Spring 2017 Issue 2

Inebriation for the

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The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Thursday, January 19, 2017 | Vol. XCI, Issue 2 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

Downtown Center bus line returns to Leroy St.

After semester-long stay on Riverside, OCCT makes change due to complaints Alexandra Hupka News Intern

from Dr. King’s work, ranging from a few paragraphs to multiple pages, depending on which elements of his ideology resonated with them.

Quiñones also noted that organizers had intentionally selected passages from Dr. King’s less famous works to show that

On Jan. 10, Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) announced that the DCR bus route would revert back to the DCL route for the spring semester, after being changed last fall. The route will travel through Binghamton’s West Side by way of Leroy Street, rather than Riverside Drive.

The original change of the DCL to the DCR took place at the beginning of the fall semester due to concerns voiced by Binghamton residents, who felt that buses were creating safety concerns while traveling through suburban neighborhoods, and that this traffic should be restricted to main roads rather than residential neighborhoods. Because of these issues, the city of Binghamton asked OCCT to stop sending buses down the street, and the route was changed to follow Riverside Drive.

While the old DCL route traveled all the way down Leroy Street, the new route travels down Riverside Drive, and uses Beethoven Street to get to Leroy Street for the remainder

SEE MLK PAGE 2

SEE DCL PAGE 2

Katherine Scott/Pipe Dream Photographer Academic counselor Josué Quiñones addresses students and staff during “Through the Words of MLK,” an event that featured spoken performances of speeches and letters from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK speeches highlight progress in civil rights Recitations of Dr. King's lesser-known speeches emphasize his prowess as a relevant, influential thinker Peter Brockwell Pipe Dream News

On Wednesday, Binghamton University students and faculty gathered outside the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development to hear their peers read excerpts from the speeches of civil rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr.

Organized by members of the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) and the Student Support Services (SSS), “Through the Words of MLK” featured seven different speakers reciting passages from some of Dr. King’s lesserknown speeches to celebrate the depth of his philosophy, and to acknowledge the amount of work that still must be

done for the civil rights movement in the United States. The event was part of BU’s inaugural Martin Luther King Jr., Week of Welcome Celebration.

Student speakers from the EOP and SSS were selected by the event’s organizers, according to Josué Quiñones, an EOP academic counselor. Those who were chosen to speak were given selections

Writing messages on Post- Healthy living tips given at faculty workshop its, BU mimics global trend Employee Assistance Program teaches tips for eating on the go Students, faculty stick inspirational messages to dining hall walls in effort to increase unity Stacey Schimmel Pipe Dream News

This past fall, the 14th Street-Union Square subway station in New York City received a new decoration on its walls — colorful Post-it notes with inspirational messages written on them — and this style of blanketing walls occurred in countries worldwide. On Tuesday, Binghamton University joined the trend with “Building the Binghamton Dream” as part of BU’s Inaugural MLK Week of Welcome Celebration.

Students, faculty and staff were encouraged to write on Post-it notes and add them to walls located in each of the residential dining halls and the Tillman Lobby of the Old University Union between noon and 7 p.m. Messages written included “Don’t let anyone dim your light” and “You belong here!” as well as quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event was sponsored by the Intercultural Welcome Committee, the Multicultural Resource Center, Residential Life and BU Dining Services.

Tanyah Barnes, assistant director of the Multicultural Resource Center, said “Building the Binghamton Dream” offered an opportunity for campus members to collectively embrace each other through a collaborative art project. The project was intended to give students a glimpse into the lives of their peers’ aspirations, hopes and dreams.

“Fostering an environment at Binghamton University, inclusive of all, will really help our students who come here to be successful,” Barnes said. “You start to meet people who are empathetic, and when you’re empathetic, you begin to think of needs of other people without them telling you and then you create new things that tackle issues before they arise.”

Daryl Santos, vice provost for diversity and inclusiveness, said that this was an opportunity to put into perspective the changes that have occurred since Dr. King’s time, as well

SEE POST PAGE 2

Simone Scheurer/Pipe Dream Photographer Sponsored by the Intercultural Welcome Committee, Multicultural Resource Center, Residential Life and Binghamton University Dining Services, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to write words of inspiration, dreams and motivation to inspire an inclusive campus.

ARTS & CULTURE

Jillian Forstadt

Contributing Writer

The Employee Assistance Program held its workshop, “Eating Right for Life: On the Go,” on Wednesday, the first in a series aimed to promote healthy living among Binghamton University employees.

The EAP offers community resources and services to all faculty, staff, graduate student employees and retirees at BU. After receiving a grant of approximately $1,000 from the New York State Employee Assistance Program, the department chose to fund a program in order to create a culture in which employees could talk about healthy eating and living.

According to Ada Robinson-Perez, associate director of the Employee Assistance Program, the program coordinators hoped to help participants

evaluate their relationship by using food as a tool to gain knowledge about healthy eating habits and identify two goals for healthy living. “[We want] to encourage faculty and staff to take care of themselves by selecting food that will improve and sustain their health AND still enjoy the pleasure of eating and dining out,” Robinson-Perez wrote in an email.

While there are many resources available to students as part of BU’s Healthy Campus Initiative, B-Healthy, the options created for faculty are limited.

The workshop was a result of the efforts from the Employee Health and Wellness Sub-Committee, which is chaired by Cindy Cowden, senior associate director of facilities and internal operations of campus recreation.

The presentation was led by Mary Niefer, an Employee Assistance Program

Get ready for Saturday’s Dollar Show,

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SEE HEALTH PAGE 2

Psychologist explores expanding memory

Kara Blacker looks at methods of improving short-term recognition Stacey Blansky Contributing Writer

On Wednesday afternoon, Kara Blacker, who is a post-doctoral fellow of psychological and brain sciences and neurology at John Hopkins University, spoke about her research on “The Flexibility of Working Memory” at Binghamton University’s psychology department colloquium. She began by explaining working memory and outlining the goals of her research project.

“Working memory is a mental work space where we store and process information,” Blacker said. “It predicts things like overall scholastic achievement, as well as individual skills like reading comprehension and math ability.”

In her research, Blacker focused on the visual-spatial domain of working memory, particularly how people store visual bits of information over short periods of time.

Because visual working memory capacity is limited, she said we can only maintain about three or four pieces of information at one time.

“I am interested in whether we can stretch the limitations of working memory with experience and training, and see if we can push this capacity-limited system around,” Blacker said.

In one of her experiments, Blacker examined the effect of video games on visual perception and attention. She split a group of 34 college students in half, assigning one group to play the action video game “Call of Duty,” and the other group to a less combative control, “The Sims.” Data showed that the first-person perspective and fast-paced nature of action video games gave rise to visual-cognitive enhancements.

“After training, we see a significant improvement in visual working memory capacity for our action group above and

OPINIONS

The first “Planned Fam Band Jam” fundraiser to be held Sunday,

coordinator, who debunked many of the common misconceptions about nutrition.

She said that facts about food are often concealed in misleading language on food labels. According to Niefer, products that claim to be made with real fruit typically contains fruit juice, which generates added sugar, rather than whole fruit.

“Bad news — muffins are just cupcakes without frosting,” Niefer said.

“Grain products that are ‘multigrain’ are really just a combination of multiple types of grain, which often includes refined grain.”

Niefer also suggested that participants avoid their cell phones when food shopping so that they are not distracted from their shopping lists. Primarily, Niefer stressed that weight management and healthy living is a lifelong — not a

Columnist Sarah Saad argues that BU’s policies are encouraging unregulated Greek life,

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beyond that of the control group,” Blacker said. “With something as simple as 30 hours of action video game experience, we can start to push this limitation.”

As a long-term goal, Blacker said she hopes to understand how the brain can change through testing and observing working memory in her subjects. By understanding the lasting scientific consequences of this research, she plans on applying the general premises of her discoveries to clinical work.

“Individuals with ADHD are very much characterized by deficits to working memory and executive function,” Blacker said. “They have a lot of room to benefit from working memory training.”

She measures training effectiveness by having healthy undergraduate participants fill out an ADHD symptoms questionnaire,

SEE MEMORY PAGE 2

SPORTS

Men’s basketball loses four straight to start of America East play,

Women’s basketball records best conference start in nine years,

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2

NEWS

bupipedream.com | January 19, 2017

Professor studies memory improvement MEMORY FROM PAGE 1

Photo from Pipe Dream Archives Off Campus College Transport announced that the DCR bus route would revert back to the DCL route for the spring semester to ensure safety for students.

After rider complaints, the DCL bus route returns DCL FROM PAGE 1 of Binghamton’s West Side. This will allow for the route to avoid some of the areas residents complained about, while also passing through areas with heavy student populations.

Timothy Redband, director of OCCT, said that changes were made in coordination with the city of Binghamton to improve the safety of the DCL route, including new street signs and planning of future traffic changes.

“We worked directly with the city to make changes at the intersection of Leroy and

Beethoven Street,” Redband said. “We added ‘no parking’ signs, stop signs and we will be pushing back the stop line in the future, so that buses stop farther from the intersection.”

Students like Lakshmi Hareendran, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said they were happy the route had changed back to Leroy Street.

“I like the DCL route,” Hareendran said. “It comes right by my house. I think the change is a good thing for everybody who lives on the West Side.”

Nathan Partridge, a senior quadruple-majoring in English, comparative literature, Latin American and Caribbean Area

studies and Spanish, said that there were pros and cons to the change.

“While it is more convenient in certain instances, the DCL tends to suffer from overcrowding that makes me choose to walk an extra stop away from home just to make sure I get a seat, which was never an issue with the DCR,” Partridge said. “That said, the route changes do seem to speed up the trip, which is nice heading home after a long day.”

Other students like Ambar Modi, a graduate student studying computer science, said that he could see both positive and negative aspects of the DCL route. But overall, he said felt

the change would work well for him.

“The DCL is a very good route because it covers more people than the DCR, but the DCR route had less traffic,” Modi said.

Redband said that he thought that students would react positively to the reinstatement of the DCL route, especially given the frustration that many students expressed when the route was originally changed to travel down Riverside Drive.

“The DCL route is closer to where most students live on the West Side,” Redband said. “This should mean that students have easier access to the bus stops and a safer walk home at night.”

Inspirational Post-its line walls of dining halls POST FROM PAGE 1 as be able to see what still needs to be done.

“In order to continue to move forward, we really need to know where we are and where we’ve come from,” Santos said. “This weeklong event will help all of us in the campus community to re-visit, and perhaps for some of us to learn for the first time, the history and the achievements that Martin Luther King Jr. helped to bring about for all of us.”

Jermel McClure, Jr., the Student Association vice president for multicultural affairs and a junior majoring in political science, said he hopes to continue this event in the future and compare Post-its from past years.

“On Martin Luther King Jr. Day we should not only look back on his dreams for our country, but also reflect on our own dreams for a better future,” he said. “Students I spoke with gave me great feedback, they

really enjoyed seeing other students post.”

According to Barnes, it has not yet been decided what will happen with the Post-its, but they will be preserved. Lauren Morris, the resident director

of Oneida Hall of College-inthe-Woods, said that in today’s climate, a sharing of common goals and aspirations can be uplifting.

“This week to me shows that the University shows support

and togetherness when times are tough,” Barnes said, “and I appreciate all the work the students, volunteers, staff and faculty put in to make a week like this happen when we needed it most.”

Katherine Scott/Pipe Dream Photographer

which would provide her with a range of ADHD symptoms. Then, she would have these students participate in memory-related tasks, and compare their results before and after brain training. She found that individuals with more ADHD symptoms are the ones that benefit the most from training.

Sarah Laszlo, associate professor of psychology and director of BU’s brain and machine laboratory, helped coordinate the event and spoke about the importance of exposing BU students to professionals in varying fields. She explained that students can benefit from hearing ideas from experts within the University, as well as other institutions.

“I think it is always good to bring in people that know something that we don’t know because we are an institution of higher learning, and all of us faculty want for you students to learn as much as you possibly can while you are here,” Laszlo said.

She encouraged students to seek out events where they can hear about research in a more engaging setting — as opposed to reading from a textbook — because

many recent scientific projects have broad implications for the current student population.

For example, there are many brain-training apps, such as Lumosity, that claim to improve memory, attention and problemsolving skills. Blacker spoke about this program — among others — and said that there is not enough reliable evidence to correlate these apps with higher levels of academic success.

According to her, there has been data disproving the claims of particular companies who claim their product can enhance academic performance. She has not studied the effectiveness of these specific apps, but she has stated that the goal of her and her colleagues is to inform the public based on science — even though media industries tend to overlook scientific findings.

“You are students and might be vulnerable to a company that is trying to sell you something to make you smarter,” Laszlo said. “I thought this talk was very reasonable and realistic. It is important to know the science behind something so you can learn about it and evaluate it yourself.”

Students, faculty recite obscure MLK speeches MLK FROM PAGE 1 he was more than an inspirational speaker, but an extremely relevant and influential thinker.

“We tried to select speeches that weren’t so well-known and then really pull out excerpts that spoke to not only what Dr. King was talking about then, but are still things that apply and ring true today,” Quiñones said.

Reading from Dr. King, David Best, a counselor in the SSS, outlined a key component of the civil rights leader’s philosophy that organizers felt was particularly applicable to current events. “’There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that that have nothing to lose,’” Best quoted from a speech Dr. King originally delivered at Southern Methodist University on March 17, 1966. “’People who have stake in their society protect that society, but when they don’t have it, they unconsciously want to destroy it.’”

Calvin Gantt, the director of the EOP, said he felt that the recitations of the speeches could bring positive energy to the University’s Welcome Week and provide attendees with inspiration as they go further into the year.

He read a selection originally

heard in Montgomery, Alabama that he felt outlined the idea of history repeating itself, unless action is taken.

“I hope that students understand that there is still a lot of work to be done,” Gantt said.

“We’re on the precipice of a new president, and there’s already lots of potential controversy around what that means. But I’m a firm believer that we have more control over our destiny than we give ourselves credit for.”

The event was attended by approximately 30 faculty members and students, with large groups stopping by to listen in as they passed the area.

Robert Edwards, a sophomore majoring in theatre, said he chose to speak so that he could show other students what he referred to as the timeless nature of Dr. King’s words. The passage Edwards chose came from a speech that was originally delivered in Atlanta, Georgia in 1967, which focused on the pride Dr. King hoped African Americans would take in their culture, regardless of the way they were treated.

“I hope that people really got the idea that even though we’ve made great progress in the past, and are continuing to make great progress, we still have a long way to go,” Edwards said. “I hope that people take away that everyone can be a part of it. Everyone can do their little part to make things more welcoming.”

Employee workshop offers suggestions for simple, healthy eating HEALTH FROM PAGE 1 short-term — endeavor.

“It’s a process and it changes,” Niefer said. “Your lifestyle can change and health picture can change.”

Participants added to the discussion by sharing their own nutrition tips and experiences, along with the best methods for eating locally. They were encouraged to share their healthy eating strategies —

ranging from apps to recipes — on a Google document. Alison Gierlach, manager of professional employment at BU, believed this structure supported a productive atmosphere for participants.

“I think that a group dynamic

is something that encourages me to keep paying attention to this topic, as opposed to trying to remember to do things on my own in isolation,” Gierlach said.

Although there is no occupational health department

for staff at BU, the Employee Assistance Program office — located at South G673 in Glenn G. Bartle Library — provides many convenient ways to introduce health support to faculty and staff, such as a weight

program, a small lending library and a happiness portal webpage.

They also have plans for a blood pressure clinic that would be free to all employees — including graduate student employees — at the University.

PAGE III Thursday, January 19, 2017

Address: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 Phone: 607-777-2515 FAx: 607-777-2600 Web: bupipedream.com

A Sunny Start

Spring 2017 editor-in-ChieF* Jeffrey D. Twitty editor@bupipedream.com MAnAging editor* Rohit Kapur manager@bupipedream.com

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Rebecca Kiss/Pipe Dream Photographer A student treks through campus bracing the rainy weather Wednesday morning.

sPorts editor* Orlaith McCaffrey sports@bupipedream.com Asst. sPorts editors Noah Bressner Kyle McDonald

Pipe Line LOCAL NEWS Prosecutors say white supremacist couple killed black man in Binghamton in 2015 Two weeks before she is set to stand trial for a 2015 murder of a black man in Binghamton, lawyers for Ariana Edwards, 38, say that prosecutors should not be allowed to use terms like “white supremacists” to categorize Edwards and her boyfriend, Bradley Miles, 31, according to the Press & SunBulletin. Prosecutors claim that Edwards accused Michael Thomas, 38, of raping her in order to convince Miles to attack him. “It’s our position that [Edwards] told Bradley Miles that Michael Thomas raped her … to manipulate her white supremacist boyfriend to commit this crime,” Assistant District Attorney Joshua Shapiro said in court on Wednesday. Edwards’ trial is set to begin on Jan. 30.

New York State Police investigating Windsor hit-and-run New York State Police said a man suffered minor injuries when he was hit by a vehicle in the town of Windsor Monday night, according to WBNG. An investigation found that the driver pulled over to inspect his vehicle for a mechanical issue before he was struck by a dark vehicle

Police Watch

of an unknown make and model.

He received minor injuries, and state police are asking anyone with information to call 607-775-1241.

Injured man chokes EMT in ambulance An emergency medical technician was choked and injured by his patient while on the way to the hospital, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. Christopher Davis, 48, of Moravia received a head injury while at a bar and an ambulance was called. Police say that he choked his attending EMT while en route to a hospital in Cortland.

Davis was charged with a felony count of second-degree assault and a misdemeanor count of criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation.

STATE NEWS Cuomo proposes vape tax New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed a tax of 10 cents per milliliter of “vape juice,” according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. The proposal goes further than just enacting a tax — it would also ban e-cigarette use on school grounds and in restaurants. Vaping has become a popular alternative to cigarette smoking, especially among college students.

This Day in History Jan. 19, 1955

A presidential news conference is filmed for TV for the first time, with the permission of President Dwight Eisenhower.

A lighter take on campus crime Alexandra Hupka Police Correspondant

Moved Around SUNDAY, Jan. 15, 6:04 p.m. — A 22-year-old female contacted police to report a burglary from her room in Darien Hall of Hillside Community, said Investigator Robert Meddleton of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. The female stated that she was assigned a new room in Darien Hall prior to the holiday break, and that she had moved her belongings into the room before she went home. When she returned from break, she discovered that her belongings were gone. The victim said that she was missing many items, including a pair of Nike sneakers, a textbook and bedsheets. The total value of the missing items was approximately $500. Officers examined the room, but did not find signs of a forced entry. The case is still under investigation.

Order Up MONDAY, Jan. 16, 2:23 p.m. — Officers responded to a criminal trespass call in Windham Hall of Mountainview College, Meddleton said. A Residential Life staff member called police after noticing a man who was handing out restaurant flyers in the building. The staff member asked the man to leave, but he refused. Police located the suspect, a 52-year-old male, and explained that he was trespassing. The suspect agreed to leave the building and officers waited with him while he contacted a friend to give him a ride.

Well That Sucks MONDAY Jan. 16, 4:28 p.m. — Officers received a report of a hit-and-run regarding an accident in Parking Lot M1, Meddleton said. The victim, a 19-year-old female, stated that she had parked her car in the lot overnight. When she went to move the car the following morning, she found that someone had hit her car and damaged the rear tailgate. The molding around the tailgate was cracked and broken. There are currently no suspects, and the case is still under investigation.

Winter Breaking MONDAY, Jan. 16, 10:39 p.m.

— Officers were contacted by a member of ResLife staff in Saratoga Hall of Hillside Community who reported damage to furniture in an apartment, Meddleton said. The staff member stated that when new residents moved into the apartment following the holiday break, they noticed that there was damage to a chair and desk in the apartment, which were both falling apart. In addition, the residents stated that the right side of the coffee table’s shelf was completely broken. Officers spoke with the resident who had previously lived in the apartment, who claimed that the furniture was not in that condition when she left. Approximately $130 in damage was caused to the apartment. The case is still under investigation.

“My hope is that you will continue with the same tenacity that you showed us, to do the hard work of getting to the bottom of stories and getting them right and to push those of us in power to be the best version of ourselves and to push this country to be the best version of itself.”

— President Barack Obama,

in his last press conference before leaving office.

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stabilizing: stars

machine :destabilizing

ARTS & CULTURE Photo from Pipe Dream Archives

Pictured: The Bundy Museum of History & Art on Binghamton’s West Side. A photography exhibition space and artist studios will be opened by the Bundy Museum under the name Binghamton Photo, offering services at its location at 32 Cedar St.

Community darkroom to open on the West Side

Binghamton Photo will offer photo developing services, classes at new Bundy Museum location Georgia Westbrook Assistant Arts & Culture Editor

Photographers in the Binghamton area will soon have a space to call their own.

Beginning in February, a community darkroom, photography exhibition and studio space will be opened by the Bundy Museum of History & Art under the name Binghamton Photo.

Olivia Tonin, the Binghamton Photo darkroom director and exhibit designer at the Bundy Museum, said the darkroom will fulfill an unmet need in the area.

“There was no community

darkroom,” said Tonin, who graduated from Binghamton University in 2013. “It is oriented toward the community, for the people who don’t have the resources of an educational institution to take advantage of.”

Binghamton Photo will offer a combination of services at its location at 32 Cedar St. once it officially opens on Feb. 25. Aside from the dark room, the building on Cedar Street will house both a permanent and rotating gallery as well as artist studios available for rent.

Tonin explained that opening the community darkroom has been a long process, hastened

by the disappearance of locations in the area with the capability to process film. “[The Bundy Museum is] kind of involved in the arts community and it’s something that we’ve wanted to do for a long time, and only recently, within the last couple of years, has it become impossible to get negatives processed in Broome County anymore,” Tonin said.

“That’s when we realized, the impetus was on someone in the community to kind of create the space for it, and we decided that that should be us.”

The Cedar Street building was purchased by the founder of the Bundy Museum, Michael

Weinstein, and adapted for the use of Binghamton Photo.

Tonin explained that the Bundy Museum’s maintenance staff were able to completely transform the basement into a darkroom.

“The maintenance staff took the basement of that building from dirt floor, brick wall, unfinished basement to [a] fully functional, heated darkroom and it’s completely finished now,” Tonin said.

The gung-ho, from-theground-up spirit has permeated the operational style of Binghamton Photo. The space will be staffed by volunteers and interns, who will be responsible

for maintaining equipment, selling materials and providing general help. In addition to providing a space for community members to develop their own film, photo developing services will be offered, as well as classes taught by skilled professionals that offer instruction on how to process negatives and develop them. Binghamton Photo will be open three days a week — including Saturday, which will serve as a teaching day. The darkroom hosted a general interest meeting last Saturday to recruit volunteers and discuss programming.

Ahead of the opening in February, the Bundy Museum

is exhibiting a collection of materials from the former Binghamton-based Ansco photographic company, including cameras, film, photographs and promotional items. This exhibition will become part of the permanent collection on display at the Cedar Street location.

The opening reception for Binghamton Photo will be held on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. The reception will coincide with the opening of a juried show of local photographers, featuring film photos shot in Broome County, in addition to the unveiling of two large permanent collections in the same space.

BU senior plans Pipe Dream's guide to Dollar Show Make the most of the three hour a cappella odyssey with our advice 'Band Jam' benefit The event will raise funds for local family planning center Katy Wong Contributing Writer With the Women’s March on Washington approaching and the nation taking a closer look at healthcare issues, women’s rights issues are in the critical eye this month. In the Binghamton area, the appropriately named “Planned Fam Band Jam” is providing a forum for musicians to add their voices to the conversation.

Zachary Ritter, a senior majoring in music, is organizing the event, which will take place on Sunday at The Shop. The fundraiser will include live performances from musicians Tom Jolu and Tyler Reed, among others.

The Band Jam is being held in support of Family Planning of South Central New York, a local organization that provides women health care services, pregnancy tests, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, cancer screenings and other resources for family planning and sexual education.

Ritter is a strong advocate for organizations that promote reproductive health services, which have become threatened due to legislative action in the wake of the election.

“Family Planning [of South Central New York] here is underfunded as is, but could very likely lose more funding in the near future given the recent political climate,” Ritter said.

Eugenie Zynda, owner of The Shop, sees herself as an advocate for the cause and was more than happy to host the fundraiser.

“Family planning and reproductive resources are valuable for a healthy community,” Zynda said. “These need to be in the hands of families to have a healthy family lifestyle.”

This is the first Planned Fam Band Jam event, though Ritter hopes that there will be similar events in the future.

“This is important to me because so many of my friends and family are afraid of what our country may be headed toward,” Ritter said. “The best way I know how to help them is to make our local community as safe as possible, in the best way I know how: music.”

The concert will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Shop on Washington Street. Tickets are $3 in advance or $5 at the door, or can be purchased in a T-shirt bundle for $14. Donations are also accepted and encouraged on the event’s GoFundMe page.

Kevin Ren/Contributing Photographer The Binghamton Crosbys perform. The group will be performing — along with eight other a cappella groups and one improv comedy group — at this semester’s Dollar Show.

Odeya Pinkus Arts & Culture Editor Hey everyone, it’s your Arts & Culture editor here.

There’s a lot going on this weekend, between the inauguration, the Women’s March on Washington and whatever fresh hell your new classes are already bringing you. But rest assured that

among all of this change, one constant remains: the Dollar Show.

Yes, once again, Binghamton University’s nine a cappella groups and one improv comedy group will perform in a show that, while often entertaining, can also feel very long. Since my freshman year, I’ve been involved in the Dollar Show in various

capacities, from performing stand-up to stewing angrily in my seat upon the Binghamton Crosbys announcing that they will be performing a fourth song. While I’ll be performing improv at this year’s show, I still recognize that sitting through an entire Dollar Show is a somewhat arduous tasks.

However, with good planning, the experience can be a much

smoother one.

The first recommendation would be to pack food — and to think big. Don’t just grab a bag of pretzels and expect it to carry you over for the entire time. Bring a fruit platter, bring a salami sandwich, bring an entire rotisserie chicken if you feel so inclined. Besides being tasty, bringing food is a great way to make friends. Why sit quietly at the Dollar Show, when you can pass your hummus dish over to the next aisle and get to know the other people on the same journey as you.

So food is obviously important, but let’s not forget about drinks. At best, the Dollar Show is a night of musical magic. At worst, it’s a pregame, so get pumped. What better way to prepare for the after-party than by bringing a bootleg mimosa in a Poland Spring bottle. This is a night of class and elegance.

Once nourishment is taken care of, it’s time to talk about dress code. If you want to be efficient, get ready to go out before hand. If you want to really settle in for the show, bring a pillow and some blankets. No shame in a quick nap between sets.

Additionally, time your bathroom breaks well. What if you have to leave and you miss your roommate’s big solo? Then what was this all for, everyone?

5

ARTS & CULTURE

January 19, 2017 | bupipedream.com

Take your a cappella tastes beyond what's trending From comedy to salsa, this genre offers much more than just what's on campus Gabby Lacovana Contributing Writer With the Dollar Show coming up this Saturday, it’s a perfect time to hop on the a cappella bandwagon if you haven’t already. Binghamton University’s semi-annual Dollar Show features nine groups, each performing vocal arrangements of popular songs without instrumental backing.

While modern sensations like “Pitch Perfect” or Pentatonix are often trending, there are plenty of other groups out there.

To explore some more of this musical world, check out these a cappella groups you may not have heard of before.

The Persuasions The Persuasions, founded in Brooklyn in the 1960s, were discovered by Frank Zappa in 1968 and recorded their first studio album, “Acappella,” shortly after. Nicknamed the “Kings of A Cappella,” the group has created an impressive legacy, covering artists such as U2, Bob Dylan, The Impressions and Carole King. They have recorded with several notable artists, including Liza Minnelli, The Barenaked Ladies and The Grateful Dead, and are still performing despite changes to their original lineup.

Renowned for their skill, spirit and versatility, The Persuasions inspired many modern a cappella acts and even rhythm and blues groups like Boyz II Men. The Bobs Founded in 1981, The Bobs gained notoriety by adding a touch of humor to their performances. The Californiabased group drew inspiration from quirky new wave bands like the B-52s and the Talking Heads, and sketch-comedy groups like Monty Python. Their repertoire, which includes both covers and originals, boasts offbeat oddities like “Sign My Snarling Doggie,” “Christmas in L.A.” and “There Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens.”

Vocal Sampling Hailing from Cuba, Vocal Sampling brings a vibrant blend of salsa, jazz and traditional Cuban influences to the a cappella scene. The six-person group, made up of celebrated singers and arrangers, has been masterfully reproducing the sounds of Latin percussion, horns and bass since 1989. One of their most popular covers is a rendition of The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” which reinvents the song’s original instrumentation by adding vocals reminiscent of a funk guitar sound.

The Voca People With their eerie, alien appearances and interactive performances, The Voca People are often compared to Blue Man Group.

World-famous for both their talent and their bizarre aesthetic, the Israelbased group claims to hail from the planet Voca, where, according to their website, “all communication is made by music and vocal expressions.”

The group has made several music videos, including covers of Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” and Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie.” Their work features upbeat compositions, and choreographed dances that go along with them.

Home Free If you’re looking for an a cappella group that caters to country fans, look no further than Home Free. After brothers Chris and Adam Rupp founded the group in the early 2000s, Home Free toured the United States for years before landing a spot on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” a televised a cappella competition.

“The Sing-Off,” which also elevated Pentatonix to stardom, gave this Minnesota band a platform to share their pop and country style with the world.

Photo provided by The Bobs Biographies Drawing inspiration from quirky new wave bands like The B-52s and Talking Heads, The Bobs have gained notoriety by adding a touch of humor to their performances.

INAUGURATION DRINKING GAME On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. The event — from the ceremony itself all the way to the inaugural address — can often feel long and boring for those watching despite the gravity of the situation. That is, of course, if you watch it sober.

What better way is there to celebrate the United States than by drinking copious amounts of alcohol? Play along to Pipe Dream’s drinking game — alone or with friends — while watching Trump officially become president. To begin, take a sip of your drink of choice.

Casey Tin/Design Assistant

PIPE DREAM GIMs Are you interested in: Writing? Copy Editing? Graphic Design?

Technology? Photography? Business and Advertising? Comics?

Join Pipe Dream!

Monday, January 30 @ 7 p.m.

Tuesday, January 31 @ 7 p.m.

OPINIONS Thursday, January 19, 2017

How BU policy encourages unregulated Greek life

Rules about the Binghamton Advantage Program, rush have negative consequences Sarah Saad

Columnist

Behind the dark brick and sticky-floored buildings that are spread throughout Downtown Binghamton lives a world of unrecognized, flourishing Greek organizations. Even with the diverse selection of recognized oncampus organizations, much of our student population is driven to join organizations that are unregulated. They risk unfortunate consequences if the members are revealed to campus officials, or worse yet, state law enforcement officials. The question is, why are these students settling for unregulated organizations?

Binghamton University, just like any school, does not foster a perfect Greek life. Hazing still

exists for on-campus and offcampus organizations, members are rushed under the table and the new-member process can sometimes go on much longer than expected. Even though on-campus organizations are required to follow procedure, it is no surprise that a lot of wrong continues to be practiced behind closed doors.

Therefore, it only makes sense that our University attempts to control the amount of off-campus Greek life organizations there are in order to limit the negative aspects of Greek life. However, when we look at various regulations, it appears as though BU is only enabling offcampus organizations to flourish.

The University maintains a transition program called the Binghamton Advantage Program (BAP), which accepts students for their first year through Broome Community College (BCC), allowing them to later

transition into BU. We claim that BAP students are just as equal as any other student, allowing them to join clubs throughout the campus and participate in all the same festivities. Yet, we exclude them from joining Greek life — a community that many seek when they are looking for a group of friends, especially in their first year.

Due to the fact that BAP students live with one another in break housing and attend classes at BCC, the transition to campus is clearly more difficult than is first suggested. Therefore, Greek life exists as an incredibly appealing option for those who have not found their place.

Meanwhile, students who are part of the program are unable to join, primarily, due to the fact that they are expected to maintain a certain GPA to transfer into BU. As recruitment chair for

Bad medicine?

Mental health treatment may be ineffective Sarah Tucker

Contributing Columnist

Each year, approximately 20 percent of U.S. citizens suffer from a mental health problem that is diagnosable. College students specifically are increasingly seeking help for mental issues at five times the rate of enrollment of new college students. With such a large number of people suffering from mental disorders, it is important that these individuals are given treatments proven to be effective.

However, a recent metaanalysis conducted by two Norwegian researchers reveals that we do not have a good grasp on which treatments for mental illnesses actually work. This lack of understanding is made evident by analyzing the effectiveness of two common treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants.

According to PsychCentral, an online mental health resource, the purpose of cognitive behavioral therapy is to “change patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind people’s difficulties, and so [to] change the way they feel.”

The meta-analysis conducted by the two Norwegian researchers revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy has been steadily losing its effectiveness since its creation in the 1960s.

Our failure to understand which treatments for mental disorders are effective also applies to psychoactive drugs.

Irving Kirsch, a researcher who pioneered the use of meta-analysis

in studying antidepressants, believes that placebos are effective treatments for depression and that antidepressants add very little, except side effects. Kirsch obtained FDA reviews of placebo-controlled clinical trials of the six most widely used antidepressant drugs and found that placebos were 82 percent as effective as these drugs.

The results of the clinical trials of these antidepressants legitimized Kirsch’s theory that antidepressants are not effectual.

Some of these trials used “active” placebos, which give patients the same side effects as the real antidepressant, in order to eliminate bias responses. In these trials, there were no differences in improvement between the patients taking the active placebos and those taking the actual antidepressants.

Additionally, in other clinical trials where doses of the drugs varied, the level of improvement in patients on lower doses and higher doses did not differ. If antidepressants were truly effective, the higher doses should have proved to be more potent than the lower ones.

Given that antidepressants are constantly scrutinized for their effectiveness, it is troubling that many doctors continue to write prescriptions for these psychoactive drugs. With approximately 270 million prescriptions written for antidepressants each year, these drugs are the most consumed class of medication in the United States. Despite being aware of the ineffectualness of antidepressants, many doctors continue to prescribe these psychoactive drugs because of payments made to them by drugmakers.

A study by Charles Ornstein

and Ryann Jones revealed that many doctors receive thousands of dollars in “consulting payments” from drug companies. Yet, the definition of consulting from the U.S. centers for Medicaid and Medicare is vague, allowing drugmakers to get away with using this money in an attempt to affect which drugs doctors prescribe to their patients. Although the Affordable Care Act recently made it a requirement for drugmakers to publicly disclose their payments to doctors, the influence of these payments still remains a problem.

As someone who suffers with depression, the implications of these recent meta-analyses are deeply troubling to me. It is difficult to accept that the medicine I use is likely ineffective in improving my mental condition.

To be clear, I am not advocating for people to not seek help for their mental illness. It is very important to seek medical attention if you are worried about your mental health, and the counseling center and therapists on campus have been very beneficial to me. But acknowledging that many of the current existing treatments for mental disorders are ineffective is the first step that the scientific community and individuals must take in discovering treatments that will actually help people suffering from mental disorders. If we cling onto the illusion that the current treatments available are adequate, then we are hindering progress toward finding truly effective treatments.

— Sarah Tucker is a senior majoring in business administration.

my sorority, nothing is more disappointing than telling a student they cannot participate in formal rush due to the fact that they are a BAP student. For a student who is deeply set on joining Greek life, their next option is off-campus organizations.

It isn’t just BAP that leads students to join off-campus organizations. Part of it is the social aspect, when students genuinely like the members of the organizations better. Another part is that first-semester freshmen are able to rush, without having to wait around for a semester. With that, off-campus organizations are able to recruit in whatever method they wish — as long as they don’t get caught — because nobody is providing them with regulations. The freedom offcampus organizations obtain in order to recruit and expand their organizations stems from

the regulations our University has established.

I truly believe regulations within Greek life are important.

It is important that freshman students have a semester to adjust to college as well as think about whether or not they want to rush; but even so, our campus does little in the time to discourage students from joining unregulated organizations.

To some, Greek life is silly, but to others, it is very important.

People truly enjoy the community they obtain through Greek life and are willing to sit through a lot in order to obtain that community. Therefore, I believe the Greek life office must reconsider what the purpose of their regulations are.

Maybe new regulations should be focused on the improper new member education that many of our on-campus organizations

practice, which limits new members from achieving a higher GPA. If freshmen are incapable of rushing in the fall due to transitions, maybe it should be heavily encouraged that oncampus organizations strongly advertise in the fall in order to encourage students to wait one semester to rush.

I understand it is difficult to regulate what goes on off campus, especially since it is difficult enough to regulate what goes on on campus. However, if our Greek life is going to improve and become more inclusive to a wider student body, we need to recognize that the regulations in place are the real source of our off-campus organizations.

— Sarah Saad is a senior double-majoring in human development and women, gender and sexuality studies.

Bad connection?

We must mitigate technology's damage Aaron Bondar

Columnist

The internet has changed our world in ways we are only beginning to understand. The smartphone is only 10 years old, and we have yet to truly grasp the impact that placing the entire reservoir of human knowledge in the pockets of millions of people has had on human civilization.

Initially, the advent of these new technologies brought a wave of optimism about their potential to change the lives of millions of people. But that optimism has quickly given way to hesitation, as we dwell on what may have been unleashed on humanity.

At first, it was predicted that the ease of communication brought by widespread access to the internet, and smartphones would empower individuals across the globe — especially those living under repressive regimes. And while social media had a beneficial impact on activist organizations who use it to coordinate thousands of people — particularly in the Arab Spring uprisings — the dark side of the openness of the internet became clear only later, when repressive regimes began using the it not only to monitor and expose dissidents, but also to control public opinion. It also made it easier for governments to track dissidents and thwart their efforts. Governments like Russia’s have also used the ease of access to the internet to strategically spread

misinformation and warp public opinion.

The internet has created a world of zero distance. The costs of communication have been lessened significantly, as information can travel across the globe instantly. While this has had enormous positive impacts on the economies of developing and developed countries alike, cyber-criminals have also used this new world of zero distance for their benefit.

Unlike the real world, where theft and burglary are difficult and require overcoming certain barriers, in the virtual world the only thing that protects users and their devices are their defenses, as any computer can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Individuals, however, are usually not well-versed on cybersecurity, and most companies and governments are dangerously exposed to cyber threats — as we saw with the hacking of the Democratic National Committee.

This is a brave new world where rogue governments and nonstate actors can wreak massive damage with a few well-trained and well-equipped individuals.

The last — and perhaps most pernicious — deleterious effects of the internet have been on us as individuals. The internet allows us to construct our own virtual safe havens where everyone shares our worldview, while the mistakes and insults of our ideological opponents are magnified and shared, building momentum like an avalanche across our digital world. We lose sight of what makes others

human. We lose context. We lose nuance. In fact, we have grown to abhor nuance.

Nothing that can’t be explained in 140 characters is worth explaining at all. If you try to dig deeper, your attempt at reason will be drowned in the shouts of all the others who have no time for it. The internet has given us the illusion of a distance-free world, where I can watch a live video of the birth pangs of revolution half a world away in a country I have never visited, let alone understood. This world of zero distance gives information the appearance of knowledge and gives us the confidence to talk about things of which we know little. This results in the dangerous phenomenon of information, masquerading as knowledge, delivered by people with unrestricted confidence.

It is a breeding ground for propaganda. The “fake news” disease is not solely a right-wing phenomenon; it comes in many forms and from many places, and we all must work to stop it.

The internet has done humanity untold good. It has also given us a world we understand little, yet rely on heavily. It has changed our interactions with other humans and has changed our civilization itself. We can’t turn back the clock; the new world is already here. We must mitigate the damage caused by it in order to enjoy the benefits.

— Aaron Bondar is a sophomore double-majoring in economics and political science.

Taking a little too much credit

Students should be discouraged from taking too many classes to avoid unhealthy stress Kara Bilello

Columnist

Last week, I was sitting in my kitchen with my best friend as we contemplated our return to university life: she would be returning to her dorm at Le Moyne College and I to Binghamton. She groaned and laid her head on the table as we discussed a semester where we were both overloading our schedules with 18 credits.

Overloading refers to the act of taking more credits than necessary, or, in other words, working too hard. Normally, this would not be a detrimental thing; hard work is expected in college and in life, and no one gets anywhere without it. However,

it can become harmful to one’s sanity and well-being overall if not balanced with leisure. I argue that although this practice is commonplace, more students should be paying attention to the sacrifices that they need to make in other areas of their lives in order to accommodate a larger workload.

Most professors state on their syllabus that their four-credit class will require 9.5 to 12.5 hours of studying outside of class.

With 20 credits in an overloaded schedule, this would amount to 40 to 50 hours each week.

Though we are college students and studying is expected, it can be extremely challenging for one to find time in a busy schedule to relax or practice the skills needed to uphold one’s mental health.

Most days last semester, I would

only see my flatmates — who are close friends of mine — in passing; we were all on our way to different places. I only went back to my room to grab books and sleep during finals week, and my busiest days left me an hour of free time right before going to bed at midnight.

It is extremely clear that this practice has harmful effects on students at BU. It is much more common to hear “I fell asleep in lecture this morning” than “I got a great eight hours of sleep!”

Glenn G. Bartle Library’s silent study rooms are packed to the brim any week after the first.

Coffee has become a substitute of adequate amounts of sleep. While not every student overloads their credits, every student is familiar with stress; this is why we need to make a change.

I am guilty of abusing this practice as well. Last semester, I took 20 credits in addition to my part-time job and crew. During the semester, I spent many nights wracked with anxiety over deadlines that happened to be on the same day or figuring out when to meet my friends for a group Spanish project when I had class until 3 p.m. and work at 4 p.m. Finals week crushed me; I was pulling all-nighters regularly, struggled to focus and forgot to eat. I hurt my friends, and mainly myself, in this process. By the end, it felt as if I was losing my sanity. It goes without saying that I am extremely hesitant to do this again.

However, we as students at BU are not completely to blame. Our rigorous work ethic is commendable, which is

something the University should be extremely proud of; this is not what needs to shift.

Instead, the University needs to implement more regulations in order to protect our well-being.

Yes, the requirement to have a 3.30 GPA or higher or petition in order to overload are helpful, but we need more structure than this.

I suggest the implementation of recommended meetings with advisers for students who wish to overload; it could be helpful for the student to receive another perspective or perhaps even a different solution that does not require overloading at all.

In addition, the University could consider the implementation of a fee for students who wish to overload their schedules with over 18 credits, as Boston University does.

This may encourage students to take more time to consider if overloading is truly worth the cost.

Lastly, I believe that it should be a requirement for students to talk to the professor of the class that would require them to overload; similarly to advisers, professors could provide guidance, as well as inform the student if they are teaching the same class in a different upcoming semester.

While I understand that some students are forced to take more credits in order to graduate on time, they do not need to suffer because of it. We are in the beginning of a new semester; this is the perfect time to consider making a change. I urge the University to help us do so.

— Kara Bilello is a sophomore majoring in English.

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FUN

www.bupipedream.com | TKMonth ##, 20##

F UN

Thursday, January 19, 2017 FREE SEXY BAXTER BOOKMARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Responsibility

Nate Walker After an All-Nighter

Elizabeth Manning

RELEASE DATE– Monday, July 9, 2007

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 “Honest” presidential nickname 4 Coral island 9 Stinging insects 14 Hair stiffener 15 “Gay” city in a Cole Porter song 16 Cold sufferer’s outburst 17 Michael Crichton best-seller, with “The” 20 Woolly mammals 21 Fuss in front of a mirror 22 Wander around the Web 23 Shooting star 26 Fetch 29 E-filing receiver, briefly 30 Stockpile 31 Extremely 32 Part of a pound 33 Colorful shawl 35 Duke Ellington standard written

by Billy Strayhorn 38 Louisiana county 39 Faddish longhaired collectible doll 40 Summit 41 “In” things are in it 42 Winnebagos, briefly 45 Steal from 46 Mad Hatter vessel 48 Get well 49 Spelling or Burr 51 Striped equine 52 Classic Gene Kelly film 57 Eventually become 58 Use an SOS pad 59 Vietnamese holiday 60 Tough curves 61 Instruction book genre 62 Magazine execs DOWN 1 1992 Wimbledon champ Andre 2 Film with a famous chariot race

get outta my gina

36 Symbols worn on 48 “Love __ Madly”: 3 Church officials Doors hit sleeves 4 Per unit 50 Chills and fever 37 Golden Fleece 5 Laddie’s cap 51 Freezing point, ship 6 Tram load on the Celsius 7 Showed the way 38 Bogey beater scale 41 Go poof 8 Prepared for a 52 “I told you so!”

42 Manufacturer’s slam dunk 53 Helpful incentive 9 Aquafina product connections 43 Diverse 10 Farm division 54 Sgt., for one 44 Viewpoints 11 China’s most 55 Wrecker’s 46 Loses one’s populous city service footing 12 Luau bowlful 56 Makeshift shelter 47 Many millennia 13 Dad, to Gramps 18 Gridiron official ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 19 “Sold out” letters 23 March, for one 24 Per person 25 Christmas star site 27 Channel for armchair athletes 28 One of the little piggies 30 Rainbow features 31 Spoken 32 Steinbeck migrant 33 Malt brew 34 Author __ Stanley Gardner 35 Tamale 7/9/07 xwordeditor@aol.com alternative

By Gail Grabowski (c)2007 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

7/9/07

TWITTER

@BingBBallBlog FOR LIVE BASKETBALL UPDATES Thursday, January 19, 2017

BU struggles to meet lofty preseason expectations After loss of leading scorer Show, Binghamton fails to replace offensive production

Noah Bressner Assistant Sports Editor

The Binghamton men’s basketball team stormed its way to a 9-6 record before America East (AE) play began earlier this month. Redshirt sophomore J.C. Show, a sharpshooting point guard transfer from Bucknell who sat out last season due to transfer restrictions, led the Bearcats’ transformation. With Show in its lineup, BU (9-10) shot a 46.5 percent clip from the field in preconference play, up from 39.0 percent last season.

Show tore his left tricep on Dec. 7 against Colgate, rapidly unraveling the progress made by the offense. He played through the injury for one game before tests revealed the tear would require season-ending surgery to repair. Since then, BU has won just two of seven games — one of which came against Marywood, a

Division III opponent.

The Bearcats regarded the 2016-17 season as a potential turning point in the history of the program. BU head coach Tommy Dempsey and his team appeared optimistic from the outset, and the rest of the AE agreed and placed the Bearcats fourth in the Preseason Coaches Poll. But without Show, BU finds itself winless and in last place in the conference after losing four straight games.

“We’re struggling some,” Dempsey said. “We’ve lost a few in a row after we got off to a good start to the season, and we’re struggling to find our way.”

So far in conference play, the Bearcats have shot just 39.5 percent from the field, while their opponents have averaged 49.1 percent. BU’s defense has struggled, failing to keep pace with even the slowtempo offenses of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Junior forward Willie Rodriguez led BU in its seven games over winter break. He tallied 13.6 points per game, while averaging 6.1 rebounds.

Junior forward Bobby Ahearn, who had found his way early on this season, fell into a slump.

Along with Show, Ahearn carried the team early on this season but has scored just 6.1 per game while averaging 19.9 minutes on the court over break.

After Show’s injury, Dempsey’s plan for BU’s lineup spiraled into disrepair. His replacement came in the form of a committee consisting of freshman guard Fard Muhammad, junior guard Yosef Yacob and senior guard Marlon Beck. However, none of them have been able to match Show’s offensive production.

Yacob has also struggled with injuries, after suffering a concussion earlier this season.

Despite watching from the bench

AROUND LEAGUE

THE

UNH was picked to finish second in the preseason AE poll, but has struggled so far in conference play. The Wildcats have already lost two home games — a three-point loss to Stony Brook and a 12-point loss to Vermont. They were held under 60 points in both contests and currently rank seventh in the conference in scoring offense, averaging just 69.6 points per game. They do, however, have two stars on the offensive end in junior forward Tanner Leissner and senior guard Jaleen Smith. Each is in the top ten in the AE in scoring, averaging 15.5 and 14.8 points per game, respectively.

Assistant Sports Editor

Four games into America East (AE) play, Pipe Dream takes a look at how the teams in the conference have fared so far. Teams are listed in the order of the current conference standings.

Vermont 15-5, 5-0 AE Stony Brook 9-8, 4-0 AE UMBC 12-6, 3-2 AE UMass Lowell 8-11, 3-2 AE New Hampshire 11-7, 2-2 AE

6 7 8 9

UAlbany Hartford Maine Binghamton

Emily Earl/Staff Photographer After losing its first four games of conference play, Binghamton sits in last place in the America East.

UML’s biggest asset is redshirt junior guard Jahad Thomas, a stat machine who is playing outstanding basketball this season. He’s ranked third in scoring (17.4), first in rebounding (9.8), first in field goal percentage (60.5 percent), second in assists (4.4) and third in steals (1.5). Thomas has helped propel UMass Lowell to an average of 77.9 points per game. However, defense is still an issue for the River Hawks, who give up an average of 80.1 points per game.

Kyle McDonald

1 2 3 4 5

for the past seven games, Show still leads BU with 220 field goal attempts.

According to Dempsey, the Bearcats are focused on improving going forward. He noted that plenty of conference play remains, and BU has the rest of the season to improve its play.

But BU’s schedule will only get harder. The Bearcats have never defeated either of its next two opponents — Albany and Stony Brook — with Dempsey at the helm.

“I don’t think we feel pressure yet,” Dempsey said. “I think we’re just really trying to focus on beating a good, physical basketball team on the road, which is hard to do. We have to have great practices, we have to go up there and play with confidence.”

BU is set to face the Great Danes on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from SEFCU Arena in Albany, New York.

10-9, 1-3 AE 6-13, 1-3 AE 5-15, 1-4 AE 9-10, 0-4 AE

After being picked as the preseason favorite, Vermont has started AE play on fire.

The Catamounts are blowing teams out by an average of 16.4 points per game. They rank third in the conference in scoring offense (73.8), second in scoring defense (64.7) and lead the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 48.6 percent from the floor.

Vermont is the team to beat in the AE. After losing their two best players and head coach, the Seawolves have surprised many with their undefeated start to the AE season. The defending conference champs don’t have eye-popping offensive numbers, but they’re causing turnovers at a high rate.

Stony Brook leads the conference with a +3.94 turnover margin and a 1.4 assist-toturnover ratio. SBU has had quality road wins over UNH and UML, and seems to be finding its groove under new head coach Jeff Boals after starting the season 5-8.

The Retrievers are another surprise team early on in conference play. After an abysmal 2015-16 season, UMBC has turned it around under new coach Ryan Odom.

The team has surpassed its win total from last season and has matched its number of AE wins from a year ago. The Retrievers boast the league’s best scoring offense (80.0), thanks largely to how well they shoot the ball. They are first in 3-point field goal percentage (40.4 percent) and second in overall field goal percentage (47.4 percent).

Junior guard Jairus Lyles, whose 20.2 points per game is second-best in the AE, has spearheaded UMBC’s offense.

Albany is not used to being in the bottom half of the conference. The Great Danes had won three AE titles in a row before Stony Brook captured the championship last season. They were picked to finish third in the preseason poll, but lost three straight contests to start the conference slate. Albany ranks fourth in the AE in scoring offense (71.8) and third in scoring defense (68.6). The Great Danes played much better in their last contest, holding UMBC to only 50 points while pouring in 77 of their own.

Not much was expected of Hartford, especially after the transfer of the team’s leading scorer from a year ago, Pancake Thomas. The Hawks opened up AE play with a tough schedule, playing Vermont, UMBC and UML. Hartford is in the bottom three of most AE stat categories, but they shoot well, averaging 36 percent beyond the arc. They also have the conference’s leading scorer, redshirt senior guard Jalen Ross, who puts up an average of 20.8 points per game. Their lack of offense outside of Ross and sophomore guard Jason Dunne (13.2 ppg) has been their pitfall in conference play.

Maine, much like Hartford, was not expected to make any noise. That has held true thus far, as the Black Bears have just one AE win to their name. Maine is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the AE, averaging 11.5 per game. The Black Bears average only 12.6 turnovers per game, tied for third fewest in the conference.

Their struggles are due largely to their poor field goal percentage. They rank eighth, shooting the ball at a 40.9 percent clip. A bright spot for Maine has been junior guard Wes Meyers, who is fifth in scoring average in the AE, putting up 16.3 points a game.

After being picked to finish fourth in the preseason poll and achieving a program record for nonconference wins, Binghamton has been the conference’s biggest disappointment so far in conference play. Injury struck the Bearcats when their leading scorer, sophomore J.C. Show, went down with a season-ending torn tricep last month.

He had been averaging 13.3 points per game and was a huge reason for BU’s success.

The Bearcats still posses a potent offense, though, ranking fifth in points per game (71.1) and second in 3-point field goal percentage (37.3 percent). The have struggled on the boards, ranking seventh with a -2.1 rebounding margin. They will have to up their play on both ends of the floor if they want to make it back into the top half of the standings.

Airi Kojima/Design Assistant

Women's basketball posts 3-1 record in conference play Increased depth, improved offense leads Bearcats to best America East start in nine years Orlaith McCaffrey Sports Editor

Caleb Schwartz/Staff Photographer Junior guard Imani Watkins leads the America East in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game.

During the 2014-15 season, the Binghamton women’s basketball team was a bottom feeder in the America East (AE).

BU ranked in the bottom third of nearly every statistical category and won just two conference matchups before being eliminated in the first round of the AE Tournament.

Just two years later, the case couldn’t be more different.

The Bearcats are off to their best start in nine years, having won their first three conference games to solidify their position as legitimate threats in the AE. The team attributes much of its early success to its difficult nonconference slate, against which it went 5-8.

“We learned a lot from our nonconference schedule and I think that’s really showing right now,” said redshirt sophomore guard Jasmine Sina.

“We just played against the most elite teams, so we really had to learn our defense, our offense — we had to execute.

That’s what’s carried over into conference [play].”

BU’s offensive efforts have been led once again this season by junior guard Imani Watkins, who ranks first in the conference with 19.4 points per game. Last week, Watkins drained a season-high 27 points against Vermont to secure the Bearcats’ third straight AE victory.

“I think Imani [Watkins] is the best player in the league and when she needs to, she puts the team on her back,” said BU head coach Linda Cimino.

Fortunately for Watkins, she no longer carries the burden of supplying most of the Bearcats’ offensive production.

Other contributors include Sina, who is averaging 11.2 points per game after missing all of last season with a torn left ACL, and junior forward Alyssa James,

who has contributed 11.1 points per game while anchoring BU’s defense.

“I think [our depth] is going to be one of our strengths this year,” Cimino said prior to the start of the season. “We’re too deep in every position, which is the first time that we can say that, so I think that when somebody’s tired, they can actually come out this year.”

This depth, particularly in the form of BU’s dynamic rookie class, has been one of the most important factors in the squad’s early success. Freshman guard Kai Moon has started in all 17 of BU’s matchups, averaging 8.3 points per game. Classmate guard Carly Boland scored a career-high 16 points in BU’s conference-opening win against UMBC and is a serious threat from beyond the arc, where she shoots 46.9 percent.

For the first time since the 2010-11 season, the Bearcats have recorded a positive scoring margin, netting an

average of 2.2 points more than their opponents.

BU will look to improve its rebounding margin before the AE Championship in March. BU ranks eighth in the conference, picking up an average of 7.7 fewer boards than its opponents.

In the Bearcats’ most recent game — a 70-62 loss to conferenceleading New Hampshire — they were out-rebounded, 37-24.

A quarter into its conference season, BU stands in third place in the conference standings.

If the Bearcats can keep their recent form, they will likely be among the top contenders for the AE Regular-season Title and Championship.

“For the past couple of years, we’ve been the underdog, but this year we’re coming out; we’re ready to win the America East Championship,” James said.

BU is set to take on reigning conference champion Albany on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.