Spring 2019 Issue 6

BU professor talks

CAMPUS HAUNTINGS and

“LEGEND TRIPPING” SEE PAGE 5

Monday, February 11, 2019 | Vol. XCV, Issue 6 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Road salt could impact yellow-spotted salamanders Used to combat winter weather, salt poses danger for migration across Connector Road Leora Schwadron pipe dream news

Every February and March, yellow-spotted salamanders migrate from College-in-the-Woods to the Nature Preserve.

But with the amount of snow that has accumulated at Binghamton University this winter, the salamanders may face a more difficult challenge while migrating this year — salt.

Salt, which is used to melt snow and ice on pavement, is toxic to the salamanders, who have to cross Connector Road to complete their annual migration and lay eggs in Harpur Pond. According to Michael Armstrong, an instructor of biology, the salamanders are particularly susceptible to the effects of salt because of the way they breathe.

“An increased concentration of salt is going to be bad for any organism that has moist surfaces,” Armstrong said.

“Salamanders, many of which who ‘breathe’ through their skin, are going to be affected because the salt is going to pull out their moisture in some way and so the moisture will not be produced at the same rate and it’s going to be unavailable in certain areas on the skin.”

Jessica Hua, an assistant professor of biology, said salt can have varying consequences for amphibians.

“At high concentrations, road salts can kill amphibians,” Hua said. “At lower concentrations, such as environmentally-related concentrations, road salts can make amphibians more susceptible to parasites.”

The University has tried taking the salamanders into consideration when making decisions about which roads to keep open during the winter and by regulating how much road salt they use on campus. Until the 2017-18 academic year, Connector Road was closed to traffic during the winter. But since then, the University has kept the road open throughout most of the year, closing it during March to allow the annual migration and designating it as a reduced salt area, which limits the amount of salt used on the road before, during and after winter storms.

According to Miranda Kearney, visiting assistant professor of biology, the salamanders continue to cross the road because they are used to their migratory patterns.

“There’s sort of a multi-spacial thing going on here which is that the salamanders always crossed Connector Road,” Kearney said. “And so now they’re still going to migrate, but up until last year they never had to deal with the salt.”

The salt on Connector Road may not be the only danger for the salamanders. Devin DiGiacopo, a fourthyear graduate student studying biology, said road salts can also

spread through water and move from locations around the Nature Preserve into Harpur Pond. According to DiGiacopo, road salts in the water can have an effect on salamanders’ larvae.

“Road salts make their way from roads to water bodies through runoff during precipitation events, or through the movement of groundwater, and most amphibians spend at least one, but sometimes all, life stages in water and are therefore exposed quite frequently,” DiGiacopo said. “Even at lower levels, exposure to this stressor can reduce hatching success of eggs, and impede growth and development of larvae.”

Dylan Horvath, steward of BU’s natural areas, said the only ways to prevent salt from affecting salamanders would be to stop using salt on campus entirely or to use alternative options.

“It hasn’t been possible, yet, so the compromise is to hopefully lower the impact of salt on the salamanders,” Horvath said.

Horvath added that it’s important for the University to consider the environment when making decisions about surrounding roads and facilities.

“It’s a good thing that the University administration has taken into consideration the salamander migration when making decisions about the Connector Road,” Horvath said. “We should be able to care about other life besides ourselves and salamanders are important to the environment, which makes them important to humans even if humans don’t often realize it.”

HackBU aims to become beginner-friendly Panelists talk prison conditions, reform Roughly 350 students code in annual hackathon Jeremy Rubino news intern

The sixth annual 24-hour HackBU hackathon took place this weekend, giving the opportunity for Binghamton University students and students across the Northeast to demonstrate their hacking skills.

The hackathon, which took place at the University’s Innovative Technologies Complex, began at 11 a.m. on Saturday and ran until 4 p.m. on Sunday. This year’s HackBU brought together around 350 collegiate students across the Northeast, including students from BU, Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Clarkson University.

The influx of students from other participating schools was a result of the event’s new advertising campaign,

according to Melanie Chen, one of HackBU’s organizers and a senior double-majoring in computer science and music. Chen wrote in an email that a primary goal for this year’s hackathon was to attract students unfamiliar with programming and coding.

“This year, we advertised more heavily to and expect higher attendance from Harpur College and School of Management students, who likely have less experience with programming as opposed to Watson [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences] students,” Chen wrote. “The same applies to students from other schools.”

The event also hosted beginner’s workshops, which Chen wrote was an effort to make the event more diverse and welcoming.

“We organized a team-forming and brainstorming workshop before the hackathon in the hopes of helping beginners,” Chen wrote. “In the future,

see hackbu page 3

Discussion focuses on mass incarceration nationally, locally Valerie Puma

assistant copy desk chief

need to seek financial aid for housing.

“A tenants united group is literally just a group of people who come together for a common cause, we’re all here to protect affordable and safe housing,” Johnson said. “Something that a tenant collective can do is something like landlord-tenant mediation. We can also provide resources — employment opportunities, rides to court, housing resources that we can support each other with.”

The group also addressed issues with many landlords in Binghamton, such as failing to address safety code regulations and strategies for lobbying lawmakers

According to the World Prison Brief, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, a statistic that students and faculty discussed on Thursday in the Mandela Room.

The talk, which focused on prison reform and incarceration in the United States, featured a panel of four professors who discussed their research on imprisonment. Anthony Reeves, associate professor of philosophy and director of the philosophy, politics and law program at Binghamton University, said he organized the event to tackle questions on criminal law and the social issues that surround it.

“I think it is safe to say that, in all of U.S. history, it has been clear to many across the political spectrum that these sorts of questions cannot — given the current criminal justice state — be avoided,” Reeves said.

John Pfaff, professor of law at Fordham University and a panelist, described his research on sentencing laws and their effects on incarceration.

“We substantially over-punish violence,” Pfaff said. “If the United States is going to have any goal other than having the world’s highest incarceration, then we are, at some point, going to have

see tenants page 3

see panel page 3

maryam soomro business manager Students write code during the 24-hour HackBU hackathon, which took place in the Innovative Technologies Complex on Saturday and Sunday.

Tenants gather to discuss rights, new group Binghamton Tenants United aims to assist local renters Max Samson

pipe dream news

Students and local residents throughout Binghamton are searching for safe and affordable housing as the city adjusts to a changing real estate market and economic environment. On Thursday night, a group organizing to protect tenants’ rights held a kickoff meeting in Downtown Binghamton.

According to their Facebook page, the Binghamton Tenants United will be a community space for renters to

organize and discuss issues related to gentrification, rent control, evictions and landlords. During their first meeting, organizers discussed roadblocks to securing equitable housing for Binghamton tenants and proposed solutions and strategies.

Amber Johnson, a community organizer with Citizen Action of New York’s Southern Tier chapter, led the discussion.

“There’s a housing crisis here in Binghamton,” Johnson said. “I just saw someone come in today to talk about an unlawful event, where a landlord told someone to leave. There are disinvested properties and gentrification. There’s priming, where authorities or officials

ARTS & CULTURE

of an area allow it to go downhill.

Kind of like the North Side, kind of like Downtown.”

Most of the new group’s members are community activists and organizers for other advocacy groups such as Citizen Action, Progressive Leaders Of Tomorrow and We Must Live, another housing advocacy coalition. The kickoff meeting began with a general discussion of the issues related to safe and affordable housing in Binghamton and then transitioned into discussing their purpose as a group. Later, it focused on discussing an overall strategy for the organizers. The group plans to aid renters by providing resources to those who have been exploited by landlords or

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Ariana Grande releases fifth album “thank u, next” six months after “Sweetener,”

Students compete in “live-action” horse racing for charity at “Night at the Races,”

Contributing columnist Nicholas Walker dispels myths about veganism,

Women’s lacrosse set to begin season,

Wrestling captures its seventh straight dual meet,

SEE PAGE 5

SEE PAGE 5

SEE PAGE 4

SEE PAGE 7

SEE PAGE 8

PAGE II Monday, February 11, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

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

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“Every member of the Caucus and many of our colleagues in the Capitol were pained by the revelations of Gov. Northam’s and Attorney General Herring’s past behavior. Those actions showed a tremendous lack of judgment and compassion for Virginia’s black residents and unacceptable ignorance of some of our Commonwealth’s most historically painful chapters.

While we appreciate the candor of Attorney General Herring’s disclosure, we await further action on his part to reassure the citizens of the Commonwealth of his fitness for leadership. The Caucus also recognizes the need to address the troubling allegations leveled against Lt. Gov. Fairfax. Sexual assault is a very serious offense, and we believe that all allegations of sexual assault must be fully and thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agencies.”

— The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus in an official statement on Thursday regarding the use of blackface by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring and the sexual assault allegations against Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax.

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The Food Co-op hosts an open mic night on Thursday.

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Johnson City woman charged in death of 11-year-old son

Amy Klobuchar enters 2020 presidential race

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Shakia J. Crute, 30, of Johnson City, was charged on Friday with a felony count of second-degree manslaughter in connection with the death of her son, Jerome Smith, 11, according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin. The boy’s death, which occurred on Feb. 2, was considered suspicious after officers responded to Crute’s residence, according to Johnson City Police Chief Brent Dodge. Police have yet to disclose details of Smith’s death.

Crute was arraigned in Johnson City Village Court and will await further court proceedings in the Broome County Jail.

Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination on Sunday, making her the fifth woman currently serving in Congress to announce her candidacy, according to The New York Times. The third-term Minnesota senator, known for her moderate politics and Midwestern roots, announced her candidacy a day after Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts formally announced her 2020 presidential bid on Saturday.

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Man killed in Elmira shooting Around 12:44 a.m. on Sunday, officers with the Elmira Police Department were dispatched to the area of Linden Place near Oak Street after receiving reports of shots fired, according to WBNG. A vehicle that was speeding on E Washington Avenue was stopped by the officers and the driver told them that the male passenger was shot, according to the police. Officers provided medical assistance until an ambulance arrived, but the victim was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Elmira Police Department is currently investigating the incident.

NATIONAL NEWS

Virginia faces crises over blackface, sexual assault allegations In a Sunday interview with “CBS This Morning,” Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam remained firm in his intention to stay in office despite facing calls to resign over a blackface scandal, according to The New York Times. His announcement comes after Attorney General Mark Herring also admitted on Wednesday to wearing blackface, and after sexual assault allegations have been filed against Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. According to CNN, after Vanessa Tyson, a professor in California, accused Fairfax of sexual assault earlier this week, a second woman, Meredith Watson, came forward on Friday and said she was raped by Fairfax when they both attended Duke University in 2000.

Nelson Mandela, leader of the South African movement to end apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years of incarceration.

Police Watch The following accounts were provided by Investigator Mark Silverio of Binghamton’s New York State University Police.

Partied too hard MONDAY, Feb. 4, 11:33 a.m. — Officers responded to Mohawk Hall of College-in-the-Woods after residents reported extensive damage to their suite following a Super Bowl watch party.

According to the residents, the party extended past the game’s end time into the early morning hours, and a female guest noticed the damage at 6 a.m. on Feb. 4 as she was leaving the suite. The residents are missing a pair of UGG boots, a single flip-flop and multiple video games.

Additionally, an unknown liquid was poured onto their television and a Roku remote, a drink was poured into an Xbox and PS4, soda was poured onto a MacBook laptop and someone slashed holes in several of their chairs. Officers reviewed video footage and didn’t notice anyone suspicious entering or leaving the room. Members of the suite say they don’t remember inflicting the damage themselves. The case remains under investigation.

Advertisement teardown WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 10 a.m. — Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) filed a complaint regarding an

Melanie Gulbas Pipe Dream News

incident that occurred on an OCCT bus on Jan. 31.

According to OCCT, an unknown female destroyed property by tearing down a poster advertising a pregnancy center. The female said the group being advertised was “anti-abortion.” The female then exchanged words with the bus driver and departed the bus. The investigation is ongoing.

Angry resident?

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 3:09 p.m. — Officers responded to Rafuse Hall of Dickinson Community after a ResLife employee reported a bulletin board had been burned. The board, which the employee said was intact on the first day of classes, had several burn marks in it. The case remains under investigation.

Can’t beat the system WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 9:50 p.m. — Two male students, a 21-year-old and 22-year-old, were charged with theft of services after a UPD dispatcher noticed some odd movements from vehicles in Parking Lot W, a paid parking lot. At Lot W, there is a seven-minute window to enter and exit the area before paying. To avoid paying for parking in the lot, one student pulled up to the gate, took a ticket and gave it to his friend. Because the ticket was taken and re-entered into the pay station within seven minutes, his friend exited the lot for free. Officers found the suspects through their license plate numbers. They were arrested and will appear in Vestal Town Court.

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COMIC CLUB

A place For Everything Comics! everyone is welcome! comicclub@binghamtonsa.org

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NEWS

3

Panel discusses Students stay up for 24 hours to code incarceration, prison reform hackbu from page 1

panel from page 1 to punish people convicted for violence less.”

Charles Goodman, professor of philosophy and Asian and Asian American studies at BU, said the current criminal justice system often fails to secure justice and casts criminals as less than human.

“There are some people who actively want criminals to suffer — who think that that is justice,” Goodman said.

“Another common problem is the public indifference to the welfare goals for those who have broken laws — they only care about the welfare interests of the law-abiding people.”

The panelists also discussed private prisons’ profit margins, the natural or environmental causes behind crimes and violence and the conditions incarcerated people endure while awaiting trial.

Juanita Díaz-Cotto, professor of sociology, women’s studies and Latin American and Caribbean area studies (LACAS) and director of the LACAS program at BU, said it is also important to recognize gendered biases within criminal law. According to Díaz-Cotto, men are more likely to be incarcerated for violent crimes, while women are more often incarcerated for drug-related crimes.

“Once they pushed the ‘War on Drugs’ in the 70s and 80s, at one point 80 percent of the Latina women in New York state [prisons] and 70 percent of black women were incarcerated for drug-related crimes,” Díaz-Cotto said.

“The ‘War on Drugs’ has been a major contributor of the increase in the incarceration of women.”

Joshua Price, professor of sociology at BU, spoke about the conditions and challenges of local jails, such as the Broome County Jail, which has seen eight deaths in the last seven years, leading to community protests.

“Here at our county jail, there are about 500 people in the jail, but 70 percent of the people there have not yet been convicted of anything —

they’re just waiting for their trials,” Price said. “Sometimes people are there for a super long time. I knew someone who had died in jail in 2015, while he was waiting there for two months.”

Leisa Rockelein, a junior triple-majoring in philosophy, political science and philosophy, politics and law, said she thinks the incarceration panel was relevant to her studies and future career path.

“I found it really educational in seeing how widespread issues within incarceration are,” Rockelein said. “I think it was really helpful toward my future studies because in classes we always talk about giving punishment and why [we] should or shouldn’t, but we never discuss the punishment itself — so now I have a stronger understanding in that area, too.”

Melissa Brosnan, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she was interested in hearing different perspectives on what incarceration could look like in the U.S..

“It shined light on how, compared to other countries, the United States has the most people imprisoned and the worst conditions, and levels of danger, for those prisoners,” Brosnan said. “Which leads to the question: Is our prison system actually helping those inside? Or is it just promoting more crime, as those prisoners struggle to stay alive, sane and well?”

According to Arsenije Markicevic, a junior quadruple-majoring in philosophy, physics, economics and philosophy, politics and law, the panelists connected their discussion to the dehumanization of incarcerated people several times throughout the event.

“The fact that victims believed that criminals were punished too harshly, show that the United States’ prisons and criminal justice system is flawed and is too cruel and that criminals deserve to have their rights as humans upheld more,” Markicevic said.

rose coschignano pipe dream photographer Students and faculty gather in the University Union to discuss incarceration and prison reform.

we plan to continue efforts to make the hackathon as beginner-friendly and welcoming as possible. I think it would be great to increase the diversity of the hackers, as well as sponsors.”

HackBU is sponsored by companies like Citibank and Viacom, and allows participants to win prizes while meeting employers.

The event’s organizers also partnered with local businesses to provide food and amenities, including Moe’s

Southwest Grill, Maryam’s Mart, Nezuntoz Café and the Hot Yoga Spot.

Stephen Black, an undeclared freshman, said the teamwork aspect of the event drew him in after his friends asked him to participate.

“When you’re working as a computer science student, you’re alone,” Black said. “Here, however, you’re working with a team and it shows what a real-world experience could look like.”

Tamir Cohen, a senior majoring in political science, created a 2D

game for the hackathon. Cohen said the event provides valuable experience in teamwork.

“Coding is a big hobby of mine and I’ve been doing it for years,” Cohen said. “It doesn’t connect with what I’m studying, but it definitely helps build skills.”

Numerous awards were given following the hackathon, including “Best Civic Engagement Hack,” “Most Viable Business,” “Best Security Hack,” “Most Technical Hack,” “Best Newbie Hack,” “Best Design” and “Funniest Hack.” The “Best Mobile Hack” award went to

Local residents and community activists attend the first-ever meeting of Binghamton Tenants United.

“Night-Ride,” a ride-sharing app similar to Uber and Lyft.

Tyrone Gonzaga, a sophomore majoring in computer science, was a part of the team behind “Night-Ride.” Gonzaga, along with teammates Matt Reid, Joseph Raskind and Randy Giron, sophomores majoring in computer science, created the app with students in mind.

“Our app is designed for students looking for a safe ride home,” Gonzaga said. “Wherever they are, on late-nights or not, this is an app for students at its core.”

jacob hanna pipe dream photographer

Local activists launch new organization tenants from page 1 in Albany. The group emphasized the need for adjustments in the law to protect citizens from exploitation, like implementing rent control laws and relaxing rules for applying to low-income housing. Johnson cited increasing gentrification in the center of Binghamton as a motivator for increased community organizing.

Aviva Friedman, ‘14, a community educator for Family Planning of South Central New York, attended the kickoff meeting.

She mentioned that the University should be wary of its impacts as a force of gentrification.

“It’s an interesting time to be a tenant in Binghamton; there’s a tension between the University students and the locals who

live in Binghamton,” Friedman said. “The University could be an amazing asset to the community, but it’s important that people who live here aren’t pushed out.

The ideal is that we want more businesses coming from the University; we want revitalization.

But sometimes revitalization is coded language for gentrification.

I’m not an expert on this issue, but things like rent control can allow businesses to come in and bring jobs without driving up the price of housing.”

Pete Nagy, a deputy director for New York Communities for Change, a New York City-based coalition dedicated to social and economic justice, attended the meeting and voiced his frustration with the current housing environment downstate.

“I was a housing organizer in Long Island and New York City for twelve years, and for twelve years I’ve been fighting a losing battle,” Nagy said. “We can’t try the same things every year, talking to the same elected officials with the same strategies and expecting something different to happen.”

Nagy discussed a broad range of issues related to affordable housing across the state, such as landlords exploiting loopholes to rapidly inflate leases. Nagy emphasized lobbying for equitable policies at a local and state level, such as universal rent control and creating public housing where necessary. He discussed the rent stabilization act in New York, which tightened regulations and rent controls on low-income housing but was limited to

apartments downstate. According to Nagy, the media should balance coverage of the housing crisis across the state.

“Most media narratives focus on housing destabilization in New York City, but it’s also upstate — it’s Schenectady, it’s Saratoga, it’s Binghamton,” Nagy said. “As the rents have gone up, people from New York have been displaced and are now moving to places like Kingston, so suddenly the rents are up there too.”

Despite his disappointment with the current state of affairs for affordable housing across the state, Nagy said he sees an optimistic future for protecting tenants’ rights through community organizing.

“For the first time in 12 years, I feel hope,” he said.

Workshop highlights immigration misconceptions LASU hosts discussion of migrant struggles Sofia Mena

pipe dream news

On Thursday, Jan. 31, approximately 30 students gathered to discuss the United States-Mexico border and immigration from Central America.

The workshop, organized by the Latin American Student Union (LASU), was titled “Everyone vs. Immigrants.”

Lowis Ortega, community engagement coordinator for LASU and a junior majoring in political science, said the event aimed to educate students on

the history behind the crisis at the border and the experiences migrants face when seeking asylum in the United States.

“Migration is always a pressing issue for the Latinx community, but specifically now with the Trump administration,” Ortega said. “At the border in Mexico, in Tijuana and Baja California, there’s a lot of violence, a lot of inhumane treatment [of] migrants trying to seek asylum, and there are a lot blurred lines, so we’re just trying to clear stuff up with this workshop.”

Natalie Muñoz, president of LASU and a junior majoring in Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies, said the workshop also focused on

shifting the negative narrative regarding migrants.

“Oftentimes, the hateful rhetoric that comes from Trump dehumanizes all of the migrants,” Muñoz said. “So one goal is to rehumanize. [Another] goal is understanding the root cause of what’s happening in Central America. And then I’d say the last is to understand the steps that a migrant goes through, understanding what happens from the moment they decide to leave their country to entering the United States.”

The event began with a briefing on the caravan crisis at the United States-Mexico border.

Since June 2018, the border has seen increasing waves of migrants making their way north through

Mexico, most originating from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, according to LASU organizers. The migrants are escaping a renewed surge of violence, poverty and corruption throughout Latin America.

On Tuesday, a new immigration policy took effect, forcing certain asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed in the United States. The policy, implemented by the Trump administration, reversed a long-standing policy that allowed asylum seekers to live in the United States during the asylum process.

Carol Cabrera, an intern at LASU and a freshman majoring in business administration, read two migrant narratives out

loud, asking students to think about whether their cases would qualify for asylum in the United States. One case involved a young woman in danger of being sexually assaulted, and another told the story of a migrant facing oppressive working conditions.

Neither would be eligible for asylum in the United States.

In December, Muñoz said she visited a detention center in Dilley, Texas and heard from hundreds of women preparing for their asylum hearings.

Muñoz said E. coli bacteria was found in the water in Dilley, but the women and children at the center were not made aware of the danger. Muñoz also voiced concerns with detention center regulations that prevented her

from sharing her own food or water with the migrants.

Jessica Flores, a sophomore majoring in human development, said she believed the event was necessary for spreading awareness about the realities of immigration at the southern border.

“These are things that not many people know unless they have a family member who has gone through it, so I think that’s really important to talk about, especially in today’s world,” Flores said. “I’m studying human development so that I could become a social worker to help with these cases, especially the child cases, and I really hope to go down there even just to provide emotional support.”

OPINIONS Monday, February 11, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

Addressing misconceptions about plant-based diets Vegans actually have a variety of options in place of meat and dairy

Rimma Bondarenko shutterstock Vegans can get their protein from beans, tofu, nuts, tempeh, seitan, seeds, grains and more.

Nicholas Walker Contributing Columnist

Nutritional interrogation is frequent among us vegans, but rare among the carnivores of the world. The constant questioning feels hostile, even if asked out of curiosity. Consistent onslaughts have driven me to develop an arsenal of responses, each highly dependent upon the carnivore’s knowledge. If they are fluent in biology, I will respond with, “I usually photosynthesize my macronutrients, or graze on some grass if it’s cloudy.” They should know protein is found in every organism. For others,

the simple answer is that plantbased protein is abundant in beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan, nuts, seeds, grains and plant protein powders. Yes, all plants have protein. I wonder: Why do people care so much about where I get my protein? Do I ask meat-eaters where they get their Omega-3 fatty acids or Vitamin A or phytonutrients? The hypocrisy is outrageous; for example, I wouldn’t have any friends if I continually pestered others about their questionable eating habits. My last and most hostile response is, “I eat food. What do you pollute your body with?”

Is this question ever asked to an elephant or rhinoceros, who are both vegan animals?

They synthesize their meaty tissues from plant material.

Eating meat and dairy as sources of protein then seems like an inefficient method of obtaining energy as it is merely recycled plant material. Why get your protein from a middleman when you could obtain it directly from the source? In the book “Walden,” a farmer told Henry David Thoreau, “You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make bones with,” all while walking behind his oxen, which, “with vegetablemade bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle.”

In our culture, where we are told protein is king and milk is necessary for strong bones, we grow up drinking the Kool-aid of propaganda provided by the government and meat and dairy

industries. The most similar parallel I can draw is the blind trust characters in “The Giver” bestow upon the government with their pill regiments and altered history.

Plant protein sources lack all of the undesirable consequences of meat and dairy protein sources, such as heart diseasecausing cholesterol, cancercausing heterocyclic amines and antibiotics, pesticides and hormones to keep the animals fat.

As an athlete, it was an easy decision to choose a plant-based diet. It’s a widely known fact in the sports world that this diet will decrease recovery time between workouts by reducing inflammation. Simply ask the many professional athletes

who have found success with plant-based lifestyles, such as Venus Williams, Scott Jurek and Kendrick Farris. By not consuming the bacterial endotoxins found in animal products, our bodies do not produce an inflammatory response and our arteries do not stiffen.

The National Dairy Council recommends consuming more milk and dairy to prevent osteoporosis, yet dairy products show little to no benefit to bone health. Our country’s dairy consumption is the main source of saturated fat, contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Dairy has also been linked to breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. Are you worried about not getting

enough calcium? It can be found in leafy green vegetables, beans, fortified juices and plant milks, and is more easily absorbed than animal calcium.

Of course, we are never taught the pitfalls of the Western diet in high school or college.

Instead, we are inundated with commercials of Olympic athletes drinking milk after workouts and countless fast food advertisements. I understand most people are misinformed about the field of nutrition, but do your homework before you attack a vegan with a question that may come across as ignorant.

— Nicholas Walker a junior majoring biomedical engineering.

is in

Record labels can hinder artists’ success Artists often receive just a small portion of their earned revenue Sean Morton Contributing Columnist

The record label-artist rivalry is a tale as old as time. Disputes between labels and their artists have existed ever since music production became a field of profession. Johnny Cash and Columbia Records duked it out over the promotion of his 20th album, “Bitter Tears” (1964), because of its unconventionally sociopolitical themes. Prince held a lasting standoff between Warner Bros. over the freedom of his artistic choices while under contract. Even with such bigname artists, conflicts with labels commonly arise from issues with contracts. More recently, profit distribution between artists and their labels have become a common source of dispute,

especially within the hip-hop genre. Artists under contract to a music label are required to generate a certain amount of revenue for the company, which can be especially daunting for new and unestablished artists.

With platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, the luxuries of present day have unveiled a new horizon of possibilities for aspiring artists to achieve success. Unfortunately, these opportunities entail a new range of financial setbacks for artists.

It’s a double-edged sword — particularly for young and upand-coming artists — that can potentially hold them back from reaching their full potential, regardless of talent.

The terms of music production have widely bent under our transition into the digital era. I don’t think I’ve purchased a physical CD in the last decade, and I can’t name anyone I personally know who

has either. Better yet, I haven’t even digitally purchased music in over half that amount of time.

We have already evolved from the “iTunes era” of digitally purchasing individual songs and albums as storage-consuming files and have arguably already settled into a new era built upon streaming. The process of listening to your favorite song has become as simple as typing its name on a third-party music platform and pressing search, without that guilt-inducing process of telling yourself that it will be the last time you buy a new hit single for $1.29 on iTunes with your mom’s credit card. The combination of profit cuts that these streaming platforms and record labels take begs the question: How much are the actual artists making?

The terms of contracts between record labels and artists are largely confidential, and rightfully so. However, The Root,

an Afrocentric progressive online magazine, found that on average, about 63 percent of profits go to the label while around 24 percent goes to distributing platforms. This leaves the actual artists with only 13 percent, which is split further if there are multiple artists as a collective.

Of these streaming platforms’ revenues, only 7 percent goes toward the artists and 10 percent goes to their songwriters, while labels rake in roughly 45 percent of the profit, over double the profit that these streaming platforms make off of their own revenue. Furthermore, artists under contract are indebted a certain amount of revenue to their label and are often stuck working under these labels without a choice for years at a time. Despite selling over 10 million copies of their smash hit album “CrazySexyCool,” (1994) each member of TLC only earned about $35,000 from it while

left with a $3.5 million debt to their contract before filing for bankruptcy. It took Dr. Dre nearly 20 years to successfully sue Death Row Records, a label he had founded, after being refused payment since 1996 for his own hit album, “The Chronic” (1992). He was only able to do this after coming out of bankruptcy. While not every label is corrupt, others in similar positions may not necessarily be as fortunate as Dr. Dre. I want to clear the air by saying that music labels are a fundamentally necessary component in music production.

A lot of my top artists would likely not exist had they never been discovered by their labels.

While artists and labels share a symbiotic relationship that is essential in each other’s goal to produce music, the reality is that artists are still underpaid.

There is an infinite number of aspiring young artists, but

there is a finite number of bigname labels. By power of supply and demand, labels inherently hold higher ground over most artists, and indisputably over undiscovered ones. Obviously, music labels rightfully need a sturdy share of an artists’ revenue to keep producing the music that we take for granted, but when considering the importance of an artist’s role in music, earning as low as around 10 percent of profits is beyond disproportionate, regardless of other means of revenue such as concerts and merchandise. I can only imagine how many potentially revolutionary artists, drowning in contract debt or failing to work independently from labels, might be left undiscovered due to a structurally unchanging imbalance in the music industry.

— Sean Morton is a junior majoring in English.

Discriminatory policies put LGBTQ lives in physical danger Individual acts of violence are influenced by the Trump administration Elizabeth Short Columnist

A few years ago, during the previous administration, it seemed that the rights and freedoms for LGBTQ individuals were becoming more and more discussed. The legalization of gay marriage in the United States and groundbreaking developments in freedoms for transgender individuals might have even lulled the American people into a false sense of security regarding homophobia and transphobia in the country. The current administration has changed that.

Even Vice President Mike Pence has been outspoken in his beliefs against homosexuality. In 2007, he voted against The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would’ve prevented sexualitybased discrimination in the workforce, and even related homosexuality to “societal collapse.” His wife has also recently returned to her job as an art teacher at a school with discriminatory policies.

While it might seem that the personal choices of these individuals in power may have little effect on day-to-day life, this administration’s choices are undoing decades of LGBTQ civil rights, and even putting lives at risk.

On Jan. 29, 36-year-old

African American actor, musician and activist Jussie Smollett was brutally attacked by two individuals early that morning.

The two attackers allegedly approached Smollett, hit his face, poured chemicals on him and tied a rope in the fashion of a noose around his neck, all while yelling out racial and homophobic slurs as well as the phrase “MAGA country.” Smollett, like his character on the hit television show “Empire,” is openly gay.

Smollett reported the attack and received treatment at Northwestern Hospital. No arrests have been made, and newly surfaced surveillance videos may lead to an eventual identification of the attackers.

Smollett returned to the stage less

than a week later the following Sunday, getting emotional before his music performance. He said, “Regardless of what anyone else says, I will only stand for love. We hope that you all stand with us.”

This hate-fueled attack comes a week after a Supreme Court vote provided no legal changes or positions on the Trump administration’s ban on transgender individuals in the military, effectively holding the ban in place. Despite an opposing brief to the ban, which states that an individual’s gender identity doesn’t affect their quality as a soldier, the leaders of our nation are denying the right to serve and protect its citizens to those who want it most. If someone is willing to risk their life to

protect our freedoms, why are we denying them basic freedoms of their own?

Policies and political support founded on fear and discrimination do nothing but embolden those who already maintain that mindset. While those who oppose the current administration’s statements and policies can easily brush off what they hear, those words have power. Individuals like the ones who attacked Smollett might start to think, “Well, if they are public in their hate, why can’t I be as well?” Actress Ellen Page put it best: “If you are in a position of power, and you hate people, and you want to cause suffering to them, you go through the trouble, you spend your career

trying to cause suffering — what do you think is going to happen?”

The LGBTQ community has faced this kind of discrimination before with the HIV/AIDS crisis when the Reagan administration treated the disease and deaths of countless individuals as a joke until the epidemic had become too large to ignore. We simply cannot allow history to repeat itself in a similar manner. This is absolutely not the first and it sadly may not be the last time LGBTQ individuals face hate and discriminatory practices, but the community remains strong, open and full of love.

— Elizabeth Short is a sophomore double-majoring in biology and English.

BU professor talks ‘legend tripping’ Elizabeth Tucker shares campus ghost stories Krishna Patel

contributing writer

Most people have probably heard of the Headless Horseman, the Amityville Horror House and countless asylums across the country that are reportedly haunted. Maybe you’ve even heard of Lily, the ghost of a Native American or settler child that supposedly haunts Cleveland Hall in Hinman Community.

These legends and ghost stories are examples of strong oral traditions that persist to this day and manifest themselves on the Binghamton University campus.

On Saturday, Feb. 9, the Broome County Arts Council opened its gallery doors for a lecture on such legends by Elizabeth Tucker, a professor of English at BU. The audience was welcomed with bagels, coffee and an intimate environment in a small room with a dozen chairs in front of a podium. At the showcase, Tucker presented her book, “Legend Tripping: A Contemporary Legend Casebook.” Tucker stated that legends are a facet of oral tradition, discussing the origins of legends from ancient oral traditions and epic poems such as “The Epic of Gilgamesh.” Many of these involve heroes embarking on quests to dangerous places trying to achieve something seemingly impossible and risking their lives on the way.

“Legends are stories told conversationally and told as true,” Tucker said. “They are about things that sound wondrous and amazing. [They are] sometimes frightening and unsettling, and we wonder if they could actually be real. Often the telling of legends stimulates a trip to a place where you will try to test how true that legend is.”

Such pilgrimages are referred to as “legend trips” by Tucker.

In her discussion of legend tripping, Tucker discussed some allegedly haunted locations in the Southern Tier with the audience. The audience shared their own experiences with the supernatural and various explanations for them, providing for a lively and thoughtprovoking discussion.

As for BU’s campus, according to Tucker, Hughes Hall in Hinman is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Charlene, a domestic ghost who likes to bake brownies. Smith Hall has had reports of furniture being thrown around and a strange smell of perfume. There’s even a whole underground system of lakes and tunnels that most students never catch a glimpse of. Tucker spoke of numerous stories of strange phenomena in the Nature Preserve; she has had three students tell her of encountering a tall, shadowy figure during nighttime hikes.

Among the many topics of conversation, one of them was the transformation of ghost stories across generations. For example, the legend of Slenderman, although a famous one, is a recent development that spread with the help of the internet. Tucker also explained how the digital era has influenced and transformed the human tradition of telling legends, legend tripping and our connection to the spirit world.

Social media apps such as Ghost Radar Classic make detecting spirits and legend tripping more accessible.

According to Tucker, legend trips are often initiatory. They are ways for people, especially teenagers and college students, to test their courage. However, Tucker stressed that legend tripping can be a meaningful experience for everyone.

“Not only is it fun, but it’s something deeper than fun,” Tucker said. “It makes you consider the boundary between life and death and offers you a chance to re-enchant the world.”

sidney slon pipe dream photographer Elizabeth Tucker spoke about legends, ghosts and ghouls in her talk at the Broome County Arts Council Gallery on Saturday, Feb. 9.

BU students competed in “live-action” horse racing for a cause at the “A Night at the Races” event on Feb. 7.

sidney slon pipe dream photographer

Students horse around for charity ‘Night at the Races’ raised a total of $619 Tiffany Dun

contributing writer

The horses lined up along the starting line. Families, children and local businesses sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for the race to begin.

The air was tense and the competition was fierce, but in the end, it would all be up to the roll of a dice. Were we at the Kentucky Derby? Nope, we were competing on a life-size board game at Binghamton’s third annual Night at the Races event.

Students, staff and members of the community gathered at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7 in the Events Center. The event was held by 18 student leaders in Binghamton’s leadership institute Explore, Engage and B You (EEBU), which promotes healthy choices for college students. The College of Community and Public Affairs program and School of Management faculty worked in collaboration with EEBU to promote and run the event.

Ultimately, the goal was to raise money for charities in the local community.

In five different rounds, teams consisting of students,

student-athletes and members of the community competed in stick-horse races in an event that ran for about 90 minutes.

After five rounds, the top three teams would choose which charity they would donate the event’s raised funds to. The stakes were high; each team had paid $20 to register and seemed eager to obtain victory for their chosen cause. The atmosphere was positive as teams cheered on their representatives and competed in miniature games in order to stay in the race.

The race was a life-size board game, where a representative from each team was allowed to move as many spaces as the dice roll allowed toward the finish line. Upon landing on a square with a colored band, teams elected another representative to test their skills in a mini game, each representing a different sport on campus.

Whether by throwing tennis balls into a lacrosse goal, bouncing a ball on a tennis racquet for 15 seconds or making three out of six baskets, each team was tested on both their coordination and athletic abilities in order to keep the race fun and lighthearted. A poll was even available online for which team was most likely to win on the big score board.

After two championship rounds, the winners were

decided and a total of $619 was raised for each of the top three teams’ charities of choice. As winners, the baseball team was allocated $371 that would go toward the Addiction Center of Broome County. Coming in second place was women’s cross country, who allocated $155 toward the Center for Donation and Transplant in honor of late graduate student and cross country runner, Noah Farrelly. Men’s cross country, placing third, was allocated an additional $93 toward this fund.

EEBU member Maya Haykal, a member of the women’s tennis team and a junior majoring in biology, helped organize and plan the event.

“It was a great success and I’m so glad all our hard work paid off,” Haykal said. “It was great to see everyone come together to relax and have fun [among] our busy schedules, all while helping smaller charities in the community receive financial support.”

Jaclyn Smith, a member of the volleyball team and a sophomore majoring in economics, competed in the event along with her whole team.

“It is always an amazing feeling to be part of an event where both the athletics community and the

Binghamton community can come together and raise money for a good cause,” Smith said.

This year, EEBU made an effort to advertise the event to not just athletes, but members of the wider community.

As such, a vast diversity of students, staff, local businesses, families and children attended to either compete, support their favorite teams and eat some of the pastries, cookies and other desserts offered.

“My highlight of the night was seeing the children with disabilities compete in the races, and seeing all the support everyone had for them,” Smith said. “Another highlight was the free T-shirt.”

The Binghamton community will see this event, which is funded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, continue to develop in the future.

Kristie Bowers, assistant athletic director for student-athlete support and development, said the event allowed the Binghamton student body to come together for a common cause.

“I think it was really beneficial for our community to come together on a Thursday night for a positive goal,” Bowers said. “I look forward to it every year because each year gets better and better.”

Ariana Grande changes her tune with fifth studio album ‘thank u, next’ includes two Billboard hit singles Carly Heitner

contributing writer

Six months after the release of her album “Sweetener,” Ariana Grande has hit the charts again with “thank u, next,” a breakup album for the ages. While “Sweetener” preached messages of positivity and joy, “thank u, next” pulls a 180 by spreading self-worth, self-care and a blasé attitude.

Grande’s Feb. 8 release consists of 12 tracks with a unique pop sound that combines a repertoire of styles including a nod to show tunes, funk, trap, R&B and rap.

The album has a vulnerable start with the songs “imagine” and “needy.” “imagine” is an R&B ballad that gives a powerful but

emotional start to the album, portraying that imagining was a way that Grande has coped with the difficulties she has been through this past year. “needy,” a groovy bop, follows Grande’s theme of independence and self-care.

The album immediately turns around and breaks into a carefree attitude with “NASA.” This song picks up the mood and has an exciting feel to it. The track starts off with a recorded male voice saying, “One small step for woman, one giant step for woman-kind,” leading into her message of female empowerment and needing “space” from her man, a pun on the title “NASA.” “bloodline” is an upbeat song that adds to her message of selfrule, repeatedly saying, “let this shit go.” The idea of not wanting to get serious with a partner is expressed as she sings, “don’t want you in my bloodline.” The

song brings an energetic feel with a tasteful vibrancy and pulsing bass line that gives listeners something to sing and dance along to.

The next song, “fake smile,” proves that Grande wants to try different styles on this album. The song starts off with Wendy Rene’s Stax classic “After Laughter (Comes Tears),” an old recording used as a driving force behind the rest of the song. Grande uses her sweet and lively tone filled with riffs as a way to make her vulgar language sound empowering as she repeatedly sings the line “fuck a fake smile.” “bad idea” has a gloomy, popprincess feel to the song. Grande’s edgy song has a cool backbeat and the verses are upbeat with a heavy bass, keeping the song interesting even after multiple listens.

The next song, “make up,” has an underlying reggae tone that balances out the aggressive lyrics.

The play on the phrase “make up” is clever and heart-wrenching at the same time. She says, “I love it when we make up, Go ‘head, ruin my makeup.” The song illustrates the conflicted feelings that come with being in “on-again, offagain” relationships.

The mood shifts back into a more vulnerable sound on this next track. The haunting tone and lyrics of “ghostin” are a reminder of Grande’s previous works, such as “Break Free,” “Moonlight” and “Love Me Harder.” The lyrics are moving, tragic and relatable all at the same time. “in my head” is the next song on the album that keeps the drama given in “ghostin” in a more confident way. The song’s lyrics express Grande’s ability to accept that her imagination, a nod to the song “imagine,” may be playing with her emotions.

This song’s rhythm is bluesy and gives Grande the opportunity to

show off her vocal range more than some of the other tracks on the album.

“7 rings” is a girl power anthem that starts with a creepy instrumental introduction, but also features a mix of singing and rapping. The song is raunchy and cold-hearted, with Grande preaching that the best therapy is retail therapy while celebrating her close friends and wealth.

The song then leads into a spoof on “The Sound of Music” classic “My Favorite Things,” listing all of Grande’s favorite things that if she wants, she gets.

Her title track “thank u, next”, which spent weeks at No. 1, has a catchy chorus, dynamic beat and verses that are savage and intriguing. This song perfectly exemplifies her crazy year and how she is ready to move on to bigger and better things. She also released a music video this past November, referencing classic

romantic comedies from the early 2000s and preaching feminism and self-love.

The final song on the album is “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored,” which also has a music video, released when the album dropped at midnight. The song has lyrics that are bold and follow the theme of the album perfectly.

The overall sound of the tune is boring for a final track, especially in comparison to the twin hits played right before. This song was added last minute and has an eyecatching title but vocally does not show Grande’s strengths. “thank u, next” is not afraid to push boundaries and take risks.

The album is full of symbolism that demand attention, new styles and sounds and a new image for Grande. While her message is unconventional, clearly she is doing something right as the number-one-selling pop artist.

4.5/5

F UN

Monday, February 11, 2019 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2, 5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

Dognac

Annabeth Sloan

Horoscopes

Hannah Nathanson

Libra: When the phone call ends, it will feel like you’re standing on top of a balcony in a city you’ve never seen. Probably in a different hemisphere. You might cry, sorry. Try to use a world map as a blanket. Figure out why we decided north was on top of south when it doesn’t matter in outer space.

Scorpio: The first girl you saw was a seashell doing pottery. Seaweed wrapped their arms around her, you were a pole in a basement supporting an entire house. You were a sweater during Christmas but never a Christmas sweater.

I’m bringing up this memory so you’re prepared for what’s about to happen.

Sagittarius: Put your fist in your mouth. Don’t stop there. Turn yourself inside out. Take your kidneys and glue googly-eyes to them. Now, you are ready for Tuesday.

Then, turn yourself back to normal and put your swimming goggles on. If you think you’ll need them, floaties too. Now you know what to expect on Wednesday morning.

Livin’ like Larry

Daniel Eisenhower

Sudoku

By The Mepham Group

Level: 1 2 3 4 Solution to last issue's puzzle

© 2017 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Release Date: Monday, February 11, 2019

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

Gotcha

Doeboi

Daniel Eisenhower

Nate Walker

ACROSS 1 Org. whose product is measured in barrels 5 Pillar of Islam involving travel 9 School near Windsor Castle 13 Hugs-and-kisses symbols 14 Pacific island host of two “Survivor” seasons 15 Medical image 16 Analogy words 17 Modern John Hancock 19 Epithet never actually used by Jimmy Cagney 21 Angsty music genre 22 LAX posting 23 Elect (to) 24 Dressed down 28 Songwriter Porter 30 Frightening 31 Red wine choice 33 Fairy tale baddie 34 Be victorious 35 Was in debt to 36 WWII naval threat 38 Picnic invaders 39 Grass roll 40 Shopping complex 41 Go by, as time 43 They’re planted in snow while skiing 45 Civil rights icon Parks 46 Largest living bird 47 Emails a dupe to 48 Couture initials 51 Tapped-off cigar remnant 52 Hours for cuppas 54 Cord cutters’ reception aids 58 Air filter acronym 59 __ hop: gym dance 60 Infatuation 61 “I’ll take care of that” 62 Log splitters 63 Spade of handbags 64 Education support gps.

DOWN 1 Nitrous __ 2 Theorize 3 *Grade-boosting option 4 Crotchety oldster 5 Attacks 6 Got off a horse 7 XKE, for short 8 *Singer’s spouse who co-wrote “Ring of Fire” 9 Raves about 10 Play about Capote 11 Rowing tool 12 TV scientist whose show has won 19 Emmys 14 *Chess situation that forces a draw 18 Love, to Luigi 20 “Carpe diem” initials 24 Game Gear creator 25 Typical mortgage requirement, and what ends each answer to a starred clue 26 Gives off 27 Closely packed 29 Out-of-date

30 Deceives 31 Meno __: not as fast, in music 32 Furry C-3PO worshipers 37 “Eww!” 38 Small batteries 40 Somewhat wet 42 Nowhere to be found 44 Practical jokes 47 __ and desist 49 Vintage photo tone

50 Exams for aspiring judges, briefly 52 Item listed above “u-bolt” in a hardware glossary?

53 Blue-roofed eatery 54 Airport safety org.

55 __ populi: popular opinion 56 Blackjack half 57 Gun lobby org.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

By Joe Deeney ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

02/11/19

02/11/19

bupipedream.com | February 11, 2019

SPORTS

7

Track and field battles at Boston University Bonney places first in weight throw Ryan Giglio

contributing writer

rose coschignano pipe dream photographer Junior guard Karlee Krchnavi scored six points and collected 12 rebounds in a one-point loss to UNH.

Women’s basketball suffers deflating loss to Wildcats BU’s top three scorers shoot 23 percent from the field Evan Cole

assistant sports editor

Facing a New Hampshire team with only eight active players — six of whom are freshmen — the Binghamton women’s basketball team entered Saturday’s game heavily favored to win. Instead, the Bearcats were in need of a miracle in order to triumph over the Wildcats, facing a six-point deficit with just 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

In the midst of an anomalous shooting game for BU, the stars appeared to align. A 3-pointer from freshman guard Hayley Moore cut UNH’s lead to three. On the ensuing inbound, a steal from Moore gave the Bearcats an opportunity to tie the game. Having a timeout but deciding not to use it, Binghamton exploited the chaos with a layup from freshman guard Annie Ramil to cut its deficit to one with only 2.9 seconds remaining.

Following two missed free throws by UNH freshman guard Kari Brekke, Binghamton elected to use its timeout to advance the ball to the frontcourt with a chance to win. After the Wildcats effectively denied Binghamton’s first two options on the inbound, BU inbounded the ball to Ramil in the post, who lost the ball against a strong

interior defense. The Wildcats (6-18, 3-8 America East) escaped Vestal with an impressive victory, edging out the Bearcats (9-15, 4-7 AE), 54-53.

“It shouldn’t have gotten to that final play,” BU head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord said. “What we were trying to get was a shot for either Hayley [Moore] or [senior forward] Rebecca [Carmody]. All we needed was one basket. Didn’t need anything fancy, didn’t need a three, just needed to get to the rim.”

Essentially every Bearcat, with the exceptions of Moore and junior guard Karlee Krchnavi, struggled from the field. Binghamton’s three leading scorers this season — Carmody and junior guards Kai Moon and Carly Boland — shot a combined 9-for-39 from the field, helping quantify BU’s woeful performance. The Bearcats shot 30.8 percent from the field and 13.3 percent from 3-point range as a team in the loss.

“I think we were just off,” Shapiro Ord said. “It happens. I just kept waiting for it to change. I just thought that after that first half that for sure it was gonna happen, and sometimes [a bad shooting performance] just happens.”

Moore helped ignite Binghamton when she checked in off the bench, relieving Moon, who struggled to get in a rhythm due to foul trouble.

Moore’s ability to push the pace and hit the Bearcats’ only two 3-pointers helped provide pacing and spacing that Binghamton needed in the game. She

and Krchnavi each shot 3-of-5 overall on Saturday, an efficient display in an otherwise gritty game. Krchnavi and Carmody both made an impact on the game, both on the glass and defensively. Krchnavi grabbed a gamehigh 12 rebounds while recording two steals and a block; Carmody snagged 10 boards in a double-double effort, adding 12 points, three steals and two blocks.

“Just energy and hustle plays — that’s the only thing you really can control,” Carmody said. “My shots weren’t falling tonight — no one’s shots were falling. But defensively, just getting loose balls, getting rebounds, those are the plays that you can control.”

Binghamton struggled to get consistently productive minutes at center, as sophomore forwards Kaylee Wasco and Olivia Ramil each struggled with foul trouble. Shapiro Ord adjusted by turning to Olivia Ramil at the five down the stretch, giving BU a lineup that showcased versatility and mobility on both ends of the court. With Ramil checking in for Wasco with 52 seconds remaining, Binghamton outscored the Wildcats by six points and had an opportunity to come out on top with Ramil closing out the game.

After a disappointing defeat, Binghamton shifts its focus to Wednesday’s road matchup with lastplace UMBC. Tipoff from the Retriever Activities Center in Baltimore, Maryland is scheduled for 7 p.m.

This weekend’s frigid weather could not cool down graduate student Brooke Bonney’s recordbreaking season as the Binghamton men’s and women’s track and field teams traveled to Boston University to compete in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

In the women’s weight throw on Saturday, Bonney’s distance of 65-7 was good enough to place her first, with fellow graduate student Oyin Adewale coming in 10th (51-10.5).

This is the third time in her career that Bonney broke the previous school record in this event. She previously set the record earlier this season on Dec. 8 at the Greg Page Relays with a distance of 64-8.

“Brooke Bonney was the standout in the weight throw,” BU head coach Mike Thompson said. “She was already very good, but she

did improve quite a bit.”

In January, Bonney was named America East (AE) Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for the second time in her career. The first time she received this honor was Feb. 21, 2017.

Like Bonney and Adewale, several Bearcats made their mark at the invitational this weekend despite the fact that athletes from a plethora of schools participated.

Juniors Janelle Williams and Elly Scherer proved to be tough competition for other athletes. In the 60 meter dash, Williams’ time of 7.98 was good for second place, only .01 seconds from tying Saint Rose freshman Shania Mohammed for first.

Williams also finished in the top 65 of the 200-meter dash (25.87).

In the 60 hurdles invitational section, Scherer finished in fourth place with a time of 8.84.

“In a big meet like this, it was a pretty big performance,” she said.

On the men’s side, juniors Greg Matzelle and Jack Fitzgerald were two of the top performers this

binghamton athletics department Graduate student Brooke Bonney placed first in the women’s weight throw, breaking her own school record in the process.

weekend. Matzelle placed second in the 60 invitational (6.90) whereas Fitzgerald’s 6-6 ¾ leap landed him in a fourth-place tie in the high jump.

Senior Peter Mastracco and junior Matt Baker also turned in strong showings in their respective events.

Mastracco finished in sixth place in the weight throw (55-5) and Baker’s triple jump distance (47-5) earned him eighth place.

Senior Thomas Cooper registered a time of 48.87 in the 400 dash, which was the 19th best time out of almost 200. Cooper is currently enjoying a breakthrough in his third season for the Bearcats.

“He didn’t really have a very good first three years,” Thompson said. “Now he’s on the verge of being on our all-time top ten list and will have one of the better times in the conference after [Saturday’s] performance.

I think he’s probably improved the most out of everybody.”

With the AE C h a m p i o n s h i p s approaching, Thompson said both the men’s and women’s teams will look to improve on this weekend’s overall results.

“We’ve got two weeks until the championships, so the next two weeks are just about everybody getting sharper,” Thompson said.

“There were some great performances this weekend, but even for the people who did very well, the goal is to be even better in two weeks.”

In preparation for the championships, Thompson said practices will still have a high level of intensity, but the volume will be less than practices earlier in the season.

However, Binghamton can’t look that far ahead in the future just yet. Next up for the Bearcats is the Marc Deneault Invitational, hosted at Cornell’s Barton Hall in Ithaca, New York at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16.

BU prepares for 2019 campaign Women’s lacrosse picked third in preseason poll Edward Aaron sports intern

Women’s Lacrosse Schedule FEB 12

@SYR

6 p.m.

FEB 17

NIA

1 p.m.

FEB 20

@COLG

5 p.m.

FEB 24

DART

1 p.m.

MAR 1

MRST

4 p.m.

MAR 6

LAF

3 p.m.

MAR 9

@OSU

MAR 16

HARV

noon 1 p.m.

Following the finest campaign in its Division I history, the Binghamton women’s lacrosse team is laced with high expectations and is ready to hit the field for its 2019 campaign.

Last season was special for the Bearcats. The team went 5-2 in conference play and reached the America East (AE) tournament for the first time in school history. After being picked third in the preseason poll this season, the team will look to carry over last year’s success with a new look group.

“I think it’s a sign of respect,” said BU head coach Stephanie Allen. “We talked last season about making the tournament now being part of our tradition, and I think being selected preseason number three in the conference shows a lot of respect from our competitors, but something that we have to live up to every single day in our practices and just daily pursuits.”

After last year’s historic run, Binghamton has undergone a great deal of change during the offseason. The team graduated 11 players, including three of its top five scorers.

“It really did take the right people coming in to play together and the pieces kind of fitting collectively,” Allen said.

“But for us it was some great senior leadership last year, but I think we’ve got all of the foundational building blocks set in place now and a really strong foundation moving forward.”

Several Bearcat standouts have moved on from the program, including Jacqueline Kennedy and Brianne Arthur, ’18, ushering in a new era of Binghamton women’s lacrosse.

“I think we’ve got a tremendous amount of experience still out there on the field,” Allen said. “It’s nice to see some of those younger players taking on a bigger role than they have in previous seasons.”

Three Second Team AllConference selections from last season return: senior midfielder Rebecca Golderman, junior defender Alexa Franze and junior goalie Taylor Passuello.

Golderman is expected to lead the team in her final season as a Bearcat. She has had an illustrious career, being named AE Rookie of the Year as a freshman and First Team All-Conference in a sophomore season that featured a then-program record 44 goals.

Sophomore attacker Paige Volkmann was named to the AE All-Rookie Team last season after logging 20 goals in her first year with the team.

On the defensive side, two Second Team All-Conference selections return to anchor Binghamton’s backline. Franze leads the group of defenders following a breakout sophomore season, finishing second on the team in ground balls and caused

turnovers. Passuello enters the season as the top goaltender.

“With the big graduating class that just left, people are realizing that a lot of spots are open and are trying to take advantage of that,” Passuello said. “So everybody comes out hungry every day; not only as an individual standpoint but trying to be better and make the team better each and every day.”

After last year’s senior class departed, Passuello, Golderman, senior midfielder Olivia Batista and senior defender Kaia Gallop were named new captains last fall.

“It means a lot, personally,” Gallop said. “When I approach being a leader on our team, I think of it a lot as having

everyone be leaders and I’ve noticed that so much in the past couple of months.”

In women’s lacrosse, the AE has long been dominated by Stony Brook. The Seawolves have captured six straight conference championships and are ranked No. 5 in the national preseason poll. In light of knocking out BU in the AE semifinals last season, Albany was selected No. 2 in the conference preseason poll.

Before facing off against their AE opponents, the Bearcats will open their 2019 schedule with a challenging nonconference matchup against No. 13 Syracuse. First face-off is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12 from the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York.

rebecca kiss photography editor A partially new group looks to carry on Binghamton women’s lacrosse’s success from last season.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Bearcats fall to UNH SEE PAGE 7

Monday, February 11, 2019

Wrestling picks up dual wins over Drexel, Hofstra Trampe’s pin helps extend BU win streak to seven Marianne Bohn

contributing writer

Coming off an impressive 34-7 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) victory against Sacred Heart University, the Binghamton wrestlers were looking to extend their winning streak to seven against Drexel and Hofstra in back-to-back dual meets in the West Gym. The Bearcats (73, 7-2 EIWA) were able to pull off pins, falls and decisions in both meets in order to have a successful day in their own territory.

The Dragons (4-8, 1-4 EIWA) came in taking an early lead, yet still dropped the close conference dual in the end, leaving the Bearcats victorious.

Although the Bearcats captured the initial bout at 141 pounds, Drexel started to have an advantage until major decisions were achieved at the 174-pound class by redshirt senior Vincent DePrez against Drexel sophomore Trevor Elfvin and at 184 pounds by No. 9-ranked redshirt freshman Lou DePrez against Drexel freshman Anthony Walters, evening the score. The Bearcats fell at the 197-pound bracket and lost a 2-0 decision at 285, but they found the fight to rally for nine team points during the last two bouts to ultimately triumph.

This comeback was made possible by redshirt sophomore Audey Ashkar against Drexel freshman Antonio Mininno at 125 pounds. The two were competing and tied 2-2 into third period until Ashkar took the reins and secured an escape, takedown and eventually another late takedown for an 8-5 decision. Finally, the Bearcats, needing just one pin to win, had 133-pound redshirt freshman Zack Trampe face Drexel redshirt sophomore Alex Salas.

Trampe put on a phenomenal performance, earning four

takedowns in the first period while also earning a pin at 4:32 in the second period. He went on to propel the team to a lastsecond victory over Drexel, 21-20.

“That was the dual, that pin was the dual,” said BU head coach Kyle Borshoff. “He got that fall and got the win for the team against Drexel. Bonus points are something we talk about all the time. It’s something we’ve been getting better at, but we need to continue working on it. That first dual down five points last match of the night, only way we win the dual is by getting a fall. [Trampe] went out there and beat the guy up for a little while, wore him out and chased him and got the pin. So, bonus points are huge. I was happy to see us implementing it.”

The Bearcats saw even more success in their fight against Hofstra (6-11, 2-5 EIWA) immediately following the Drexel meet. Ashkar was able to get a fall over freshman Dylan Ryder of Hofstra. He was able to chase the cradle, get his hands locked, hold on and get the fall, which was a highlighting moment of the match. L. DePrez was also able to get a fall over freshman Trey Rogers of Hofstra, the second impressive fall of this meet. In addition, junior Bearcat Anthony Sparacio was able to win by forfeit.

Perhaps the most atypical bout of the dual meet came at the 165-pound class. Facing some holes in their lineup, the Bearcats put forth redshirt freshman Matt Swanson, a 149-pounder, to take on Hofstra redshirt sophomore Ricky Stamm. Wrestling at 16 pounds over his weight class to avoid this forfeit, he fell to Stamm, but demonstrated the strong, gritty mentality Borshoff has tried to instill in his squad.

“We got a couple guys not in the lineup, so we might have a lineup hole, but at the same time I got guys who are willing to fill that hole and fight for the team,” Borshoff said. “I want to give a big shoutout to Matt

tyler gorman staff photographer Redshirt freshman Zack Trampe earned two wins on Saturday, including a dual-winning pin against Drexel as time expired.

Swanson who started the season at 141, moved up to 149 to fill a hole earlier in the season, which is what he weighed in at today and we threw him out there at

165 so we didn’t have to forfeit a match. Seven in a row, we’re looking really good and we found a way to win, which isn’t always about being the better

guy but digging deeper, which is what we did tonight.”

The Bearcats will wrestle on their home turf again on Friday, Feb. 15 for Senior Night when

they face Bucknell in their final home contest of the regular season. The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. from the West Gym in Vestal, New York.

Men’s basketball secures third America East victory Sessoms’ 28 leads Bearcats past Wildcats Yaakov Spivack

pipe dream sports

sidney slon pipe dream photographer Freshman guard Sam Sessoms scored 28 points as Binghamton swept its season series against UNH on Saturday.

In a must-win game, the Binghamton men’s basketball team traveled to the Lundholm Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon to take on the New Hampshire Wildcats. The match saw BU take an early lead in the first half, and while the second half was tightly contested, the Bearcats managed to hold onto their edge until the game’s conclusion. The Bearcats (7-18, 3-7 America East) overcame its opponent by seven points, winning 68-61. With this victory, BU has swept the season series against the Wildcats (3-20, 1-9 AE) this season.

“We needed the win, obviously,” said BU head coach Tommy Dempsey.

“And I thought we played really hard for forty minutes — that was the goal. New Hampshire needed the win too, so we knew … they were going to play very desperate. I thought New Hampshire played extremely hard — two teams that were fighting for survival out there — and overall we did enough to win the game, and I’m proud of our guys.”

BU began the day by going on a 20-8 run, sharing the ball well with many players on the team and scoring points early and easily.

The first points in this run came from freshman guard Sam Sessoms, who scored a 3-pointer in the first 20 seconds of play. This was the beginning of a tremendous showing from Sessoms.

Down by 12 points, the Wildcats went on a 17-6 run that was capped off with a 3-point ball from junior guard Mark Carbone to bring the home team to within just one point. This differential, however, was the closest New Hampshire came to having the lead, as the Bearcats soon called for a timeout that stymied the Wildcats’ momentum.

Binghamton extended the advantage back up to eight by halftime.

The Bearcats continued to roll at the beginning of the second period, maintaining a lead as large as 15 points for most of the half. Sessoms posted 10 points in just the first seven minutes of play, a massive portion of his 28 total points that day. The outing marked Sessoms’ ninth game scoring over 20 points this season, and was one of his highest-scoring games of this season, second only to his 32-point effort against UMass Lowell in late January. Sessoms is ranked sixth in the nation in scoring among all freshmen and is in the midst of a standout debut season.

The Wildcats tried to come back before the game had finished, but four free

throws from Sessoms and senior forward Caleb Stewart in the last 18 seconds of play was all the team needed to keep its edge.

“They didn’t give him [Stewart] any space,” Dempsey said. “But he was very efficient. 16 points on seven shots, he got his seven rebounds, gave us a nice game … he battled in there all day long in the middle of the zone, found some important baskets for us as well … You get a lot of guys doing what we needed them to do today, and most importantly we had to find a way to get it done in this building today, and that’s the story of the game.”

UNH sophomore guard Josh Hopkins, who logged 23 points when the two teams last met at the Events Center, ended the day with zero points.

With just six regular season games left, the Bearcats’ victory over the Wildcats put an additional game between them and last place, a crucial result for the Bearcats’ playoff aspirations.

Binghamton currently sits in a tie for seventh in the AE standings with the top eight finishers in the conference advancing to the playoffs.

BU will come back home to host defending conference champion UMBC on Wednesday, Feb. 13. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.