patrons during a police raid. However, the Rathskeller’s liquor license was suspended in March 2011, something Scoreboard’s post did not acknowledge. A representative from SLA did not respond to Pipe Dream’s calls to inquire into the revocation of Scoreboard’s liquor license.
BSU to bring Rev. Run in Feb. Binghamton area lined up to get a signed photo from Shannon Miller, and only a few of them started crying when they saw the Baxter the Bearcat mascot. “We understand the value of health and wellness,” Griffin said. “We understand its importance to our customers, we understand its important to us from a social responsibility perspective, we need to take a role in promoting healthy, wellness related behaviors and walking is just one way to do that. We’re hoping it will be a fun way to get everybody out in the middle of winter when they can’t exactly go walking around the Brain without freezing to death.” The Brain is 1.3 miles long, which is roughly 2,600 steps, so walking from class to class could get one well on their way to the 10,000-step-per-day goal. This program is just one part of a larger initiative on the part of Sodexo and Broome County to increase student health on campus. “We support wellness in different ways in different campuses,” said Susan Ferestien, senior director of business development with Sodexo. “Health fairs, cooking classes, all sorts of other educational events so that students understand how important it is for them to eat well to exercise and to really take care of themselves.These are the formative years, before going out into the working world and being adults that you need to form those great habits that will keep you healthy for your whole life.” Claudia Edwards, public health director for Broome County, said the Center for
Disease Control recently awarded a grant to the Broome County Health Department to look into student nutrition on campus and find ways to give Binghamton University students a healthier diet. The grant, one of only five in the country, will last for two years. “I think that activity programs that are coming into play, I think that collaboration, for example your food service, with the Health Department on a CDC grant to look at the menus and the food content, lowering sodium, looking at reduced fat, looking at more fiber and fresh fruits, these are wonderful environmental changes,” Edwards said. “We are working with Sodexo, analyzing menus and looking at the content of foods and looking with them, and they are very open to this and very supportive, new types of recipes to bring in all these nutritional improvements that we mentioned that is recommended by the federal government.” Despite these efforts to create a healthier lifestyle on campus, many students feel that there is more the University could be doing to cultivate wellness around Binghamton. “[They could] make it easier for freshmen and sophomores to get into health and wellness classes,” said Mike Costello, a senior majoring in industrial assistance engineering. “You need like 100 credits the way it’s timed.” Amy Ralbovsky, a senior majoring in biology who also attended the Walk for the Health of It event, agreed that there is more the school could be doing in regards to food services. “I think they could re-imagine
their food program so that french fries wouldn’t be a fraction of salads,” said Ralbovsky. “That would be impressive.” However, food pricing isn’t quite so simple. According to Griffin, many aspects of the way dining hall food is priced is beyond Sodexo’s control. “We price all of our items according to what our vendors charge us, so in terms of how the resident meal plan is structured, everything is priced at recipe cost,” Griffin said. “So whatever that recipe costs us, that’s what we have to charge the students. So anytime you have things like produce, it’s always going to be more expensive than french fries frozen out of a bag, every single time, in every operation in the country, it’s just the way the food market is.” According to Alexa Schmidt, the registered dietitian with Sodexo, there are still ways for students to eat healthy meals while staying within their meal plans. “There’s a lot of different options that we have, one is our NourishU station, that’s located in the Mountainview dining hall,” Schmidt said. “You can always get a well-balanced meal that’s usually under $3 for a complete meal with a protein, a grain and a vegetable. There are other items, a piece of fruit is relatively inexpensive as a quick and easy snack on the go. Veggies from the salad bar are a quick and easy snack, so there’s things you can do, you just need to identify things you are looking for, but there’s relatively inexpensive options that you can have and have a balanced meal on the meal plan.”
The Black Student Union went “New Age” for Black History Month, featuring a Harlem Renaissance-themed kickoff event and the announcement of Joseph Simmons, better know as Rev. Run from RUN-D.M.C., as the month’s keynote speaker. “Please allow me to do some historical justice to the Harlem Renaissance,” began speaker Randall Edouard, director of the Educational Opportunity Program, at the kickoff in Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center on Feb. 1. Edouard traced the event’s “The New Age Renaissance” theme back to the roots of Black History Month. The 1920s were a decade of rebirth, and the Harlem Renaissance included the birth of what would become widely spread African American culture, Edouard said. This was also the time that Black History Month saw its beginnings. “We remember the past, and we remember where we came from, which helps us to get where we’re going,” he said. “[Black History Month] is very critical because over the years there has been such a lack of understanding, a lack of information, and a lack of sharing knowledge … it’s empowering not only for African American people, but for all people to know: What has been done in American history?” BSU held trivia toward the end of the event, offering the winner a chance to attend the reception
Michael Contegni/Contributing Photographer
Khasim Lockhart, a junior majoring in English, performs during the Black History Month kickoff ceremony in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center Friday night.
with this month’s keynote speaker. It was announced with roaring approval that BSU will be bringing Joseph Simmons to Binghamton University. Simmons, known to most as Rev. Run or DJ Run, will be the keynote speaker on Feb. 28 in Lecture Hall 1. Simmons is the co-founder of Def Jam Records and founder of hip-hop group RUND.M.C. The kickoff featured entertainment, with various singers as well as the BU Break Dancing Squad performing a show for the crowd. Events to be held during the month will include cooking classes, blood drives and gospel competitions. On Feb. 15, there will be a Poetry Jam in the Undergrounds Cafe beginning at 6 p.m. Unlike last year’s Black History Month, this year BSU has included what is known as a “Day of Service,”
in which members participate in six different community projects throughout the area as a way to give back to Broome County. Planning for these events began over the summer, according to BSU Vice President Jamila Adams. She said they try to make each Black History Month bigger and better. “We’re constantly reinventing ourselves,” said Adams, a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering. BSU President Chanee Cameron was happy with the turnout, and stressed how important Black History Month is to the black community. “It enables us to be proud of who we are and to celebrate,” said Cameron, a senior majoring in history. “It shows the significance of the power that we have and the culture that we come from.”
RELEASE DATE– Saturday, March 28, 2009
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 According to design 10 Attended 15 Prolong 16 Prefix with glyph 17 “No need to get so excited” 19 Triage sites, briefly 20 River of Tuscany 21 Short-tailed weasel 22 Geometric fig. 24 Kiara’s mother in “The Lion King” 25 Letters on seconds 27 “__ out?” 29 “Medium” network 32 Breakthroughs in therapy, say 35 Language teaching site 37 “No way!” 40 “The Lord of the Rings” monster 41 Visibly embarrassed 42 Thin swimmer 44 Speaker in Cooperstown 45 Bit of treasure 46 Fireworks reactions 48 What a nyctophobe fears 51 Gelatin candy 54 Composer Khachaturian 58 Stimpy’s pal 59 “No idea” 62 Crescent shapes 63 Floating point 64 That point 65 Hematite producers DOWN 1 Invitation sender 2 Cubic measure 3 Foreknowledge 4 Sass 5 Novelist Seton 6 “The Killing Fields” Oscar winner Haing S. __
7 Lions or tigers or bears 8 It replaced the Slovak koruna on 1/1/2009 9 Rehab symptoms 10 Eddy 11 Pilot 12 “Contact” acronym 13 Presley’s middle name 14 Voice mail cue 18 Limo leaders, at times 23 Relaxed pace 24 Peggy Lee and Marilyn Monroe, at birth 26 Dashboard letters 27 Comic book artists 28 “__ say more?” 30 Atlantic game fish 31 Zoo enclosure 32 Shogun’s capital 33 Bygone days 34 Like much pottery
36 Food preservative letters 38 Fall back 39 Tucked in 43 Slatted window opening 47 Quite weighty 49 Meet with the old gang 50 Joints with caps 51 Leave abruptly, as a lover
52 “Nope” 53 Doe to be identified 54 Culture medium 55 __-Rooter 56 Fordham’s hoops conf. 57 School closing? 60 Prefix with light 61 One-third of CDLIII
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
xwordeditor@aol.com
By Robert H. Wolfe (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
03/28/09
03/28/09
Fat Cat Records
Binghamton graduates live for the drop Hype and expectations can serve to elevate a band to new heights and popularity, or it can smother their creativity and sometimes mortally hinder their momentum. After one such hyped group releases a successful first album and must follow with a second, it comes with the inevitable, but ever important question: do they reinvent themselves and risk alienating their early supporters for artistic integrity? Or do they just ride the wave and put out an album identical to their first? Silver Lake, Los Angeles’ Local Natives went with the former on “Hummingbird.” Their sophomore album found the group blazing a new trail, underpinning their signature elements in a way that is tasteful and fresh, blending old and new into something different altogether. The band sounds tighter and more unified after the departure of former bassist, Andy Hamm, whose on-record bass duties have been handed over to colead singer and keyboardist Kelcey Ayer. The remaining members take the band in a new direction, one accessible to newcomers as well as old fans. Songs like opener “You &
I” and first single “Breakers” find the band’s usual driving percussion and rhythm-based musicality toned down in favor of atmospherics and slowbuilding dynamics, to beautiful effect, showcasing the young group’s versatility. Guitars and piano blend together to create walls of sound through which the group’s signature group vocals shine. Piano and synthesizers, used mostly as texture on Local Natives’ debut “Gorilla Manor,” are brought to the forefront on “Black Spot,” and outnumber guitars on slowburner “Three Months,” a first for the band. It expands Ayer’s typically understated musical role in the band, and he pulls it off fantastically. “Black Balloons” is Local Natives as their fans discovered them, powering forward with sudden and powerful dynamics, guitarist and other lead vocalist Taylor Rice’s clear, enunciated vocals, and Matt Frazier’s unmistakable and indispensable drumming. Not to mention Ryan Hahn’s always deft guitar work and backing vocals. The album peaks with “Mt. Washington,” crystallizing the group’s musical growth and incorporating all of
Local Natives’ musical and lyrical prowess into one song. Finishing off, “Bowery” is an instant Local Natives classic, with Rice and Ayer co-fronting for the first time, switching off verses seamlessly, showcasing some of the tightest harmonization of the band’s career, building tension and ending the album with cathartic release. The only sub-par song in the bunch is “Colombia,” which, while lovely and enjoyable to listen to, hovers a little too close between sweet and overly sentimental. But unlike other Local Natives tracks of the same leaning, it dips into sappy territory, though admittedly not unbearably so. All things considered, “Hummingbird” is a phenomenal album, artistically relevant and always striving for more. Most importantly, it deftly evades the famous sophomore slump, reinventing an established band in a way that not only makes it accessible to new audiences, but pleases their devoted followers as well. Local Natives have managed to find that rare and perfect balance that few bands achieve, and the fruits of their labor are unmistakable.
Rabbits leap with "Pedestrian Verse" With their fourth full length release, Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit present another set of great, mostly guitar-based half-broken anthems that surely suffice for a lot of those “pop wants.” Their potion of honest, heady rock/pop/folk came to light with their fantastic second full length in “The Midnight Organ Fight,” found a quicker step and optimistic outlook on “The Winter of Mixed Drinks” and has now appeared in good form again on “Pedestrian Verses.” For fans already on their toes with anticipation for “Pedestrian Verses,” there is
over to co-lead singer and keyboardist Kelcey Ayer. The remaining members take the band in a new direction, one accessible to newcomers as well as old fans. Songs like opener “You & I” and first single “Breakers” find the band’s usual driving percussion and rhythm-based musicality toned down in favor of atmospherics and slowbuilding dynamics, to beautiful effect, showcasing the young group’s versatility. Guitars and piano blend together to create walls of sound through which the group’s signature group vocals shine. Piano and synthesizers, used mostly as texture on Local Natives’ debut “Gorilla Manor,” are brought to the forefront on “Black Spot,” and outnumber guitars on slow-burner “Three Months,” a first for the band. It expands Ayer’s typically understated musical role in the band, and he pulls it off fantastically. “Black Balloons” is Local
KishiBashi.com
Natives as their fans discovered them, powering forward with sudden and powerful dynamics, guitarist and other lead vocalist Taylor Rice’s clear, enunciated vocals, and Matt Frazier’s unmistakable and indispensable drumming. Not to mention Ryan Hahn’s always deft guitar work and backing vocals. The album peaks with “Mt. Washington,” crystallizing the group’s musical growth and incorporating all of Local Natives’ musical and lyrical prowess into one song. Finishing off, “Bowery” is an instant Local Natives classic, with Rice and Ayer co-fronting for the first time, switching off verses seamlessly, showcasing some of the tightest harmonization of the band’s career, building tension and ending the album with cathartic release. The only sub-par song in the bunch is “Colombia,” which, while lovely and enjoyable to listen to, hovers a little too close between sweet and overly sentimental. But unlike other
be the name of a band you’d really buy into. Get hung up on their tracks; they’ve got pleasant hooks — the kind you remember, of course, but don’t seem so engineered as if a virus or a worm eating at your thoughts and your patience (e.g. “…shine bright like a diamond…”). These are songs about pain and hope, they’re sung and written by a guy who has experienced both and they’re played by a band that is offering something. It’s a simple formula, and that’s what makes it popular, and forever will.
BUMP presents: Kishi Bashi
"Hummingbird" reaches the stratosphere Hype and expectations can serve to elevate a band to new heights and popularity, or it can smother their creativity and sometimes mortally hinder their momentum. After one such hyped group releases a successful first album and must follow with a second, it comes with the inevitable, but ever important question: do they reinvent themselves and risk alienating their early supporters for artistic integrity? Or do they just ride the wave and put out an album identical to their first? Silver Lake, Los Angeles’ Local Natives went with the former on “Hummingbird.” Their sophomore album found the group blazing a new trail, underpinning their signature elements in a way that is tasteful and fresh, blending old and new into something different altogether. The band sounds tighter and more unified after the departure of former bassist, Andy Hamm, whose on-record bass duties have been handed
little to find disappointing — the band continues their constant progression of sharp songwriting and super slick production. The band’s calling cards are still at the forefront: singer Scott Hutchinson’s voice and songs about things being real bad but getting soon better. On a few tracks, notably “State Hospital” (released last year on a “preview” EP), the band find itself favoring more fictionalized accounts than autobiographical pieces so prevalent on their second and third releases. For new fans, don’t get hung up on a name like Frightened Rabbit, thinking that might not
Infectious Records
Local Natives tracks of the same leaning, it dips into sappy territory, though admittedly not unbearably so. All things considered, “Hummingbird” is a phenomenal album, artistically relevant and always striving for more. Most importantly, it deftly evades the famous sophomore slump, reinventing an established band in a way that not only makes it accessible to new audiences, but pleases their devoted followers as well. Local Natives have managed to find that rare and perfect balance that few bands achieve, and the fruits of their labor are unmistakable.
I clapped my hands off last Saturday night. In fact, just about everyone in the basement of the Old University Union that night left sweatier, happier and much more tired than when they arrived. Saturday night, Kishi Bashi, an extremely talented vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, visited Binghamton University, joining the ranks of the consistently excellent (and free) concerts presented by Binghamton Underground Music Presents, or B.U.M.P. The headliner was supported by student act DreamReel, who delivered a solid performance, winning over the crowd with their eclectic and refreshing mix of violin, group vocals and commanding guitars and drums. Kishi Bashi took the stage to an excited crowd, though many of the students were unfamiliar with the unique solo artist and attended, as many do, simply to enjoy the show with their friends. Surprising the fans in the audience, the artist was accompanied by a banjo player, going by the moniker “Tall Tall,” and keyboardist “Zim Zim,” breaking his former style of lone, strippeddown performances. The live band was more than a welcome surprise. Their polished touch fleshed out the intricate songs, but brought new life to them as well, finding a sound somewhere between the songs’ rich album counterparts and their previous live incarnations. Surprisingly, this was the
first live performance that the group had done together. Impressive, as they sounded like they had been on the road together for months. Vigorous songs like “Atticus, In the Desert” and gorgeous ballads like “I Am the Antichrist to You” had the audience jumping and clapping in ecstatic jubilation at one moment and in awed appreciation the next, built upon a backbone of impeccable violin and vocal loops. The richness of sound that these three musicians achieved was truly remarkable. The night peaked with a joyous song called “It Began With a Burst,” which riled up the audience in a fervor, bringing even the stragglers to the sides and back into the fun. The group ended the show with two encores, a first, according to the artist himself. The night ended with the crowd happy and tired, with many new fans rushing to the merch table and to the band itself for some conversation. From the mosh pit of WHRW members to the pair of 15-year-olds in the front row, there’s something special about a show that everyone is completely engulfed in from start to finish. It was just another example of great music and events at Binghamton, and the opportunities for new friends, new interests and most importantly, fun, they bring.
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But a new proposal may change all of that. Imagine that instead of having to divide their time between four classes on divergent subjects, students only had to focus on two. The idea is that semesters would be divided in half. Instead of classes running for 14 weeks, they would be cut to seven. But each class would meet for twice as many hours each week — allowing students to focus intensely on just those two classes. There would be fewer classes competing for students’ attention simultaneously, which might be nice. Additionally, it would make it easier to offer two-part classes. Instead of having to
divide up larger subjects over two semesters, the first part of a class could be offered during the first half of a semester and the second part could follow in the next half of the semester. There are several potential downsides, though. Some classes just work better over the course of 14 weeks. Many gym classes require recovery days between sessions — although one member of our editorial board said he liked having his yoga class every day during the summer session. And art classes may require prolonged concept evolution. The sciences also pose a challenge within this system. These programs often require a
specific chain of classes — several of which must be taken concurrently. The difficulty and density of these classes also creates obstacles. Imagine three-hourlong physics lectures and six-hour-long labs — multiple times per week. There would be little time to review the material and allow it to sink in. But the proposal does seem intriguing. There’s no telling the true effectiveness of the program until it’s tried out empirically, but from afar, it certainly looks like it holds promise.
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Let me preface this by stating that more likely than not, I’m a plant by the liberal media, infiltrating the journalistic integrity of Pipe Dream and deceiving you all with my innocent looks and sassy opinions. Hell, who is to say this article wasn’t ghostwritten by the CIA or that the campus itself isn’t a simulation due to your involuntary participation in a mind control experiment? Whoa, mind blown.
bad G.I. virus, spewing garbage and vitriol onto impressionable young minds. You’ve surely heard the latest claims that the Sandy Hook Massacre was a hoax and that there is a strange significance to Obama’s following of 666,000 people on Twitter. I have two bones to pick with these theorists. First, there are glaring contradictions within nearly all of these recent claims. Of course the media got a lot of facts wrong following the shooting, and for that we must fault them. However, that isn’t cause to jump to conclusions. Simple explanations for these events make a lot more sense than the invented ones. Second, the government doesn’t need these imagined events to sway you to its cause. If the government is willing to kill innocent children or Maybe these claims seem a little fake Sandy Hook, martial law would ridiculous or, dare I say it, STUPID. already be implemented without all That’s because they are. This is what that fuss. A regime willing to commit the newest wave of conspiracy nuts such an atrocity against its own people sounds like to anyone with more than wouldn’t bother with such covert two brain cells. These conspiracies are means. Ain’t nobody got time for that. spreading around the Internet like a No number of assault weapons will
stop the most powerful military in the world. Don’t forget, our government has full access to your financial records and the legal freedom to tap your phones, read your emails and detain you without explanation or trial if you’re suspected of terrorist activity (The PATRIOT Act, please look it up).
ourselves so much credit. The biggest injustices aren’t committed under the veil of conspiracy, but are openly accepted or ignored in a polyglot of useless coverage. Conspiracies simply offer a more exciting explanation. Instead of throwing around imaginary stories, let’s question the government’s less sensational actions. The Obama administration needs to answer for the “Fast and Furious” gun scandal and countless drone strikes resulting in civilian deaths. Conspiracy nuts claim that the American people are finally waking up, but blind acceptance of an even less credible source than the mainstream media indicates otherwise. Intelligent, politically conscious adults grapple with facts. Sheep let charismatic figureheads do the thinking instead, be it the President or a megalomaniac All of these changes occurred with a YouTube account and too much right in the open with public support! time on his hands. We don’t need a faked massacre of elementary school children to yield — Molly McGrath is a sophomore our rights, and we need to stop giving majoring in political science.
Don't be the lowest common denominator
From outside the exalted marble walls of university, the common perception seems to be that within lies a uniform body of highly motivated and ambitious individuals who work hard and constantly strive toward excellence.
It’s frightening how false this is. Everyone can attest to the presence of unambitious students in the classroom. Certain people simply appear hungry for more, for something greater. These individuals appear frustrated with the status quo, adamantly opposed to complacency and obsessed with constant personal improvement and challenge. These individuals tend to also strive towards the idea of self-actualization and endure the hardships of fearing personal inadequacy. Is this a product of one’s environment, or some sort of natural predisposition? Likely a bit of both. To exercise one’s ambition requires time and energy and for many, such time and energy must be spread over a number of different factors in their life. For some, it is possible to focus almost entirely on personal goals and development, while for others, such energy must be spent on their job, family and other situational factors that demand attention. People joke about senioritis, but these tendencies are in no way exclusive to seniors. It is exceedingly common for students to adopt a coasting mentality that promises acceptable performance with minimal effort throughout their entire stay at their university. It is true that college is not for everyone, and many students enter college to appease the massive cultural preference of college education. This likely introduces a dissonance between personal desire and environment, which is a recipe for demotivation. One major problem is the mentality that students tend to have towards schoolwork of any kind. The purpose of schoolwork seems to be its completion. Homework is viewed as an obstacle to leisure, not as a mechanism that engages the student with the class material. This is both due to the student’s mindset and the nature of the assignments. For those who have had the misfortune to use McGraw Hill’s Connect, such homework tends to involve the least engaging and interesting assignments imaginable. Sometimes, the
professor even allows for an infinite number of attempts at completing the homework, allowing constant revision and the ability to instantly check if one’s multiple-choice answer is correct before submitting. These features reduce the assignment to inconsequential busywork that can be hammered off in minutes for a perfect score with absolutely no intellectual stimulation. With such assignments, it’s difficult to tell if the professor is at all aware of how the work is perceived by the students. In these cases, it seems like the homework is employed for the sake of its employment, to justify the 15 percent homework portion of the final grade. It is also amazing how dramatically work ethic and ambition are affected by the professor’s teaching style. On one end of the “effective lecturer spectrum,” students hardly show up to class and spend little time and effort on assignments and tests. On the other end, lecture halls see nearly full attendance by an engaged audience that more often looks forward to the interesting work assigned.
After a much-deserved break, we are once again back in Binghamton for the spring semester. Our upstate New York home away from home (for most of us, at least) greets us this time of year with subzero weather and, when it feels like giving us a break from freezing rain, a nice heaping of snow.
If you think it’s hard to get out of bed and drag yourself to class now, it doesn’t get much easier later in the semester when the sun starts shining and all you can think about is being outside while you make a futile attempt to take notes in class. And let’s not forget the ever-present siren song of State Street. So, with all these obstacles between us and a proper education, how are we supposed to get the proper value of our few years here? Well, colloquially I would say “deal with it,” but I think I could get my point across better if I borrowed the advice of my elementary school Tae Kwon Do instructor: perseverance. You see, nothing bothers me more than
My first kiss in my first relationship was a huge deal to me. I had never kissed anyone and I made it a huge deal because I wanted to have feelings for someone first and all that jazz. What happened, you ask? I missed his mouth. Completely. Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, I was 17.
There are only so many factors that may be changed to better facilitate a worthwhile educational experience. The situation of the student and their capacities are relatively off limits, so the university itself must take charge of implementing this sort of change. It is no easy task, since the exact factors in need of improvement are uncertain, but the first step may be to observe the classes where students feel engaged and motivated. They do exist, and these classes almost uniformly involve either phenomenal lecturers or vastly unconventional styles of teaching. Whether motivational issues lie mainly in the student or the environment is unknown, but it is irrefutable that students will greatly benefit from an overhaul in teaching style. Professors should be encouraged to take unique approaches towards instructing. Maybe then we can begin to see the largely motivated and powerfully driven student body a university is expected to possess.
I was a little embarrassed to say the least, and throughout the course of our relationship I was always insecure about my kissing ability and questioned him probably more than was necessary. The same thing applies to a lot of people’s experiences losing their respective virginities, too. Nobody is expected to be perfect, but I’ve heard of people lasting less than 30 seconds, which is a little hard to feel good about. Luckily, my first time went a bit better than my first kiss (I didn’t miss that time), but having no experience is definitely hard to deal with. In the case of not having experience, I recommend a healthy dose of bravado. Not
when people give up way too easily. Whether it’s a homework assignment, cooking a meal or a difficult video game level, I see people give up all the time on things they are perfectly capable of doing. Maybe it’s our modern-day culture, pervaded by instant gratification and technology, or maybe I’m jumping to conclusions and this has been a problem throughout history. Either way, it’s an issue that is easy to deal with, but if allowed to fester it can become quite crippling. For some people, it gets so bad that they give up on themselves before even trying. Faced with any sort of challenge or forced to do any sort of problem-solving, these people shrug their shoulders and simply say, “I’m not smart enough for this” or “There’s no way I could do this!” Believing their own words, they put the problem on someone else’s shoulders or, if that’s not possible, just decide to give up altogether. When it comes to technology, my mother is one of these people. Unable to get her laptop to do what she wants, she’ll usually end up calling either me or my sister downstairs so we can do it for her. Of course, she doesn’t bother listening when I try to explain what to do since it’s “over her head,” and history is doomed to repeat itself as she calls us down for the same problem a week later. But it’s not just middle-aged women
who are susceptible to this phenomenon. I’ve seen peers from different colleges and walks of life say and do similar things as well, and it pains me to see people holding themselves back like that. There’s no reason to pigeonhole yourself, especially at such a young age. For me, the kind of problemsolving which these people shirk is the sort of stuff I live for.
"I see people give up all the time on things they are perfectly capable of doing." So when you find yourself stumbling over hurdles this semester, don’t get down on yourself. Instead, try to do the opposite: revel in your abilities and tell yourself that you can take on the challenge. I know, I know. It sounds corny as hell, but I really think there’s some truth to simply “thinking right.” Just remember that the only things that differentiate a “smart” person from the rest are an open mind and an iron will. — Zach Stanco is a senior doublemajoring in philosophy and English.
cockiness — don’t act like you’re God’s gift to the sex world, but be comfortable and honest with yourself and your partner about your ability. If it’s just a fling, no need to tell him you don’t have much experience, because chances are they don’t really care too much about your backstory, but if you have a relationship, your partner will most likely be willing to work with you and get you some experience. There’s even a little bit of a professional field in that realm. There’s such a thing as a sex surrogate, who is someone trained to help inform individuals about sex.
of thought, and I don’t think it matters whether you’ve had sex with one person or 100 people, as long as you don’t have any diseases, but not everyone shares that viewpoint. A lot of people are scared of others having a high number because of what it could say about their character. I have one friend who won’t deal with anyone who’s had sex with more than five people because she believes it speaks negatively of their moral values. Others just feel inadequate and insecure when their partner tells them their number. It’s about walking the fine line between security and insecurity between both you and your current or future partner. If you’re single right now, think about the person you want to attract in the future, and if having a lot of sex might affect your chances of finding that person, use that to shape your decisions. This practice definitely isn’t your Ultimately, the choice falls to every average sex class, though. Sometimes individual. Sex is natural, so we can all the sex surrogate will give a hands-on figure it out from experience or otherwise, demonstration with his or her client. It’s but if it makes you feel more comfortable one way of getting experience and it’s to have some experience under your belt, probably safer and more informative than go for it! Just make smart and safe choices. hooking up, but it’ll cost a pretty penny. On the flip side of the experience scale, — Jake Lewis is a junior majoring in it’s not always the best thing to have tons English. of experience. I’ve given numbers a lot
— Michael Marinaccio is a senior majoring in Management.
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BEARCAT BRIEFS Hennig highlights track's performance at Penn State
With three matches at West Point this weekend, the Binghamton women’s tennis team overcame a 6-1 Friday loss to host Army to beat Sacred Heart and Seton Hall on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Bearcats (2-3) beat the Pioneers, 4-3, and the Pirates, 5-2, to earn their first wins of the spring season.
Freshman Sara Kokhtz Courtesy of BU Athletics
Freshman Sara Kohtz picked up the lone point for Binghamton in its opener against the Black Knights (3-0), topping Army junior Jamila Paul, 3-6,6-3,4-3(7-4). Freshman Agatha Ambrozy and sophomore Katherine Medianik recorded the only other Bearcat victory of the day, an 8-5 win in doubles play. Binghamton recovered
quickly from the loss to Army with a tight win against Sacred Heart (0-3) the following day. BU swept doubles play, as Ambrozy and Medianik posted another win from the top doubles spot. Sacred Heart opened singles play with a victory, but Kohtz and BU sophomore Missy Edelblum responded with back-to-back victories to put Binghamton back in the lead. When the Pioneers answered with two more wins of their own to tie, Ambrozy handed Binghamton the win with a 7-5 victory. On Sunday, the Bearcats impressed again in doubles play, this time taking two of three against Seton Hall (0-2). After freshmen Shea Brodsky and Alexis Tashiro picked up the first win, Kohtz and Edelblum locked up the point with an 8-4 victory. Binghamton went on to take four of its six singles matches en route to the victory. Kohtz picked up another win in singles, securing a 3-0 slate for the weekend. The Bearcats are set for their first home match of the year on Saturday against Farleigh Dickinson. Play is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.
BU vs. Farleigh Dickinson Date: Feb. 9 Location: Binghamton University Time: 5 p.m.
Men's swim beats Marist, women fall in final dual
By Donna Umana | Contributing Writer Senior Jessica Hennig stood out from the rest of the track and field team this weekend at Penn State’s Sykes-Sabock Challenge, a non-team-scoring event. Finishing fourth in the 400 with a time of 55.73, Hennig qualified for the ECACs. “She ran great,” head coach Mike Thompson said. “This is the fastest she has run this early in the year, and we’re excited to see how she’ll do [next time out].” Hennig also teamed up with juniors Erika Kisel and Kathleen Klein and sophomore Ivory Taussig to complete the 4x400 relay in a time of 3:51.04, good for fourth overall. For the men’s team, senior Jeff Martinez came in fourth place in the 3,000 with a time of 8:30.84, and senior Jason Santos came in third in the 5,000 with a time of 14:57.88. Thompson said he thought his team performed well, given the nature of the 17-team meet. “It was a real challenge to place anyone in the top eight,” he said. “But I felt that the team looked strong heading into the conference meet this weekend.” The Bearcats are scheduled to head to the two-day America East Indoor Championships next week. Play is set to start at 3 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, Ma.
Softball selected fourth in AE preseason poll By Ari Kramer | Assistant Sports Editor With several key players returning from last year’s squad, the Binghamton softball team has been picked by America East coaches to finish fourth in the conference. Albany and reigning conference champion Boston University tied atop the preseason poll with 32 points while Stony Brook came in third. Maine, Hartford and UMBC, respectively, rounded out the poll. Binghamton is set to open its season on Feb. 15 at the Felsberg Memorial Tournament, hosted by Florida International.
By Erik Bacharach | Assistant Sports Editor The Binghamton swimming and diving team concluded its 2012-13 campaign on Saturday afternoon with a split dual meet at Marist’s McCann Natatorium. The men’s team defeated the Red Foxes 170-130 en route to their third dual win of the season, but the women dropped their meet, 172-126. The Bearcats accumulated eight individual winners while adding two more victories in relays. Four different Bearcats achieved first-place finishes. Senior Tim Cabasino had three victories, while freshman Brian McKenna and sophomores Caitlin Kelly and Corinne Zotter each had two. Sophomore Devin Zdanowski provided the day’s top performance when he took first place on the three-meter board with an NCAA Zone qualifying score of 341.15. BU will take the next week to prepare for the America East Championship, which is set to take place at Maine’s Stanley M. Wallace Pool Complex on Feb. 14-17.
Coaches tab men's lax at fifth in AE preseason poll By Ari Kramer | Assistant Sports Editor Despite returning junior Mike Antinozzi, a 2012 allconference selection, the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team was picked to finish fifth in the America East preseason poll. Conference coaches tabbed Albany as the league favorite, with UMBC and Stony Brook tying for second. Hartford landed in fourth and Vermont came in last. In their first season under head coach Scott Nelson, the Bearcats went 4-9 in 2012. No America East team returns as many players as Binghamton, which also brings back four starters.
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Wrestling drops match to American
Sophomore Robin Lesage Courtesy of BU Athletics
Binghamton sophomore Robin Lesage secured the Bearcats’ only point against the hosts on Saturday morning, defeating Brown sophomore Michael Riechmann, 6-4, 6-2, in the No. 1 singles spot. Lesage picked up two more wins later in the day to lead the Bearcats to a 7-0 sweep of Quinnipiac. After teaming up with classmate Ismael Dinia to pull out an 8-5 victory at the No. 1 doubles spot, Lesage coasted to a 6-0, 6-2 win in singles play. The Bearcats would sweep doubles play against the Bobcats, with wins coming from the duos of freshman Sid Hazarika and sophomore
Despite registering three wins, the Binghamton wrestling team dropped seven bouts to host American and fell to 5-11 on the season with a 26-14 loss Sunday afternoon at the Bender Arena. Binghamton was coming off a narrow 2118 loss to Old Dominion on Jan. 25. American (5-5) got off to a torrid start on Sunday, winning five of their first six matchups. But Binghamton’s nationally ranked tandem of senior 149-pound Donnie Vinson and senior 197-pound Nate Schiedel overwhelmed their competitors once again, and junior 184-pound Cody Reed put forth an impressive effort of his own in his 5-3 win. Vinson, who is ranked No. 4 in the latest InterMat poll, took care of his opponent in less than a minute for a first-period pin. The 50-second match gave Vinson his team-leading seventh pin of the season. It also extended his undefeated dual season as he improved to 26-1 overall with a 16-0 record in duals. While his win over American junior Kevin Tao brought his career collegiate record to 125-25, Vinson’s 124th collegiate victory last week at Old Dominion broke the all-time school record. His former teammate Josh Patterson (2006-10) previously held the record with 123 career wins. The fifth-ranked Schiedel, meanwhile, also dominated his foe on Sunday. Eighteen points in the second period led to a technical fall, improving Schiedel’s overall record to 23-2 while keeping his perfect dual season intact. The win was Schiedel’s 113th career
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The Binghamton men’s tennis team improved its record to 3-2 over the weekend, picking up a pair of wins during its two-day stint at Brown. After falling to the No. 61-ranked Bears in Saturday’s opener, Binghamton rebounded with back-to-back shutouts against Quinnipiac and Bryant on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, respectively.
Aswin Nambi, and senior Bastian Bornkessel and freshman Eliott Hureau. Dinia, Hazarika, Hureau, junior Ruben Haggai and freshman Alexander Maisin notched the remaining singles wins to complete the sweep. On Sunday, the Bearcats completed their second straight shutout, sweeping singles play and garnering the doubles point against Bryant. The tandems of Bornkessel/ Dinia, Lesage/Hureau and Hazarika/ Nambi put up three straight wins in doubles play to hand Binghamton the point. “We played better doubles [on Sunday],” Binghamton head coach Adam Cohen said in a press release on www.bubearcats.com. “Some other guys stepped into the lineup and did a good job, and that was nice to see.” In singles, Lesage, Dinia, Hazarika, Haggai, Nambi and Hureau completed the shutout with six straight wins. After dropping his opening set, Lesage improved to 4-1 in duals with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 comeback. Hazarika’s match also went to three sets after the rookie won his first set and fell in the second. Hazarika grabbed the win by edging past his opponent, 6-4, in the third set. His collegiate career is now off to a 4-1 start in dual action. Binghamton is set to return next weekend at Dartmouth’s Alexis Boss Tennis Center. The Bearcats are scheduled at noon on Friday before facing off against Boston College the following day at noon.
Brad Blansky/Staff Photographer
After Sunday’s defeat at American, Binghamton’s losing skid hit three with two regular season matches left.
victory (113-30), moving him into third place all-time. He trails only Vinson and Patterson. Binghamton’s third win of the day came from Reed, who posted a 5-3 decision to bring his season dual record to 8-8. Reed was fresh off a 5-3 overtime victory against redshirt freshman Austin Coburn of Old Dominion. Next Sunday, the Bearcats are scheduled to host Colonial Athletic Association rival Hofstra at the West Gym. The Pride (513) recently lost to 10th-ranked Cornell on Feb. 2 by a score of 30-15. Before that, Hofstra was riding a three-game winning streak, with victories against George Mason, American and Cornell. Hofstra’s top wrestler is 16th-ranked senior Steven Bonanno. Bonanno is 13-8
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overall this season but lost last week to Big Red freshman Nahshon Garrett, who is ranked sixth in the country. The Pride may be without senior 285-pound Paul Snyder, who suffered a knee injury in his matchup with Cornell freshman Jacob Aiken-Phillips, falling by injury default in the third period. Snyder, who has an 18-8 overall record (12-6 in duals) in 2012-13, had been riding a sixgame winning streak. With only two regular season matches remaining, Sunday’s contest against Hofstra will mark the final home event for Binghamton’s senior class, made up of Vinson, Schiedel, Derek Steeley, Dan Riggi and Patrick Hunter. Action is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
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Great Danes cruise past struggling Bearcats on Saturday
After exchanging the lead 14 times against UMBC, the Binghamton men’s basketball team trailed for the duration of Saturday night’s 79-46 loss to Albany at SEFCU Arena. Albany redshirt freshman guard Peter Hooley scored the game’s first points, and the Great Danes (17-7, 6-4 America East) held a 16-10 advantage at the 11:48 mark. But the Bearcats (3-19, 1-8 America East) would score just four more points before the break, as Albany started in on compiling a 40-14 halftime lead. Albany senior guard Jacob Iati nearly outscored Binghamton with 13 first-half points. When the Bearcats hosted the Great Danes on Jan. 7, Iati didn’t score in the first half and finished with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. Because the Bearcats struggled to make baskets, they had trouble setting up their defense, which aided Iati and Albany’s other sharpshooters. “They scored out of some broken situations because we couldn’t score,” Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “They were out in transition, and then you have a harder time locking onto the
guys you have to lock onto.” Iati opened the second half with a three, and though he wouldn’t score the rest of the way, Great Dane senior guard Mike Black and sophomore Jayson Guerrier combined to score 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the game’s final 20 minutes. As a team, Albany posted a 57.1 percent mark from the floor in the second half. Dempsey altered Binghamton’s defensive focus this time around, as Albany’s frontcourt dominated on Jan. 7. With the Bearcats applying more attention to the paint, the Great Danes shot 11-of-23 from deep, led by Iati (4-of-6) and Guerrier (5-of-7). Binghamton junior transfer Brian Freeman and freshman guard Jordan Reed led the Bearcats with 14 points and two dunks apiece while senior guard Jimmy Gray added 12 points and three assists. Freeman, limited by foul trouble against UMBC, played 30 minutes for the first time as a Bearcat. The junior has averaged 10.3 points over his last three games. “I think [Freeman’s] really starting to feel more comfortable on the court, off the court,” Dempsey said. “He’s just doing a good job right now, and that’s going to be crucial for us if we’re going to be competitive down the stretch.”
Men's basketball vs. Albany
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Reed, on the other hand, earned America East Rookie of the Week honors for the fourth time this season after averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in Binghamton’s last two games. Though Reed still occasionally forces shots, he has been more efficient recently, shooting 47.9 percent in his past five outings. “The game’s slowing down to him a little bit,” Dempsey said. “He takes some bad shots and forces some things at times out of necessity, but we need him to shoot. We need him to score.” As a team, the Bearcats shot 2-of-12 from behind the arc. They have not posted a single-game three-point percentage higher than 30.8 percent in their last seven contests. “They just need to see the ball go in,” Dempsey said. “We’re going to do some things offensively to try to help, to try to get some better shots. But truth be told, our kids need to see the ball go through the basket.” Perhaps Binghamton will find its touch Wednesday night when they are scheduled to host Hartford. In their conference opener on Jan. 2, the Bearcats shot 52.9 percent from deep against the Hawks (12-10, 5-4 AE). But despite Binghamton’s long range accuracy, Hartford sophomore forward Mark Nwakamma helped the Hawks to a 71-68 win. “Coming into the league with a new set of eyes, [Nwakamma’s] one of the kids who has impressed me the most,” Dempsey said. “You can probably make an argument for him being a top-two, top-three talent in the league.” ESPN3 is set to broadcast the game, which is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m at the Events Center.
Jonathan Heisler/Photo Editor
Though Binghamton fell to Albany by 33 points, junior transfer Brian Freeman remained a bright spot for the Bearcats, scoring 14 points in a career-high 30 minutes.
field to extend its win streak to 10 and remain undefeated in conference play. The Bearcats, meanwhile, missed another opportunity to piece together back-to-back wins for the first time all season after topping UMBC on the road three days earlier. Binghamton struggled to cool off Albany senior Ebone Henry, who opened up the scoring for the Great Danes and never slowed down, netting a game-high 22 points. “She’s a good player and right now she’s playing very well,” Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl said of Henry. “I think she stepped up her level of play overall in conference, so it was just a good day for her. I thought she was very aggressive from the start.” Henry registered six of the game’s first eight points to guide the Great Danes to a 12-point lead with just under 11 minutes remaining in the first half. A three-pointer from Binghamton junior guard Stephanie Jensen shrunk Albany’s lead back down to single digits with seven minutes left in the half, but Albany senior forward Keyana Williams answered with back-to-back baskets to put the Great Danes’ ahead by 13 with five minutes on the clock. The Great Danes entered the locker room up 33-16 and quickly got back to work in the second, hitting three straight three-pointers to extend their lead to 23 points. Facing its biggest deficit of the game, Binghamton tried to overcome a 48-23 gap. A jump shot and threeJonathan Heisler/Photo Editor pointer from senior guard Mallory Senior Mallory Lawes tallied 10 points and four rebounds in 15 minutes of action, but the Bearcats Lawes pulled the Bearcats to within were unable to stop Albany this Saturday at SEFCU Arena. 15 with just under 12 minutes left to play. But that’s the closest Binghamton again on Saturday as the first-place would get, as Albany quickly recovered Great Danes cruised to a 69-41 win at and put away the Bearcats for the SEFCU Arena. second time this season. Reigning America East champion Albany (18-3, 9-0 AE), which also “I was happy with our second half Albany proved too much for the beat the Bearcats (4-18, 3-6 AE) on Jan. production,” Scholl said. ”I thought Binghamton women’s basketball team 5, used 48 percent shooting from the we came out defensively much more
aggressive, and we were hitting shots in the second half, which helped us too. I just think early in that first half we kind of were sitting back and watching them do what they do and not reacting or responding to it the way that we should’ve.”
per game. Senior forward Kara Elofson tied Albany’s Williams with a game-high eight boards, and Lawes contributed with 10 points and four rebounds in 15 minutes of play, the most time she’s seen since returning from an ankle injury, according to Scholl. “It was nice to have Mallory back,” Scholl said. “I thought she looked good coming in. She looked fresh, and besides scoring on offense, I thought she helped us on the defensive end as well.” Binghamton will look to bounce back against Hartford on Wednesday. BU topped the Hawks (14-8, 5-4 AE) 4644 at the Events Center when the teams first met this season on Jan 2. But, according to Scholl, the Bearcats will see a much improved Hartford team this time around. The Hawks currently sit in a third-place tie with Vermont. — Nicole Scholl, BU head coach “They’re going to be hungry for a win, especially after we knocked them The Bearcats as a team struggled on off in the quarterfinal round last year offense, shooting just 30.6 percent from and we beat them early on in the season the field for the game, while managing at home,” Scholl said. “We’re going to only two baskets from behind the arc. have to be focused … and ready to go They also committed 16 turnovers to from the start. I really think the first Albany’s 14. few minutes of the first half are really Sophomore forward Sherae Swinson going to dictate how we’re going to led Binghamton with 12 points, play, so if we can come out strong and reaching double-digits in scoring for aggressive and knock down a few shots the fifth time in Binghamton’s last in the beginning, I think we’ll be OK.” six games. Swinson is now leading the Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Chase Bearcats with an average of 11 points Family Arena.
W. basketball vs. Albany
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SPORTS
BU falls at American See page 14
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT Men's basketball routed by Albany, 79-46
See Page 15
Jonathan Hesiler/ Photo Editor