Pipe Dream and the student body shares their love with ehart filled valentines. See Page 2
Love is in the air, or rather, our paper Pipe Dream and the student body share their love with heart filled valentines, see page 2
Our Design Manager gives some tips on designing posters and flyers for your student group, see page 12
PIPE DREAM Tuesday, February 12, 2013 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXIII, Issue 5
TEDx to talk "God particle," zombies, AI Whether it’s artificial intelligence or dating in America, the God particle or the “death” of the zombie, Binghamton University’s third annual TEDx is bringing an expert to cover it — this year seeking to delve into everything from great scientific breakthroughs to fascinating breakdowns of our day-to-day lives. Eight speakers will present at this year’s “Sex, Tech & Rock ‘n’ Roll” TEDx event, which will take place at 1 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the Osterhout Concert Theater. The event is part of TED — Technology, Entertainment, Design — a nonprofit organization that licenses to groups interested in holding TEDx events in their communities. TED talks are typically 20 minutes long and feature topics related to science, technology or culture.
Among this year’s headliners is David Ferrucci, award-winning IBM researcher, who will discuss his role in creating the Watson artificial intelligence, and how it revolutionized the field of AI. With the recent discovery of the Higgs boson, Kyle Cranmer, an New York University professor and physicist, will dissect the significance of the God particle and his work on the Large Hadron Collider. And professor John Boyer from Virginia Tech will argue that people need to look back to the Homo habilis, an ancestor to the Homo sapiens, to adapt in a changing world. Michelle Thaller, assistant director of science for communications at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center, will present on dark matter, explaining just what it is and what we still don’t know.
Daniel O'Connor/Staff Photographer
Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger speaks during the spring 2012 TEDx talks held in the Anderson Center.
HBO slam poets take BU
Daniel O'Connor/Staff Photographer
Johnathan Mendez, left, a sophomore majoring in environmental studies, and Soud Twal, right, a junior majoring in economics, sell roses to Shelby Shaffie, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience.
Lovers can surprise their Valentine this Thursday with a timeless symbol of romance: a single red rose. This is the second year Sigma Beta Rho has held their “Sigma Beta Rose” event, which benefits the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Last year, the event raised over $500 for the charity. The fraternity is selling roses for $5 to be hand delivered by a brother on Valentine’s Day. Students can purchase a rose during tabling Tuesday between noon and 6 p.m. in the lobby of the Hinman Dining Hall.
Soud Twal, a member of Sigma Beta Rho and a junior majoring in economics, said he plans to spice up his rose deliveries by dressing in a suit and performing for the recipients. “I’m gong to do a little salsa dance with the rose in my mouth,” Twal said. The event is sponsored in part by David Whalen, owner of the restaurant Binghamton Hots in Downtown Binghamton. “Obviously a lot of credit goes to the owner of Binghamton Hots for supporting us,” Twal said. Students who purchase roses can attach a personal note and send them to anyone on or off campus. According to Twal, a number of
students have also ordered roses to be sent to professors, teaching assistants, resident assistants and even themselves. Twal said that advertising the rose sale has already helped to spread the Valentine’s Day spirit on campus. “It’s a great way to bring out the spirit of love,” Twal said. “The majority of the people I’ve sold roses to weren’t even thinking about Valentine’s Day.” Julius Simmons, a member of Sigma Beta Rho, said he is looking to spread the love this Valentine’s Day. “Julius wants to make sure all
The Philly Youth Poetry Movement, a group of awardwinning slam poets, performed before a packed house in the Undergrounds Coffeehouse on Friday, as part of the Black Student Union’s continuing celebration of Black History Month. The event proceeded casually as the four attending members each took a turn on stage. First was Kai Davis, who said skin color cannot indicate intelligence and encouraged people of color who think of themselves as inferior to start thinking otherwise. “Fuck I look like? No, really. Fuck I look like?” Davis said. “It’s like you think giving 100 percent means getting 100 lashes.” Davis, the 2011 champion of the international poetry competition “Brave New Voices” on HBO, wore a tie and blazer and didn’t speak until the beginning of her first poem. Another former champion, Jamarr Hall, performed later, asking the audience what they thought of his Afro. He began with an original song, and the crowd replied with whistles and snaps. “I belong amongst the lost,” Hall said. “You see, women use me.” Hall paced on stage
while he talked, as he spoke about his failed love life and lamented his inability to “hold a relationship for longer than an erection.” Greg Corbin, the founder and executive director of the Philly Youth Poetry Movement, followed Hall. Corbin is an international poet, teacher, writer, motivational speaker, mentor and Philadelphia community leader who has performed for audiences on several continents. “The only thing that scares fear is desperation, so sometimes, we love desperately, love recklessly,” Corbin said. “Men have hearts, maybe more sensitive than women.” Poet Yousseff Kromah, who goes by the name Seff AlAfriqi, followed Davis, asked the audience, “Didn’t your mother warn you of men like
me?” Al-Afriqi tweeted later in the night that the Binghamton University audience was “beautiful and full of life.” Toward the end, the performers opened up a question-and-answer session for interested audience members. Corbin spoke on behalf of the group, answering questions about what the group did for their community. Jamila Adams, vice president of the Black Student Union, felt PYPM’s performance fit in perfectly with the “New Age Renaissance” theme to their Black History Month celebration. “The poets from PYPM are young fresh and are able to use poetry to express themselves,” Adams said. “Many of them started out just attending
Mike Contegni/ Contributing Photographer
Jamarr Hall, from Philly Youth Poetry Movement, performs his slam poetry piece Friday night in the Undergrounds Coffeehouse. Hall, along with other slam poets, were brought to Binghamton University by the Black Student Union as part of their celebration of Black History Month.