Scam Society
Mural Madness We went around the Union and bitched about the paintings
The Editorial Board weighs in on the ways that businesses exploit college students’ quest for prestige
see page 4
see page 7
The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Friday, March 13, 2015 | Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 14 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
LocallyU offers residents online, in-depth look at area businesses Website rates local companies on sustainability, community outreach and organic goods available Brendan Zarkower Staff Writer
John Babich/Pipe Dream Photographer
Shane Tracy, a junior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, and Kyle Goodwill, a junior majoring in computer science, repair a bicycle in the BU Bike Shop. This semester, the Bike Share program is opening with a total of 28 bikes for students to borrow.
Bike Share opens with fleet expansion
Beginning March 14, students can check out bicycles, helmets free of charge Alana Epstein
semester in operation. The Bike Share opened in the fall of 2013 with only seven bikes. This The training wheels are coming semester, the program has 28 bicycles off as the Binghamton University Bike for students to borrow. The first Share opens this Saturday for its fourth seven were donated from BU Outdoor Staff Writer
Pursuits, and others were donated by the University Police Department and Stony Brook University. Six were bought from Jamis Bicycles, a national
See BIKE Page 2
Creators of a new website are seeking to make Binghamton residents more conscious of where they shop and what they buy. LocallyU was launched last April as a database of businesses throughout New York state, reviewing how locally involved they are, how environmentally friendly they are and how available organic products are at each business. The website was founded by Peter Gierlach, a Vestal resident who plans to attend Binghamton University’s Graduate School in the fall. Since then, he has been joined by Max Slocum, his high school friend and a junior majoring in computer science, and Joshua Temple, Slocum’s friend and a member of the class of 2014 who majored in computer science. To be listed on the website, businesses have to fit certain criteria. These vary based on the types of business, which range from athletics shops to breweries, but they must be locally owned and operated, have a reputation for transparency about suppliers and have a strong sustainability strategy. “We chose these criteria because they tend to be the antithesis of the
Nicole Hassoun runs database with students to gauge need, access and effectiveness of drugs Staff Writers
A Binghamton University professor and her team of students are looking to save lives by helping find the right medicine for patients around the globe. Nicole Hassoun, an associate professor in the philosophy department, began the Global Health Impact project approximately seven years ago with the mission to give people across the world access to drugs that fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. With the help of 15 students, Hassoun evaluates medications being used to treat the three diseases. The group works together to gather and study information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations aid databases. The need for drugs is measured by rates of death and disability caused by an illness. Supply is measured by comparing the amount of people in need of medication to the amount of people who have access to it. Effectiveness reflects how successful the drug is at treating a disease. “People are dying because they can’t access medication, so we need to know where we’re having an impact and where we need to have an impact still,” Hassoun said. “Hopefully this can help health systems planning, distribution of resources and trying to have a bigger
impact as a mechanism.” Hassoun said that she hopes the Global Health Impact project will be a tool in guiding the distribution of medical resources and evaluating drug effectiveness and distribution. Currently, she said, the TB Alliance and the WHO are two major companies taking advantage of the information. “Ultimately the impact is that it affects medicine,” Hassoun said. “Someone picks it up and makes it useful, and does something with it to have a difference.” In the future, Hassoun said that she plans to expand the amount of diseases covered and recruit volunteers with more technological experience. She also wants to update Global Health Impact’s website and reach out to other universities to get involved. When she initially started the project, Hassoun received $10,000 of funding from the University. But seven years later, this support has almost run out and she funds the project mainly through her personal research budget from the University. She said she hopes students will continue to work with her on a volunteer basis. Cassie Mak, an undeclared freshman and a volunteer for the Global Health Impact project, manages the project’s social media accounts and reaches out to groups on campus to raise awareness. “We’re trying to build campus
See DRUG Page 2
Eight seniors discuss importance of taking on risks, challenges in life Kanchi Chandwani Contributing Writer
Organizers distributed literature detailing how Holocaust survivors suffered from high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recurring nightmares, survivor’s guilt and the stress caused by post-war relocation camps and immigration. Students shared their personal stories about family members who survived the Holocaust, and how these illnesses changed their lives. Tamar Rosen, a junior doublemajoring in human development and sociology and a third-generation Holocaust survivor, said it was comforting to know that others understood what she
Some of Harpur College’s soonto-be alumni shared their secrets to success with students, showing them how to make the most of their time at Binghamton University. The panels, held on March 10 and 11, were put on by Harpur Edge, a program that aims to connect students with networking and internship opportunities to prepare them for their careers. It was organized by Wendy Neuberger, the director of Harpur Edge, and student volunteers. Student organizers Maria Uquillas, a junior double-majoring in economics and political science, and Winnie Zhu, a senior majoring in English, said they chose the panelists from students who were on the dean’s list and held high positions in Student Association clubs and campus organizations. Panelists Tyler Downey, Shachar Avraham, Lory Martinez, Samantha Meadows, Sarah Khan, Gina Kim, Zoe Liebmann and Alexander Liu shared participation in the University’s academic departments and extracurricular activities over a twoday series of panels. “We picked students from a wide field, and didn’t focus on just one, as shown with one of our panelists being a part of the radio and another a research assistant,” Zhu said. “We want to show Harpur students that any career is possible as long you’re passionate and willing to work hard to be successful.” Martinez is the news director at WHRW 90.5 FM and the president of the Binghamton Media Group, as well as a senior double-majoring in French and English. She said the key to her success was majoring in something she loves, and encouraged students to explore different fields even if they are outside their comfort zone. “I applied to a graduate school in France before on a whim, and somehow I got it,” Martinez said. “And now I’m going to France next fall, and I’m excited and I welcome this new adventure that I will be going on.” Avraham, a senior majoring in integrated media communications,
See FAMILY Page 2
See HARPUR Page 2
Tycho McManus/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer
Pictured: The State Street parking garage. The city has been planning its renovation, along with the Collier and Water streets lots, despite lack of available spaces.
City of Binghamton gets $1.4 million to upgrade, repair Downtown garages State Street, Collier Street and Water Street garages to see structural reinforcement, drainage system repairs Alexandra Mackof and Tania Rahman
upcoming year. In his State of the City address in February, Binghamton Mayor Richard Staff Writers David announced plans to renovate and restore garages on State Street, Water The city of Binghamton is looking to Street and Collier Street, which have fallen spend $1.4 million to revamp Downtown Binghamton parking garages in the See GARAGE Page 2
Third-generation Holocaust survivors talk emotional aftermath Hillel, students examine post-traumatic stress disorder, years of recovery David Zeiger
Contrbuting Writer
Kevin Sussy/Contributing Photographer
Tamar Rosen, a junior majoring in human development, speaks to a group of students about the psychological effects and trauma of the Holocaust on survivors and second- and thirdgeneration survivors.
Decades later, third-generation survivors examined the psychological effects that the Holocaust had on their families. The event was hosted by the Hillel subgroup 3G, which is a student group of third-generation Holocaust survivors. Over a dozen students discussed their families’ experiences with the trauma, discrimination and genocide of the Nazi regime in World War II. Karly Weinreb, the president of 3G and a senior double-majoring in psychology and Judaic studies, said that
See RANKS Page 2
Soon-to-be graduates talk keys to success
To fight deadly diseases, professor analyzes treatment around the globe Pelle Waldron and James Lee
practices of big, multinational chains,” Gierlach said. “We want to make it easy for people to support others who are trying to do the right thing.” According to Gierlach, the project began simply as an idea to research the origins of products people use in their daily lives. “I thought that if we made it easier for people to buy from better businesses, it may force change in the economy and encourage businesses to use better, more community-based business practices,” Gierlach said. LocallyU began by tracking businesses in many major upstate New York cities, as well as Manhattan, and Gierlach said he hopes to finish that work by the end of the summer. Although his company is still in its infancy and, typically, most comprehensive in the Binghamton area, Gierlach said he is looking to expand into other cities and states throughout the country. The group began a campaign on the crowdsourcing website GoFundMe in July 2014 that raised $790 in start-up capital to invest into LocallyU, which is currently its only source of revenue. “Right now we are functioning on an entirely volunteer basis, and are always open to people helping us,” Gierlach
the Holocaust caused emotional damage that transcends generations and goes unnoticed. “Trauma that is passed down is not really studied or talked about, and it is a very subtle subject that can be so prevalent in somebody's life,” Weinreb said. David Oestreicher, the co-vice chair of 3G and a junior double-majoring in history and psychology, said that regardless of the sensitive nature of the subject, discussion was key to raise awareness and cope. “This particular event is something that many grandchildren of survivors are interested in talking about,” Oestreicher said. “It’s not something we talk about with our families, like the trauma of our parents and grandparents.”