Spring 2014 Issue 16

RELEASE your Sodexo lends an ear inner LARPer Writer turns into a mermaidgypsy and battles with demons, see page 7

Reigning champs off their game

Students suggest changes to campus food provider. For Sodexo’s responses, see page 2

Baseball needs to solidify its offense with conference play beginning, see page 15

PIPE DREAM Friday, March 21, 2014 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXV, Issue 16

Alumni create BU advice site

Husak: Drug laws too punitive Professor's discussion of connection between drug policy and race angers some attendees

HoodHoot provides students question-and-answer platform Emilie Leroy

Contributing Writer

Whether searching for a place to study or a shop that serves a strong cup of coffee, Binghamton University students can trade tips on the alumni-developed site HoodHoot.

On HoodHoot, users can pose questions pertaining to the University or the Binghamton area, like the best places to eat or study off campus, and receive answers from other users. Besides asking questions, users can post announcements about events and comment on topics or events going on in their neighborhoods.

The website was developed by brothers Andrew and Michael Laufer, who both graduated from BU in 2009, with degrees in industrial and systems engineering and economics, respectively; their childhood friend Joseph Fernandez, a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology; and their father Alan Laufer, who graduated from BU in 1975 with a degree

in geology.

The Laufer brothers and Fernandez came up with the idea during the summer of 2009 after noticing a student need for information that was not being satisfied in Binghamton.

“When you’re a college student, you want those honest answers so you can take full advantage of your college experience and live it to the fullest,” said Andrew Laufer, chief executive officer of the company.

Launched in October 2013, the site has 200 users.

All questions and answers on the website can be shared via other social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and they appear in Google search results. According to Fernandez, the chief operating officer and website manager, HoodHoot’s “share” feature is important for reaching out to potential users.

“I think it’s really important that we engage with users on all different levels of social media, no matter which systems they

See HOOT Page 7

Margaret-Rose Roazzi Contributing Writer

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Douglas Husak, a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, gives a lecture titled “Why Our Punitive Drug Policy Persists” Thursday evening. The philosophy, politics and law department’s Visiting Scholar series presented the talk, exploring the decriminalization of drugs and the current status of U.S. drug laws.

One Rutgers University professor believes punitive drug policies need to get with the times.

Douglas Husak, a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, explored the decriminalization of drugs and the current status of U.S. drug laws in his talk Thursday, “Why Our Punitive Drug Policy Persists.”

According to Husak, since the peak of drug use in the United States in 1979 — when 50 percent of high school seniors were using drugs weekly — drug laws have remained punitive and have even become harsher.

This, he said, contrasts predictions of the time that drug policies would become more tolerant, as those who used drugs assumed political office and reformed drug laws.

Husak said one reason this didn’t happen is that as drug users become parents, their perspective change as they consider the dangers drugs could pose to their children.

Husak said finding philosophers who support the current state of drug laws is almost impossible.

“It’s really hard to find a knowledgeable, philosophically sophisticated spokesperson who supports anything like the status quo in drug policy,” Husak said.

He added that the war on drugs was once considered necessary in order to win the war on crime, but that over the past 20 years, crime in

See DRUG Page 5

Beyoncé discussed as feminist icon Baxter back in Rutgers prof.

Mascot Madness looks at pop star's political, social impact

BU Bearcat makes it to second round of SUNY-wide contest

Tania Rahman

Joseph Hawthorne Pipe Dream News

Contributing Writer

Queen Bey may rule the world of popular music, but one professor from Rutgers University considers Beyoncé a political force to be reckoned with.

Kevin Allred, who lectures on women’s and gender studies Franz Lino/Staff Photographer and American studies at Rutgers, Kevin Allred, who lectures in women’s and gender studies and American studies at Rutgers University, gives a talk titled gained national attention in early “Beyoncé as a Political Figure” at Appalachian Dining Hall Thursday evening. During the presentation, Allred elaborated January when news of his specialty on his view of her as a political figure. class, “Politicizing Beyoncé,” went viral. when people were Googling her, content of Beyoncé’s songs, as well During his presentation “It happened around the same they found me,” Allred said. as the use of metaphorical imagery Thursday to 30 students at time that her album came out, so His class examines the lyrical in her music videos.

See BEY Page 5

For years, Baxter has watched from the sidelines as athletes have competed for Binghamton University. But this March, he has the chance to represent the school on his own.

For the second year, the SUNY system has organized a mascot competition known as Mascot

Madness, where mascots from 44 public New York colleges compete to crown the most popular mascot.

The competition is a bracket system, similar to the NCAA’s March Madness, where pairs of mascots compete to garner the most online votes over the span of a few days.

Whichever mascot accrues the most votes during the period moves on, but the length of the period

See SUNY Page 6

Postponed job fair draws 950

Delayed networking may negatively affect students Pelle Waldron

opportunities may have come too late for students during the Career Development Center’s (CDC) annual Spring Job and After a lengthy delay, Internship Fair. and with graduation less The event was planned for than two months away, the Feb. 5, but was canceled due Contributing Writer

to the state of emergency that was put into place because of bad weather.

Some students expressed concerns about their job prospects with the fair being held so late in the semester.

Chris Nanetti, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, said he was worried about finding something at the fair.

“I’m looking for a

See CDC Page 7

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Baxter the Bearcat high-fives fans during a recent basketball game. For the second year, the SUNY system has organized a mascot competition known as Mascot Madness, where mascots from 44 public New York colleges compete to crown the most popular mascot.

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www.bupipedream.com | March 21, 2014

STUDENTS & SODEXO

By Emilie Leroy | Contributing Writer

Students met with Sodexo chefs and managers to voice complaints and suggestions at the biweekly Student Culinary Council meeting.

Here’s what they covered:

STUDENTS SAY: 1. We would like to see almond milk in the dispensers in the Marketplace.

SODEXO RESPONDS: 1. We’re sourcing it right now. We should be able to get it rather quickly.

2. The portions at Cafe Spice are really big.

2. I think having one price point for two scoops of food prices itself out of a marketable range. So you can get single servings now there, and we’re going to get a price change.

3. Can the vegetable soups of the day also be vegan?

3. Most of the soups are pre-purchased. We just can’t make that much soup. But we can talk about making them more vegan.

4. When the Marketplace opens, some stations don’t have all of the ingredients ready.

5. How are packaged retail items priced?

6. The fruit in the salad bars is either unripe or from a can. Can we get more fresh fruit?

7. Can we get freshly made salads at the College-in-the-Woods Night Owl?

4. We have some things that we need to improve, and one of them is the opening prep list.

5. We pretty much multiply our costs by a number for all packaged items.

6. It’s the toughest produce season for us right now; nothing is in season. Unfortunately, during the great season, most of you aren’t here.

7. We have boxed salads that are prepared fresh every day and have a 24-hour shelf life.

We’d have to take a look at the refrigerator space. It’s not feasible everywhere.

Sodexo also asked students if they would like to have scales at the ends of salad bars in the dining halls so they could know how much they would have to pay. Students seemed in favor of this proposal.

Children's book looks to teach evolution, inspire love of science Graduate student works with professors and ‘Unidan,’ raises more than $50k via Kickstarter Margaret-Rose Roazzi Contributing Writer

One Binghamton University student hopes to evolve the children’s book formula with the Kickstarter project “Great Adaptations.”

“Great Adaptations” is a collection of 10 short stories, produced and organized by Robert Kadar, a graduate student at BU studying anthropology, and written by Tiffany Taylor, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Reading in England.

The stories themselves are narrative poems that teach children about a specific scientific

phenomenon, with a focus on evolution. Each story is also accompanied by illustrations by different artists, like James Munro, Yuko Ota, Rosemary Mosco and J.N. Wiedle.

Kadar said books such as “Aesop’s Fables” and Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” inspired the project.

“It came to me that it would be great for kids to actually have stories about the nature of animals because they’re just as cool as fantasy stories,” Kadar said.

“Great Adaptations” also features short notes at the end of each story to explain the scientific and evolutionary aspects. These notes are written by a team of

various scientists from the United States, England and Germany, including faculty and students from BU, like Anne Clark, a biology professor; Ben Eisenkop, a thirdyear doctoral candidate studying biology who gained fame on Reddit under the username “Unidan”; and David Sloan Wilson, a biology professor and the director of the evolutionary studies program.

Kadar got in contact with Taylor to present his idea for “Great Adaptations” after he discovered her first children’s book, “Little Changes,” which was published two years ago. The book also took the concept of evolution and made it accessible and fun for young children. Taylor

said that Kadar pitched her the idea of creating scientifically accurate entertainment for kids that incorporated the work of both scientists and artists.

“I was really excited about the idea of a close collaboration between science, art and poetry, and I thought it had a lot of potential to excite and inspire a future generation of scientists,” Taylor said.

The funds for the book were raised on Kickstarter, with an original goal set at $25,000. The collaborators hosted an AMA, or Ask Me Anything, with Unidan on Reddit during their fundraising to help raise interest in the project.

At its closing, they raised $52,026

with 1,620 backers on Kickstarter. ideas and the information will Publication is slated for probably be better conveyed.”

October 2014.

Emily Groenendaal, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said that she is looking forward to seeing how the book turns out.

“I think this book is a really, really good idea,” Groenendaal said. “I think the idea of poems and having different illustrators would be really interesting and captivating for the kids while also helping them to learn, and the fact that its an international project makes it more desirable because it would be more legitimate. With more hands essentially stirring Tiffany Taylor Author the pot, there would then be more

I thought it had a lot of potential to excite and inspire a future generation of scientists

PAGE III Friday, March 21, 2014

Pipe Line

Durak the boat

State News

States investigate allegations of racehorse abuse Thoroughbred racing regulators in New York and Kentucky are investigating allegations of mistreatment of horses by Racing Hall of Fame-nominated trainer Steve Asmussen and his top assistant. The states’ racing commissions said Thursday that investigations were launched after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals provided video evidence from an undercover investigation of Asmussen and some of his associates. PETA, on its website, said its investigator worked for Asmussen at Churchill Downs and the Saratoga Race Course last summer and documented overuse of pain-masking drugs to push horses beyond the point of physical exhaustion. PETA also accused Asmussen and his top assistant, Scott Blasi, of administering drugs to horses for non-therapeutic purposes to boost performance, forcing injured horses to train and race and having one of their jockeys use an electric shocker to make horses run faster.

There was no answer Thursday at Asmussen’s office in Arlington, Texas. Tulsa, Okla., attorney Clark Brewster, who represents Asmussen and Blasi, told The New York Times the men will reserve comment until they’ve had time to fully review the accusations and would then respond factually.

Foundation unveils vision for future Obama library Want your city, university or nonprofit group to be chosen to host President Barack Obama’s presidential library? Now’s the time to get started. The foundation that will develop and choose the site for Obama’s future library asked interested parties Thursday to submit their initial proposals. The “request for qualifications” offers the most detailed look to date at what the president and first lady Michelle Obama are seeking for what will be the permanent monument to their White House legacy. Illinois, New York and Hawaii are all expected to compete for Obama’s library, which is anticipated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars, attract a flurry of visitors and drive economic development in the surrounding community. Chicago and Honolulu have been working on their own proposals for years. Those and other communities will have until June 16 to submit details about their proposed sites, including current zoning rules, topographical surveys, tourism statistics and information about accessibility to transportation. Over the summer, the Barack Obama Foundation will score those proposals, then cull the list and invite selected groups to submit more formal, detailed applications. Once the final applications are scored, the foundation will make primary and secondary location recommendations to the project’s leadership before making a presentation to the president and Mrs. Obama in the fall. The Obamas will make the final decision, and the foundation plans to announce the winner in the first months of 2015.

National University News University of Hartford student charged with hazing A University of Hartford student has been arrested after a freshman at the school alleged students were subjected to hazing at an unsanctioned, off-campus fraternity. West Hartford police charged 21-year-old George Sinclair of New London with misdemeanor assault last week. The freshman told police that pledges were hazed at the off-campus fraternity Phi Delta Theta. He alleges Sinclair hit him in the chest with a golf club. He also says there were other hazing incidents, including lit cigarettes being put out on pledges’ tongues. University and national Phi Delta Theta officials say there hasn’t been an approved fraternity chapter at the school for several years because of sanctions. Sinclair was released on bail. There’s no phone listing for him, and it’s not clear if he has a lawyer.

Corrections Pipe Dream strives for accuracy in all we publish. We recognize that mistakes will sometimes occur, but we treat errors very seriously. If you see a mistake in the paper, please contact Editorin-Chief Christina Pullano at editor@bupipedream.com.

stabilizing: Miriam

Paige Nazinitsky/Managing Editor

Members of the Russian Student Union prepare for a Durak tournament. Durak is a card game popular in the post-Soviet states, where players try and get rid of all of their cards. The last person to have cards is the Durak, or fool.

Police Watch A lighter take on campus crime

Ghost ride the spliff TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 10:43 p.m. — Officers were called to Dickinson Community’s Johnson Hall for reports of the smell of marijuana by the resident assistant staff, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. After checking the area, they could not identify a point of origin for the odor. The officers knocked on multiple doors and asked residents if they saw any suspicious characters or knew of the smell. All of the residents answered that they did not. The officers eventually left the scene.

Ticket to ride WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 8:30 p.m. — Officers running radar on the Bunn Hill access road witnessed a 20-year-old female going 18 miles above the speed limit of 25 mph, Reilly said. The officers performed a routine traffic stop and took the suspect’s license and registration. After a run through their database, the officers noticed that the suspect’s license was suspended in the state of New York. The suspect was issued tickets for aggravated unlicensed operation and speeding.

This Day in History March 21st 1963

The federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay closes down and transfers its last prisoners. At its peak period of use in the 1950s, “The Rock,” or “”America’s Devil Island,” housed over 200 inmates at the maximum-security facility.

Alcatraz remains an icon of American prisons for its harsh conditions and record for being inescapable.

Un-“armed” and dangerous WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 11:55 p.m. — Patrol officers were in the process of closing the gate on West Drive when they noticed something wrong in the entrance to Parking Lot M, Reilly said. The officers noticed the wooden arm that prevented cars from entering the lot was broken. The arm was on the ground and seemed to have been driven over multiple times. A work order was placed for the item. There are no known suspects or witnesses.

Pay it backward WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 11:55 p.m. — Patrol officers were in the process of closing the gate on West Drive when they noticed something wrong in the entrance to Parking Lot M, Reilly said. The officers noticed the wooden arm that prevented cars from entering the lot was broken. The arm was on the ground and seemed to have been driven over multiple times. A work order was placed for the item. There are no known suspects or witnesses.

“We are asking that the LGBT community rise above all the anger we feel toward the Westboro Baptist Church and do what we’ve been asking the Phelps family do for 20 years, which is let us grieve in peace.”

Thomas Witt, executive director of Kansas Equality Coalition, on the death of Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps

burnt popcorn:destabilizing

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www.bupipedream.com | March 21, 2014

Groups sell 'keys' for charity Beyoncé feminism examined CommuniKey holds fundraising competitions Alex Mackof

Contributing Writer CommuniKey, the selfproclaimed “ultimate friend with benefits,” is holding a fundraiser benefiting both participating student organizations and a charity of their choice.

From March 23 to April 6, student organizations that sign up with CommuniKey will be asked to sell membership cards, or CommuniKeys. Each card costs $10 and offers yearlong access to discounts and freebies from local businesses.

For each card a student organization sells, they keep 50 percent of the profit, and $1 is donated to a charity of their choice.

According to David Simel, co-founder and chief technology officer of CommuniKey, the three student groups that sell the most CommuniKeys will win cash prizes of $200, $100 and $50 in addition to 50 percent of the profits from the cards that they sell.

“We’re giving away 60 percent of our profits during this fundraiser, and we’re hoping that this will benefit both Binghamton businesses and student organizations, as well as spread awareness about CommuniKey,” said Simel, a 2011 Binghamton University alumnus who majored in management.

Simel did not comment on the student groups that signed up to participate.

Simel and four classmates founded CommuniKey in May of 2011 almost immediately following their graduation from BU. His colleagues are Jimmy Orband, Adam Sabol and David Brosius, who

all majored in marketing, and Lee Rogers, who majored in philosophy, politics and law.

“We got started because we realized that a lot of students didn’t know the area as well as we thought, so we wanted to figure out a way to expose them to businesses and give them an incentive to do it,” Simel said.

CommuniKey offers deals ranging from 10 to 15 percent off at more than 50 restaurants, as well as several mechanic and auto body shops. Participating businesses include Whole in the Wall, Burger Mondays, Nirchi’s Pizza and Tom & Marty’s.

On their website, they offer freebies and larger discounts for a featured restaurant each week. They also have a blog that publicizes new businesses, reviews restaurants and offers a guide to dining during Family Weekend.

“We also host lots of awesome events for our members and the community each year, from eating contests to parties at bars Downtown,” Simel said.

According to Simel, CommuniKey has plans to make their membership mobile by next year.

“Right now it’s a card, and what you do is you show the business the card and you get the discount. We’re going to take that, turn it into an app and also map out where all the businesses are,” Simel said.

According to Simel, CommuniKey is continuing to expand and frequently approaches local businesses to inquire if they are interested in getting into the student market. If they agree, CommuniKey advertises the

business on their website and adds them to their discount card.

“We want the community in general to know that we’re just here trying to connect students to the Greater Binghamton area businesses, and give them a good fun way to do it,” Simel said. “We just want to get people psyched about the community, plain and simple.”

We got started because we realized that a lot of students didn’t know the area as well as we thought, so we wanted out a way to expose them to businesses and give them an incentive to do it David Simel co-founder and chief technology officer of CommuniKey

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Kevin Allred, a professor at Rutgers University, speaks on the political influence of Beyoncé Thursday evening in Appalachian Dining Hall. Allred described the ways in which Beyoncé’s latest self-titled album speaks out on feminism.

BEY continued from Page 1 Binghamton University, Allred described the ways in which Beyoncé’s latest self-titled album speaks out on feminism and black female stereotypes.

Allred showed the music videos to several of her songs, including “Partition” and “Jealous,” while urging the audience to remain attuned to particular social messages that were being conveyed in the videos.

According to Allred, black women’s sexuality has always been used against them, and Beyoncé exposes this in her video for the song “Kitty Kat.” “When a black woman enters a room, her sexuality enters first, and then her body — in the video, we see a huge black cat, that is, a huge pussycat, enter first, and then Beyoncé’s small figure,” he said. “She’s seen first as a sexual object, and then as herself.”

Allred said he firmly believed

OVER 150 FLAVORS R

Beyoncé’s influence on modern feminism is a positive one.

“I think she’s turning a new audience on what feminism is,” he said. “Feminism has negative stereotypes, so I think the fact that she’s using it in her music will help turn people away from that negative light.”

Fiona Tarzy, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics, and law and vice president of academics (VPA) of the Mountainview College Council, said she got the idea for the event after reading about Allred’s class in Rolling Stone.

“It was the perfect because my first goal as VPA was to reach students that wouldn’t otherwise be interested in after-school learning; my second goal was to help Binghamton understand feminism as something people shouldn’t be afraid to identify with,” Tarzy said. “Beyoncé achieves this by using her stature as a popular public figure to present feminism

in a positive light.”

Allred opened the floor for questions, responding to one student’s claim that the singer’s overt sexuality in her music videos perpetuated a negative black stereotype.

“I think she’s trying to say, ‘You’re the ones watching, you’re the ones seeing me in this way,’” Allred said. “By putting her own body on display, she’s doing a performance rather than objectifying herself.”

Haley Silverstein, a sophomore majoring in political science, said she found the presentation insightful.

“This definitely made me think about Beyoncé differently,” she said. “I don’t think that celebrities influence me personally, but after hearing what he said, I see how she definitely has a broader impact outside of the fashion or music industry.”

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Drug laws may be too severe Hundreds go to late job fair DRUG continued from Page 1

New York City has decreased to an all-time low, while drug use has remained steady.

Husak said harsh anti-drug policies can make adolescents more inclined to try drugs in the first place.

Charles Goodman, an associate professor of philosophy and Asian and Asian-American studies, said he agreed with many of Husak’s beliefs.

“I think that our laws, especially in the case of marijuana and probably in the case of other drugs as well, are seriously unjust, and not worth what they cost,” Goodman said.

“In order to get a policy that will not cause all this needless suffering, people need to develop more empathy and compassion for those in poor, high-crime communities.”

One claim that Husak made, however, drew opposition from some audience members. He said that after talking to highranking officials in New York state’s criminal justice system, most were searching for drugs in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods populated mainly by minorities.

He went on to say that while many might call this racism, talking to the officials led him to believe that drug busts are used as a pretext for solving serious crimes, such as murders and rapes, by getting information from those they arrest as well as having their information in the database.

One audience member asked why, if racism is not a factor, it is more likely for an AfricanAmerican standing on a corner

in Harlem to be frisked rather than a white man on Wall Street.

In response, Husak told the story of one meeting he had with Cyrus Vance, the district attorney of New York, where he brought up the same issue.

According to Husak, Vance was aware of the alleged drug use on Wall Street, but said that neighborhood and those like it are not heavily crime-laden places, and that police simply “go where the crime is.”

Although Husak believed that racism wasn’t the driving factor behind drug policy and crime prevention, he did admit that he observed an over-inclusive tendency for the penal system to crack down on minorities, saying that minorities were more likely to be arrested, prosecuted and harshly punished for their crimes.

Stephanie Izquieta, founder of the Binghamton University chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she was shocked by a few of Husak’s opinions.

“I was surprised that he didn’t really feel that drug persecution or criminalization was racist in and of itself,” Izquieta said. “The movement does kind of say that … it has racist aspects.”

Husak has published eight books and over 100 articles on the subject of the philosophy of law. He is currently editorin-chief of Law and Philosophy as well as Criminal Law and Philosophy.

Thursday’s talk was a part of the philosophy, politics and law department’s Visiting Scholar series.

CDC continued from Page 1

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Douglas Husak, a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, gives a lecture titled “Why Our Punitive Drug Policy Persists.” Husak stated that since the peak of drug use in the United States in 1979 — when 50 percent of high school seniors were using drugs weekly — drug laws have remained punitive and have even become harsher.

It’s really hard to philosophically

—Douglas Husak Rutgers University professor

career internship for after graduating,” Nanetti said. “It’s a little shaky for me if I won’t be able to get my position this late.”

Genna Matz, who represented Oasis Day Camp at the fair, said they were hoping to fill positions ranging from leadership roles to business and financial jobs.

Like representatives from many other companies, she said she was happy for the opportunity to hire students even though it was a little late.

“We prefer to get a lot of our hiring done earlier,” Matz said.

“But we’re always looking for new staff so it doesn’t affect us too much.”

Despite the rescheduling, 950 students and 62 employers still turned up. Citibank, Geico, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Frito-Lay and Teach for America were among the businesses represented.

Posters and handouts about the companies were displayed on tables, and students lined up to pitch their qualifications to the representatives.

“The Job and Internship Fair is an opportunity to connect employers and students together,” said Bill McCarthy, the associate director of the CDC. “Whenever we can do that, it’s a success.”

Some students said they were not there to find an

internship or job, but for the experience.

“It’s kind of like a reality slap in the face, in a good way, to show you that the school is giving you a lot of opportunities to connect and network,” said Nofal Abbas, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering. “At the same time it’s showing you that college is short, we’re going to have to jump into the real world soon enough.”

For employers who were not able to attend the Job and Internship Fair, there will be an online version on Thursday, March 27.

According to Laura O’Neill, academic internship program coordinator, the virtual fair will offer students an opportunity to connect with more employers.

“Any employer that wasn’t able to come, we had students get in touch with them,” O’Neill said. “So they don’t have the same face-to-face opportunity, but they are still able to reach out to them.”

The organizers said the event came together very well and that they were happy with the turnout.

“We overcame adversity to make this work,” McCarthy said. “Our goal is to get good employers with good internships and good opportunities for the students.”

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www.bupipedream.com | March 21, 2014

Baxter mauls OWWIN to advance to second round SUNY continued from Page 1 decreases after each round.

Last year, Baxter, who is seeded fifth in the current edition of the tournament, lost in the semifinals to Stony Brook’s Wolfie the Seawolf. However, Associate Athletic Director David Simek said that Baxter will see better results in his second attempt at the championship.

“Last year was actually pretty low-key,” Simek said. “[The tournament] was mainly advertised by word-of-mouth. But this year a lot of schools are really pushing social media.”

In the first round of this year’s competition, Baxter overwhelmed SUNY College at Old Westbury’s mascot Owwin, 5,761 votes to 2,369.

But as of Thursday night, BU was nearly a thousand votes behind 44th-seeded SUNY Adirondack, which had previously earned an upset win over 12th-seeded University at Albany, according to SUNY’s website. Baxter has until Sunday night to catch up in the polls.

“We’re not nervous; we have a plan,” Simek said. “We have someone dealing with Facebook, Twitter [and] BU Zoo quarter sheets. We’re also billboarding on Friday, and Baxter will be wearing a sign saying, ‘vote for Baxter.’”

Schools were able to garner thousands of votes in only a few days because each voter is allowed to vote every day by smartphone and by computer.

Simek also recounted the various mascots that had existed before Baxter, and said that in 2001 Baxter brought stability to a previously uncertain position.

“There was no official mascot,

but we used to be the Colonials, and the most recognized mascot was Colonial Woody,” Simek said.

“He was someone that dressed up, had a coonskin hat and looked like a soldier. There was also a chicken

costume. It hasn’t been used in a long time, but if you ask students from the ’60s and ’70s, they probably remember a full-body chicken mascot.”

Nathan Holahan, finance chair

of the BU Zoo and a sophomore double-majoring in economics and management, agreed with Baxter’s boosters and said he deserved to be recognized.

“Baxter epitomizes school spirit.

His ceaseless energy and hilarious antics always pump people up,” Holahan said. “One example would be the dance-off between Baxter and the BU Zoo’s Green Man at the Albany basketball game. Those

demonstrations showed the love and unity of the student body.”

Alumni-created site bridges campus, community When you're a college student, you want those honest answers so you can take full advantage of your college experience and live it to the fullest Andrew Laufer

HoodHoot CEO

Photo Provided

A screenshot of the alumni-developed website HoodHoot. On HoodHoot, users can pose questions pertaining to the University or the Binghamton area, like the best places to eat or to study off campus, and receive answers from other users.

HOOT continued from Page 1 use,” Fernandez said.

Although HoodHoot was started with students in mind, anyone can pose or answer questions, whether they are a student, a University administrator or a resident in the Binghamton area.

“Where this goes and the type of discussion that goes on is going to be driven more by the needs of the community

and who speaks up and who says what,” said Alan Laufer, chief legal counsel for the site.

The HoodHoot founders said they hoped that the website would become a social media staple and help people become more familiar with their communities. They will be expanding the site to other cities, but for now they’re using BU’s student base as a way to establish themselves.

“A lot of people are out of

touch with their community, and they don’t know what’s going on around them,” Fernandez said. “HoodHoot creates a place where they can rediscover their neighborhood and learn new things about businesses in their area.”

After coming up with the idea three years ago, the group went through three web developers before finding one who could bring their vision for HoodHoot to fruition. They

have also entirely funded the project themselves. According to Andrew Laufer, the total investments from all four cofounders total $75,000.

“This is really the result of a lot of time and a lot of sweet equity,” Alan said.

HoodHoot founders said they attribute their current success to the skills they each possess and their relationships with each other.

“Everyone brings something

to the table,” Andrew said.

“There’s no one I’d rather be in business with.”

For college students interested in starting their own website, business or application, the HoodHoot founders said the most important thing was perseverance.

“We had a long road getting here — three years,” Andrew said. “Some of it was easy and some of it was hard, but we persevered through it.”

RELEASE Arts & Culture

Master the art of LARP 2 magical nights with sorcerers and thieves Odeya Pinkus | Staff Writer

File Photo

There are three types of people who go to this school: people who LARP, people who want to try LARP and people who are lying. LARP, or Live Action Role Playing Club, is one of the most intriguing groups on campus — seen everywhere, but known by few. Whether they’re yelling incantations outside of Glenn G. Bartle Library or having a sword fight in the Fine Arts Building, LARP has a presence on campus that is here to stay. But what do they do, exactly? Beyond the costumes and the combat, the makeup and magic, what is the true art of LARPing? I decided to find out.

To begin my adventure, I attended LARP’s general interest meeting to find out what I was in for. My first step was creating my player, Giselle, a mermaid-gypsy with a dark past. It would be easy, I figured. It was nothing more than jousting and running around. Was I ever wrong.

The first thing I learned during my adventure was that you can’t just go ahead and LARP like it’s not a big deal. Before I began, I got an 87-page rulebook. Thinking that it wasn’t necessary, I merely skimmed the “pamphlet” and was more confused than ever before.

I had powers? I had armor? How would I use these things? Was any of this real? We began our quest, and I learned that the only thing harder than learning to play was playing itself.

My first encounter with LARPing was frustrating. I didn’t dress properly. I didn’t understand how the game worked. As we “transported” ourselves from Student Wing to Bartle, I prepared to use my imagination to its fullest extent, but to no avail. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t become Giselle or revel in child-

like wonder.

After traveling to the Bartle basement, I was called forth for my “gypsy powers” to fight the “chameleons.” Less than 45 minutes into the game, I was needed for a solo mission. The only thing greater than my fear was my confusion. As I arrived in the Memorial Courtyard in Fine Arts, I was unsure how to proceed.

As I stood there dumbstruck, I was mortally wounded by the swoosh of a sword.

Feeling dejected, I looked for guidance within the club before my next attempt.

“It helps a lot playing a character when you lose some of that inhibition and don’t worry about looking silly,” said Eirik Kunz, a local resident and avid LARPer. “Everyone else looks silly too, and they know they look silly and they don’t care that you look silly.”

With these words of inspiration, I waited for the second quest to begin. We were given two options: go left if you think you’re tough, right if you’d like a calmer adventure. I took the chance and went left.

The call was sent out, and the quest began. As the newbie I was, I forgot to get a weapon before facing the first bandits. Completely defenseless, I hung back, hoping I could get through by sheer luck. I soon made a LARP friend, Thantos, who kindly lent me his sword. I was mortally wounded in the first 30 minutes of combat by an enemy LARPer, but was kindly revived by teammates. Using cunning means of distraction, I tricked my opponent into receiving a hit and losing a leg.

But not two minutes later, I was in more danger. Another player yelled an incantation, and everyone who was not his ally was put under his sleeping spell. I was not his ally and, according to

Thantos, the only way I could be saved would be by losing an arm.

One appendage short, I forged on. As the game unfolded, so did the plot. We were on a “museum quest,” venturing through an “exhibit” located in Fine Arts, fighting thieves along the way.

This was by far the most I’ve ever seen of the Fine Arts Building, and it was incredible how many student groups were practicing there. As we ran around various dance teams, we met “generous bandits,” who gave us presents that included even their own shoes. As we ventured into the basement, I became unsure of how we were faring.

“Well, I’m going to get out OK, I don’t know about the rest of them,” said Oriax, a half-demon monk from the second layer of hell (the lust layer), known in the mortal world as George Jaray, a senior majoring in computer science. “Got some horns, going to make some poisons, going to have some fun.”

Reaching the end of our quest, we were treated to a skit in the museum, followed by a final battle in Academic B. I fought valiantly, until I dramatically lost and sat down on the side near Harpur Academic Advising. Once the quest was over, we all got milkshakes at the College-in-the-Woods Night Owl. Through my LARPing adventure, I found not only a club, but a community. I was amazed by their commitment to the sport, and to each other. They get lunch together every day in CIW, and they help each other sell Girl Scout cookies for their siblings.

LARP does what LARP wants, and doesn’t care who knows it.

For those brave enough to take part, they meet Wednesdays and Thursdays in the Student Wing (room subject to change).

Grab a slice of BTV's hottest new comedy show Erin Rosenblum | Contributing Writer When BTV approached professor Ryan Vaughan about getting involved with the station, they were trying to raise their profile and respectability.

“I can provide neither of those things,” Vaughan said. “But the first thing that came to mind was a show where I interviewed people while eating an entire pizza.

Hence, ‘Pizza with Vaughan.’”

Vaughan was the obvious choice for a comedy show. He’s a popular professor whose classes fill up so fast, even seniors have trouble getting in.

“Pizza with Vaughan” has come a long way since it premiered last spring. In just six episodes, the show has graduated from being shot using a green screen in the basement of New University Union (which Vaughan referred to as a “shithole” on the most recent episode) to Casadesus Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building. The show also now has a much larger

production crew, new cameras and microphones.

Each episode begins with an opening monologue by the coveted English professor, where he sits on a child-sized chair with a cartoon of a slightly more chiseled version of himself emblazoned in the back. The show also offers student-produced comedic sketches and an interview segment where Vaughan shares Nirchi’s pizza with his guest.

While the show made impressive strides in production since its first episode, the content “has managed to maintain a consistent level of stupidity,” Vaughan said.

“Pizza with Vaughan” offers an impressively accurate and hilarious insight into Binghamton University campus culture.

Notable guests have included Larry Shea, the owner of Tom & Marty’s, and Ben Eisenkop, a Reddit superstar known as “Unidan” and a doctoral candidate in biology.

The show’s next episode

will feature its first musical performance, an unnamed project combining the talents of guitarist and singer Christine Spilka, a senior majoring in chemistry, and DJ Daniel Kadyrov, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. The two longtime friends began their musical collaboration just two weeks ago.

“This is the first TV show I’ve done. It’s a really exciting experience to be a part of,” said Spilka, who is also a member of the band The Jean Jackets. The episode will feature Vaughan attempting to name their band and interviewing the two musicians.

“Pizza with Vaughan” has certainly raised BTV’s profile and will continue to do so with future guests and web shorts like “Marketplace with Vaughan.” As the title suggests, Vaughan asks students hard-hitting questions in the Marketplace, like “Who would win in a fight?” He doesn’t give the interviewees options for answers. It’s an open question.

Janine Furtado / Assistant Photo Editor

In addition to putting BTV on the map, “Pizza with Vaughan” is about “bringing the Binghamton community together in a not fake way,” Vaughan said.

“It’s not as polished as other

shows you’re gonna see, but the ideas are original. We’re just trying to make each other laugh, and hopefully other people will laugh as a result,” he said.

Links to all six episodes are

available on the show’s Facebook page. Taping takes place every other Thursday in Fine Arts Room 117 from 7:30 to 9 p.m., and all students are welcome.

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Products for the Wegmans-obsessed The supermarket mecca's brands beat what you're used to Gabriella Ginsberg | Staff Writer There’s no better cure for a case of the mid-semester blahs than killing a few hours at Wegmans, better known as the grocery playground. Seniors in particular will appreciate this collection of Wegmans’ best private label products, especially since this may be their last encounter with the store for a while. Pull yourself out of your pathetic pool of tears and go buy some food.

Best Bread/Bakery Items Ancient Grain Bread with Cranberries — Made with whole grains and free of artificial ingredients, this bread is completely awesome. It makes great toast and an even better

You may falling in love with an unexpected

tuna salad sandwich — the combination of savory and sweet from the cranberries is on point.

Price: $2.50 Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies — These are available in the pay-per-pound cookies section of the bakery, but let’s be real: You’re going to eat them while walking around the store.

Who can resist a chocolatedipped chocolate chip cookie?

Literally no one. Price: $10.99/ lb.

Pumpkin Pie — Wegmans makes a mean pumpkin pie, and it’s available all year-round. They sometimes even have a personalsized pie available for those of you who hate sharing. While a little pricey, this pie is a must for any pumpkin addict. Price: $6.00/regular, $4.00/mini Best Refrigerated Items Pumpkin & Spice Cream Cheese — I refuse to check into pumpkin rehab due to gems such as this. Slather it on a Wegmans ancient grain bagel for maximum enjoyment. Less fooddyed than the Einsteins version and available year-round. Price: $1.29 Food You Feel Good About Yogurt, Super, Lowfat, Organic, Blended, Raspberry (32 oz.)

— Stonyfield fans should give

the Wegmans version a shot — it’s comparable in ingredients and taste and comes in way more flavors. This variety is sweet enough to satisfy but not overbearingly so. Price: $3.49 Food You Feel Good About Brussels Sprouts, Family Pack — It’s probably been a while since you’ve had a vegetable, so consider popping a bag of these in the oven, tossed with some EVOO, salt and pepper. The power of a good batch of roasted brussels sprouts may surprise you. Price: $3.99 Best Pantry Items Food You Feel Good About Jammin’ Organic Fruit Spread, Red Raspberry — This jam is fabulous on toast, in a PB&J sandwich or inside the homebaked hamantaschen that you couldn’t be bothered to make this past Purim. Price: $3.49 Food You Feel Good About Pasta Sauce, Tomato Basil — At 99 cents, there’s no reason to pass this up, especially alongside its BFF, Wegmans-brand pasta (also 99 cents). Enjoy the taste of homemade sauce without the effort.

Food You Feel Good About Garbanzo Beans, Organic — Toss with some pre-washed salad, add a few baby carrots and you’ve

got instant lunch. Chickpeas are a vital ingredient in the poor college student’s diet. Price: 99 cents Best Candy Wegmans Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt Toffee Bar — Ghirardelli pales in comparison to this chocolate wonder. The combination of salty and sweet is the perfect reward for finishing that dumb paper. Price: $1.99 Agave Gummi Bears — Available over in the Nature’s Marketplace bulk foods, these bears taste deliciously fruity and have the texture of Gushers without the weird liquid inside.

Price: See in store.

Raspberry Yogurt Covered Pretzels — Available in the normal bulk foods (read: unhealthy), these things are basically crack. Tangy and sweet and suspiciously lavendercolored, they blow Flipz out of the water. Price: See in store.

The next time you’re bummed that Wegmans seems to have a meager selection of your favorite peanut butter or popcorn, consider trying their version. Most of their houselabel items are comparable in taste and price, and you may find yourself falling in love with an unexpected flavor. Enjoy!

Provided by Flickr

Why politi Rebecca Porath | Staff Writer Political dramas are at an all-time high. Currently, eight major television shows are of the genre, including “Homeland,” “House of Cards,” “The Good Wife,” “The Americans,” “Hostages,” “Scandal,” “The Blacklist” and “Veep.” In addition to focusing on the inner workings of government, these shows are also similar in that they take a particularly cynical view toward politics. Yet, it wasn’t always this way.

In 1999, “The West Wing” premiered on NBC and, since its ending in 2006, has been widely regarded as the greatest political drama of all time.

While “The West Wing” was controversial at the time, looking back at it, the idealism is clear.

Martin Sheen’s President Josiah Bartlet was a liberal fantasy coming off of the heels of the Clinton administration, running all the way through the middle of Bush’s second term. While the personal lives of “West Wing” characters were convoluted and Bartlet was faced with countless tough decisions, overall he was brilliant and, more importantly, competent.

In Aaron Sorkin’s vision of Washington, D.C., the good guys were public servants who held on to the power, and morals existed not just in theory. Washington, D.C. was a place to be respected, not antagonized. The next huge political thriller was “24,” which showed more of the dark side of government through the eyes of anti-terror agent Jack Bauer. While this may have not shown a pretty picture, Bauer, like Bartlet, was a hero.

However, things began to lean a little more toward pessimism than heroism.

Whether it was the rise of

the 24/7 news network battle royale, the constant display of corruption on every level of government or simply the general incompetency of politicians, D.C. has clearly lost a significant amount of respect since 1999. No doubt has this been reflected in political television culture. After “The West Wing” and “24” ended their runs, the political drama gained more popularity than ever. Unlike those two shows, political dramas today make no attempt to show politics as glamorized or moral. Until recently, demeaning the political process was seen as disrespectful, un-American even. So now, in an era where politicians are torn apart on a daily basis, audiences have no problem peeking into the inner workings of Washington. After all, it’s easy for Hollywood to glamorize D.C. corruption as being riddled with lies, sex, crime, bribes, power struggles, back-alley deals and general scumbaggery.

In addition to drama, audiences are searching for truth through these shows.

While politics are regularly reported in the news, there is an assumption that the U.S. government is not trustworthy and is hiding key national and global secrets from the public.

Conspiracies are everywhere, and we sense that our leaders are working in the shadows.

These shows are able to suggest to the audience what really goes on when we’re not looking.

“House of Cards” is one of the best examples of this combination of cynicism and revelation. In season 1, Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood undertook an enormous and complex scheme in the hopes of gaining the presidency and enacting revenge. Throughout this journey, he is driven by lust, money and power and uses murder, bribing and a

BU experience fuels writing careers 'Metal Gear's' mo Alums recount closeted college days, inspiring professors

Yael Rabin | also funny, captivating the audience Staff Writer with amusing imagery of cherry On Tuesday night, the Pop-Tarts and thesauruses.

Binghamton Center for Writers McNaugher and White received hosted two Binghamton University master’s degrees in English at BU, alumni, Heather McNaugher and and McNaugher received a doctorate Jacob White. The authors read from as well, both completing their their work and told stories about education in 2003. their time at the University and the McNaugher told the audience inspiration they found here. that her Binghamton years were not McNaugher read a few poems, her best, as described in her poem including ones from her collection “2000.” She explained that she felt “System of Hideouts.” She filled isolated at BU, but her feelings of Science I Room 149 with candid isolation forced her to get a lot of stories about her experiences as work done. a young lesbian with an eating In “2000,” she wrote about disorder, stories of losing loved ones spending the majority of her and her fear of having a daughter time on the 15th floor of the the who would turn out just like her.

Library Tower working on the McNaugher writes unabashedly “mad uselessness also known as my about her sexual orientation, and master’s thesis,” which made the many of her poems described a whole audience laugh, especially the palpable sexual tension to which professors and graduate students. anyone could relate. Her poetry was Unlike McNaugher, White

Tycho McManus/Staff Photographer

decided to read one 15-minute story from his collection of short stories, titled “Being Dead in South Carolina.” White told the audience that the story, “Your Father Needs More Time,” is “about being a boob.” With his southern twang, White told the story of a father trying to connect to those around him, especially his son, while he and his wife are in the midst of a divorce. White’s writing is poignant and entertaining, describing the environment around him and the difficulty in understanding his son, who wears pants that show three inches of his boxers.

White said his most influential professor during his time at BU was Jack Vernon, and he consistently recalls his teacher’s voice when writing.

White also fondly remembered a course on visionary experiences from the late professor Arthur Clements, as well as Martin Bidney’s course on William Blake, which White likened to being on an LSD trip while in the classroom.

Vernon described his former student’s writing as maximalist as well as “violently graceful and gracefully violent.”

One of McNaugher’s most influential professors was professor Maria Mazziotti Gillan, who serves as director of both the creative writing program and the Binghamton Center for Writers. Gillan recounted how during their workshops, McNaugher would contribute with

biting, witty comments and then read a poem she wrote, blowing everyone away. She described McNaugher’s writing as a “feisty balance of passionate intensity.”

McNaugher’s time in the classroom very much affected her writing, but working in the Glenn G. Bartle Library gave her a “transformative, spiritual experience,” as she spent long hours in Bartle’s stacks among novels and poetry by some of English literature’s greats. She also spent time with then-graduate student and current BU cinema professor Chantal Rodais, who she described as her only friend during her five years here. The two took a course on Walter Benjamin together and often ended up at Binghamton’s Spot Diner, chain-smoking and discussing that day’s lecture.

Today, both McNaugher and White teach in higher education and edit literary journals. McNaugher teaches at Chatham University and edits poetry for Fourth River, while White teaches at Ithaca College and edits fiction for Green Mountains Review. Though their personal writing time is limited, both authors agreed that they try to take advantage of every opportunity to write, especially in the classroom when their students respond to assigned writing prompts. Sometimes, they even find themselves writing about their own students.

In 5th installment, universe ge Geoffrey Wilson | Assistant News Editor While “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes” may be the biggest change in the series since its shift into 3-D, Snake’s latest mission will keep fans waiting for more.

Hideo Kojima’s latest addition to the franchise acts as a prologue to the overall story of “MGS V,” similar to the Virtuous Mission

segment in “MGS 3.” The game is a direct sequel to the spin-off title “Peace Walker,” and it is essential that players bone up on their lore before tackling the latest installment. “Ground Zeroes” features a brief segment to explain the backstory, but this is still “MGS” — the plot is just as dense and complex as ever.

Without spoiling the story, the game’s most significant change

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ical TV has turned more cynical

Janine Furtado / Assistant Photo Editor

Provided by Warner Bros

brilliant chess game of lies and manipulation to get there.

While this seems outlandish, the series does seem to portray D.C. realistically. Underwood seems like a perfectly believable character to the audience, which is pretty depressing when you think about it.

Going one step further, “Scandal” gives us a part of D.C. that has been never discussed in popular culture — the business of crisis management.

There is an entire network of people working to influence

our perception of politicians, ideas audiences have found highly captivating. Rather than dramatizing D.C. through actions like murder and vicious crime, “Scandal” portrays cynicism through the idea that what we see is a construction; every deal and decision is carefully thought out for the purpose of image, not morals.

Even “Veep,” a comedy, is able to suggest the pitfalls of government through its silliness. While we are unable to better understand the inner

ost solid game yet

Provided by Konami

ets more serious and more vast is the shift in tone. The “MGS” story, while mostly serious, has always had its campy tendencies, from its over-the-top voice acting to the ridiculous plot elements.

In 2013, Kojima indicated his desire to tell a more mature story, saying the main themes of “MGS V” would be race and revenge. One of the biggest signs of this shift is the decision to replace Snake’s original voice actor, David Hayter,

with Kiefer Sutherland of “24” fame. As risky as it was dropping Hayter, who has voiced the character since 1998, Sutherland’s more somber tone matches the story more so than Hayter’s iconic, exaggerated style.

Alongside darker character motivations and uncomfortable, graphic cutscenes, “MGS” veterans will immediately notice the change.

The gameplay has also evolved

workings of politics from this show, the drama and character development do reveal the incompetence and personal politics that exist. Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, is too often disrespected and underappreciated by other political players. Despite being knowledgeable, it is nearly impossible for her to be heard.

The supporting characters are seen as either foolish or ridiculously egotistical, again pushing the idea of the pompousness of D.C.’s elite.

Overall, it is clear that television has become quite comfortable in its negative portrayal of D.C. Viewers no long believe that the Oval Office is the shining symbol of heroism and leadership, and they crave seeing a more realistic depiction. This begs the question, though, of whether political dramas will ever return to idealism or get even more corrupt. Let’s face it: A show about a president doubling as a serial killer would be hugely popular.

while retaining the core stealth experience expected from “MGS.” The most obvious change to the formula is the new open-world environment. Players are forced to navigate through a prison camp in Cuba as well as the surrounding area. The size of the map allows for several options for navigation and infiltration. Because the game provides multiple solutions to any given problem, players can experiment with different paths and play styles. While the game rewards stealth and nonlethal actions, the action and gunplay in “Ground Zeroes” are just as satisfying.

“Ground Zeroes” also includes several new features to aid players in getting through the game unseen. Binoculars are a traditional piece of equipment throughout “MGS,” but the latest installment has added a new tracking system to the mix. After focusing on an enemy, they will be engulfed in a glowing silhouette that can be seen through walls, similar to “Far Cry 3.” Once marked, players will know where a particular enemy is at any given time. It is possible to mark every enemy in the level, making stealth a breeze. The other new feature to the game is “reflex,” which slows time down when Snake is seen by a guard, allowing the player to try and incapacitate the guard before he alerts the entire base. Both abilities make stealth much easier than past “MGS” titles, almost to a fault. Fortunately, players can disable the features within the options menu for a more traditional experience.

Perhaps the biggest mark

against “Ground Zeroes” is the overall length of the title. The game’s campaign clocks in at about two hours. While “Ground Zeroes” also features side missions, collectible items, time trials and a harder difficulty option, these features are mostly padding and only add a few extra hours to the overall experience. The title’s discounted price partially makes up for the length, but players will be left wanting more regardless.

This is still “MGS” — the plot is just as dense and complex as ever.

Despite its disappointing play time, “Ground Zeroes” is essential to the story of “MGS V.” The story embarks from the traditional tone and formula, and the game acts as an essential step for series veterans to temper their expectations before the release of “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.”

Languages need not be foreign You don't need to take a class to learn a new language here Samantha Steiner | Contributing Writer College is a great time to pick up a new language, but sometimes there just isn’t enough time or class credit to spare. Instead of the traditional routes to learning a new language, like joining a club or spending a semester abroad, try some of these quick approaches to a more worldly vocabulary.

1. Talk to yourself Practice with Duolingo. com, online instructional videos or iPhone apps like “Babbel.”

Once you have the basics down, start practicing on your own.

Take a study break to converse with yourself in American Sign Language. Next time you sing in the shower, try it in Italian.

To practice writing, compose a journal entry or a note to a friend who understands the language you’re learning. A great way to learn is by pretending to be a foreign language textbook illustrator: Doodle breakfast foods or make a diagram of a car, and then label your work in Cantonese.

2. Take a foreign language course, but not really You can still take classes without risking your grades — just audit a course. You’ll still be learning from a live instructor, you won’t receive credit and your transcript will show that the course was audited. It’s a great way to dabble in a subject that will require years to master, like a foreign language.

3. Talk one-on-one If you’re getting serious about taking your language-learning skills to the next level, talk to the experts. Universities are full of people who want to help you learn. Check out University Tutoring Services’ walk-in hours or make an appointment for designated times to converse in

the language you’re learning.

Contact professors in the language department you want to pursue to learn about specific professional programs that are geared to your interests but also have a foreign language component to them.

4. Get your friends to do it with you Next time you and your friends decide to revisit your childhood through Disney, try it in Arabic.

Musical numbers with repeating choruses are ideal for learning simple phrases, and YouTube has plenty of clips with English subtitles. While you’ve got everyone together, try holding a game night in the language of your choice. “Apples to Apples” will be that much funnier. April Fools’ Day is right around the corner: Treat your suitemates to a dorm full of sticky notes labeling their possessions in Korean.

5. Make plans If study abroad programs just don’t fit into your schedule right now, start planning ahead for another year. Celeste Lee, study abroad coordinator for the Office of International Programs, recommends professor Daryl Santos’ program for engineering students.

“It’s for students who want to go abroad after graduation to different research centers across Germany,” Lee said. “It’s an international collaboration.”

The Office of International Programs recommends plenty of other opportunities for post-graduation travel, some of which do not require any foreign language experience. The office is located in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center, beneath the Hinman College Library, and holds study abroad walk-in advising hours Mondays through Fridays from 2 to 3 p.m.

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Pipe Dream's SA election endorsements in Tuesday's issue.

VOTE Ballots will be sent out via Bmail on Thursday, March 27th.

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RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, September 4, 2007

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

Mike Manzi

ACROSS 1 Opposite of non 4 Symbol of slowness 9 __-face 14 Former “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” airer 15 Kid with 16 Orange container 17 First come-on 20 Author Sarah Orne __ 21 Original garden 22 This instant 23 Prized prizes since 1901 28 Second comeon 32 Bogus 36 Altar ayes 37 Memo 38 Leaves out 39 WWII transport 40 Like some 42Across 41 Type of plum tomato 42 Pub potables 43 Tomsk turndowns 44 Third come-on 47 Grunt’s agreement 48 “Phooey!”

53 Fortify, as punch 56 Evening party 57 Last come-on 62 No-brainer course 63 Roman robes 64 Grass patch 65 Groom, birdstyle 66 It may be slippery 67 Hospital crisis ctrs.

DOWN 1 Messagespelling board 2 Unexpected loss 3 Halved

35 Collar inserts 54 “Phantom” 4 Sudden side 40 Tiny and off the surpassed it as pains beaten path the longest5 Lipton 42 Of the ear running competitor 45 Crankcase Broadway 6 Small batteries reservoir musical 7 “Got it!”

46 Problem in the 55 Green subj.

8 Makeup of a shower 57 “Sho ’nuff” heavy balloon?

49 Crater edge 58 Rowboat 9 “Don’t wait!”

50 Greet the day propeller 10 Bikini part 51 Voice below 59 Purpose 11 Former acorn alto 60 Whiskey grain 12 Salt Lake City 52 Bird feeder filler 61 Self-esteem college athlete 13 Stellar score ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 18 Female fowl 19 Canvas shelters 24 Rochester’s boss Jack 25 Get overtheatrical 26 Sic on 27 Parts of an instructional sequence 29 Country estate 30 Ford that never got going 31 “Hardly!”

32 Quick attack 33 Love, to Lucia 34 Gimlet garnishes xwordeditor@aol.com 09/04/07

By Norma Johnson (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

09/04/07

OPINION Friday, March 21, 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

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S

Double-booked, overlooked

cheduling International Fest alongside Spring Fling is a mistake.

There are, the way we see it, two possible outcomes.

Spring Fling, the much larger, more established and well-known festival, could dwarf International Fest.

Though the two events were scheduled to be side by side, Spring Fling will likely subsume International Fest, and students won’t recognize it as a separate event from Fling. International Fest is one of the most important annual opportunities for minority and international students to showcase and share their culture with the broader campus, but if students see those groups as just more tables for free prizes and food, International Fest might as well not even happen.

Alternatively, students could see that Spring Fling is spread across the Spine, on the higher ground, while International Fest is relegated to the Peace Quad. Sure, more students may pass through International Fest than would have attended otherwise. But the point of International Fest isn’t to attract as many students as possible as much as it is to draw students who would open up to learning about the cultures of their peers.

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opportunity for cultural engagement on our campus.

Removing intentional cultural expression by jamming it within our our very American celebration of fried Oreos and pop music is almost culturally imperialistic.

In this framework, we suspect many unknowing students rolling through the Peace Quad won’t even recognize International Fest as a separate event from Spring Fling. Many students, unfortunately, will likely see the different cultures represented at International Fest as merely opportunities for more free crap. This is sad because International Fest has the potential for — and has provided in the past — a more deliberate cultural engagement, something that’s not all that common here. For the students tabling and presenting at International Fest, we speculate that they, too, would have hoped their event received the scheduling and attention it deserves.

Hopefully next year, International Fest will get the recognition it deserves. For now, we hope Spring Fling revelers will make the Fest a part of their Fling.

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.

Extraterrestrial life isn't all that crazy Who's to say that we are the only intelligent beings in the vast universe?

*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.

International Fest has been a successful event the last two years, since the International Connection Club started it in 2012, along with the office of the vice president for multicultural affairs. The past few years’ events drew hundreds of students without the help of the Spring Fling crowd. What did the Student Association, specifically the office of multicultural affairs, have in mind in organizing International Fest this way? Was there really no other date available?

It is also noteworthy that many of the groups tabling at International Fest are ordinarily part of Spring Fling anyway. In that sense, these groups lose out on a significant part of their spring-time opportunities for tabling and representation. For many of the smaller cultural groups, that could be a harmful lack in exposure.

Lastly, Spring Fling and International Fest simply have different goals and energies. Spring Fling is a fun, lighthearted way to end the year — complete with classic “American” snacks and music. International Fest is also fun and celebratory, but represents an atypical

Molly McGrath Columnist

Some people believe in The Secret. Others believe the Earth was created 6,000 years ago. I believe in aliens. Those who express a belief in extraterrestrial intelligence are often cast aside as nut jobs, while religious zealots are deemed culturally acceptable. Given the vastness of our universe and the recent discovery of an infinite multiverse, the prospect of alien life should be taken seriously and accepted into mainstream cultural discourse.

There are 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe. The observable universe is the only section of the cosmos which we can see because it is illuminated by light emanating from the Big Bang. Within our own galaxy, there are 400 billion stars.

The number of stars in the universe is currently impossible to measure, but if we take the number of stars in our own galaxy and multiply by it 170 billion,

we get a rough estimate of 10 to the 24th power. The probability that we are the only conscious beings in a universe this large is slim to none.

The argument of many skeptics is that the planetary conditions necessary to sustain life are rare. Recent science debunks this assumption. In our galaxy alone, there are an estimated two billion earth-like planets. At the University of California, Berkeley, researchers used NASA’s Kepler probe to take an inventory of possible earthlike planets within the Milky Way. They used a two-part criteria: the presence of liquid water on the planet’s surface, and an orbit situated within a habitable zone for life.

However, the mere existence of earth-like planets is not enough to silence skeptics. The common question is if there is such a high probability that an intelligent alien species exists, why haven’t they attempted to communicate with us?

There are many logical explanations for a lack of communication. The closest planet which can sustain any sort of life, not necessarily intelligent, is 12 light-years away. At our current stage of technological development, we cannot travel to a planet 12 light-

years away nor can we attempt speedy communication. It doesn’t follow that we expect another intelligent species to be able to do the same. Despite these limitations, scientists at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project argue that advances in computer technology will allow us to scour the universe more effectively and find extraterrestrial life within the next 20 years.

It is unreasonable to expect another species to be able to communicate on our terms. The Drake Equation is an attempt to estimate the number of species in our galaxy with which radio communication might be possible.

The equation takes into account factors such as the rate of star formation in our galaxy and the fraction of planets with life that actually go on to develop civilizations.

Though this equation is helpful in starting a discussion, it probes the wrong question.

Our species’ hubris is

made further evident when we assume an intelligent species would naturally adopt radio technology as its primary means of communication.

Even the way we imagine aliens betrays our anthropocentric conception of the universe. Aliens are portrayed in popular culture as green anthropomorphic creatures. We must stop limiting our imaginations to the dimensions we perceive with our human brains. Perhaps, an intelligent species is so advanced that it transcends space and time altogether.

As any person of faith will tell you, your inability to see something with your own two eyes doesn’t make it unreal. The difference here is that we can use the tools of science to move beyond our human faculties and know the previously unknowable.

We must stop limiting our imaginations to the dimensions we perceive with our human brians

— Molly McGrath is a junior doublemajoring in history and political science.

13

OPINION

www.bupipedream.com | March 21, 2014

What's our generation's image? The US must have Popular @SUNYPartyStory account paints us in an ugly light Anita Raychawdhuri Contributing Columnist

I’m obsessed with Twitter. As a result, I often see people retweeting pictures posted on the infamous account, @ SUNYPartyStory. After seeing a few of its posts, I have come to a troubling conclusion about the account and the message it presents. I like going out as much as the next person, and doing stupid things now and again is natural in the college student life. But where do we draw the line?

For those who don’t know, @ SUNYPartyStory is an account where students at any SUNY institution can send in the most outrageous pictures from their night out. The ones that the account deems the funniest or craziest are posted onto the account for everyone to see. I only find a portion of them funny. An overwhelming amount of the photos sent to the account are disgusting, uncomfortable or downright degrading.

I’ve seen pictures of someone’s cut-up face, a girl — probably unaware that her picture was being taken — having sex, and puke and other bodily fluids strewn across bodies and floors, just to name

a few.

I’ve seen pictures sent in by Binghamton University students featured on the site numerous times. There are pictures of students dancing with Rasa at Paradigm, which are funny — the picture of a kid passed out in puke, not so much.

And now I come to the worst offender: a picture of a puppy doing a keg stand.

I remember seeing this picture on my Timeline and instantly being disgusted.

Seeing pictures of stupid people was one thing, but seeing an animal thrown into the mix was another level. It’s hard to tell if the picture is staged or not, but either way, the image, sent in by a SUNY Brockport student, is not funny by any means. Even if it is a joke, it is shameful to replicate a situation of an animal being abused. Why do we applaud idiots like this? Why is it considered funny? This picture was the final thing that made me fed up with this pointless account.

Maybe I’m just a prude, but I can’t see these images as anything other than damaging to the college community. Our generation is criticized constantly for being idiotic, lazy and obsessed with partying. I am usually the first one to stand up against this claim

and argue that people our age are doing great things. Specifically on BU’s campus, the majority of students are pursuing a range of academic research and creative projects, working hard on sports teams and trying to make a difference through student groups. What is sad is that accounts like @SUNYPartyStory publicize the bad. We are worth more than that.

Partying has its place in the college experience; it is fun, and it is a way to relieve stress and enjoy time with friends. But it doesn’t need to get out of hand. Accounts like @SUNYPartyStory encourage reckless behavior and idealize debauchery. It is the most basic level of entertainment and shouldn’t be how we choose to represent ourselves as the community of SUNY students. College is a huge economic investment, and it’s important to remember that school and learning are still parts of that investment. Let’s put students into the limelight who actually realize this as people we should admire instead of the guy who can do 30-second keg stands.

And now I come to the worst offender: a puppy doing a keg stand

— Anita Raychawdhuri is a freshman majoring in English.

Guests: Interfaith trip opens doors Joint mosque and synagogue venture sparked dialogue and friendship Katie Shepard and Sarah Khan Guest Columnists

Despite the extensive diversity and countless opportunities to meet new students on campus, most students do not leave the safety of their community bubble.

However this year, Hillel at Binghamton and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) have been working together to break down these barriers in order to open up opportunities for interfaith dialogue. On Sunday, March 9, Hillel and the MSA took a group of Jewish and Muslim students to go and visit a local mosque, Masjid Al-Nur (Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier) and Beth David Synagogue. Muslim and Jewish students were paired up with each other to create a friendly and open environment for everyone to talk and get to know one another. This trip was a follow-up event to Hillel’s Avi Schaefer Shabbat in collaboration with the MSA, where Jewish and Muslim students shared a Shabbat dinner together while discussing cultural and religious similarities and backgrounds. …

Katie Shepard, executive vice president for Hillel We first went to the mosque, where we met with the imam, Anas Shaikh, and were

graciously given a tour of the building.

Anas explained his role as a spiritual leader, prayer leader, wedding facilitator and, most importantly, a community leader. He explained how the Masjid Al-Nur is one of the only mosques in the area, and yet, their community is so tight-knit. This concept of community really struck me because community is one of the most fundamental values in Judaism. A Jew cannot even pray properly without nine other community members, called a minyan. I found this parallel with Judaism to be really uplifting.

While inside the prayer hall, we sat on the carpet and asked the imam all kinds of questions about Islamic holidays, rituals and values. I learned that Muslims believe in having a very minimally decorated place of worship because it helps them to better focus on their connection to God. It was really amazing to see all of the Jewish and Muslim students asking each other questions about the mosque and other religious similarities between Islam and Judaism.

we take this chance to not only learn about each other’s beliefs, but to also realize that we are more similar than we are different.

For instance, Rabbi Silber explained how some synagogues separated the men’s and women’s prayer areas, how both a temple and masjid do not contain any images and how Kosher and Halal food are similar in many senses. I was very impressed by how much care is given to the Torah by storing it behind curtains and dressing it in such beautiful cloths. While he talked, I glanced at the students and was overjoyed to see that with each Muslim student sat a Jewish student explaining any terms or concepts the rabbi mentioned in passing. Both sides were so eager to learn and teach. …

At the end, we all went back to campus and shared a meal together, laughing, talking, taking pictures together — just being friends. Abu Bubu, an MSA member and graduate student studying business administration, said, “I learned how connected Judaism and Islam are, but more importantly that we are all friends no matter what our beliefs are. Making friends is not based on whether a person is Muslim or Jewish, but whether the person is a Sarah Khan, public good, fellow human being.” We truly hope relations for MSA that the students who participated in this We then visited Beth trip will continue to speak with their new David Synagogue, which friends and educate others, so that Jews was the first time I had ever and Muslims alike can continue spreading been to a synagogue. Upon entering the peace, understanding and friendships on building, my first thoughts were about this campus. how grand and simple it was at the same time. We went to the main prayer area — Katie Shepard is a junior doublewhere Rabbi Zev Silber spoke to us, and majoring in psychology and sustainable though he briefed us about the basic urban planning as a part of the beliefs of Judaism, he chose to stress the individualized major program. Sarah importance of interfaith communication. Khan is a junior majoring in philosophy, He emphasized how important it was that politics and law.

We truly hope ... that Jews and Muslims can continue spreading peace

a plan for Crimea We don't need a big stick but a big voice with a clear message Jake Ethé Contributing Columnist

Before the United States can develop a plan in Crimea, the U.S. must clarify its goal. Is it to end violence? Is it to assure the reunification of Ukraine and the now quasi-independent Crimean peninsula? Is it to embarrass Vladimir Putin?

Now that recent developments have suggested that Ukraine is all but surrendering Crimea after it announced Wednesday its plans to move military personnel back to mainland Ukraine, the onus of potential military involvement may have shifted. If the aforementioned goals are indeed to be our goals in Crimea, maybe military might, or the threat of it, as many have suggested, is a good idea. Military action, even if limited, certainly increases the chances of those outcomes, and some within the Department of State and House Committee on Foreign Affairs consider those goals to be paramount. Teddy Roosevelt’s “speak softly and carry a big stick” policy has become a commonplace suggestion.

Far be it from me to speak for Roosevelt, but his fondness for the adage “speak softly and carry a big stick” did not come to bear because it sounds nice. For Roosevelt, the saying was not the simple cure-all for foreign policy conundrums that it’s often used as today, but rather a strategy that implied some concrete and tangible foreign policy actions.

But the year is 2014, the president of the U.S. is Barack Obama and the United States’ increasing military reticence after more than a decade of war and hesitance to intervene in humanitarian crises like Syria means that strong-arming seems unlikely and perhaps irresponsible.

Furthermore, the United States’ stake in the Crimean crisis is hardly territorial, but rather a convenient stage for ad hoc, rhetorical geopolitical battles with a formidable world “foe,” whatever that may entail.

The United States’ direct interest in the Crimean crisis pertains more to how it violates international law than to what is actually happening there. So, to say that the U.S. ought to oppose the Russian invasion of

Crimea is really to say that the U.S. ought to generally oppose illegal violations of state sovereignty. To say that the U.S. ought to end Ukrainian violence to protect protesters and non-Russian ethnic groups in Crimea is really to say that the U.S. ought to stand for human rights, non-discrimination and peaceful protest.

To be curt, the fact that these violations are precipitating from a world power and an internationally recognized leader in Putin doesn’t hurt when the U.S. decides to decry this particular violation of sovereignty, as opposed to the multitude of violations that have occurred in the last decade.

Allowing what is happening on the ground to continue may be our most realistic strategy The United States’ goals are realistically general and rhetorical.

Thus, a self-interested but shrewd U.S. foreign policy, if it comes to fruition, will likewise be general and rhetorical. It means denouncing Russia and Putin publicly, revoking Russian visas, threatening to exclude Russia from the G8, using Russia’s seat on the Security Council as bargaining leverage and encouraging Crimean secession to follow the legal process of gaining permission from all of Ukraine.

That does not mean using military force to any capacity, working to end violence, directly enforcing dual autonomy or even standing all that firm. Like Ukraine itself, allowing what is happening on the ground to continue may be our most realistic strategy.

One thing is for certain: We shouldn’t be, and for the most part aren’t, speaking softly and carrying a big stick.

We should be, and for the most part are, throwing the stick aside and shouting from the mountaintops.

— Jake Ethé is a freshman majoring in political science.

Have an opinion?

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

Good ideas all around, but what do they amount to?

The upcoming TEDx conference will bring interesting speakers, but real change is up to you Justin Neal Contributing Columnist

Whenever someone is trying to convince me of a particular point of view, no matter how intense, charming or persuasive, after a while, the words blend into jarring, guttural “RAH RAH” sounds that I tune out. “Just trying to help! Look at this! Take my advice!”

Ironically, friends and family who have been victim to passionate “talks” from me probably want to lock me in jail for similar crimes committed against their patience and sanity. No bueno.

I bring this up because a stage is coming where opinions will be shoved down your throat: TEDx. It’s the modern watering hole of advice. Speakers get on stage and share a passion in science, technology, sex, love, people, whatever

he or she believes will benefit someone else. But that platform, in some eyes, does nothing.

Eyes like those of Benjamin Bratton, an associate professor of visual arts at the University of California, San Diego, who spoke out with his opinion. It was not about a new breakthrough, it wasn’t motivational speak or brash cheerleading for a certain way of living.

What it was, was a questioning of TEDx itself. Looking past the irony of a “TEDx talk about how TEDx talks don’t work,” Bratton’s point was that if TEDx isn’t linked to immediate action, then aren’t we just wasting time rubbing ourselves off while real challenges are out there needing to be solved? Is TEDx just the BuzzFeed of technology and philosophy? “America’s Got Talent” meets “Jeopardy”? Is it branding ideas in order to make certain viewpoints unpopular, commoditizing intelligence even further? These are valid questions about its utility, but the sentiments assume deviousness around every

corner.

TEDx offers a platform to listen and engage. Subway platforms provide preachers a space to yell and engage.

Pipe Dream lets me write and engage.

Engagement shouldn’t be packed with expectations, so TEDx should only be judged on the merit of its ability to spread thoughts while connecting people who are putting themselves and their passions out there. TEDx can’t and shouldn’t be burdened with changing the world, nor should it be vilified since culpability lies in the hands of our own personal inactivity in not making that “change.”

And “change” isn’t a thing to even be expected or implored, because change implies a dark, debilitating fault with what’s present rather than pushing progress.

For every terrible talk featuring someone boasting about nothing, there is likely a brilliant one like Bratton’s that forces dialogue, which can be uncomfortable and foreign, yet exciting and refreshing. TEDx’s existence at least gets people to the table of thought, which is already cluttered with flappy birds and celebrity dance shows. So, whether annoyed or enthralled, you’re at least digesting something that is creating a buzz about learning and curiosity.

Some of the upcoming speakers might inspire, with ideas full of breadth and depth that challenge you deeply. Other speakers might be boisterous and funny, but full of fluff.

The ones that will really hit the spot will be a mix of both. But whatever grabs you, you’ll be

Define yourself in a new way, and then seek the thrill of risking that definition

taking in something new and with it, a treasured opinion — a person’s attempt to share him or herself, which you can delve into deeply and passionately or casually revisit whenever it floats your bloat.

Do it on March 30. And then take it further. Define yourself in a new way, and then seek the thrill of risking that definition. Hike with the Outdoors Club, apply to photograph lions with Raven Adventures, perform at a poetry slam, research an idea, skydive or risk social exclusion by spending a day tinkering with a program on your computer.

Whatever you do, really, stray the course.

I’m excited for TEDx, to be able to sit and think, dismiss or accept. What are you going to take out of it? What’s your opinion going to be?

— Justin Neal is a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law.

14

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 21, 2014

Still winless at home, BU hopes for change

Springer, Nelson aim to lead offense to victory in program's first contest with Air Force

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Senior attack Matt Springer posted five goals against Colgate last week, making him a likely offensive leader against Air Force on Sunday.

Jeff Twitty

Pipe Dream Sports For the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team, home is where the heart breaks.

After a pair of one-goal home losses, the latest being a 10-9 lategame slip against 19th-ranked Colgate, the Bearcats (2-4) look to break the status quo this Sunday against visiting Air Force.

The squad is hungry for a home victory after two tough weeks,

now looking for an edge before its first America East matchup next Saturday.

As the Falcons (4-3) — the first ever military academy opponent for the Bearcats — make their way to Vestal, BU head coach Scott Nelson said he is both excited and hopeful for his team.

“We just have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back in the fray,” Nelson said. “[Air Force is] a very talented opponent, and of course they’re in great shape. It

should be an exciting game.”

Coming off a 15-12 win against Jacksonville, Air Force will bring a strong attack. The Falcons currently average more than 11 goals per game. They have posted 15 scores per game in their four victories.

But the Falcons will be confronted by a hot Bearcats offense. Senior attack Matt Springer comes off a five-goal outing against Colgate last week, and junior attack Tucker Nelson will try to

extend his goal streak to six games.

Defensively, Binghamton will have to stop Air Force’s strike early. The Falcons have scored more than 40 percent of their goals in the first quarter.

So far this season, the combined record of Binghamton’s out-ofconference opponents is 25-18.

Of the teams that have beaten Binghamton, that figure widens to 22-7, and sixth-ranked Syracuse is still on deck for next month. But Nelson said the competitiveness of

BEARCAT BRIEFS

this 2014 non-conference schedule will benefit the Bearcats as they go through the season.

“Of the America East schools, we have certainly played one of the toughest, if not the toughest outof-conference schedule,” Nelson said. “We have been very wellprepared.”

The Bearcats and Falcons will take the field at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

If No. 9 Christian Boley was hoping to redeem himself after last year’s upset, 197-pound senior Cody Reed didn’t allow him that opportunity.

In what was essentially a rematch of their 2013 bout, in which Reed upset then-No. 4 Boley of Maryland by one point, Binghamton’s senior opened his third year at the NCAAs in high style.

Scoreless through its first period, the match charged up in the second. Reed took a one-point lead via an escape before Boley requited in the third to launch the two-time foes into overtime.

But two escapes and one two-leg takedown later, Reed earned his advance to round two with a 3-1 win.

Reed continued on to face No. 8 Phil Wellington of Ohio in session two Thursday night. Wellington entered the bout having just edged out his unranked foe, 6-5, in session one.

The intimacy of that match was not repeated.

Reed dominated, recording a 4-0 decision to propel him into the quarterfinals, which begin at 11 a.m. today.

For Reed to reach the semifinals, he’ll have to stage the ultimate upset: The veteran wrestler’s

quarterfinals match pits him against No. 1 Nick Heflin of Ohio State. Heflin faced Paul Rands of Navy, who suffered an injury 5:36 in, before advancing over Dan Scherer of Stanford in session two. The two-time All-American senior ended his final collegiate season on a 25-1 record and finished fifth in the NCAAs last year, when he entered at No. 8.

Binghamton’s other qualifier had a rocky first NCAA appearance. 125-pound junior David White fell, 5-1, in the first round Thursday night. No. 12 Tim Lambert of Nebraska led the whole way after nailing a takedown in the match’s opening seconds. White went on to face Corey Keener of Central Michigan in his pigtail consolation match later that night, winning by fall at the 2:34 mark. But a 10-5 loss to Nick Roberts of Ohio State in the first round of the consolation bracket put an end to White’s NCAA competition, which he finished with a 1-2 record.

The remaining six sessions continue through the weekend, with the championships being held on Saturday.

AE-champ Albany falls to No. 1 Florida

By Ari Kramer | Sports Editor The Albany men’s basketball threatened to pull off the impossible but ultimately fell to No. 1 Florida in the NCAA tournament on Thursday.

The Great Danes, who defeated Stony Brook in the America East championship on March 15, succumbed in a 67-55 loss after being tied with as few as 14 minutes remaining.

Florida ultimately overwhelmed Albany with its size and athleticism, improving the

No. 1 seed’s overall record against No. 16’s to 117-0. The Great Danes also gave No. 1 UConn a scare in the first round of the 2006 NCAA tournament. Albany led with 6:30 remaining in that game.

Binghamton dropped both 2013-14 meetings with the Great Danes, though freshman forward Nick Madray had a shot to beat Albany on the road on Jan. 20. The Bearcats lost that game, 66-60.

DATE

March 23 LOCATION

Bearcats Sports Complex TIME

3:00 p.m.

by the numbers

By the Numbers

Reed advances to quarterfinals in NCAA tourney

By Ashley Purdy | Assistant Sports Editor

BU vs. Air Force

Junior left fielder Jake Thomas batting average so far in down from last year s

3

Points pound senior Cody Reed put up in his win against No Christian Boley of Maryland Consecutive one goal losses the men s lacrosse team has endured

2

.269

5th

Senior center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz s conference ranking for batting average

9 5

Combined goals for freshman attack duo Callon Williams and Bri Arthur in Binghamton s win at Siena

Consecutive games in which junior attack Tucker Nelson has scored

Wins women s lacrosse has posted this year tying a program record

5

15

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | March 21, 2014

BU seeking offensive consistency in AE play Set to open their conference slate against Hartford, Bearcats need to buckle down Matt Turner

Pipe Dream Sports Not even two months ago, the Binghamton baseball team was voted the favorite to place first in the America East this season. Fast forward six weeks to the present, and the Bearcats stray far from that vision, with a 4-11 record and a seat in the basement of the conference.

Despite losing last season’s top two starters, Jake Lambert and Jay Lynch, the source of the Bearcats’ woes has not been their pitching.

Oddly enough, it’s their offense that’s struggling — the same offense that propelled BU to a 2013 conference championship.

Senior captain Bill Bereszniewicz leads the team at the plate, batting .345 with 12 runs scored, nine RBIs and five stolen bases. The middle of the lineup, however, has failed to drive in runs on a consistent basis.

At times, several BU hitters have gone on a tear — sophomore third baseman Reed Gamache is hitting a shade under .300 for the season but leads the team in RBIs, and junior left fielder Jake Thomas, sophomore third baseman David Schanz and junior right fielder Zach Blanden have all driven in three runs in a single game. But in each of their past four games, the Bearcats have failed to score more than two runs, and they haven’t scored more than three in seven of their last eight.

Head coach Tim Sinicki believes that as the season progresses and his players get more at-bats, the hits will come.

“I think baseball is a high repetition sport,” Sinicki said. “You only play on the weekends, you’re not playing mid-week games [and]

you’re not getting on the field and getting a chance to swing the bat.

I think sometimes that the offense starts a little slow, but they’re working as hard as they can during practice during the week.”

Thomas, Baseball America’s preseason America East Player of the Year, has had trouble replicating his stellar 2013 campaign. This year, pitchers know how dangerous he is and have been approaching him differently — he’s not going to sneak up on anyone the way he did last season. As a result, Thomas is hitting only .269, but is third on the team with seven RBIs. “He needs to take advantage of what the pitchers are giving him,” Sinicki said. “If they’re trying to pitch around him, he needs to be patient and take the walk; if they’re coming at him I think he doesn’t need to be picky, he needs to be aggressive when he sees fastballs and put good swings on them. I think it’s a matter of [Thomas] finding his way right now and getting adjusted to the reputation he’s built in the conference.”

For a team struggling to score runs, Binghamton has learned the hard way that mistakes can loom large on the scoreboard. Against UMass Lowell, the Bearcats failed to take advantage when they got runners on base, and Sinicki chalked it up to carelessness, saying his players must make better decisions on the bases.

This weekend, the Bearcats will take on Hartford in a three-game conference series. In the first game of the series, BU will face sophomore pitcher Sean Newcomb, who hasn’t allowed an earned run all season.

“They’ve got perhaps the best

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Senior center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz has batted .345 and posted 12 runs so far this season, leading the Bearcats’ offense.

starting pitching in the conference,” Sinicki said of Hartford. “Sean Newcomb, he’s got a chance to be a first round draft pick this June — he’s a 6-foot-5 left-hand pitcher who will run it up there around 95-96 miles per hour.”

However, earlier this season the Bearcats plated six runs against Virginia Military Institute junior Reed Garrett, who, like Newcomb, hadn’t given up an earned run.

“I think our hitters are looking forward to the challenge of getting

in the box and facing those guys,” Sinicki said.

If the Bearcats can get on base, they will have to be smart and see if they can rattle Newcomb, who has not pitched out of the stretch very often this season.

“He hasn’t given up many hits and walked many guys, so I think it’s important for us to get some guys on base, get him pitching out of the stretch and see if that has any kind of negative effect on him,” Sinicki said. “If it’s the right guy on

base, we’ll absolutely take our shot with stealing bases, but we won’t be careless either. I think it depends on the situation — about what the game is like and who’s on the base, and [if] we have the opportunity to try to steal it.”

The Bearcats’ series against the Hawks (7-7) features a doubleheader on Saturday and a finale on Sunday.

First pitches on both Saturday and Sunday are slated for noon at Fiondella Field in West Hartford, Conn.

BU @ Hartford DATE

March 22 & 23 LOCATION

Fiondella Field TIME

12:00 p.m.

Bearcats back in win column after two-game slump Freshman-driven offense powers past Siena, matches program's all-time wins in a season Colby Bird

Contributing Writer

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Sophomore attack Sophia Racciatti recorded her fourth five-point game of the season on Thursday with two goals and three assists.

BU vs. Quinnipiac

BU @ Siena

DATE

March 23 LOCATION

Bearcats Sports Complex

16

11

TIME

12:00 p.m.

It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team.

After opening on its best start in program history with a 4-1 record, the team sunk into a twogame losing skid. But due to a combination of proven and dark horse players, Binghamton (5-3) stabilized itself with a 16-11 win over Siena.

The fifth victory also matches the program’s all-time record for wins in a season, set by the 2008 squad.

Led by freshman attack Brianne Arthur and freshman midfielder Callon Williams, BU’s offense conquered on the road on Thursday. Arthur, a two-time America East Rookie of the Week, tallied four goals. But Williams’ five goals, three of which came in the second half, proved the difference for the Bearcats.

“Williams was coming off an injury or two earlier in the season that held her back. But we were just waiting for her to get healthy and play at the level we know she is capable of playing at,” BU head coach Stephanie Allen said. “I was exceptionally proud of her performance today.”

The game started off competitively, allowing neither team to gain much of an edge. With 2:30 remaining in the first half and the score tied at seven, Arthur and junior attack Alex Fisher scored two late goals to put the Bearcats up, 9-7, by the halfway buzzer.

Arthur continued to torment the Saints’ defense out of the break, scoring two goals in a 30-second span to put the Bearcats up by four.

Siena sophomore attack Sarah Croutier, who contributed a team-

high five goals in the game, tallied back-to-back scores of her own to bring the Saints to within two goals with 20 minutes remaining.

Following sophomore attack Sophia Racciatti’s goal to put Binghamton up three, Williams made this game one to remember.

Two consecutive goals widened her team’s lead to five points, giving Binghamton a comfortable cushion. Williams netted her final goal with 1:53 remaining.

By then, the game was decided — Binghamton’s defense had faltered on just two of Siena’s scoring attempts in the final 13 minutes.

“Today [the team] showed a little bit more resiliency,” Allen said. “It was a bit of a balancing act today with making some adjustments.

I thought our team came out and played hard and got the win in a total team effort.”

Seven different Bearcats scored: Arthur, Williams, Fisher, Racciatti, senior attack Angela Vespa, sophomore midfielder Allie Rodgers and freshman midfielder Jocelyn Penteck. Binghamton is now 4-0 when at least six different Bearcats contribute goals.

In net, Allen summoned her bench again to give the opponent a different look. Sophomore Erin McNulty played the first half, saving three of 10 shots, and junior Kara Pafumi took the second, allowing four goals on 11 shots.

Next up on the Bearcats’ schedule is a contest with Quinnipiac. The Bobcats (0-6) will be looking for their first win of this season’s campaign, while Binghamton hopes to break its program record for home wins in a season.

Play is set for noon on Sunday at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

SPORTS

WRESTLING

Reed advances to quarters Page 14

Friday, March 21, 2014

SAINTLY SHOWING

Freshmen lead BU offense in 16-11 victory over Siena See page 15 Jaime Soto/Contributing Photographer