Spring 2015 Issue 7

UNH sweeps Bearcats over weekend Tuesday, February 17, 2015 | Binghamton University | www.bupipedream.com | Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 7

Check bupipedream.com/sports for the latest updates on BU basketball

Sodexo offers ethical egg choice to BU

University names new EOP director

Dining Services gives student body option to switch to cage-free eggs

Yearlong search brings Calvin Gantt to Equal Opportunity Program

Rachel Stearns

Contributing Writer

Emilie Leroy

Pipe Dream News Calvin Gantt has been named the new director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Gantt, a Binghamton University alumnus from 1992, was previously the director of the Access Opportunity Programs (AOP) at SUNY Geneseo, a similar program to BU’s EOP program.

EOP is a special admissions program for approximately 600 students who are economically disadvantaged or first-generation college students. After completing a summer program of math, writing, chemistry, geography and human development instruction, students continue to receive support from counselors and services, like tutoring and help with finding scholarships throughout

See EOP Page 2

John Babich/Pipe Dream Photographer From left to right: Rachel Schy, a senior majoring in human development; Elana Weintraub, a junior majoring in biology; Dan Litt, a junior majoring in geography; Ilana Kitaigorodsky, a junior majoring in management; and Allie Kugler, a sophomore double-majoring in psychology and English, sing during the Dollar Show. Part of the Jewish a cappella group Kaskeset, they joined other groups who performed in the Lecture Hall Saturday night.

Among complaints and requests for change at the dining halls, one idea is starting very small: with eggs.

This month, Binghamton University’s Sodexo Dining Services offered the student body the option to switch from battery-cage to free-range eggs. Batterycage egg production confines the hens to small spaces in poor conditions, and free-range production gives the hens more room.

The push for change came in part from the Humane League, a national farm animal advocacy organization, which is running a campaign asking Sodexo to phase out the use of all liquid eggs produced from battery-caged hens.

According to the Humane Society’s website, battery-cage farms cram egglaying hens into 67 square inch wire

See EGGS Page 2

Site provides a bookstore alternative Through special collection, Students launch Bearcat Exchange for buying, selling books

Dassie Hirschfield/Pipe Dream Photographer

Pictured: Nicholas Ferrara, a sophomore majoring in economics, and Rohit Kapur, a sophomore majoring in management. Together they created Bearcat Exchange, a website on which BU students can anonymously buy and sell textbooks.

Gabriella Weick

Contributing Writer Bearcat Exchange, a website created by students Nicholas Ferrara and Rohit Kapur, is trying to change the way students at Binghamton University buy and sell textbooks.

Ferrara, a sophomore majoring in

economics, and Kapur, a sophomore majoring in management, met last year after living in the same building in Hinman College. After discussing how they both found the process of buying and selling textbooks to be difficult and expensive, the two decided to come up with a solution.

“You either buy from the bookstore and pay a very large price to buy it online,

or you go on a very long Facebook page where the textbooks aren’t organized or searchable,” Ferrara said. “Also, no one attempts to remove the ones that were already sold, and it’s just very inconvenient. We thought it’d be a lot easier to create a website to facilitate that in a more efficient manner.”

On Bearcat Exchange, BU students can anonymously name the price of their books and other students can message the seller to make the transaction. The site lists available books, which can be filtered through a keyword search bar.

Both sides can communicate via email and if they agree on a price, they can meet in person to complete the sale.

The site was created and completed over winter break, with Ferrara working on structural aspects and Kapur working on design.

After launching on Jan. 17, Ferrara and Kapur began by messaging individual students who were posting in Facebook groups looking to buy or sell books to tell them about Bearcat Exchange. They later handed out business cards advertising the site.

According to Ferrara and Kapur, 264 textbooks have been listed, more than 760 people have accessed the site and 60 percent of buyers were contacted about their listings, but they hope that those numbers increase.

See BOOKS Page 2

Bhangra Fever brings country's best to BU Eight teams compete for $1,200 in annual campus competition Habin Kwak

Contributing Writer The audience cheered as Binghamton Bhangra took the stage. The competition was over, but the host performers were just warming up. As the members stood motionless in their starting positions, the music began, and members of the team, led by captain Kevin Acker, completed their energized routine as the crowd urged them on.

Binghamton Bhangra hosted its sixthannual Bhangra Fever competition this Saturday, drawing a crowd of nearly 600 Binghamton University students as well as teams from across the country to the Osterhout Concert Theater.

Bhangra is a traditional folk dance and music genre that draws its origins from the Indian state of Punjab; it’s characterized by high energy, colorful attire and props.

At Bhangra Fever Saturday, teams set

themselves apart by using flags, colorful backgrounds and even the shadows of their own silhouettes to stand out.

Representatives from Carnegie Mellon University, who earned second place, made the judges take notice when three female members went on the shoulders of other male members and then leaned far back while their counterparts below spun them in a circle, creating a flower pattern with their bodies.

Eight professional and collegiate teams from states around the country, including Texas, Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania, came to showcase their moves and compete for a first-place prize of $1,200. Binghamton Bhangra did not compete due to the potential bias from hosting but performed as the final act of the night.

Reeda Saleem, captain of Shaan Mutiyaaran Di, an all-female team of college graduates from New York City, said her team had put a lot of effort into their performance.

“We have been preparing for this competition since about August of last year and we have a brand new routine this year,” Saleem said.

Binghamton Bhangra chose the competing teams from the audition tapes of those who registered for the competition.

They were judged in categories such as traditional elements, costumes and props and for technical elements like synchrony and team energy.

Kirin Kaur, secretary of Binghamton Bhangra and a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said the event took a lot of preparation due to its expansion in recent years.

“We’ve been planning this event since last November,” Kaur said. “It’s just gotten more popular and it’s expanded a lot. The biggest reason we do this though is to spread the culture and show people what

See DANCE Page 2

a little glimpse into the past

Spring library exhibition showcases miniature books throughout history Chloe Rehfield Staff Writer

Binghamton University is serving up a small slice of history through the Miniature Book Exhibit in Glenn G. Bartle Library.

The exhibit in the Special Collections room on the second floor of Bartle opened to the public on Feb. 9. The room is lined with miniature books — classified as a book measuring at most 10 centimeters in height — in glass cases, accompanied by panels of information about the books, their authors and the history of book binding and printing.

“We want students to learn about the publishing and bookmaking history, and the different decorative treatments on paper or binding of miniature books,” said Jean Green, head of Special Collections, Preservation and University Archives at BU. According to Beth Turcy Kilmarx, curator of rare books in the Special Collections department, miniature book printing started shortly after printing was invented as a way for bookmakers to show off their skill. The smaller the book, the more skills were needed as tinier typing, illustrations and bindings were required. She said the small size of the book not only boasted skill, but was also practical.

“It made it easy for people to carry the books around,” Kilmarx said. “Now women and men had small pouches on their clothing to carry things in, and this is where the term ‘pocketbook’ comes from.”

The Special Collections room houses roughly 116 miniature books donated to the University that date as far back as 1605 to as recent as the early 2000s.

The types of books on display span from novels to prayer books to collections of poetry and short stories. They come from countries across the world, such as Russia, Spain and Pakistan.

Kilmarx worked to curate and exhibit the books because of their age and rarity, and their need for a special climatecontrolled room.

“I created the collection a few years ago simply because, by their size, these books can get damaged between larger books on the shelf,” Kilmarx said.

Gina Baglieri, a sophomore majoring in biological anthropology, said the collection was a good way to get a glimpse into the past.

“I want to learn more about history and expand my horizons,” Baglieri

said. “Taking a look at these miniature books firsthand would allow me to do just that.”

Despite being only a couple of inches in height, the books possess the same detailed embroidery as conventional books do. Each book has edge decorations and colored endpapers, and some covers are painted directly on panels of wood that hold the miniature books together. The books encompass five different binding styles: full leather, quarter- or half-bound, paper-wrapped or cloth.

Kilmarx said her favorite book was the New England Primer from 1814, which was only about 2 inches in height.

It was a textbook used by students, and the pages were yellowed and folded. She said it was fascinating to compare the textbooks from the 19th century to the ones we use today.

The exhibit will be open the entire spring 2015 semester, and students are encouraged to visit before the exhibit is dismantled and the books are returned to their shelf in the Rare Books stacks in Special Collections.

Although the books are fragile, with certain precautions, students are able to take them out of their glass cases to flip through the pages.

“We’re open to the public and there’s no point in having these materials if people can’t touch them,” Kilmarx said.

“Everyone is welcome to come in and use them. To me, this is the best kept secret on campus.”

We want students to learn about the publishing and bookmaking history — Jean Green BU Special Collections

2

NEWS

www.bupipedream.com | February 17, 2015

Sixth annual Bhangra Fever draws 600 At a price, Sodexo offers a switch to ethical eggs

DANCE continued from Page 1

Indian Punjabi culture is all about.”

Audience members were also brought to the stage throughout the night to get involved in the performances. During the night, the emcee called upon any couples who wanted to learn Bhangra to come up and join him backstage for lessons.

They later showed off their moves to the audience.

“I enjoyed how interactive the event was and the energy from all the teams was amazing,” said Stephanie Wayte, a junior majoring in English. “It really made the audience want to jump on stage and join them; everyone was dancing along in their seats. The event also really showed how Bhangra is a great way to get students and people from all different backgrounds to come together and just do something they love.”

At the end of the night, Saleem said she was ecstatic when she heard her team, which took third place last year at Bhangra Fever 5, had won the grand prize. Second place went to Carnegie Mellon University’s Bhangra team, and Alamo City Bhangra from San Antonio took third.

“You never know what’s going to happen, but you put in so much work, and being rewarded for your hard work is like a feeling you can’t explain,” Saleem said. “I think the common idea I try to instill in our team is one where we don’t come in with expectations. We just go out there and do our best.”

EGGS continued from Page 1

The biggest reason we do this is to spread the culture — Kirin Kaur BU sophomore

Kevin Sussy and Michael Sugarman/Contributing Photographers

Bhangra teams perform in the sixth-annual Bhangra Fever competition along with eight professional and collegiate teams from around the country. On Saturday, nearly 600 BU students and team supporters came to watch the event held at the Osterhout Concert Theater.

cages, which is less room than a sheet of computer paper and generally prohibits hens from being able to spread their wings.

This agricultural practice is illegal in the European Union and in several states in the United States, such as Michigan, California and Florida.

In the past, the Humane League has pressured large dining service provider Delaware North companies to transition to only cage-free eggs in their facilities and helped convince Starbucks to phase out numerous controversial agricultural practices, including the use of similar cages for chickens and pigs.

According to Taylor Ford, campaign coordinator for the Humane League, the League reached out to Sodexo in November of 2014 to make a similar commitment, but Sodexo was unresponsive.

“In 2012, after working with animal protection groups, Sodexo produced a commitment to phase out battery cage shell eggs, but we are campaigning for liquid eggs,” Ford said.

“Liquid eggs account for the vast majority of eggs used in their operations.”

According to James Ruoff, a representative for Sodexo at BU, a major concern for the company is that changing its production will make liquid eggs more costly and harder to obtain. If these changes are made, the production of liquid eggs will take significantly longer and customers will have to pay more for virtually all of their food to make up for the extra cost of cage-free egg raising.

“The cost of cage-free eggs

is over two times the cost of regular eggs,” Ruoff said.

“Before we make this change on our campus we wanted the student input and student approval because, ultimately, that is who this change directly affects. It already takes time for the supply chain to catch up and produce enough to meet Sodexo’s purchasing volume needs for the 39 million shelled eggs from cage-free hens Sodexo provides.”

Kyle Ramsey, an undeclared freshman, said that the switch would not make sense for most students.

“If we changed liquid eggs from battery-cage to cage-free, the meal plan would be way too expensive for the majority of students here,” Ramsey said.

“I think Sodexo has been more than willing to entertain the idea of cage-free, but it’s not practical because the majority of the student body can’t afford it.”

However, students like Molly O’Hagan, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said the switch would be worth the cost.

“It’s one step closer to improving the overall quality of food on campus,” O’Hagan said.

“I wouldn’t mind paying a little more if it’s more sustainable and better for everyone.”

On Feb. 5, BU Dining Services presented the option of changing to cage-free eggs on campus to the Student Culinary Council (SCC). Because of the way Sodexo’s meal plan is organized, the cost would directly impact the price of the plan overall that students pay. Attendees agreed to make a decision on Feb. 19 based on student response reported by the SCC.

Undergrads launch site Alumnus chosen to be director of EOP for BU to buy, sell books EOP continued from Page 1

BOOKS continued from Page 1 “We knew that everyone has used books,” Kapur said. “It was just a matter of finding people.”

According to Ferrara and Kapur, the feedback from users has been positive. Jared Cohen, a freshman majoring in business administration, said he was impressed with the control he had over prices and how quickly he was able to sell his old books.

“I said, ‘Why not just try this website, what is there to lose?’” Cohen wrote in an email.

“I didn’t think I’d get many responses but within 5 minutes of posting a few textbooks I had 2 buyers immediately.”

Emma Roseval, however, feels that her textbook needs are already taken care of.

“I currently rent my textbooks through Chegg; it is cheap and I love that they provide you with the packaging slip for when you return it and they are also really great about reminding you when it’s due,” said Roseval, a senior majoring in human development. “I would consider using a textbook site that’s just for Binghamton students, but I am satisfied with how I already

get them so it probably wouldn’t capture my attention.”

Ferrara and Kapur said that they will continue to look for structural changes to improve the site’s efficiency. But Shelby Cohen, a sophomore majoring in accounting, said that using the site was already simpler than searching Facebook for possible buyers.

“Posting my book on it was much more efficient than posting it on Facebook or asking around,” Cohen wrote in an email. “It was much easier than experiences I’ve previously had selling textbooks. It required minimal effort and was much better than the bookstore or Facebook.”

It. . .was much better than the bookstore or Facebook — Shelby Cohen BU sophomore

their time at school.

Over 40 candidates applied for the position, and the search lasted through the fall semester. Brian Rose, the vice president for student affairs, said that Gantt’s experience in EOP both as a student and as director at SUNY Geneseo gave him an edge over other applicants.

Gantt also received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2012.

“All of us were delighted that Dr. Gantt is a Binghamton EOP alumnus with a sense of the history and identity of our EOP program,” Rose wrote in an email.

“We were impressed with his prior experience as an EOP Director at an institution with a similarly competitive student body, Geneseo, and with his deep understanding of the mission of EOP.” As BU’s EOP director, Gantt’s duties include supporting the counselor staff that works directly with students and maintaining relationships between EOP and other departments on campus, like student affairs and academic affairs, to help with students’ transitions to BU. Gantt is replacing Randall Edouard, who became assistant vice provost and director of admissions in fall 2013.

Vanessa Young, a senior academic counselor in EOP, acted as the interim director.

One of the first things that may be on Gantt’s agenda as the new director is seeking more funding for students in the program, said Yulanda Whyte-Johnson, a senior academic counselor in EOP and a member of the search committee.

Funding currently comes from the SUNY Office of Opportunity Programs.

“Our students graduate with at least $28,000 worth of loans that they have to give back,” WhyteJohnson said. “Trying to help lower that $28,000 cost is always a challenge with finding funding for our students.”

Although Gantt said he is unsure of what changes he had in mind, he said that he wanted to put greater emphasis on the success of EOP on campus by highlighting the achievements of its students.

“We have so many students that come from so many backgrounds and walks of life and I think that sometimes there’s a perception about what EOP is and who’s eligible for it,” Gantt said. “By telling the stories of students you can dispel some of those myths that are out there.”

Myths include assumptions that EOP students may be less qualified to attend the University

and that EOP students receive a free ride. EOP students, however, face the same admissions criteria as other students, and pay the same tuition and fees during the year.

The summer program is free for EOP students, and the EOP office can help provide financial aid.

Gantt added that whatever the future changes are, he wanted to keep the feeling of family among the students and staff in EOP strong.

“The students know that there is a real, fundamental support system in place for them here,” Gantt said. “That connection and availability of people who you

know will be there to support you; I think that has been one of the cornerstones of this program.”

For Gantt, the support he received from his own mentor Michael Boyd, the EOP director from 1986 to 1994, pushed him to apply for the position.

“To have had that opportunity to be tutored and experience working with him is really one of the things that spearheaded me wanting to do this type of work as a career,” Gantt said. “The opportunity for me to come back to campus and serve in this role knowing that this is where [Boyd] started is really an honor for me.”

Kevin Huaman/Contributing Photographer

Pictured: Calvin Gantt, the new director of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Gantt, a BU alumnus, was previously the director of the Access Opportunity Programs (AOP) at SUNY Geneseo, a similar program to Binghamton’s EOP.

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RELEASE Arts & Culture

The mein reason to go to the marketplace

Mary Chu serves up much more than food Lindsey Klein | Contributing Writer If you’ve ever gotten fried rice in the Marketplace, you’ve probably received a free radiating smile on the side. Your server is Mary Chu, a woman whose infectious upbeat attitude has made her a campus celebrity.

But who is the woman behind the smile, and behind the counter?

Chu — affectionately nicknamed by students as “Mein Bowl Mary” — moved to the United States in 2006 from Ningbo, a city on the eastern coast of China. When asked how she found Binghamton, she said simply, “a relationship.” As it turns out, someone she knew in Ningbo connected her to a Sodexo program that brings in overseas workers to America for career opportunities. Through that, she ended up in Binghamton.

Every day, a Sodexo-affiliated program brings Chu and some of her coworkers to campus from their homes. After nine-hour work days, they’re transported back home together.

At home, Chu enjoys watching movies and collecting coins from all around the world, but she’s

also genuinely enthusiastic about her job and about making the students on campus happy.

Chu’s warm attitude and bright smile has made some students on campus feel at home. Amanda Gerstman, a freshman majoring in human development, gets Mein Bowl almost every day.

“After having a long day, seeing someone so positive and eager to serve me dinner is just like being home with mom,” Gerstman said.

Mary said that the least favorite part of her job is the busyness, but that doesn’t stop her from doing her job well. Jim Ruoff, Sodexo’s general manager on campus, is proud to call Mary one of his coworkers.

“If you look up great customer service in the dictionary, you should see a picture of Mary next to the definition,” Ruoff said. “The way she makes every customer feel special is something that always amazes me and always makes me proud to call her my partner.”

She even loves the food she serves — her favorite dish is “all the veggies, no meat,” Ruoff said, having been a vegetarian her entire life.

Yuval Hananya, a sophomore majoring in accounting, loves the food served there, too.

“The bourbon chicken is phenomenal,” Hananya said.

“Mary is a sweetheart. The food tastes better when served by her.”

So, next time you’re in the Union, go ahead and say hello to Binghamton’s friendliest Sodexo worker, Mein Bowl Mary.

The way she makes every customer feel special is something that always amazes me — Jim Ruoff Sodexo General Manager

Kevin Sussy/Contributing Photographer

Mr. Grey will see you now

'Fifty Shades of Grey' is here, and it's not actually that bad Evy Pitt-Stoller | Staff Writer The best part of the “Fifty Shades of Grey” experience may very well be the trailer for Judd Apatow’s upcoming movie, “Trainwreck,” starring Amy Schumer, Bill Hader and LeBron James. But the longawaited book-turned-film turned out to not be as much of a stinking pile of garbage as one might expect. (I’m talking to you, modern “Annie”).

While I hope you and your 50

shades of bae had more romantic Valentine’s Day plans than watching Dakota Johnson get her ass whipped with a belt, the Sam Taylor-Johnson movie proved watchable, at the very least.

The film begins with Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a senior majoring in English literature, filling in for her sick roommate and interviewing an eligible billionaire bachelor, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan), for the campus newspaper.

(This would never happen at Pipe Dream.)

“Fifty Shades of Grey” starts off a little like “She’s All That,” attempting to portray the constantly sexy Johnson as a conservative and timid virgin, obvious from her button-up sweater and low ponytail.

The filmmakers give the impression that she transformed into a sexual minx when she let her hair loose and put on a dress, but the effect was laughably flat.

The entire first half-hour of the movie is nearly a trailer for itself, advertising the sexual tension that anyone who doesn’t live under a rock has already heard about. But the characters gaze at each other without any tension whatsoever, and their expressions turn orgasmic at every touch. Painfully obvious, childishly flirty and clumsily blunt, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the perfect recipe for a shameful disappointment. That’s why I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I liked it.

Maybe it’s because my expectations were low — it has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 26 percent — or maybe it’s because of

the surprisingly interesting story, the confounding but hot sex scenes, or the mystery behind Christian Grey that I left Regal Cinemas wanting to know what happens when 50 shades gets darker.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” feels like a film that was banged out for the purpose of box office sales while the book it’s based on remained immensely popular. The characters are underdeveloped; the performances, save for token impressively heartfelt scenes, are lackluster and the soundtrack is a constant reminder that this film is a gold mine and not much more.

Somehow, though, I was left wanting more, genuinely wondering about the truth behind Christian Grey.

This leads me to believe that with a little bit more time and care lent to crafting this movie, it might have been something that the general population would respect a little bit more.

All in all, I would rate it 50 shades of a-okay and readily admit that I’m patiently awaiting the inevitable sequel.

Prepare your liver

week

3

It's not easy being green, so you might as well practice Kathryn Shafsky | Release This is the third in a series of five articles.

Week Three — Things are starting to get festive, so this week is all about the green. After you’re first in line at Wal-Mart to pick up all of your essential Parade Day gear, get creative with some green drinks. Grab every green liquor you can find and mix them together to make the ultimate blackout punch.

Or, if you’re feeling really crazy, you may even want to break out the absinthe. By week three, your tolerance should be on its way to becoming “I lift” strong, but there’s no shame in falling down in the middle of State Street. It’ll be good practice anyway.

Grab every green liquor you can find and mix them together

Photo Provided by Universal Pictures

Hugh left Binghamton, now swoon for Colin Firth Colin Firth finally gets the Bondlike role we all hoped would one day come

'Kingsman: The Secret Service' has swagger, action and Samuel L. Jackson Michael Fratto | Contributing Writer “Kingsman: The Secret Service” packs a punch worth receiving directly to the face.

Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the film depicts the journey of Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton), a down-on-his-luck young London urbanite. After calling in a favor from a mysterious figure in his past, Eggsy is introduced to the world of the Kingsmen, an independent secretive society of

gentlemen spies.

The man who saves Eggsy, Harry Hart (Colin Firth) — code name Galahad — leads Eggsy into his own opportunity to become a Kingsman himself.

But Eggsy has to fight for it, undergoing a brutal training regimen to set him apart from the other candidates. And even then, he needs to prevent V-Day, the evil plan hatched by Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), the movie’s billionaire villain.

Vaughn creates a cinematic

world that has both the elegance and debonair of James Bond and the extravagant violence that calls Quentin Tarantino to mind. Anyone who wants to be on the edge of his or her seat in anticipation should give control over to the Kingsmen.

Colin Firth finally gets the Bond-like role we all hoped would one day come. Jackson plays the villain with poise, arrogance and perfection.

Vaughn brings us the American gangster villain of

the movie, Valentine, whose lisp, oddities, humor and riches guides us to question what he’s planning for V-Day. We find out only mid-way: To depopulate the world in hopes of saving the environment. The fate of human existence is in the palms of the newly minted Kingsman, Eggsy.

A viewer going to see “Kingsman” expects action. We want, anticipate and beg for this action that has kept moviegoers going for decades. And as moviegoers, we receive a new

bird’s-eye view of the fights that go on throughout the movie.

The scenes are reminiscent of those in “300” and Vaughan’s own “Kick-Ass.” Guns, umbrellas with guns, prosthetic legs that are also swords, lighters that are also grenades and other little Bond-like trinkets of mass destruction. These cinematic scenes of violence make this movie. Writing about it does not do justice — it’s a purely visual experience.

4

John Babich/Pipe Dream Photographer

Finally, a perfect Valentine’s Day! A beautiful dinner for two at the Lost Dog/Number Five/Buffet Star/Denny’s followed by cuddling up to watch “Fifty Shades of Grey”/”Kingsman”/”Spongebob Movie.” Afterward, you and your significant other turned on the Barry White/Frank Ocean/Sam Smith mixtape for a sensual night. But what special day would be complete without a national wind chill warning? Thankfully, we did not have to worry.

FUN

February 17, 2015 | www.bupipedream.com

IT'S SO FUCKING COLD

Fun.

RELEASE DATE– Saturday, March 28, 2009

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

ACROSS 1 According to design 10 Attended 15 Prolong 16 Prefix with glyph 17 “No need to get so excited” 19 Triage sites, briefly 20 River of Tuscany 21 Short-tailed weasel 22 Geometric fig.

24 Kiara’s mother in “The Lion King” 25 Letters on seconds 27 “__ out?”

29 “Medium” network 32 Breakthroughs in therapy, say 35 Language teaching site 37 “No way!”

40 “The Lord of the Rings” monster 41 Visibly embarrassed 42 Thin swimmer 44 Speaker in Cooperstown 45 Bit of treasure 46 Fireworks reactions 48 What a nyctophobe fears 51 Gelatin candy 54 Composer Khachaturian 58 Stimpy’s pal 59 “No idea” 62 Crescent shapes 63 Floating point 64 That point 65 Hematite producers DOWN 1 Invitation sender 2 Cubic measure 3 Foreknowledge 4 Sass 5 Novelist Seton 6 “The Killing Fields” Oscar winner Haing S. __

7 Lions or tigers or bears 8 It replaced the Slovak koruna on 1/1/2009 9 Rehab symptoms 10 Eddy 11 Pilot 12 “Contact” acronym 13 Presley’s middle name 14 Voice mail cue 18 Limo leaders, at times 23 Relaxed pace 24 Peggy Lee and Marilyn Monroe, at birth 26 Dashboard letters 27 Comic book artists 28 “__ say more?”

30 Atlantic game fish 31 Zoo enclosure 32 Shogun’s capital 33 Bygone days 34 Like much pottery

36 Food preservative letters 38 Fall back 39 Tucked in 43 Slatted window opening 47 Quite weighty 49 Meet with the old gang 50 Joints with caps 51 Leave abruptly, as a lover

52 “Nope” 53 Doe to be identified 54 Culture medium 55 __-Rooter 56 Fordham’s hoops conf.

57 School closing?

60 Prefix with light 61 One-third of CDLIII

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Robert H. Wolfe (c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

03/28/09

03/28/09

5

Team Fun Page

OPINION Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902

Environmental Columnist

Phone: 607-777-2515

Fair food system requires reform

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

Spring 2015 editor-in-ChieF* Rachel Bluth editor@bupipedream.com

A sustainable food model depends on market overhaul

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

neWs editor* Nicolas Vega news@bupipedream.com

Dorothy Farrell

Environmental Columnist

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

design MAnAger* Emma C Siegel design@bupipedream.com design Assts.

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O

Chicken Run

n Feb. 5, Binghamton University Dining Services consulted with the Student Culinary Council (SCC) on a proposed policy change. In a nation-wide campaign, the Humane League is pressuring Sodexo to discontinue the use of battery-cage eggs.

Here at Binghamton, Sodexo gave students the opportunity to express their thoughts. In the coming weeks, we hope that BU Dining Services sets a positive example and makes the switch to cage-free eggs.

This may seem like a small change, but it could make a big difference. While battery-cage eggs cost less, they’re produced under exceedingly cruel conditions.

To put it in perspective: Battery cages are outlawed all across the European Union as of Jan. 1, 2013 and are condemned by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production as well as every animal protection group in the world. The size of cages ranges somewhere between 67and 76-square inches, which is narrower than the wingspan of one hen. Three or more hens are crammed into these cages. Such an environment disrupts natural bodily functions — bones and spinal cords deteriorate, feathers and skin are rubbed to rawness.

The cramped conditions drive the hens to such stress that, were their beaks not cut off, they would peck each other to death.

Battery cages remain the industry standard in the United States — excepting California, which banned them, gestation crates for pregnant pigs and veal crates this year.

Not every student necessarily cares very much about animal cruelty. Many believe that cagefree eggs taste better because the chickens who lay them are less terrorized. The stress chickens feel from living in a cramped cage causes high cortisol levels in the eggs, which in turn makes them taste less savory. Battery-cage eggs also don’t have the nutrition of cage-free eggs, with lower levels of Omega-3s, Vitamin E, Vitamin A and higher levels of saturated fat and cholesterol.

Critics note that the change to cage-free will raise dining prices. Animal abuse aside, the institution of a marginal price increase is worth it. Eggs are cheap in the first place, and cagefree eggs are not considerably more expensive. Disagree with us? Voice your opinion at the SCC meeting on Feb. 19. Sodexo has given us the unique opportunity to speak up and determine for

ourselves if we are willing to pay the price for a breakfast with a conscience.

Of course it’s easy to sit in an office and decree that the University should make the switch from cheaper eggs to more expensive ones. At a public institution like ours, every incremental price change affects the students, and more specifically, it affects the most economically disadvantaged students. We are sensitive to this fact, and no endeavor that increases the cost of a college education should be undertaken lightly or without serious consideration. Yet, we believe the price is worth it. We are a major consumer of eggs, and once we switch to all cage-free omelets, we can provide an example for other schools to follow suit. This is the way to effect change. As more and more institutions demand healthier, and more humane food, the market will adjust accordingly.

If we continue to hold ourselves out to be a premier public university on the cusp of national recognition, we must be at the forefront of change.

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-inChief, News Editor, Opinion Editor, Sports Editor, and Release Editor.

It takes enormous effort to prepare enough food to feed Binghamton University’s campus on a daily basis. The preparation of nutritious calories equates to a massive amount of organic energy passing through the dining halls.

Proper time and planning are essential to dining hall operations.

For the most part, all goes well — except for everything that goes unseen.

Out of those hundreds of thousands of calories consumed, how many of them were grown fairly? How was the quality of this planet improved, or degraded? How many people were able to go home and feed their families after a long day of preparing your food and how many people couldn’t? How much energy did it take to produce all of that organic energy, and was it renewable? Out of those hundreds of thousands of calories consumed, how many will fuel actions toward growth?

Human progress is supposedly at its peak, yet none of those questions could necessarily yield positive answers. Our food, the building blocks and energy for our bodies, is now grown from seeds fundamentally different from anything seen before. Some of these seeds are cultured in laboratories and others strip farmers of their sovereign land rights. Some of these seeds require draining aquifers at unsustainable rates. Other seeds are cultivated with derivatives of war chemicals that have since washed into the dead zones of the Chesapeake Bay. Today, and every day, we need to make a choice as to what kind of future we are living for.

Every action is accounted for by the interconnectedness of our globalized world. The goals we work toward are the only seeds we can ensure will be sown.

What is it going to take to build a fair food system? Truthfully, if the entire campus decided to switch today, there wouldn’t even be an infrastructure strong enough to support the change. Most agriculture, even that which is local, or certified organic, or fair trade, still competes in global markets.

That means that businesses need to cut corners: burn cheap fuels, cut wages, compress animals’ living quarters. Imagine the price of a single meal if producers followed every just practice. The price would be too steep to compete with other options. As long as we operate under the current economic model, a fair food system is impossible.

We must place a higher value on quality, not quantity. Food connects mankind not only to the planet that sustains its growth, but also the people who work to make everything come together. Food, which once created communities, is now tearing them apart. It’s the quality of our relationships with the Earth we live on and the people we live among that is essential to our place as humans.

The BU Sustainable Food Group, a project under the Intellectual Decisions on Environmental Awareness Solutions (I.D.E.A.S) group, is addressing this issue by working toward a truly sustainable food system. It will require transparency between providers and consumers, because sometimes digging deeper is more important than labels. It will require that new markets are opened, like distributors that can satisfy the school’s huge demand for local, quality ingredients. As student discontent with our industrialized food operations rises, we will better be able to constructively direct our energy toward an alternative.

This Wednesday, the BU Sustainable Food Group will be completing its mission statement.

Anyone interested in this project is welcome to join this exciting process. I strongly encourage anyone who is uneasy with the status quo to make their voices heard.

— Dorothy Farrell is the president of IDEAS and a senior majoring in environmental studies

Food, which once created communities, is now tearing them apart

End cultural appropriation in hip-hop scene Azealia Banks' social media comments bring attention to racist practice While I recognize Banks doesn't always approach issues in a mature fashion, it's clear she is pointing out an underlying problem

Anita Raychawdhuri

Columnist

After hearing the popular hit “212” for the first time, I fell in love with Azealia Banks, a spunky rapper backed by energetic beats. Recently, Banks made headlines for a completely different reason. On her various social media outlets, she posted jarring criticisms of institutional racism and sexism. As a black, bisexual, female rapper, Banks is all too familiar with power structures that privilege certain demographics over others. Her most famous social media feud is with white, female rapper Iggy Azalea.

On Dec. 3, 2014, Banks tweeted, “its funny to see people Like Igloo Australia silent

when these things happen…

Black Culture is cool, but black issues sure aren’t huh?” She also compared Iggy’s act with minstrel shows. Unfortunately for Banks, her “extreme” tweets target people in a harsh and uncomfortable way that damages her credibility. Many see her as a bully, using shock value to gain attention and notoriety.

While I recognize that Banks doesn’t always approach issues in a mature fashion, it’s clear she is pointing out an underlying problem: cultural appropriation.

Cultural appropriation is defined as taking on elements of another’s culture, often without permission or consideration for what those aspects of culture may mean to that minority.

Consider Iggy: A white Australian woman, rapping about hard times in a stereotypically “black” accent, yet she grew up in a house surrounded by 12 acres of land. Iggy is putting on an act

to perform her rap music and this act includes taking on cultural elements of African Americans.

Considering the fact that white rappers like Macklemore and Iggy tend to achieve more mainstream success, it is understandable that Banks feels frustrated. As Banks said in an interview for the New York Hot 97 radio show, “The message to white kids is, ‘You’re great. You’re amazing. You can do whatever you put your mind to.’ And it says to black kids, ‘You don’t have shit. You don’t own shit, not even the shit you created yourself.’” Rap music originated from black culture as a form of escape and self expression in a society where blacks lacked power in so many other areas.

Cultural appropriation through music goes beyond white artists involved in rap music. The portrayal of “twerking” in Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift music videos remains highly controversial.

Both videos featured women of color as backup dancers. These artists, perhaps with harmless intentions, make aspects of black culture kitschy. The videos portray black women as laughable sex objects with no consideration for actual Caribbean dance history. They make it a joke.

I’m not saying that white artists should be banned from participation in hip-hop, but there must be increased awareness of a pervasive double-standard. When hip-hop is performed by black kids, it’s considered “hood” and threatening. When Cyrus does it, it’s cute. It is hard to condone cultural appropriation while institutional racism still exists.

Though Banks may thrive off of fiery comments, she brings up a poignant issue that many are uncomfortable addressing.

— Anita Raychawdhuri is a sophomore majoring in English

7

SPORTS

February 17, 2015 | www.bupipedream.com

BU takes six straight matches for Senior Night victory With wins from No. 22 Deuel, Wallace, Bearcats come from behind to post 24-12 win over Buffalo Jeff Twitty

Assistant Sports Editor Entering the fifth match of Friday’s meet trailing by 12-3, the Binghamton wrestling team found itself in a familiar hole early against Buffalo.

But on their senior night, the Bearcats (7-10, 4-4 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) refused to be silenced. They won six consecutive matches to take the Bulls (5-13, 0-7 Mid-American) by the horns, 24-12.

“It’s a testament to the guys just continuing to believe, continuing to fight,” BU head coach Matt Dernlan said. “And this is a big one because this is more than just a wrestling match tonight.”

BU’s 21-0 run was its largest of the season, as the team sent graduating seniors 125-pound David White, 197-pound Caleb Wallace and No. 22 heavyweight Tyler Deuel off from the West Gym with a team victory. Wallace and Deuel both secured victories of their own by way of major decision and technical fall, respectively.

“It felt great for the team,” Wallace said. “We’ve had a rough year and beating another rival in New York state was good.”

Falling behind early after a pair of opening Buffalo wins, 141-pound redshirt sophomore Dylan Caruana provided Binghamton the spark it needed with a final-second decision victory over redshirt freshman Colt Cotten to put BU on the board, 9-3.

One match later, freshman Vincent DePrez took care of his opponent in the 157 bout and the Bearcats never looked back.

Our critical areas are scoring takedowns.

We blew them out in the take down game ... We dominated them on riding time —Matt Dernlan BU head coach Emily Earl/Pipe Dream Photographer

197-pound Caleb Wallace posted an 11-1 win in his final home match as a Bearcat on Friday.

Freshman Steve Schneider shut out his competitor on the mat in the 174-pound matchup.

At 184, No. 33-ranked junior Jack McKeever also clawed his way back to victory, taking a 3-1 decision win over redshirt freshman Joe Ariola to give the Bearcats their first lead of the night, 15-12.

Struggling last weekend on the road against George Mason and American, Dernlan felt that Friday’s performance showed a significant improvement in the

problem areas that plagued BU last week.

“Our critical areas are scoring takedowns,” Dernlan said. “We blew them out in the take down game … We dominated them on riding time.”

Two dominant performances

by Wallace and Deuel later, and Binghamton ended its 2014-15 home campaign with a victory.

The win itself was impressive for the team, but Dernlan sees the senior trio as much more than a few good wrestlers. White,

Binghamton drops two to No. 59 VCU and William & Mary Bearcats grapple with growing pains under new head coach and new conference Nicholas Waldron Contributing Writer

The Binghamton men’s tennis team couldn’t find the love this weekend, dropping matches on the road to both No. 59 VCU and William & Mary.

On Friday, Binghamton (2-4, 0-2 Mid-American) grabbed the doubles point as well as the first two singles points against the Rams (10-3, 1-0 Atlantic-10).

But BU couldn’t hold on as VCU staged a comeback, winning the next four singles points to take the match, 4-3.

Opening the doubles round for BU were junior Sid Hazarika and senior Ismael Dinia, who won their match, 6-4. After dropping the second match, sophomores Thomas Caputo and Vihar Shah ensured another win in the doubles segment with their 6-3 victory.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth in our doubles,” Binghamton head coach Nick Zieziula said.

Hazarika and senior Robin Lesage opened the singles portion of play by winning the first and second matches for Binghamton.

Hazarika overpowered VCU junior Michal Voscek 6-4, 6-4, while Lesage dominated his first set, 6-0, before his opponent, VCU junior Joseph Cohen, retired from the match due to injury.

But despite an impressive opening, BU dropped the following four matches in the singles round, handing VCU the victory.

With six points available in the six singles matches, winning the lone doubles point available in the beginning of a match is often the tiebreaker. Despite capturing that point, the

Bearcats couldn’t build on the opportunity. However, Zieziula saw the advantage of being put in these must-win situations early in the season.

“The longer the season goes, the more we steal those points early in the match,” Zieziula said. “Those points are going to pay off.”

Binghamton tried to bring the momentum from its nearupset on Friday into Saturday’s match against William & Mary (10-5). However, the Tribe proved too much for the Bearcats to handle, as Binghamton dropped the match, 5-0.

The Bearcats were unable to get anything going early against the home team, and William & Mary capitalized on BU’s faults through the entire match.

Still adjusting to a new conference and coach, Zieziula acknowledged that there would be some growing pains for the Bearcats. But given the long stretch of non-conference games scheduled before the opening of MAC play on April 1, BU has plenty of time to get settled.

“Our schedule works out well for us,” Zieziula said. “We can really just focus on the process of getting better every day. At the end of the day, our priority is the [Mid-]American Conference matches.”

The Bearcats are set to head to Dartmouth on Friday to face the Big Green. First match is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Alexis Boss Tennis Center in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Photo Provided

Junior Sid Hazarika won both his singles and doubles matchups on Friday in BU’s 4-3 loss to VCU.

Wallace and Deuel were all part of Dernlan’s integration into BU after he took the helm from Pat Popolizio in 2012, and the current head coach praised the character and toughness of his seniors.

“Those guys had a tougher job than guys that we recruited because they had to buy into one system, and then, they got a new head coach and have to buy into a completely different system,” Dernlan said. “Since day one, all three of those guys have done that, and I can’t be prouder of

the way they’ve competed and represented our University.”

Just this season, the three share a combined 51-31 record, with both White and Deuel earning NCAA rankings along the way. Wallace, faced with the task of filling three-time NCAAqualifying Cody Reed’s spot at the 197-pound class this season, has also impressed. His 11-1 victory on Friday pushed his record on the season to 12-13.

Up next for Binghamton are its last dual matches of the season.

The Bearcats face Bucknell on Friday and non-conference rival Bloomsburg on Sunday. Sitting with a 4-4 record in conference play, Friday’s contest will determine whether the Bearcats enter the EIWA Championships next month above or below the .500 mark. Last season, BU entered with a .222 conference winning percentage.

First whistle against Bucknell is set for 7 p.m. on Friday at the Gerhard Fieldhouse in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

SPORTS

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Women take fourth at AE Championships see bupipedream.com/sports/swimming

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Garn effectively clinches spot at NCAAs in 800 meter Besting his old 13th-place record, senior middle-distance runner clocks fifth-best time in 2015 E.Jay Zarett

event, Jesse Garn outpaced himself.

Against some of the top collegiate runners in the NCAA at the Iowa State Classic, the Binghamton One week after setting a senior ran a time of 1:46.98, the program record in the 800-meter fifth-fastest mark in the country so Assistant Sports Editor

far this season.

“The race at Iowa State was totally surreal and a dream come true for Jesse and our program,” Binghamton coach Annette Acuff wrote in an email. “We’ve been

working for this for three and a half years now. To see our vision for him and our program become a reality that day is really hard to put into words.”

The runners with the top-

Photo Provided

Senior middle-distance runner Jesse Garn recorded the fifth-fastest 800-meter time (1:46.98) in the NCAA this season at the Iowa State Classic on Saturday.

16 times in the 800-meter event will qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships held through March 13-14, hosted by the University of Arkansas. Prior to the race at Iowa State, Garn sat in 13th place in those standings. After Saturday’s race, Garn all but assured himself an opportunity to compete for a championship, jumping eight spots in the rankings.

“This race was set up to purely run as fast as possible,” Garn wrote in an email. “There was a pacer and everything. My coach and I talked before the race about just running off of the pack, and focusing on closing the last lap.”

How does it feel, being named one of the fastest in the nation?

“It’s hard to describe the feeling, it was a combination of excitement and shock,” Garn wrote. “I was jumping up and down when I saw my time, hugged my coach, and shortly after proceeded to expel my lunch into a garbage can. I’m still coming down from cloud nine.”

The race featured some of the top 800-meter runners during the 2015 season. Garn finished behind Edward Kemboi of Iowa State, whose time of 1:46.09 is currently the fastest recorded in the NCAA this year. Florida’s Andres Arroyo was 0.69 seconds off of the leader.

“Interestingly enough, stacking

up against the number one collegiate runner in the country (amongst many others in the top 16), I felt the most comfortable,” Garn wrote. “I was confident in myself and the training I have done to get to this point… It was overall a great performance, and an incredible experience.”

Aside from Garn, other members of the Binghamton track and field team competed at the Cornell Invitational on Sunday. The Bearcat women captured three individual victories on the day. Sophomore Keishorea Armstrong came out on top in the triple jump with a height of 39-7 1/4, while freshman Brooke Bonney and junior Tori Shaffer were victorious in the weight throw and high jump, respectively.

Armstrong also finished second in the 60m event.

For the BU men, junior Joe Miceli was victorious in the pole vault event, jumping a height of 16-4 3/4. Sophomore Peter Fagan finished second in the event, recording the same height.

Next up, the Binghamton track and field teams are scheduled to compete this weekend at the America East Indoor Championships. The first event is set for 10 a.m. on Friday at the New Balance Track & Field Center at The Armory in New York, New York.

BU goes 2-3 in opening series Rookie Miller dominant on mound and on plate Joseph Burns

Contributing Writer

to a victory with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Miller pitched 6.1 innings in the game for BU to complement her four RBI. The Bearcats concluded their weekend series with a split doubleheader on Sunday.

Binghamton endured another nailbiting loss to Boston College. Both teams showcased their batting skill early in the game, pumping the score to 5-5 by the end of the first inning. Binghamton took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the sixth, with RBI walks from junior infielder Griffin McIver and Harbaugh. But the lead would not last long for the Bearcats: The Eagles tied the score in the bottom half of the frame on a wild pitch, sealing a 13-11 victory by scoring two runs in the extra inning.

Binghamton concluded the weekend with a bounce back, 6-2 victory over Tennessee Tech (3-

6). Miller earned the victory while allowing only two earned runs over 6.2 innings. Richard and freshman left fielder Jessica Rutherford both backed Miller with impressive offensive feats. Both Richard and Rutherford had three hits, and Rutherford also scored three times.

“We learned a lot from this weekend,” Burrell said. “I felt like we fought back in every game.

There were obviously things we needed to improve, [but] we ended on a positive note against Tennessee Tech.”

Binghamton is set to return to action in the Arizona State Tournament this weekend. The Bearcats will again play five games over a three-day stretch, with doubleheaders scheduled for Friday and Saturday and a lone game on Sunday.

First pitch is set for 1 p.m Friday against University of Toledo at the Alberta B. Farrington Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

Opening its 2015 season at the Georgia Southern Tournament this weekend, the Binghamton softball team competed in five games over a three-day stretch, capturing two wins in the process.

BU (2-3) opened its season Friday against Boston College.

The Eagles (7-3) took command of the game early, scoring four runs in the third inning. The Bearcats answered in the top of the fifth when junior outfielder Sydney Harbaugh hit an RBI double and eventually scored on a three-run triple by freshman pitcher Sarah Miller to tie the game. The score remained the same until the bottom of the seventh, at which point BC junior outfielder Megan Cooley scored the winning run for the Eagles on a sacrifice bunt. Miller pitched six innings, surrendering five runs in her collegiate debut.

“I thought Sarah did really well,” BU head coach Michelle Burrell said. “It was our first day playing outside, so I think our entire pitching staff was a little tight on the mound from nerves.”

The Bearcats concluded their first day of the season with a nightcap against host Georgia Southern (1-8). The two teams exhibited prolific offensive production, combining for a total of 33 runs and 30 hits. Freshman third baseman Kate Richard drove in three runs while Harbaugh scored three times and knocked in a pair. However, Georgia Southern’s offense provided to be more the potent, defeating BU, 2112.

Binghamton earned its first win of the season the following day in defeating Campbell, 9-8.

Heading into the third inning, the Bearcats trailed the Camels (5-2) by a score of 4-0. Freshman second baseman Stephanie Bielec sparked the comeback by putting down a bunt to cut the four-run deficit to three. Junior catcher Lisa Cadogan contributed an RBI double in the fourth inning, followed by an RBI single from junior first baseman Taylor Chaffee. Bielec and Harbaugh both stepped across home plate on a throwing error Tycho McManus/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer in the fifth. Then, in dramatic Junior catcher Lisa Cadogan drove in two runs for BU in the team’s 6-2 victory fashion, Miller lifted her team over Tennessee Tech on Sunday.

Franz Lino/Photo Editor

Senior outfielder Jake Thomas batted .462 in Binghamton’s series with Auburn. He went 4 for 5 with five RBI, including a three-run home run in the fifth inning.

Bearcats post win over SEC team Thomas powers BU to 11-5 victory with four RBI Brett Malamud Pipe Dream Sports

While Binghamton saw temperatures in the negatives this weekend, the Binghamton baseball team was opening its season in the sunny weather of Auburn, Alabama.

Due to frigid Binghamton weather, the Bearcats (1-2) hadn’t had an outdoor practice in the 2015 season until Thursday night. But the team heated up in Alabama, posting a dominant 11-5 win over Auburn (2-1) in the second game of the series.

The victory was BU’s second ever against a Southeastern Conference opponent, with its first coming against Tennessee in 2010.

“It’s an outstanding win anytime you can beat a team from the SEC,” BU head coach Tim Sinicki said. “In fact, this weekend, I think we were every bit as good as they were. And maybe in some instances better for two and a half games.”

After an AU home run early, Friday’s opener put the Bearcats’ competitiveness on display, as they allowed only six more hits in the game. Senior ace Greg Ostner finished the game throwing 4.1 innings with two runs allowed on

six hits. Senior reliever Vincent Caputo allowed just one hit in 2.2 scoreless innings before handing the ball to sophomore reliever Nicholas Liegi, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Binghamton came to bat down 2-0 in the top of the ninth, and after junior second baseman Reed Gamache smacked a one-out single to left field, the tying run came up to the plate.

But a strikeout followed by a groundout ended any shot of a comeback for BU, and the Tigers saved the game, 2-0.

The Bearcats fared differently on Saturday, lighting up the hosts with 11 runs on 14 hits.

Senior right fielder Jake Thomas went 4 for 5 with four RBI and was one double short of hitting for the cycle. Thomas’ day was highlighted by a threerun homer he launched into left field to put BU up, 5-2, in the fifth. Sophomore shortstop Brendan Skidmore extended the lead in the seventh with a tworun double to center field, and Thomas led the charge again in the eighth inning, ripping a tworun triple into right-center field.

BU took the second game of the series, 11-5.

Seeking to win the series on Sunday, the Bearcats jumped out to a quick lead, 1-0, in the

second on an RBI groundout by redshirt junior catcher Nick Pancerella.

Junior pitcher Rob Hardy diffused the Tigers’ offense, allowing just one hit and striking out five in 5.0 scoreless innings. But Auburn responded in the sixth, plating four runs.

After BU brought in another run to trim the Tigers’ lead to 4-2, Auburn exploded for nine runs in the next two innings to take the rubber game, 13-2.

“I wasn’t interested in bringing back guys who had already pitched in previous games,” Sinicki said. “We had to make a move and it was time for some young guys to get their feet wet and have an opportunity to pitch at the Division I level.

Unfortunately, things just didn’t go well for those kids.”

Thomas finished the series batting a stellar six for 13 to give him a .462 batting average.

“He’s capable of being the Player of the Year in the [America East] Conference,” Sinicki said.

“Offensively, he’s got the skill set that makes him, I think, the most dynamic player in the America East. “ Binghamton is scheduled to begin a three-game set at William & Mary at 4 p.m. on Friday at Plumeri Park in Williamsburg, Virginia.