Spring 2015 Issue 4

JUMPING THE FENCE

The Premier Public

MUSIC FESTIVALS

Students looking for a shortcut to and from Mountainview can’t be stopped, no matter what the University thinks, see page 4

of the Northeast

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PIPE DREAM Friday, February 6, 2015 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 4

After national outbreak, BU prepped for measles

BSU to 'do the right thing'

University, local health officials stress importance of vaccinations Emilie Leroy

Pipe Dream News

Spike Lee and Nikki Giovanni will be speaking on campus for Black History Month, hosted by the Black Student Union, see page 5

Photo Provided

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared measles eradicated in the United States more than a decade ago, more than 600 cases were reported in 2014, leaving many across the country at risk of infection since a recent outbreak in Disneyland. Binghamton University and Broome County health officials, however, say they are prepared to address any local outbreak.

The last reported case of measles in Broome County occurred at BU in 1989. A student was infected, successfully treated off campus and eventually returned safely. According to David Hubeny, the BU director of emergency management, all students, faculty and staff at the time received an additional measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and had to

show proof of their updated immunity to enter buildings on campus.

Today, all SUNY students must provide immunization records prior to registration proving they have received two doses of the vaccine. If students cannot provide proof of immunization or are unsure of their status, Decker Student Health Services Center can provide free MMR vaccines.

The initial symptoms of measles, which can appear up to three weeks after infection, resemble cold symptoms, such as a fever, runny nose, cough and red, watery eyes. Three to five days after symptoms appear, the victims develop a rash and their fevers can spike higher than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The dangers of measles stem from the complications it causes, such as pneumonia and brain swelling.

Although the University requires that students receive the MMR vaccine,

See MMR Page 2

Around the Southern Tier, Seniors count down to commencement a new look at conservation 100 Days to Graduation celebrates students' final stretch SUNY BEST panelists discuss ways to improve sustainability, cut costs Chloe Rehfield Staff Writer

Without income from casino development and fracking, Downtown Binghamton residents may be looking for other sources of economic improvement.

According to guests at the University Downtown Center on Thursday, energy and monetary conservation may be part of the solution.

The panel of speakers addressed recent improvements throughout the Southern Tier at the SUNY BEST (Business and Education Cooperative of the Southern Tier) event, “Inspiring Energy Initiatives: The Public and Nonprofit Sectors.” Six specialists from the region presented projects regarding energy conservation, spanning from specific reforms within Binghamton University to larger initiatives in neighboring areas.

Each project was oriented around saving both money and energy. Guy Hallgren, director of municipal facilities for utilities at Bath Electric Gas & Water Systems, presented a proposal for economic and environmental improvement within Bath, New York, a village an hour and a half outside of Binghamton.

The company is attempting to decrease wastewater, or water that is contaminated. They proposed switching from expensive conventional wastewater treatment processes, which involve energy-intensive methods of cleaning water that release pollutants such as nitrogen and ammonia, to a resource recovery hub that cleans water at a lower cost.

By using the new technology, waste would be cleaned to become energy for heat or electricity. Hallgren talked

Tania Rahman

Contributing Writer

about separating nutrients from sludge and putting those nutrients through a process called anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms break down biodegradable material without oxygen to release energy hidden within the nutrients.

According to Hallgren, the new water treatment process would be environmentally sound, profitable and sustainable, eliminating roughly $100,000 in treatment costs per year for the village.

“We could have taken the conventional process to remove

Old Union Hall was filled with students ready to kick off their final semester at Binghamton University as the class of 2015 celebrated the official 100-day countdown to graduation.

Over 300 seniors waited outside the hall for entry into Thursday’s event, which was sponsored by the Student Association. During the event, BU offices and organizations, including the Center for Civic Engagement, the Alumni Association, the University Bookstore and the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development tabled, offering a variety of free memorabilia, games and services.

Morgan Appel, a 2010 alumna who now works for the Dean of Students

See BEST Page 2

See 100 Page 2

Raquel Panitz/Pipe Dream Photographer

Over 300 seniors expecting to graduate in 100 days are in a line outside the Old Union Hall for an event sponsored by the Student Association. During the event various other BU offices and organizations, including the Center for Civic Engagement, the Alumni Association, the University Bookstore and the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development tabled, offering a variety of free memorabilia, games and services.

To revamp security, UPD looks to grant BU competing for $150k grant to consolidate security system Pelle Waldron

Pipe Dream News

Franz Lino/Photo Editor

Guy Hallgren, director of municipal facilities for utilities at Bath Electric Gas & Water Systems, presents a proposal for economic and environmental improvement within Bath, New York. A panel of six speakers addressed recent improvements throughout the Southern Tier at the SUNY BEST (Business and Education Cooperative of the Southern Tier) event, “Inspiring Energy Initiatives: The Public and Nonprofit Sectors.”

Students who zone out in class can now use their distracting devices as tools to try to improve Binghamton University’s campus security.

Stanley Security, a national company that provides security services such as cameras, intrusion alert systems and consultations, is offering thousands of dollars in grants to universities across America for the second year in a row.

The “Together for Safer Schools” program offers money for security products and services to the schools that receive the most votes. Schools in the contest are split up into three tiers, based on student population size, with the top two schools in each tier winning prizes.

BU qualifies for the second tier of population size, for which the first place and second place prizes are $150,000 and $50,000 worth of products, respectively.

David Martin, the card access coordinator for BU, is working with the University Police Department (UPD) and is in charge of the potential grant.

According to him, BU has been using Stanley Security for its systems for the past 15 years. If BU receives the grant, the money will go toward optimizing the University’s video management system.

Instead of buying more specific security items, such as surveillance cameras, the grant will go toward unifying existing programs into one.

Campus security video, door access security and intrusion detection systems will be brought together to a unified platform.

“Campus security staff can spend more of their time on performing their core tasks such as monitoring, investigating and reacting to low and high priority situations and not on managing technology,” Martin said.

“This upgrade will substantially improve critical response times and directly enhance the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors.”

Kyle Gordon, the director of Higher Education Market Solutions for Stanley Security’s North America branch, said the idea behind the grant is to help students feel safe while at school.

“The benefits are wide-ranging, but primarily focus on providing a safe and secure space for campuses that many students consider their second

See $150K Page 2

2

NEWS

Students open up with UPD Newing RAs host talk on recent controversies Alexis Hatcher

Contributing Writer Students, faculty and police officers came together Thursday night to address tension between law enforcement and the public following controversial grand jury rulings this past fall.

Sponsored by Newing College, “Can We Stand Together?” took place in the C4 Multipurpose Room. Representatives from Binghamton University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and University Police Department (UPD) spoke about law enforcement’s use of force and conflicts between officers and civilians.

The event began with a discussion of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases, in which two African American men were killed by police officers who were then controversially not indicted.

Following this discussion, UPD Lieutenant Steve Faulkner went into detail about Article 35 from the New York state Penal Law, which discusses justification for the use of force.

“We have to judge and say if [force] is justified or not, do I have the right, and is it reasonable,” Faulkner said. “We have to make these split-second decisions.”

Later in the event students split up into two groups and

discussed the recent cases and their own personal experiences with the police. Some students recalled times they said police officers were unhelpful or unreasonably suspicious of them.

“You could feel a lot of hurt in the room,” said Patricia Cholakis, a junior majoring in biology. “I think people should walk away with the understanding that not everyone has had the best interactions with the police, so that’s where a lot of the hurt comes from.”

Cholakis, a resident assistant from Endicott, helped host the event with fellow Newing RAs. She said that the event helped bring clarity to the different perspectives of the cases.

“I come from a different background, so I can’t relate to certain things,” Cholakis said.

“Coming out of this event, I understand more of people’s positions on it and it makes me feel more comfortable about the event. I can understand everything more clearly than I did before.”

According to Faulkner, UPD chose to be involved in “Can We Stand Together?” to explain its position and help students feel more comfortable about having discussions with the police.

“We thought, based on the topic of discussion, that it would

John Babich/Contributing Photographer

Pictured: Lieutenant Steve Faulkner gives a talk on the tension between the police and the public following recent court cases. Sponsored by Newing College, the event “Can We Stand Together?” took place in the C4 Multipurpose Room and included representatives from Binghamton University’s Police Department and Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

be good for the police department to show up and we’d take a positive approach to this topic,” Faulkner said. “We want to try and get our word out there, too.”

Desborne Villaruel, a sophomore double-majoring in management and accounting, was also involved in hosting this event as an RA for Delaware.

Villaruel wanted to make sure that discussion surrounding police brutality at BU did not end after the school-wide protest following the court cases in the fall semester.

“Some of the comments that a lot of people were saying was that this was only temporary and this was only in the now and I wanted this conversation to continue,” Villaruel said. “This is something that should be discussed throughout the whole entire year.”

He added that the open discussion was important.

“Our intent,” Villaruel said, “was for students to come in with one opinion and leave with two.”

We have to judge and say if [force] is justifed or not, do I have the right, and is it reasonable.

We have to make these... decisions — Steve Faulkner UPD Lieutenant

A fresh look at local sustainability BEST continued from Page 1 pollutants and conserve energy,” Hallgren said. “But I thought there was a better way to do this.

A community is behind us, and they’re very supportive of this.”

Three representatives from Cornell University discussed actions the school is taking to reduce energy usage and make for a climate neutral campus.

Erin Moore, sustainability engagement manager, said Cornell University hosts various competitions to create interest in saving energy.

Moore said the competitions are an effective way to save energy on campus, and other schools should follow suit.

“The goal is to have the students become more conscious about their actions and the impact their actions will have,”

Moore said. “Once they leave the university, they’re more knowledgeable and can make better decisions when they need to manage their own utilities.”

One competition is called “Energy Smackdown,” and lasts from November to December.

Students are encouraged to use the least amount of energy, such as water and lights, possible in their buildings. The competition is between dorm buildings and has saved roughly $15,000 in six weeks.

Sandy DeJohn, a utilities manager and campus sustainability coordinator at BU, spoke about changes in lighting fixtures within the University, a project that began over 10 years ago.

According to DeJohn, the campus made an executive decision to switch to LED

lights in January 2004. LEDs are implemented in high usage areas like parking garages, campus streetlights and Glenn G. Bartle Library. Occupancy sensors, lights that turn on when movement is sensed, have also been employed in almost every building.

Since 2010, amount of energy usage per square feet within BU has been consistently decreasing.

DeJohn said the University is continuing to switch to lights with both a lower price and energy usage, and that she hopes students recognize the benefits that will follow.

“I’m hoping students will notice the new fixtures that we have,” DeJohn said. “We don’t want to inconvenience users; we just want to save money so it can be directed to education and utility.”

www.bupipedream.com | February 6, 2015

1

student infected on BU campus in 1989

30 600

students on BU’s campus have opted out of immunization for religious reasons

cases reported in 2014

BU maintains protocol against measles MMR continued from Page 1 not everyone can be vaccinated.

Since the vaccine contains the live virus, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are advised not to receive the vaccine. Students can also waive immunization for religious reasons. According to Michael Leonard, the medical director of Decker Student Health Services Center, 30 students currently have waived the immunization requirement.

But, according to Leonard, these students are actually protected by the vast majority of people on campus who are vaccinated because of a phenomenon known as herd immunity, which exists when most of a population is immunized against a disease, limiting the chance of outbreak.

However, risk still exists, and

Hubeny said there is no simple solution to limiting students’ exposure to measles in the case of an outbreak.

“We could cancel class [if there were a measles outbreak] but we still have a lot of students on campus living in close proximity to each other,” Hubeny said.

Hubeny said that the University is prepared to handle a potential threat by providing protective equipment for staff that would treat infected students, and by working with the Broome County Department of Health to isolate and treat infected students off campus.

The danger of measles stems from its high communicability, or how contagious it is.

According to the CDC, the virus can live for up to two hours on surfaces or in spaces where an infected person has coughed

or sneezed. An infected person is most contagious four days before and after his or her rash appears.

Because there is no medicine available to treat the measles, the policy of Broome County is to contain the spread of the disease as much as possible, according to Marianne Yourdon, a communicable disease nurse.

“Our main tools are vaccination, isolation of the person that is sick and contact tracing of everyone that would’ve been exposed,” Yourdon said.

Nicholas Conzola, a junior majoring in anthropology, said he was not worried about the disease appearing at BU. “Because of the necessity of vaccines … no one really thinks about it,” Conzola said. “We take it for granted and don’t realize the devastation that the disease can cause.”

Seniors celebrate last 100 days 100 continued from Page 1

office, said the event was the first in a series of events celebrating the outgoing seniors.

“We had a senior week in mind, but we really wanted to kick it off, and thought 100 days was a good milestone to start with,” Appel said.

She said that the SA office wanted the event to be fun while providing seniors with advice they may need for life after graduation.

“We think it’s great because there’s a lot of information that the seniors need before they graduate, but we also want to celebrate,” Appel said.

Attractions at the celebration included a raffle for a free cap and gown, a photo shoot area where many posed with their freshman year roommates, and BU apparel giveaways.

One game involved throwing

darts at a wall of balloons that were filled with fortunes.

“My fate is apparently to become a professional snowboarder,” said Hea Won Kim, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law.

Although many guests said they enjoyed the activities, some said they were uneasy about graduation.

“It’s terrifying,” said Julianne Rocco, a senior majoring in biology. “I’m not really sure what to expect after graduation.

Finding a job with a B.S. in biology is tough without a master’s degree.”

Kevin Acker, a senior doublemajoring in economics and Chinese, said he was looking forward to the time he had left at BU. “I feel both excited and sad for this new chapter of my life,” Acker said. “But I’m going to dedicate a lot of the last 100 days

to the Bhangra team, which really defined my four years here.”

Tejas Patel, a senior majoring in biology who plans on attending dental school following graduation, said he was looking forward to the end of the semester.

“It’s very bittersweet and exciting to take all the knowledge from Binghamton and apply it to the future, leaving all of this behind,” Patel said.

It's very bittersweet and exciting to take all the knowledge from Binghamton and apply it to the future — Tejas Patel BU Senior

BU seeks grant to unify security $150K continued from Page 1 home,” Gordon said. “The grant upholds the ideal that students should be able to receive a highquality education without fear of intrusion or violence.”

Matthew Rossie, the assistant chief of police at BU, said the grant money would increase UPD’s ability to serve the community.

“We already use various technology such as door access control and video systems,” Rossie said. “The grant money

would allow us to upgrade the technology to help save time and have a better final product when it comes to video access and quality.”

Martin said that the University’s goal to have 20,000 students by the year 2020 calls for heightened security and changing ways to protect students.

Since the winners are designated by voting, Gordon said that Stanley Security is not looking for any particular requirements from the schools,

besides that the universities work to make campus safer.

“We’ll be thrilled with any school that wins a share of the Grant,” Gordon said.

“That campus community will have proven to be one that is passionate and fully engaged in finding a means to augment security on campus.”

Votes can be submitted online to the company’s website, as well as by text message or Twitter until Feb. 13. Voting began Jan. 19 and winners will be announced on March 3.

PAGE III Friday, February 6, 2015

Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515

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Having a Ball

FAx: 607-777-2600 Web: www.bupipedream.com

Spring 2015

LOCAL NEWS

editor-in-ChieF* Rachel Bluth editor@bupipedream.com

Husband faces 3rd murder trial; wife vanished in 2001 Prosecutors who won two murder convictions against a wealthy upstate New York businessman after the disappearance of his estranged wife — only to see them overturned — described him as callous and controlling Thursday as his third trial started.

Calvin Harris is facing another trial after years of proclaiming he did not kill Michele Harris, who vanished after leaving her waitressing job on the night of Sept. 11, 2001. Tioga County District Attorney Kirk Martin told jurors that Harris, now 53, “exercised the ultimate act of control” during a bitter divorce.

Michele Harris worked as a waitress in 2001 as the couple was divorcing. Prosecutors contend that her estranged husband struck her after she returned from work to their home about 35 miles northwest of Binghamton on either the night of Sept.

11 or early the next morning. Her empty minivan was found by the family’s baby sitter around 7 a.m. Sept. 12 at the bottom of the couple’s quarter-mile driveway. Later that day, Harris told police they could search his home and his vehicles, according to court papers. A prosecution expert later testified that small amounts of Michele’s blood were found in the kitchen and garage of the house, some of it cleaned up.

False-statement trial of NY Sen. Libous staying downstate The federal trial of state Sen. Thomas Libous won’t be moving upstate. Libous, a Republican from Binghamton and the deputy majority leader, is accused in White Plains of lying to the FBI about using his clout to arrange a high-paying job for his son.

He has pleaded not guilty. Libous had asked federal Judge Vincent Briccetti to dismiss the case or move it to a courthouse in the federal court system’s Northern District, such as Albany or Binghamton. He said the alleged false statements occurred during a conversation in Albany, and a trial there or elsewhere upstate would be more convenient for Libous, his lawyer and some witnesses. Briccetti denied the motions Tuesday, noting that the indictment stemmed from a grand jury investigation in White Plains and saying White Plains was more convenient overall for all the parties to the trial. Libous is accused of lying seven times about whether he arranged his son’s job and salary, promised extra business for the law firm and persuaded a lobbying firm to pay part of his son’s salary. The son, Matthew, was convicted last week in a related case of three counts of filing false income tax returns. Tuesday’s court session was held one floor above the courtroom where a jury has been deliberating a corruption case against a former Libous colleague, ex-state Sen. Malcolm Smith.

STATE NEWS Engineer slammed on brake before train crash A commuter train engineer hit the emergency brake as the train approached a crossing where an SUV had moved onto the tracks despite warning signals before a deadly crash, investigators said Thursday. A preliminary review of the MetroNorth Railroad train’s data recorders also shows the train was traveling at 58 mph, just under the 60 mph speed limit, National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Robert Sumwalt said. A witness says the driver had gotten out of her SUV after a crossing gate came down on it but then got back in and drove forward onto the tracks as the train approached. After the impact, flames enveloped the SUV and part of the train, and the electrified third rail pierced them. Trains hit cars on the tracks many times a year, but such crashes rarely kill train riders. This was the deadliest accident in the 32-year history of one of the nation’s busiest commuter railroads. Investigators are looking for any elements that may have intensified the fire, which they believe was ignited by the SUV’s gas tank. The NTSB has been examining such factors as the adequacy of emergency exits, the crashworthiness of the train cars and the third rail’s design. Passengers returned, some with hesitation, as service resumed Thursday on the line where the crash happened, after workers rebuilt about 500 feet of the third rail.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY NEWS: Harvard bans professors from having sex with undergraduates Harvard University has instituted a total ban on professors having sex with undergraduate students, strengthening language the school said did not reflect expectations on relationships between students and faculty members. In a statement released Thursday, Harvard said the change came as part of a review of its Title IX policy, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in education. A Harvard committee determined that the school’s existing language on “relationships of unequal status” did not meet expectations on what constitutes an “appropriate relationship” between undergraduates and faculty members. Previously, the school policy prohibited professors from having sex with students under their direct supervision.

The policy now specifically bans undergraduates and professors from having any romantic or sexual involvements.

stabilizing: toilet paper and mikey

MAnAging editor* Tycho A. McManus manager@bupipedream.com

neWs editor* Nicolás Vega news@bupipedream.com Asst. neWs editors Joseph E. Hawthorne Carla Sinclair Alexandra Mackof oPinion editor* Molly McGrath opinion@bupipedream.com releAse editor* Jacob Shamsian release@bupipedream.com Asst. releAse editor Odeya Pinkus sPorts editor* Ashley Purdy sports@bupipedream.com

Klara Rusinko/Assistant Photo Editor

Binghamton’s Ballroom Dance Team practices in the Mandela Room getting ready for a dance competition Binghamton University is hosting this Saturday. Several universities have already registered and will compete in four dance styles with levels ranging from newcomer to pre-champ.

Asst. sPorts editors Jeff Twitty E.Jay Zarett Fun PAge editor* Ben Moosher fun@bupipedream.com

design MAnAger* Emma C Siegel design@bupipedream.com

Police Watch A lighter take on campus crime

Photo editor* Franz Lino photo@bupipedream.com

Aaron Berkowitz | Police Correspondent

Slow Down There, Bob Marley SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 9:02 p.m. — Officers responded to a call from the residential staff of Hughes Hall in Hinman College due to a report of marijuana use, said Investigator Patrick Reilly of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The officers traced the smell of marijuana to a room on the second floor. The officers knocked on the door and an 18-year-old male answered.

The officers told him why they were there and he produced a glass jar containing marijuana.

The suspect appeared impaired and was not answering questions intelligibly. The suspect was given an appearance ticket returnable to Vestal Town Court for the unlawful possession of marijuana.

Basic Bitch SUNDAY, FEB. 1, 2:19 a.m. — Officers responded to Rafuse Hall in Dickinson Community due to a report of an intoxicated female, Reilly said. The 18-year-old female was lying on the floor passed out. Officers revived her and she started babbling and saying incoherent phrases. Officers called Harpur’s Ferry and they arrived and transported her to Binghamton General Hospital.

design Assts.

Corey Futterman John Linitz

Swiper, No Swiping!

MONDAY, FEB. 2, 6:20 p.m. — A 20-year-old male was the victim of larceny at the East Gym, Reilly said.

The victim took his Timberland boots off and left them outside of the locker because there was snow on them and went to work out. When he came back, he found that the boots were missing. There are no suspects or witnesses at this time.

PISSed Off TUESDAY, FEB. 3, 5:18 a.m. — Cleaners in the Glenn G. Bartle Library found three 12 oz. cups of urine on a shelf in the fine arts section, Reilly said. The cleaners contacted UPD in order to report the cups. The cleaners threw away the urine but wanted to report the incident anyway. They were afraid that someone may accidentally tip the cups over onto themselves. The cleaners said that this occurred multiple times at the end of last semester. The case is still under investigation.

Asst. Photo editor Klara Rusinko editoriAl Artists Miriam Geiger Paige Gittelman CoPy desk ChieF* Emily Howard copy@bupipedream.com Asst. CoPy desk ChieF Paul Palumbo leAd Web develoPer* William Sanders developer@bupipedream.com neWsrooM teChnology* William Sanders tech@bupipedream.com

business MAnAger* Erin Stolz 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.

“Undergraduates come to college to learn from us. We’re not here to have sexual or romantic relationships with them.”

— Alison Johnson, a Harvard history professor who chaired the panel that wrote the school’s new policy officially banning sexual relationships between students and professors.

This Day in History February 6, 1958 Eight Manchester United F.C. players and 15 other passengers are killed in the Munich air disaster.

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.

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

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

Anonymous submissions are not accepted.

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

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

raw buttholes:destabilizing

RELEASE Arts & Culture

BU defenceless against shortcuts

Mountainview path is a student tradition Samuel Titus| Contributing Writer If there is one thing you can say about college students, it’s that they are persistent in their beliefs. And at this moment, those beliefs lie in a quicker path through campus.

Though the view is scenic, the walk to class for Mountainview College residents can be a minor inconvenience, as the aptly named community sits atop a hill. Since construction was completed in 2004, the primary route for resident traffic is the roundabout sidewalk leading up to Mountainview from the campus’ main road, adding a few precious minutes onto the time it takes to get to and from class.

The paved pathway provides an indirect route up to Appalachian Dining Hall, wrapping around the visitor’s parking lot and Lot W, situated directly above. For students who are exiting the Lecture Hall, or coming from that general direction, it’s most convenient to walk right through these two lots and directly up the undeveloped hill instead of going around via the paved path.

Over the years, the shortcut has become a well-known timesaver, made evident in the warmer months by the beaten dirt path and this time of year by the countless snow tracks. The path is so well traveled that it can clearly be seen on Google’s satellite image of the community and even shows significantly more wear than the athletic field that lies directly next to it.

“I see way more people

walking up that way than I see come down,” said John Shea, a sophomore majoring in psychology who works in the toll booth for the visitor parking lot below Mountainview.

Students often walk right past the booth as they make their way uphill.

“It’s kind of funny how this has become the more popular way to go,” Shea said.

Even though the trail isn’t an official walkway, nothing of significance has been done to prevent its usage. But at the crest of the incline lies an obstruction: a decidedly hopable fence. Through minor acts of vandalism, the fence seems to be consistently clipped and cut down just about every time it is repaired. Thanksgiving break marked the last time the fence was replaced, and as of now it remains surprisingly intact. The crossbar that horizontally spans the two posts acts as the perfect step for students going over the fence, and it is already bowing in the center as an indication of just how often people step over it.

“The status of that particular fence is an ongoing issue,” said Karen Fennie, a representative from Physical Facilities, the department in charge of campus repairs and maintenance.

“Generally we have to repair it a couple times a year due to students damaging it without consent. If that happens again soon, it will be fixed as weather allows.”

The University’s repeated efforts to replace the fence

despite an apparent resistance indicates that the issue is probably a safety concern. Use of the unsanctioned shortcut could end in an injury if someone were to fall. Because the path is so well traveled, the high volume of people presents a greater accident potential. Instead of condoning usage of the path by leveling and paving the slope beneath it, the University just repairs the fence when necessary.

In addition to safety and time concerns, there’s a certain charm that comes with using the shortcut. When there are puddles, students help each other cross from rock to rock. If you’re walking with a stranger, you can be sure that they will hold your coffee for you as you hop the fence.

“It’s just the quicker and more fun way to go,” a student said. “We’re still going to go this way even in the snow.”

The status of that particular fence is an ongoing issue - Karen Fennie Physical Facilities representative

Photo Illustration by Tamar Ashdot-Bari/Contributing Photographer

When going on Tinder isn't awkward enough If he's posing with a dead carcass, it might be a red flag Paige Gittelman and Emily Mancini | Contributing Writers

John Linitz/Design Assistant, Photo Provided by flickr

Whether they were searching for true love, a hookup or just shits and giggles, every media-conscious individual has probably dabbled in the world of Tinder — a free, location-based dating app that’s become famous enough to make “swipe left” a meme.

Norms and tropes have emerged amongst Tinder’s users that reveal extraordinary qualities of humanity, and while those tropes obviously exist regardless of gender, we’re going to focus on the strange and wonderful creature that is the average Tinder male.

The Man with the Fish This has been by far the most popular of the Tinder profile pictures we’ve encountered, and it’s just that: A man holding a fish. Is it a sort of cultural offering? Is he trying to prove something? We will never know.

The Water Skier Maybe these guys want to

show you how spontaneous, outdoorsy and athletic they are, or maybe they just want to covertly show off their abs. Wet AND wild, huh ladies?

The Anchorman Scholar We get it. You are very important. You have many leather-bound books and your apartment smells like rich mahogany.

The Hunter/Bang for Your Buck Like the man holding the fish, he thinks his sexual allure will be enhanced tenfold by the dead carcass of a large deer. But did you see the size of his rifle?

The Harem/Party Boy He’s surrounded by hot girls in every single picture. Every.

Single. One. His description reads “Lifting and Partying 4 Life.” He listens to EDM, and looks like a steroidal baked potato. If you swipe right, he’ll immediately demand your Kik and Snapchat. Probably to send you cute puppy pics, right?

The Puppy Baiter He’s not cute, but his puppy is. You can see a future with this

puppy, filled with warmth and cuddles, but then you remember the less-than-savory guy who will mostly likely come attached to your fluffy object of desire … you’ll pass. It’s probably not even his dog.

“The baby’s not mine that’s my nephew lol” Like the puppy baiter, but worse. He’s using other people’s babies in his attempt to get laid.

But clearly if this guy can handle a small child then it’s safe to meet up with him at the Rat for drinks on Friday, right?

The Blatant Rebounder This profile is essentially an album of a happy couple. No, they’re not looking for a third.

The guy got dumped and the only pictures he has of himself are with his ex-girlfriend, who may or may not be strategically cropped out.

The Thousand-Yard Stare All it says under his picture is “msg me 4 more info,” but you don’t need to do that to know one thing for certain: This dude has seen some shit. We don’t know if the orb of light beside him in

the picture is the flash of the camera in a mirror or him being abducted by aliens. Or maybe they were just setting him back on Earth. Either way, his clothes are unkempt, he hasn’t shaved in a while, he’s in a public bathroom and the vacuous glazed look in his eyes looks deeper than the void of space.

The “There’s no one new around you.”

You’re going to die alone.

Is it a sort of cultural offering? Is he trying to prove something?

5

RELEASE

February 6, 2015 | www.bupipedream.com

Influential poet to be Black History Month keynote speaker Lee planned to speak at Binghamton once before

Jacob Shamsian | Release Editor The newest hottest Spike Lee joint will be on Binghamton University’s campus, where the filmmaker will give a talk as part of Black History Month, hosted by the Black Student Union (BSU).

The month’s keynote speaker, however, will be legendary writer and activist Nikki Giovanni.

Giovanni is known as one of the leaders of the Black Arts Movement, founded in the 1960s and infused with the themes

of the Civil Rights Movement.

She’s also a professor of English at Virginia Tech, her mostanthologized poems being “Knoxville, Tennessee� and “Nikki-Rosa.� Her most recent collection is “Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid,� published in 2013. Her talk will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, in the Mandela Room, and open to the public.

Spike Lee, director of classics such as “Do the Right Thing� and “Malcolm X,� will speak at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Events Center. Lee’s also

a professor himself: He is the artistic director of the Graduate Film Program and the Amy and Joseph Perella Chair at New York University (several of his students’ films premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year). Lee’s most recent movie, “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus,� which he famously funded through Kickstarter, won’t be screened on campus, but it was released last month on Vimeo and will be available in select theaters and on-demand on Feb. 13. The event is available to all students who

bring BU IDs with them.

Initially, the BSU was planning to bring only one speaker to campus, according to Ridwan Olatilewa, BSU’s vice president and a senior majoring in computer science. The group couldn’t raise enough money for Lee’s speaker fees, but they were able to book Giovanni.

Fortunately, just before winter break, Campus Activities; Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Multicultural Resource Center; and the Student Association Vice President for Multicultural Affairs

— all of which are co-sponsoring the month’s events — were able to collect enough money to pay for both speakers.

Lee planned to speak at Binghamton once before, in the spring of 1989, but ended up canceling his appearance.

Among the month’s many other events — all of which are free of charge — is a poetry jam by members of The Strivers Row, a New York City-based agency that represents mostly spokenword artists.

Frozen, but still alive

In winter, the Preserve isn't left in the cold Dorothy Farrell | Staff Writer A tree falls in the woods. Eric Grando, assistant steward of the Nature Preserve, hears the sound. “There ought to be more students to hear this,� said Grando, a senior majoring in environmental science.

The winter season is far from a hiatus in the Nature Preserve.

Contrary to popular belief, life finds a way despite the cold, snowy conditions. For proof, just look at the tracks in the snow. “Snow tracks provide evidence for all the different animals traveling throughout the Preserve in the winter,� said Dylan Horvath, the Nature Preserve’s steward. “There’s mice, voles and muskrats.�

Muskrats are actually a

prominent source of food for another animal that hangs around for the winter: the mink. The elusive mink is a semi-aquatic weasel that burrows by the bridge during the earlier months of the winter.

Fishers, another member of the weasel family, are also present in the Preserve throughout the winter. Found in the treetops, they’re one of the Preserve’s largest dwellers.

The treetops are further occupied by over 40 species of birds. Woodpeckers and chickadees scavenge for hibernating insects during the day, then go into torpor at night. This low-energy state is like a partial hibernation: It helps animals conserve energy.

Crows, ravens and redtailed hawks can also be spotted overhead. Birds, such as hawks,

provide an indication of the overall health of an ecosystem.

Their presence means a diversity of food sources and habitats.

Turkeys, which have historically been intertwined with the Nature Preserve, are now less common. Horvath said he hasn’t seen a turkey there in the past three years. “They were present, though, this past year due to an excess acorn crop,� Horvath said. Every few years, oak trees produce an abundance of acorns to ensure that some go to seed instead of becoming another creature’s lunch. “Other than that, turkey populations may have been virtually nonexistent because of the lack of forest undergrowth.�

In this case, it is the absence of a species that may indicate a lack of overall ecological diversity.

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A walk in the woods is almost certain to reveal an expansive deer population. Over the past few decades, deer populations have reached destructively high levels. They scavenge the forest for food, nibbling at new trees and shrubbery along the way. Lately, they’ve been going after the fall’s acorn crop. “Much of the ground in CIW Woods has been turned over

because of the deer searching for acorns,� Horvath said.

Horvath stays busy during the winter maintaining the Preserve’s natural beauty. Branches heavy with snow need to be shaken, bridges out of place need to be straightened and fallen trees need to be moved off of the trail.

This Saturday, Horvath is hosting a Porcupine Walk.

Porcupines conserve energy

in the winter by limiting their movement, which makes them easier to spot. The treetops in the hemlock groves are a likely site.

The hike will meet at 1 p.m. at the top of Lot M. White, calm and quiet, the Nature Preserve is a place to clear the mind and absorb the ebb and flow of the natural world. It only takes presence to be there and listen.

6

RELEASE

www.bupipedream.com | February 6, 2015

The Premier Public

MUSIC FESTIVALS of the Northeast

GOVERNOR'S BALL t BOSTON CALLING MOUNTAIN JAM t FARMBOROUGH

This summer, there's no reason to pay out-of-region prices for an ivy league lineup Jonathan Ortiz | Contributing Writer The semester may have just started, but it’s already time to start planning for this summer’s music festivals. And while we’d all love to be brave enough to cash two paychecks, pack a bag with just a granola bar and two pairs of shorts and ride down to Bonnaroo, most of us just can’t abandon reality for that long.

However, it just so happens that we can don sunglasses, sit on a blanket and listen to our favorite artists perform while not being too far from home. Here’s a few of this summer’s lineups so that you can find the one that best suits your musical appetite.

Governors Ball Music Festival They say all roads lead to Rome, but if you find yourself on public transportation, you’ll most likely end up in Manhattan. This isn’t

a bad thing when the well-tested Governors Ball Music Festival will be located on Randall’s Island from June 5 to 7 right in the heart of the city.

At first glance, the festival seems to be bringing us a fairly standard lineup this summer.

There are the typical headliners — hip-hop artist Drake, rock band The Black Keys and EDM producer deadmau5 (as opposed to the 2014’s Outkast, TV on the Radio and Skrillex trifecta).

However, the heart of this festival lies hidden behind these heavy hitters; artists like MØ, Björk and Flying Lotus will bring their own cult followings while the combination of St. Vincent, Future Islands and Big Gigantic will bring in the indie crowds. Any hip-hop fans with an itch larger than Drake can scratch should not be disappointed when Rae Sremmurd, Atmosphere and Logic take ahold of the microphone.

Mountain Jam A more serene and folksy scene can most definitely be found at Hunter Mountain from June 4 to 7, where drum circles, a petting zoo and a cozy ski resort shape the Mountain Jam experience.

The headliners make sense; once again, The Black Keys have found their way into a lead spot.

Alabama Shakes was destined to find at least one headlining spot amongst the numerous festivals they will be hitting this summer after their album “Boys & Girls” peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard 200. And in regards to moe., well, there’s a reason why their moniker is followed by a period and nothing else.

The seasoned jam-band has been gracing the music world since their rise in popularity in the ’90s, opening for renowned artists such as The Who and The Allman Brothers.

The backing bands provide

no disappointment either: Rebelution, Robert Plant, Dopapod and Gov’t Mule are sure to bring dynamically energetic performances to the Mountain Jam stage while younger groups like Hurray for the Riff Raff support the intimate ambience.

Boston Calling Music Festival To take a step outside of New York (while still within driving distance), you can check out the Boston Calling Music Festival May 22 to 24, located at City Hall Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts.

Boston Calling should be attracting an interesting crowd.

Tenacious D was thought to be all but dead until the release of their most recent album “Rize of the Fenix,” but will bring along many of their old fans who swore to worship Jack Black until the day his pubic facial hair and keg-sized beer belly was six feet under.

Similarly, the Pixies and Beck

will also be bringing an older crowd, many of whom will be ultimately pleased with these artists’ recently recorded albums being played for them live. TV on the Radio will be also playing songs from their most recent album, “Seeds,” which marked a comeback for the band following the death of their bassist, Gerard Smith, in 2011.

All in all, this smaller lineup is jam-packed with groups that, like the multi-instrumentalist St. Vincent, the overnight sensation called the DMA’s and the cute yet fiery Tove Lo, are guaranteed to put on an entertaining and festive show.

FarmBorough 2015 Set to take place on Randall’s Island June 26 to 28, FarmBorough will be the very first country music festival to take place in New York City. Yet with powerful artists like Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan and Dierks Bentley as

headliners, this prototype is sure to be a success. And the southern rock extravaganza does not stop there; Ashley Monroe will be delivering her profound memories and reflections to the Randall’s Island stage at the young age of 26, alongside the rough and organic (almost whiskey soaked) voice of Chris Stapleton and the thrilling sounds of Nashville original Kip Moore.

If the standard alternative, psychedelic, or indie-rock bands found at these music festivals don’t excite you in the slightest, and the natural twang of an acoustic guitar is more your style, then FarmBorough 2015 is the festival for you. It’s the perfect place to hear your favorite country artists while discovering some of the small-time performers that you are sure to love.

John Linitz/Design Assistant

FUN

February 6, 2015 | www.bupipedream.com

7

#Real2PlyOrDie RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 26, 2009

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

2 Ply Blues

Ben 'n' Emma

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Alp top 5 Sounding shocked 10 Looking shocked 14 A8 manufacturer 15 Decisive refusal 16 Double-click, maybe 17 In need of irrigation 18 Lacking skepticism 19 __ dixit 20 Ocean delicacy 21 Operational headquarters 23 She played Ulla in “The Producers” 25 Estrangement 26 Classy office door adornment 33 Lends a hand 34 “It’s so __!”

35 Make up (for) 37 Clavell’s “__Pan” 38 Ma, for one 41 Rx writers 42 1943 penny metal 44 “Proud Mary” band, for short 45 Pond problem 46 2006 political best-seller, with “The” 50 __ school 51 Corp. that once owned Hertz and Hilton 52 Beside one another 58 E-mail cackle 61 Masseur’s stock 62 Stag 63 Irish Free State successor 64 Prefix with tasse 65 Andes herd animal 66 Pesky biter 67 Part of WNBA: Abbr.

68 “Roots” Emmy winner 69 Capital south of Lillehammer DOWN 1 “I Kid You Not” author

2 100 cents 3 Part of “The Sound of Music” farewell song 4 Little butter?

5 Author Rice 6 Transmission component 7 Tel __-Yafo 8 Harsh 9 Rain, briefly 10 Indicate 11 PDA entry 12 __-majesty 13 Fed. power dept.

21 “Illmatic” rapper 22 Key of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 24 Submissions to eds.

26 Upside-down sleepers 27 It’s twirled in a rodeo 28 PBS’s science guy 29 IM offerer 30 Punish with a fine 31 Gin cocktail 32 Become, finally 36 Salinger dedicatee

38 Louisiana Territory explorer 39 Needing salt, perhaps 40 Sellout initials 43 Enters stealthily 45 ’50s oldies syllable 47 Secret doctrine 48 Tennyson works 49 Eye or ear ending 52 Musical conclusion

53 Hurries 54 Street liners 55 Rocker Jett 56 “My treat” 57 Deterioration 59 Like the Sabin vaccine 60 Jared of “American Psycho” 63 It sometimes needs a boost

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03/26/09

Peace Corps

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OPINION Friday, February 6, 2015

Break the Binary B

inghamton University should allow its students to select a third, genderneutral option when filling out official forms and documents.

Right now, students may select one of two genders: male or female. There are, however, students who do not fall under this binary and often prefer alternative pronouns. Providing a third gender option for students would help to create an inclusive environment in which transgender and genderqueer students feel comfortable.

BU already offers genderinclusive housing, recognizing that same-sex room assignments are not ideal or appropriate for all students. To offer this without allowing students to choose a third gender seems counterintuitive. Students may live on this campus for four years; it is incumbent upon the administration to take every student’s needs into account

to make those years here meaningful.

The progress made at University of Vermont provides a model for gender-neutral recognition. At UVM, students can enter their preferred pronouns into the University database. Their information is then made available to all faculty. Before a student enters the classroom, their instructor is made aware of this student’s preferred pronoun. Under such a system, non-binary students no longer need to approach professors individually and ask for recognition of their gender identity. Institutional recognition removes this unnecessary burden from students, and it creates a legitimate avenue for gender

presentation.

Students select a genderneutral option at any point over the course of their college careers. This is beneficial, as college is a formative period during which many explore their identity. The University should do everything in its power to foster a positive environment for discovery. Flexibility encourages students to express themselves.

The recognition of a genderneutral option is beneficial for every Binghamton student, whatever gender option they choose to select. Even with the media’s recent attention toward trans issues, most students do not fully understand gender identity. Formal recognition of a third option creates the space for discussion and education.

And what does it cost? We wracked our brains trying to find some opposition point to address and came up empty. It will cost hardly anything to implement this policy, and no one but those who need it will even be affected.

Legislating — and writing about— gender is not always easy, as it is new territory for many administrators (and many of us). As the language of inclusivity evolves, we all need to find ways to incorporate it in our institutions and daily lives. Mistakes will inevitably be made as we collectively embrace changing attitudes.

Let’s establish an atmosphere where we can recognize, correct and improve. Let’s start with the simple step of fixing a form.

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.

Cheap gasoline prices distract from renewable energy Speak up at public hearings to encourage transition towards new energy sources Dorothy Farrell

Columnist

For every dip in gasoline prices, there’s always an upswing.

Although Americans have cheered the past few months of cheap fuel, we cannot lose sight of the fact that fossil fuels are a detriment to society. Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its fifth assessment. Over the years, the scientific report’s tone has changed from slightly skeptical to near certainty: Human actions are causing climate change. A new era of renewable energy must be initiated, and a collective vision of a fair energy future is possible.

The current economic model plays a huge role in maintaining our interest in fossil fuels.

Industry depends on this potent, cheap source of energy. The reality of fossil fuels, however, reflects that their affordability is artificial. Externalities are an abstract quantification of unaccounted costs. Health risks created by air pollution, for example, are dropped from the cost equation. If the externalities of fossil fuels were accounted for, the costs would hardly be worth the gain. A study by Germany’s Dresden University of Technology estimated that gasoline should be taxed $4.36 per gallon to account for externalities on social impact.

That’s an additional fee, which would bring current American prices to $6.50 per gallon.

Why is the price of gas so cheap right now? Other developing nations have recognized the external costs of fossil fuels and begun the transition to alternative energy

systems. Simple supply and demand models reveal that low demand and high supply are providing Americans with an excess of cheap fossil fuels.

Despite steep externalities, fossil fuels are actually subsidized by the federal government, further driving down the price. This makes it difficult for alternative forms of energy to compete in the market.

Cheap oil damages our society by concentrating wealth and power into the hands of a select few. Those who control the energy industry lack environmental and social responsibility. The recent strike by the United Steelworkers union has risen awareness for the poor working conditions in oil refineries. Difficulty in reaching an agreement for safe conditions and fair wages attests to the greed of fossil fuel companies.

An alternative energy system is not only necessary, but also

inevitable. Foremost, the energy grid is aging and will have to be replaced. Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision in December to ban fracking has opened the floodgates for alternative energy options. The New York State Public Service Commission (NYPSC) has responded to this opportunity by initiating the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV). REV aims to design new energy markets that stray from the old age of fossil fuels.

A decentralized, renewable energy system would provide a new framework for a sustainable energy future. Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE) is an organization pushing for this change. Micro grids, in contrast to the centralized grid structure, could facilitate local energy autonomy. AGREE proposes an “energy democracy” that gives neighborhoods the power to own renewable energy projects and

contribute to decision making processes.

This opening of energy opportunity has raised a call to action for all New Yorkers. Across the state, REV is calling for public hearings. People have the power to bring energy autonomy into their communities, but they need to speak up. On Thursday, Feb. 12, an information session and public hearing will be held at the Binghamton City Hall at 6 p.m., with representatives from the NYPSC present to hear testimony. I strongly encourage people to attend and speak about the need for renewable energy future with local control of systems. We can sit idly in traffic waiting for gas prices to go up, or we can join the movement for a clean energy future.

— Dorothy Farrell is a senior majoring in environmental studies

Why is the price of gas so cheap right now? Other developing countries have recognized the external costs of fossil fuels

www.bupipedream.com | February 6, 2015

Institutional racism hits home Last semester's protest called attention to underlying injustices Stephanie Izquieta

Contributing Columnist

Last semester, in response to two different grand jury decisions not to indict two white police officers over the killing of two unarmed black men, students from all walks of life gathered on campus to protest the court decisions. Pipe Dream reported the protest as “one of the largest and most diverse campus demonstrations in recent memory.” I participated in the protest. I marched with friends and strangers, engaging in the very activity that keeps democracy afloat: dissent.

Peaceful assembly is indeed “what democracy looks like.”

Though I felt pleased to see increased political engagement from my peers, some of the comments, attitudes and insensitivity of other students disheartened me. As a student of color, I felt at a loss. It wasn’t because of the racist remarks, but rather because in some way, I felt the protest failed to open an effective avenue of communication for all students

on campus. Perhaps, in the midst of our collective outrage, though justified, we missed a teachable moment for our University.

Back in October, when I wrote my first op-ed discussing police militarization, I said, “[Michael Brown’s] death gives us the opportunity to critically assess the politics of our circumstance.” I went on to say that what the protesters demanded was equal protection under the law. My stance hasn’t changed, but much like the protest, I failed to explain the underlying tenet this entire movement is about: our criminal justice system. It isn’t broken but rather designed to incarcerate and disenfranchise poor men of color. This is called systemic and institutional racism, and America is colored with it.

Institutional racism is very different from the type of racism most of us are accustomed to. We have been taught about individual racism, which consists of overt acts by individuals that cause death, injury, destruction of property or denial of services or opportunity. But institutional

and systemic racism is much more subtle — but no less harmful. These types of racism involve policies, practices and procedures ingrained in a society that support and allow discrimination. We like to look at our history as this long continuum of righteousness, but the reality is that our country was founded upon genocide and built upon slavery. When slavery ended, the mechanisms of control did not end with it. So, no, these court decisions are not remote events nor is anyone race-baiting.

These incidents are neither isolated nor ahistorical; rather they permeate throughout every facet of our society.

Being of color is not like passing a class, getting a grade and moving on with your life.

So, to those that felt the protests disrupted your commute or your study time, please take a moment to consider how disruptive it feels to experience racial profiling or harassment.

Make no mistake: To be colorblind is to be blind. This piece is an invitation to think, question and reflect on the burdens of history that we as a polity so desperately seek

to absolve ourselves from.

However, in honor of Black History Month, I’d like to leave you with a quote from the great Malcolm X, “In whatever I did or do. Even if I made mistakes, they were made in sincerity. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong in sincerity.

I think that the best thing that a person can be is sincere.” May he rest in power.

— Stephanie Izquieta is a senior majoring in philosophy, politics, and law

Perhaps in the midst of our collective outrage, though justified, we missed a teachable moment for our University

Campus toliet paper leaves students irritated Upgrade flimsy two-ply to end itchy butt syndrome once and for all Ben Moosher

Contributing Columnist

Let’s expose the elephant in the room right away: This is an absurd topic for an Opinion piece and due to its gross nature, I’m going to try my best to not turn this into a joke article, even though “Students Hold Forum on Better Bowel Movements” could easily be a Pipe Bomb headline in a few weeks. The issue of taking better BMs and the lack of attention paid to it by the University is indicative of a larger sense of neglect for basic physiological needs.

In other words, a student body can’t reach its full potential if everyone is busy scratching his or her raw behind all day. In fact, this issue is so widespread that everyone that I’ve spoken to,

people of all walks of life, agrees that after doing their business on campus, they have raw backsides.

Even as I discussed the nature of this article in line for New York Deli, a random student preemptively thanked me for my brave reporting in the fight to stop Itchy Butt Syndrome (IBS) at Binghamton University once and for all. And the key to stopping IBS starts with toilet paper.

There are many problems with the school’s choice of toilet paper.

First of all, it is very flimsy, which is cause to use a lot of toilet paper with each toilet use. The second issue is the lack of absorbency in the toilet paper, which, after a messy BM, leads to many, many wipes. This wouldn’t be a problem if the toilet paper was comfortable to use. Instead the students are left with what one would expect is one-ply with the texture of tree bark and the strength of tracing paper. This lethal combination

9

OPINION

leads to butthole lacerations, the leading cause of IBS. A thought recently occurred to me. Why doesn’t the school switch to two-ply? The problem is that BU already uses two-ply.

I went to the bathroom to do some follow-up research. When I pulled the paper out of the roll, the layers separated in front of my eyes. With consistency like that, it’s practically like using two sheets of one-ply toilet paper. It’s time the school makes the shift to genuine two-ply toilet paper. Let’s get #Real2PlyOrDie trending.

This seems like a menial problem on paper, but like we all learned in kindergarten, everyone poops, and a lot of people do it on campus. Why would the University ignore such an essential aspect of the human condition? At this point, if anyone still thinks that this article is stupid, I invite them, nay, challenge them to eat a Wholly

Habanero quesadilla and drink a Melvyn’s Dark Roast. In a halfhour, carry this article with you to the nearest bathroom so you can stare at my smug headshot while you wipe with what might as well be tinfoil.

So, yes it’s true that this space could be used for a more important issue, such as the overpopulation of campus which leads to an unavailability of resources ranging from parking spaces to Pods, the frighteningly dangerous OCCT nightmare Downtown on weekend nights, how Sodexo is essentially a monopoly or literally anything besides pooping. But wars are won in battles, and I implore the student body to treat this like a battle we can win. Tweet #2PlyOrDie to @BinghamtonU and let’s end IBS together.

— Ben Moosher is a senior majoring in English

Have an opinion? email opinion@pipedream for more information on how you can contribute to Pipe Dream

Advice Column

GPA does not define true intelligence Don't feel pressured to share your grades with others Sarah Saad

Advice Columnist

Dear Sarah, I’m currently a sophomore in SOM and I am still struggling to adjust. I chose Binghamton because 1) the price 2) the freedom to be your own person in a small world. I’m a hard worker but my grades don’t show it and people are constantly looking down at me for that. My friends proudly share their grades and when they pressure me into sharing mine they immediately lose faith in me. The funny thing is, I actually am intelligent. I just don’t test well. I guess the question is, how do I gain back the confidence to believe that my grades do not determine my intelligence?

Sincerely, GPA 2.9 Dear Intelligent, Let’s start with your signature.

Before anybody can remind you that your GPA does not necessarily correlate with your intelligence, you have to believe it yourself. So, I’m going to refer to anonymous you as “Intelligent.”

Unfortunately we live in a culture that stresses the importance of labels.

Part of that is for people to feel safe interacting with others, but another part is to make people feel powerful. Currently, your GPA is meaningless to anybody but yourself. Most of the time people care about others’ grades so they can find out who is “inferior” to them. This act is simply a sign of insecurity and I believe it makes them look weak.

I went to a high school that did not stress the significance of a GPA. Therefore, when I arrived at Binghamton I was in culture shock. So I made myself a promise. I will not share grades with anybody that doesn’t need to know and my GPA will always be mine.

As for your relationship with your friends, I would make it clear that you don’t care about their grades. They’ll begin to feel awkward sharing them with you because deep down they know it only “benefits” them.

You clearly understand that your grades don’t matter. Now it’s just a matter of taking your strengths and putting them to use. You’re not a great test taker.

Who cares? Share your thoughts in class, join clubs and allow people to see the true meaning of intelligence.

— Sarah Saad is an undeclared sophomore

Use test data responsibly

Federal education policy fails to treat true cause for achievement gap Ilana Lipowicz Columnist

As the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) comes under review, Congress is reconsidering the amount of power the federal government will retain over public schools. Since the program’s implementation during the Bush administration, it has been met with mixed reactions by states, schools, teachers and parents. Increased federal involvement came predominantly in the form of standardized tests, the results of which are used to sanction schools and teachers based on performance. While scores have improved for elementary and middle school students, there is no clear data that suggests that NCLB is the cause, and the program is criticized for forcing teachers to spend a disproportionate amount of time on test preparation.

One purely positive result of testing is the abundance of data it’s produced that reveals disparities in achievement between different racial and socioeconomic groups. This data is currently used to hold the school itself — the teachers and administration — accountable for its students’ inability to achieve “adequate yearly progress.” Teachers may be fired, and schools may be closed. How, when data reveals that performance is dependent on race and economic status, do we continue to place full responsibility on schools?

The data collected from tests has proven extremely valuable

in locating the issues that contribute to the achievement gap. However, the federal government has mishandled the information. There are big, structural forces at work that maintain achievement gaps. If the federal government wants to be accountable for public education, it should actually hold itself accountable. Lowtier schools cannot improve themselves without adequate funding.

As property taxes determine the funding of public schools, low-income neighborhoods will inevitably have poorer schools. The more single-parent households in a community, the greater the challenge for student success. Overcoming poverty is obviously not a short-term goal, but it is unfair to target teachers and administration as the problem. The data collected from tests should be used to allocate funds and attention, not to punish schools.

With their fates independent of their students’ performances, teachers will better serve their students. Reading and math, which are the only subjects emphasized in NCLB and the Obama administration’s Common Core, will remain important but will not be the only subjects given careful and thoughtful attention in classrooms. Teachers will regain academic freedom with the reassurance that the federal government is helping to aid student success outside of the classroom.

— Ilana Lipowicz is a junior majoring in English

11

SPORTS

February 6, 2015 | www.bupipedream.com

Defensive effort insufficient to lead BU past Hartford Binghamton falls at home, 51-46, despite containing Hawks to 37 percent shooting E.Jay Zarett

Assistant Sports Editor

Emily Earl/Contributing Photographer

Freshman guard Asia Baker pulled down a career-high eight rebounds against Hartford on Wednesday.

The Binghamton women’s basketball team may have lost its seventh consecutive game on Wednesday against Hartford, but don’t let that fool you. The Bearcats (4-19, 2-9 America East) played one of their best defensive contests of the season in the 5146 defeat, holding the third-place Hawks (13-11, 7-3 AE) to a 36.7 percent shooting clip from the field and forcing 19 turnovers.

“I was happy with the way we played,” BU head coach Linda Cimino said. “It is heartbreaking because we are working so hard and they have improved so much this year. They are diving on the floor for loose balls, they’re taking charges, and they’re getting after it.”

BU’s freshman point guard Jasmine Sina may stand only 5 foot 4, but in the first half, she could not be missed on the court. After Binghamton fell behind, 16-5, in the opening 10 minutes of play, Sina went on a roll. She poured in nine points — including draining two baskets from behind the arc — over the next 10 minutes as the Bearcats went on a 17-9 run.

Binghamton held Hartford to just 30 percent shooting from the field and headed into halftime trailing by three. Sina scored 12 of BU’s 22 points in the period.

“My teammates were just getting me open,” Sina said. “[Freshman guard] Imani [Watkins] did a great job driving, she created a lot of attention and kicked it out to me. I got a lot of shots off of that. Everybody was working together on offense and

we executed our plays really well.”

After the break, Hartford made a concerted effort to deny Sina the ball. The Bearcats responded by ramping up their defensive intensity, switching between manto-man and zone defense as well as extending pressure full-court for certain possessions. BU forced six turnovers in the opening six minutes of the half and — led by four points from junior guard Kim Albrecht and three from senior forward Sherae Swinson — tied the score at 31.

“We defended well today,” Cimino said. “I thought we turned a corner. Our intensity was there, our effort was there and our kids were tough.”

The two teams alternated scores for the remainder of the period, with neither side commanding more than a fivepoint advantage. With just over three minutes of play remaining, a jumper by Hartford senior forward Cherelle Moore gave the Hawks a 47-43 advantage. Though Albrecht responded with a huge 3-pointer from the top of the key to pull the score to back within one, that would be the Bearcats’ last basket.

On the next possession, Hartford sophomore guard Deanna Mayza made a layup to increase the lead to three. The score would remain that way until the final eight seconds of play, when, on BU’s last possession, the Bearcats found themselves on the wrong end of a contentious call that granted Hartford possession.

Binghamton fouled on the ensuing inbounds play, and the Hawks drained both free-throws to increase their lead to five and ice the game.

“I think today was kind of a heartbreaker,” Albrecht said. “We played so hard the whole game and we stuck with them the entire time. We were just so close to getting the lead down at the end … We are happy we played well, our defense was good, our intensity was good, but you always want to pull out the close games.”

Sina and Albrecht led BU’s offense with 14 points apiece, with Sina also dishing out five assists.

Freshman guard Asia Baker pulled down a career-high eight rebounds off the bench.

The Bearcats are scheduled to return to action Saturday when they travel to take on Vermont.

Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington, Vermont.

I thought we turned a corner.

Our intensity was there, our effort was there, and our kids were tough —Linda CImino BU head coach

BU to take on George Mason Bearcats hope to gain edge over weekend Kyle McDonald

Contributing Writer

After splitting two dual matches in just one day, the Binghamton wrestling team is set to hit the road again to take on non-conference foe George Mason.

The Patriots (7-9, 2-3 Eastern Wrestling League) are coming off of a conference loss to a nationally ranked opponent, No. 7 Edinboro.

Though the Patriots took major decisions in the 133 and 157 classes and decisions in the 165 and heavyweight classes, they ultimately fell, 31-14.

Binghamton (6-8, 4-3 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) suffered a narrow loss to Brown, 21-15, in its first match last Saturday but rallied for a 42-0 shutout of Sacred Heart on the same day.

In their last eight dual meets, the Bearcats carry a 4-4 record. While BU has had some strong wins as a team this season, including a 19-16 win

at Hofstra and a 22-14 victory over Drexel, the team has been unable to sustain a winning streak since the turn of the new year. A victory over George Mason, however, would change that.

“Conference or nonconference, the biggest thing is establishing momentum,” BU head coach Matt Dernlan said.

“Every match from here on out is critical.”

What may help that is George Mason’s current cold spell. After the Patriots started the season with a 4-2 record, they lost seven of their last 10 and now ride a three-match skid.

Both teams are strongest in the heavyweight class. Bearcat senior Tyler Deuel has posted a 12-2 record in dual matches this season — 18-4-overall — and carries a six-match win streak into the weekend. On the other side, George Mason’s redshirt senior Jake Kettler has posted a 13-3 record in dual meets on the year.

“That’s a really key match,” Dernlan said. “Their guy is

having a lot of success, our guy is having a lot of success. These are the types of matches we are excited for, that are going to prepare us for the postseason.”

Another match the Bearcats are focusing on is the matchup at the 157-pound weight class.

George Mason redshirt junior Greg Flournoy enters the match with a dual-meet record of 115, while Binghamton freshman Vincent DePrez is 5-9 on the season.

“That’s a big one,” Dernlan said. “It could be a tipping point in the match.”

While on a break from their conference schedule, the Bearcats look forward to the challenge that awaits them.

“We’ve got a good game plan and we know their guys will be prepared,” Dernlan said. “It’s an exciting opportunity, Friday night in D.C.” The first match between Binghamton and George Mason is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at the Recreation and Athletic Complex in Fairfax, Virginia.

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Senior heavyweight Tyler Deuel carries a six-match winning streak into the weekend.

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Hartford ousts BU despite effective defense see page 11

Friday, February 6, 2015

Bearcats drop 62-61 heartbreaker to Hartford McFadden comes up big in vacated role Ashley Purdy Sports Editor

Against Hartford last Tuesday, Justin McFadden took the court with a fever that exceeded 102 degrees. Seems appropriate: He’s been on fire as of late.

The freshman forward poured in 13 points, pulled down six boards and dished out four assists while battling his illness. He slammed in an electrifying dunk when BU was down 16 points in the second half, infecting his team for a 17-2 run that nearly saw the Bearcats clinch their third straight win.

Hard to believe that when he came to BU (4-21, 3-7 America East) this season, he was pretty under the radar.

“Honestly, I thought that I was going to probably get 10 to 15 minutes a game and learn my freshman year, then be ready to come in and be part of a big role my sophomore year,” McFadden admitted.

But amidst all the adversity wreaked upon the program — the transfer, the injuries — McFadden was thrust into a starting role early on the nation’s youngest Division I team. He’s started 20 of 25 games, averaging 27.6 minutes a contest. He’s developed with the team and been integral to BU’s recent success, marked by three wins and three close losses in the past eight games.

“Things kind of changed, and I stepped up,” McFadden said.

“I’m just ready for whatever the coaches thought should be thrown my way.”

Initially, that amounted to being a defensive specialist.

McFadden was known as the tough guy who would absorb charges and provide some muscle work for the team, along with freshman center Bobby Ahearn. They’ve both done that: Perhaps the stat that can best measure the intangibles of dirty defenders, each has fouled out six times this season while keeping his opponent in check.

But McFadden has gone beyond just stifling his man.

The 6-foot-6 wing player has recorded 12 blocks and 24 steals on the season, both good for second on the team.

“I’m a foundational player, and defense — for me — is the beginning foundation to get onto the court,” McFadden explained. “Once I kind of have a solid foundation on defense, I build on my offensive game and I think that’s what you’ve seen throughout the year.”

That’s certainly been the case, as McFadden’s role has flourished. With injuries to the team’s frontcourt, head coach Tommy Dempsey needed production, and McFadden delivered.

“Some of those guys have taken a step forward offensively out of necessity … the injuries have been tough and they’ve certainly affected us, but at the same time it’s also allowed some other guys to develop,” Dempsey said of both McFadden and Ahearn.

Evident of that are McFadden’s swelled numbers in conference play. He’s jumped up to averaging 8.3 points per contest from his season’s 7.2 mark, and is averaging 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in that 10-game span.

He’s also shooting 41 percent from deep on a team that lost its potency beyond the arc without big men Dusan Perovic and Nick Madray.

Numbers aside, McFadden helps to provide a much-needed spark for a team that tends to slip into shooting slumps midgame. Asked to describe his role, the Pennsylvanian out of Lower Merion readily knew how to identify himself: “I would say just being a spark plug energy wise. Sometimes the team needs a quick pick-me-up or some words to be said in the huddle or a great play to be made to get them started. And once we get started, it’s hard for us to stop.”

Of course, McFadden hasn’t

been selfish, nor has any player on the team in the last few weeks. Whereas the early season was marked by dominant offensive performances from a single player, Dempsey has been proud to note that in the last few games, no player has taken more than 10 shots.

So when the team’s down and McFadden knows something needs to be done, he’s fine being a part of rather than the star of the play.

“When the ball comes my way, I need to make something happen,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be from myself — it can be for another teammate, but it has to be a scoring play.”

Clearly a down-to-earth player, McFadden is aware that BU’s feasible goal for 2014-15 may not be the AE title. But for a team that’s changed its identity multiple times this season, growth and development are in the works, and that’s a step forward.

“I think the measure of success is to get going and to keep growing,” McFadden said.

“I think at the beginning of the season it was kind of rough. We weren’t together, we weren’t playing well together. But now I think that we’re playing together, we have to just keep that going.

We just have to get better every day.”

Once I kind of have a solid Second-half surge comes up short for BU foundation on Ashley Purdy echoed.

— and ice-cold lows — such as The sentiment couldn’t be their 1-of-8 shooting from the field defense, I build Sports Editor more fitting. to open the second half.

Directly following a 62-61 The Binghamton men’s we’re kind of a streaky on my offensive heartbreaker of a loss to Hartford basketball team “hung in there” team“I think at times,” McFadden said. the Events Center on Tuesday, through 40 minutes of turbulence “When we hit those slumps, we game atRomello Walker was asked how he on Tuesday night. The game, which need a play or something to get us Franz Lino/Photo Editor

Freshman forward Justin McFadden poured in 13 points — including a monster dunk — and added six rebounds and four assists in BU’s loss to Hartford on Tuesday.

— Justin McFadden BU freshman forward

was doing.

“Hanging in there,” the freshman guard said.

“Definitely hanging in there,” freshman forward Justin McFadden

was broadcast on ESPN3 before a running. Once we get our energy reported audience of 4,445 people, going, we can play with anybody.” featured both hot streaks — such as a 17-2 run that brought the See bupipedream.com/sports/ Bearcats back from near extinction basketball for full recap

Heated rivalry hits the ice with President's Cup Binghamton and SUNY Broome hockey clubs continue 40-year tradition with twist Jeff Twitty

ice hockey team took on SUNY Broome’s on Thursday. But this year — for the first time in the A chance at pride, a year’s worth rivalry’s 40-year history — there of bragging rights and a mouth was something bigger for these two with all 32 teeth were on the line squads to compete over: the first as Binghamton University’s club President’s Cup trophy.

Assistant Sports Editor

Organized jointly between BU President Harvey Stenger — a longtime hockey fan and men’s league player — and SUNY Broome President Kevin Drumm, the event helped to bridge a gap between two of the area’s largest institutions and

Emily Earl/Contributing Photographer

The Binghamton University club ice hockey team took on SUNY Broome in the first Presidents Cup on Thursday.

raise school spirit.

“SUNY Broome and Binghamton University are great partners in many ways and our relationship continues to grow,” Stenger wrote in an email to Pipe Dream. “Adding an athletic competition seemed like a fun idea. Hockey looked like a good place to start.”

Senior captain Chris Emerson applauded the efforts of both schools in seeing the President’s Cup through to fruition, especially for a pair of schools that would otherwise have never met in a meaningful game. While BU’s club team competes with other NCAA club programs like Cornell and Syracuse, SUNY Broome competes in the National Junior College Athletic Association, facing other junior college opponents and occasionally Division II or III schools such as LeMoyne or SUNY Cortland.

“It’s kind of cool that both presidents are interested in hockey and that both schools have programs near,” Emerson said. “We don’t really play each other because we’re in different leagues … so its

kind of cool that people from all over the Binghamton area can see hockey between these two teams.”

And they came in droves. In front of nearly a full-capacity rink at the SUNY Broome Ice Center, hundreds of fans showing allegiance through their beanie caps or sweatpants cheered as BU fought its way to a 2-1 win over the Hornets.

As with most rivalries, the atmosphere seemed concerned with just about everything but unity.

The Bearcats racked up 30 minutes in the penalty box as fans cheered on the scuffles, and Baxter found himself strained for dance moves against SUNY Broome’s hornet mascot by the game’s end. But Jamie Nyce, a sophomore majoring in cinema, a spectator at the event and transfer student from SUNY Broome, saw the lighter side of the fiercely competitive matchup.

“It’s just a good competition between two schools, being so close and so connected,” Nyce said. “I think just them playing together brings out a good crowd.”

A crowd so great that it was easy

to forget that the matchup was between a pair of club teams — a section of the campus community that sometimes gets overlooked at D-I schools like Binghamton, despite that fact that BU has over 3,000 participants in club athletics alone.

“I know athletics at Binghamton kind of takes a backseat sometimes,” Emerson said. “So it’s kind of cool that we can get some kind of excitement into a club sports game.”

BU’s victory now puts its season mark at 5-10 as entering-favorite Broome falls to 12-6 on the year.

With the loss, Hornets players will have to carry out the daunting task of wearing BU apparel around their campus for one day next week.

Great as that may be, Nyce believes that something even bigger than the first Presidents Cup may have been raised for BU after Thursday night.

“I think if they keep doing things like this, more people will keep coming,” Nyce said. “And I think it could bring a lot of BCC students to transfer over to BU.”