Spring 2014 Issue 21

MBB Spring Signing Period

Warm weather, cold beer Release pours out the info on the best local breweries and what to order when you get there, see page 7

Features on Binghamton’s latest commits, see page 16

PIPE DREAM Tuesday, April 22, 2014 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXV, Issue 21

START-UP NY comes to campus

20

Program aims to bring businesses and universities together to grow economy Carla Sinclair

Pipe Dream News Binghamton University is now a part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s START-UP NY, an initiative to createtax-free business space for new firms on college campuses in upstate New York.

START-UP NY (SUNY Tax-free Areas to Revitalize and Transform Upstate New York) aims to encourage job development and create opportunities for the universities and the startups to use each other as well as the local community.

“It will give students the opportunity to have paid internships with the businesses located on campus. They’ll be able to experience entrepreneurs in the process of starting up a company, and from that, they will learn how to be an an entrepreneur,” said Harvey Stenger, president of Binghamton University.

“They will bring to the project a unique contribution that may allow them to even become a part-owner.”

Businesses in START-UP NY do not pay NYS income tax, local business taxes, property or franchise taxes for 10 years.

The legislation passed the New York State Assembly in June 2013.

“One of the original intentions was to promote entrepreneurship, and get more companies started,” said Per Stromhaug, the main Binghamton coordinator for the program and the assistant vice president for innovation and economic development. “What we see, really, is that

locations have been approved

businesses don't pay taxes for 10 YEARS employees Tycho McManus/Staff Photographer

it has a core interest for students, as well as faculty and staff, to say, ‘Hey. There’s a tax-free program here, I’ve been thinking about starting a business, maybe in technology or just something I developed in the dorm, if I can utilize that program, maybe I should give it a go.’”

In order to qualify, businesses must prove that they do not interfere with existing businesses in the area or relocate jobs from within the state.

Pairing them with SUNY and private universities also connects the businesses

to students from a range of majors and research facilities, while funding developments in the University and offering students internships.

“Companies need scientists, they need engineers, they need marketers, they need writers, people who can be creative,” Stenger said. “Many times they come with staff with a science or engineering background, and what they don’t have is the communications, or marketing, or financial aspects.”

BU’s startup suite, located in the

Dean grants petition request after over 350 sign Madeline Gottlieb Contributing Writer

Innovative Technologies Complex, has up to 7,000 square feet, or 22 offices, as well the planned 54,000-square-foot Southern Tier High Technology Incubator Downtown. Though the types of firms in START-UP NY vary widely, Binghamton’s coordinators said they hope to focus on established fields in the University.

“We’ve identified three areas that we’re good at that we would entertain

After more than 350 people signed a petition requesting a speaker at Binghamton University’s 2014 College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) commencement ceremony, the administration has agreed to the addition.

Laura Bronstein, dean of CCPA, sent a public letter to the school on April 14 announcing the change that would be made in time for graduation.

“Since we are allotted a very short timeframe for our entire ceremony, with another ceremony immediately before and after ours, we don’t have

See START-UP Page 4

See CCPA Page 2

won't have to pay

Gov. Cuomo speaks as part of a presentation on New York State Emergency Preparedness in the Events Center in March. Cuomo aims to create a tax-free business space for new firms on college campuses in upstate New York with a program called START-UP NY.

CCPA gets student speaker at graduation

income tax for

5 YEARS

Lab looks to build verbal skills Alum crowdfunds card game 'Bounty!' lets players compete for treasure Geoffrey Wilson

Assistant News Editor Unlike the pirates of his upcoming game, one Binghamton University alumnus plans to plunder his booty through crowdfunding instead of pillaging.

Josh Perry, who graduated from BU with a degree in student affairs administration in 2013, submitted the concept for his card game, “Bounty!,” to Indiegogo — a crowdsourcing site — in March. The project has been accepted, but has not

Franz Lino/Staff Photographer

Binghamton University’s Public Speaking Skills Lab (PSSL) aims to help develop and enhance the oral communication skills of students. The PSSL program was started in fall 2012 by program coordinator Tyler Lenga and program director Debbie Clinton Callaghan with the Division of Student Affairs as a response to student, faculty and staff demand for more emphasis on communication and speaking development on campus.

Public Speaking Skills Lab to expand in the fall Jennifer Kim

Contributing Writer

Binghamton University’s Public Speaking Skills Lab (PSSL) aims to help develop and enhance the oral communication skills of students.

PSSL workshops will be open to all students in the fall 2014 semester, and are designed to hold 20-30 students.

The PSSL program was started in fall 2012 by program

coordinator Tyler Lenga and program director Debbie Clinton Callaghan with the Division of Student Affairs as a response to student, faculty and staff demand for more emphasis on communication and speaking development on campus.

The lab currently offers individualized and group consultations in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center, Room 101B on weekdays.

“We want all Binghamton University students to see the value and power of

effective public speaking and communication skills,” Lenga wrote in an email. “Speech is not something [to] fear, it is quite the opposite actually, and we want students to know that we are to help them see that and reach their potential.”

PSSL launched a workshop series this semester, and has held workshops on breaking bad habits, visual aids, presentation anxiety, verbal delivery and group presentations. These cover

See PSSL Page 5

yet been fully funded.

“Bounty!” pits four competing admirals against one another in a race to raise the most gold for their respective nations. Players can attack one another and steal their enemy’s gold, but they can also lose gold to pirates.

While “Bounty!” is the first game Perry plans to produce, he is no stranger to the creation process.

“The first game I designed is a board game and the scoring system and balance of the game still needs some work and lots

of testing,” Perry wrote in an email. “I decided to take a little break to divert my attention a little by developing a simple card game that I could create, test and produce quickly.”

Perry said he is an avid fan of various board games, including “Pandemic,” “Ticket to Ride” and “The Resistance.” He was particularly inspired by James Ernest, the founder of Cheapass Games, who got his start selfproducing simple card games.

See GAME Page 4

Stuart-Andrus remembered Pre-K teacher, bookstore owner, known for love of travel Geoffrey Wilson

Assistant NEws Editor Jane Stuart-Andrus, lead teacher at Binghamton University Campus Pre-School and cofounder of RiverRead Books, died on April 5 after a battle with cancer.

Stuart-Andrus received her master’s in education from SUNY New Paltz, where she specialized in teaching young children. She taught at the kindergarten level for 45 years, spending 39 years as a teacher at BU Campus Pre-School.

She also held adjunct positions

teaching and supervising students at BU. According to Richard Andrus, Stuart-Andrus’ husband and an associate professor of environmental studies at BU, Stuart-Andrus enjoyed working at BU, as it allowed her and her students opportunities she wouldn’t have anywhere else.

“She believed passionately in early childhood education and stayed at the campus preschool because of her creative freedom there, something she felt she would not have in the better paying public schools,” Andrus

Photo Provided

Jane Stuart-Andrus, lead teacher at Binghamton University Campus PreSchool and co-founder of RiverRead Books, passed away on April 5 after her battle with cancer. She taught at the kindergarten level for 45 years, spending 39 as a teacher at BU Campus Pre-School.

See JANE Page 5

2

NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

LASU fundraises CCPA gets student graduation speaker with brick sales "Each and additional 5 minutes for something so important to the student body.”

Teboul reached out to classes within the school and to CCPA students for signatures, including Danielle Sirota.

“I think the key aspect that makes this matter so important is because graduating from college is a big deal,” said Sirota, a junior majoring in human development. “Each and every one of us should be proud of ourselves, as we should have a speaker who relates to us on that caliber of excitement. Someone to say ‘we did it’ instead of ‘you did it’ makes a big difference.”

To get more support, Teboul distributed the petition among others connected to the University including alumni, parents of graduates and students from other BU colleges.

“I graduated from CCPA last year and was very disappointed that we did not have a student speaker, it truly detracts from the ceremony to skip it. It is about the student accomplishments, they should have the biggest voice,”

CCPA continued from Page 1

Profits to benefit education in Domincan Republic Alex Mackof

Pipe Dream News The Latin American Student Union (LASU) is selling bricks to benefit their main philanthropy, The DREAM Project.

The DREAM Project is an organization that works to provide education opportunities for children and young adults in impoverished and underdeveloped areas in the Dominican Republic. Bricks will be sold until May 2 and cost $10 each.

According to Israel Silva, a fundraiser for LASU and a sophomore double-majoring in human development and sociology, they chose The DREAM Project because it has a direct impact on Latin American communities.

“The lack of educational attainment in Latin America is a serious issue,” Silva wrote in an email. “LASU is proud to be able to bring awareness to this by adopting The DREAM Project as its philanthropy.”

At the end of the fundraiser, LASU will gather the purchased bricks and take a photo of them to represent all the organizations and students that supported The DREAM Project. Each organization will then be given its brick, and the photo will be sent to The DREAM Project along with the donation.

“The bricks will then be returned to the people who purchased them where they can use it for tabling purposes, and to serve as a reminder, of their support to LASU, and The DREAM Project,” Silva wrote.

Karen Coronel, president of Omega Phi Beta sorority and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said her sorority has purchased a brick from LASU and supports the group’s work.

“I know the love students at BU have for LASU,” Coronel wrote in an email, “and I think by educating our community more on these inequalities faced by people, OUR people, puts things in a more humbling perspective.”

According to Silva, LASU’s goal for this semester is to raise $500, but they hope to exceed this benchmark.

Any student organization or group of people can purchase a brick from LASU. “The DREAM Project is an organization that truly values education,” Silva wrote. “It has had a major impact in neighborhoods that lack the resources needed for higher education in the Dominican Republic.”

LASU holds a philanthropic event every year. Last year, they worked with Charity: Water, an organization that works to provide safe drinking water in developing nations.

Coronel said she wanted students to recognize the importance of this charity, and the work that LASU is doing to support it.

“I hope as many people help purchase a brick as possible,” Coronel wrote. “It can make a huge impact on the lives of students.”

much time, but I certainly think we can allocate 5 minutes as you requested for a student speaker,” Bronstein wrote in the letter.

The petition was created by Natalie Teboul, a senior majoring in human development, who said that she initially was met with hesitance.

“I actually went to speak with the assistant to the dean first and when she didn’t change her mind, I needed to do to prove how important it was,” Teboul wrote in an email.

“It’s so nice to know that they listened to us and understand where we are coming from.”

According to Bronstein, there was no student speaker at the CCPA graduation because of the crowded schedule and because of a model for graduation that has been in place since 2006.

“We investigated and learned that all other schools/colleges have student speakers,” Bronstein wrote in an email. “We thought we could accommodate the

wrote alumna Eve Wool when signing.

Mindy Berkowitz, a parent of a CCPA graduate, said the CCPA needed a relevant student voice.

“My daughter worked very hard in CCPA, and my family and I would like to hear the words of encouragement from a student representative,” she wrote in the petition.

Bronstein said she was glad to be a part of the change made by the CCPA students, and the speaker is something that may continue into the future.

“At CCPA we educate students to be effective change agents and advocates, and are glad when they effectively utilize those skills,” Bronstein wrote. “I get asked a lot of things as Dean and I can’t always be responsive, but I am glad I could be in this circumstance …We will gather input from faculty, staff and students regarding what should be part of future graduations. If they want to continue to have a student speaker, I don’t see a reason at this point, why that couldn’t be.”

every one of us should be proud of ourselves, as we should have a speaker who relates to us on that caliber of excitement."

— Danielle Sirota Junior majoring in human development

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Pipe Line State News NY man tried to drown 2 officers in swamp A 43-year-old man remains jailed after authorities say he tried to drown two police officers who had chased him into an upstate New York swamp after they found drugs on him. Police in Monticello in Sullivan County tell the Times Herald-Record of Middletown that officers pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation Saturday morning and found crack cocaine on Anthony Shackelford of Monticello.

Shackelford bolted from the officers, who chased him into a swamp behind a housing complex. Officials say Shackelford struggled with the officers and tried to grab one of their handguns. Authorities say he also tried to pull both officers under the waist-deep water before they subdued him. The charges against Shackelford include assault and drug possession. He’s being held in the county jail.

National University News Student ate more pot than recommended A Wyoming college student who jumped to his death at a Denver hotel had eaten more of a marijuana cookie than was recommended by a seller, police records show — a finding that comes amid increased concern about the strength of popular pot edibles after Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. Levy Thamba Pongi, 19, consumed more than one cookie purchased by a friend — even though a store clerk told the friend to cut each cookie into six pieces and to eat just one piece at a time, said the reports obtained Thursday. Pongi began shaking, screaming and throwing things around a hotel room before he jumped over a fourth-floor railing into the hotel lobby March 11. An autopsy report listed marijuana intoxication as a “significant contributing factor” in the death. Marijuana cookies and other edibles have become increasingly popular since Colorado allowed people 21 and over to buy recreational marijuana this year at regulated stores. Federal authorities don’t regulate the edibles because marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Janine Furtado/Assistant Photo Editor

Returning from spring break, students throw around a frisbee in the Hinman Quad Monday evening. Dorms opened at 2 p.m., and the mercury hit a comfortable high of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. stabilizing: together again

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NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

Businesses team 'Bounty!' looks up with NY state for online funding START-UP continued from Page 1

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companies to be on campus,” Stenger said. “One is in the area of health care; this would be like telemedicine, health care devices, new materials for prosthetics.

The second is in smart energy technologies, such as thermoelectrics, ultracapacitors and energy conservation. The third area, which we’re very good at, is electronic packaging, and integrated circuits.”

However, businesses aren’t limited to those fields, noted Stromhaug.

One of the businesses applying for space is ChromaNanoTech,

a chemistry materials company that began in BU’s chemistry department and is staffed by two BU professors and a graduate student. Wayne Jones, founder and chair of the chemistry department, said having a space readily available benefited the new business.

“This allows the new venture to develop without being dragged down with construction and building costs in the first year,” Jones wrote in an email. “We are very excited about this new partnership and business opportunity. Hopefully, this will be a path that other faculty and small businesses will be able to follow to help the area.”

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GAME continued from Page 1 At press time, “Bounty!” has raised $315 of its $1,000 goal. Perry said his goal is ambitious, but flexible funding options allow him to produce the game regardless of demand.

“I’m confident that the people who do support the project will have a fine quality game at an excellent price point,” Perry wrote. “And I’ll have learned a lot about the process along the way.”

However, Perry also has plans to reward backers if the project meets its goal.

“I’ll be looking to create some small expansions to the game as stretch goals and these would be printed up and sent to all backers as a reward so every[one] wins,” Perry wrote.

The project includes rewards for donations at varying price points, including $15 for the game itself and $50 to name a ship after the donor.

Ashley Moy, a student at SUNY Oneonta, worked on the art for the game’s 108-card deck, including the borders, ships, maps and coins.

According to Moy, Perry provided the original concepts for what each card would be, and the two worked back and

forth until both were satisfied with the art.

Moy said she looked forward to the final build of the game.

“I really enjoy it, I like the naval history behind game, and I feel that it’s quite a promising project,” Moy wrote in an email.

According to Perry, the project is all about simplicity in terms of the crowdfunding project and the game itself.

“For some reason it is really important to me that my backers understand this: I’m not in it for the money, I’m in it for the love of creation, and of gaming,” Perry wrote.

Perry said he hopes to showcase the game locally, providing extra copies to sell at Fat Cat Comics and holding demos at Jupiter Games.

In the long run, Perry said he hopes to publish larger projects, but plans on making more games regardless.

“I’m a designer at heart and I’ll likely make others even if they just sit on the shelf in my collection ready to be played by my friends and family,” Perry wrote. “Some day down the line I’d like to attempt to professionally publish a game and I guess these little things I’m working on now are just training for the big leagues.”

The Indiegogo project for “Bounty!” ends on April 30.

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NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

BU remembers Speaking Lab Stuart-Andrus plans growth JANE continued from Page 1 wrote in an email. “For example, she was able to take her kids into the wooded areas around the preschool as well as the Nature Preserve, something that would be impossible in public schools.”

Andrus said his wife bonded with all her students and kept up with them over the years.

“She both loved and respected young children and took very seriously her opportunity to work with them,” Andrus wrote. “It was impossible to go out in public and not run into either former parents or students. Somehow she always remembered them and wanted to know how they were doing.”

Andrus said teaching was a passion for her more than anything else.

“Few things made her madder than feeling that she was being treated as a someone simply doing a job,” Andrus wrote.

Peg Smith, executive director of the BU Campus Pre-School, said Stuart-Andrus was a vital part of the school and a wonderful colleague.

“You always [knew] where you stood with her, as well as her thoughts on any given situation,” Smith wrote in an email. “I attended many a meeting where the only person who spoke was Jane, so tactfully sharing her thoughts and those of many people surrounding her.”

Stuart-Andrus also opened RiverRead Books, an independent bookstore in Downtown Binghamton, alongside her friends Connie Barnes and Pat Hutchinson-Bay. “When several friends of hers

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talked about starting a book store she saw an opportunity for several things,” Andrus wrote.

“She knew she could share her enthusiasm for reading, especially for children’s books. Secondly she saw an opportunity to contribute to the revitalization of downtown Binghamton.”

An avid traveler, Stuart-Andrus visited countries including Kenya, Costa Rica, Colombia, Puerto Rico, China and Sri Lanka, as well as every continent except Antarctica.

“Few people could be said to have such an intense love of life and thirst to experience as much of it as possible,” her husband wrote. “She would take any opportunity to travel.”

Stuart-Andrus is survived by her husband; her daughters, Janine Stuart and Alexis Andrus; her stepsons Holt Andrus and Erik Andrus; as well as numerous family members.

A memorial scholarship has been established in her name to benefit BU graduate students studying early childhood education. Donations can be made to the BU Foundation Memorial Account #10351.

Though he said that his wife passed too soon, Andrus said she always tried her best to fill her time in meaningful ways.

“Jane died much too young and has left a big hole in the local community. Right up until she was diagnosed with cancer she was working at both the preschool and the book store,” Andrus wrote. “But in a way she didn’t miss much. What many people put off for retirement she did as she lived each day to the fullest.”

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PSSL continued from Page 1 everything from how to get rid of saying “um” and “like” to different communication styles for different audiences.

In the past, besides offering student consultations, PSSL would provide workshops for students who requested appointments, but couldn’t accommodate all of the students because they were testing out the series first. Lenga said that in the future the PSSL may include speaking competitions and biweekly or monthly minitalks, and look for a larger operating space.

Gina Kim, a program assistant with the PSSL and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said BU students across disciplines can benefit from the PSSL. “The range of students that come for consultations are enormous,” Kim wrote in an email. “We get groups that are trying to prepare for a class presentation, commencement speakers that want criticism and video recordings, students that want impromptu questions, foreign students that just want to practice, and research assistants that are preparing for their symposiums.”

Alyssa Famolari, a program assistant and a junior doublemajoring in English and Spanish, said the PSSL will help students learn vital skills for speaking and presenting.

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Speech is not something [to] fear, it is quite the opposite — Tyler Lenga

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“It is important for everyone to know that you won t perfect these skills overnight or in an hour,” Famolari wrote in an email.

“These things take time, patience, and practice!

Students have left our lab and workshops knowing what is working for them, what things they need to work on, and an idea on how to fix them. You can’t lose anything from going. All you can do is learn something new and effective.”

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www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

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RELEASE Arts & Culture

Reality TV gets real Local brews in season Here's 5 shows currently pushing boundaries Shelby Reller | Contributing Writer

We kept up with the Kardashians. We voted for the next American Idol. We live in a world of reality television. So for those in need of more dramatic, all-too-real entertainment, here are some upcoming shows that are pushing the limits of the genre: 1. “Naked and Afraid” (Sundays 9/8 c. on Discovery): This new reality TV series puts trained survivalists to the ultimate test: no water and no food for 21 days. Oh, and they’re naked. Each week, one man and one woman will be left stranded — exposed, quite literally, to some of the world’s most intense weather conditions.

The challenge is to survive the next 21 days with nothing but a single personal item. The couple will be pushed to their limits, and forced to question everything they thought they knew about survival.

2. “Utopia” (on FOX): Referred to as the “Lord of the Flies” of reality TV, “Utopia” will send 15 ordinary people to an undeveloped, isolated

area, where they will create a civilization from scratch.

Contestants who are considered dispensable to the community will be eliminated. Over the course of their adventure, viewers will get to see if the contestants can build a society better than the one that we know, or if it will all crumble beneath them.

3. “Sex Box” (on WETv): This show is bringing reality TV to an entirely new level. Its content includes precisely what the title implies: sex, in a box.

Three couples — two straight and one gay — will go inside the proclaimed “sex box” and emerge only after they have completed the task. They will then immediately engage in a discussion with a panel of sex experts in their most open and vulnerable state. There are no cameras within the box, but the couple inside knows that the world is watching and waiting to find out how it went.

4. “Prepper Hillbillies” ( S a t u r d a y s 1 0 / 9 c . on D e st in a t io n A m e r ica) : The all-new series follows three “highly skilled craftsmen” of The Moss Shop in Jonesboro,

Ga., as they take South Georgia’s home security into their own hands. The three musketeers stop danger in its tracks with creative, highly entertaining security systems: exploding trees, secret escape routes, booby-trapped driveways — they’ve thought of it all.

5. “Secret Lives of Stepford Wives” (Tuesdays 10/9 c. on Investigation Discovery): In a world of award-winning pie recipes, PTA meetings and tasteful martinis, typical Stepford wives strive to be ideal homemakers. But behind closed doors, things are not as perfect as they seem. Each episode features a true story of a housewife whose desire to “keep up with the Joneses” is matched only by the depth of her darkest secrets. Witness the housewives’ desperate attempt to cover up the deception, adultery and greed that happens when no one’s looking.

So if “Survivor” and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” aren’t enough for you, tune in to these five shows, which are either just starting out or premiering soon!

Three nearby breweries and what's on tap Adrian Bauza | Contributing Writer Beers are for every season, but not all beers are for all seasons. Learn the aromas and flavors our local brewers have to offer for this spring.

From Water Street Brewing Co.: Plan Bee: Lighter ales are the brew of choice for outdoorsmen and partygoers alike. This bittered honey ale is produced with heather tips and English hops right around the corner at Water Street Brewing Co. Lightly fermented, it’s the perfect beer for a spring barbecue or a light meal. But don’t let its light taste and flowery bouquet deceive: A pint is enough to put you in your best spirits. Grab your light jacket or your spring dress, for bees are in season.

Fury Whip IPA: As the temperature rises, India Pale Ales get dryer. A solid malt backbone characterizes this aromatic beer, brewed with all American hops. The Fury Whip IPA will get your vernal energies pumped and

your feet running through fields of aromatic flowers.

From The North Brewery, E n d i c o t t , N . Y. : Crick Water: This Amber Ale with an attitude is not to be missed. Its coppery color and herbal aroma will fit any early afternoon brunch or sunset dinner. The flavor of crystal malt is unmistakable and a great match with chicken or roasted vegetables.

Double D’s: When we think of stouts, we think of winter: heavy clothes and brews served at 43 degrees or above. But the Double D’s makes a delicious breakfast brew all year-round with its mellow, creamy taste and heavy wooden bouquet. The Double D’s is enjoyable with a hearty ration of beans and steak, preferably in a quaint cottage in the woods. But The North Brewery will work, too.

From Galaxy Brewing Co.: Galaxy Maibock: A cold, German-style lager is never a bad choice on a balmy evening. Malty enough to leave your tongue tingling, but not as heavy as winter brews, the Galaxy Maibock

is great to be shared with friends over a light meat dinner. Add some grilled portobello mushrooms to the equation and turn any get-together into a fancy springtime banquet.

Omega Dubble: This beer’s beautiful amber color suggests lightness and a delicate flavor, but don’t underestimate it: High in alcohol content and sweet in taste, this dubble is potent.

The people at Galaxy aren’t Cistercians nor do they live in an abbey, but they have mastered the ancient art of Trappist brewing. The Belgian Candi sugars will stay in your mouth for a good time after the first — and the last — sip.

Spring will be around for a few more months, but these brews are on continuous rotation. Get a pint of your favorite beer, sit down and enjoy the soon-to-be verdant hills of Binghamton while drinking some of the best beers upstate New York has to offer. Cheers!

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13

FUN

April 22, 2014 | www.bupipedream.com

Happy Holidays from Bikini Bottom

Team Fun Page

Ohh, Easter?? I thought you said “Weaster.”

Fun.

Prehistoric Problems

Jared Auwarter

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RELEASE DATE– Monday, September 10, 2007

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

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41 Gym count 42 Some MIT grads 43 Otherwise 44 Moola 45 To be, to Brutus 46 Govt. agent 48 Company 50 “Blazing” bowlful 56 Dry as dust 57 Carpet calculation 58 “Zounds!” relative 60 Cologne that sounds improper 61 Dressed 62 Gives it a shot 63 Ooze 64 NASCAR driver Petty 65 Grand __ National Park

DOWN 1 Tax whiz, briefly 2 Talk wildly 3 Bk. before Job 4 A drink can quench it 5 Painting holder 6 Escape deterrent in the pasture 7 Dog in “Garfield” 8 Brutal 9 “Laughing” predator 10 Ribbed pasta tubes 11 Bad deeds 12 Volcano’s output 13 Having only length 21 Like the smell of soil 22 Exercises done while prone 25 Kennel cries 26 Witchy woman 27 Like Cinderella’s stepmother 29 Big name in tractors 31 Wood shapers 32 Astounds

34 Itchy skin inflammation 35 Kind of tank 36 Life of Riley 38 Took a nap 39 Not born into money, as some billionaires 44 Twisted 45 Political refugee 47 “Alas and __!”

49 Butler at Tara

50 Domino or Waller 51 “Dies __”: Latin hymn 52 Unspecific feeling 53 Genuine 54 Café lightener 55 Prefix with logical 59 ID in the form “xxx-xx-xxxx”

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By Bill Ballard (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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OPINION Tuesday, April 22, 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

A

All together now

s graduation swiftly approaches, our seniors are inundated with an outpouring of advice for the future.

Words of wisdom come from parents, fellow students and professors. On commencement day itself, student speakers and alumni offer their two cents through speeches. No doubt, their words have value and resonate with students and faculty alike, but will graduates remember who spoke these words in the years to come? Bringing a prominent keynote speaker to campus for the entire graduating senior class will give those students a final chance to come together, as well as help put Binghamton University on the map.

A keynote speech is an opportunity to gather the entire graduating class for one ceremony. In the spring, a single commencement ceremony is not feasible, between the five distinct colleges and the sheer number of graduates. But it isn’t that one academic class never occupies the same room; at the start of freshman year, students are united for Convocation, a ceremony that includes a keynote speaker. We should go out the way we

came in. The keynote speech does not need to occur at commencement, but could take place the week prior, around the time Senior Day took place last year.

Let us follow the example of our fellow top public universities. Stephen Colbert spoke at University of Virginia’s valedictory exercises in 2013, which occurred a few days before its commencement ceremony. President Barack Obama spoke at The Ohio State University’s commencement last May. Booking a prominent speaker is not impossible simply because we are a public school — what we lack in endowment, we can make up for in strategy. Smaller, less prestigious colleges book keynote speakers by playing upon alumni and familial connections.

The University has used this strategy in the past, with Billy Baldwin giving a keynote address for fall 2010 commencement. We say, why stop there?

While student speakers and University officials

can share experiences relevant to BU students and their families, esteemed keynote speakers can relate to a larger audience. Who can forget Steve Jobs’ commencement speech at Stanford University or David Foster Wallace’s speech at Kenyon University? These speeches have mass appeal, and their messages remain inspirational through the years. Schools with prominent commencement speakers receive positive national press and accolades. Of course, no one is expecting the administration to book Elon Musk or J.K. Rowling, but hosting a successful, well-spoken and well-known individual could do wonders for our school’s reputation and morale.

Let’s start and end our college careers as a unified class. Friends may not be able to graduate together, but they can walk away with the same words of wisdom ringing in their ears.

BU Acres provides students with an opportunity to learn and give back Dorothy Farrell Environmental Columnist

Flowers, trees, butterflies and bees; clover, dandelion and light showers in the sunshine. We can talk about all the things that make Earth special, and also drop a rhyme. Here’s to Earth Day, a reminder that our existence is not separate from a lush diversity of living creatures.

The first Earth Day was propagated as a political stunt to rally the 1960s flower-love children into supporting environmentally feasible policies.

Since its debut in 1970, look how far we’ve come: The polar ice caps are melting, the rain forests are deteriorating, fertile lands are lost to desertification and the world’s problems are too big to fathom restoration. Individuals are faced with decisions about personal sacrifices that in the vast scheme of things

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

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

neWsrooM teChnology* William Sanders tech@bupipedream.com

Show your local farm love this Earth Day protracted action, we can work within ecological variables to create a system that utilizes the patterns already in place. This means understanding the climate, soil and other aspects to make informed decisions about how to use the land. Embracing biodiversity steers us toward success.

No species can exist in a vacuum. We must account for the earthworms, birds, pollinators and numerous beneficial plant species. There’s no sense in haste, and careful planning is required. All of this will culminate into less expended energy with greater yields.

Last fall, students working on the farm (myself included) harvested a plethora of crops: squash, zucchinis, beans, potatoes, kale, chard, radishes, carrots, apples and pears. This season, a new group of interns and dropin volunteers are working toward building more garden beds and deer fences, expanding the orchard and increasing student participation.

It’s Earth Day, and the planet is still getting warmer. Cultivating your own vegetables is not going to

Fun PAge editor* Ben Moosher fun@bupipedream.com

soCiAl MediA MAnAger Keara Hill social@bupipedream.com

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.

seem to hold no weight in actually fixing what has become an ecological conundrum.

The unfortunate reality is that there are no simple solutions. Although environmental responsibility has been largely co-opted by political schemes, we should never lose sight of the intrinsic value of environmental integrity.

For all of its green endeavors, Binghamton University’s finest may be the introduction of BU Acres Farm.

The project is located on the back side of the Nature Preserve, about 1.5 miles up Bunn Hill Road. Going into its second growing season, the farm provides students with the opportunity to gain insight into some “fruitful” ecological workings.

Caretaking the two-acre parcel of land is a unique experience that puts people back in touch with the very basis of their own livelihood.

BU Acres is based on permacultural principles, which treat food production as an ecological process rather than dominance over nature. If we use protracted observation before

Asst. sPorts editors Erik Bacharach Ashley Purdy

change that, but maybe it will change something else. When we actively invest a piece of ourselves into the planet, not only are we able to provide for ourselves, but our sense of selfworth is increased. Everything on this planet is connected, so whatever we put out comes right back to us.

The human race has achieved remarkable things. Not only are we an anomaly on this planet, but in the universe as well. Yet, we cannot overlook that we wouldn’t exist without Earth. Clean water, air and food are too often taken for granted when in reality they’re rapidly becoming scarcer. As far as we know, one could travel 43.5 gigalight-years to the edge of the universe, and a planet quite like ours would not be found. It may not seem like much to plant some seeds, watch some birds or let some pollen into your sneeze, but it all comes down to the same thing: The planet needs conscious care if we continue to call it our home.

— Dorothy Farrell is a junior majoring in Environmental Studies.

business MAnAger* Zachary Hindin business@bupipedream.com

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

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

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

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

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Anonymous submissions are not accepted.

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

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

12

OPINION

Children must be taught honestly Sheltered students can become intolerant adults

Madison Ball Columnist

Recently, a Texas school district suspended a transgender fifth-grade teacher on the basis that her gender was a “distraction” in the classroom.

The suspension was in reaction to several complaints from parents, including Roger Beard, who said, “If it does affect my child and his ability to learn or if it causes questions that I don’t feel are appropriate then undoubtedly there’s an issue with having somebody transgender, transsexual or transvestite, to be teaching that age group.” He also stated, “I think these kids are too young for this issue.”

What this parent and any other parents who have made a similar complaint are failing to see is that there would be no “issue” if they didn’t promote the concept that children could ever be “too young” for reality to be “appropriate” for them. In other words, by shielding their children from the supposed “problem,” these parents are creating a problem.

People aren’t born with any conceptions of “normal” versus “strange,” or with any inherent prejudice toward another group; these prejudices are taught.

If a child grew up in an

environment made up of people of all different races and ethnicities, but never experienced any form of racism firsthand and was never told one group was superior to the other, that child would have no reason to believe otherwise. If parents decided once and for all to stop hiding homosexuality from their children, children would grow up knowing that some boys like girls, some boys like boys and some girls like girls and they

remember watching it with my mother on several occasions.

For anyone unfamiliar with the movie, “Pretty Woman” tells the story of a prostitute (Julia Roberts) and a businessman (Richard Gere) who fall in love.

I had no idea what a prostitute really was, but I did know that Julia Roberts was doing something illegal and generally frowned upon. But I also knew she was a good person, who had been placed in a desperate situation. This movie didn’t make me grow up to aspire to be a prostitute and it didn’t inspire me to wear short, skimpy clothing to school. I think the movie, as unrealistic as it may actually have been, gave me a glimpse into the life of someone who, in reality, is often ostracized. It taught me, on some level, to be compassionate and understanding to those who are less fortunate.

We should encourage parents to be more honest wouldn’t think anything of it. with their kids, which in turn Likewise, if it were not for the will produce more accepting parents ostracizing this teacher, adults. Criticizing this teacher the kids wouldn’t even consider is a huge mistake by these Texas her sexuality in a negative parents. Their children are light. Of course the children not “too young” to be exposed would have questions, but if to a transgender person. these questions were answered Children are never too young honestly, children wouldn’t to experience the diverse world learn hate. that is reality.

In general, I think parents should be less concerned with — Madison Ball is a junior censorship. From a very young majoring in political science. age, my favorite movie has been “Pretty Woman.” I have no idea how or why I first saw it, but I

People aren’t born with any conceptions of ‘normal’ versus ‘strange’

Tinder cheapens the dating experience Mobile dating app engenders shallow, perverted behavior Rebecca Klar Contributing Columnist

Swipe left for no, swipe right for yes. The instructions for using the casual dating app Tinder are simple enough. But what about Tinder’s implications? Many have claimed that the college hook-up culture has killed any amount of romance in dating.

Tinder has diminished even the small amount of dignity that the hook-up culture of the past maintained.

For those who are not familiar with Tinder, the app asks you to put in both your gender and the gender in which you’re interested. You can then adjust the settings for age range and distance. From then on you are shown a never-ending slideshow of images that fit your settings. You see the images the person chose to have on his or her profile, as well as a brief bio the person wrote. The only other information you can see are mutual Facebook friends and Facebook “likes” as shared interests. If you both swipe right, indicating you’re interested, then you match.

Here’s the catch: You only see who “liked” you if you like them back, and vice versa. So, the cute boy you always see in Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center but would never talk to because he’s way out of your league? Swipe right and see what happens.

This seemingly invincible way to approach strangers, or crushes, leads to a new form of hook-up culture.

After you match, you can then message the person. Get to know them beyond the 500 characters you saw before. This aspect of Tinder seems innocent enough, and even kind of pleasant. You’re actually getting to know the person rather than solely relying on the superficial

decision to swipe right, which is based on the person’s eye color or body type.

I can guarantee that nine out of 10 of the seemingly innocent messages turn into some sick, perverted pick-up line. Although amusing — my personal favorite being “Are you from heaven because I have an erection” — these unusual and very sexual messages are sent because of the anonymity derived from the app.

Just as many say cyberbullying heightens bullying because people feel more powerful due to the anonymity behind their

computer, Tinder users have the same power from their phones.

I’m not saying the person you meet at JT’s at 1 a.m. on a Friday night is looking for a serious, romantic relationship. But at the same time, that person will be less likely to use some perverted pick-up line in person as they will be on Tinder.

Tinder eliminates even the last shred of dignity our generation had left within the college hook-up culture. Once again, we are utilizing technology to simplify and reduce face-to-face interactions. While Tinder is fun, addicting and practically harmless, it still is reducing any amount of romance left in the hook-up culture.

— Rebecca Klar is a freshman majoring in English.

Big Money has no place in politics Loose campaign finance laws threaten democracy Dorothy Manevich Contributing Columnist

Money is speech and corporations are people. Well, at least that’s the tune that the Supreme Court has been singing for over a decade under Chief Justice John Roberts. In its most recent revival in McCutcheon v.

Federal Election Commission (FEC), the court lifted the $123,200 cap on individual contributions over the course of an election season, ruling that this violated donors’ rights to free speech.

Unfortunately, this ruling’s significance lies not in its own impact on American politics, but in its seamless integration into a larger war on our nation’s campaign finance system. Since the 1970s, the Supreme Court has been slowly destroying the campaign finance laws that worked to level the playing field between classes and interest groups. In Buckley v. Valeo (1976), the Supreme Court eliminated limits on campaign expenditures, priming the American electoral system for big-money players.

Subsequent rulings upheld this decision in the early 2000s, when the Supreme Court decided to take up the issue of corporate speech rights through political advocacy expenditures. In a string of decisions, the Supreme

Court granted corporations the right to use unlimited funds in order to advocate for or against ballot measures and fund political messages mentioning candidates as long as they did not give ballotbox instructions. Citizens United v.

FEC rescinded this final restriction in 2010.

McCutcheon v. FEC, however, is the Supreme Court’s first largescale assault on campaign finance laws regulating donations from

Politicians have a vested interest in upholding the interests of their donors individuals. And it certainly won’t be the last. Although few donors reach the $123,200 ceiling, the next logical step is lifting the single candidate cap, which prevents individuals from donating more than $5,200 to any one candidate.

If this latter restriction is lifted, we will see wealthy individuals exercising even more political power, just as we have seen wealthy corporations exercising increased political power in the wake of Citizens United.

But, the question remains, why do we care? If corporate and wealthy donor interests line up with constituent interests, we may not. However, when private and public interests clash, public officials are charged with upholding the interests of their constituents. When the interests of the wealthy clash with those of the middle and lower class, public officials must find a way to address everyone’s needs. This becomes difficult if public officials rely on wealthy individuals and corporations for their campaign war chests. Candidates that vastly outspend their opponents are more likely to be elected. Politicians accept and even solicit big-money contributions to gain an edge over opponents. If private interests threaten to pull financial support for reelection or threaten to support the opposition, politicians have a vested interest in upholding the interests of their donors.

With the absence of large-scale public mobilization, middle- and lower-class citizens have little hope of having their interests heard without spending thousands on campaign contributions or lobbying efforts. Mark Gongloff of the Huffington Post aptly described the corrupt influence of money in politics with his assertion that “All people, corporate or human or otherwise, have a right to make our voices heard. It’s just that some of us don’t have $8 million per year to spend on it.”

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

In other words "Right now, I can't even think of going back to the mountain.

We have not just lost our family members, but it is a loss for the whole mountaineering community and the country."

Tashi Dorje, Mt. Everest Sherpa, after the loss of his cousin in April 18th avalanche

Gather ye rosebuds, not ye Netflix The clock is ticking and seniors don't have time to waste Michael Snow Opinion Editor

We are utilizing technology to simplify and reduce face-to-face interactions

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

It’s May 22. You’re home.

Not even your home — your parents’ home. Which is now separate. Weird. It’s lonely.

There are unpacked boxes of books around your high school bed. Your friends aren’t around and it feels like a part of you is empty. You’ve already regressed to a lifestyle of Facebook, Netflix, ice cream and unemployment. Think.

Does someone’s face come to mind? Do you wish you had given it one last chance? Are you tempted to text her? Maybe just go on to his Facebook real quick?

Here’s the thing. We’re still here. It’s April.

But not for long.

Next Saturday is Spring Fling. We’re all going to drink and dance. Then a week of classes. Then finals. Then the parents come. We put on green, they take the pictures, we listen to some speeches, pack up, boom.

How’d that happen?

We’ve got four weeks. That’s

it. That’s nothing. Soon, we’ll look back and say: If only I had gone out that Tuesday. If only I had asked out that girl with the nice smile from my English class — who knows? Or, maybe even, if only I had spent a few more hours in the library. I don’t know. I can’t pretend I know what your “if only” will look like.

But you do. You know yourself. Think.

What are you going to regret not doing? Do you have it?

On a gut level?

Good.

Now do it.

I’ll start.

Looking back, I know I’ll regret the hours I’ve already devoted to watching “The West Wing.”

I’ll regret not having spent that time with friends. I resolve to not watch one more episode or any Netflix for the rest of the semester.

Because now is the spring of our discontent.

Sure, we’ve all got work.

He’s got applications and she’s got to finish up her thesis. This goes for underclassmen too.

But can I propose something?

None of us should have an

excuse. We shouldn’t have an excuse to say “if only.”

I don’t know what making the most of our evaporating time here will look like for you.

But I know that I’m upset the snow’s melted because it means we’re that much closer to never seeing each other again.

We can’t slow down time.

But what we can do, I think, is attune ourselves to the moment. We can reject our nature that supposedly condemns us to only appreciate what we have, after it’s gone.

We can listen to “Rivers and Roads”

by The Head and the Heart, because there is no better way to put into music how now feels.

We can look around and say: Hey, these are my friends. I like them, a lot.

It makes sense for me to spend my dwindling time in this crazy place doing fun things with them. Things like going to the Blake. Or drinking wine and talking about how weird and different we were as freshmen.

Or even talking about our futures. And how scared we might be.

We shouldn’t have an excuse to say ‘if only’

We can admit to being scared and uncertain. I’m scared. I’m scared to leave a comfortable environment. In a weird way I grew up here. And now I’m forced to leave.

I’m also scared to leave my friends. I have great people here, people whom I love and cherish. I will be deeply sad to be apart from them in four weeks’ time. Sure, we’ll see each other again after graduation.

But things will never really be the same. I think it’s naive to believe otherwise.

What we can’t do is have excuses. Or watch Netflix. Can I preach for a minute? There is no justification for that.

Seriously. “Game of Thrones,” “House of Cards,” whatever it is, will wait. I promise. Catch up on “Girls” over the summer.

Now’s not the time for that.

Now’s the time for finishing your thesis and going out on a Tuesday. Now’s the time to be brave and a little reckless, because our actions have fewer and fewer consequences. Now’s the time to tell our friends and teachers what they mean to us and hold them tight because the clock’s running out and this time, there’s no snooze.

— Michael Snow is a senior double-majoring in philosophy and English.

Have an opinion?

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

13

SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

Still undefeated in AE play, BU guaranteed a top-two seed Behind dominant showing from Planck, Bearcats preserve win streak in topping SBU Jeff Twitty

Pipe Dream Sports

For the seniors of the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team, Saturday’s game against Stony Brook was as memorable as it was historic.

After starting the season 0-5 at the Bearcats Sports Complex, Binghamton (7-6, 4-0 America East) finished its home slate with three consecutive wins, capped by a 14-11 victory over the Seawolves (5-9, 1-3 AE) on Saturday. The Bearcats hadn’t won their first four conference games since 2004 — when they also captured the America East regular-season title — and BU head coach Scott Nelson thanked his upperclassmen.

When asked to describe his 12 graduating seniors, Nelson used the words “incredible,” “bright” and “mature.”

“They’ve shown great leadership,” he said. “We’re real proud of our senior class.”

However, Stony Brook proved a tough opponent on BU’s road to a 4-0 record. Led by sophomore midfielder Chris Hughes, the Seawolves put up three unanswered goals to start the game. And as late as the last quarter, Stony Brook continued

to hang with the Bearcats, shooting 50 percent on the day.

But an offensive shootout by BU proved too much for Stony Brook to handle. With senior attack Brandon Planck leading with four goals, along with a 9-3 BU run midway through the game, the Bearcats put up 42 shots on their way to a seasonhigh 14 goals.

“We knew we’d have trouble with stopping them on defense, but our offense is really coming along,” Nelson said.

Nelson also mentioned the stellar play of sophomore attack Mitchell Rick and senior midfielder Kelly Donigan, both of whom came off the bench to add to BU’s point column.

The Bearcats strutted their depth all game long, with six bench players finding the net for BU. The starting 10 would contribute only four of Binghamton’s 11 goals. Senior attack Matt Springer put in his sixth hat trick of the season with three goals, while junior attack Tucker Nelson tallied a single goal and a lone assist late in the game.

Binghamton, undefeated in conference play, is now tied with 19th-ranked and reigning conference champion Albany atop the America East

standings. Not even eligible for the conference tournament in 2013, the Bearcats now find themselves one game away from taking a top seed. They have clinched a top-two finish. “[This season] has been a great thing to be involved in.

We’ve taken so many strides,” Nelson said. “We had hope for Binghamton lacrosse and now we’re here.”

The last stop of the regular season for the Bearcats will be Albany, where they’re scheduled to take on the Great Danes (75, 4-0 AE). Rolling through its conference competition, Albany boasts the nation’s best scoring offense, averaging 15.09 goals per game. Pair that with the nation’s top goalkeeper in sophomore Blaze Riorden, who averages 13.55 saves per game and the Great Danes are sure to be the biggest conference test for the Bearcats so far.

The seniors may have played their final game at the Bearcats Sports Complex, but their chance at keeping the legacy of the 2014 season alive is far from over.

Binghamton and Albany will face off at 7 p.m. Saturday at John Fallon Field in Albany.

BU @ Albany

BU vs. Stony Brook

DATE

April 26 LOCATION

John Fallon Field TIME

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Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Senior Matt Springer recorded three goals Saturday in his final home game as a Bearcat.

11

7:00 p.m.

Cimino appointed to helm of women's basketball team After rebuilding Division II Caldwell, Cimino confident in Bearcats' future E.Jay Zarett

Pipe Dream Sports After what was nearly a month-long search, Binghamton University named Linda Cimino the new head coach of the women’s basketball team. The position is Cimino’s first with a Division I team, as she spent the last eight seasons at the helm of Division II Caldwell College.

“My dream was to be standing here today and my dream came true,” Cimino said at her introductory press conference on April 18. “I am really looking forward to trying to build a program, develop the players we currently have on the roster and bring in some new pieces to the puzzle to help us improve every day.”

Cimino saw tremendous success while rebuilding Caldwell’s program.

She inherited a team that recorded only eight wins and by her second year, she recorded 18 victories. Cimino consistently led Caldwell into the top half of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, winning at least 17 games in the past four seasons.

She finished her tenure at Caldwell with a 128-100 record.

“It wasn’t easy to leave Caldwell,” Cimino said. “I had a really good situation there.

I absolutely adored and loved my girls. Leaving them was probably one of the hardest things I had to do.”

While at Caldwell, Cimino dominated the Division II recruiting landscape.

She recruited and coached three

straight CACC Rookies of the Year, guided 12 players to all-conference selections and signed 2014 Daktronics East Region Player of the Year Jeanette Anderson to Caldwell. Cimino said she believes that this success will help her to improve a fledgling Binghamton program.

“I feel like I was born for this job,” she said. “I really think Binghamton is a sleeping giant in the America East and I feel like we can do great things here.”

Cimino aims to transform a Bearcats team that has been in steady decline over the last three seasons, bottoming out in 2013-14, with only five victories.

“Linda really stood out to me as an established head coach,” Athletics Director Patrick Elliott said. “She has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and student-athlete welfare.

Everybody I talked to told me how great of a recruiter she was. The other thing they told me that was special is that she just works. She is tireless.

Going forward, our women’s basketball program is in great hands.”

Rebuilding the program will not happen overnight, but Cimino has some goals for BU she looks to accomplish quickly.

“Short-term goals I have for this program are to revive the spirit around the women’s basketball program, put fans back in the arena, make everyone proud of who we are,”

she said. “And the women on the team, I want to help realize their potential and get better every single day.”

I feel like I was born for this job. I really think Binghamton is a sleeping giant in the America East and I feel like we can do great things here — Linda Cimino BU head coach

Photo Provided

Linda Cimino, the newly appointed women’s basketball coach, will look to draw upon past success to revitalize Binghamton’s program.

2013 - 2014 America East Standings 1

Albany

15-1

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13-3

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12-4

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Maine

10-6

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Hartford

9-7

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Vermont

4-12

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SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

BU offense surges in decisive series victory over Maine Thomas leads with seven RBIs and two homers, helps keep Bearcats in playoff picture Ashley Purdy

Assistant Sports Editor The last time the Maine and Binghamton baseball teams met, they were contenders in a winnertake-all showdown with the America East title on the line. This weekend, the two former titans skirmished for a fourth-place standing in the conference — the bottom slot for post-season eligibility.

Despite the dissimilarity in standings, Binghamton (12-19, 6-8 AE) reigned champion on both occasions. Building upon last year’s 4-0 championship game win over Maine (14-21, 5-7 AE), the Bearcats took two out of three games this weekend.

Battling back from a muffled early season performance, junior outfielder Jake Thomas put on his second two-home run display in the past two weeks, belting the first grand slam of his career in the series finale.

Thomas, who earned America East Player of the Week honors, hit .500 through the series, bumped up his conference-leading home run total to six and tacked on an additional seven RBIs to lead the team with 25, also good for second in the AE. “[On Sunday, Thomas] was the main guy who obviously drove the runs in,” BU head coach Tim Sinicki said. “Heading into the season, we thought [Thomas] was our best offensive player, and it’s certainly good when the guy that you perceived to be your best offensive guy comes through and is able to showcase your skills the way he did yesterday.”

Maine didn’t just allow Thomas and Binghamton to reprise their leading roles, however. The same Black Bears who were doomed to runner-up status in 2013 entered the series with a seemingly vengeful spirit, capturing the opener, 3-0.

“I think the one thing that we

see this year, being the defending champs, is that everyone is taking their best shot at us,” Sinicki said.

“Everyone wants to knock off the champion … but you have to be up for the challenge when that happens.”

Binghamton wasn’t quite up for the challenge in game one, in which its offense saw a rusty start.

Maine’s Tommy Lawrence, a junior, didn’t make the job any easier. He scattered six hits over nine innings, allowed no runs and struck out seven. BU hit just .194 through the game, though it did keep Maine scoreless through seven.

But Maine’s dominance expired after the first game. The Black Bears fell victim to missed opportunities and were quelled by Binghamton’s defense in the subsequent two, allowing the Bearcats’ potent offense to fly.

The determining factor?

“It’s timely hitting,” Sinicki said.

“And that’s what we’ve been missing

kind of all year. When we get guys on base, we need to find a way to not only execute and move runners around, but we need to find a way to drive guys in. And I think we actually did that pretty well on Saturday in game two and then again [Sunday], of course.”

BU’s bats exploded in game two, when the Bearcats strung together a .385 team batting average with 10 hits in 26 at-bats. Senior center fielder Bill Bereszniewicz, who leads the conference with a .344 batting average, senior designated hitter Shaun McGraw and Thomas all reached base twice and plated a run at least once.

Completing the 180 reversal, Maine, second in conference rankings for team batting (.271), was held to a low of .200 in Saturday’s closer.

Though Binghamton’s offense clearly broke through its cloudy hull and shone this weekend, the defense remained characteristically

dominant. Binghamton’s 8-2 win on Sunday obscures it, but Maine was not too far behind in the rubber game. The Black Bears actually outhit Binghamton, 9-8, but saw their opportunities stifled by BU’s field.

“We’ve played good defense all year,” Sinicki said. “Our fielding percentage is over .970 right now, which probably has us ranked somewhere in the top 50 in the country. And for a team that plays in the northeast and doesn’t get to practice outside until about April, that’s really getting it done on the defensive end of things.”

This win and their 7-0 retribution over Cornell on Thursday provided some semblance of consolation for the Bearcats’ own fall earlier in the week at Stony Brook. The conference leaders capped off a closely-fought first day with a 12-2 jab on Sunday to complete the three-game sweep of Binghamton. “[Stony Brook is] certainly

one of the teams to beat in the conference at this point,” Sinicki said. “I thought we matched up with them pretty well in the first two games last weekend, but the third game just kind of got away from us a little bit.”

With nine conference games remaining in the regular season, Binghamton has to continue improving upon its offensive performance to stay in the running for the championship. However, with a schedule speckled with nonconference games, the Bearcats can continue to test themselves in hopes of performing best where it counts most.

Up next is Binghamton’s third and final meeting with Cornell (15-19, 6-10 Ivy) this season. After Thursday’s win, the teams have split the season series 1-1.

First pitch is set for 4 p.m. today at David F. Hoy Field.

BU @ Cornell DATE -

Today

LOCATION TIME -

David F. Hoy Field

4:00 p.m.

BU vs. Maine 4/19 4/19 4/20

Maine Maine Maine

L W W

3-0 7-1 8-2 Kendall Loh/Photo Editor

Junior outfielder Jake Thomas turned in a grand slam along with a two-run homer to give the Bearcats an 8-2 victory over Maine on Sunday.

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SPORTS

www.bupipedream.com | April 22, 2014

Bearcats find offensive consistency in sweep of Hawks Four players combine for seven home runs as BU outscores Hartford, 27-11 Ari Kramer Sports Editor

The barrages of runs had come sporadically — one game here, another there — for the Binghamton softball team in 2014.

That changed this weekend, when the Bearcats (18-18, 8-3 America East) swept visiting Hartford by a lump sum of 27-11.

It was the first time this season that Binghamton plated eight or more runs in three consecutive games.

“In a lot of the games earlier on this season we were getting [offensive production] from three to four people. It always felt like one group was on, one group was off,” head coach Michelle Burrell said. “I felt like we had everybody contributing this weekend offensively. That made a big difference, and we were able to put up a lot of runs.”

The Bearcats, who entered the weekend hitting one home run every 32 at-bats, belted seven home runs in 74 at-bats against Hartford (7-25, 1-11 AE). Senior second baseman Jessica Bump, sophomore first baseman Lisa Cadogan and sophomore catcher Taylor Chaffee each homered twice, while sophomore right fielder Sydney Harbaugh jolted one roundtripper.

Harbaugh, whose .350 batting average ranks fourth in the America East, catalyzed Binghamton’s offense out of the leadoff spot. She reached base seven out of nine times and never failed to score, earning America East Player of the Week honors on Monday.

“I think she first of all, by getting on base, gave us a lot of momentum and I thought the players hitting behind her really set off of her momentum and just kept going

with it,” Burrell said. “We were finally able to kind of able to string hits together. That’s something we were missing earlier in the year — we weren’t necessarily feeding off each other.”

After Harbaugh walked in her first plate appearance of the weekend, Bump set the tone with a two-run homer. The Bearcats, who hit .378 in the series, needed just five innings to dispose of Hartford in Saturday’s series opener, 8-0.

The second game began in similar fashion. Harbaugh walked and Bump homered a batter later, this time plating three runs.

This time, though, Hartford responded with a six-run second inning to take a 6-3 lead.

By the third inning, the Bearcats had erased the deficit. By the fifth, they had regained the lead for good en route to a 9-8 victory.

“We still felt very confident that our offense was going to be able to put the runs that we needed on the board,” Burrell said. “I think our girls are confident now that they can come back. We definitely want to keep that going.”

There was no need for a comeback in Sunday’s series finale, as Binghamton pounced early with seven runs in the first two innings.

Freshman pitcher Annika Wiesinger held down the fort with two earned runs over four innings before senior Demi Laney took over for three nearly flawless frames and the Bearcats prevailed, 10-3.

Chaffee’s two home runs and four RBIs in the win pushed her season totals to nine and 32, respectively.

Both marks rank second in the America East.

With a pitching staff that has seen its formidability diminish since last year, Binghamton could

use more series-long offensive outbursts in the weeks preceding the America East tournament. The Bearcats, who would be the No. 3 seed if the regular season ended today, are hitting .294, a nearly identical clip to last year’s .293. They just hadn’t strung hits together with such consistency over a three-game span until this weekend.

“We were kind of waiting for this to happen and I’m really glad that they all put it together and I was really happy with how much of a team effort it was this weekend,” Burrell said.

The Bearcats are scheduled for a non-conference doubleheader with Colgate on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex.

...we had everybody contributing this weekend offensively.

That made a big difference, and we were able to put up a lot of runs — Michelle Burrell BU head coach

Michael Contegni/Staff Photographer

Sophomore catcher Taylor Chaffee hit two home runs and drove in four runs, propelling Binghamton to a 10-3 victory in the series finale against Hartford.

BU vs. Colgate

BU vs. Hartford

DATE

Wednesday

4/19

Hartford

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8-0

Bearcats Sports Complex

4/19

Hartford

W

9-8

TIME

4/20

Hartford

W

10 - 3

LOCATION

3:00 p.m.

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SPORTS

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Cimino hired as head coach Page 13

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

MEN'S BASKETBALL SPRING SIGNING PERIOD Rodriguez embraces status as role model Ari Kramer Sports Editor

Photo Provided

South Kent School (Conn.) players Dusan Perovic and Romello Walker look to continue their on-court chemistry, as they both committed to become members of Binghamton’s men’s basketball team.

Teammates and friends, Perovic and Walker set to join BU Ari Kramer Sports Editor

It was a simple, unsolicited offer of hospitality, but it left an indelible impression on Romello Walker.

The athletic 6-foot-6 guard from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., had arrived on South Kent School’s campus for the first time as a student when a jovial Montenegrin teammate named Dusan Perovic approached him.

“He came up to me, ‘Hey, what can I help you with? What do you need? Can I help you with anything?’”

Walker fondly recalled.

In that brief moment, Walker knew he had found a friend he would like to keep. Their relationship blossomed throughout their one common year at South Kent, and when the time came for Perovic to commit to a college basketball program, his choice was straightforward.

That’s because Walker returned the favor and encouraged Perovic to follow him to Binghamton University, to which he had verbally pledged in December.

“I like playing with him. He told me a lot about Binghamton before I came to the official visit,” Perovic said. “He’s probably one of the big reasons why I decided to visit Binghamton, and once I came there and saw the campus and everything, I realized he was right.”

Exceeding the quota Perovic doesn’t think about helping. It’s ingrained in his nature.

“It’s just, like, how I do things,” he says.

South Kent School requires its students to fill a community service quota to graduate. Perovic participated in a group dubbed “Call to Service,” which, among other projects, travels to Hartford to feed the homeless at a soup kitchen.

“When you do it the first time, it’s not really that exciting, but you actually really feel good,” he says. “You know that you helped somebody, so it feels really good.”

Perovic says he completed his contributions to Call to Service a few weeks ago. His coach, Kelvin Jefferson, says that hasn’t rendered the 6-foot-9 forward quiescent.

“He didn’t just do the designated hours he needed to do,” Jefferson

said. “He went above and beyond that. That’s just the kind of kid he is. He likes helping. If there’s a need, he’s going to help fill it.”

And Walker’s frequently right there with him.

“They’re the type to volunteer for anything,” Jefferson says. “If someone stands up in the middle of the hall and asks for a volunteer to carry boxes or volunteer for something, they constantly do that.”

The obscure path South Kent School’s prep-level team, known in basketball circles as South Kent Prep, annually churns out several Division I recruits.

NBA players Isaiah Thomas, Dorell Wright, Andray Blatche, Moe Harkless and Ricardo Ledo are the most notable alumni — Blatche and Wright jumped straight from the school to the NBA. High school students from across the world transfer to South Kent School to play for the prep team, the allure of regularly suiting up for an elite program in front of the eyes of college scouts influencing their decisions.

So, no, Perovic is not the first foreign-born player in South Kent’s illustrious history.

But the fact that he, in particular, found his way to South Kent School — and then a Division I scholarship — is a spectacle of its own. In Montenegro, boys grow up playing soccer, not basketball. Perovic followed that track until he was 9 years old.

“I really loved soccer,” he said.

“At that age, I was kind of taller from everyone else, and they were saying, ‘He’s going to grow more. You should try to send him to play basketball.’

That’s how I decided to switch from there and started playing basketball.”

Perovic learned the fundamentals and developed a skillset that has enabled him to excel both in the post and on the perimeter. But not many Montenegrins leave their country with the hopes of playing Division I basketball in the United States.

Nemanja Djurisic, a friend of Perovic’s, did that in 2010 and forged the obscure path from Montenegro to South Kent. Also a fundamental big man, Djurisic earned a scholarship to Georgia, which competes in the Southeastern Conference — the same league that produced this

season’s NCAA runner-up, Kentucky.

In many ways, Jefferson sees similarities between Perovic and Djurisic.

“A lot of people were hesitant to take [Djurisic] because he didn’t have that ‘wow factor,’ which means he didn’t dunk the ball every time he caught it, he wasn’t the most athletic kid. He just got the job done,” Jefferson said. “While others were jumping in the air trying to block his shots, he was ball-faking and laying the ball in. I see Dusan the same way. He doesn’t have the ‘wow factor’ but he’s going to score and he can rebound.”

And because he lacks that “wow factor,” Perovic slipped to Binghamton. Loyola Marymount of the West Coast Conference and Fordham of the Atlantic 10 began recruiting Perovic in the last couple of months, but they were too late.

“With all due respect to Binghamton … they got a steal,” said Jefferson, who has coached NBA players Harkless and Ledo and NCAA champion Russ Smith at South Kent.

“A lot of people kind of fell asleep at the wheel on this one. I thought he could play in the Atlantic 10.”

A work in progress Jefferson says Walker also has Atlantic 10 potential because of his athleticism. The rest of his game needs work, though.

“For him, just the small things: understanding good shot-bad shot, understanding time and score,” Jefferson said. “When you get a kid like that, that’s so physically talented, they want to go a hundred miles an hour all the time. He’s just got to learn to pick his spots, and when he does that I think he could be really good.”

Walker knows he has room for improvement. He said that “bringing that fire to the game and getting everybody involved and motivated” will likely be his calling card as a freshman.

But if the rest of his game catches up to his athleticism sooner rather than later, he could be a force in a conference that doesn’t have many guards his size.

For now though, he’s just grateful for the opportunity to earn a college basketball scholarship.

“It’s a dream come true to continue pursuing your future

endeavors and not have to pay, not to have my parents come out of pocket to do something like that,” he said.

“It’s a blessing because I worked all my life, and basketball is what I worked for. For it to come true, it’s just a blessing.”

You could go bigger There wasn’t much of a question that Walker’s dream would come true. By the end of last summer, he had already accrued scholarship offers from Binghamton, LIU Brooklyn, Georgia Southern and Robert Morris.

He just needed to select a school.

On Dec. 30, he verbally committed to Binghamton. On Feb. 8, he reopened his recruitment.

“I was just listening to everybody else and not doing what I wanted to do,” he said. “It was everybody telling me, ‘You know, you could go bigger,’ but I had to sit down and think to myself, ‘Bigger isn’t always better.

It’s where you belong, what feels like home. That’s where you’ve got to go.’”

Less than one week later, Walker tweeted: “iwanna say thank you to the community and coaching staff at Binghamton U for taking me back in. im back home where i belong #BearcatNation.”

And all the while, Perovic supported him as a teammate and friend.

“He had tough moments,” Perovic said, “but I just told him to keep fighting through it. It’s all going to pay off later.”

Four more years On April 16, Walker and Perovic sat down together at South Kent School and inked their National Letters of Intent to play for Binghamton University, officially agreeing to extend their relationship as teammates into their college years.

But they’re already so much more than members of the same team.

“They genuinely like each other.

They’re great kids. They get along off the court,” Jefferson said. “They have a great rapport with each other off the court, and that translates on the court because they just do really well together. This year together has really helped.”

And it all started with that simple, unsolicited offer of hospitality.

The phone rings five times before Kevin Kehoe answers it.

“Hello?” he asks in a quiet, seemingly unenthused tone.

Just moments later, Kehoe’s voice is dripping with ebullience.

That is, of course, because he’s talking about Wilfredo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who signed his National Letter of Intent with Binghamton’s men’s basketball team on April 16, spent the past year playing for Kehoe at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. With Rodriguez taking home MVP honors, Cheshire captured its first NEPSAC Class B championship in 24 years.

But it’s not just Rodriguez’s skills on the court that stand out to Kehoe.

“He’s one of the most highcharacter kids I’ve ever coached,” Kehoe said.

Though Rodriguez arrived at Cheshire as a sought-after recruit — high-level programs Rutgers, UConn and Georgetown had all expressed interest — you wouldn’t know it watching him interact with his classmates throughout the last year.

“He’s befriended kids that were on the JV and even the lower end of teams,” Kehoe said.

“He used to go to practice three hours before we ever practiced just to scrimmage with these kids that play on the low-level teams.

He’s probably played every kid that bounces a basketball in our school one-on-one just because he’s a great kid.”

Rodriguez doesn’t do it for attention. He simply derives pleasure from serving as a role model.

“Some kids, they look up to people like me, varsity athletes that excel at their sports. So I figure why not,” Rodriguez said.

“It’s always fun for me to play with younger kids that look up to you. You make their day, and you don’t even know it.”

Plus, playing — regardless of the level of competition — grants Rodriguez another opportunity to hone his craft, which he has been developing since he started playing organized basketball in middle school. The 6-foot7 forward was blessed with a basketball body, but his dedicated work ethic has gone a long way toward making him a Division I player.

“When I first started playing, I wasn’t so good,” Rodriguez said, “so I just wanted to push myself to get better.”

Through hard work, Rodriguez developed an allaround game that captivated the attention of many college basketball coaches. He initially planned on spending his postgrad year at Air Force Prep — you can tell he would have fit in, as “yes, sir” is a dominant phrase in his lexicon — before electing to enroll at Cheshire Academy.

Rodriguez’s skills set has become so diverse that Kehoe never knew how he would impact a game. He only knew that Rodriguez would find a way to help the team win.

“If it’s scoring 30, he’ll score 30,” Kehoe said. “If it’s getting 10 assists, he’ll get 10 assists. If it’s about getting rebounds, he’ll get 10 rebounds.”

Kehoe said Rodriguez, who grew up in Orlando, Fla., and played for the Puerto Rican U18 team two summers ago, was “a lock for the Atlantic 10,” a league that produced six NCAA tournament teams in 2014. When Rodriguez verbally committed to the Bearcats on Dec. 5, northeast recruiting and scouting magnate Adam Finkelstein tweeted, “Binghamton got a good one earlier today – Wilfredo Rodriguez is long & athletic wing; should be able to make immediate contribution.”

So how did Rodriguez wind up pledging to an America East school?

“Just the coaching staff at Binghamton,” he said. “Give [associate head] coach [Ben] Luber a lot of credit. He really showed me a lot of love. I know he can develop me into the best player I can be.”

But as much as Rodriguez loves basketball, he finds solace away from the court as well.

“I’m pretty much like any other teenage guy — hang out with friends, play video games, stuff like that.”

And that, according to Kehoe, can make Rodriguez an integral member of any community.

“He came in [to Cheshire] as the fully qualified NCAA prospect,” Kehoe said, “and he not only embraced the basketball component here, but he’s become one of the most popular members of the community and one of the better students in our school.”

[Rodriguez has] probably played every kid that bounces a basketball in our school one-on-one just because he’s a great kid — Kevin Kehoe Cheshire Academy head coach