Spring 2017 Issue 28 by Pipe Dream

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y r a r b i l e h t p u t h Lig see page 5 The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Monday, May 8, 2017 | Vol. XCI, Issue 28 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

SPRING FLING 2017 Raquel Panitz/Pipe Dream Photographer and Katherine Scott/Pipe Dream Photographer

Mac Miller and Ty Dolla $ign perform at this year’s Spring Fling concert on Saturday night.

School of Nursing to offer clinic for smokers Adam Wilkes Decker to provide services to students, faculty for transition to tobacco-free campus to represent students on BU Council Jillian Forstadt

Pipe Dream News

Starting on Aug. 1, Binghamton University’s campus will be tobacco-free. For the many students and faculty who will be affected by this change of policy, the Decker School of Nursing is providing a free and confidential clinic to accommodate those dealing with the symptoms of withdrawal. The ban, announced in May 2016, prohibits the use or sale of tobacco or tobacco-derived products on any University owned, operated or leased property, including cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. The policy states that it will serve as a means to promote the health, well-being and safety of students, faculty,

staff and visitors at the University. BU’s Healthy Practices Clinic, located in Academic Building B Room 331 and available for scheduled and walk-in appointments on Mondays and Thursdays, was derived from the Decker School of Nursing’s Interdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Program (ITURP). Geraldine Britton, an assistant professor of nursing and the director of ITURP, said that the program aims to help decrease tobacco use, especially as the popularity of alternative forms is rising. “Our mission really is to empower individuals toward making informed health decisions, promote a healthier lifestyle, increase public awareness regarding

SEE CLINIC PAGE 3

Junior recieves 771 votes in election, will help oversee, govern University operations Orlaith McCaffrey Vera Wahlquist/Contributing Photographer Jae Chung, a junior double-majoring in nursing and psychology, attends to a patient while tabling for the Interdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Program in the Marketplace on Thursday.

overall, 853 students voted for professors in three distinct categories: an instructor who taught larger undergraduate courses (more than 150 students), smaller undergraduate courses (fewer than 150 students) and graduate courses. Three hundred and eighty-four Harpur instructors were nominated, representing every department within Harpur College. Hua, who teaches an ecology course this semester, won the award for smaller undergraduate courses and said that research has informed her teaching style. In class, she breaks the information down, emphasizing why students should care

Adam Wilkes, a junior double-majoring in economics and sociology, was elected student representative of the Binghamton University Council on Thursday. The BU Council is a group of nine area professionals appointed by the New York state governor and one student elected by his peers. It is tasked with overseeing certain University operations, including reviewing student conduct regulations, approving budget requests and recommending candidates for University president to the SUNY Board of Trustees. In 2011, members of the council recommended three candidates, including BU President Harvey Stenger, from the five that had been chosen by the search committee, to SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, who made the final decision. Council elections were conducted by email Thursday by the Planning, Research and Elections Committee of the Student Association (SA). The two candidates were Wilkes and Brian Garcia, a sophomore majoring in political science. Forty percent of the vote was required to win. Wilkes received 771 votes (45.9 percent) while Garcia garnered 583 (34.7 percent) and write-in candidates won

SEE AWARDS PAGE 2

SEE COUNCIL PAGE 2

Seniors showcase work in 2017 winners of Harpur Capstone Project course Teaching Awards named Over 100 students present research to friends, family, faculty before graduation

Jessica Hua, Qiusheng Wu, Samuel Elikem Kwame Nyamuame recognized

Alexandra Hupka

Stacey Blansky

News Intern

On Sunday, approximately 100 students gathered in the Innovative Technologies Complex to showcase their work in the Watson Capstone Projects, a class in which seniors majoring in mechanical, electrical and computer engineering work in interdisciplinary teams to find solutions to problems with real-world applications. The showcase gives students an opportunity to present their work before graduating. Melissa Simonik, a second-year graduate student studying mechanical engineering and the organizer of the showcase event, said that she was inspired to introduce a showcase event to

Binghamton University after she began her role as a teaching assistant (TA) for the Watson Capstone Project course. Looking back on her own undergraduate experience, she said the senior project was an important step in attaining a degree at a research university, and that it deserved to be celebrated. “During my undergrad at Union College, our senior project was such a big deal,” Simonik said. “When I started as a TA for this class, I was surprised that we didn’t have anything like that. They’re really cool projects, so they deserve to be shown off. I think it will give students more motivation to work on them if they

SEE WATSON PAGE 2

ARTS & CULTURE

Pipe Dream News

Each year, students in Binghamton University’s Harpur College of Arts and Sciences nominate professors for Harpur College Teaching Awards, which recognize instructors who teach in a way that students find meaningful, challenging and enjoyable. Jessica Hua, an assistant professor of biology; Qiusheng Wu, an assistant professor of geography; and Samuel Elikem Kwame Nyamuame, a visiting assistant professor in the theatre and Africana studies departments, each received awards this past March. With 1,285 submissions received

Pipe Dream News

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Mac DeMarco offers up mature sound on “This Old Dog,”

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” kicks off the summer movie season,

Four seniors sign off in their final columns,

Baseball sweeps UMass Lowell and earns fifth straight victory,

Softball held to two runs in doubleheader against Stony Brook,

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NEWS

bupipedream.com | May 8, 2017

Harpur College Teaching Award recipients, Most Popular Dept., announced AWARDS FROM PAGE 1 and how they can apply knowledge to enhance their studies. “I need to know how it applies to my everyday life,” Hua said. “Ecology is cool because you can actually apply it to all fields. It is just a matter of trying to see the connection.” Hua said that she always begins her lectures with a news article or video that explores ecology in some form. Instead of immediately giving students answers, she encourages them to discuss on their own or with peers, allowing them to discover their own personal researcher. Matt Wersebe, a junior majoring in biology, previously conducted an independent study Provided by Binghamton University with professor Hua, and also Jessica Hua, an assistant professor of biology, was awarded with a Harpur College took her Biology 480Q: Topics in Teaching Award in March along with Qiusheng Wu, an assistant professor of Ecotoxicology class during the fall geography and Samuel Elikem Kwame Nyamuame, a visiting assistant professor in 2016 semester. He said that she is the theatre and Africana studies departments.

incredibly dedicated to her job and has played a formative role in his academic career. “While balancing teaching, research, mentoring and other activities, she always has time to meet with her students faceto-face,” Wersebe said. “She has inspired me to be a better student and be more prepared for the future.” Wu, who won the award for graduate courses, teaches programming in the BU Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing Core Facility. In the course, students use computer programs similar to Google Earth to map out the changes in regional conditions, such as population and climate. He explained that by using discussion boards on MyCourses, students can actively engage with each other. By doing so, they come to class with more questions that

encourage Wu to think beyond his own knowledge on the subject. “I also learn a lot from the students,” Wu said. “I teach what I know, but as a big surprise, they come back to me and ask some questions that I don’t really know the answer. It’s really enjoyable because you see the student go beyond what is being taught in class. In the end, it broadens my horizons.” Isaiah Barker, a first-year graduate student studying geography, took Geography 503A: Programming in GIS with professor Wu this semester and has taken Geography 533: Statistics for Geography with him in fall 2016. Barker said that Wu is extremely proficient in the courses he teaches and has inspired Barker to push the limits of what he knows and has yet to learn. “It’s honestly not hard to see why professor Wu would win such

a prestigious award,” Barker said. “He is fiercely intelligent, yet humble. He is genuinely devoted to his job and goes above and beyond to make sure his students are prepared to succeed.” Nyamuame, who won the award for larger undergraduate courses, teaches Africana Studies/Theater 229: Beginning African Dance and Africana Studies/Theater 329: Advanced African Dance. His work on musical cultures of Africa, including drumming and dance, and Ghanian cultural influence has been recognized at regional, national and international conferences in ethnomusicology and African studies. The geology department also won the award for Most Popular Department, which was determined by the most nominations, relative to the total number of students having been taught by the department.

BU engineers share research WATSON FROM PAGE 1 get to show them off.” At the showcase, students displayed their projects through posters, slideshows and demonstrations. One team took over a portion of floor space and rode in a prototype of an eyetracking wheelchair. Joshua Montague, a senior majoring in electrical engineering, was part of the team that built the wheelchair and said that it demonstrated the potential applications of eyetracking software. “The wheelchair was not working when we got it,” Montague said. “We had to go in and reverse engineer the existing system. Our mechanical engineer built a mount for the camera. Then, we had to build our own system, and then we had to talk to the people in computer science to get their eye-tracking system to talk to our system.” Another team developed a transportation system called the

Hyperloop, which consists of pods that hold people and travel in depressurized tubes. Because the tubes hold no air resistance, the pods, which weigh approximately 500 pounds each, can travel at speeds up to 700 miles per hour. According to Brian Parsons, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering and the team’s project manager, the Hyperloop could become an advanced transportation solution for cities struggling with overburdened public transportation systems and traffic congestion. “It’s meant to replace trains, cars and planes in heavily populated areas,” Parsons said. “The goal is to have the same convenience as a subway, but to allow people to live very far away and still get to work in minutes.” The team has also been selected to participate in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition II in Hawthorne, California this summer, where teams from across the world will compete to

build the fastest pod. Over 1,300 teams applied to be part of the competition, and BU’s Hyperloop team is one of only 24 teams selected to participate. Two other teams will also be competing over the summer at separate Society of Automotive Engineers events in Illinois and Michigan, including a team that designed a mini Baja, or an off-road vehicle, and a team that created a fuel-efficient vehicle that can run approximately 1,000 miles on a single tank of gas using a fuelinjection kit. Simonik said that she hopes that the event will interest other students in the capstone class, and perhaps attract aspiring engineers to the University. “We get juniors out to network with the seniors and get them excited about the projects, and we try to get high school students to come as well,” Simonik said. “A lot of the local high schools have engineering classes, so we try to show them what BU has to offer.”

Adam Wilkes elected to BU council COUNCIL FROM PAGE 1 326 (19.4 percent). The student representative is responsible for advocating for students and communicating their concerns to the administration. Ryan Sheppard, a first-year graduate student studying accounting, is the current student representative. Sheppard said one of the initiatives he had worked on during his tenure was to improve Student Opinion of Teaching (SOOT) surveys by streamlining the process and increasing the number of overall responses. “The new system will be rolled out through the MyBinghamton page with additional links through myCourses and Academic Services tabs,” Sheppard wrote in an email. Wilkes said there are a multitude of issues on the agenda and he plans to narrow them down

to a core focus prior to the 2017-18 academic year. “I mostly look forward to working with the SA vice president for academic affairs, Raul Cepin, to fight for syllabi clarity and more dollars invested in the counseling center,” he said. According to Wilkes’ platform, he aims to work with Provost Donald Nieman and Stenger, the deans of each respective school and department chairs to ensure professors have a specific grading structure. In regard to the University Counseling Center, he supports hiring more female counselors, LGBTQ counselors and counselors of color. He also has the idea of including writing and poetry workshops as part of the Center’s services. The current chair of the council is Kathryn Grant Madigan, a partner at Levene Gouldin &

Thompson, LLP; other members include Matthew Salanger, president and CEO of United Health Services, Inc. and Anthony Fiala, Jr., ‘99, the executive director of SEPP Management Company. The council meets on the third Friday of the month, seven separate times during the academic year. Meetings take place in the Couper Administration Building and are open to the public.

Pipe Dream Archives Adam Wilkes, a junior double-majoring in economics and sociology, was elected to the Binghamton University Council on Thursday.

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This Day in History May 8, 1945

LOCAL NEWS

STATE NEWS

President Harry Truman announces in a radio address that World War II has ended in Europe.

Binghamton Mayor Rich David announces re-election bid

State program to encourage home ownership among college graduates

“It is a great honor and a great responsibility. A new page of our long history is opening.” — Emmanuel Macron, after being elected the next president of France.

BU preps to go tobacco-free CLINIC FROM PAGE 1 tobacco use, especially now on campus with e-cigarettes and hookah,” Britton said. The clinic is the first to service employees on campus and is run primarily by nurse practitioners employed by the University. While the clinic will focus on patient education, it will also offer health assessments, nicotine replacement therapy and cessation counseling for those who choose to quit smoking. Tim Leonard, a nurse practitioner at the clinic, senior staff assistant and graduate clinical site coordinator, said that the clinic provides a space in which patients can find confidential and accessible treatment. “Our goal is not to be punitive or judgmental, we just want to be in a supportive role to be able to provide one-on-one services to clients and be able to help them understand what the risk of those types of behaviors are and how can they best manage to get through the day by perhaps doing alternative methods,” Leonard said. Jae Chung, a junior doublemajoring in psychology and

nursing, worked in ITURP for three semesters before becoming one of the first undergraduates to assist in the creation of the clinic. While a survey of students conducted by the Decker School of Nursing indicated that 20.8 percent of students reported smoking a cigarette within the past month, Chung said that students are less likely to seek help due to the popularity of tobacco use in social situations. “How we see the whole tobacco use on campus right at the moment is a lot of the faculty are more likely to use cigarettes for a longer amount of time than undergraduate students and even graduate students,” Chung said. “We think that undergraduates are more likely to be a social smoker, or a casual smoker, and then are more likely to consider themselves a nonsmoker and therefore less likely to seek out help.” The clinic will support the policies set in place by the new tobacco-free campus policy. Britton said that she has been involved with the background of this initiative for many years and has included that prior knowledge in the direction of the clinic. “That was our first goal

Asst. Arts & Culture editors Rachel Greenspan Georgia Westbrook

— to align ourselves with the tobacco-free policy and that we would help that,” Britton said. “At the same time, realizing that tobacco is an addiction and that it really is a disease and we have to support that.” According to Leonard, the clinic was first thought of as a place for research and data collection on campus for use in ITURP, but has now grown to become a part of the Decker School of Nursing’s vision for a community clinic. In line with Dean Mario Ortiz’s vision for the school, a nursemanaged clinic servicing the community would be available at the new facilities located in Johnson City. This would provide graduate nurse practitioner students a new place to complete their required clinical hours, research and active-learning opportunities for undergraduates. According to Britton, who is also leading the redesigning of the Kresge Center for Nursing Research at BU to include an arm dedicated to healthy practices, the researchers will expand their spectrum of data to more than just tobacco-related addictions, adding to their knowledge of healthy lifestyles.

City of Binghamton Mayor Rich David will be seeking re-election in the next mayoral race, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. David is currently the only candidate after Michael Treiman and Binghamton University student Bella Rubinton both withdrew from the race. David, who was first elected in 2013, will officially announce his bid for reelection on Thursday at the Terra Cotta restaurant in Downtown Binghamton. The mayoral election will take place in November. Orton Avenue nightclub to close after fatal shooting A nightclub on Orton Avenue in Downtown Binghamton will close down for good after a fatal shooting occurred a few weeks ago on the club’s property, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. On April 22, Brandon Hernandez was shot and killed in the parking lot of the venue. Jihad Ray was charged with Hernandez’s murder on April 29. The closing of the after-hours nightclub occurred after the city of Binghamton sent the venue a lockdown warning.

As a part of New York state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, recent college graduates will have the opportunity to receive financial assistance to become homeowners in certain upstate cities, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. In order to be able to receive financial assistance, recent graduates have to live in: Jamestown, Geneva, Elmira, Oswego, Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Glens Falls or Middletown. The $5 million Graduate to Homeownership Program is meant to generate revenue in the selected cities and encourage college graduates students to stay upstate. NATIONAL NEWS House passes health care bill to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Last Thursday, the House of Representatives passed legislation to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to The New York Times. The passage of this bill comes six weeks after an earlier version of the bill failed to pass. The bill passed with a 217 to 213 vote and will decrease the federal budget deficit immensely, but not before leaving 24 million more Americans without health care.

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Cinema department to light up Bartle before finals

Ariana Gerstein's students will project their artwork on the Library Tower Tuesday night Melanie Gulbas Contributing Writer Before Glenn G. Bartle Library becomes a haven of cramming, the library will celebrate the last day of classes with an outdoor activity: a showing of projection artwork against the Library Tower. The third annual “Take the Tower” projection of student artwork, organized by the cinema department, will be displayed Tuesday from 9:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The work being shown is made up of traditional and computer animation, as well as digital videos made by students taking animationrelated classes taught by Ariana Gerstein, film editor and associate professor in the cinema department. Although this is an annual event, Gerstein said she wants to keep the event fresh. “Each time, I try to do something different with the students, to see what works and to learn from each experience,” Gerstein said. A powerful digital projector and updated software technology like Isadora, which is used for projection mapping, will be added to this year’s setup. In order to make this event possible for the third consecutive year, cinema students, art students and professors have come together to showcase work. A donation by cinema department alumnus, Jonathan Plasse, ‘72, along with

support from the Harpur College Dean’s Office, helped make the event happen this semester. Live sound performance has been important to the event in previous years, and this year is no different. Harrison Lainhart, a senior majoring in cinema, will be spearheading the music this semester. Lainhart will be creating the soundtrack for the show and performing it live. He will also have his artwork displayed on the tower. Last spring, students in Gerstein’s Cinema 360: Expanded Cinema course collaborated with a theatre department dance class taught by Andy Horowitz, an artist-in-residence in the theatre department, to create art for the projection. This spring, the students in Gerstein’s Cinema 380G: Experimental Animation Project class spent most of their semester working on pieces for the projection show. Some students worked on their projects independently, while others collaborated with partners to create their work. Students used traditional art techniques for their projects, including stop-motion collage, charcoal on paper and other methods using animation stands. For students who work mostly with live-action film and video, these techniques can be fun and new. Ken Jacobs, distinguished professor emeritus of cinema

and one of the founding faculty members of the department, has worked on projects for the department with dual projections and 3-D effects. Gerstein said that his work has made an impact on the work displayed at this event. “I teach classes that utilize projection on the tower because of a longtime personal interest in the creative possibilities of projection in cinema,” Gerstein said. “Jacobs has done wonderful work with his ‘Nervous System’ of dual projectors toward a 3-D effect. There is a wide range of approaches to projection, outside of the traditional theater setting, that are very exciting and challenging.” In order to encourage students’ passion for cinema and animation, there is a new animation workspace for use by members of the cinema department. The equipment includes repurposed materials, as well as new cameras and software. The room started with a donation of an old Oxberry animation stand, which had previously been used in professional animation production in Los Angeles. “I am very happy to be working with students on these events and hope some of them catch the projection bug, like I did when I was a student,” Gerstein said. During the event, the projection will be visible from most vantage points on the Spine, but the Pegasus Statue will have the best view.

Provided by Binghamton University Students and faculty enjoy student art projections shown on the Library Tower as part of the cinema department’s third annual “Take the Tower” production. Projections will be shown on Tuesday starting at 9:15 p.m.

POP CULTURE RECAP 'Guardians' returns in vol. 2 Joshua Rosenthal Staff Writer

Provided by Omnian Music Group Mac DeMarco’s third full-length album “This Old Dog” was released on May 5.

'Old Dog' has new tricks Georgia Westbrook Assistant Arts & Culture Editor Growing up is hard, and growing into models of our parents is often harder. In Mac DeMarco’s new album, this fear is fleshed out, as DeMarco is faced with his own father in the mirror. The Canadian artist’s third full-length album, “This Old Dog” sounds like his other efforts, but with more emphasis on the vocals than on the music that backs them up. DeMarco is known for his songwriting, and in his latest work he solidifies this reputation. “This Old Dog” was released on May 5, and echoes in some ways the sadness inherent in this time of the year from all of the emotional endings and the feeling that things should be one way, but aren’t. The forecast calls for blue skies, but instead it pours. DeMarco is known for capturing this feeling of “the world is playing a trick on me, so I’ll laugh it off,” but this album is heavier than his previous ones. Like the title, which references the adage that one cannot teach an old dog new tricks, the songs on the album address cliches. In the opening track “My Old Man,”

DeMarco sings about “seeing more of my old man in me.” But it isn’t just a similarity that he is lamenting; it’s the inevitability of turning into his own father that has him down. The highlights of the album are the middle tracks. DeMarco has sandwiched in a musical representation of what it’s like to be unsure of yourself, yet still want to seek validation from others. “Baby You’re Out” and “Dreams from Yesterday” are opposite in musical style, but offer listeners a chance to hear where the artist has come from and where he might go. The former sounds like its from the 1970s, and the latter features electronic vibes. DeMarco is equally capable of working in each of these styles, but more because he is buoyed by his lyrical skills rather than true musical versatility. On “A Wolf Who Wears Sheeps Clothes,” DeMarco translates this fable literally, singing to his listeners, “Don’t let the world outside the windowpane get to your head.” He warns them of the scary things hiding outside, particularly those masquerading as “sheep.” This world-weariness and caution may surprise fans

of DeMarco’s previous albums. On his first album, “Salad Days,” for example, the title is a direct reference to being young and naive, taken from Shakespeare’s play “Antony and Cleopatra.” The title track off of this record also works as a nod to a carefree attitude, particularly in the face of growing older. The progression from “Salad Days” to “This Old Dog” shows DeMarco aging, both musically and emotionally. “This Old Dog” is a meditation on growing up — DeMarco turned 27 at the end of April. Critics on Pitchfork and Stereogum cite this maturation as the reason for the change in sound on the new album, but based on DeMarco’s other LPs, it is probably a little more than that. In some ways, DeMarco is still the teenage boy who figures out a way to get by and sticks with it; in others, he is a popular musician who reached popularity at a critical point in his life when things could have gone almost any way. This album is a tentative step away from the comfort DeMarco has found in his niche as a laid-back indie star and a step toward an identity as a more serious singer-songwriter.

Despite — or, perhaps, because of — its ragtag group of main characters, 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” became one of the most popular superhero films ever to hit theaters, grossing a recordbreaking $94.3 million in North America in its first weekend. The original was a perfect mix of a funny and likable cast, a space-action plot and an oldies soundtrack to boot. With the success of the original, Disney and Marvel have teamed up again to jump-start the summer 2017 movie season with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” The characters from the first film return for the second, including Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Racoon and now Baby Groot, and continue their roles in a team of outcasts. In “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Star-Lord meets his long-lost father, Ego, and learns the truth about his lineage. While many Marvel films have some sense of humor to them, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” is one of the few that might be classified as an action-comedy. For the amount of humor attempted, it’s impressive how much holds up. The real triumph, however, is that the humor is often mixed with the action seamlessly, creating scenes that are a true delight to watch. In one of the earliest parts of the movie, an intense fight is played out in the background, while the foreground features comedic action. It is entertaining and charming, and sets a lively tone for the rest of the movie. Another success of the movie is its villain. Most Marvel movies have their dynamic heroes fight dull villains with ill-defined motivations and

little back-story. But “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” features an entertaining villain with an effective buildup and reveal. A good villain is critical to a good superhero movie, and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” benefits from a villain that’s both a formidable adversary and relatable to the viewer. The film’s downfall is that the main conflict does not reveal itself until more than halfway into the movie. Before that, there are some smaller subplots that are considerably less entertaining than the main plot. The subplots would not necessarily be such a drag on the movie, but when they dominate the entire first half, it

is annoying to wait for the main adventure to begin. The minor villains are foils, either there for a laugh or as a constant force against the guardians. Neither task feels important or engaging enough to justify them being in the movie. “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” sets out to build on the success of the first movie, and for the most part, it is a success. In comparing the two movies head-to-head, the first one will definitely be seen as the better one, but “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” serves its purpose as an entertaining sequel that expands the universe of “Guardians of the Galaxy” and all Marvel movies in general.

Provided by Marvel “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” premiered May 5.

OOPINIONS PINON Thurdsay, Monday, April May 8, 27,2017 2017

The danger behind '13 Reasons Why' The show's careless depiction of suicide poses a danger to many of its viewers Rachel Greenspan

Assistant Arts and Culture Editor

When I was in high school, during the steady popularity of Tumblr, I noticed a growing trend among my peers: depression and self-harm. People would repost images onto their Tumblr pages of teenagers, usually girls, with scars on their wrists from cutting as well as bruises or burns. These images are engrained in my mind. Now, in addition to those memories, I can’t seem to get the images of “13 Reasons Why” — Netflix’s newest success — out of my mind. The Selena Gomez-produced project was released on March 31, and was renewed for a second season on May 7. Fizziology, a company that analyzes social media traffic, reported that “13 Reasons Why” racked up more tweets in its first week than any other Netflix original show. Needless to say, the target audience of the show is teenagers. The series’ premise is that Hannah Baker, a teenage girl, leaves 13 tapes to explain how 13 people led her to take her own life. Throughout the 13 episodes, Hannah and her peers are shown doing drugs, partying, bullying and being bullied. More shockingly, high-school students are graphically depicted raping, being raped and cutting

themselves. Hannah’s suicide is shown in a gruesome single-take scene, where we are forced to watch her at every step. Dr. Victor Schwartz, chief medical officer for the Jed Foundation, a suicide prevention nonprofit organization, said that multiple plot points of the show — in addition to the premise — could be harmful to young adults struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts. “Sequences of terrible things happen to Hannah, and we don’t get a feel for her internalization until she kills herself,” Schwartz told NBC News. “None of that stuff is made clear because it’s focused on the horrible things people have done to her. The whole thing is an extended revenge fantasy.” The show-runners can explain in a million interviews what their intent was behind the scenes. “We did want it to be painful to watch because we wanted it to be very clear that there is nothing, in any way, worthwhile about suicide,” said Brian Yorkey, screenwriter and creator, in a 30-minute Netflix special called “13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Reasons.” However, Yorkey can’t explain this meaning to every teenage girl struggling with depression; it seems quite dangerous that they couldn’t do as little as put up a screen showing information at the end of each episode, leading viewers to resources. The same is true with the graphic

depictions of rape that are seen in multiple episodes throughout the series. Other shows in our recent cultural conscience that grapple with these issues — “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” “Degrassi,” “7th Heaven” — end these severe episodes with clips of the actors explaining that victims aren’t alone, that there are so many resources out there to help, that you are so very loved. This doesn’t happen at the end of each episode of “13 Reasons Why.” We are only told to begin the next episode, and continue learning about Hannah’s traumatic experiences. In the beginning of each episode, a short warning for graphic content plays on the screen: “The following episode contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing and/or may not be suitable for younger audiences, including graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault. Viewer discretion is advised.” The warning is similar for the final episode where Hannah’s suicide is shown graphically. This is simply not enough. For a show like this, where individuals of any age can access the series on their laptops at any time, there is no way to regulate who is actually watching. I am not advocating for increased censorship or parental controls, but rather that content providers like Netflix should think twice before creating and distributing this type of media. While the creators may portray

these horrifying scenes in an attempt to “start a conversation” or to help viewers of the show through their struggles, they fail. Whatever their motivation may be, they exploit the audience that they claim to help, creating shock value in an attempt to keep viewers binge-watching their show. Watching a girl be sexually assaulted, watching a girl successfully kill herself — these aren’t things teenagers need to see. “13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Reasons” automatically plays after the final episode of the season,

and it works as more of a behindthe-scenes look at the glamorous actors than anything else. Hannah Baker is actually alive, and she’s a beautiful, bubbly Australian girl named Katherine. Bryce Walker is actually not a rapist, but an actor named Justin who spent two episodes on “Glee” dating Becky, a character with Down syndrome. This is the tantamount problem with the show. With the end of Season 1, all of these troubled characters disappear into the void of fiction. But those who struggle in real life continue struggling, with no help of the characters

they’ve just spent so many hours caring about. Rape and suicide are not spectacles to entertain millions of people, and I am thankful that I’m 20 years old, and not still 16, when these images could have led me to a frightening place. I fear for the 16-year-olds who don’t have the privilege of being already out of high school when they binge-watch the show, and I fear for anyone struggling with mental illness who watches this series. — Rachel Greenspan is a junior majoring in English.

Jorden James / Editorial Art Contributor

Where gender and race differ Unpackaging the conservative narrative surrounding the transgender identity Sophia San Filippo

Contributing Columnist

In 2015, transgender issues propelled to the forefront of discussion when former Olympian and renowned member of the Jenner-Kardashian family Bruce Jenner revealed that, despite her anatomical appearance, she had always been mentally a woman. Since then, Jenner has undergone sex-reassignment surgery and released her memoir, titled “The Secrets of My Life,” in which she reflects on her long battle with her identity. Just two months after Jenner’s reveal back in 2015, Rachel Dolezal, former president of the Spokane NAACP chapter, professor of Africana studies and civil rights activist, made countless headlines when her parents publicized a shocking piece of information; she was born Caucasian and had been passing, with the help of perms and selftanner, as an African American

woman for nearly a decade. While these stories differ largely, proponents of a transphobic agenda continue to conflate them, proclaiming that there is one ostensible similarity between the two: deception. Attempting to invalidate the transgender identity, advocates of a rigid gender binary have, mockingly, applied the term “transracial” to describe Dolezal’s facade in order to draw parallels to Jenner’s infamous transition to womanhood. A subgroup within radical feminism has also expressed vexation toward a liberalized perspective on transgenderism, claiming that male-to-female transgender individuals are fetishizing and commodifying the female body. They also believe that these transgender individuals disregard the centrality of womanhood, which entails the experience of sexism and inequality in almost every aspect of life. This argument may seem similar to the argument used to denounce Dolezal’s new identity

as a black woman, affirming that the African American identity cannot be separated from the experience of racism. Physical transition between the boundaries of race and gender, however, are fundamentally different in nature. In modern academia, both race and gender have been acknowledged as social constructions meant to advance and sustain an androcentric or Eurocentric agenda. That is, disparaging ideologies pertaining to both women and people of color have been intentionally devised, in order to curtail mobility between the oppressed and the privileged. Race and gender differ, however, in that pigmentation is biologically assigned while gender is not. In fact, the term sex has come to denote physiological composition, while gender involves selfidentification upon a spectrum. While Dolezal, now legally Nkechi Amare Diallo, has attempted to appropriate the female African American identity, Jenner and the estimated 1.4 million transgender

individuals within the United States have simply transitioned into an outward reflection of themselves. With recent studies indicating a 40 percent suicide rate for transgender individuals, it should be acknowledged that satisfying one’s gender identity by means of physical alteration is often essential to ensuring psychological and emotional liberation, and obligatory to those who seek it. The difference between the transgender individual and the so-called “transracial” individual is the element of choice. Transgender men and women do not choose to be transgender, much like one does not choose their sexual orientation. It is simply felt. Affirming this concept is Jenner’s words in Vanity Fair: “I wish I were kind of normal. It would be so much more simple … the uncomfortableness of being me never leaves all day long. I’m not [transitioning] to be interesting. I’m doing this to live.” Ties drawn between Dolezal

and Jenner are only a recent jab at the transgender identity by conservatives, a long history that includes equating being transgender with mental illness and promulgating a predatory rhetoric. Nonetheless, Dolezal’s claims to the so-called pan-African identity as well as her recent book “In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World” have sparked complex conversations about race and gender that were notably absent during the 20th century. As the fight for transgender rights proceed, we must distinguish the inherent from the chosen, the authentic from the learned. While the term transgender and the scientific advancements that enabled the possibility of genderaffirming surgery are new, being transgender itself is not. Breaking away from the constraints of strict gender binaries and sexualities, as well as stereotypes, is essential for the advancement of liberty.

As the fight for transgender rights proceed, we must distinguish the inherent from the chosen, the authentic from the learned

— Sophia San Filippo is a junior majoring in English.

'Why was there the Civil War?' A guest columnist addresses our president's burning question Nicholas Walker Guest Columnist

President Donald Trump recently pondered the history of our nation in an interview with the Washington Examiner. He wondered, “Why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?” He then went on to praise former President Andrew Jackson, saying “[Jackson] had a big heart. He was really angry that he saw with regard to the Civil War, he said, ‘There’s no reason for this.’” In summary, this inquisitive moment of the president shows his absolute disregard for U.S. history and for the history of his

job. First, Jackson died in 1845, 16 years before the start of the Civil War. So, no, Jackson was not angry about the Civil War. In fact, Jackson was a slaveholder and would have supported the westward expansion of slavery. Secondly, Jackson did not have a big heart. He was responsible for sending the Cherokees on a forced march, known as the Trail of Tears. Of the 16,000 Cherokees sent on the march, 4,000 are thought to have perished. Why did the Civil War happen? This question is asked in every single history class from elementary school to college. Trump has proven he is not smarter than a fifth-grader. Any fifth-grader will give a clear answer, though that answer that may depend on the region of the

U.S. that they call home. To answer his question, the Civil War was caused by white supremacy. No, the rallying cry of states’ rights, as employed in the Revolutionary War, was not the reason. Instead of trying to interpret their reasons for leaving the Union, let’s look at what the South said about secession. In South Carolina’s declaration of secession, they cite an “increasing hostility” to “the institution of slavery” by the northern states. Former Georgia Gov. Joseph Brown, prior to secession, said, “The negro is in no sense of the term his equal,” compared to the white laborer. “He belongs to the only true aristocracy, the race of white men.”

Brown believes that not only would the destruction of slavery ruin his finances, but ruin white equality. Their philosophy was that even if a white man didn’t own land and was dirt poor, he was still better than some black slave. The “peculiar institution” of the South controlled their economy and society. Freedom to slave owners meant the freedom to abuse and exploit another human being, while not laboring themselves. This never could have been “worked out,” as I’m sure the president thinks it could have. The northern and southern definitions of freedom were on a collision course that left over 600,000 Americans dead. So, Mr. Trump, to answer your question, the Civil War was

caused by slavery. That answer has not changed and will not change. A more important question to ask is, what are the effects of the Civil War? The Confederacy lives on in some places. Recently, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu took down a Confederate obelisk under the cover of nightfall, with the workers wearing masks and bulletproof jackets, guarded by police snipers for their safety. The obelisk honored the Battle of Liberty Place, when the Crescent City White League died trying to overthrow the New Orleans government after the war. Another repercussion of the war felt today: racism. It manifests itself in police brutality and the disproportionate incarceration of black men. Some of the

most powerful government officials today, like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, reinforce racial inequality. Sessions said aloud he thought the Ku Klux Klan was “OK until I found out they smoked pot.” This “joke,” as he calls it, cost him a federal judgeship in 1986. In no way should the Klan, a group responsible for the lynching and intimidation of blacks, be joked about. If a war could ever be justified, it’s the Civil War. The explicit racism in the South had to be confronted, just as it has to be confronted in our society today. — Nicholas Walker is a freshman majoring in biomedical engineering.

OPINIONS

May 8, 2017 | bupipedream.com

Senior Columns

Out of the darkness and into graduation As cliche as it sounds, it truly does get better Justine Seliger

Distribution Manager

Thinking about what to write for my senior column has been quite the challenging feat for me this past week, but I’ve decided that I’m going to use this space as a message to those who may be struggling with any mental health issues right now. I understand it is almost finals week, which is an extremely mentally taxing time for all of us, so I want to use this moment to share my story as a reminder to everyone that it does

get better. During my second semester at BU, I went through a really large depressive and anxious time after a traumatizing event, which for my own sake, I will not discuss in its entirety because it is still triggering for me to write about. I was having panic attacks almost every day during which I couldn’t focus and felt like I was dying. I would leave my classes early due to the panic, then get mad at myself for acting like this and then cry until I was numb. I picked up cutting as a way to cope with my emotions until my boyfriend at the time, who is now my fiancé *squeal*, found out

about it, got upset and made me go to the counseling center to help manage my mental health issues. At first I had felt worse that I had made him upset, but in his defense, it’s hard to not get upset when the person that you love no longer can love themselves. I started counseling in March of that semester. We worked through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) every other week to sort out my thoughts and why I felt that way. Although I can look back at this experience and say that it helped, it wasn’t easy. Even while I was in counseling, I was still having thoughts that it would be better if I took my

Manager? I hardly know her! I'm sad to leave. Just kidding, I'm Rohit. Rohit Kapur

Managing Editor

At the end of high school, I told myself I’d never make a newspaper again. I pulled allnighters, remade layouts and rewrote articles and I was sick of it. Yet, as a sophomore transfer student in Binghamton, I heard about Pipe Dream’s GIMs and, thinking I knew a little bit about newspapers, I decided to try and join. After being instantly turned down by Business, I decided to join Design. My first training session was with Corey Futterman, a former design assistant. He started showing me some of the basics of layout, but after realizing I knew nothing about InDesign, I joined Tech. Now, after 2 1/2 years of helping to publish a dying form of media, I’m finishing up my senior year as managing editor of Pipe Dream. A few months ago, I wanted to update my résumé with my new position at Pipe Dream, but I couldn’t think of any accomplishments I’ve made as managing editor. Even now, I can’t remember anything significant that I’ve initiated or completed, but every year Pipe Dream has made some tiny steps in a better direction and I hope I’ve helped move it along that trajectory. I know I’ll definitely forget how to make pages or send a print order, but the people I’ve met are what makes Pipe Dream memorable. Some of the most talented designers, the most talented tech person and some really talented editors left last year and I wondered whether I would have a good enough staff to work with. I still don’t know how to do my job correctly, but every

person I’ve worked with made me look competent this year. Jeff, I couldn’t have asked for a better editor-in-chief to sit by my side. I wouldn’t want anyone else toning down my anxiety and making our leadership seem calm and collected. Thank you for empowering the staff to do what they thought was best because, sometimes, we don’t know what’s best for the paper. I’m really sorry I didn’t respond to your friend request for months. I genuinely didn’t notice. Henry, even though I ask you to do all the boring tech things, you’re one of my best friends and the best roommate I could have asked for. Make sure you keep the server safe; she needs you. Emma, I’ve spent more time with you this semester than I have with almost anyone. Thank you for randomly driving to Vermont with me. Even though all we got was soup and cold weather, it was a nice place. When you leave all of us for San Francisco, please try and stay in touch. I’m going to have a bad UX if you don’t. Mike, you’re the right shoulder in all of my decision making; the shadow government of the shadow government. I run every Pipe Dream problem by you and I definitely couldn’t do this job without you. I could always account on you to help me run Bearcat iPhone Repair or Pipe Dream. I’m looking forward to Meatfest. Brendan, thank you for all of the Pipe Dream advice you’ve given me during our analytics course. I know I didn’t learn much Mongo, but I learned human resources from you. Thank you for taking on the digital editor job and creating responsibility for it. Also, thank you for punching me every time I made a “I hardly know her” joke. It’s better to be punched now than fired from my job in the future

for too many bad jokes. Also, thank you for driving with me for 11 hours to New Hampshire for beer. I’ve had some of the best few years in Binghamton because of Pipe Dream and the people I’ve met as a result. — Rohit Kapur is a senior majoring in business administration.

own life. I still had days where I felt worthless and hopeless, but people around me kept me holding on to life. Adam, my fiancé, would listen to my meltdowns at any time of the day. He did everything to try to help me through it, even when we were attending different schools. Overall, it took me about nine months, between talking with family and friends, as well as working through counseling, to completely forgive myself for what happened. As difficult as that second semester was for me, I’m strangely happy that I went through it. I’ve learned so much

about who I am during that time, what matters to me and it helped me understand others who have mental health issues. I work as an EMT now and whenever I care for a mental health patient, I feel like I can provide better psychological care because I understand them. I knew for a while that I wanted to go into health care, but I feel that these experiences that I’ve had have helped me relate to patients. I had told a few people what I was going to write about for this column and one told me that they were worried that if I publish this column, it might hurt my chances for jobs later on. Friends, that is called stigma. And stigma

is why I chose to publish this column anyway. We need to talk about these issues so those who are struggling feel comfortable seeking help. I’m writing this column for anyone on campus who may be struggling right now. If you aren’t already seeking help, please do. I can wholeheartedly say that it will get better. I know it may not feel like it is right now, especially with finals looming in the air, but it will. Be kind to yourselves, take care of yourselves and give it time. We’ll see you tomorrow <3 — Justine Seliger is a senior majoring in biology.

Shaping my years at BU

Pipe Dream, my adviser helped me thrive at BU Kyle McDonald

Assistant Sports Editor

Ever since I can remember, I have been a quiet kid. I’m probably the last person to spark up a conversation, even if it’s with people I know. When getting ready to come

Elizabeth Manning/Editorial Artist

to Binghamton, that was something that terrified me. Everyone talks about putting yourself out there and taking chances in college, but that was never part of my personality. I figured I could come to college, be quiet and still enjoy it here. I was able to make some great friends freshman year, but other than that my freshman year was miserable. I majored in engineering, which was much tougher on me than I ever thought it would be. In the summer after freshman year, I hated Binghamton and I thought about transferring. After my mom convinced me to give it a shot, I decided to call Harpur Academic Advising and change my major. There are two things that I believe changed my time here at BU for the better. The first being that when I called to change my major, Jill Seymour, the associate director of Harpur Academic Advising, answered my call. I cannot thank her enough. She stuck with me as I attempted to raise my grades (yeah, engineering was really hard) and transfer into Harpur. She even found a way for me to graduate on time. As happy as I was returning for my sophomore year with classes that I would actually enjoy, I felt that I should finally put myself out there. I decided to go to several general interest meetings. On a random Tuesday in the fall semester of 2014 I walked into the Pipe Dream GIM, and that was the second moment that changed my college experience. I never thought that walking into a GIM where I knew zero people would lead to finding the one thing I was passionate about during my college career. I have always been a huge sports fan, whether I’m watching sports or reading about sports. When I finally got to cover my

first sports game and write about it, I immediately loved it. It’s much harder than I thought to sit down and write about a sporting event, but it was an exciting way to improve my writing as a whole. After two years of being a sports writer, I was hired to join the staff as an assistant sports editor, and it has been the most rewarding experience I’ve had in my four years in Binghamton. It hasn’t always been easy for me personally, but I wouldn’t change anything about my experience at Pipe Dream. I have met some amazing people and seen firsthand all the hard work that goes into making this paper. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to work at this paper. Even through all of these great experiences, I have remained the same person. I’m still the same quiet, shy kid, but that doesn’t mean I’m not touched by all the amazing friends I’ve made here at BU. To my fellow Pipe Dream staff members — Although I may not be the most talkative and I tend to stick to myself during production, I couldn’t have had more fun in my year on staff. You are all amazingly talented and being around all of you each production was a joy and made my time here 100 times more enjoyable. To all my housemates, former and current — You guys are the greatest, thanks for making each weekend here so good that I could forget all the school work I had yet to do. Finally to my Mom, Dad, Ryan and Shannon — Thanks for believing in me and getting me through these four years, even when I thought the fact that I would graduate on time was a complete pipe dream (get it?). — Kyle McDonald is a senior majoring in English.

Conquering fears, meeting friends, embracing solitude During my years at Binghamton, I was able to redefine my comfort zone — and break out of it Rebecca Klar

Columnist

When I thought about what I wanted to write to sum up the last four years of my life, my mind was flooded with cliches. How I’ve grown, how this city and campus have become home and even, dare I say it, how I’ve “found myself.” Even though it’s cliche, it’s all true. I’ve had the most cookie-cutter college experience and loved every second of it. I remember the day I got into Binghamton. I jumped around

excitedly with my mom for about seven minutes until I remembered that I didn’t want to spend another four years surrounded by the same students I hated in high school. Fastforward four years and I can’t imagine a more difficult goodbye. I don’t think that 18-year-old me expected to do half the things I did in college — not all of which I’m proud of. I conquered fears big and small, like speaking in front of large crowds and peeing at the Rat. From joining a sorority to traveling across the world, I came out of my shell in more ways than one. But you have to be careful that when you come out of your

comfort zone you’re not just building a new one. It’s easy to test your boundaries when you’re a freshman. Everyone you meet is new (except for the 25 other students that followed you to college), and every experience is a first. However, the opportunities to grow don’t stop when you’re a sophomore or junior or senior. There will always be new people to meet, clubs to join and experiences to learn from. Anyone can walk into a general interest meeting (GIM) the first week of freshman year, but it takes courage to seek out new opportunities as an upperclassman. You can’t grow from what’s comfortable and

easy; make every semester feel like your first. I was extremely lucky; my randomly assigned roommate was my instant best friend, and we still live together today. I didn’t have the initial struggle of finding friends or adjusting, and everything fell into place so naturally it’s almost scary. I’ll forever be grateful for the College-in-the-Woods Reslife team for pairing us together, and for all the other weird coincidences that led me to meet my best friends. For a while I thought the biggest lesson I learned in college was that it doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are, but who

you’re with. I was wrong. The most important lesson you can learn is how to be content and happy by yourself doing absolutely nothing. I thought that going abroad would teach me to be independent. And doing weird (admittedly not always sober) dares with my friends would help me become more spontaneous. You know what’s scarier than flying 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean or stealing jack-o’-lanterns from frat porches? Eating by yourself at C4. Spending the 12-minute bus ride to campus in silence when you forgot your comfort blanket of an iPhone at home. Sitting in your room, alone, on

a Wednesday at 2 p.m. when all your friends are in class. While your professors, friends, internships and clubs will help you in many ways, don’t underestimate the value and power of the time you’ll spend alone. To everyone I’ve met at Binghamton, thank you for being a part of my journey in college. Whether we just awkwardly smile when we pass in Bartle or you’re one of the lucky handful that gets my nonstop neurotic texts daily, thank you for helping to shape who I am today. — Rebecca Klar is a senior majoring in English.

SPRING FLING Kevin Paredes Photography Editor

SPRING 2017

WARRIORS

FFUN UN Monday, May April 8, 3, 2017 2017

The Meme-on

Annabeth Sloan Men in Blue

Sudoku

Elizabeth Manning

By The Mepham Group

Level: 1 2 3 4 Solution to Thursday's puzzle

5/8/17

FOR RELEASE MAY 8, 2017

THE Daily Commuter Puzzle

Ohh He Thique

One Way or Another

Elizabeth Manning

Nate Walker

ACROSS 1 __ up; ended a phone call 5 “Early to bed, early to rise, makes __...” 9 Monastery superior 14 Place __ on; prohibit 15 Long tale 16 “Good for you!” 17 Arguing against something said 19 More unusual 20 Fem. title 21 Impolite 22 Second most populous city in Oregon 23 Damp 24 Envelop 26 “Nonsense!” 30 Dancer Fred 35 Prize 36 Unpleasant 38 __ of the matter; essential point 39 Awkwardly tall and thin 40 __ Beta Kappa 41 No longer fresh 42 Game cubes 43 Twirl 44 Slightly more than a quart 45 Germ-free 47 Most serious 49 Mates for stags 51 Afternoon hour 52 Cheap shot 56 Tap the horn 58 TV crime drama series 61 Discontinue 62 Adviser 64 Gung ho 65 Seep out 66 __ off with; steal 67 Put clothes on 68 Wily tactic 69 Optometrist’s concerns DOWN 1 Injure

by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34

Taxi alternative Captures Wildebeest Shrewd Housekeeper VP Spiro __ Carping spouse Sudden Boast Uncovered Large kitchen appliance Ripped Fashionable As __ as pie Employee Gathering leaves Loses hair Look for with expectation Cyclist Armstrong Cry of delight On the go Furious Bylaws __ oneself; put forth effort

37 41 43 46 48 50 52

Actor McBride Inclines; tilts Job opening Couch potatoes Mickey or Andy Bar seat __ tea; cold beverage 53 Within reach

54 55 57 58 59 60 62 63

Wise man __ up; spends Greek liqueur Potter’s material Shoe bottom Annoys Police officer Female sheep

SPORTS

May 8, 2017 | www.bupipedream.com

Softball By the Numbers

2 Conference games won this season

title

Consecutive seasons Binghamton softball has captured the AE regular-season title

Katherine Scott/Pipe Dream Photographer

Bases stolen by the Bearcats, the highest in the AE

BU runs scored during the season, the most of any AE team

213

.282

BU’s team batting average

BU Overall fielding percentage, the highest in the conference

.964 Jonathan Flores/Design Assistant

Junior outfielder Jessica Rutherford went 1-4 during Sunday’s game against Stony Brook.

Bearcats drop doubleheader to Stony Brook Focus shifts to playoffs as BU loses regular-season finale Thomas Haughney Pipe Dream Sports

The Binghamton softball team spent the weekend on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York to finish off its regular season of play. The Bearcats (21-23, 11-4 America East) were swept in a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against Stony Brook. After BU clinched the No. 1 seed in the AE Tournament the week prior, these two final regular-season matchups held little value for postseason play. This is Binghamton’s second consecutive regular-season softball championship win, and the third time they will host the AE Tournament in the past five years. “We’re excited about it,” said BU head coach Michelle Johnston. “We really like the support we get

from the community. After hosting last year, we’ve felt the pressure of what it’s like to host, and are more comfortable this season,” In its first game, Binghamton put together a strong defensive effort, limiting Stony Brook to two runs in six innings. A meager offensive performance failed to match the defense’s contributions, being shut out for five innings before junior third baseman Kate Richard belted a solo home run in the sixth. In the seventh inning, the Bearcats failed to score another run, and took a 2-1 loss to the Seawolves (16-27, 9-7 AE). Freshman pitcher Rayn Gibson was tagged with the loss in a complete game effort and is now 8-6 on the season. “We had a tough time stringing hits together,” Johnston said. “We hit some balls hard sometimes that were right at them. We have

to work early, as opposed to trying to put runs across the board late in the game.” In the following match, the Bearcats jumped on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice by senior outfielder Gabby Bracchi. The Seawolves responded well, taking a 2-1 lead in the third inning and never looking back. SBU eventually extended its lead to three after six innings, and its offensive push was too much for the Bearcats to mediate. The second game ended with a 4-1 Stony Brook victory, and senior pitcher Shelby Donhauser was credited with the loss for Binghamton. For seniors Bracchi, Donhauser, infielder Crysti Eichner, infielder Kim Santiago and outfielder Bridget Hunt, this weekend marked their last regular-season appearance as Bearcats. When they

graduate this month, the team will look to fill in gaps on both offense and defense. “We’re definitely going to have to make sure we have some players coming in, to fill what some of the seniors are going to leave behind,” Johnston said. “We’re excited about the newest freshman class and what they have to offer, but we also have some others committed in years behind them that we think are going to help us continue in the direction that we’re headed.” The Bearcats are slotted to host the conference tournament beginning on Wednesday. As the No. 1 seed, Binghamton will receive a first-round bye and face the winner of No. 4 Albany and No. 5 UMBC. Their game is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Miceli, Alkins shine at AE Championship meet Men's and women's track and field muster fifth-place finishes after competing in 22 events

Yedidya Naiman Pipe Dream Sports

Despite standout individual performances from the Binghamton men’s and women’s track and field teams, both squads finished fifth of nine at the America East (AE) Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Durham, New Hampshire. The men’s team recorded a total of 99 points, while the women ended with 90 over the span of 22 different scored events. “We had a lot of individuals who performed well,” said BU head coach Mike Thompson. “We just didn’t have enough depth to do well as a team.” Competition started on Saturday at 10 a.m. with six scored events taking place throughout the day in addition to multiple preliminary events. The Bearcats had many strong

performances on Saturday, including senior Keishorea Armstrong’s first-place finish in the women’s long jump with a distance of 5.63 meters. Binghamton also succeeded in both the men’s and women’s hammer throws, taking second place in both events. Junior Brooke Bonney recorded a throw of 52.41 meters on the women’s side and freshman David Bernstein secured second for the men with a throw of 55.62 meters. The Bearcats finished near the top of the conference in pole vault as well: senior Sarah Haley and freshman Samantha Beyar took second and third place, with heights of 3.80 meters and 3.55 meters, respectively. Senior Peter Fagan and graduate student Joe Miceli took third and fourth, logging vaults of 4.85 meters and 4.70 meters. Strong individual performances powered the teams into good

positions to place well after the end of Saturday’s events, with the women’s team in second place and the men’s team in fourth. Several Bearcats continued to shine individually in day two of competition: senior Jon Alkins placed first in the men’s 200-meter dash with a time of 21.49 seconds and second in the men’s 100-meter dash with a time of 10.52 seconds. These results propelled him to win the Men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer and the Coaches’ Award. Additionally, freshman Jack Fitzgerald and junior Ted Okon took first and second in the men’s high jump, both posting heights of 2.07 meters. Fitzgerald was awarded first as he made the jump on his second attempt, while Okon made it on his third. On the women’s side, senior Sarah Osaheni and junior Rasheedah Shardow took second and third in the 400-meter

hurdles with times of 59.50 seconds and 1:02.31 seconds, respectively. Binghamton excelled in the decathlon; Miceli won the competition for the second year in a row with a final score of 6,760 and freshman Troy Zanger took home fourth place with a score of 6,242. Miceli won three individual events, placed second in two events and third in another. His first place finishes in the shot put (13.55m), discus throw (37.36m) and pole vault (4.60m) earned him a tie for Most Outstanding Field Performer. “It’s a great feeling just putting in a lot of work throughout the year for this moment,” Miceli said. “To have it all come together at the conference meet is definitely a great feeling.” Although the Bearcats as a whole struggled, outstanding performances by Miceli and Alkins highlighted the meet. “They did what they always

do, which is compete hard, place high and score a lot of points,” Thompson said. “They’re both very reliable competitors and very talented competitors, and what they did was kind of expected but still impressive nonetheless.”

The Bearcats will compete at ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Championships in Princeton, New Jersey next weekend. The meet will be hosted by Princeton and begins at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Zach Liebmann/Contibuting Photographer Graduate student Joe Miceli and senior Jon Alkins won Co-Most Outstanding Field Performer and Men’s Most Outstanding Track Performer, respectively, at the America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend.

SOFTBALL

BU struggles against SBU SEE PAGE 11 Monday, May 8, 2017

Baseball extends win streak to five Rebecca Kiss/Assistant Photography Editor Junior designated hitter Pat Britt hit a two-run single to propel Binghamton to a win against UMass Lowell on Sunday.

Behind Drpich's clutch hitting, Bearcats sweep UMass Lowell Noah Bressner Assistant Sports Editor

In the Binghamton baseball team’s three-game sweep over UMass Lowell this past weekend, freshman second baseman Justin Drpich played the hero once again. Just five days after hitting a walk-off grand slam against St. Bonaventure, Drpich hit a game-winning double that scored junior catcher Jason Agresti in the bottom of the eighth inning of the series finale on Sunday — securing a 5-2 victory. Drpich’s hit led to a three-run rally, which was continued with a single from junior designated hitter Pat Britt

that scored two runners. “He’s done what everybody dreams about doing,” said BU head coach Tim Sinicki. “He’s made the most of getting a starting position and he’s really run with it.” Despite a strong outing, redshirt junior starting pitcher Jacob Wloczewski was credited with a no-decision. He struck out 10 and allowed just one earned run in six innings before being replaced by freshman pitcher Ben Anderson. Senior relief pitcher Nicholas Liegi notched the win after pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings to close out the game. “All weekend long, I thought

we threw the ball well and pitched the ball well,” Sinicki said. The Bearcats (26-9, 11-2 America East) and the River Hawks (22-22, 10-10 AE) played through two days of steady rain. The Bearcats defeated the River Hawks, 6-2, to open the series in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Junior center fielder CJ Krowiak and Drpich hit two home runs each, driving in five of BU’s six runs. Binghamton jumped out to an early 5-0 lead before UMass Lowell scored two runs in the eighth inning. Sophomore starting pitcher Nick Gallagher struck out eight batters in six

scoreless innings. Junior pitcher Joe Orlando allowed two runs in two innings of relief before junior pitcher Dylan Stock secured the victory in the ninth. With the win, Gallagher improved to 7-1 so far this season with a 1.40 ERA. “Nick’s development and maturity has been terrific,” Sinicki said. “He went from a guy who, last year, strictly worked out of the bullpen for us to now being our No. 1 starter.” In game two, senior first baseman Brendan Skidmore hit a walk-off single to center field in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. With the game tied at five, Skidmore drove in redshirt

sophomore third baseman Justin Yurchak to secure a 6-5 win and a series victory over the River Hawks — his 26th RBI of the season. Yurchak had reached base on a walk before advancing to third base on a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt by Agresti. With a one-run lead in the fourth inning, senior left fielder Darian Herncane hit a two-run homer deep to center field. But after that, Binghamton’s pitching staff allowed three runs in the sixth. Junior starting pitcher Nick Wegmann allowed four earned runs and three walks in 5 1/3 innings pitched before being

replaced by freshman pitcher Jake Miller for the final two outs of the sixth. Stock was credited with the victory after striking out two batters in the seventh. Drpich’s clutch hitting on Sunday led the Bearcats to their sweep of the River Hawks. “I thought that we showed a lot of resiliency this weekend,” Sinicki said. “We battled some tough conditions and I’m really proud of the way our guys played.” Binghamton is set to face Siena on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Binghamton's season ends after loss to Albany Men's lacrosse overpowered by Great Danes, 20-8, in America East Championship game

Kyle McDonald Assistant Sports Editor

For the first time since 2004, the Binghamton men’s lacrosse team advanced to the America East (AE) Championship game. Despite this achievement, however, the game was the last of the Bearcats’ 2017 season, as they fell to Albany in the title game, 20-8. “I’m really proud of all our players, specifically our seniors,” said BU head coach Kevin McKeown. “These guys really helped this program take a really big step forward.” The Great Danes (14-2, 6-0 AE) captured their eighth AE title in dominating fashion. In a matchup between the two teams earlier this season, the Bearcats (11-5, 4-2 AE) were able to hold Albany’s explosive offense in check. They had no such luck this time, as Albany tallied 12 goals in the first half. Junior attack Connor Fields led the way for the Great Danes, logging three goals and six assists. He was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. “They really outplayed us today on both ends of the field,” McKeown said. The Bearcats were overmatched from the start, as Albany sprinted to a 4-0 lead. They were able to cut the lead to two goals early on in the second quarter.

However, Albany blew the game open by outscoring the Bearcats, 8-2, in the remainder of the quarter. The Great Danes also dominated on the faceoff x, winning 21 of 30 faceoffs, including 11 of 12 in the second quarter. Albany rode its huge firsthalf lead to victory in the final two quarters while redshirt senior attack Tom Moore led the BU offense with a hat trick. He ended the season with 48 goals and 25 assists. In the semi-final round, BU avenged a loss from earlier this season by defeating two-seeded UMBC. The Bearcats’ defense smothered the Retrievers (6-8, 4-2 AE), allowing only four goals to BU’s nine. With the score knotted at three in the second quarter, BU went on a run to put the game away. Binghamton scored five straight goals stretching from the second quarter into the third. The Bearcats followed that up by only allowing one UMBC goal in the second half. Senior goaltender Tanner Cosens saved nine of the 13 shots he faced. “The new coaching staff did a phenomenal job with us this year,” Cosens said. “Everybody in the program … really just bought in. Everybody knew their role.” On the offensive end, Moore and junior attack Thomas McAndrew paced the Bearcats with two goals and one assist

each. BU’s win over UMBC was only its second AE Conference Tournament win in school history. With the loss to Albany, McKeown finished his first full season as BU’s head coach with

a program-record 11 wins. Paired with Moore’s success, Binghamton has transformed this year from a team in the shadows to one of the nation’s hottest teams to watch. “It was [an] honor to play with

this group of guys,” Moore said. “At the beginning of the year, we ranked last in the conference, so I think we proved a lot of people wrong this year.” Going forward, McKeown says that BU’s success

is only beginning. “We told our guys we are really proud of them, but certainly we’re not satisfied,” McKeown said. “We want to be wearing those championship hats at the end of the game.”

Rachel Tomei/Staff Photographer Senior goaltender Tanner Cosens saved six shots during the Bearcats’ loss against Albany on Saturday.