Spring 2014 Issue11

Parade Day Warriors Relive the biggest holiday of the year with our special edition of Weekend Warriors, see page 8

Garn breaks 4-min mile Junior runner becomes second BU athlete to accomplish feat, see page 16

PIPE DREAM Tuesday, March 4, 2014 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXV, Issue 11

Protesters criticize Astorino

Student Congress debates censures Conyers and Prakriya avoid public reprimand Rachel Bluth News Editor

an environmental impact and health review.

The Broome County Republicans invited Astorino to be the keynote speaker for their annual Lincoln Day Dinner this past Friday.

Astorino is expected to formally announce plans this week to run for governor against Cuomo on the Republican ticket.

Monday’s Student Congress meeting saw proposed legislation to censure two members of the Student Association Executive Board. Neither Derrick Conyers, the vice president for academic affairs, nor Ravi Prakriya, the vice president for finance (VPF), were censured, raising questions about the efficacy of the Congress to adequately punish E-Board members who are not performing.

Legislation proposed by Zachery Szkolnik, a representative from the Off Campus College Council, and authored by Bryan Delacruz, a member of the Financial Council and an assistant in the vice president for finance’s office, asked for Prakriya to be censured, or formally reprimanded by the body.

The allegations against Prakriya had several parts. First, it stated that the VPF’s budget was late, and Prakriya did not update the Treasurer’s Handbook, which provides guidelines for group treasurers to submit vouchers

See FRACK Page 3

See SC Page 2

Photo Provided

Protesters hold up signs in protest of Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. In a video posted to YouTube on Feb. 27, Astorino criticized Gov. Andrew Cuomo for not pursuing the possibility of hydraulic fracturing in upstate New York.

Opponents of fracking rally against Westchester County Executive Geoffrey Wilson

In a video posted to YouTube on Feb. 27, Astorino criticized Gov. Andrew Cuomo for not pursuing the possibility of fracking in In response to a visit by Westchester New York.

County Executive Rob Astorino, more than “We’re blessed in New York, and 30 people gathered outside the DoubleTree specifically in the Southern Tier, to have

by Hilton in Downtown Binghamton to all this natural gas right under our feet,” protest his policies on hydraulic fracturing, Astorino said. or fracking, a natural gas drilling process.

While Astorino said there should be

Assistant News Editor

a discussion between environmentalists and government leaders, he said he would support fracking.

“There is no reason why we shouldn’t be drilling for natural gas in the Southern Tier,” Astorino said.

In New York, there is a moratorium on fracking, and decisions regarding the process are on hold while the state conducts

SA opens its ears to e-boards Slam poet talks

Roundtable talk creates dialogue between student groups Carla Sinclair

Pipe Dream News The Student Association held a roundtable Sunday to bring together student group E-Boards to discuss leadership, coordination and financing groups.

The discussion was meant to elicit dialogue between SAchartered organizations, and drew members from the Black Student Union (BSU), Haitian Student Association, Chabad, Caribbean Student Association (CSA), the Arabic Association and Angels of the Amazon (AoA).

SA Executive Vice President Samson Widerman said the non-mandatory meeting was planned after mandatory SA group president meetings were not well-received.

“I only know from some articles I’ve read and speaking to our Executive Director David Hagerbaumer that

stereotypes

Anthony Ragler discusses his experiences as a writer Emilie Leroy

to share his experiences as a writer and discuss how stereotypes affect the way The Hinman College people perceive others.

Council brought Anthony The 20-year-old poet from Ragler, a nationally acclaimed See POET Page 4 poet, to campus Sunday Contributing Writer

Duncan McInnes/Contributing Photographer

E-Board members met with the Student Association Sunday to discuss issues with funding and events. Members of the Black Student Union (BSU), Haitian Student Association, Chabad, Caribbean Student Association (CSA), the Arabic Association and Angels of the Amazon (AoA) attended to voice their concerns.

they were not very popular or productive,” Widerman said.

“We’ve looked at different approaches, and want to have more small meetings with like

organizations where more gets collaborate, as well as to talk accomplished.” about how they can get more Widerman explained that funding. the goal of the meeting was to get student leaders together to See SA Page 3

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Anthony Ragler, a nationally acclaimed poet, shares his experiences as a writer and discusses how stereotypes affect the way people perceive others Sunday evening. Ragler, 20, is a Brooklyn native who placed third with his poetry team in a national slam poetry competition called Brave New Voices.

2

NEWS

BU helps small business

SBDC provides services free of charge

Davina Bhandari

Assistant News Editor

The Binghamton University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) aims to expand the student appeal of local enterprises.

Regional Director Rochelle Layman has been working for the SBDC since 2008, providing free and confidential services to clients across Broome, Cortland, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins Counties.

According to Layman, in the last fiscal year the SBDC aided 764 clients who invested over $18 million in New York’s economy. Much of what the organization does, Layman said, is prepare businesses for proper funding.

“The job market is tough, and there’s opportunities for small business,” Layman said.

The SBDC at Binghamton University can offer help with startup assistance, business plan development, accounting and financial projections, sources of financing, marketing, business expansion and relocation and agribusiness.

While these services come at no cost to interested parties, Layman said that few students and recent graduates visit the center for assistance.

She said she hopes to see more students coming into the SBDC with business ideas, but also believes that the center generally provides students

with opportunities and helps them plan for the future.

“I’d absolutely like to see more students come,” Layman said. “We could prepare their business idea and help them be entrepreneurs. It may not be something they’re ready to do the day after they graduate, but we can help them prepare.”

In the last year, Layman said only about four or five students came in for any of the offered services. Some students, like Julie Breshin, had not heard about the services available at the SBDC. “I’ve never heard of these services before … but I think it’s a great resource that the school provides,” said Breshin, a junior majoring in accounting.

Spencer Kostrinsky, a senior majoring in accounting, said he sees the SBDC as a great tool for those students who stay in Binghamton longer than their four years at BU. “I would consider using this type of service because every business plan can use a dose of criticism to help and especially when it’s free,” Kostrinsky said. “It seems like a first stop for anyone really looking to take the next step with an exciting idea.”

Layman said that SBDC has serviced a number of bars and restaurants, including Water Street Brewing Co. in Binghamton. According to SBDC’s 2012 report, the founders of Water Street Brewing Co. attended the

startup business course offered by the Binghamton SBDC to learn about owning a brewery. Unless mentioned on SBDC’s annual report, all clientele remain confidential.

Any interested individual in the New York area can contact the SBDC at BU. According to their website, particular emphasis is placed on helping manufacturers, women, veterans and minorities.

“We like to say we help them from the start of the business plan to when we sell their business,” Layman said.

“A person does not wake up one day and say, ‘I want to be an entrepreneur’ and the next day open up a business … We increase the likelihood of your success.”

The job market is tough, and there's opportunities for small business Rochelle Layman Regional Director for the SBDC

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

Congress votes down censures SC continued from Page 1 to make necessary purchases for their respective clubs. Critics said Prakriya was using too much of his own discretion, and vouchers were getting denied after being held up to un-publicized standards.

Other criticism involved Prakriya being absent from the SA office and being inaccessible to groups and for meetings, and called for him to have regular office hours and to inform constituents about absences.

“If he’s too busy, then clearly, there are better things he should be doing,” Cruz said. “Ravi is clearly one of the most qualified — if I didn’t think he was qualified, I would motion to impeach.”

Debate centered largely on the legislation’s claims that Prakriya has “incited resentment among student organizations” by rejecting vouchers or not attending to them in a timely manner. Madjeen Garcon, the president of the Black Student Union, and other representatives of the organization came to voice their grievances about how a voucher of theirs was handled. Garcon said that she was unable to pay performers at a Black History Month event because her voucher sat unprocessed for a month.

“If one group is unhappy with me, I hesitate to say that I have incited resentment,” Prakriya said.

Cruz maintained that there were other groups with similar grievances, though he could not disclose group names, which he said was due to reasons of confidentiality.

Prakriya defended himself on all allegations, and said he would try to get the Treasurer’s Handbook rewritten in a timely manner.

He asserted that he was far more

Janine Furtado/Assistant Photo Editor

Ravi Prakriya, left, the Student Association’s vice president for finance, defends himself against censure proposed by Bryan Delacruz, right, a member of the Financial Council and an assistant in Prakriya’s office.

available in the month of February than his critics gave him credit for, and that his office hours were “infinite” in that he was available to meet with anyone any time that he was not in class or in a meeting.

As far as the budget and VPF report go, Prakriya was less than apologetic for not calling a special session of Congress on Saturday to deliver the budget, instead opting to submit it two days later at the regularly scheduled meeting.

“The problem with that, is that the March 1 deadline was on a Saturday … frankly, the document wasn’t ready. If you would have preferred to call a special meeting of Congress just to pitch the budget packet, that’s fine. I don’t think that makes a lot of sense,” Prakriya said.

Eric Larson, the president of the SA, also noted that no VPF has ever submitted a report, despite the fact that it is required by the SA Constitution.

This problem is exactly the one that Conyers said he wanted to solve with his move to get himself censured as well. Reports are required from every E-Board member, and when a member

does not submit a report, he or she can be censured, as Conyers was two weeks ago, and almost was again last night. Conyers said he intentionally did not submit his reports in order to shed light on the inherent inadequacy of the censuring process, which he called a mere “slap on the wrist.”

“Congress designs the E-Board with some borders in mind, but without enforcement, there’s no incentive to stay within those borders,” Conyers said.

Andrew Henry, the vice speaker for the Student Congress, called Conyers’ plan a “farce” that he planned with the help of his friends “to get some kind of reaction.”

Ultimately, the Student Congress voted against censuring either E-Board member. Chris Zamlout, the chair of the Internal Affairs Committee, said he thought the procedure was essentially useless.

“If censured, nothing comes from it, it is public shaming for no reason,” he said on Conyers’ behalf.

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SA groups voice More than 30 their complaints protest fracking SA continued from Page 1 The groups present also discussed the size of the SA, identifying event planning and funding as two of the biggest issues.

“One of the biggest things we do is making sure groups aren’t doing the same thing as an existing group,” Widerman said. “Is this organization going to be stepping on another’s toes? Are they going to be working toward the same goal in different rooms? Does this organization have something special to offer our campus?”

Madjeen Garcon, a senior majoring in political science and vice president of the BSU, voiced complaints about the vice president for finance’s office and its relations with student organizations.

“Are we the only people having these finance problems?

We spoke to the Chinese SA, the Muslim SA, and I feel like we’re all being belittled and spoken to unprofessionally,” Garcon said. “The whole situation with finance is really messing up everyone. You’re going through hurdles to get everything you need. The function of the finance office is clearly disorganized.”

Samantha Meadows, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience and president of AoA — which serves to fundraise for indigenous tribes in the

3

NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

Amazon — advocated for a change from the banquets, fashion shows and talent shows to make way for newer ideas.

“It kind of halts progress, doing the same event for 30 years,” Meadows said. “Only you know what’s best for the moment.”

Meadows also suggested collaboration between different groups to garner a broader student base.

“Clubs need to start thinking about collaborating more, work together,” Meadows said.

“Having [CSA] and Chabad working together would bring an interesting group together, and would benefit both of them, especially for smaller groups. It gets their name out and reaches a broader

Clubs need to start thinking about collaborating more, [working] together —Samantha Meadows BU sophomore

demographic.”

FRACK continued from Page 1

Organized by Save the Southern Tier, Citizen Action of New York and Frack Action, protesters circled back and forth in front of the Water Street hotel carrying signs that read “Gastorino Go Home” and “Ban Fracking Now.” Shouting chants like “we demand a statewide ban” and “you can’t drink money,” protesters marched on the sidewalk for an hour.

Despite the protest running concurrently with the Lincoln Day Dinner, there were no altercations between the two groups.

In a group letter to Astorino, members of Citizen Action of New York and Save the Southern Tier responded to his video, citing environmental and economic concerns regarding the process.

“No, the scientific truth is that fracking cannot be done safely and it is increasingly contaminating water and becoming a public health disaster in states across the nation,” they wrote. “New York has wisely not allowed fracking, which is in line with the science and must continue in order to protect our water and health. ” On a personal note, the authors wrote they would not risk allowing fracking.

“We live in the Southern Tier. We have our families here, neighbors and communities we love,” they wrote. “We are not sacrificial guinea pigs on whom you can ‘try’ fracking.”

Pipe Dream could not reach Astorino for comment.

Isaac Silberman-Gorn,

co-founder of Save the Southern Tier and community organizer of Citizen Action of New York, said that Astorino’s opinions were based on “propaganda” by the gas companies.

“He is lying in the face of a growing body of scientific evidence and putting politics over our health,” SilbermanGorn said.

Lina Riveros, a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, interns with Citizen Action of New York under Silberman-Gorn. Riveros said her hands-on experience in Pennsylvania affected her opinion on fracking.

“We went to homes in Pennsylvania to visit people who were getting sick because their water was contaminated,” she said. “For a while they were given bottled water to make up for it, but eventually they just stopped providing water.”

Craig Stevens, a Pennsylvania resident, attended the protest. He brought a gallon of dark brown water labeled “Dimock, PA,” which he said was contaminated from fracking. According to Stevens, the water quality became even worse than the sample he brought.

“This is my neighbor’s water before it went bad, back in 2012,” Stevens said. “It went way worse after.”

Silberman-Gorn said fracking could have a long-lasting impact on the community.

“It’s our health on the line,” he said. “The gas companies are throwing our kids under the bus, and we’re not going to back down.”

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NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

Slam poet hits campus POET continued from Page 1 Brooklyn placed third with his poetry team in a national slam poetry competition called Brave New Voices. Ragler has also worked with the United Nations on using art as a bridge between generations.

He is going to Sri Lanka in May as a board member for a U.N. conference to discuss art and alternative families.

Ragler, who participated in a workshop titled “Identity and Definitions,” discussed the common experience of stereotypes and how perceptions shape expression in art.

“Even if you’re not a poet or you’re not an artist, everyone has an identity and you can write something if you have some type of pull coming out of yourself to do so,” Ragler said.

Ragler led the audience through exercises designed to generate discussion on stereotypes and perception.

He had audience members sit with people they did not know and write some characteristics about the person sitting across from them based solely on their appearance.

He used two examples to demonstrate how stereotypes influence expression: the poem “White Boy” by Jon Sanders and the song “Good Kid” by Kendrick Lamar.

After analyzing these examples, Ragler provided the audience with prompts to generate their own poems based on how others perceived them during the first exercise and the stereotypes that they have frequently encountered.

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Anthony Ragler, a 20-year-old poet from Brooklyn, speaks to students Sunday evening. Ragler placed third with his poetry team in a national slam poetry competition called Brave New Voices.

Amenzesiofo Uzamere, a sophomore majoring in chemistry, read her poem to the audience.

“Being able to share is very freeing,” Uzamere said. “It was a good experience, filled with encouraging people.”

Ragler also performed some of his own work. In keeping with the theme of identity and definitions, one of his poems addressed the trial and ultimate acquittal of George Zimmerman following the death of Trayvon Martin, and how it affected Ragler’s identity as a black male.

Alex Leiss, a junior doublemajoring in cinema and studio art, said Ragler’s performance was impressive and moving.

“The passion that he had while performing really just got to me,” Leiss said.

Shaylan Meyer, a sophomore double-majoring in biology and English, said she was inspired

by Ragler’s performance.

“I could tell that he was very emotionally connected to his poems,” Meyer said. “It reminded me that the best part

of my poetry is whatever I’m emotionally connected to.”

After attending the workshop, Uzamere said she felt she could strengthen her writing from the practices she learned.

“I feel that I would be able to put more of myself into my writing, whether it’s a research paper or a reflection,” Uzamere said. “It would help me identify with what I’m trying to do.”

Stephon Martin, a junior double-majoring in political science and history, a member of the Hinman College Council and the organizer of the event, said he considered the workshop a success.

“The more people we can get involved with this, the more people we can share our passion with, the better,” Martin said. “If we can change one person’s outlook on poetry or on life in general, or get someone to write in this form of expression, we’ve done our job.”

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5

FUN

Binghamton Binghamton NinjaNinja

by Chris Walsh Our Aemittephagus Future

Chris Walsh

Seth Wegener

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

Math is for Squares

Max Steinbach

ACROSS 1 Medieval weapon 5 Journalist Tarbell 8 Hit the ceiling 14 Fund drive target 15 Shutout spoiler 16 Beverly Cleary girl 17 *Common Civil War ration 19 Outlying communities 20 Eloper’s acquisition 21 Jessica of “Dark Angel” 23 Back muscle, briefly 24 *“We Are Family” singers 28 Electronic music genre 31 Heart of the matter?

32 Special forces weapon 33 Skater’s leap 36 Small notches 40 *European vacation, usually 44 Old Testament prophet 45 H.S. math course 46 Yale Bowl rooter 47 Bomber pilot’s worry 49 Thumbs-up 52 *Quesadilla cheese 57 “So that’s it!”

58 How dreams come, in your dreams?

59 Theater access 63 Island near Bora Bora 66 *Almond-flavored pastry named for its resemblance to an animal extremity 68 Literary castaway 69 Pine Bluff’s state: Abbr.

70 Turnpike roller 71 Word that can follow the ends of the answers to asterisked clues 72 Cryptanalysis org.

73 Cheat at blindman’s buff

DOWN 1 Half a fish 2 Political pundit Colmes 3 Spiral 4 Hyphen relative 5 A pensioner may draw from one, briefly 6 Ticket, slangily 7 Oft-twisted joint 8 Item in a Kentucky Fried bucket 9 Slipshod 10 35 miles-per-hour runner 11 “What in the __?”

12 Take out, as groceries 13 Ground anchovy product 18 __ Cities 22 Pelé’s land 25 Scale notes 26 Protracted 27 Send out 28 Butt 29 Opera star Pinza 30 Butts 34 “Catcher in the Wry” author Bob 35 Herbal drink

37 Manitoba tribe 38 Potter’s oven 39 Rotisserie rod 41 Test by lifting 42 Narrative 43 Elite Eight letters 48 More affected 50 Badge of battle 51 One is often worn above goggles 52 Go Fish success 53 Tara surname 54 Book after Micah

55 Kraft coffee brand 56 Taunts 60 Swing around 61 Just in time to see the train pull out?

62 Furry “Star Wars” creature 64 School of thought 65 Stocking part 67 Alias preceder

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Doug Peterson (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

8/29/07

8/29/07

RELEASE Arts & Culture

Pharrell goes nowhere on new album, G I R L Kenneth Herman | Contributing Writer After a wildly successful year of blurring lines and getting lucky, Pharrell Williams needs no introduction. It is only natural for the 40-yearold, oversized fedora-wearing singer/producer/mastermind to put out a new solo release.

“G I R L,” although a decent collection of neo-soul pop, ends up going nowhere in its lengthy running time.

To Pharrell’s credit, he is not only a talented singer and performer, but a skilled and cognitive producer. Every track on “G I R L” is meticulously recorded and presented. Many other pop producers overdo pop tracks until they’re hollowed out, auto-tuned machines of performances, but every track on this album feels uniquely live.

However, the songs on “G I R L” are just not that catchy.

Opener “Marilyn Monroe,” with a maudlin string arrangement

by Hans Zimmer, introduces the album with the titular “girl” hook repeating for way

too long. “Happy,” the feelgood first single off the record, is about as memorable as the album gets. It sounded great in “Despicable Me 2” and would sound even better in a Pepsi ad. Every song is weaker except for “Lost Queen,” a pleasant, down-tempo track with inviting percussion that gives “G I R L” some fresh air. But a track like “Come Get It Babe” (with “it girl” Miley Cyrus shouting over the entire track for some reason) falters as too similar to “Blurred Lines” (Pharrell’s collaboration with Robin Thicke last year). The album’s lyrical themes of bold, assertive women want to be empowering, but he ends up sounding just as sex-obsessed and boneheaded as any of his compatriots.

Pharrell’s appreciation for funk and soul is admirable but misses its mark. Every song sounds the same, and his vocal delivery is painfully tired. It’s as if one day Pharrell decided to sing falsetto no matter how winded or out of breath he sounded. The songs, despite production that

flourishes, sound rote and familiar. Pharrell wanted to create his own “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” before realizing it had already been done.

Favorite track: “Lost Queen”

Pharrell's appreciation for funk and soul is admirable but misses its mark. Every song sounds the same.

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7

RELEASE

Hard-hitting questions, alcohol-induced answers Release asks deep questions to Parade Day attendees, and the answers get pretty real Odeya Pinkus | Staff Writer As the old saying goes, a drunken mind speaks sober thoughts. If this saying holds any truth, then Parade Day must be the most honest and open day of the entire year. This year, Release took to the streets and asked students what they really think about today’s big issues.

Cece, sophomore double-majoring in Spanish and economics Release: Are you happy with the way JK Rowling ended “Harry Potter”?

Cece: No, because I wanted Harry to die so badly, ‘cause like, oh my God public urination, but

anyway … I wanted Harry to die, because like, OK, everyone thinks like the good guy is gonna win the whole time, and he actually won the whole time, but like I wanted him, I wanted him to die, like there had to be like, some ending point.

Joe, senior majoring in health sciences at Stony Brook University R: How did the Super Bowl make you feel?

Joe: I loved it, the Super Bowl was fantastic because it was entertaining and I loved it, I love football, I love football, I LOVE FOOTBALL! R: What do you think are Hillary Clinton’s chances in the 2016

election?

J: Yo Hillary Clinton, I’ve had a crush on Hillary Clinton for a very long time, so if I could marry her that would be great.

R: What about her do you find attractive?

J: I find, on a scale of one to attractive, I find her like a solid seven.

R: No, what about her do you find attractive?

J: Oh she’s very smart, she very uh … she knows what going on.

That’s what she knows exactly.

She knows I can’t explain it, but she knows her shit. That’s why I love Hillary Clinton. I love Hillary.

Hillary 2016!

Andrew, sophomore majoring in criminal justice at Nassau Community College R: What is the biggest problem facing women today?

Andrew: Their periods.

Pat, sophomore majoring in biology at SUNY Oneonta R: What is the biggest problem facing women today?

Pat: Most of them are just like too attractive, that’s their biggest problem.

Nick, sophomore majoring in psychology & Francesco, undeclared sophomore R: Who do you prefer, Kim Jongil or Kim Jong-un?

Nick: Un dude, come on.

Francesco: Why? N: ‘Cause he’s the shit, I don’t know, I don’t know who he is.

Edith, freshman majoring in biology R: What are Hillary Clinton’s chances in the 2016 election?

Edith: I have no idea what politics means, but the fact that she’s a woman, I really hope she makes it because I want her to be the first woman president. Or I will be the first woman president.

John, freshman majoring in business R: How did the Super Bowl make you feel?

John: It gave me … it was kind of like blue balls. The Super Bowl

gave me blue balls.

Dylan, freshman majoring in accounting R: Do you think Justin Bieber should be kicked out of the U.S.?

Dylan: I have no problem with him … with Justin Bieber.

R: Why? D: ‘Cause we boys! We made it!

Keith, graduate student studying economics R: Why are we on Earth?

Keith: I mean what other planet is there to live on, right? There’s only like one other planet.

© 2014 Ernst & Young LLP. All Rights Reserved. ED None.

Calculated net present values.

Then netted a 10-pounder.

“Last month, I joined a team in San Francisco to start working on a Silicon Valley project.

the Northern Sierras. weekends, we take the phrase ‘Gone

exceptionalEY.com.

OPINION Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515 FAx: 607-777-2600 Web: www.bupipedream.com

Spring 2014 editor-in-ChieF* Christina Pullano editor@bupipedream.com MAnAging editor* Paige Nazinitsky manager@bupipedream.com

neWs editor* Rachel Bluth news@bupipedream.com Asst. neWs editors Davina Bhandari Nicolas Vega Geoff Wilson

Make Policy, Not War

W

e elect our student representatives, both in the Student Congress and as members of the Student Association Executive Board, to work for us, the students.

They dedicate countless hours each week to running programs and drafting, debating and voting upon legislation to make our lives better.

Except when they don’t. Sometimes, our student government leaders spend three hours arguing with themselves.

Last night marked the longest meeting of the Student Congress all semester, and one of the longest meetings any member can ever remember attending. Those three hours were not spent debating bus routes and dining hall prices.

The Congress and E-Board spent those hours arguing about why two separate members of the E-Board should be censured, or formally reprimanded, before deciding not to censure either one.

Why not censure Derrick Conyers, the vice president for academic affairs, and Ravi Prakriya, the vice president for finance (VPF)?

The first, and simplest, answer is that it wouldn’t matter anyway. Censuring has no real, relevant consequences other than publicly degrading someone’s reputation, which was theoretically the reason that Conyers staged his own censure. The censure legislation alleged that Conyers had not submitted the report that his office, like every E-Board office, is supposed to submit for each Congress meeting.

This offense is grounds for censuring, which Conyers was certainly aware of, given that he was censured for the same thing at the last Student Congress meeting. Conyers intentionally did not submit his report in order to get himself censured again, to point out how silly the process is because it bears no real consequences.

And how did the Student Congress respond? They spent nearly 45 minutes debating whether or not Conyers should be suspended from his position for a week. This exchange

was absurd on a number of levels. First, the Student Congress doesn’t have the authority to suspend anyone. It isn’t a real punishment. This fact was acknowledged by Vice Speaker Andrew Henry, the loudest and most desk-banging proponent of the suspension, after it was voted down. Had they voted to suspend Conyers for a week, the decision would have just been deemed unconstitutional by the Judicial Board. It was a symbolic gesture to reprimand someone for making a symbolic gesture to prove how ineffective the Student Congress is.

That sound you are hearing is the Pipe Dream Editorial Board collectively banging their heads against a wall.

And what if they had suspended Conyers? What would that have accomplished? All it would have done is slow down the Office of Academic Affairs for a week. The best way to tell someone that he needs to start doing his job is to make it harder for him to do his job for a week. Right?

This, of course, says nothing of the last hour of the meeting, which was devoted to arguing about why Prakriya should also be censured, despite everyone acknowledging that censuring was useless merely hours earlier.

Prakriya did not submit a report that his office was supposed to submit. According to Student Association President Eric Larson, no VPF has ever submitted this report.

From what we can tell, Student Congress and the E-Board are in some kind of feedback loop/circle jerk where they make rules for themselves, which they then break, and then argue for hours about what should happen to members who break those self-made rules. Meanwhile, there is a student body of approximately 16,000, who have real needs and concerns that need addressing.

If these reports are not important, then why are they

required? If they are important, why don’t people write them? Either way, there must be some way for the E-Board to resolve this issue without wasting everyone’s time arguing about it.

Let’s be realistic here. The average Binghamton University undergraduate doesn’t really give a damn if Derrick Conyers or Ravi Prakriya are in office or not. They need things to run smoothly, but they don’t much care who is running them. These fights are almost entirely internal, and they take away from the legitimacy of the body, whose main objective should be working for the students, not spending hours fighting like children over bureaucracy.

Of course, there are still good things being done by Congress. This meeting, Samson Widerman, the executive vice president, introduced legislation to make it easier for people to donate money directly to the Student Association, and Chris Zamlout, the chair of the Internal Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to make it easier for student groups to get meals catered for potlucks without Sodexo stepping in. These legitimate efforts to actually help the student body were eclipsed and trivialized by the unnecessary and immature in-fighting among E-Board members.

Clearly, some reforms need to take place. The Congress needs to be given better oversight capabilities and better enforcement to police the E-Board. E-Board members need to put aside petty complaints and do their jobs. Or don’t, but don’t spend hours arguing about it just because SA elections are coming up.

Overall, the meeting was unprofessional and riddled with inefficiencies. Frustrating, but hey, at least there was Nirchi’s.

oPinion editor* Michael Snow opinion@bupipedream.com releAse editor* Darian Lusk release@bupipedream.com Asst. releAse editor Jacob Shamsian sPorts editor* Ari Kramer sports@bupipedream.com Asst. sPorts editors Erik Bacharach Ashley Purdy Fun PAge editor* Ben Moosher fun@bupipedream.com

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Russia has no place invading Ukraine

business MAnAger* Zachary Hindin business@bupipedream.com

The US ought to make clear that Putin won't get away with an invasion of Crimea Kyle Welch Contributing Columnist

During the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney declared that Russia had become the United States’ “number one geopolitical foe,” a comment that the Democrats used at the time to paint him as inept.

Although his remark was a gaffe reeking of overstatement, it may not have been completely wrong, given Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine.

The former Soviet state has faced turmoil since November, when Viktor Yanukovych, the former president, announced that he would stop negotiating with the European Union to strengthen trade agreements.

Pro-EU Ukrainians, who claimed that Yanukovych was the Russian government’s puppet, marched in the streets. After months of periodic bloodshed, during which government snipers massacred protesters, Ukraine’s parliament voted to oust Yanukovych. Fleeing to Russia to avoid

a warrant for his arrest, he claimed that he was the sole legitimate ruler of the country.

However, not everyone supports the removal of Yanukovych and Ukraine’s new government. Counter-protests erupted in Crimea, a semi-autonomous eastern part of Ukraine, resulting from the repeal of a law allowing Russian to be used as a minority language there. The majority of Crimeans speak Russian and align themselves culturally and linguistically with Russia, unlike the people of western Ukraine, who speak Ukrainian and identify themselves more closely to Western Europe.

To add to the complexity of the conflict, Russia has violated Ukraine’s sovereignty, deploying troops in Crimea in what it claims is an attempt to defend Russian speakers.

Why would Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, decide that sending 6,000 troops into Ukraine would be a good idea? It isn’t an easy question to answer: Fareed Zakaria, an international affairs expert and editor for Time Magazine, calculates that Putin made a huge mistake.

His analysis of the situation is spoton. For the decision to flex its muscles

against a country that spends oneeighteenth the amount that it does on its military, Russia will draw the ire of the international community. Canada has already withdrawn its ambassador from Russia. World powers are reconsidering Russia’s status in the G8, a forum of the most powerful countries. Russia’s agenda in the United Nations, which has been to veto any objective the U.S. tries to pass, may be less popular. It could face harsh sanctions from the European Union, the U.S. and other countries that will probably reevaluate their relationships with Russia.

What should the U.S. do? Some interventionists may be eager to intercede militarily on the behalf of Ukrainian sovereignty, but this would be a terrible choice, one that the U.S. is highly unlikely to make at this point.

If the situation changes and Russia invades the rest of the country, the U.S. should demand

the U.N. act in order to defend Ukraine. However, if the situation does not escalate further and Russian troops don’t fire on Ukrainians, the U.S. government should seek harsh sanctions against Russia, including asset freezing and trade disruptions, and consider removing its ambassador.

The U.S. government’s response to Russia should be strong and swift. Not acting in Syria, which may have been seen as a sign of weakness, could have led Putin to believe that he could get away with an invasion of Crimea. The U.S. must demonstrate that Russia has no business there, even if Crimeans no longer want to be a part of Ukraine. Ukrainians must determine their country’s future without any foreign influence, Russian or European.

Why would Vladimir Putin decide that sending 6,000 troops into Ukraine would be a good idea?

— Kyle Welch is a freshman doublemajoring in French and Arabic language and linguistics.

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12

OPINION

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

Response: Don't censor Facebook And the Oscar Despite drinking game's dangers, freedom of expression is supreme goes to... no one Jeremy Bernstein Contributing Columnist

Last week, columnist Julianne Cuba urged Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to put an end to the online drinking game “Neknomination.” For those of you who haven’t heard of it, “Neknomination” is a drinking game in which participants post videos of themselves chugging a beer or an alcoholic beverage, and then nominate two or three other people to do the same.

As Cuba mentioned in her column, the game escalated into far more disgusting beverage concoctions that included dead animals and even engine oil. According to Cuba, five deaths have already been linked to the drinking game.

She is completely right that these deaths were needless and tragic, and that the game in general is stupid. I did a “Neknomination” myself, and it was pretty pointless and immature. But does this mean that Zuckerberg and his Facebook team should ban them? Not necessarily.

Up to this point, most complaints

about Facebook have been aimed at the website’s invasion of its users’ privacy and its overwhelming control and influence on their lives. When we ask Facebook to put an end to “Neknominations,” we are moving against these complaints in the wrong direction.

Facebook should not be allowed, let alone encouraged, to so rigorously monitor its users’ content. If people want to put up a video of themselves chugging a Blue Moon, or even a more disgusting drink, such as ketchup, vodka, whiskey and hot sauce — as immature as that might be — they have the right to do so. We should not be relying on Facebook to tell us what’s safe and what isn’t.

For the rare cases in which someone is chugging battery acid or something that is extremely harmful or potentially deadly, Facebook’s policies do give the website the right to take the video down. Under the “self-harm” section of its policies, the website states, “We remove any promotion or encouragement of self-

mutilation, eating disorders or hard drug abuse.” From what I have seen, only a handful of “Neknominations” fall under the scope of this policy. Individual users should not be held responsible for the dumb actions of others just because what they posted may have inspired those dumb actions.

The game has also inspired some good.

Under the hashtag #FeedTheDeed, some users, instead of nominating someone to drink a beverage, are nominating others to do a random act of kindness.

There are many problems with Facebook, but so far it has managed to be a fairly free platform for sharing just about anything.

When we ask Zuckerberg to categorically ban this drinking game, we are stepping onto the slippery slope to far more paternalistic social media.

Individual users should not be held responsible for the dumb actions of others

— Jeremy Bernstein is a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics and law.

Response: Beliefs aren't facts Religion's problem is denouncing science but holding onto faith Madison Ball Columnist

Last week, Kyle Welch addressed the importance of displaying respect toward people of different religious views than yourself in his article “Just because you don’t believe it, doesn’t meant it isn’t worth your respect.” While I agree with his assertion that tolerance is a key component to a peaceful society, I have a few points of contention with his arguments.

Welch criticized the notion that religious people are less intelligent than atheists, calling it “cultural imperialism.” And certainly it’s not the case that people of religion are necessarily intellectually inferior to people without religious affiliation. I happen to know a number of very intelligent people who practice religion. But in the case of the creationism debate featuring Bill Nye and Ken Ham that Welch mentioned, it’s not the mere affiliation with a religion that is at the forefront of the debate. There are

clearly both harmless and positive aspects of organized religion, such as the sense of community and comfort that it tends to promote — whether or not these outcomes can be produced equally or more effectively outside the realm of religion is a different discussion. But this is not what’s being criticized.

The problem with religion that the debate exposed is the complete and utter denial of fact. And more specifically, the problem with this is less about anyone’s personal convictions than it is about the teaching of religion as fact to generation after generation.

If you’ve lived in New York your whole life, chances are that you’ve never run into a high school biology teacher teaching creationism, but even in the United States this kind of practice is not extinct. Efforts to correct these schools in eliminating religion from the classroom is not equatable to the Western colonialism waged on Africa. In fact, it’s precisely the instability and religious intolerance that Welch acknowledges that fuels atheists’ arguments about the harmfulness of organized religion.

Welch says, “None of us saw the creation of the universe or the birth of life,” to make the point

Religious books are set in stone, while science books are not

that no one has all the answers. But then he states, “We cannot completely accept science.” I don’t think anyone is “completely [accepting] science” because science is not something to be completely accepted at all. Equating a science book and a holy book as two separate established schools of thought is misleading because religious books are set in stone, while science books are not. In the absence of a supernatural event, there is nothing that is going to change the Bible. Science, on the other hand, is ever-changing, and the very point of teaching it in the first place is the hope of new discovery and change.

To clarify any misconceptions about Welch’s article, he is not advocating for the teaching of creationism in the classroom or the denial of evolution. He is criticizing the lack of respect displayed to people with opposing ideas. Of course, tolerance is crucial to stability and progress within any society. I’m certainly not advocating for inferior treatment to believers of any kind. Acknowledging the ideas of others and opening our minds to the possibility of being wrong are indeed the ingredients to enlightenment.

However, that is exactly what science is founded on, and exactly what religion isn’t. And it’s this reason that religion is under the scrutiny of skeptics and truthseekers.

— Madison Ball is a junior majoring in political science.

Are the exorbitant award shows worth the money and time?

Giovanna Bernardo Contributing Columnist

While you were recovering from the absolute chaos that was Parade Day 2014, I’m sure you, like most Americans, watched (or considered watching) the biggest awards show in Hollywood — the Oscars.

Dozens of the most beautiful men and women you’ve ever seen — the faces you’ve grown up watching on the big screen in movies like “Titanic,” “Forrest Gump,” “The Lord of the Rings” and such — lit up the red carpet with their screaming, adoring fans behind them as they answered questions that only Ryan Seacrest would think to ask.

When I was younger, I looked forward to awards season like I anticipated a holiday, which in Hollywood you would think it was.

A two-month-long national holiday, starting with the fanfavorite Golden Globes in January, followed by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and, of course, ending with the Oscars in March. The Oscars are like the icing on top of an extravagantly decorated and somewhat plastic cake.

Of course I paid no attention to the actual awards show. All I cared about was the red carpet portion of the event, when my sisters and I would critique the best and worst looks of the night.

As I got older, however, I’ve started to lose interest in watching the red carpet, and cared even less about the awards show itself — if that was possible. Watching these awards shows year after year has made me question their true purpose.

Yes, it’s a nice sentiment to want to honor the spectacular movies, directors and actors of the past year. Personally, if I were Leonardo DiCaprio, and still hadn’t received an Oscar after countless smash hits like “Titanic,” “Shutter Island” and “Inception,” I would’ve quit acting a long time ago.

However, why all the extravagance with not one big awards show, but multiple celebrations of essentially the same thing? Does anyone really watch the SAG Awards? And it’s

a known fact that those other honors don’t really match up to the Oscars anyway.

The excessiveness of awards season is too extreme and needs reform. It’s the same group of rich individuals patting each other on the back, numerous times in the course of a few months, for the same movies and performances.

These actors and actresses spend millions of dollars on different suits, dresses, shoes and jewelry that they’re going to talk about for 15 minutes and wear once. Why? What is it all for?

I know Hollywood is known for grandeur and drama, but those in charge need to rethink the concept behind these repetitive and somewhat meaningless awards shows. Why not have just

Why all the extravagance with not one big awards show, but multiple celebrations ...? one awards show — maybe the Oscars since they’re already the most well-known and respected — to celebrate the best of the best in Hollywood?

I saw a tweet the other day that encompassed my beliefs on this issue. It essentially said we should take all the money spent on awards shows and use it for something that actually matters.

These actors, producers, directors and so on have millions of dollars that can be used on important and constructive causes, rather than on preparing for the galas that solidify what we already know — they’re talented.

If they weren’t, they wouldn’t have made it this far and their movies wouldn’t have grossed so much money.

This is just one moviegoer’s critique of a process that’s been around for nearly 100 years, as the Oscars celebrated their 86th anniversary this past Sunday.

Here’s hoping that in the next 100 years, they’ll reform such a ludicrous system.

— Giovanna Bernardo is an undeclared freshman.

Guest Column: Love the University, fear the administration Advocacy Day debacle and illogical grade adjustments expose admininstration's power over student change Bryan Delacruz Guest Columnist

It’s scary to see an administration so out of touch with its students. In my past year as a Student Congress representative, I have witnessed deception and opposition from the administration to common-sense measures that would benefit students. The administration says they want student input, but my experience leads me to believe otherwise.

To start off the academic year, a student attempting to improve his academic standing after a series of low grades contacted Derrick Conyers, the Student Association vice president for academic affairs, and me.

We looked into the policy for repeating courses and realized that it was more beneficial to have previously failed a course than to have received a poor grade such as a C or D. This is because in most schools within

the University, if you repeat a failed course the new grade will be averaged into your GPA. However, if you previously passed, your new grade will not be averaged into your GPA. So the student with the F and A receives a C average, while the student with the D and A stays with the D average. Exceptions to this within Binghamton University are the Decker School of Nursing, which averages all course grades, and the School of Management, which averages the grades if the first grade was a D or F. We researched what our peer schools do and realized that virtually all SUNYs average the new grade in or replace it, and some Ivy League schools do so as well. We then spoke to all of the deans within our University and the provost about the issue. The Student Congress even passed legislation in support of this change in November by a vote of 34-2. We were continually told to be patient and were reassured by many administrative officials that the policy would likely be changed.

Well, on Feb. 24, the School of Management did the exact

opposite of what the Student Congress proposed and changed its policy, effective fall 2014, to count the second grade only if the first grade was an F. It was a rude awakening, especially after being reassured by the Harpur College associate dean and the vice provost just weeks ago about a likely Universitywide policy change to averaging all grades. Apparently, change does not take a long time when the administration wants it. It’s disappointing to see students voice concerns about an issue, only to have the administration do the exact opposite. Conyers and I were continually excluded from meetings where the issue was being discussed, only to blatantly mislead us.

Throughout this time, we received a complaint about an entirely ineffective professor. The disappointing part is that after contacting the department chair, the administration knew about the matter, and the professor is still employed. This leaves the 100 introductory-level students in the course unprepared. With professors like that, of course students are going to need to

I have encountered members of the administration who care more about their political capital than students retake a course or two.

The administration’s callousness was apparent in its organization of Advocacy Day as well. The event, this March 5, typically consists of University representatives going to the State Capitol to advocate for Binghamton University.

Getting selected for one of the roughly dozen student spots requires nominations and recommendation letters.

I was fortunate enough to be selected and notified on Feb. 3 in an email that was sent to my

recommenders as well. I then received an email on Feb. 12 from President Harvey Stenger’s chief of staff, Terrence Kane, stating that only a small number of faculty and staff would be going this year. No students. That seems like such an obvious choice. Who needs students to represent a university? The chief of staff’s reasoning was to save $15,000.

However, if a change was to be made, a little more transparency and advanced notice would have been appreciated.

Ultimately, it is the administration’s culture that is questionable. We need an administration that listens to and values its students.

In speaking to an official in the administration recently, I speculated that another official is doing quite well and could rise to the position of vice president of student affairs one day. The official responded that the individual would be a great candidate; however, he is “not slimy enough to make it to the top.” I was disappointed to hear that.

I am a senior, so my days at BU are numbered. However,

just as I fear the damage the administration can do, if you are an underclassman, you too should be afraid. The current administration is not going away or being replaced, so you, as the student, have to make your voice heard. If you see something wrong, let the administration know. Make sure that your interests are being served. Persistence is one way to overcome an administration that seeks to leave students in the dark. There are many great features of BU. I am proud to attend BU. However, do not let the administration’s politics get ahead of the concerns of the students. Too many times, I have encountered members of the administration who care more about their political capital than the students, more about their professional futures than the future of BU. If you care about the education you receive and about the trajectory of BU, don’t sit still.

— Bryan Delacruz is a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law.

13

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

BU suffers first loss Bearcats win 11-10 in overtime

Women's lax ousted 12-6 by Lafayette Colby Bird

Contributing Writer Lafayette spoiled the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team’s quest for a 3-0 start, downing the Bearcats, 12-6, on Saturday.

Lafayette (3-2) cut Binghamton’s 4-1 lead to one with a pair of goals just before halftime and proceeded to outshoot the Bearcats (2-1), 16-3, in the second half. Binghamton won three of 12 draw controls in the period.

“We got complacent, and were out-hustled to the ball [in the second half],” BU head coach Stephanie Allen said. “We didn’t value possession of the ball. We were not outworking and outfighting Lafayette during the run.”

Despite Binghamton’s collapse, the team’s offensive success was balanced once again. Five different Bearcats scored: Freshman Liz Hoeffner led the team with two goals, while senior Angela Vespa, freshman Callon Williams, junior attack Alex Fisher and junior midfielder Renee Kiviat each tallied one.

Allen applauded her team’s balance offensively, but said that for the team to be successful, her best players need to lead the charge. Freshman attack Brianne Arthur, who had posted 10 goals through the first two games, did not score.

“It was nice to see a few players step up within the offensive structure,” Allen said. “But going forward we need our stars to play well and lead

the team.”

One star for Binghamton has been sophomore goalie Erin McNulty, who followed up a six-save performance at Lehigh with 12 stops at Lafayette. “[McNulty] has been seeing the ball well,” Allen said. “Her performance gave us the opportunity to win. The result could have been worse without her outing.”

Binghamton will be off the road for two weeks as it enters a three-game home stand.

“I think we’ll have a bit of a change in attitude now that we are at home,” Allen said. “We want to compete for all 60 minutes. What we will be focusing on between now and then will be to value possession of the ball.”

Binghamton is scheduled to host Niagara on Thursday. Play is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

It was nice to see a few players step up within the offensive structure —Stephanie Allen BU head coach

O'Donnell nets game-winner with 3 seconds left Jacob Groezinger Contributing Writer

The Binghamton men’s lacrosse team, adhering to the weekend’s theme, extended its game into overtime against Hobart on Saturday.

But unlike the basketball teams, BU (2-2) pulled away with the win, 11-10, preserving an unblemished record on the road.

Junior attack Paul O’Donnell netted the tie-breaking goal with just three seconds remaining in overtime to garner the win. He and senior attack Matt Springer led Binghamton’s offense, combining for seven of the team’s 11 goals. Junior attack Tucker Nelson rounded out the team’s main contributors with two goals and three assists on the day.

“Our attack had a great day; we had nine goals from the attack, and they really took it to Hobart’s young defense,” BU head coach Scott Nelson said. “I thought the offense played with a lot more confidence.”

In addition to a scoring outburst from the Bearcat attack, BU also played stellar defense in the second half, especially as the game came to a close. After Hobart captain Taylor Vanderbeek put away his team’s final goal with 12:16 left in the fourth to establish a one-point lead, the Bearcats locked down the Statesmen for the remainder of the game. The Bearcat defense highlighted the team’s fourth-quarter performance, allowing its attack to score four of the

Tycho McManus/Staff Photographer

In his past two games, sophomore guard Jordan Reed has averaged 31.5 points and 13.5 rebounds, and has become the third athlete in program history to record a pair of 30-point games in a career.

game’s final five goals and eventually bring them out on top.

“I think we had some bad spurts defensively, but then we were able to get together in the fourth quarter,” Nelson said. “After they scored with 12 minutes to go, they didn’t score for the rest of the game. The defense hung tough even though we had some adversity earlier in the game. They did a great job.”

After being locked in a 10-point tie with Hobart for most of overtime, O’Donnell put away his game-winning goal, his second of the season, with just 2.3 seconds to go.

Next on the schedule for BU is a weekend tilt against Delaware, which

currently stands just outside the Top 20 in the Inside Lacrosse poll.

“We’re going to have to be smart, stay out of the penalty box,” Nelson said. “They have a very good young goalie, so we’re going to have to shoot the ball very well.”

This weekend’s game against Delaware (3-2) will mark the start of three consecutive home games for BU, where the team will seek its first win at home after allowing its first two opportunities to slip away.

The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

BEARCAT BRIEFS Men's tennis splits pair of weekend games

By Erik Bacharach | Assistant Sports Editor Despite riding the momentum of a five-match winning streak, the Binghamton men’s tennis team was overwhelmed by No. 29 VCU on Friday, losing in shutout fashion to the hosts, 7-0. But the Bearcats (8-4) shrugged off the defeat, coming back the next day to earn a 4-1 win at Georgetown.

The No. 1 doubles tandem of sophomores Alexander Maisin and Aswin Nambi earned BU’s sole victory on Friday. The Rams (116) scored wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles to lock up the point and proceeded to down the Bearcats in all six singles matches.

Junior Robin Lesage and sophomore Sid Hazarika took their opponents to a third set in No. 2 and No. 4 singles, respectively.

But on Saturday, BU found success again, winning four of the six singles matches to clinch a win over Georgetown (5-4). Maisin won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, to remain unbeaten at No. 2 singles, and sophomore Eliott Hureau dominated in the first and third sets en route to a 6-1, 6-7 (9-7), 6-0 victory at the fifth position.

The Bearcats, winners of six of their last seven matches, are set to face Columbia and Fordham next Saturday in Manhattan.

Women's tennis caps three-game slate with a win

By Erik Bacharach | Assistant Sports Editor

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The Binghamton women’s tennis team endured consecutive losses at Niagara on Friday and at Buffalo on Saturday, but salvaged the weekend on Sunday, when it snapped its four-match losing streak by overpowering Colgate, 7-0.

In their 4-3 loss to Niagara, the Bearcats (2-5) were forced to default at third in doubles and sixth in singles due to injury and illness, costing them a possible two team points.

Sophomore Agatha Ambrozy and freshman Annie DiMuro dominated at No. 2 doubles, 8-1, and then each recorded a win at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively. Sophomore Alexis Tashiro represented BU’s third team point, after she defeated her opponent in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2.

On Saturday, the top three singles matches went to a third set, but only DiMuro managed to record a team point for Binghamton in its 6-1 loss at Buffalo. DiMuro, who won in three sets of 2-6, 7-5, 10-6, had then won three straight matches.

BU concluded its road trip with its victory at Colgate. The Bearcats swept all nine matches, including six straight-set wins in singles. Tashiro, DiMuro, Ambrozy, junior Katya Medianik, freshman Sara Kohtz and sophomore Shea Brodsky all found the win column for Binghamton.

The Bearcats will have off until Friday, when they are set to travel to New Jersey for a matchup with Rutgers. Play is scheduled for 1 p.m. at East Brunswick Racquet Club in East Brunswick, N.J.

14

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

Bearcats drop two of three in UNLV tourney BU pitching plagued by inconsistencies in Friday contests, bounces back on Saturday E.Jay Zarett

Pipe Dream Sports

File Photo

Senior second baseman Jessica Bump drove in a pair of runs on Sunday to lead the Bearcats to a victory over Seton Hall.

The Binghamton softball team struggled in its two matchups on Friday at the UNLV Tournament, dropping consecutive games to DePaul, 8-4, and New Mexico State, 13-3. But come Sunday, the Bearcats (3-5) rebounded to capture a victory against Seton Hall, 6-3.

BU fell behind early in its first game of the weekend against DePaul (13-4). Senior pitcher Demi Laney allowed two runs in the first inning and then retired the first two batters of the second only to allow back-to-back home runs in the ensuing at-bats. From there, DePaul tacked on an additional four runs in the next two innings to extend its lead to 8-0.

The score remained stagnant until sophomore outfielder Sydney Harbaugh smacked a bases-loaded double in the top of the fifth to drive in three runs. A groundout advanced Harbaugh to third, and sophomore catcher Taylor Chaffee doubled her in to cut DePaul’s lead to four. That was as close as BU would get.

The Bearcats suffered a similar fate in their second game of the afternoon, against New Mexico State (12-6).

Freshman pitcher Annika Wiesinger received the start on the mound and never found her rhythm, allowing four earned runs while recording just four outs. Laney supplanted Wiesinger with one out in the second frame, allowing three earned runs over the following

few innings. BU never managed to make the game competitive, losing by 10 runs in just five innings.

“We got down early in both games. I think that was one of the reasons [why we struggled on Saturday],” Binghamton coach Michelle Burrell said.

“Our pitchers got hit pretty hard, but we needed to come up with some big plays behind them that we didn’t make. We just kind of gave up too many opportunities and a lot of runs.”

But on Sunday, the Bearcats’ pitching finally gained the lead.

Seton Hall (3-11) surrendered an early run when senior second baseman Jessica Bump opened the game with a walk, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a sac fly by Chafee to give the Bearcats their first advantage of the weekend. Bump’s two-run homer in the third sparked a rally for the Bearcats, who then added four runs in the frame.

Seton Hall scored three runs in the fifth, but Binghamton hung on to secure its victory.

“We wanted to get a win [on Sunday],” Burrell said. “I think we kind of worked to win every inning of that game. That was our approach when we went in.”

Bump ignited the Bearcat offense over the course of the weekend, recording four hits,

five runs scored, a home run and two RBIs in the tournament. “[Bump] did a really good job,” Burrell said. “She has been able to steal when she is on and she really got comfortable in the box toward the end of the weekend. I think she did a really good job of setting the tone for our offense.”

BU will return to action next weekend, scheduled for back-to-back double headers in the George Washington Tournament. The Bearcats are set to take on Howard University and George Washington on Saturday, followed by games against Wagner and GW again on Sunday. All games are scheduled to take place at the GW-Mount Vernon Athletic Complex in Washington, D.C. Both first games are set for 10 a.m., followed by second contests at 2 p.m.

BU vs. UMass Lowelll DATE

March 22 LOCATION

River View Athletic Field TIME

1:00 p.m.

BU @ Seton Hall

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3

Six-time SEC champ Georgia sweeps BU Bearcats 'failed to play a complete game,' offensive and pitching woes seal BU's fate Matt Turner

Pipe Dream Sports The Binghamton baseball team’s offense sputtered, only mustering seven runs, and its pitching faltered when it mattered most, allowing six-time SEC champion Georgia to complete a three-game sweep at Foley Field this weekend.

The Bearcats (3-7) led the Bulldogs (5-6) 3-1 in the ninth inning and were on the verge of a win, but the pitching staff allowed three walks to open the frame, opening the door for Georgia.

A base hit by junior infielder Nelson Ward scored one run, and an RBI double-play by sophomore infielder Jess Posey tied the score.

BU recorded the third out to send the game into extras.

Binghamton put runners on base in both the 10th and 11th innings but couldn’t manufacture a run. Two walks to start the bottom half of the 11th set the stage for Georgia, which took the first game of the series after a walk-off RBI double.

“Well in general, I thought we competed pretty well over the course of the three games,” Binghamton head coach Tim Sinicki said. “I think the reason why we didn’t get a win in the three is because we failed to play a complete game.”

Junior ace Jack Rogalla started Friday’s matchup for the Bearcats and pitched 7.0 innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits, struck out three batters and earned a nodecision.

“Jack’s perhaps the best competitor I’ve ever had in this

program in terms of his desire to have the ball in big situations and going out and giving you his best effort every time he takes the mound,” Sinicki said.

“So it is comforting knowing you’re going to get a good effort out of him but he also has to be up to the challenge week-in, week-out, because we’re going to face another team’s number-one starter and, generally speaking, they’re going to be very similar to him.”

BU took an early lead in game two when sophomore designated hitter Reed Gamache drove in senior second baseman Daniel Nevares on an RBI single in the first inning. Junior left fielder Jake Thomas, however, was thrown out at the plate on the same play.

In the bottom of the fourth, Georgia rallied for four runs to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead.

Sophomore right-hander Jake Cryts walked the first batter and then hit the second batter of the inning.

Small-ball by the Bulldogs put them in front as a bunt single followed by an RBI groundout and two-RBI single would provide all the offense they would need.

Georgia scored three runs in both the first and second innings of Sunday’s finale and coasted the rest of the way en route to the series sweep. Freshman Casey Wenzel earned the spot start in place of injured junior right-hander Mike Urbanski after an impressive collegiate debut against James Madison. However, Wenzel and two other BU pitchers combined to allow six walks and nine runs by the Bulldogs.

Thomas drove in both of the

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Senior center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz produced five hits, two runs and an RBI at Georgia, raising his batting average to .359 on the season.

Bearcats’ runs in the eighth inning on a one-out double to right field. Senior center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz and Nevares scored on the play.

Sinicki couldn’t comment on Urbanski’s injury or the amount of time he may miss.

Reigning America East Player of the Week Bereszniewicz produced five hits, two runs and an RBI against Georgia. He raised his batting average to .359 on the season. “[Bereszniewicz] is one of many guys in the order that we need to

stay hot and play well if we’re going to be successful as a team,” Sinicki said. “Billy’s off to a great start and because of the way he plays the game — he brings heart and he brings a dynamic to the team, which is his speed, and ability to make some things happen for us.”

During the series, Nevares batted .583 with three runs scored and Thomas hit .417 with two RBIs. “Credit to those guys for staying on course and working hard,” Sinicki said. “When we have those three guys going it will be a big lift for our ball club.”

This weekend, the Bearcats will take on the Virginia Military Institute for a four-game series.

“Defensively, we’ve been outstanding [and] we’ve done a pretty good job of swinging the bat game-in, game-out … But I think the one component that’s missing right now is consistency within our pitching staff,” Sinicki said.

First pitch on Friday is slated for 4 p.m. at VMI’s Gray-Minor Stadium.

BU @ VMI DATE

March 7 LOCATION

Grey-Minor Stadium TIME

4:00 p.m.

15

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 4, 2014

BU takes top seed Vermont to extra period Resurging Bearcats set to face third-seeded Hartford after hard-fought loss Ari Kramer Sports Editor

The Binghamton men’s basketball team nearly accomplished what no other America East team had achieved in more than a month — to beat Vermont.

The Bearcats ultimately fell short in overtime, 92-82, at the Events Center Sunday afternoon, but they’ll take solace in their effort against the league’s regularseason champion.

“I think it just shows how much we’ve grown as a team,” freshman guard Yosef Yacob said.

“We went up there and got killed [72-39 on Jan. 26], and we forced them into a tight game [today]. It just shows that we’re growing and we’re improving.”

With the loss, Binghamton (722, 4-12 America East) will carry the No. 6 seed into the America East quarterfinals on Saturday night. Hartford awaits as the No. 3 seed. Binghamton would face either No. 2 Stony Brook or No. 7 Maine in the semifinals.

“We’re going up [to Albany] to win two games and put ourselves in a position for a championship,” BU head coach Tommy Dempsey said.

That championship game will likely run through Burlington, Vt., and the Bearcats feel like they would stand a chance in a rematch. A few crucial shots did not fall for them today, allowing Vermont (21-9, 15-1 AE) to force overtime.

“That was the number one team,” sophomore guard Jordan Reed said. “It definitely gives me

motivation that we can knock anybody off.”

Reed, who joined Anthony Green and Greer Wright as the only Bearcats to eclipse the 30-point threshold twice in a career, finished with 30 points and 14 rebounds. He split a pair of foul shots with 24 seconds remaining in regulation, tying the game at 76 but failing to take the lead.

One possession earlier, Yacob had missed a 3-pointer that would have handed Binghamton a fivepoint lead.

“It felt like the best shot I took the entire night,” said Yacob, who finished with 22 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the field. “I really thought it was going in. It rattled out. It happens.”

Reed fouled out just 40 seconds into overtime, joining four other disqualified Bearcats.

Down by two points, Reed made contact with Vermont senior forward Brian Voelkel coming around a screen.

“It was disappointing to call an off-the-ball foul on a guy that’s having a game like that when it doesn’t affect a scoring play.

We didn’t get the ball from it,” Dempsey said. “To me, you don’t foul out the best player. I wouldn’t expect them to foul out [Vermont senior guard Sandro] Carissimo or Voelkel on a play like that, and I wouldn’t expect them to foul out my guy on a play like that.”

The referees whistled 65 fouls in the game, which resulted in a Binghamton record 95 free throw attempts between the two teams and disrupted the contest’s rhythm.

Kendall Loh/Photo Editor

Sophomore guard Jordan Reed dropped 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against first-place Vermont on Sunday afternoon.

“One thing I can say is it was “I’m excited about where consistent at least,” Reed said we are. I’m having a lot of fun of the game’s officiating. “It was coaching this team and going to both ways, you know. As long as it’s both ways, it’s good with Jordan Reed, and I’m sure it’s BU vs. Hartford good with coach Dempsey.”

Despite the loss, Dempsey, DATE Reed and Yacob were in high March 8 spirits in the post-game press conference. The Bearcats have LOCATION peaked at the optimal time, winning three of their last six SEFCU Arena regular-season games. Even in the losses, Binghamton has hung TIME with the top three teams in the 8:30 p.m. conference.

practice every day and getting ready,” Dempsey said. “I’m excited about the conference

tournament. I’m excited to go back to work tomorrow and prepare for it.”

BU vs. Vermont

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Binghamton falls in double overtime

BU doomed to bottom seed with loss, set to take on conference-leader Albany in playoffs Ashley Purdy

Assistant Sports Editor

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Senior guard Vaneeshia Paulk recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds on Saturday.

While its win on Wednesday lifted it from the bottom of the conference momentarily, the Binghamton women’s basketball team slunk back into last place after a loss in its regular-season closer on Saturday. The contest was closely fought, extending into two overtime periods before UMBC (4-24, 3-13 America East) managed to secure its victory at the Events Center, 66-60.

The defeat seals the Bearcats (524, 2-14 AE) into the eighth seed for the conference tournament, meaning that they will face topseeded Albany on Friday.

“Obviously tough loss. Especially for the four seniors playing their final home game, it would have been nice to get this one,” BU head coach Nicole Scholl said. “But basketball’s not over with yet. We’ve got next week with the conference tournament and at that point, you know we say this over and over again but it is true, you’re back to zero and zero and it’s kind of a start for a new season.”

For at least one senior, however, her last regular-season contest bore a silver lining. Senior guard Vaneeshia Paulk followed up her strong performance against Hartford, in which she recorded a career-high 24 points, with her first career double-double off of 18 points and 13 rebounds. But to Paulk, those numbers mean little.

“It feels good to go out like that, but we still came up short with the loss,” Paulk said. “Stats really don’t matter because at the end of the game, it’s still a loss.”

Paulk was disappointed in her late-game performance, knowing that if she had capitalized on her opportunities, her team could have been singing to a more cheerful

tune.

“I should have knocked down free throws; I know in the last couple of seconds I may have missed three or four free throws, and I feel like I should have knocked those down and we wouldn’t have even been in this situation,” Paulk said.

Junior guard Janelle Saling proved a crucial component of the Retriever offense, knocking down 16 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc.

“I thought we hit some early shots, gained some confidence, then they came back at us and they made some key shots — they had a key 3-pointer that kind of hurt us there at the end, I think from [Saling],” Scholl said. “We were there, but you know hands down, and that’s what she does — she shoots the three. So it was frustrating, a couple of things didn’t fall for us when we needed them to.”

With their offensive output minimal, shooting just 17.4 percent on 4-of-23 shooting in the first 16 minutes, the Bearcats struggled as the Retrievers built a cushion that extended to 11 points at its peak (19-8). But with the clock winding down and halftime looming near, BU’s cylinders began to fire.

Contributions from senior forward Julia Barac, freshman guard Kristin Ross and Paulk pulled the score to 21-17 at the half.

After the buzzer, BU came out strong in the first five minutes, knotting the score at 24 before the Retrievers managed to build their lead back up, holding an 11-point

advantage with just 6:20 to go.

Paulk personally narrowed that gap with six points off a trey and some free throws before sophomore guard Morgan Murphy stepped in and closed it to two. From there, the Bearcats didn’t allow UMBC to slip away again, and regulation concluded with both teams at 44.

In the first overtime period, BU jumped out to a lead that was as large as six due in large part to Murphy, but the Retrievers rallied back to end the period at an even 54.

With Murphy fouled out, the second overtime period opened, and UMBC crept ahead for good. Two threes and six downed from the charity stripe granted the Retrievers their lead, whereas the Bearcats’ inability to convert on their opportunities left them in the rear.

The deciding factor of the Bearcats’ dwindling success came from the deep. “[Saling’s] hitting deep-range 3-pointers. I feel like we kind of sagged down when she came out in over time and hit the three. We didn’t know how to respond to that,” Paulk said.

Next up for BU is the quarterfinals round of the AE Championships, which will be hosted by the twotime reigning champs, Albany (254, 15-1 AE). The Great Danes had played undefeated in conference matchups until Saturday, when second-seed Stony Brook robbed them of their record through a 6656 upset.

Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Friday at the SEFCU Arena in Albany, N.Y.

BU vs. UMBC

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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

BU braces for Albany

Page 15

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Reed hitting stride After January slump, Reed in midst of hottest stretch of career Ari Kramer Sports Editor

The relationship between Tommy Dempsey and Jordan Reed has waxed and waned this year, but on Sunday, the head coach sent a message loud and clear to the America East.

“Let’s be honest, there’s not a guy in the league that is a better player than Jordan Reed right now,” Dempsey said after the Binghamton men’s basketball team’s 92-82 loss to Vermont.

“What he’s been able to do late in this season and how we’ve been able to grow as a team through his growth as a player, nobody is playing better.”

In the middle of January, Dempsey would not have uttered even a backhanded compliment to his star player and the conference’s top rebounder.

Reed’s energy and preparation levels did not meet Dempsey’s standards in Binghamton’s Jan. 15 loss at Stony Brook, and the second-year coach suspended the second-year player for one game as a consequence.

Even after the suspension, Reed needed a few games to acclimate back into the lineup. Then he embarked on a tear unmatched by any other America East player.

In Binghamton’s last seven games, Reed averaged 21 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.6 steals.

He committed 3.7 turnovers per game, but with freshman forward Nick Madray sidelined and freshman guard Marlon Beck II mired in a shooting slump for a few outings, Binghamton needed the ball in Reed’s hands to remain competitive.

And the Bearcats competed at a level they hadn’t sustained in years.

They won three of those seven games, the

only losses coming either by single digits or in overtime. In their previous 75 games, they had won just nine times.

Without Reed’s most dominant 12-minute stretch of his career, Binghamton would not have come back to force overtime at Hartford. The Bearcats can also thank Reed for the near upset of Vermont, the regular-season champion.

In those two games, the sophomore averaged 31.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, becoming the third Bearcat to notch a pair of 30-point games in a career. He shot 50 percent from the field and 3-point range and 87.5 percent from the foul line.

The conference rewarded him with the season’s final America East Player of the Week honors. Dempsey hopes more accolades will fall into Reed’s hands.

“One thing I just want to say is I hope people realize how good Jordan Reed is right now, how good he’s been playing,” Dempsey said, “because I know the league votes are coming out, and I’m worried that he’s not going to end up on the first team.”

Reed had a few duds — only one outside his mid-January doldrums — but the 6-foot-4 guard led the America East with 9.1 rebounds per game (conference play only). He also ranked third in points (15.4 ppg) and fourth in steals (1.5 spg).

Only Hartford junior forward Mark Nwakamma posted a higher usage rate (31 percent) and offensive rating (101.1) than Reed’s 28.1 percent and 99.4.

The criteria for award winners are subjective — there’s no set formula. By pure statistics, Reed should be on the all-conference first team.

But several other America East players could

find favor in coaches’ eyes.

UMass Lowell senior guard Akeem Williams topped the scoring chart (17.4 ppg in AE play) and carried his team to eight league wins in its inaugural Division I season. He should be a unanimous first teamer.

Vermont, which lived up to its preseason hype and snagged the regular-season title, will boast at least one first-teamer. Senior guard Sandro Carissimo and senior forwards Clancy Rugg and Brian Voelkel are the candidates out of Burlington.

Then there’s sophomore forward Jameel Warney and senior guards Dave Coley and Anthony Jackson, who led Stony Brook to a second-place finish. Warney’s a virtual lock, and viable arguments can be made for Coley and Jackson, whose numbers would be gaudier playing for almost any other America East team.

Nwakamma also can’t be overlooked after averaging 13.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in conference play and leading Hartford to the No. 3 seed.

Do the math — that’s at least eight players that coaches could consider first-teamers over Reed. There are five spots on the squad.

Reed earned all-conference third team honors as a freshman — “It drove me crazy,” Reed said in October. At least one coach thinks Reed deserves more in year two.

“I still think he’s the most talented player in this league,” Dempsey said, “and I’ll be really disappointed if he doesn’t end up on the first team.”

Pick up Friday’s issue of Pipe Dream for our all-conference awards and America East tournament preview.

Garn breaks four-minute mile mark

Junior middle distance runner second athlete in program history to reach milestone Erik Bacharach

Assistant Sports Editor Even when Jesse Garn was just a freshman, his coaches saw this coming a mile away.

On Sunday afternoon, the junior middle distance runner became the second Binghamton University athlete in program history to break the four-minute mile. His time of 3:59.37 at the Boston University Last Chance Meet earned him first place and put him beside Erik van Ingen as the only other Binghamton runner to cross the finish line in under four minutes.

“We knew right away as a freshman that Jesse had a really bright future,” Binghamton assistant coach Annette Acuff said. “It’s been in the works the last two and a half years, working with him to develop.”

Shattering the four-minute mile was certainly atop Garn’s list of goals this season, but earning the victory on Sunday carried an even greater significance in his mind.

“To break it is certainly a huge accomplishment for myself and for the program as well,” Garn said. “It was even more surreal that I won the race on top of making my mark.

It was just a good feeling all around, even though I threw up for probably an hour afterward.”

Villanova’s Robert Denault was the runner-up on Sunday with a time

of 3:59.52. Despite the fraction of a second difference between Garn’s and Denault’s finishes, Acuff said the lack of disparity between the two times is misleading.

“The results are kind of deceiving because it looks like it was [Garn] and [Denault] the whole time,” Acuff said.

“But Jesse was probably a good 20 meters ahead of [Denault] going into the last 400. [Garn] started to tighten up a little bit in the last 100 meters or so, and so [Denault] had a chance there to close the gap there but Jesse was able to hold him off.”

Garn’s time is the 18th-fastest at the NCAA Division I level this season. While only the top 16 clocked times that qualify for the NCAA Championships on March 13-14 at the University of New Mexico, Garn still has a chance to earn a spot when the final list is revealed tonight if five of the top 16 performers don’t declare entrance in the event in order to focus on another one at the NCAA meet.

Van Ingen, a former four-time All-American, was Binghamton’s first runner to break the four-minute mile. His time of 3:59.41 at the 2010 Penn State National Open was the first of three instances in which van Ingen would post a time under four minutes. At the 2012 Millrose Games, he finished with a program-best time of 3:56.37.

As a senior, van Ingen left a

meaningful impression on thenfreshman Garn. Racking up accolades and posting record-setting times with each passing meet, van Ingen was a natural role model for Garn.

Acuff said she knew from the get-go that the potential was there, and with van Ingen serving as an example of what a runner could accomplish in the Binghamton green and white, it was only a matter of time before Garn found similar success. “[Garn] was fortunate to come in at a really good time,” Acuff said. “When Erik van Ingen was graduating, I think that really kind of set the stage for him. Going forward and seeing what Erik was able to accomplish throughout his career certainly created a great vision for Jesse and for our program over for the next few years to come.”

Regardless of whether or not Garn qualifies for the NCAAs, he’ll still have an opportunity to race this weekend, as the Bearcats are scheduled to compete at the ECAC/IC4A Indoor Championships at Boston University.

No matter where Garn races next, his goal will remain the same.

“Qualifying [for the NCAAs] would definitely be the icing on the cake. It’s been my biggest goal this season,” Garn said. “But whether it’s at the NCAAs or IC4As, I’m always just trying to improve my time.

There’s always room to improve.”

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