CELEBRATING
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH See page B10
SPRING BASICS
MEN’S FASHION LOOK BOOK See page B11
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EDITED BY Noah Bressner
editor@bupipedream.com
Kara J. Brown
prism@bupipedream.com
INTERNS Tykeem Banini
tbanini1@binghamton.edu
Daquan Taylor
dtaylor6@binghamton.edu
DESIGNED BY Cory Bremer
design@bupipedream.com
Jonathan Flores jflores3@binghamton.edu
Atsuyo Shimizu ashimiz2@binghamton.edu
Melissa Bernstein mbernst5@binghamton.edu
PHOTOS EDITED BY Kevin Paredes
photo@bupipedream.com
Sam Puerto
dpuerto1@binghamton.edu
COPY EDITED BY Bridget McCusker copy@bupipedream.com Sarah Molano
smolano1@binghamton.edu
COORDINATED WITH Joshua Gonzalez
vpma@binghamtonsa.org
PRISM is published monthly during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and academic breaks. The content of PRISM represents the opinions of its authors, and not necessarily the views of Pipe Dream.
PRISM
April 16, 2018
Welcome to PRISM Kara Jillian Brown
As a publication, PRISM will always stand in support of freedom of speech. On Wednesday, April 11 “Campus Speech: What are the Limits?” was held at the Anderson Center. This forum was hosted by Johnathan Karp, the chair of BU’s Faculty Senate and associate professor of Judaic studies and included Jermel McClure, the president of the Student Association and a senior majoring in political science, and special guest Suzanne Nossel, executive director of PEN America, an organization that works with universities to defend freedom of speech. This event could have been the perfect platform for a meaningful, productive dialogue; we had both a student and faculty representative, an outside expert and a passionate student body. But many students in attendance felt the forum fell flat. PEN America is the leading organization in human rights and free expression, and having a representative present was an invaluable opportunity. During the event, Nossel stated that when she visits universities, she typically does so for two days and works closely with various organizations. It’s not only a shame we didn’t get that opportunity, but additionally, Nossel had no prior knowledge of the March 28 flyer fiasco at the University Downtown Center and was blindsided by the student concerns. Had Nossel been briefed, we could have benefited from her knowledge. Additionally, the conversation went in circles and was ultimately inconclusive. The University needs to know that the student body will not be satiated by mediocre attempts at discourse and that until a substantive exchange takes place, we will not back down nor will we be silenced. On a brighter note, we are currently celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Nationally, this month is celebrated in May, but on Binghamton University’s campus, we celebrate it in April. PRISM spoke with student leaders from various Asian Pacific American groups on campus. We learned about the impact of various groups and offices on campus and how they’re working together to promote and preserve Asian Pacific American culture on campus. This issue also explores topics like fitness as a mode of female empowerment and the need for more diverse representation within English department curricula. As the end-of-semester fatigue catches up with us, we need to remember to remain critical and inquisitive while continuing to seek unadulterated accountability.
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Voices of Binghamton Somya Pandey Irene Yip is a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience. PRISM: What organizations are you involved in on campus? Irene Yip: I’m currently the vice president of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers. I’m also the treasurer for the Hong Kong Exchange Square (HKES). In HKES, we have game shows and banquets. We have our street fair on April 21 at 7 p.m. in the Mandela Room. I ran for these positions because of my inner ambition. At the same time, it might be if I know I have the ability to, then why not run for those positions? When I came across these positions, I didn’t think I was qualified enough to be the president or vice president or anything. I think when you see yourself change as a person, you see yourself develop and push yourself, you realize that you are capable of so much more. P: How do you feel that you are represented as an Asian American on campus? IY: On campus, I feel like it is important to speak up. As an Asian American, many of the times, the way we are taught is different from others. The way I
have been taught is if you have something, tolerate it and just move on. But when we do speak up, they feel like we are overreacting and I feel like that is something that shouldn’t be happening. Like when I see the media, and we’re reacting to something, the media coins it as us overreacting. I think we have to speak up a lot more because a lot of the suppressed issues are not going to get resolved. P: What was it like to grow up in an Asian American household and then come to this campus? IY: I was very fortunate to come from a diverse high school. I think [BU] has a diverse population on campus. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I was not accepted here. Growing up Asian American is difficult. There is always that question of acting too American or if you act too Asian you get called a “fob.” You basically get called out for acting the way you are. It’s hard to understand what the fine line is between these two extremes. People always have questions, like “Where are you from?” and I would say New York City, but then they will be like “Where are you actually from?” or “Where are your parents from?” Some people take offense, but growing up Asian American, you grow used to it. Another thing is the stereotypes, for example, Asians are great at math — that is not true, I am terrible at math. Also, people were always like, you
SOMYA PANDEY Irene Yip is a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience. must want to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. And then when you say “No, I’m a graphic design major,” you’re looked down upon. My parents asked me what I wanted to be from those options, and as I got older I learned to speak up to them. My parents now have no issue with me going to medical school, they are like, “Just be happy.” When I ran for vice president, I told my grandma. She told me you’re a girl, don’t do too much out of your role, only do what you have to do
and let other people do what they have to do. It is difficult when my grandma grew up in a society where women were suppressed, but today’s society pushes women to do extraordinary things. We have a lot more opportunities and we should take them, with confidence. Just because we are females doesn’t mean we have to restrict ourselves, you should be able to take whatever role you want to have. P: What advice do you have for Asian American students?
IY: Don’t let your parents stop you from what you want to do. If you know you want to go down a certain path, go for it. I think this applies to not just Asian Americans, but everybody. For Asian Americans, I would say don’t try to morph into somebody or something that you are not. If those people don’t accept you for who you are, then they are not worth your time. PRISM has edited this interview for length and clarity.
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April 16, 2018
From medicine to turntables Grad student splits his time between prescriptions and producing
Malachi Mitchell When he’s on campus, Oluwafemi Popoola, a first-year graduate student studying pharmacy, just goes by Femi. But during breaks, he doubles as Frank Pierce, a Sonysigned DJ-producer on the rise. “In my sophomore year of high school, my friend first introduced me to dance music,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Oh God, this stuff is so amazing, I want to make this.’ So, I decided to make a project around it. It needed a name and, concurrently, our high school does this thing where everyone has a senior name. I could never find a nickname for Femi. My friend picked his to be Zach Morris because he didn’t have one either, so I was just going to pick one, Frank Pierce, because it has my initials.” Ever since his was a kid, Popoola has had a love for music. He is a classically trained pianist and also plays the guitar, bass, drums and saxophone. “Musicality has always been a huge part of who I am,” he said. “Whether it’s understanding how other instruments work — I know how to properly blow a trumpet. I don’t use it, but it’s something I like to have as a part of me. I just like being musical.” When he’s working on music, Popoola said he assumes the persona of Frank Pierce. “That way, it puts everything in focus,” he said. “I try to think of everything that I do, social media, music, personality-wise— is what
I’m doing enhancing Frank Pierce as an entity, as a product?” This plays into the interesting duality of Popoola, the student, and Frank, the artist. To him, they feed off each other, his education and his art. “I approach school as an art and music as a science,” Popoola said. “In science, a lot of it is didactic, there’s a lot of learning, you need to understand stuff, so you must find creative ways to learn things. I try to engage my creative side that likes to do things. While on the art side, everyone wants to be expressive, but the good stuff is tactical. I’m talking about word choice, diction, syllable count.” When it comes to managing the two sides of his life, Popoola said there is no balance. “There isn’t a sweet spot,” he said. “You hope it works. Sometimes I put off a deadline to a record to study, and sometimes I put off prepping for a paper to work on a track and hope that I’ll have enough time. Basically, I use all my breaks to write my new content and when the semester hits, I’m in school mode. During that time, we polish and release the records.” A quick look at Frank Pierce’s Spotify page will show you that since 2015, he’s amassed over half a million monthly listeners. His 2017 single, “Vibe” featuring Famba and Emily Bonabon, gained over 20 million plays in a little under a year. However, Frank Pierce isn’t Popoola’s only musical endeavor; he’s also a part of the musical duo, JUSCOVA. “JUSCOVA is a joint project between me and my friend Samuel Vespone,” Popoola said. “It is a more urban/pop influenced project than ‘Frank Pierce.’ We started
COURTNEY MITCHELL Oluwafemi Popoola, also known by his stage name Frank Pierce, is a first-year graduate student studying pharmacy. He is also Sony-signed DJ-producer with over half a million monthly listeners on Spotify. working together freshman year Popoola wants to incorporate the and we sort of clicked. We were in Afro sound into his work. a session and after the session, I “I want to make music my remember saying to myself ‘Yo … mom can dance to,” he said. “Comthis guy could get me a Grammy.’” ing from such a vibrant and lively Popoola said his biggest musical culture, it kind of felt weird for influences are fellow DJs such as me to [make music] and not do Calvin Harris, Avicii, David Guetta something that could impact my and Zedd. In addition to DJing, culture.” Popoola is also a songwriter. He Next up for Popoola: finals. said he strives to be like Drake and Soon after, Frank Pierce will be hitsuperproducer Max Martin, who’s ting the stage and releasing some worked with Taylor Swift, Katy singles for the summer. Don’t be Perry, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd surprised if you frequently hear and more. the name Frank Pierce in the near Digging into his Nigerian roots, future.
April 16, 2018
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PRISM
JUMP jumpstarts mentoring weekend Members welcome incoming protégés to campus
Karen Benitez As a freshman, Esmeralda Gomez wasn’t involved in any oncampus organizations. But after seeing her friend’s involvement in JUMP Weekend, she was inspired to join the organization. Now a sophomore majoring in psychology, she is also an intern for the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (JUMP Nation). “I like what they stand for — helping decrease the [high school] dropout rate and increasing their involvement in higher education,” Gomez said. JUMP Nation was founded in 1991 by Binghamton University students. The organization’s founders believed in mentoring at-risk middle school and high school students to deter the negative influence of aspects of their social, political and economic environments while also encouraging them to pursue a higher education. In order to achieve this goal, JUMP Nation partners BU student mentors and hosts with the young students, known as proteges, for an all-expenses-paid JUMP Weekend in the spring semesters and a smaller Leadership Conference in the fall semesters. Proteges are middle schoolers from the New York City and Binghamton areas. JUMP Weekend is a four-day immersion program for the eighth grade proteges. The weekend starts on a Thursday evening, when the students will meet with their mentors and hosts. Their welcome in-
cludes a dinner and stroll show, in which students from different organizations perform a choreographed walk. Throughout Friday and Saturday, the students will attend many forums and workshops to learn about the programs available to them. They will see presentations from multicultural organizations as well as professional organizations including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, The National Society of Black Engineers, Quimbamba Latin Dance Team, Black Dance Repertoire and X-Fact’r Step Team. They will meet with resources on campus, like the Equal Opportunity Program and Financial Aid Office, to discuss their funding options for higher education. During their stay, there will also be breaks for the proteges, mentors and hosts to get to know each other. These scheduled breaks include a talent show and a trip to Skate Estate, a local center featuring attractions such as roller skating, mini golf and laser tag. The Leadership Conference is for high school juniors and seniors from the New York City and Binghamton areas. It condenses all the aspects of JUMP Weekend into one day.
JUMP Nation started at BU, but also has a chapter in Syracuse. The JUMP Nation chapter at Syracuse University was started by former protege Marytere Acosta Guillon, who came to JUMP Weekend at BU when she was in eighth grade. According to Chelsea Baker, president of BU’s JUMP Nation and a senior majoring in biochemistry, Guillon found the program so impactful that she established a chapter at her school. Baker heard about JUMP Nation throughout her freshman year. After missing the deadline for JUMP Weekend, she became a regular at its general body meetings. Eventually, she became a mentor, host and intern for the organization. She hosted two proteges while she was an intern. “It was good to see the hard work pay off and see everyone enjoy themselves for the weekend,” Baker said. “[JUMP Weekend] was overwhelming but very fun.” This year’s JUMP Weekend will take place April 19 through April 22. If you’re interested in participating next year, host students must live on campus and house their proteges during their stay. Mentors must agree to a five-year commitment to their proteges,
during which they will guide them from eighth grade to their first year of college. JUMP Nation’s mentoring committee not only interviews potential mentors, but also matches them to proteges. According to Savannah Markel, a member of JUMP Nation’s public relations committee and a sophomore majoring in human development, many schools are chosen for the program through their connections to BU alumni. Some other schools are selected from the U.S. Department of Education’s list
of underperforming schools. This year, growing interest meant that there was a waitlist for schools that wanted to participate. Guidance counselors select students who they believe would benefit from the program. “What’s great about JUMP Nation is that the motto is ‘Because we believe in our youth,’ which I think is really important because kids are the future,” Gomez said. “So you give them a stable foundation and you give them help, and they know they have people they can turn to.”
KEVIN PAREDES Esmeralda Gomez, a sophomore majoring in psychology, is currently an intern for the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program.
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April 16, 2018
PRISM
Cultural connections at BU Master’s student from China shares her experience
Kara Jillian Brown When Li Xi visits a new country, she’s not only interested in the culture, but also the physical geography of the area. “Whenever my parents took me to travel, I was always interested in the topographical history of that specific area,” Xi said. “I figured out that I was the only one who was super interested in it.” Now a second-year graduate student studying cartography and geographical information systems, Xi has been able to turn that affinity into a future career. A native of the Jiangsu province of China, Xi began exploring this love during high school through her earth science courses and the Harpur College University Readiness Program (URP). URP is a collaboration between Binghamton University and Chinese high schools that gives students the opportunity to take online courses taught by University faculty. In 2012, when Xi was in 11th grade, she, along with other students at her school, were introduced to URP during a visit to the University. “It felt homey here because the students and the professors were all friendly to us, and I saw lots of animals — squirrels and deer — and I thought they were so lovely,” Xi said. “We also paid a visit to the Nature Preserve. I like geography and the environment,
so I thought it might be the best spot for me to study this kind of subject.” Over the past six years, Xi has spent her time learning both in and out of the classroom. She’s interested in American culture and often spends her breaks with her friends and their families. Last spring break, she went home with her friend Jan’Meshier Frye, who is now a senior majoring in linguistics from Mississippi. Xi had never been to the South, and although she had a hard time understanding the dialect, she enjoyed herself. “[Her family] was very friendly and the food [in the South] is also different,” she said. “I think they put more flavors in their food.” While Frye has helped Xi understand more about African American culture, Xi has taught Frye about Chinese culture. “[Xi] changed my outlook, because where I am from, there are not many Asians,” Frye said.” So learning about her culture and mannerisms influenced my behavior. I sometimes even subconsciously bow to people. We have an interesting friendship, and I love her.” Xi values these interactions and thinks they are a great way to learn. “I think that cultural exchange between the students is important because a lot of domestic students don’t have a sense of how international students think and how different cultures work,” Xi said. “[Also], a lot of international students are shy and scared of making new friends. It is necessary to build an international network to be a global citizen.”
As a way to share her Chinese culture, Xi was a member of the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera while she was an undergraduate. The organization was formed by BU and the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, sponsored by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing. “[Joining] was great because it helped me to know people who can play Chinese instruments,” Xi said. “We became good friends.” Xi plays the pipa, a fourstringed Chinese musical instrument with a pear-shaped wooden body. She has been playing since she was in the third grade. “As a kid, I was nervous and upset because when I practiced my pipa, my friends were hanging out with their friends,” Xi said. “Once I grew up, I figured that it would be a good skill to have. It’s helped me to relieve my stress and helped me to be a more disciplined student.” It’s this discipline that has helped Xi get to where she is today. Last April, Xi was awarded the 2017 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, a SUNY-wide distinction that recognizes students for their outstanding academic achievement, leadership and community service. “I feel very honored and can’t believe they chose me,” she said. “Living in a strange country as a stranger is very exhausting, but this award boosts my confidence. And I feel like I have been encouraged to spend more time in educating myself.” A self-described environmentalist, Xi would like to eventually receive her doctorate in geogra-
NOAH BRESSNER Li Xi, a second-year graduate student studying cartography and geographical information systems, won the 2017 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. phy and use research as a tool to fight climate change. “I like exploring new ideas,” Xi said. “I think finding new ideas and writing articles to inform people about new issues is important.” Her current research examines the rate of urban expansion in Southeast Asia and how the creation of impervious surfaces — land that water can’t penetrate through, like sidewalks — affects
the environment. Xi has visited areas throughout China, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Australia, Mexico and the United States. Though she enjoys exploring new cultures, she has no preference as to whether her professional life takes her around the globe, or keeps her in Binghamton. “As long as my research contributes to any part of the world, I will be very happy,” Xi said.
KEVIN PAREDES Various student participants in the African Student Organization’s fashion show. Titled “Threads of the Motherland: Welcome to Zamunda,” this year drew inspiration from the 1988 film, ”Coming to America.” The event took place in the Mandela Room in the University Union on Friday, March 23.
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April 16, 2018
PRISM
A weekend in the life of the VPMA Up close and personal: on the event circut with Joshua Gonzalez
Daquan Taylor & Tykeem Banini According to Josh Gonzalez, the Student Association vice president for multicultural affairs (VPMA) and a senior on a 3+2 fast track to a M.S. in geography, his role is often misunderstood. “People think that it’s just that you handle all the racist and problematic incidents that happen on campus and run the [Intercultural Awareness Committee] and just sit in the office,” he said. “But it’s so much more than that. For me personally, I wanted to be a VPMA that people can trust and feel comfortable going to at all times.” During the weekend of March 23 through 25, PRISM caught up with Gonzalez, the self-proclaimed “flyest” VPMA, to get the true meaning of what his position
entails. We shadowed Gonzalez as he attended a series of multicultural events. The first event was the African Student Organization’s (ASO) Fashion Show. This year’s theme was based off the 1988 hit film, “Coming to America,” a story about a prince from Zamunda, a fictional African country, who flees his home in search of real love. The fashion show featured a rendition of the movie through skits all while displaying fashion from designers who incorporated African cultural elements into their clothing. Taking place in the Mandela Room in the University Union, roughly 250 students were in attendance. The event was a lively celebration of African culture. The room was so packed that many audience members — including Gonzalez — weren’t able to get a seat. Sporting Balenciaga Triple S Trainer sneakers, a Burberry sweater and Marc Jacobs earrings, Gonzalez stood in awe of the fashion on display.
LUZ VELAZQUEZ & KEVIN PAREDES Josh Gonzalez is the current Student Association vice president for multicultural affairs and a senior majoring in geography.
“I’m a fashion lover, so ASO definitely was my favorite,” Gonzalez said. “I was in love with the whole show. It was the best show since my sophomore year. I think Fatima [Kane, president of ASO and a senior majoring in political science] did a great job. Amazing, amazing job. It was high-energy, it was dope and all the attractions were crazy — and plus, my outfit was crazy.” Gonzalez’s cultural experience continued on Saturday night with Barrio Fiesta. Hosted by the Philippine-American League (PAL), Barrio Fiesta happens every spring semester. The show celebrates Philippine culture while telling a story using various art forms, from skits to traditional Philippine dances. As the U.S. national anthem was sung, Gonzalez took a political stance by taking seat for the duration of the performance, honoring Colin Kapernick’s movement to protest police brutality and racial inequality. “As long as this country continues to perpetuate the very evils
it swears it does not stand for, I will not stand for a hypocritical message,” Gonzalez wrote in an email. “This country does not give liberty and justice for all, and until it does, I will not stand for the anthem.” Through it all, Gonzalez was fascinated with the show as he continuously commented how entranced he was by PAL’s creativity in presenting Philippine culture. “[My] favorite part of Barrio was when they tackled DACA and ICE,” he wrote in an email. “People tend to think it’s just Latinos getting deported, when the dismantling of DACA and other programs effects all minority groups.” The weekend came to a close on Sunday with Japan Night, hosted by the Binghamton University Japanese Association (BUJA). A showcase of Japanese culture, the show was composed of musical performances, choreographed fight scenes and a video story chronicling a fictional story
of the club’s president, Toshihiro Yatomi, a senior majoring in business administration, and his journey to Japan Night. “I loved the e-board’s dance,” he wrote in an email. “They were so hyped up and looked like they were having fun it was great.” Although Gonzalez enjoyed the evening, it was clear that the event-packed weekend was taking a toll on him. Slouched in his chair, Gonzalez’s eyes lowered and though he wasn’t asleep, it was obvious that he needed rest. “It’s difficult being on the fast track, being a 3+2 student, while being the VPMA because sometimes I find it hard to concentrate on my own work,” Gonzalez said. “A lot of students actually forget that I’m a student. Sometimes you advocate for student groups, you do a lot of things for students but they don’t really know. It’s not necessarily your fault or their fault. But you do it for the love of the culture and the community even if the culture and community don’t see that.”
April 16, 2018
Q&A
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We followed up with Gonzalez after his busy weekend to gain more perspective on his position as VPMA.
PRISM: What are you proud of that you’ve accomplished as VPMA? Joshua Gonzalez: The initial thing that I’m proud of is that I was able to hire such a good team and create positions for the office. One problem with the office before was that it had no structure, and I gave it structure. I added a programming coordinator, liaison to PRISM, an external officer, a treasurer, public relations chair and three interns. I don’t even like to call them my assistants or anything, but more like my team members because we’re a team here. I like to let them lead sometimes, have their own projects — when they need help, I help them when they ask. I always tell them I’m a resource for them if they need anything. I have members of my office attend other office and committee meetings for me. I think it’s actually humanly impossible
for one VPMA to go to all these meetings. P: What do you wish that you did more as VPMA? JG: I wish that I was able to focus on my mental health campaign. I wanted to encourage the administration to get more money to get diverse resources in the [University Counseling Center]. I am working on it now and I’m going to hand off to [incoming VPMA Andy Jean-Baptiste, a junior double-majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law]. Unfortunately I had to focus on the VPMA council getting people into committees. P: What have you learned as VPMA? JG: I’ve learned better mentoring skills, how to raise stronger leaders, how to conduct conflict management and not just conflict resolution. I learned how to be a better public speaker, be more care-
ful with my words and more inclusive with my language. I also learned that this position is hard and it can sometimes feel unfair. P: How do you de-stress? JG: I do normal things. I play video games — that’s my favorite thing. Me and and my housemates are close, we’ve lived together for years. Back in the day there used to be something called a land party, which is like you’ll sit down and have all your TVs in the living room and then you’ll connect them using a wire, but obviously we have WiFi now. We still call them a land party but we sit down, we put our Xboxes around and our TVs in the living room and just all play video games for a few hours. I like to draw, dance, go out with friends, go to events. I go to counseling. P: What are a few tips to being a lead-
er on campus? JG: The first step is learning how to be self-aware. A lot of people don’t know their own faults, so being self-aware is learning where you could do better as a leader and individual. Knowing your own faults and working on them, constantly editing yourself — you’re just one big essay that’s constantly being written. Another point is learning how to sometimes step back from leadership roles, letting other individuals lead as well. That’s how you get more diverse ideas, that’s how you foster a better environment for your team. A third great strategy is to never stop creating, always be creative, always have ideas, be versatile, be a jack-of-alltrades and a master of none. PRISM has edited this interview for length and clarity.
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April 16, 2018
PRISM
Shaking up the spring calendar Celebrating Asian Pacific American heritage a month early
Sarah Molano Though Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is normally in May, the Binghamton University community is opting to celebrate it in April. “May is a horribly busy month for students and classes. That being said, the [BU] student population really does dedicate and put in so much time to events and ideas they care about,” wrote Ashley Thomas, vice president of MASTI and a sophomore double-majoring in integrative neuroscience and art history, in an email. “Having [Asian Pacific American Heritage Month] take place in April helps students fully partake in the cause without having to stress about finals or other things related to the end of the semester.” Thomas said that MASTI, a student group dedicated to traditional and modern South Asian dance styles, can sometimes be intimidated due to its smaller size as compared to the many other Asian American and Pacific Islander campus groups on campus. However, she stated that the celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month helps the organization gain more recognition and confidence in what it does. Another smaller organization is Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), a group whose aim is to raise awareness about the situation in North Korea and fundraise to
support refugees. Andrew Kang, president of LiNK and a senior double-majoring in mechanical engineering and math, stressed that although there are many Asian American and Pacific Islander groups on campus, they all raise each other up. “I know everyone tends to support each other with their big events,” Kang said. “Like often, you’ll find people from [the Korean American Student Union] or [the Chinese American Student Union], or [Hong Kong Exchange Share] or all these other subgroups supporting each other’s events by coming and supporting, even performing.” Many of the groups emphasized that Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is meant not only as a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander culture, but should also serve as an educational opportunity for students outside of those communities. Nicole Minkyung Choi, a second-year graduate student studying public administration and student affairs administration, is the program coordinator for the Center for Korean Studies. She said she wants all different kinds of students to visit the new Young Sam Kim Korean Student Center to relax while also learning about Korean culture. “Some people might be like, ‘It’s the Korean Center, I can’t be here,’ but I just want people to know that everybody is welcome there,” Choi said. “Everything is designed to show Korean aesthetic, so every little thing has meanings and symbols to it. When I first went there, it was
KEVIN PAREDES Nicole Minkyung Choi, program coordinator for the Center for Korean Studies at BU and a secondyear graduate student studying public administration and student affairs administration, and Andrew Kang, president of Liberty in North Korea and a senior double-majoring in mechanical engineering and math, stand next to a statue outside the Young Sam Kim Korean Student Center. The statue is part of an old Korean tradition whose purpose is to ward off evil spirits. just really cool to see that and I hope other people can see it, too.” This sentiment was shared by Carrie Feyerabend, assistant to the director of the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera. She said she wants students outside
of the Chinese community to utilize the institute and its many resources to get immersed in the culture, especially China’s art culture, which is the institute’s main focus. “The culture is so integrated and Chinese history is so long,”
she said. “If you have the opportunity, at the Confucius Institute, there’s a lot of opportunities for study abroad and scholarships and things like that that give you a chance to experience China firsthand. There’s no substitute for that.”
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CITRUS SUNSET
PASTEL PASTURES
CLASSIC EASTER COLORS WITH A FLAIR. DON’T SHY AWAY FROM STANDING OUT — FASHION IS MEANT TO BE BOLD. EMBRACE THE LOUDNESS.
PASTELS ARE PERFECT FOR THE SUNNY DAYS OF SPRING. WHILE IT CAN BE SPOOKY TERRITORY, DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPERIMENT WITH COLOR.
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April 16, 2018
PRISM
Breaking a sweat On-campus group brings female empowerment to the gym
Wembo Tiapo While fitness and female empowerment may not go hand in hand, the Binghamton University chapter of Pretty Girls Sweat (PGS) aims to combine the two. Through the organization, Yaa Takyiwaa, president of PGS and a senior double-majoring in integrative neuroscience and comparative literature, has found a way to pursue one of her lifelong passions: fitness. “This organization embodies what I think I am as a person: someone who helps to uplift women,” Takyiwaa said. PGS is a national organization that began in 2011 to support former first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign — an initiative with the goal of reducing childhood obesity and encouraging a healthy lifestyle among children. The organization’s BU chapter began in fall 2015 and became an SA-chartered organization in 2017. Takyiwaa has been involved with PGS since it first arrived on campus. “PGS is a way for teen girls to get active while making fitness fun,” Takyiwaa said. “We have a ‘sweat sisterhood’ to build bonds. You don’t have to feel intimidated to work out by yourself or to go to the gym if you don’t have the funds — we provide that free access for you to be active.” Through the sweat sisterhood and fitness parties or sweat shows — weekly exercise work-
KEVIN PAREDES Yaa Takyiwaa is the president of the Binghamton University chapter of Pretty Girls Sweat. She is a senior double-majoring in integrative neuroscience and comparative literature and a group fitness instructor at the East Gym. shops held every Friday — PGS enables participants to engage in open discussions about obstacles they may face in today’s society, to learn about nutrition and how to lead healthy lives, and to celebrate women who use their platform to promote a healthy lifestyle. PGS is rapidly growing and currently has 19 university and two graduate chapters, while serving over 20,000 participants in eight cities across North America. The organization is also active on many social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which people can follow to learn more and stay up to date on events. Takyiwaa joined PGS in the beginning of her junior year as the workout coordinator. She is
also a group fitness instructor at the East Gym, where she teaches Zumba and Booty Boot Camp. “I’ve always been into fitness, I’ve been dancing my whole life,” she said. “I think your health is the most important thing to you. If you don’t have your health, you really don’t
have anything.” She is also a huge proponent of putting your health first. “Self-care [and] self-love is free,” she said. “It’s easily accessible to everyone. It should be your primary focus. If you are not taking care of yourself, you can’t take care of others.”
April 16, 2018
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PRISM
TAKYIWAA SHARED SOME OF HER FAVORITE WORKOUTS WITH PRISM, WHICH ARE GREAT FOR FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS AND NOVICES ALIKE.
BOSU SQUATS “I like doing squats on the BOSU because it’s an unstable surface, ” she said. “It challenges your balance and core strength.” Targeted muscles: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps Begin with the BOSU in front of you, ball side down. Keeping your core engaged for balance, step on the BOSU by positioning your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, lower into a squat, while keeping your knees and toes pointed forward, to the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor, or deeper for more of a challenge. Once lowered, make sure your kneecaps don’t pass your toes and that your torso leans forward slightly. [4] Hold the squat position for one to two seconds, then rise back up to complete one squat. If you feel uncomfortable using the BOSU, simply perform squats on the floor. Perform three sets of 15.
BURPEES “I like doing burpees because they are life,” she said. “They are full-body everything. Golden.” Targeted muscles: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, deltoid, pectorals, triceps Begin with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. With your weight in your heels, go into a squat position. Next, bend your knees, fold forward from your waist and plant your hands flat on the ground in front of you. Next, step or hop back into a plank, pushing away from the floor and keeping your core engaged. For an added challenge, you can perform a pushup. Step or hop your feet back toward your hands and simply return to a standing position or jump up toward the ceiling, landing in the starting position. Perform three sets, ranging from three to 10 reps in each.
BATTLE ROPE WAVES “Even though [battle ropes] are intended for your arms, they extend far beyond that,” she said. “You can incorporate different movements such as squats, planks and jumps.” Target muscles: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, pectorals, abdominals Begin by lowering into a squat position without getting as low as you normally would. With your weight in your heels, hold the ends of the rope and extend your arms in front of you with your hands shoulderwidth apart. Tighten your core and begin alternately raising and lowering each arm explosively. Alternate between work and rest in sets of 15 to 60 seconds.
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April 16, 2018
PRISM
Latinx organizations bring NYC to BU The 6th annual Latin Weekend will take place April 27 to 29
Sarah Molano Get ready for pastelitos, pageantry and “Pie-a-Greek” in a three-day display of Latin culture during this year’s Latin Weekend. The event, which will run from Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29, is a collaborative celebration of Latin culture coordinated by the Latin American Student Union (LASU), Quimbamba Latin Dance Team and the Latino Greek Council (LGC). Kicking off the weekend is LASU’s pageant, Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galan Latinx Pageant. The event is modeled after the national “Nuestra Belleza Latina” pageant that aired on Spanish-language channel Univision, but LASU’s pageant includes male contestants as well. This year, the competition will feature seven contestants — four women and three men. Of the contestants, one male student and one female student will be chosen as the winners. Since Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galan Latinx is a scholarship pageant, the winners will each receive a money prize. Kalissa Sawyer, the president of LASU, vice president of SHADES and a senior majoring in human development, said that LASU decides to host a pageant every year not only to showcase Latin American culture, but also to serve as an educational experience. “We do it in order to engage
and celebrate our community and our various Latin American backgrounds,” Sawyer said. “We also host it in order to educate our community on issues that are relevant to the countries being represented.” Following Friday’s pageant, Quimbamba will continue the celebration of Latin culture through El Polvorín Latin Festival. Quimbamba has invited dance teams from universities across New York state to compete in a Latin dance competition at BU. This year’s competition will consist of six teams from schools including the University at Buffalo, SUNY New Paltz and University at Albany performing largely Latin-based dance styles like merengue, bachata and salsa. Though Quimbamba will be performing, the team is not competing in the competition. During the intermission, Latin food will be served and the competition’s host will play interactive games with the audience. Last year, the host pulled people from the audience to conduct their own dance competition among attendees. Javier Suarez, the public relations chair of Quimbamba and a senior majoring in art and design, said that El Polvorín has become a unifying experience not only among Latin American communities on campus, but also among all of Binghamton University’s multicultural organizations. “This is my second Polvorín, but every time I hear about it from alumni and all, it’s a very happy moment where all types of organizations like Greek life,
KEVIN SUSSY Student participants from a past Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galan Latinx Pageant. This event is a part of Latin Weekend, a series of events hosted by various Latin American groups on campus. different cultural organizations … all of them come along and they support us, as we support them with their events,” Suarez said. “It’s like a bonding event for all the different organizations on campus.” Rounding out the weekend will be the LGC’s Field Day on Sunday. The LGC, composed of various Latin Greek organizations, will facilitate a number of games and activities, such as relay races, kickball, tug-of-war and “Pie-a-Greek.” Students can enjoy the festivities while dancing along to Spanish music and enjoying snacks, pizza and refreshments. Nathaniel Perez, secretary of LGC, a member of Lambda Up-
silon Lambda and a junior majoring in systems science and industrial engineering, said the Field Day is meant to allow attendees to unwind. “The purpose of this event is to create an open environment that allows for stress relief as well as fun with each others’ peers,” Perez wrote in an email. “We hope to end Latin Weekend on a high spirited note and will like for as many students to come out and have fun.” For Sawyer, Latin Weekend serves as a way to keep in touch with her culture and garner a sense of community within the Latin American population among BU’s white-dominated student body.
“It’s important to have because within a [predominantly white institution], we often feel isolated, and being able to engage and celebrate who we are is integral to our feeling of belonging,” Sawyer said. Latin Weekend will take place from Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29. LASU’s Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galan Latinx Pageant will be held in the Mandela Room in the University Union on Friday at 7 p.m., Quimbamba’s El Polvorín Latin Festival will be held on Saturday on the Peace Quad at noon and LGC’s Field Day will be held on the Peace Quad on Sunday at 2 p.m.. All the events are free to BU students.
April 16, 2018
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PRISM
English curriculum lacks diversity Syllabi dominated by white male voices
Gabriella Trinidad In order to complete an English degree at Binghamton University, students must take many reading-intensive classes. But some English students have taken issue with the content and authors they have to read. “The English department is very Eurocentric,” said Khaliq Spruill, a senior majoring in English. “It’s rare that we do not read works by white male authors. I understand the contributions of Shakespeare to writing, but there are other authors that professors should be focusing on.” Spruill also said the department suffers from a lack of diversity of work when it comes to required courses. “You really have to go out of your way to take African American literature or something cross-listed with another department to study authors of color,” he said. “If there is a female author present in the syllabus, it’s Emily Dickinson. She’s an amazing author, but I do feel that she is the token female author for the department.” In addition, course substitutions for major requirements are generally limited. For example, someone registering for English 228: British Literature from 1600-1900 for the fall 2018 semester can substitute it with ENG 350P: Swift & Satire, Then & Now, English 360R: Roman-
ticism or English 360W: Oscar Wilde & British Literature. However, someone registering the same semester for English 245: Shakespeare can’t make any substitutions at all. English 380F: Afro-Asian Connections and English 340M: Cross the Color-Line are the only course substitutions explicitly focused on people of color, and those courses can replace the globalization and literary culture requirement and the British Literature to 1600 requirement, respectively. But it’s not only students who think the curriculum should be revised. “My dream curriculum is interdisciplinary, inclusive, diverse, decolonizing, transformative, innovative, community-engaged, and grounded in relations of respect and reciprocity with the human and non-human world,” wrote Birgit Brander Rasmussen, associate professor of English, in an email. “I would personally love to see more Native Studies courses on campus, particularly given our close proximity to the Six Nations, the diversity of indigenous peoples living in New York City, and the fact that we are on Indian land.” If English majors choose to add a global culture concentration, they are required to take courses in global cultural productions, globalization and culture and so forth. Africana studies courses, Arab American writers’ works, Native American literature and even a course on cultural appropriation are all options students have available to them if they pursue that spe-
cific concentration. If one does not choose that concentration, then they are not required to read those texts. Some English department faculty, like Mary Grace Albanese, an associate professor of English, work to make their syllabuses more inclusive. But, she knows there are limits to how much change can be made within the department and the University at large. “Ideally our teaching would nourish our research and vice versa,” Albanese wrote in an
email. “Fortunately, Binghamton acknowledges that we’re experts in our respective fields and we have a lot of freedom. It’s also important to remember that what we consider the canon is always changing and the institution needs to give its professors the freedom not just to register, but to initiate, those changes.” She went on to say that although there are limits, she tries to let her students and class discussion guide how her syllabus is constructed. It’s not
enough to add a few voices to a predominantly white-male narrative and how what counts as literature needs to be reconsidered, she said. Spruill hopes the department will consider making changes in the future. “I want the department to have a clear goal of how they aim to help English majors actually improve their writing and reading comprehension skills as well as incorporate more courses that do not give a Eurocentric view of literature,” he said.
Illustration by ANNABETH SLOAN
SAM PUERTO Performances from the 29th annual Barrio Fiesta, hosted by the Philippine-American League in the Osterhout Concert Theater in the Anderson Center on Saturday, March 24.