Spring 2014 Issue 12

America East tournament preview Features on Binghamton, UVM, Lowell and Hartford, See B1

PIPE DREAM Friday, March 7, 2014 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXV, Issue 12

BU faculty clash in cook-off challenge

SA hears groups' grievances

Decker Nightingales win with brussel sprout recipe Joseph Hawthorne News Intern

Faculty from across campus served up their very best Wednesday night in an amateur cooking competition between departments at Binghamton University.

For nearly two hours, teams from various schools and facilities sliced, diced and cooked meals from designated ingredients — including salmon, sweet potatoes and

We decided it was time to ... get the administration involved in some of the things we do on campus —John Enright Director of Resident Dining

even Cinnamon Toast Crunch — to serve to three judges from the Student Culinary Council (SCC). The panel of judges included two students and Director of Auxiliary Services Peter Napolitano.

Sodexo dining halls have hosted cooking competitions for years between students or chefs.

This contest featured faculty representing Binghamton Athletics, the Decker School of Nursing, the Anderson Center, Residential Life and University Center for Training and Development.

“We’ve run this event now for five years, and we decided it was time to involve the academic world and it would be better to get the administration involved in some of the things we do on campus,” said John Enright, director of resident dining.

Starting at 5 p.m., teams began preparing their meals, and after the first 30 minutes, they began to present their meals to the judges.

Presentations were done in

See FOOD Page A4

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer Student Association E-Board members listen to student concerns in Wednesday’s Town Hall Forum, following Monday’s Student Congress meeting. The forum gave student groups the opportunity to air their concerns with Executive Board members regarding SA legislations and procedures.

Students bring up budgets, OCCT buses at Town Hall Forum Davina Bhandari

Assistant News Editor

Wednesday’s Student Association Town Hall Forum gave student groups the opportunity to air their concerns with Executive Board

members regarding SA legislation and procedures.

The forum came out of the SA’s desire to increase transparency between themselves and student groups. Many of the proposed plans involved increased student engagement throughout

Bitcoin anonymity may be limited Pace Law professor talks digital currencies

philosophy, politics and law.

Following brief introductions involving positional duties and recent accomplishments, E-Board members offered up their plans for the semester. Students in attendance

See FORUM Page A6

Entrepreneur shares stories

Dan Mori gives business advice to ELC students

Carla Sinclair

Brendan Zarkower

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Tech-savvy students at Binghamton University may have a new way to earn some coin.

David Cohen, a professor at Pace University School of Law, gave a short lecture Tuesday explaining the basics, risks and benefits behind Bitcoin, the online currency.

Bitcoin is a decentralized virtual currency, or a DVC, meaning it is not controlled by any government entity and that its value is stored entirely on people’s computers in digital “wallets.”

Developed in 2009 by the recently identified Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin has been

Binghamton University.

“We are a unified force that is prepared and excited about what we’ve done and about what we’re planning to do,” said Samson Widerman, executive vice president of the SA E-Board and a senior double-majoring in English and

Tycho McManus/Staff Photographer

David Cohen, professor at Pace University School of Law, gives a short lecture explaining the basics, risks and benefits behind the online currency Bitcoin. Bitcoin, a decentralized virtual currency, or a DVC as Cohen refers to it, is not controlled by any government entity, and its value is stored entirely on people’s computers in digital “wallets.”

praised for its anonymous qualities and ability to function without banks. However, Cohen noted that Bitcoin isn’t foolproof.

“The risks and costs of bitcoins are not negligible,” Cohen said.

“The anonymity falls apart once you reach the intermediate party.”

Cohen’s main objection to Bitcoin was that its anonymity only works within the Bitcoin system itself. No one can track

In an effort to inspire students, Dickinson Community’s Entrepreneurship Learning Community (ELC) invited a local entrepreneur to share his experiences in the world of business.

Dan Mori, founder of the Elmira-based recruitment

agency Employment Solutions, spoke in the Old University Union Thursday night to a room full of potential student entrepreneurs about his own rise to success.

“Entrepreneurship is what drives the world’s economic growth,” said Nathaniel Kiff, one of the organizers of the event and a sophomore majoring in management.

See ELC Page A6

when someone pays another Bitcoin user directly in bitcoins for a good or service. However, if someone cashes in his or her

See BIT Page A2

Organizations protest 'Killer Coke'

Groups seek to remove Coca-Cola products from campus Margaret-Rose Roazzi

Students Organizing Against Reynolds (SOAR) and Corporate Campaign, Inc. (CCI) say CocaCola is a killer.

While most people consider SOAR and CCI will be hosting drinking soda to be unhealthy, a presentation titled “For a Contributing Writer

Reynolds- and Coke-Free SUNY company that works with the Binghamton Campus” Thursday Coca-Cola Company. to raise awareness about the The event is part of the work conditions for employees CCI’s “Campaign to Stop Killer of the Coca-Cola Company and Reynolds Group, a packaging See COLA Page A6

Janine Furtado/Assistant Photo Editor

Dan Mori, founder of the Elmira-based recruitment agency Employment Solutions, speaks in the Old Union Thursday night to a room full of potential BU entrepreneurs. The event was part of the fledgling Entrepreneurship Learning Community, which is a 30-person living/learning community in Dickinson’s Johnson Hall.

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NEWS

Cure on the catwalk

Fashion show raises over $5000 for breast cancer awareness Pellle Waldron

Contributing Writer Binghamton University students struck poses to strike back against breast cancer at the sixth annual Fashion for a Cure.

The fashion show raised $5,173 for Sharsheret, a nonprofit organization that promotes awareness and offers support to women battling breast cancer. The foundation focuses on Jewish women of Ashkenazi (German/Eastern European) descent, who have a heightened risk of hereditary breast cancer. Chabad and sororities Sigma Delta Tau and Eta Zeta sponsored the fashion show, in participation with the Fashion Club, according to the pamphlet.

The theme of the show was “seasons of the year,” and featured various women walking the runway in outfits representing different months of the year. A cappella group Harpur Harpeggios performed for an audience of close to 400 at

the Chabad Center, in addition to monologues about cancer from the Sharsheret website and speeches by members of the community who have had personal experiences with breast cancer.

Donning outfits from their own wardrobe, 24 students walked in the show, two representing each month, as hosts commented on the attire.

This year’s Fashion for a Cure hosted members of the local community, including volunteer speakers who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Sandra Paston, a resident of Binghamton who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, said her experience at the event was a good one.

“I’m glad to see so many young women here,” Paston said. “They really need to be aware of breast cancer and just understand that it doesn’t have to be really scary.”

Rivkah Slonim, education director at the Chabad Center

and one of the event organizers, said that in addition to camaraderie and bonding, the night was also about raising awareness.

“It’s a very important issue that could potentially affect anyone in this room,” Slonim said. “They need to understand more about this issue that could affect their lives.”

According to Elyse Aufrichtig, a member of Sigma Delta Tau, besides raising money for Sharsheret, Fashion for a Cure also affects the mindset of the student body at BU. “I thought they did a great job for a great cause,” said Aufrichtig, a freshman majoring in marketing. “I think on campus it’s just encouraging people to be more aware of their bodies, and to also help people know what’s out there.”

“So many people come for this,” said Kira Busman, one of the evening’s hosts and a senior double-majoring in history and human development. “For

females it really unites us; different sororities, different walks of life, people who aren’t even involved in clubs are here.

That’s amazing.”

Students like Arianne Storch, an undeclared sophomore, said that Chabad and Sharsheret were the main incentives for coming.

“I’m a big fan of Chabad,” Storch said. “Sharsheret is a really important organization, I wanted to come out and support them.”

Taylor Gudowitz, one of the event organizers, said that the main goals of the event were to raise awareness and allow students who may have been affected by breast cancer to come together and learn more about the disease.

“Sharsheret is huge on support systems for the community,” Gudowitz said.

“We’re all affected by this so we can all relate to this on some level.”

Raquel Panitz and Dassie Hirschfield/Contributing Photographers

400 students packed into the Chabad Center Thursday evening for the sixth annual Fashion for a Cure event, raising money and awareness for breast cancer. The fashion show raised $5,173 for Sharsheret, a nonprofit organization that promotes awareness and offers support to women battling the disease.

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

PAGE III Friday, March 7, 2014

Pipe Line

Sweet dreams are made of these

Local Coalition formed to promote NY gas drilling A new coalition of labor groups, farmers, landowners and businesses from New York counties along the Pennsylvania border is calling on state officials to lift the nearly 6-yearold moratorium on shale gas development. Binghamton attorney Scott Kurkoski says Monday that the coalition called Southern Tier Residents for Economic Independence favors well-regulated, responsible development of natural gas resources. The coalition is similar in makeup to the nowdefunct Clean Growth Now, formed several years ago for the same purpose. Kurkoski says the group will give a voice to residents of the Southern Tier who favor gas drilling and serve as a counterpoint to opposition groups that he says are based outside the Marcellus Shale gas region. He says the coalition believes natural gas drilling offers an economic lifeline in a depressed region.

Summer dig planned for NY Revolutionary War site An archaeological team from Binghamton University will excavate a Revolutionary War battle site located on a hill where a businessman wants to build a mine. The Post-Star of Glens Falls reports that the archaeologists will conduct excavations this summer on Battle Hill in the Washington County town of Fort Ann, near the Vermont border 55 miles northeast of Albany. Continental Army troops and British redcoats fought the Battle of Fort Anne on the hill in July 1777. The redcoats won but were defeated three months later at the Battle of Saratoga. A Connecticut businessman owns property on the hill and has applied to build a quarry there.

Officials and veterans in Fort Ann helped secure a federal battlefield protection grant to define and map where the battle lines were located during the engagement.

National NY man pleads guilty in NJ in alleged divorce ring A Brooklyn man has admitted to traveling to New Jersey to coerce a Jewish man to give his wife a religious divorce — called a ‘get’ — through threats of violence. The U.S. attorney’s office says David Hellman pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Trenton. Prosecutors say the 31-year-old personal trainer was part of an alleged plot involving several men, including two rabbis, which arranged religious divorces through torture and kidnapping. The men were arrested in October 2013 in an undercover operation involving an FBI agent posing as a woman trying to get a divorce, who contacted the rabbis. According to court filings, one rabbi spoke about forcing compliance through “tough guys.”

Hellman is facing up to 20 years in prison at his June 12 sentencing.

GE: Hudson River dredging to be complete in 2015 General Electric Co. expects dredging of the upper Hudson River to be complete in 2015. The Fairfield, Conn.based company says Thursday it intends to begin a fifth season of dredging for PCBs under the federal Superfund project in May, weather permitting. That would leave one more season of dredging in 2015 and an additional year of habitat planting and reconstruction. GE agreed with the Environmental Protection Agency to remove PCBs from a 40-mile stretch of river at a cost regulators estimate will be about $2 billion. Until 1977, GE discharged into the river about 1.3 million pounds of PCBs, which were used as coolants in electrical equipment. GE says it will have to build a shoreline support area to dredge a stretch of river that cannot be reached by boat.

John Babich/Contributing Photographer

Rebecca Robbins, co-author of the book “Sleep for Success!,” speaks about her research on the relationship between sleep and performance. According to Robbins, only 9 percent of students get a quality night’s sleep.

Police Watch A lighter take on campus crime

Stoner Ghosts TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2:57 p.m. — Officers responded to O’Connor Hall in Dickinson Community due to a drug complaint, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The resident assistant who called the police led them to the door where the smell of what seemed to be marijuana was coming from. The officers knocked, but no one answered. The officers then got the names of the residents of the room from the RA staff. The case will now be handled by Residential Life.

The fashion game here is cutthroat TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 7:52 p.m. — Officers responded to Dickinson due to reports of harassment, Reilly said. The victim, a 19-year-old female, stated that her flatmate, another 19-year-old female, has been annoying and alarming her. The suspect allegedly kicks and slams her door and punches her wall when she gets angry. Also, when the victim brings friends over to her flat, the suspect reportedly taunts them and tells them that if they ever try to enter the BU fashion show, she will “fix them.” The suspect denied all allegations made about her but did admit that she is an excitable person who sometimes slaps tables and walls when she is angry. Officers advised the two to stay away from each other as much as possible in order to avoid any further confrontations.

This Day in History Corrections In an article in the March 4 issue of Pipe Dream titled “Student Congress debates censures,” Bryan Delacruz was incorrectly referred to as Cruz.

The article also misstated Madjeen Garcon’s position in the Black Student Union, as well as her complaint with the Student Association. She is vice president, not president, and her grievance was about a contract, not a voucher. stabilizing: Grilled Cheese

March 7, 1876

Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for his invention, the telephone.

Puking in a cab: priceless. Also it’s $50.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 12:35 a.m. — A cab driver pulled up to the University Information Booth by the main entrance to campus with an intoxicated passenger, Reilly said. The cab driver wanted the booth attendant to contact University Police due to his 19-year-old female passenger. Officers arrived and saw the passenger passed out in the backseat with vomit on the floor of the cab. The driver did not care whether or not the victim paid the fare; he only wanted her to get out of the cab and to get help. Officers called Harpur’s Ferry and after they evaluated the victim, they transferred her to Binghamton General Hospital.

“Any discussion about the future of Ukraine must include the legitimate government of Ukraine. We are well beyond the days when borders can be redrawn over the heads of democratically elected leaders.”

U.S. President Barack Obama on Russia’s invasion of Ukrainee

In General:destabilizing

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NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

Vendors distribute samples in dining hall

Ryan Gyanchand/ Contributing Photographer

Contestants featuring faculty from Binghamton Athletics, the Decker School of Nursing and several other University departments compete in the Academic Culinary Challenge Wednesday evening in the Appalachian Collegiate Center. For nearly two hours, teams from various schools and facilities sliced, diced and cooked meals from designated ingredients, including salmon, sweet potatoes and even Cinnamon Toast Crunch, to serve to three judges from the Student Culinary Council (SCC).

FOOD continued from Page A1 five-minute increments, after which teams would begin working on their second course.

Each team had a variety of supplies available to them, but they were required to use a

rack of lamb, salmon, Brussels sprouts, pecans, green Tabasco sauce and Cinnamon Toast Crunch in their meals.

According to Mitchell LaRosa, one of the judges and a freshman majoring in history, the teams were competitive and the scores were close, but

one team was the clear favorite.

“The food was great and pretty much all the teams were within a few points of one another,” LaRosa said.

“But hands down the Decker Nightingales stuck out.”

While teams like Bearcatitude, the Athletics

Department and the Anderson Center came close with dishes such as Jail Island Kabobs and crusted salmon, the chefs from Decker had an advantage that proved unbeatable.

“I love to make Brussels sprouts, Fran (another chef) normally cooks fish and lamb

and we all put our experience together to make some really great food,” said Margaret Decker, a professor from the School of Nursing.

The Decker chefs won a free catered lunch for up to 15 members of their department.

In collaboration with

the contest, nearly a dozen representatives from food companies, including InFusion, McCain, Lomac Associates and Lupo’s, provided free samples at the event to test possible options to introduce in the dining halls. The samples included cheeses, yogurt, olive oil and chili, among others.

Enright said that he would meet individually with every company representative to find popular new food options.

“I have a synopsis with each of the vendors, and we talk about student feedback — if there was good feedback, bad feedback and what students would like to see on campus,” Enright said.

Enright said there would be no direct input from students to Sodexo staff, but that the vendors would report on student reactions. Despite this, Enright said there was no reason for the vendors to be dishonest.

“If they want to keep a good relationship with us on campus, then they’re going to want to bring something to campus that sells,” Enright said. “So it’s really not productive to them to bring something they know isn’t popular.”

LaRosa said he thought the decision to exclude students from the process was strange.

“It is odd to look for opinion of students, but not to ask them directly since they are the ones that are eating this on a daily basis,” LaRosa said.

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www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

BU PhD student wins award Prof. bursts Bitcoin bubble Mohan Lal named New Face of Engineering Alex Mackof and Jennifer Kim

Contributing Writers Doctoral student in the Watson School of Engineering and research assistant at Mayo Clinic, Tarun Mohan Lal recently received the New Faces of Engineering Award.

DiscoverE’s New Faces of Engineering Awards aims to promote the accomplishments of young engineers by highlighting their contributions and impact on society. Engineers 30 years old or younger who have showcased their abilities on projects in the hopes for public welfare or further professional development are eligible for the award.

Lal earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering at Manipal University and master’s degree at Texas A&M University, and he is a doctoral candidate at Binghamton University studying systems science and industrial engineering.

While Lal studied engineering, he said he was passionate about medical work.

“As a kid, I always wanted to be a doctor; however my aptitude for math led me toward engineering,” Lal wrote in an email.

Prior to coming to BU,

Lal said was discouraged because he did not know how he could incorporate industrial engineering into the medical field. However, his opinions changed when he took a class on health care engineering with Mohammad T. Khasawneh.

Lal said Khasawneh, a professor in the systems science and industrial engineering department, encouraged him to continue with both health care and industrial engineering.

“Coming from a family that has very few engineers, I was heavily dependent on mentors, professors and colleagues for guiding me through my career progression,” Lal wrote.

At BU, Lal worked as a teaching assistant for classes like Operations Research, and said that this opportunity allowed him to build a community with both graduate and undergraduate students.

Lal said he found interest in other aspects of industrial engineering as well.

“I realized I enjoyed leading teams on a small scale, and it seemed like industrial engineering combined the ability to put pieces together, look at things from a holistic perspective and build on those management skills,” Lal wrote. “It’s the opportunity to be able to apply holistic approach to solve problems

and have a progression to take management roles that drove to me towards industrial engineering.”

Lal said he’s interested in continuing his work, inspiring younger engineers and changing the health care system in the United States.

“I want to continue a career in healthcare and eventually take roles where I reengineer the healthcare in U.S. to meet the vision of healthcare for all,” Lal wrote. “This cannot be done by one person — it needs to be a team effort. Instead, it takes everybody having enough knowledge to accept, adapt and lead such projects, hence I want to educate everyone from patients to providers to work towards this vision.”

Lal is a senior health services analyst at Mayo Clinic, where he focuses on the use of advanced analytics for surgical and patient scheduling in hopes for improved patient experience at reduced costs.

After winning the award, Lal said he hopes other engineers may pursue goals similar to his own.

“This award now gives me the ability to inspire young engineers through their career transitions and helps them make the world a better place,” Lal wrote.

BIT continued from Page A1

bitcoins for U.S. dollars or Euros, he or she is very vulnerable to being tracked, taxed or hacked, creating incentive to keep the currency online only. The current exchange rate is $633.90/bitcoin, and it has been as high as $1200/ bitcoin.

“The Bitcoin exchanges are the weak links in this process,” Cohen said. “There is no licensing process.

There’s a risk for theft and loss.

You’re going to give them your personal information, passport, driver’s license. It’s dangerous dealing in an unregulated area.”

Cohen said he does see significant benefits to Bitcoin, like a reduction in transaction costs that results from the elimination of intermediaries like banks in financial transactions. The role of banks is replaced with algorithms that are processed across a peer-topeer network, costing users little to no money.

“Bitcoin reduces transaction costs that otherwise hurt many people, including immigrants

who are trying to send money back home,” Cohen said. “In Kenya, there is a virtual currency in use organized by their telecom provider. A substantial piece of their transactions are in this currency.”

According the Cohen, the World Bank is considering if it is feasible to encourage the use of bitcoins by immigrants in order to significantly reduce the cost of sending money to their families back home. Sending money through companies like Western Union could cost another 10 percent of the amount to send.

Cohen says that this reduction of transaction fees is making Bitcoin unpopular for banks and politicians who benefit from the traditional currency system.

“Banks are actively lobbying to make these digital virtual currencies illegal,” Cohen said.

“The banks will lose a tremendous amount of money in transaction fees. They are the big losers with Bitcoin.”

Cohen sees the future of Bitcoin as fairly bright, though he offers no predictions. He did speculate

that other currencies will attempt to replace Bitcoin’s dominance even though Bitcoin benefits from the first-mover advantage.

Many students in the crowd came into the presentation with a lot of knowledge on the subject.

Some already owned bitcoins.

“It’s good to have a presentation like this because a lot of people don’t know anything about Bitcoin even with all the recent media coverage,” said Jason Oravec, a junior majoring in management.

“We have invested a good amount of money into Bitcoin mining, and if we cashed out now, we would more than break even.”

Cohen clarified during his presentation that the points he has made do not only address Bitcoin, but all digital currencies including Litecoin, Dogecoin or whatever new cryptocurrency gains traction in the future.

The event was organized jointly by the economics department, the Harpur Dean’s Office and the prelaw department. The organizers said they were pleased with the turnout of about 50 people at the event.

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www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

Entrepeneur shares advice with BU Rogers to speak on Coca-Cola Co. ELC continued from Page A1

“Every Fortune 500 company had to start with someone, and that someone is an entrepreneur.”

Mori told students about his experiences in starting, running and acquiring businesses, and the lessons he learned throughout. His talk covered topics from advice on how to fire a partner’s aunt, to the keys to getting into an entrepreneurial enterprise.

“I know you hear it all the time, but I swear it’s not a cliche: You need to know why you want to get into the business,” Mori said. “Why you want to do it, and it can’t be about the dollars and cents; it has to be something rooted in you. Or when the tough time comes — and it will come — it’ll be knocked right out of you.”

Mori attributed this success to being open to criticism, creating a positive environment for his workers and keeping ethically sound.

“I’m going to build a company that people love coming to work at. They can come and pursue a passion and love work every day,” he said. “When you build your company, win with your people. You gotta lose with your people, too, but let them know their efforts are the ones building your company with you.”

The event was part of the fledgling Entrepreneurship Learning Community, which is a 30-person living/learning community in Dickinson’s Johnson Hall that was started

COLA continued from Page A1

Janine Furtado/Asst. Photo Editor

Founder of the Elmira-based recruitment agency Employment Solutions, Dan Mori speaks to students Thursday evening in the Old Union. Mori told stories about his rise to success and fielded questions from students.

in the fall 2013 semester. The ELC serves to elicit dialogue and ideas about business and entrepreneurship.

“If people who are all interested in entrepreneurship live together, it’s easier for them to talk, brainstorm and come up with new ideas,” said ELC vice president Joseph Lee, a freshman majoring in computer science.

Kiff said he invited Mori for his acumen in the community’s specialization.

“Dan wants to touch on his experiences and teach the attendees about what he views is extremely vital to entrepreneurship,” Kiff said.

“I chose to do this through Dickinson’s ELC program because it is a brand-new residence module that

consists of approximately 30 students who have a strong desire to learn about entrepreneurship.”

Kevin Dutton, a member of ELC, said he found the event helpful.

“I thought the presentation was really insightful,” said Dutton, a junior majoring in political science. “It was nice to have a successful entrepreneur get up there and just tell his story; it was much more personal than reading off of a PowerPoint like a lot of people do. As someone with potential business ideas myself, it was really nice to see that there are CEOs out there who remain dedicated to encouraging the art of entrepreneurship.”

Every Fortune 500 company had to start with someone, and that someone is an entrepreneur —Dan Mori Founder of Employment Solutions

Coke,” an effort to boycott both companies on the Binghamton University campus.

Ray Rogers, the founder of CCI, will speak at the event.

Rogers became involved in movements against the CocaCola Company after hearing claims that Coca-Cola kidnaps, tortures and murders leaders of unions in factories that supply to the Coca-Cola Company as well as their families.

Rogers said that the company itself operates in an illegal and unjust manner.

“The Coca-Cola Company operates like a criminal syndicate with impunity,” Rogers said.

“They’ve operated like that in the past, and they’re operating like that now, and any university that has Coca-Cola corrode its system like the University of Binghamton really has a major corporate criminal that they’re promoting on their campus.”

Lili Cisneros, a Pactiv Corporation employee, said the conditions were unfair. “[The boss of Pactiv] only thinks about his product, not the people making the product,” Cisneros said. “After we started to organize against these conditions, the boss singled us out. He began to fire the ‘troublemakers.’ They just threw us out after so many years working at the factory, after they sucked all our blood.”

The organization has had several successes in trying to kick Coca-Cola off college campuses. Following talks with school officials, CCI worked to make sure the contract between Stony Brook University and the Coca-Cola Company would not be renewed. Their most recent victory was at the City University of New York, which also removed Coca-Cola from their dining halls and vending machines.

SOAR, a New York Citybased organization, formed

in 2012 to call for the end of mandatory overtime, workplace discrimination and unionbusting in the Reynolds Group and its subsidiary, Pactiv Corporation.

One member of SOAR at BU, Kai Wen Yang, noted that problems affecting factory workers have tangible impacts on recent graduates as well.

“I joined SOAR because I agree with what SOAR is calling for, which is the end of mandatory overtime, or forced overtime works,” said Yang, a doctoral student studying sociology.

“Mandatory overtime and long working hours are not just issues of immigrant workers, but also issues that face graduating college students who are looking for a job — if they don’t have one already — and by students who are taking up internship positions. Many interns are working long hours with no pay.

To end mandatory overtime is to say that students, as workers, should also have the right to control their working hours.”

SOAR most recently held a protest at Walmart on Vestal Parkway in 2012. Since Walmart purchases products from the Reynolds Group, SOAR wrote thousands of letters to Walmart asking them to boycott the company. When they received no answer, they held the protest in Binghamton.

Rogers said the University’s association with the Coca-Cola Company and Reynolds Group makes the University itself seem corrupt.

“The culture that [the CocaCola Company and Reynolds Group] represent is corruption and a violation of human rights, and no University should want to be associated with that,” Rogers said. “I give the students and faculty members that get involved so much credit when they raise these issues.”

SA e-board hears complaints from groups FORUM continued from Page A1 posed questions to the SA, first anonymously on index cards and then openly in response to answered questions.

Student concern centered largely on budgets and finances for individual student groups. Ravi Prakriya, the vice president for finance (VPF), addressed some of these concerns, acknowledging that while student groups need money, the SA can only provide so much.

“I empathize with all of you, but by empathizing with all of you I can help none of you. If everyone wants another $300, I need to have another $3 million,” said Prakriya, a junior double-majoring in finance and mathematics. “It’s everyone’s money. It’s my money, too, and you don’t get to spend my money unless your paperwork’s golden.”

One submission questioned the fairness of the VPF’s discretion on any group’s proper use of budget and on whether or not it is deserving of a certain amount of funding.

“Once you’re chartered, more often than not, your funding is a function of your efficiency,” Prakriya said.

He also addressed group missions, saying that if a group’s mission is entirely religious, for example, giving them public funds is against the law.

Prakriya also announced that Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) would be expanding this year’s bus fleet by five or six more buses.

Derrick Conyers, vice president for academic affairs, touched upon the University’s policy for repeating courses.

According to policies for most schools within the University, students can retake a failed course and have the new grade averaged into their GPA. However, if a student were to pass with a low grade and

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Student Association E-Board members listen to student concerns during Wednesday evening’s SA Town Hall Forum. The forum came out of the SA’s desire to increase transparency between themselves and student groups.

retake the course, the new grade would not be averaged into their GPA. While he said he has spoken with higher-ups to mandate a change, according to Conyers, many of his efforts have gone ignored by officials who won’t allow students to sit in on meetings regarding the policy.

“SOM actually did the opposite of what we asked … so I apologize for that,” Conyers said. “If it’s implemented, it’s going to be University-wide.”

Mariana Moriello, vice president for programming and a senior double-majoring

in anthropology and psychology, said the SA Programming Board has booked four artists for Spring Fling, and they’re looking to book two more.

Maria Ortiz, the president of Habitat for Humanity, said she was pleased with the SA allowing students to voice their concerns.

“It sort of bridged that disconnect between the SA and student groups on campus,” said Ortiz, a junior doublemajoring in political science and Spanish.

Alex Charen spoke on behalf of the girls’ club lacrosse team during the open Q&A, airing concerns about budgeting for

club sports. Prakriya responded, explaining that the SA budgets all club sports a fixed amount of money that is divided internally between the groups.

“The needs of a club sport are fairly separate from other SA groups, and we know the amount of money that can be given to club sports is limited so we do with it what we can,” said Charen, president of girls’ club lacrosse and a senior majoring in marketing.

Lucy Schwartz, the president of Chabad, said she believes that in the past, the SA has handled the concerns of her group well.

However, she expressed dissatisfaction with how the forum played out.

“Every time anyone asked a question, they were told why they were wrong,” said Schwartz, a senior majoring in English. “It felt more they were telling us there didn’t even need to be a discussion about our questions because they already knew the answers.”

The girls’ club lacrosse team brought the highest member turnout, winning the offered $150 prize.

Provided by Bertrand Langlois

Liam O’Malley | Contributing Writer

CURRENT BIGWIGS, FORMER BEARCATS

Flo from the Progressive commercials isn’t the only standard of greatness you have to measure up to after college.

In fact, there are quite a few lesser-known alumni who’ve done really amazing things in the entertainment industry.

Here are a few names you may have never heard of until now: » BRANDON GARDNER Brandon Gardner is an improvisor with Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB) in New York City, but he truly discovered his passion at Binghamton University. While attending from 2001-2005,

he discovered how important improv was to him.

“I joined Pappys in freshman year and loved it,” Gardner said. “When I first came here, I was thinking I was gonna be a PPL major and maybe go to law school, but I loved improv so much I changed my major and became a theatre major.”

Gardner directs, performs and writes at UCB, both at the theater in Manhattan and on the UCB TourCo. He recently made a return to Binghamton to perform during Parade Day. » MADELEINE SMITHBERG Madeleine Smithberg is the co-creator of one of Comedy Central’s longest-running

The big names in entertainment who you didn't realize were alumni Provided by "Subway: The Series"

shows, “The Daily Show.” Not only is she responsible for putting Jon Stewart on the air on a daily basis, but she also gave us Stephen Colbert and many other talented comedians who got their start on the show as correspondents. It’s thanks to her that we enjoy so much comedy today. » ART SPIEGELMAN Art Spiegelman is a wellknown American comic artist.

He’s known for creating the graphic novel “Maus,” which won a specially-created Pulitzer Special Award in Letters in 1992 and caused a lot of people to rethink the intellectual value of comics. Spiegelman was actually on the staff of Pipe Dream’s Fun Page during his time at BU. So next time you see some bizarre comic about talking cows or unicorns in there, just remember that person might be well on his or her way to literary greatness. » CAROL LEIFER Carol Leifer is a well-known stand-up comedian and writer who has appeared on “Late Night with David Letterman” a record 25 times. She majored in theatre at BU and has written multiple episodes of “Seinfeld,”

including “The Rye” and “The Lip Reader.” Her time on the show earned her the title “The Real Elaine” after the iconic character was partly inspired by her. The original Elaine dance could’ve been based off of a night at Tom & Marty’s, for all we know. » STAN! His full name is Stan Brown, and he’s known for working on multiple role-playing games like “Forgotten Realms” and “d20 Modern.” Now some would think role-playing games make you more nerdy than cool, but he changed his name to just “Stan!” He has a name that literally forces you to get excited. He has control over your emotions with just his name. This man is the world’s first Word Wizard. The amount of struggling he’s probably endured to make that name stick is unreal and deserves respect.

From political advisers to cartoonists, it’s obvious that Binghamton simply inspires greatness. And who knows, some day a famous alumni list may include you.

Author brings dark portrait of suburbia to BU Adrian Bauza | Contributing Writer On Tuesday night, prizewinning author Karen Brown brought her audience into a world of suburban secrets and tragedy.

After a short preamble, Brown took to the center of the room and, after an equally short introduction, started reading her story “Stillborn” from her collection “Little Sinners, and Other Stories,” which won Binghamton University’s 2013 John Gardner Fiction Book Award and the Prairie Schooner Book Prize.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Brown now teaches creative writing and literature at the University of South Florida. She was brought to campus by the Binghamton Center for Writers as part of the Spring Readers’ Series. Apart from “Little Sinners,” Brown’s work includes a novel, “The Longings of Wayward Girls,” and another short story book, “Pins & Needles,” winner of the Grace Paley Prize in Short

Fiction.

Brown came not to fill the room with Floridian warmth, but to take the attendants to the Long Island Sound waterfront, across neighborhoods of quaint houses, green lawns and people with stories where the quotidian and the sordid hold hands. Her prose is clear and meticulous, descriptive and sensible. Dealing with the idealized bliss of suburban life, “Little Sinners” paints a dark and emotional side of ordinariness in suburban New England.

“Stillborn” captured the attention of the silent listeners, who were guided through images of innocence, slices of life and dark secrets. Diana, six months pregnant, moves with her adulterous husband to a cottage. A ghastly secret is discovered in the garden, “Femur, fibula, humerus, clavicle. Tiny bones, delicate and dirt-stained,” and from two perspectives, the story behind it comes to light. Brown created a small universe of her own, and

the attendants were shown the big picture and the grim details for over half an hour.

There’s something unusual and attractive about Brown’s narrative. The tightly-knit suburban universe draws from her memories and experiences.

“I always wanted to be a spinster,” Brown said, in reference to her drive to write about lonely, old women.

The female experience is a recurring theme in her stories, but unlike social realism, there’s the personal element.

Her characters confront many kinds of loneliness, from animal to rational, deal with dark secrets and tragedies, but overall, they are human and act as such: the most captivating aspect of her narrative.

Brown closed the night talking about how her literary world draws directly from her own and her method: “It’s all from memory. I used to keep notebooks and journals when I was younger […] I felt like I was wasting a lot of time. Sit down and write.”

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Dealing with the idealized bliss of suburban life, “Little Sinners” paints a dark and emotional side of ordinariness in suburban New England.

8

RELEASE

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

themed party ideas to light up your SPRING Anna Szilagyi | Contributing Writer We have now entered the post-Parade Day era of spring semester. While the weather continually gets nicer, every party pales in comparison to the Irish-themed revelry behind us. But with an original theme, accompanying playlist and special drinks to boot, you can transform any house party and revitalize your nightlife for the rest of spring semester. Here are a few ideas:

Mardi Gras If you want a spring theme with a bit more craze, try planning your own Mardi Gras celebration.

Mardi Gras was on March 4 this year, but with enough spirit and shiny beads, it can happen any time. The well-known color scheme consists of purple, green and gold, which means your costume can come straight from your closet. Think about providing accessories, like necklaces or masks, to help guests get into the excitement of the holiday. If you want to go all out, look up some traditional Mardi Gras drink recipes, like the Hurricane, for a traditional New Orleans touch.

Spring Equinox Spring officially begins on March 20. It may still be below 30 degrees in Binghamton, but science is science. That gives you plenty of time to plan a flower-filled party with your friends as airy sprites. For attire, think do-it-yourself floral or leafy headbands and pastels (attention, dudes: It’s okay to wear florals). Consider trading generic dance music for fresh faces in pop like Ellie Goulding or Robyn.

Intense Patriotism

to let your roommate put up in the living room, and head to the clearance section of Party City for red, white and blue streamers. Outfit choices are relatively simple, but feel free to get creative with a stars-and-stripes dress or an Uncle Sam hat. If there’s one American pastime college students can relate to, it’s coming up with reasons to drink (see also: Santacon, Parade Day).

Wine and Cheese This theme, just like its essential elements, will never go out of style. And who doesn’t love a party centered around food? Since we’re broke college students, feel free to stock up on boxed wine rather than the classiest bottle you can find. Also, a wine and cheese party is the perfect excuse to dress up and look snazzy. So dust off the dress you brought to school with you “just in case” of some formal event because sadly, this is it. Set up a platter of cheese and crackers and a few extra snacks to satiate drunk munchies, and you’re set.

Early 2000s Decade trends, especially 1960s hippies or 1920s flappers, can make for great themed parties.

Rather than falling back on what’s been done, go with what our generation has experienced and therefore knows best: the glory days of the new millennium. You may not think there’s much to work with, but remember the hideous (and simultaneously admirable) outfits of your favorite boy bands and pop singers? You too can achieve the 2000s look of Avril Lavigne’s loose neckties or Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s infamous denim on denim.

Perhaps the best part of this theme is the music — bring on the ‘N Sync, Destiny’s Child and Outkast.

Independence Day may be months away, but this patriotic theme Use these tips to avoid stale themes for your gives a taste of summer early. parties this semester and ensure an excited, Break out the giant American flag you refused costumed crowd. Oh, and we expect an invite.

Jules Forrest/Staff Photographer

How to succeed as an introvert in college Jacob Shamsian | Assistant Release Editor College isn’t really an introvert’s natural habitat. As a college student, you’re expected to have a roommate, go to classes with hundreds of other people and even go to parties. If you’re an introvert, none of that sounds appealing to you, and you might have trouble explaining why without seeming standoffish or asocial. If you feel like the world is run by extroverts who think you’re doing everything wrong, stop that right now. Succeeding as an introvert in college isn’t hard at all. Here’s how: 1. Sit in the front of your classroom Lecture Hall classes can mean hundreds of people in one room with you. Overwhelming, I know.

While upper-level classes are often smaller, even classes of 40 can be intimidating for introverts.

The student population in classes

resembles economic inequality in the United States, where 1 percent of the class comprises approximately 80 percent of the discussion. If you sit in the first row, it’ll seem like the class has only the 10 people next to you and a handful of students behind you.

You’ll also participate more and be more engaged in your professor’s lecture.

2. Turn down the party invitation The key to succeeding as an introvert is to be honest about being an introvert to your extrovert friends. Extroverts might never turn down a party invitation, but introverts might find staying in and watching a movie a better way to spend a weekend. If you feel pressured into going to a party and spend the whole time wanting to go home, no one’s going to have a good time — don’t feel embarrassed to just say no.

3. If you do go to a party, find

the right spot Just because introverts don’t always want to party doesn’t mean they never want to party. If you do go out but are intimidated by the amount of people there, find a spot where you’re comfortable.

Apartments and houses often have a room, balcony or porch where there are just a few people hanging out. Find that spot, and either stay there or retreat to that place when you feel overwhelmed.

4. Eat meals alone Along with scavenger hunts and bowling, meals are humankind’s great social activity. Standard college behavior dictates that we treat eating as more than just a bodily function, but something that must always be done with other people. While it’s always good to catch up with a friend over lunch or talk about your classes over dinner, you shouldn’t feel obligated to make plans for every single meal during the week. It can

get exhausting, and meals could be a great way to take a break from people. It’s OK to eat alone in the dining hall or take your food to go.

You’re not a loser.

5. Practice public speaking before doing it Public speaking can strike fear even in the hearts of extroverts.

But for an introvert, the prospect of giving a class presentation can be absolutely paralyzing. Some people are naturals at public speaking, but you need to recognize that it is ultimately a skill. And, like any skill, it gets better with practice.

Prepare well in advance for class presentations to the point where saying everything feels natural. If you need to, look over the heads of everyone in the classroom and give the impression that you’re looking at them even if you’re not. The public speaking lab on campus is also a helpful resource with more advice and people you can practice with.

Kendall Loh/Photo Editor

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

9

RELEASE

Provided by Domino

Real Estate plays it safe but succeeds on ‘Atlas’

Kenneth Herman | Staff Writer For a group that banks on inoffensive alternative rock, Real Estate is often as nondescript as their band name.

Although the results are at times predictable, Real Estate proves on “Atlas” they’re more than just background music.

Real Estate has a unique ability to craft memorable pop songs even when the individual constituents are nothing spectacular. Guitarists have been borrowing Johnny Marr’s progressions and riffs for ages.

But there’s something about vocalist Martin Courtney IV’s polite vocal delivery. The warm, vintage-sounding drums and the

inviting guitar melodies make Real Estate sound familiar but still refreshing. “Atlas” is not a far cry from 2011’s “Days,” and it doesn’t need to be. While other bands shoehorn other genres like electronic into their music, Real Estate is an ostensibly guitar-based band who have found a formula that works.

However, that “Atlas” is neither challenging nor cerebral devalues it after multiple listens. The songs are so inoffensive and mild that you’re left begging for some change — a distorted guitar, a key change, some dissonance — any sort of shake-up. Real Estate is kind of the Ned Flanders of indie rock — a band so family-

friendly it starts to drive you crazy. “Had to Hear,” the first track of “Atlas,” shows promise when Real Estate’s most distinct feature, Courtney’s limited but endearing vocal range, expands.

For once, he stretches out of his comfort zone and belts more, until hiding behind the other instruments for the rest of the album. On the other hand, Courtney effortlessly writes catchy songs. Even when certain chord changes get overused, the memorable melodies are what resonate most.

Lyrically, Courtney is at his best and most relatable. “Atlas” eschews previous themes and visuals of bliss for heavier emotional content. In all of its

up-tempo swing and twangy guitar interplay, the first single, “Talking Backwards,” finds Courtney more distant and introspective than usual, singing “the only thing that really matters is the one thing I can’t seem to do.” Moments like these save “Atlas” from becoming too contained and calculated when Courtney finally has something to say.

Real Estate may have kept things safe, but “Atlas” is an album just as enjoyable for a focused listen as it is for ambiance. “Atlas” is certainly no game changer, but it’s no step in the wrong direction either.

Favorite track: “Talking Backwards”

‘Looking’ for the next great TV show?

Gay life and love shown realistically onscreen Rich Kersting | Release For all of its merits, television has gotten pretty invariable. There are political dramas, zombie shows, sitcoms and cop shows.

While these are all good and fine, it can get a bit boring when every show seems to be exactly the same and innovative stories are nowhere to be found. Look no further. HBO’s latest dramedy, “Looking,” follows the often humorous lives of three close gay friends living in San Francisco and their conquests and challenges in business, friendship and love.

At the center of the show are Patrick, a young, handsome and hopelessly romantic video game designer; Augustín, a “committed” young “artist”; and Dom, an aging wine waiter who dreams of owning his own restaurant. The first season depicts these characters’ goals and their determination (or lack thereof) to see them through. The show is full of awkward situations (like getting a phone call during a blow job), office relationships (you

Provided by HBO

didn’t know he was your new boss when you met him), psychotic exboyfriends (maybe you shouldn’t have lent him $2,000) and, of course, heartbreak (it happens to everyone). Each of the show’s main characters has a different story to tell, but they each contain a set of qualities that makes them relatable regardless of your gender or sexuality.

In the months leading up to the show’s premiere, many were anticipating the eventual delivery of a gay version of HBO’s own “Sex and the City” or “Girls,” but “Looking” has proven itself to be a show of its own. It isn’t merely a gay emulation or adaptation of what came before it. It instead presents an original story with a unique and contemporary take

on life and love in a big city full of strangers. From awkward first dates to spur-of-the-moment Grindr hook ups, “Looking” portrays the dating scene for the contemporary gay man. It hopes to show that, while different in practice, love and relationships are universal by nature. Having said that, “Looking” doesn’t represent the lives of all gay men

nor does it try to perpetuate any stereotypes. The show tends to keep the issues (both in bed and on the street) diverse yet relatable.

With “Looking,” you’re not getting a half-hour program riddled with subjects like HIV, anal sex and heroin — things often found in mainstream gay productions.

Rather, the show sets out to portray the normal lives of three

everyday men who happen to be gay, and the challenges they face as people — and not just gays — in the world.

As a premium service provider, HBO has always offered content that’s both pioneering and full of merit. From the network behind such culturally and critically acclaimed shows like “Sex and the City” and “The Wire,” there is a certain caliber of quality to be expected. “Looking” certainly delivers. The show isn’t just some cheap Lifetime original; it’s a quality show with good writing, believable acting and HBO’s hallmark cinematography. This is what’s so significant about the halfhour program. It takes seriously the narrative told through the lives of gay men, and it delivers a kind of show not seen since Showtime’s “Queer as Folk,” which ended nine years ago. Given the current social and political climate of the U.S., HBO couldn’t have chosen a better time in history for a prime-time show chronicling the fictional lives of homosexuals. As evidence of this, HBO has already ordered a full 13-episode second season to premiere in 2015, no doubt in response to the growing viewership.

If you’re hungry for a new show that’s progressive and wellproduced, go grab your gay (or straight) best friend and binge on “Looking” before the season finale at 10:30 p.m. Sunday.

FUN

10

Fun.

We Know....

March 7, 2014 | www.bupipedream.com

Nick & Ben

(Now with functioning sudokus!)

Binghamton Ninja

Chris Walsh

Our Aemittephagus Future Midterm Blues

Mike Manzi

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, August 30, 2007

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Brief argument 6 RR stop 9 1944 Chemistry Nobelist Otto 13 “Home Alone” kid 14 Minimally 15 Race found by a fictional traveler in 802,701 A.D. 16 Dublin-born poet 17 MMCDX halved 18 River encircling Hades 19 Character who sings “The Rumor” with Avram 20 Takes off on one’s own 22 Vietnamese holidays 24 Other, in Andalusia 25 D.C. bigwig 26 Braddock took his heavyweight crown in 1935 28 Shaq’s alma mater 30 Start of a chat room afterthought 32 Adviser Landers 33 Philosophy 35 “I’m walking here!” speaker 39 Cross-country trip #1 42 MVP of Super Bowls I and II 43 Van Dyke costar 44 Nice pal 45 FICA benefit 47 Philip of “Kung Fu” 48 __ Helens, Wash.

49 Birds-feather link 52 Genesis brother 54 Crew equipment 56 Like some bats 59 Trades punches 62 Lions, Tigers or Bears 63 River isles 64 Trees of a region 65 Intrigued with 66 Film __ 67 Tony’s cousins 68 Summer refreshments 69 Insist on payment from 70 Good buddies DOWN 1 Vodka in a blue bottle

2 Width for Bozo, maybe 3 Largely bygone rooftop sight 4 Self-conscious laugh 5 Beginning 6 Cross-country trip #2 7 Implied 8 Again or anew 9 Gas company with toy trucks 10 Some singers 11 He knew the rules 12 President who was on “LaughIn” 14 Big initials in bowling 21 “You got that right!”

23 Camera choices, briefly 26 River fish 27 Subj. to bone up on?

29 Appear 31 Sherman’s hell 33 Tummy tightener 34 Pyrotechnics reaction 36 Courtroom outburst 37 Actors Neill and Waterston

38 Leave out 40 PSAT takers 41 Villain whose first name is Julius 46 Part of an atoll 48 Coca-Cola product 49 Port of old Rome 50 Evil sort 51 Tiny type 53 Facetious quintet?

55 Part of NCAA: Abbr.

57 Medical ins. choices 58 Old pol. division 60 Winnebago enthusiast 61 Back talk DIAGONAL 1 Cross-country trip #3 68 Cross-country trip #4

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Dan Naddor (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

8/30/07

8/30/07

Seth Wegener

Horoscopes March 7th, 2014 Aries 3/12-4/14 Aquarius 1/20-2/18 Just when you’ve had a great week where you’ve aced all your exams, you suddenly remember that you never handed in your Vaughan paper. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter.

Admit it, you have intimacy issues.

Refuse to talk to your significant other/ fuck buddy/person-who-might-wantto-hook-up-with-you-but-then-thatthing-with-that-guy-happened-andyou’re-not-sure-what’s-going-onanymore until they figure out your side of things instead of just saying them normally like a normal person under those other, lesser astrological signs.

Taurus 4/20-5/20 You’re angry about something going on in your life, the wind is howling like this swirling storm inside. Don’t let them in, don’t let them see your feelings. The best thing to do is to just let it go, let it go, be one with the wind and sky.

Gemini 5/21-6/20

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

To be truly one with the world, you must get in touch with your inner self. Touch your inner self.

Lately it seems that everyone is out to get you. You’re right. Beware.

Pices 2/19-3/20

Cancer 6/21-7/22

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

Something good will happen sometime today, probably.

A combination of hatred, resentment and genetically inherited moodiness will lead to a fight with your parents.

Apologize preemptively to confuse them and give you the upper hand in your argument.

You’ve got the heart of Judy from the Bartle information desk — really nice, but one day it’ll be the next semester and you’ll be gone. Enjoy your time here while it lasts, and remember to study!

Scorpio 10/23-11/21 According to Wikipedia, the Scorpio maxim is ”the poison is the only cure.” Figure that one out.

Libra 9/23-10/22 Sometime soon, you will weigh some scales (seriously, this is the dumbest astrological sign).

Leo 7/23-8/22 You’re a lion, you don’t need advice from a newspaper. You just hunt gazelles and rule the Pride Lands of Africa. The only stars you need to pay attention to are the ones that form the shape of your dead dad’s face.

Virgo 8/23-9/22 Like the mythical Greek woman Persephone, who is associated with this astrological sign, you will be kidnapped by Hades and taken into the underworld, further postponing the end of winter.

OPINION Friday, March 7, 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 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

design MAnAger* Zachary Feldman design@bupipedream.com design Assts.

Rebecca Forney Cari Snider Photo editor* Kendall Loh photo@bupipedream.com Asst. Photo editor Janine Furtado editoriAl Artist Miriam Geiger Paige Gittelman CoPy desk ChieF* Victoria Chow copy@bupipedream.com Asst. CoPy desk ChieF Paul Palumbo leAd Web develoPer Willie Demaniow developer@bupipedream.com systeM AdMnistrAtor Daniel O'Connor soCiAl MediA MAnAger Keara Hill social@bupipedream.com

Spring Cleaning W

ith Parade Day behind us and spring in the air, Binghamton University could use a bit of sprucing up.

While we don’t have the money or patience for another multimillion-dollar extended construction project, we do have a few simple ideas that could really give our campus a face-lift and reel in some fresh energy for the new season.

First, there’s the ramp between the Engineering Building and Glenn G. Bartle Library. It’s a depressing slab of concrete, almost as depressing as the Engineering Building. It looks like it belongs in an airport hangar. We say, paint it green. We could call it the green ramp. It could be a thing. If (when) it rains, it would look darker green instead of a gross gray. This would inject a little school spirit into the heart of campus, which we’re all about, right? Why stop at Green Fridays?

Next we have Bartle, arguably the one place in which every student will spend some time. Greek

life comprises a little over 10 percent of our student body, yet their flags hang prominently in the Bartle lobby. This is simply a strange choice of location to celebrate our Greek life. We may be burning some bridges here, but we say the Greek flags should be taken down. It’s not that we don’t want to recognize Greek life, but there are other aspects of campus that are more inclusive. Why not celebrate our international students and programs by hanging the national flags of students who attend BU? We’d also like to see more murals across campus. Murals are a particularly attractive option to spruce things up because they enable students to get involved in adding their own mark. There are plenty of empty walls in the Fine Arts Building and Old University Union that would look great with some student-created

work. Both of the hallways connecting the New and Old Unions are boring, almost sterile. Why not have students get hands-on experience by beautifying these hallways? It’s good for building community morale, and sounds like more fun than another Saturday spent watching Netflix.

Murals are special because they can highlight the campus’ unique character. One of the things we love the most about our school is how studentdriven it can be; let’s celebrate that by rounding up students to get creative with paint and school spirit.

It’s March, which means several more long weeks until the sun comes out and we can all be happy again. Let’s get to work on some of these face-lifts and come spring, when the hookahs and jorts re-emerge, we’ll have something more to Instagram than the Nature Preserve.

Views expressed in the opinion pages represent the opinions of the columnists.

The only piece which represents the views of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the Staff Editorial, above. The Editorial Board is composed of the Editor-in-Chief, News Editor, Opinion Editor, Sports Editor, and Release Editor.

neWsrooM teChnology* William Sanders tech@bupipedream.com

business MAnAger* Zachary Hindin business@bupipedream.com

Pipe Dream is published by the Pipe Dream Executive Board, which has sole and final discretion over the newspaper’s content and personnel. *Positions seated on the Executive Board are denoted by an asterisk.

Pipe Dream is published Tuesdays and Fridays while classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and vacations.

Pipe Dream accepts stimulating, original guest columns from undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty. Submissions should be 400 to 500 words in length and be thus far unpublished. Columns and letters to the editor in response to something printed in Pipe Dream should be submitted before a subsequent issue is published.

Submissions must include the writer’s name and phone number, and year of graduation or expected year of graduation. Graduate students and faculty members should indicate their standing as such, as well as departmmental affiliation.

Organizational (i.e. student group) affiliations are to be disclosed and may be noted at Pipe Dream’s discretion.

Anonymous submissions are not accepted.

Any facts referenced must be properly cited from credible news sources. Pipe Dream reserves the right to edit submissions, and does not guarantee publication. All submissions become property of Pipe Dream.

Submissions may be e-mailed to the Opinion Editor at opinion@ bupipedream.com.

Unpaid internships privilege the wealthy One must already be well-off to take on a position without compensation Dorothy Manevich Contributing Columnist

It’s that time of year again, guys.

Cue up your resumes and get in line for the privilege of partaking in the American job market’s latest version of “working your way up” — the unpaid internship. Unfortunately, I only mean that half-ironically.

The moral bankruptcy of unpaid internships goes beyond wage theft, market-wide wage suppression for entry-level work and on-site exploitation. Unpaid internships also perpetuate class privilege. In other words, unpaid internships favor rich and upper-middle-class people over the rest of society. They favor individuals living in or near urban centers, where rent and costs of living are typically higher.

In New York City, for example,

rent will set you back $900 a month, if you’re lucky. Add on $112 per month for an unlimited MetroCard to physically get to your internship.

Lump food and utilities together for around $300 per month. That puts us at $1,312 before accounting for unforeseen expenses or a social life.

In order to apply for an unpaid position, you must have some sort of plan for supporting yourself.

Oftentimes this means dipping into savings accounts, asking parents for financial support or working an extra job to make ends meet. For many students, these options are simply unavailable.

Students who cannot afford to take unpaid internships are left with few options.

Paid internships in fields such as media, government

and the arts are in extremely short supply. The few that exist are highly competitive. Funding opportunities such as Binghamton University’s Sodexo scholarships are, debatably, a step in the right direction, but cannot accommodate all or even a majority of unpaid positions.

If we are to believe that internship experience makes one a better job candidate, our current societal schema of predominantly unpaid internships takes today’s privileged students and turns them into tomorrow’s privileged professionals.

In a country where income inequality increasingly threatens social and political stability, can we afford to perpetuate another system that favors the well-endowed over the less privileged?

We will continue to be burdened by the perpetuation of class privilege through unpaid internships

I wish that I could wholeheartedly advocate for some sort of unpaid internship boycott, but that’s exceedingly unrealistic in a world where working for free is becoming synonymous with “paying your dues.”

We can only hope that the courts continue to rule in favor of unpaid interns, such as in the case of Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures Inc., until it is explicitly illegal or too risky to employ unpaid interns in place of entry-level employees.

Until then, we will continue to be burdened by the perpetuation of class privilege through unpaid internships.

So many of us are willing to jump through the fiery hoops that we hope will lead to meaningful careers. For now, the problem remains that we can’t all afford a ticket to the circus.

— Dorothy Manevich is a senior double-majoring in history and political science.

13

OPINION

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

Restore your faith in humanity Party like it's Humans of New York spreads values of empathy and pluralism Justin Kalin Columnist

“Hey there. I’m Brandon.

I get really passionate about things.” So goes the opening line to the Humans of New York “Photographer” webpage, jotted down as if his presence on the Web were the passing thought of a simplistic mind. Far from it.

Humans of New York is the growing collection of photographed portraits captured by 30-year-old Brandon Stanton, weaving strangers into the intimate fabric of a neglected pedestrian narrative.

In a matter of just a few years, he has restored faith in decency, connecting his followers to the lowest common denominator of mankind with little more than a camera and a friendly demeanor.

The blog’s appeal could be easily described as an inspirational blip in the cycle of

passive Internet consumption, yet the overwhelming response of millions would suggest there is a deeper pathos lining these city streets. So let me ask, what is so profound about the act of talking to a stranger?

According to the literature of evolutionary psychology, humans create shortcuts like stereotyping to make a complex world easier to comprehend. As a result, our perceptions are filled with bias. The U.S. education system often frames the conversation surrounding bias in the context of prejudice and hate, but many of the judgments we make on the basis of identifiers such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, gender and sexual orientation are merely the negative externality of survival imperatives.

We as humans are adapted to the past, meaning our primitive selves operate beneath the modality of 21st-century consciousness.

That does not mean we are victims to the past. It does mean the identifiers mentioned above are real precisely because they are

The simple act of talking to strrangers makes them less threatening

contrived by the structure and function of innate cognition.

From an evolutionary perspective, Humans of New York is successful for several reasons.

First, instead of leaving oneself susceptible to an uncertain and therefore threatening experience, it is possible to experiment in the lives of others through the low-impact use of a photo essay.

Second, storytelling organizes our own lives so we can derive meaning (i.e. the “moral of the story”) from a succession of puzzling events to make betterinformed decisions. And third, effective communication between groups allows for cooperation, exposing the human condition to an unspoken network of empathy. The simple act of talking to strangers makes them less threatening and makes us better informed, fulfilling the individual need to survive and the genetic need to survive as a species.

By showing what it means to be anyone other than oneself, Humans of New York has advanced world peace. In a future we may never live to see, civilization will continue to aspire toward integration, from free trade agreements to monetary unions and eventually political consolidation. If the wide acceptance of evolution proves true, then it is the composition and exchange of values between

strangers that will spread pluralism where confusion and hostility persist. That is the most basic infrastructure of diplomacy.

In his travels, Stanton began to reach this larger vision by exposing the normalcy of Iranian life heavily ignored by sensationalist media coverage. But we need this movement to expand further, to expand anywhere an adventurer will wander.

That is why I was thrilled to learn that freshman Rachael Wang began her own photo collection by creating the Humans of Binghamton University Facebook page. In her candids of joy and hope, reflection and despair, we are reminded that hidden beneath the numbing crowdedness of a big campus lies a bias we must all overcome — the bias of knowing much less about our fellow man than we care to admit. It is the same reason we need to create a Humans of Binghamton page to diffuse the local “townie” stigma, so we as a University can open our hearts to the community and rebuild Downtown together. Now all we need is a second camera and someone who gets “really passionate about things.”

— Justin Kalin is a junior majoring in accounting.

Guest: Recycling papers isn't a crime Turning in original work twice shouldn't be considered plagiarism Peter Cohen Guest Columnist

Binghamton University explicitly outlines what it considers to be academic dishonesty.

Of course plagiarism is the big one, and instances of plagiarism are serious problems among college students across the country. As the Student Academic Honesty Code correctly points out, instances of plagiarism and other violations of academic dishonesty undermine the University’s credibility and thus harm the entire BU community. There is one item that has no place in the Code, however: multiple submissions.

The University seems to think that “recycling” is dishonest or somehow harms its credibility. We’ll start with the dishonesty point. Take the following hypothetical: I submit an honest, unplagiarized essay to a professor. Then, I submit the same essay to another professor.

Additionally, I

inform both professors of my actions. In what way can my actions possibly be called dishonest?

So what about harming the University’s credibility?

Well, what is the purpose of this institution? To educate its students. Writing a paper is part of that process, as it forces me to think critically about the information I was taught by relating it together and to the world outside the course. The rigorous academic scrutiny a professor gives an essay is what I and other students expect from the University.

Having a second professor in a potentially different field of study give that same essay further scrutiny does not reduce the credibility of that scrutiny, nor does it make the University any less credible. What it does do, however, is actually enhance my learning. My comprehension of the material from both courses is being assessed by a professional. I am relating one course to another through the essay, further increasing my understanding of both and helping me apply the information to the world outside each course.

Moreover, the added feedback

from a second professor will give me greater insight into how to express my ideas and further improve my writing. It could even be argued that the University, in denying me the opportunity to submit my essay to two professors, is denying me a chance to enhance my learning.

All right, I can see a slight issue here. Maybe I’m just being lazy when I recycle my paper and do not attempt to further refine it, just passing with minimal work. The University of Texas at Austin has several paragraphs devoted to justifying their own ban on multiple submissions, and that seems to be what they fear primarily (I was unable to find a similar apologetic from BU).

UT Austin talks about the “problematic minimal efforts involved in ‘recycling,’” relating paper writing to athletic training for a marathon. If I don’t train for a marathon, I’ll run it poorly.

Likewise, if I put minimal effort into my coursework, I’ll get a bad grade. However, that is a reflection on me, not BU. Laziness shouldn’t be brought before the ethics board. If it was, I’m sure every student at BU, especially myself, would have been expelled long ago.

Here’s what I think happened. Various individuals in charge of the University got confused one day and started equating the number of hours spent working to the amount of learning experienced. I don’t have to explain why that’s ridiculous. Multiple submissions are not nearly the breach of ethics that the University seems to think they are.

Therefore, maintaining this rule is irresponsible, as it can — and has already — unfairly punish otherwise honest and hardworking students.

Laziness shouldn't be brought before the ethics board

— Peter Cohen is a senior majoring in history.

10,000 B.C.

Alcohol, especially beer, can help us appreciate our natural world Dorothy Farrell Environmental Columnist

On Saturday, thousands of people from Greater Binghamton came out for Parade Day. Reverence to the tradition almost always goes hand in hand with long days celebrating and drinking beers.

Holidays like Parade Day, similar to the parody holiday Festivus, have their roots across generations of cultures and throughout the seven continents.

They carry the chalice as well: They are almost always synonymous with social-alcohol indulgences.

Merry celebrations drenched in alcohol may even stem from the celebration of alcohol itself.

Beer, one of the world’s oldest drinks, dates back to the Neolithic period. This shift, 10,000 years back in time, is a milestone in human history. According to some archeologists, the discovery of fermenting grains or barleys, beer’s primary ingredients, could have spawned the dawn of agricultural civilizations.

Early civilizations, like the Mesopotamians and ancient Egyptians, lived with far fewer means than we utilize in the U.S. today, so they had to live resourcefully. Fermented drinks were deemed an elixir for all human ailments. Those in pain drank alcohol to relieve suffering: in hunger, to satiate; in thirst, to hydrate; in sickness, to rest.

Celebrations in unison with long day drinks are ways early people could have expressed their praise to the drink itself, the health of their people and, of course, abundant crops from the land.

Earlier societies placed significantly higher value on the land because they saw the connections between what the land could yield and what pleasures, like fermented drinks, could be contrived. We cultivate everything that is actually important to human survival from land: tools, clothing, bathing and fuel, as well as food, water and shelter, to name a few.

Yet, in recent decades, we have taken these resources for granted.

Who’s to be sure where their beer

was grown and whether those farmers were stewards of this planet?

When we think about what it means to let civilization push into the third millennium, lessons from early civilizations may prove valuable. Their impact on their local environments could hardly be felt compared to industrialized nations today. The way we produce the very things essential to our lives — our highdefinition TVs, SUVs, caramel soy lattes and smartphones — have no consistency with being able to support future generations of humans. Those earlier civilians may have worked harder for their beer, but their festivals lasted days longer than ours do, and the grains from their own backyards must have tasted a lot better than ours.

It’s worth celebrating that we

It's worth celebrating that we are part of a planet that allows us to cultivate our own beer are part of a planet that allows us to cultivate our own beer.

Humans utilized the environment to produce a drink so potently packed with clean water, energy and liquid morale that it drove people to cooperate with the land and one another. It’s a turning point in mankind that has forever altered history.

It is in our human heritage to come together for Parade Day, but it’s our responsibility for the future generations to be able to sustain long traditions of this nature. For the love of long days drinking and good cheer, let’s remember that the human condition will forever depend on the health of the environment first.

— Dorothy Farrell is a junior majoring in environmental studies.

Have an opinion?

Contact our Opinion Editor, Michael Snow, by emailing opinion@bupipedream.com

The Venezuelan crisis deserves our attention Despite escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, we cannot focus only on Crimean peninsula Jake Ethé Contributing Columnist

Through a stream of tears, I can faintly hear her voice in a thick accent whisper, “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

In this Boston hotel room, a young student from Universidad Simón Bolívar in Caracas, Venezuela, spoke to a crowd of international students about the protests in her home country, and the government and police brutality that have accompanied them.

It’s an international crisis that’s seen little light in the wake of the Crimea crisis, whose existence poses a large-scale threat to the stability of U.S.-Russian relations. Yet, the repercussions of the Venezuela crisis have the potential to be just as severe.

The story of Venezuela’s political landscape has been a tale of cyclical

oppression. Not even the death of Hugo Chávez, whose political platform of “Chavismo” led the country into periods of massive income inequality, rampant violence and widespread corruption, was enough to stem the tide of evergrowing instability.

Nicolás Maduro, the new president of Venezuela, has done little to combat Venezuela’s issues. It still remains one of the most violent countries in the world. Here’s a scary fact: In Venezuela, a person is murdered every 21 minutes.

Economically, it is suffering from rampant inflation and resource scarcity, which Maduro has chalked up to an “economic war” against his country; yet, this is little more than a cover for the government’s fiscal and monetary incompetence.

It’s no wonder, then, why masses led by students took to the streets beginning in January to protest the government.

The scene has been ugly. Since the highly publicized killing of Miss Venezuela Monica Spear in January, the violence has only intensified. As the speaker from

Universidad Simón Bolívar recounted, police routinely patrol protests and open fire on students. There have been isolated reports of police officers shooting suspected protest leaders in shopping malls and other public places.

The situation is atrocious.

Venezuela’s importance to the global economy is undeniable. It is home to the world’s largest oil reserves, and it is the fourth largest supplier of oil to the U.S. Beyond that, its commodity market serves an integral role in propping up the regional economies of South America. Even ignoring the strategic interests of the United States in the region, the situation still requires some specific points of attention.

First, it’s imperative that the U.S. lends some credence to the gravity of the Venezuelan crisis.

Maduro has blacked

out CNN and other media outlets in the country, which has stifled aims at spreading the protesters’ message.

The fact that the U.S. has yet to make a formal diplomatic effort beyond the passing offer of former President Jimmy Carter to visit in April is inexcusable and irresponsible.

Human rights violations are deplorable, and it is tragic that the Venezuelan crisis represents just a small snippet of the larger picture of brutality in the modern world. The Venezuelan crisis constitutes but a mere fraction of the humanitarian crises in today’s world, whose victims, from Syria and Darfur to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are still living in the squalor of refugee camps or the fleeting security of camps for the internally

There have been isolated reports of police officers shooting suspected protest leaders

displaced.

As students, however, it would be misguided to not take a moment to appreciate the admirable fight of these young Venezuelans. Just advocating for campus change can seem like an arduous fight, much less advocating for the upending of a national government.

Their courage should leave us in awe.

It’s a shame, but not a surprise, that the Venezuelan protests have received so little coverage. Sometimes, the world is only as clear to us as we want it to be.

Empathy can be a hollow virtue whose power is only truly felt when we are forced, often against our will, to feel the pain of another.

For me, that pain became clear as I watched the young girl from Venezuela, who has lost three friends in the protests, burst out of the room in tears.

She sobbed that she “can’t,” but little does she know just how much she can.

— Jake Ethé is a freshman majoring in political science.

14

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

Binghamton set to take on Albany Occupying the bottom seed, BU will face the defending champions at AE tournament Pipe Dream Sports

The women’s basketball teams of Binghamton and Albany share just one commonality. Both the Bearcats (5-24, 2-14 America East) and Great Danes (25-4, 15-1 AE) enter their quarterfinal matchup coming off a loss. Other than that, the two teams couldn’t be further apart.

The Bearcats head into the tournament seeded last, after having dropped 13 of their past 14 contests.

On the other hand, Albany cemented its status as conference powerhouse.

The two-time defending America East champs had won a record-setting 38 straight America East games, and now look poised to receive the league’s NCAA tournament berth.

Albany is far and away the favorite against Binghamton. But the Bearcats are confident after downing Hartford and falling to UMBC in overtime to close out the regular season.

“From our past couple of games, we are playing our best basketball” — Morgan Murphy Sophomore forward

“Overall we’ve got a good feeling right now,” Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl said. “I think our kids are playing with a different level of confidence being in that underdog role. The pressure is off of us. We have nothing to lose, and I think our team is really playing that way right now.”

The confidence Scholl has been saying her players needed finally looks as though it’s coming into place, and they’re feeling it.

“We are playing well right now, and we are coming into practice playing well right now,” senior guard Stephanie Jensen said. “It would have been a good win for us against UMBC, but double overtime is alright. And UMBC only lost by 10 to Albany so it proves that we can play with them.”

Sophomore forward Morgan Murphy echoed Jensen, citing the team’s increasing level of play as fuel heading into the tournament.

“From our last couple of games, we are playing our best basketball,” Murphy said. “Even though we lost to UMBC, I thought we played really well.

We moved the ball well on offense, we played good defense. I think we are peaking at the right time.”

But while Binghamton may have the confidence and heart, Albany still has a stronghold in the skill department. In their Jan. 20 meeting at the Events Center, the Great Danes held Binghamton to 36 points and won by 30. In their following matchup a few weeks later, Albany handed BU its worst loss as a Division I program, defeating the Bearcats by 51. The Bearcats will look to employ a new strategy against Albany this time around to avoid the mistakes of games past.

“We just have a different game

plan,” Jensen said. “We are playing more man this time around, trying to force them into taking more jump shots and just keeping the paint clear.

We have a lot of focus on their big girls, and it’s just different this time around.”

With Albany having one of the biggest, fastest and strongest rosters BU has faced, the Bearcats have to take control of the game tempo early.

Binghamton will count on huge performances from Murphy, senior guard Vaneeshia Paulk, who has averaged 21 points in her last two games, and the team’s leading scorer, junior forward Sherae Swinson.

Long-range specialists Jensen and sophomore guard Kim Albrecht must also find their rhythms early to put the Bearcats on the board.

“This is why you play,” Scholl said. “March Madness, here we are. I am just happy to see our players are enjoying [the season] this time, and their level of excitement gets me excited.”

The quarterfinals matchup between BU and Albany is set to tip off at 7 p.m. tonight at SEFCU Arena in Albany.

BU @ Albany DATE

Today LOCATION

SEFCU Arena TIME

7:00 p.m.

Tycho McManus/Staff Photographer

Senior guard Stephanie Jensen will look to provide most of Binghamton’s potency from beyond the arc in the team’s upcoming quarterfinals match.

BU set to compete in EIWA tourney Ashley Purdy

Association Championships this weekend, Binghamton (3-8) will compete with 17 other teams in the event, which doubles as First year in the nation’s the NCAA qualifiers. There are second-best conference, no a total of 47 NCAA automatic apprehensions, no expectations. bids, and the Bearcats will face The Binghamton wrestling off against the nation’s top team is just ready to do what talent in pursuit of them. it always does: compete at its “This goes for any postseason highest level. championship, I don’t care With the Eastern what the conference is; this is Intercollegiate Wrestling what we live for. This is what Assistant Sports Editor

Jaime Soto/Contributing Photographer

197-pound senior Cody Reed is a two-time NCAA qualifier and will look to earn another berth this weekend.

we’ve got to be excited about,” Binghamton head coach Matt Dernlan said. “We embrace the new challenge of the EIWAs.” Dernlan, who comes from a Big Ten background through Penn State’s dominant program, said he relishes these highly competitive scenarios and wants his wrestlers to view them in the same light.

“I’m excited for this challenge ahead of us because you find out the most about yourself when you challenge yourself at the highest level,” he said. “I’m just excited for the opportunities to let these guys realize their goals this weekend.”

Featuring four NCAA qualifiers and two AllAmericans last season, this current team’s goals are no simple achievement. But they have the precedent, and they have the means to get there.

197-pound senior Cody Reed is a two-time NCAA qualifier currently carrying the fourth seed into the EIWA. He’s ranked 24th overall in the NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings and is 24-9 on the season.

Heavyweight junior Tyler Deuel doesn’t have that NCAA experience, but ranks third in his respective weight class. In addition, he has accumulated a team-high 10 pins during his 25-7 season.

Both Reed and Deuel bore 10-match winning streaks prior to their most recent competition, when both faced top-20 competition. Despite the losses they incurred, they gained experience at a crucial moment, making evident which areas need improvement at the time when wins count most.

“I think it was good for [Deuel and Reed] to get tested like they did,” Dernlan said. “I think they kind of get lulled into a false sense of security in some ways, because they hadn’t been seeing some of the top caliber talent in the country …

They needed that wake-up call.

There were some tendencies they were starting to develop that aren’t going to work against the best in the country. … They’re very accountable kids, so they were like, ‘Yeah, I understand what you’re saying now, coach. I need to get back to where I need to be.’”

Rounding out Binghamton’s seeded competition is 125-pound junior David White, who ranks sixth with his 22-9 record.

Though not ranked, as injuries kept them from competition for an extended period of time, 174-pound junior Jack McKeever and 141-pound freshman Nick Tighe will be returning to the mat for the championships. Dernlan said that both could have returned a couple of weeks ago, but with the championships looming, they played it safe.

Before McKeever sustained his injury, he posted a 19-

10 record and was a strong contender for a slot in the national rankings. 149-pound junior Joe Bonaldi, nationally ranked throughout much of last season, likewise spent some time out this year and was deprived of ranking. However, Bonaldi proved he’s still in the running when he defeated the No. 19-ranked wrestler in an overtime decision against Bloomsburg.

Overall, Dernlan said his team’s feeling ready to face the nation’s best and that the weekend can’t come soon enough for them.

“I think some of our guys got some good wakeup calls leading into the conference tournament; I think everything’s good,” Dernlan said. “There’s one thing you can do with a result, you can view it as a negative way, or you can turn everything into a positive to try and build it.

So we used everything that’s happened in the past couple weeks to positively motivate us, to get to our peak level come this weekend.”

Matches begin at 10 a.m.

Saturday, and finals begin at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Palestra in Philadelphia.

“I'm excited for this challenge out the most about yourself when you challenge yourself at the highest level” — Matt Dernlan BU head coach

Write for Sports!

Featuring three top-six wrestlers, Bearcats seek NCAA berths through qualifier

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E. Jay Zarett

15

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 7, 2014

Hot start carries BU to third victory After losing for first time this season, Binghamton gets back on its feet behind dominant offense Colby Bird

Contribting Writer

A potent offensive outing helped set the Bearcats ahead on Thursday as the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team buried Niagara, 17-7.

Coming off a weekend road loss against Lafayette, the Bearcats (3-1) came out blazing, responsible for each of the game’s first eight goals.

The Bearcats, who outscored Niagara (2-2) by two the rest of the way, are off to the best four-game start in program history.

Leading the charge early for the Bearcats was freshman attack Brianne Arthur, who found the net four times before the Purple Eagles got on the board. Another huge factor for Binghamton was sophomore attack Sophia Racciatti, who dished out a team-high three assists, to come away with a game-high five points.

“We wanted to come out and respond to Saturday’s performance [against Lafayette] and take control of the game,” BU head coach Stephanie Allen said. “It was important that we did better to compete for loose balls.”

Up big after the first half, the Bearcats were determined not to let their consistency dwindle just days after Lafayette used a 9-0 run to pull away.

“We knew Niagara would come out in the second half and compete,” Allen said.

“We had to do the same, and continue to execute and outwork [Niagara].”

Binghamton would score three goals in the opening minutes of the second half to stretch its lead to 10. From there, the Bearcats took control of the game — and the clock — to push their win tally to three.

“We want to always play for all 60 minutes, and today we got closer to doing that,” Allen said.

A true team effort, six Bearcats had multiple goals in this matchup, with nine team assists to boot. In the cage, sophomore goalie Erin McNulty got some nice standing practice as the Bearcats kept Niagara’s time on attack to a minimum. She saw only nine shots and recorded four saves on the day.

Going through two goalies, Niagara’s defense felt the pressure of the Bearcats’ highflying attack all game long, as BU would outshoot Niagara, 28-15. The game also proved to be a great chance for some of the reserves to grow on the collegiate field.

“It’s important to have the other players grow from ingame experience,” Allen said.

“There might be a situation down the road where we want to give the team we are playing a different look.”

So far in 2014, the Bearcats have dominated their opposition, putting up an average of 13 goals per game to their opponent’s eight. Though

Jaime Soto/Contributing Photographer

Freshman attack Brianne Arthur put away a game-high four goals in a dominating 17-7 Binghamton victory.

always looking for ways to get better, Allen is still working her squad to take more control of ground balls and turnovers heading down the stretch of games.

Binghamton will look to keep its rhythm alive on Saturday, when it will host St. Bonaventure at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Bearcats are undefeated at home this season.

Play is set for 3 p.m.

BEARCAT BRIEFS

“We want to always play for all 60 minutes, and today we got closer to doing that” — Stephanie Allen BU head coach

BU vs. Niagara

17

by the numbers

By the Numbers

Men's tennis garners ranking for first time since 2011 Staff Reports The latest ITA national team rankings put the Binghamton men’s tennis squad at No. 75.

After winning six of their last seven matches, the Bearcats (8-4) return to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association polls for the first time since February 2011, when they were ranked 68th.

“It’s nice to be recognized for the work we’ve done so far this spring,” BU head coach Adam Cohen said, according to BUBearcats. com. “We still have a long way to go to reach our goals, but this is a start in that direction.”

The Bearcats have won six consecutive America East tennis championships. Their preparation for conference play later this season will continue this weekend with Saturday matches against No. 27 Columbia and unranked Fordham.

From Germany to Ireland, Keegan's pro career continues Staff Reports Jake Keegan is set to embark on another professional soccer season in 2014, this time in Ireland.

After becoming the first Bearcat to be selected in an MLS draft, the former Binghamton men’s soccer standout spent his 2013 campaign with FCA Darmstadt in Germany. In about half a season with Darmstadt, Keegan scored 10 goals before opting to leave for the Emerald Isle. In 2014, he will take the field with Galway FC of Ireland’s First Division.

“I knew that I had the ability to play at a higher level,” Keegan said, according to BUBearcats.com. “That led me to coming to Ireland on trial in hopes of earning a spot on the team here.”

This is just the latest stop in Keegan’s soccer career, which has already taken him everywhere from Philadelphia to Israel.

7

Rebounds per game grabbed by sophomore guard Jordan Reed in his last seven games

10 Goals scored by former Bearcat Jake Keegan in half a season while playing with FCA Darmstadt Goals netted by freshman attack Brianne Arthur against Niagara on Thursday

4

12.7

11.8

Points per game scored by senior forward Roland Brown in his past six contests

10 75

Team-high pins heavyweight junior Tyler Deuel has on the season

Points senior guard Vaneeshia Paulk averaged in her last two regularseason games

Men’s tennis team’s ranking in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll

21

SPORTS

WOMEN'S LACROSSE

BU cruises past Niagara Page 15

Friday, March 7, 2014

CLEAN SLATE

Bearcats aim to upset Great Danes in AE tourney See page 14 Franz Lino/Staff Photographer