Spring 2017 Issue 27

Page 1

Postcards

in BU Art Museum,

send political message

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Thursday, May 4, 2017 | Vol. XCI, Issue 27 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

Campus loses power as thunderstorm batters region

See page 5.

Heightened police force vowed after shootings

DAY 7 See Page 3 for updates

NYSEG hurries to restore electricity to 17,000 residents in Broome County

Mayor David, BPD chief promise added measures following recent DT murders

Amy Donovan

Orla McCaffrey

Assistant News Editor

News Editor

The week got off to a dark start for Binghamton University students and Broome County residents alike on Monday evening when a thunderstorm brought down a power line, causing a power outage on campus and around the county. On campus, power was out for almost eight hours. Approximately 17,000 Broome County residents were left without power on Monday night, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. At approximately 7:53 p.m. Monday night, power went out throughout campus, leaving all buildings without electricity. Some residential communities, including Dickinson Community, used emergency generators to light the hallways, but students’ rooms were left dark. Other dorms, such as those in Mountainview College and College-in-the-Woods, were without any power until full power was restored to all of campus at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Ryan Yarosh, ‘02, director of media and

In response to two recent homicides, the Binghamton Police Department has pledged to utilize a number of “proactive policing measures” to close current cases and de-escalate instances of violence. “We will allocate additional resources to both investigative efforts and neighborhood patrols to send a very clear message that violence is not tolerated in our community,” said Binghamton Mayor Rich David at a press conference at City Hall on Monday. On April 22, 22-year-old Brandon Hernandez was shot dead in the parking lot of an after-hours club near the corner of Orton Avenue and Main Street on the West Side. Jihad Ray has been charged with second-degree murder in the incident. Ray, 26, is a former member of the MacBallers, a branch of the Bloods gang. Less than a week later, on April 28, 24-year-old Tyquan Gumbs was shot and killed on Fayette Street in Downtown Binghamton. The suspects in that shooting remain at large. The murders are the third and fourth

SEE OUTAGE PAGE 2

Kojo Senoo/Contributing Photographer Students march on campus on Monday in protest of University-funded installation of blue lights on the West Side of the city of Binghamton.

SEE POLICE PAGE 2

Sierra Club Media experts discuss credibility in culture of 'fake news' Professionals encourage obtaining information from varied sources to gain perspective demands change in Washington Orla McCaffrey News Editor

Local residents, BU students join 200K activists at People's Climate March Peter Brockwell

As the popular adage goes: a lie travels around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. To share tips on distinguishing false information from accurate news, a panel of local media professionals spoke at a seminar titled “How to be a Truth Seeker” Tuesday evening at the University Downtown Center. Since last year’s presidential campaign, “fake news” and “alternative facts” have

become household terms. According to panelist Sarah Maximiek, a subject librarian at Binghamton University, there are simple ways to determine whether an article’s claims are legitimate, including researching the date of publication, any referenced sources and most importantly, the author. “See if the author knows anything about what they’re writing or if they’re just some guy in a basement,” Maximiek said. Maximiek said there are three categories of fake news: fake news,

which is based on inaccurate or untrue information; biased news, which is based in fact but has a definite spin in one direction; and satire news, which can be found in sources like The Onion. She stressed the value of acquiring news from multiple, varied outlets. “The more diverse your news sources are, the more points of view you’re getting on every story,” she said. John Roby, an investigative reporter for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, the Binghamton area’s largest daily newspaper, said that a

key to determining a story’s credibility is developing a “data state of mind.” “When you want to check out the veracity of something, my advice is always go to the data,” he said. Roby cited publicly available resources such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s yearly data on index crimes, which account for the eight most common violent and nonviolent crimes in the United States. He suggested seeking

SEE MEDIA PAGE 2

EOP, SSS programs prepare freshmen for college

Summer workshops, courses introduce incoming students to University resources

Pipe Dream News

Over 200,000 demonstrators took part in the People’s Climate March in Washington, D.C. last Saturday. Forty-three of these protesters, who walked across the National Mall before moving down Pennsylvania Avenue to surround the White House, traveled f rom Binghamton. The group, which included faculty and graduate students from Binghamton University, traveled to the nation’s capital to show their disapproval of the current administration’s environmental policies on the 100th day of Donald Trump’s presidency. The bus trip was organized by the Susquehanna Group, an organization committed to environmental advocacy in Broome, Chenango and Delaware counties, primarily. The Susquehanna Group acts as a local chapter of the Sierra Club, a national environmental organization. According to Susquehanna Group Chair Scott Lauffer, the group aims to explore and protect the earth and educate the larger population about the dangers humans can pose to the environment. Lauffer said members of the group traveled to Washington because

Allison Detzel Staff Writer

As the semester winds down and students prepare to leave campus for the summer, many freshmen will soon begin their journey at Binghamton University — a few weeks earlier than their fellow classmates. Members of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Student Support Services (SSS) participate in summer residency programs that strive to provide first-generation and low-income college students with the tools needed to successfully navigate college life. EOP began in 1968 at BU and has developed into a four-week residential summer program called the Binghamton Enrichment Program (BEP,) in which new students take courses in math, writing, chemistry, geography and human development. During BEP, students attend workshops on study habits, financial aid and academic advising and discuss different aspects of campus life with peer mentors. Calvin Gantt, the current director and

SEE CLIMATE PAGE 2

SEE EOP PAGE 2

ARTS & CULTURE

Provided by Student Support Services

Pictured: Members of the Educational Opportunity Program and Student Support Services program.

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Get in the Spring Fling spirit with our playlist,

Stand-up specials to watch on Netflix now,

Columnists Sarah Saad and Giovanna Bernardo sign off in their senior columns,

Baseball defeats St. Bonaventure on walk-off grand slam,

Golderman discusses breaking women’s lacrosse goals record,

See page 5

See page 5

See page 6

See page 8

See page 8


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.