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T U E S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 3 & W E D N E S D AY, F E B R U A R Y 4
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PIPE DREAM Tuesday, February 3, 2015 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 3
BU invokes SUNY sexual assault policy
NOT 2 LATE 60 percent shooting against UMass Lowell leads BU to secondstraight win
System-wide consent standards enacted to curb violence, abuse Alana Epstein
Contributing Writer
Binghamton University is among the very first SUNY campuses to comply with the state’s new uniform sexual assault prevention and response policy. The policy, which created a uniform definition of affirmative consent across all SUNY campuses, was developed last fall during a meeting with the SUNY Board of Trustees and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. According to Brian Rose, the vice president for student affairs at BU, the University has been focusing on sexual violence prevention for several years. “Much of the substance of the SUNY policies is already in place here,” Rose wrote in an email. “But we are updating some policies and information to be fully consistent with the SUNY-wide policies.” These standards include a bill of rights for survivors, workshops for leaders of student organizations and the adoption of a systemwide definition of consent. According to the new policy, consent is a clear, unambiguous and voluntary agreement between the participants to engage in specific sexual activity. This month, SUNY will be training University and state police on SUNY campuses on security plans and victim sensitivity. They will also be training SUNY attorneys and college administrators on how to address sexual violence. All SUNY campuses will also be implementing a system-wide Confidentiality and Reporting
See SUNY Page 2
See page 12.
Michael Contegni/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer
Sophomore guard Marlon Beck II goes for a layup during Binghamton’s 76-69 victory over UMass Lowell at the Events Center on Saturday.
City Hall goes digital to hear grievances
Binghamton app lets residents request repairs, tweet mayor Chloe Rehfield Staff Writer
Binghamton residents and University students can now connect to city services with the click of a button. Last Thursday, Binghamton Mayor Rich David announced the launch of City of Binghamton, an app that allows citizens to make requests for various city services. According to Deputy Mayor Jared Kraham, the purpose of the app is to help residents to get in contact with City Hall more easily. Previously, residents would have to send an email or call a public dispatch. “The app puts City Hall into the palm of [city residents’] hands,” Kraham said. “We want citizens to be comfortable with submitting requests to the city, and this allows them to quickly and easily do this.” Users can submit a request by choosing categories such as pothole, streetlights, graffiti or traffic issue to make a report. The app uses a GPS tracking system to pinpoint the exact location of the sight. Users can send a description of what should be improved and also attach a picture of the grievance. After each request is sent in, City Hall members respond through an organized management system and the citizens who made the requests will receive real-time updates on the status of the improvement through mobile
See APP Page 2
Archaeologist encourages BU to help jumpstart small businesses peers to bury assumptions Free classes offered to minority, women run enterprises Matthew Beaudoin, prof. candidate, urges collaboration, an open mind Michelle Kraidman Contributing Writer
Sasha Dolgetta/Contributing Photographer
Matthew Beaudoin, a project manager at Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants in Canada, speaks in Science I about the way archeology is taught at Binghamton University. Beaudoin’s lecture on Friday afternoon, “Bridging Gaps: Confronting Assumptions in Archaeological Interpretation,” was part of Beaudoin’s application for assistant professor in the public archaeology Master of Arts program.
One visiting speaker is trying to help change how archaeology is studied and taught at Binghamton University. Matthew Beaudoin, a project manager at Timmins Martelle Heritage Consultants in Canada, spoke on Friday afternoon in Science I about challenges in archaeology when preconceived notions of history affect the work of researchers. The lecture, “Bridging Gaps: Confronting Assumptions in Archaeological Interpretation,” was part of Beaudoin’s application for assistant professor in the public archaeology Master of Arts program, which relates archaeology to politics, education and social context. Beaudoin discussed his archaeological research in the Ontario Great Lakes region and the Labrador subarctic region in Canada. According to him, interpretations of archaeological findings are often
See DIG Page 2
utilize more minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE) in state contracts. The goal requires that MWBEs provide commodities and services for 30 percent of all state contracts, up from the previous 20 percent. Jocelyn Thornton, a business adviser at the SBDC, said the new initiative is relatively unprecedented. “Thirty percent is the highest goal for minority and women businesses in the United States,” Thornton said. “It’s very aggressive.” It is not always easy for large contractors and government agents to find enough minority and women business owners in the Binghamton area, Thornton said. The program aims to remedy this by helping to certify and train more MWBEs. John Babich/Contributing Photographer Pictured: The Binghamton University Small Business Development Center’s (SBDC) entryway on The six-week course will cover topics Water Street in Downtown Binghamton. Starting later this month, Binghamton University will begin a such as construction accounting, credit training and certification program to help minority- and women-run business contractors navigate strategies, insurance, banking and their competitive industry. financing as well as claims and dispute The Binghamton University Small resolution. The program will also teach Haley Silverstein Business Development Center (SBDC) participants how to bid for contracts. Contributing Writer will begin a training and certification According to Thornton, Empire Starting later this month, Binghamton program for minority and women business State Development — New York’s chief University will be helping minority- contractors on Feb. 24 on Water Street in economic development agency — and women-run business contractors Downtown Binghamton. This is in line navigate their competitive industry. with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new goal to See MWBE Page 2