Our Grammy picks and dream nominees, See page 6 Tuesday, January 21, 2020 | Vol. XCVI, Issue 1 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
The Free Word on Campus Since 1946
Assistant dean dies of natural causes
In the last 30 days, did you ever stay hungry due to lack of money or food? 1765 Votes 2442 Votes
50%
Milton Chester remembered as mentor, confidante Jacob T. Kerr news editor
No
career. The poll bought campus attention to the issue, including attention from representatives of the Student Culinary Council (SCC), a team of students who advocate for students’ dining voices on and off campus.
Milton Chester, assistant dean of students for off-campus programs and services at Binghamton University, died in his home on Monday, Jan. 6, according to a B-Line announcement released on Tuesday morning. According to Ryan Yarosh, BU’s senior director of media and public relations, Chester, who began working at the University in 2000, died of natural causes. Chester launched his career at BU in Division of Student Affairs, where he held multiple roles, including his most recent. As assistant dean for off-campus programs and services, Chester was directly involved with assisting students with problems and concerns related to off-campus living. He also was active in BU’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program, also known as JUMP Nation.
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Yes kade estelle design manager
Campus sees concerns over food insecurity Poll shows 42 percent of BU students face hunger at school David Julien news intern
Many college students have heard anecdotal stories of current and former
students surviving on a diet of ramen noodles. However, behind this veil of humor lies a real issue affecting collegeage students around the country, one that has recently gained attention at Binghamton University. According to a recent MyBinghamton Weekly Poll, a survey available to all BU students to participate in at the
MyBinghamton portal, approximately 1,800 students, or 42 percent of poll takers, reported that in the past 30 days they had to stay hungry at least once due to a lack of money. In a recent national survey by the Urban Institute, nearly half of all college-age students reported experiencing some type of food insecurity in the course of their college
BU enacts Cuomo gives ‘State of the State’ address preferred first name policy Whittingham made head of electric vehicle initiative Jackson Galati news intern
Change allows students, employees to choose listed name
Binghamton University’s M. Stanley Whittingham can add another notch to his belt following the governor’s State of the State address. On Jan. 8, Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave his annual State of the State address in which he named Whittingham, a distinguished professor of chemistry and
materials science and engineering, leader of the Blue Ribbon Task Force to expand the use of electric vehicles in New York. The task force will be co-chaired by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The announcement comes three months after Whittingham was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in the development of the lithium-ion battery, an invention making the use of electric vehicles realistic. He is also currently the vice chair of the board of
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Excelsior Scholarship raises eligibilty threshold Leora Schwadron
assistant news editor
More New York state students may receive college tuition help based on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent proposal to expand the Excelsior Scholarship. The proposal was announced during Cuomo’s 2020 State of the State address on Jan. 8, in which he announced his plan to raise the scholarship’s eligibility
threshold from its current amount of $125,000 to $150,000 of adjusted gross family income. The scholarship was first implemented in 2017 and provides tuition awards to eligible students who attend New York state’s public colleges and universities at SUNY and CUNY. According to the SUNY website, this scholarship, in combination with other student financial aid programs, can allow students to attend a SUNY college tuition-free. Supporters of the proposal note the
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Valerie Puma
assistant news editor
Over winter break, Binghamton University’s Division of Operations enacted a new chosen-name policy, which gives students and employees the opportunity to use a first name other than their legal or official name to identify themselves on University information systems. BU’s Information Technology Services (ITS) and Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), along with the BU Council and Student Association (SA) E-Board, worked on the policy for the past year. SA President Emma Ross, a senior double-majoring in political science and psychology, said she believes allowing students to be recognized by the name they feel most comfortable with is an important step toward inclusivity at BU. “Every student has a right to feel recognized, safe and supported on this campus, and I believe this is a step in the direction of achieving that goal,” Ross said. The chosen-name policy affords members of the University community further autonomy in regard to their personal identity, according to John Santare, SA vice president for academic affairs and a senior double-majoring in biology and comparative literature.
Women’s basketball downs Maine at home Bearcats defeat defending America East champions Samantha Marsh
assistant sports editor
A 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half by senior guard Kai Moon put the Binghamton women’s basketball team up 34-26 against Maine, the defending America East (AE) champions. The Black Bears, however, came out hot in the second half and overcame the eight-point deficit, ending the third period up 4544 with a jumper from junior guard Kelly Fogarty. “Our defense was not playing team defense, so we had to tighten it up a little bit and make sure we got back to team defense,” said BU head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. After trading the lead a few times, freshman guard Denai Bowman and sophomore forward Annie Ramil both hit jumpers in the final two minutes to help propel Binghamton to a 7363 win over Maine (7-13, 3-3 AE).
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ARTS & CULTURE
lucas peterka contributing photographer Junior forward Olivia Ramil scored 16 points and collected six rebounds in Binghamton’s victory over Maine on Saturday afternoon.
OPINIONS
SPORTS
Ring in the’20s with these themed party tips,
A look at Mac Miller’s posthumous album,
Senior columnist Annick Tabb dissects hustle culture and its pseudo-feminism,
Wrestling falters in three weekend matches,
Men’s basketball defeated by Maine,
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