As the University prepares for this transition, we look to the future with cautious optimism, hoping that D’Alleva’s background in the humanities will bring new ideas to a STEM-dominated campus.

In recent years, our campus has faced significant challenges, with the administration sometimes meeting students’ needs and other times falling short. Under D’Alleva’s leadership, we hope the next administration learns from past shortcomings and fosters meaningful change in the open communication between the administration and students.

One notable issue with our current administration has been a lack of transparency, suggesting that the University has become comfortable with being reactive rather than proactive. For instance, last spring, the federal government passed significant legislation affecting the status of student visas, which resulted in at least five BU student visas being temporarily revoked. While our administration addressed the issue, it gave a delayed response to the news compared to other universities that promptly took initiative to inform their students and provide support (1).

By delaying its response to this issue, we believe the administration likely — though unintentionally — deepened a cycle of uncertainty surrounding students’ safety, educational access and funding.

Based on D’Alleva’s work at the University of Connecticut, we are optimistic that she will bring a new perspective to this issue of transparency. Amid significant budget cuts, D’Alleva addressed concerned students with a detailed statement regarding specifications on where cuts were to be made, the reasoning behind those decisions and clarification on misinformation and confusing terms.

D’Alleva also joined other UConn administrators in stressing the importance of directing funding questions to those capable of providing transparent, informed answers, saying, “The deans, department heads, and faculty have been great partners in what is sometimes a difficult effort to undertake. We need to ask the questions; the answers come from our faculty.”

At the same time, we remain concerned about initiatives under D’Alleva’s leadership that resulted in the elimination of seven low-enrollment programs, with 70 more under review as of Aug. 12

Many students and faculty were not satisfied with her justification for these cuts, which she characterized as “good academic housekeeping.” Chris Vials, president of the UConn American Association of University Professors, argued that instead of cutting departments, administrators should reduce their payroll, which is their largest expense

John Richardson, UConn’s department head of art and art history, also expressed frustration with cuts to his department. Since he was told that a position for a visiting professor of photography would not be replaced, Richardson feared the number of photography and video faculty and classes would fall in the coming year, taking a toll on students enrolled in the program.

While we understand that D’Alleva was not solely responsible for these cuts and that she would have a different role here at the University, we would hate to see a similar situation arise on our own campus if she supported or encouraged similar cuts to be made.

Still, during her time at UConn, D’Alleva showed a commitment to student well-being. Notably, she created the position of vice provost for student success, leading an initiative that helped reduce food insecurity on campus. D’Alleva also reaffirmed UConn’s support for international students during last year’s threats to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, encouraging those facing uncertainty to turn to the Dean of Students Office for guidance

We also admire her support of faculty in the face of similar threats. In a University Senate meeting on March 3, she assured them, “We are not going to ask anybody to stop teaching or to change what they are teaching.” This stands in stark contrast to our own university’s ongoing struggles with faculty censorship, most notably the case of Ana Maria Candela, who faced severe criticism for her progressive teaching style that ultimately led to her resignation.

Encouragingly, Binghamton’s Faculty Senate has since passed resolutions protecting faculty and students against censorship. Based on D’Alleva’s record at UConn, we hope she will reinforce and expand these protections as president.

Running a university is no easy feat, and despite challenges, we are grateful for the work President Harvey Stenger has done for Binghamton University. We look forward to seeing D’Alleva step into Stenger’s role and lead Binghamton into a new chapter — one that we hope will both uphold positive traditions and support student-backed reform.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. 

The SA E-Board and Congress were behind valuable events and initiatives this semester. However, considering several mistakes in this year’s elections and proposed Congress resolutions, the Editorial Board feels that the SA has been disorganized and largely ineffective.

First, we commend the SA for its efforts this year to promote multicultural initiatives. In February, the offices of the president and vice president of multicultural affairs organized the inaugural multicultural professional development summit in collaboration with the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, the Alumni of Color Network and the Multicultural Resource Center. The summit provided a valuable opportunity for students to network and learn about diversity in the workplace.

Another significant initiative this semester was a Congress resolution calling on the University to expand kosher and halal options in dining halls. The resolution addressed key accessibility concerns with current kosher and halal stations, including hours of operation, price and variety. Overall, we feel that initiatives like these are a great step toward fostering inclusivity on campus, and we encourage next year’s SA to continue these efforts.

However, there has been a concerning lack of organization and coordination between the different branches of the SA. Earlier this semester, SA Congress passed a resolution to amend the Management Policies to allow the co-chairs of the special committee to retain voting powers. The ensuing veto by the Executive Board, a grievance filed by the speaker of Congress and a Judicial Board decision removing the co-chairs as voting members of Congress demonstrated a concerning amount of infighting and what seemed to be confusion within the SA branches about their governing rules. We hope that next semester, more focus will be put on issues impacting the larger student body, rather than just the SA.

Additionally, this year’s SA election was mishandled on several accounts. While most results were certified quickly, two races — University Council representative and executive vice president — were not called until April 29, more than a month after the election.

The Elections and Judiciary Committee made several confusing decisions during the elections. It ruled to remove candidate Irene Cui from the ballot ahead of the debate, only for her to be temporarily restored following a Joint Grievance Board ruling. Awaiting multiple Joint Grievance Board decisions also delayed the certification of the Council representative race, including one to officially restore Cui to the ballot and another regarding allegations of Elections Code violations filed by incumbent Mackenzie Cooper.

For the executive vice president race, the Joint Grievance Board ruled that the Elections and Judiciary Committee made significant errors in handling ranked choice voting, ordering a special election that saw a reversal of preliminary election day results.

Rather than being a time where students could look forward to future leadership, this election season was marred with confusion and delays, frustrating many. Next year, we hope the SA election will be handled with the attention it deserves.

Campus Climate: B-

Continuing the trend seen last semester, the BU campus has become increasingly dormant. Last spring, the campus was full of political discourse and outspoken student organizations rallying for their beliefs. Although last year’s climate also saw starkly divided dialogue about the war in Gaza and, most notably, the BDS resolution, there was an important exchange of views among the campus community. Now, these conversations have fizzled out, leaving little opportunity for discussion and growth.

The Editorial Board believes that many students have felt fear and uneasiness in the face of federal legislation. Student visas are under threat, especially for politically active students, and we feel that the University did not provide transparency or support to international students until recently. Even small protests have seen significant police presence, inciting uneasiness in those who may want to voice their opinions.

The University administration has taken action against federal threats, with President Stenger signing a statement criticizing the Trump administration’s threats to education and research. We are optimistic that continued support of educational rights against overbearing federal action will translate to assistance for international students and affirming students’ right to protest.

With this action, we also hope that the campus climate will once again return to its lively state, free from the tension of last spring, prompting more political engagement and thoughtful discussions among student organizations.

Administration: D+

At a time when higher education faces threats from our own federal government, Binghamton University’s administration has largely failed to respond appropriately.

Since January, colleges and universities across the country have been facing an avalanche of drastic policy changes from Washington, D.C. — potential cuts to research funding, the termination of student visas for some international students and intense pressure to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The Trump administration recently froze hundreds of millions in federal funding to institutions like Harvard, Cornell and Northwestern Universities. This came soon after the National Institutes of Health tried to cap grant indirect cost recovery — a move that would have cost the SUNY Research Foundation an estimated $79 million for grants as of Feb. 10.

During this moment of incredible uncertainty, students deserve open communication from administrative officials on how they are navigating these challenges. The University has been far from transparent over the past few months.

More than six months have passed since President Harvey Stenger announced his intended retirement, and the student body has been largely kept in the dark about how the search process is going. The search committee first met in early February, and while it has hosted several listening sessions for students, faculty and other stakeholders, the committee has been silent on which candidates are being considered.

We understand the view that a closed process is better overall and appreciate the committee chair’s willingness to discuss the search with Pipe Dream. However, given what is at stake, the University should be more transparent regarding the selection, especially in light of its initial desire to have a candidate picked before fall 2025.

This lack of open communication hasn’t been limited to the hunt for a new president. On Feb. 22, an out-of-state 18-year-old was arrested on campus and charged with a variety of offenses, from possessing an assault weapon to resisting arrest. The University did not publicly disclose the arrest, even though the suspect allegedly assaulted a police officer and possessed a large-capacity feeding device. Students deserve to feel safe on campus, and sweeping this incident under the rug was not the solution.

More broadly, we feel the University has played a slow, reactive role when responding to news that significantly impacts students’ lives. Pipe Dream reported in mid-April that five students had their visas revoked by the Trump administration. Three days later, the University released a statement in support of international students. While the statement was well-written, we believe the University should have spoken sooner in defense of these students. These students have since seen their statuses restored. However, once again, the lack of publicly released information and the slow release of a statement makes us believe that the University is operating with a business as usual mindset, rather than with a sense of urgency.

The University has been better at communicating over the future of research, with a March statement pledging that the University’s graduate programs will not be immediately undermined by federal grant cuts.

On balance, however, this does not change our view that administrative officials must do more to show solidarity with the student body. Sadly, the University has been largely silent on federal efforts to undermine diversity and inclusion at college campuses, leaving students to fill the void. A University spokesperson declined to comment on a recent student-led teach-in about the importance of DEI and accessibility, while giving a vague, dull statement in January about promoting unity, identity and excellence.

We understand how difficult it has been for higher education institutions over the past few months, and we know that the University is undergoing a significant transition period. However, we hope administrative officials will work on repairing student trust going forward.

SAPB: A-

This spring, the Student Association Programming Board brought noteworthy entertainment to campus, ranging from a “New Girl” actor to a prominent American rapper. SAPB has continued to promote student and faculty engagement through events such as the Student Flea Market and the first installment of a “Professors Read Anonymous Messages!” series on Instagram.

The board started off the semester with its very first Tiny Desk Concert, a collaboration with WHRW featuring the student band Husband Material. In late February, the board’s Concerts Committee hosted its highly anticipated Battle of the Bands, with Stuck in Place announced as the winner and opener for this year’s Spring Fling.

April was full of events for students to enjoy. The Broome County Forum Theatre saw a packed crowd for Max Greenfield, a beloved actor and comedian. The announcement of his appearance was met with overwhelming praise and was undoubtedly a highlight of the spring.

The semesterly Student Flea Market was held a few days later, which displayed a variety of clothing, jewelry and handmade crafts. We believe the board’s dedication to supporting student vendors and businesses fosters a supportive campus environment, and we look forward to the next one.

The board rounded off the semester with their annual Spring Fling, featuring A Boogie Wit da Hoodie as the headliner. While A Boogie was not on the spring semester survey, the response to his announcement was overwhelmingly positive and reflected a high demand from students throughout the years to have the rapper perform.

Despite the rainy weather, Spring Fling’s festival saw a great turnout. With a variety of activities, like vendors and organizations tabling, rides, a petting zoo and student band performances, the annual celebration was a testament to the board’s dedication to student entertainment.

However, this spring saw a lack of Binghamton Underground Music Presents shows, which usually occur every semester. Many students look forward to these shows, and we hope they will make a comeback in the next academic year.

Despite these setbacks, the Editorial Board believes that SAPB has successfully provided students with an engaging campus experience this semester. We look forward to the exciting programming in store for fall 2025.

Athletics: B-

As two-time America East Commissioner’s Cup winners and reigning champions, expectations remain high for the Binghamton Athletics program. Living up to the lofty expectations this year have been the men’s tennis and swimming and diving programs, with the men’s tennis team claiming its second consecutive Northeast Conference championship. Meanwhile, the swimming and diving team claimed its third AE championship in the past five years. Looking to add to the program’s treasure chest this season is Binghamton’s softball team, which just clinched the AE regular season.

Much like last season, the men’s basketball team recovered from a shaky start to AE conference play, qualifying for the postseason after starting with a 1-5 record. However, the squad’s 2025 campaign came to an end with yet another early exit in the AE quarterfinals, and several key losses to the transfer portal raise questions about next year’s roster.

Similarly, in the first year of the Mary Grimes era, BU’s women’s basketball team went 15-14 before ending its season with a loss in the AE quarterfinals, while also losing a few key returners to the transfer portal. The wrestling team found success this season, claiming an individual Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) championship while sending two wrestlers to the National Collegiate Athletics Association championships.

After opening the season with a 5-7 record in AE play, the baseball team is now 9-9 and sits in fourth place in the conference. Meanwhile, softball has already claimed the AE regular season title as it looks to enter the postseason on a seven-game win streak. On the back of its first AE championship, the women’s lacrosse team failed to reach the AE tournament, ending its season with a 5-10 record. Men’s lacrosse rebounded from a 0-4 start, qualifying for the AE tournament, but a 9-10 overtime loss in the AE semifinals brought the season to a close.

Factoring in the rising expectations for Binghamton’s Athletic Department, the Editorial Board feels that a grade of B- accurately describes the performances of Binghamton’s sports teams as they continue to deliver championships despite a lack of significant growth in the program as a whole.

Sustainability: B+

The University has made strong efforts to promote sustainability, mixed in with some unfortunate construction across campus. Overall, we believe that sustainability on campus has remained consistent and mostly positive.

Earlier this semester, BU adopted the Okanagan Charter, “a document guiding colleges and universities on how to center health and sustainability in campus life.” The charter, which encourages higher-learning institutions to promote health, is a large step to ensure the health and well-being of all BU community members. This will only further improve the sustainability initiatives that the University has already put forward.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the University hosted its Earth Day Festival and third-annual EcoBlitz Festival. EcoBlitz saw local conservationists and researchers gather at the Nature Preserve to raise awareness for biodiversity and environmental conservation. These efforts came together to show how students can take environmental action.

To bring a strong end to the semester, BU was recently awarded the 2025 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The award recognized the Binghamton 2 Degrees Project, which identifies ways for students and community members under 2 degrees Celsius of global warming. This recognition brings deserved awareness to the good work the University has been doing.

Although these accomplishments have reflected well on the University, the continuing construction has slightly diminished this success. Some construction projects have come to a close this semester, while others have continued and expanded. Recently, renovations have limited walking space on the Spine, making it difficult for students to get around. The constant work and heavy machinery are impacting the environment around us every day. We hope that these projects will come to a close soon, both to improve students’ lives and the environmental conditions of our campus.

While there have been some bumps in the road, BU’s initiatives have reinforced its efforts to keep a positive environmental impact on campus and promote the well-being of students and the environment they live in.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. 

To keep endorsements objective, E-Board members with personal connections to the candidates had no role in their interview or endorsement process.

After discussion and deliberation, we decided to endorse the following candidates, and we hope our endorsements will guide readers in making a decision on March 27. To learn more about each candidate, visit our election page.

President: McKenzie Skrastins 

With a year of experience under her belt, Pipe Dream confidently endorses incumbent McKenzie Skrastins for president of the SA. While Joseph Kornblum, a junior majoring in business administration, has compelling ideas and relevant experience responding to student concerns as Off Campus College Council president, we feel that Skrastins’ drive, passion and ideas for specific, concrete initiatives clearly demonstrate her ability and competence.

Skrastins, a junior double-majoring in mathematics and an individualized major in data science, has the advantage of incumbency and has led initiatives like the Multicultural Professional Development Summit and connecting underrepresented high school students to the University through a student leaders panel.

She also said she has delivered progress on pillars of her previous platform, like helping students request cultural days off by working with the faculty to create a blurb in syllabuses encouraging professors to recognize holidays.

Her plan to shift her focus to fewer, more complex initiatives is admirable. While some components of this proposal have less specific logistics, like creating a full-bus notification for Off Campus College Transport, other aspects of her platform are strong and detailed, like her plan to expand the SA’s presence downtown by moving events to a more accessible location for off-campus students.

Kornblum’s platform also has strong pillars, including mental health and safety, and we respect his commitment to professional development. However, we find that his platform lacked specificity in ideas to implement these plans and help students. We also believe his focus on supporting student groups centered too heavily on professional development clubs, and we wished that his platform more clearly acknowledged and advocated for multicultural organizations.

While Kornblum’s emphasis on student safety is commendable, we are concerned that his proposed safety advisory board may be ineffective, as its proposed actions — like providing student alerts and connecting with OCCT and Harpur’s Ferry — are too similar to preexisting resources.

Both candidates offer strong ideas for programs supporting our student body. However, Skrastins’ experience, detailed plans and dedication to the position solidify her as our E-Board’s choice for SA president.

Executive Vice President: Nick Ginsberg

With a platform sharply focused on addressing concerns raised by student organizations, Nick Ginsberg, a junior double-majoring in political science and sociology, is our choice for next year’s EVP.

While Ginsberg has not directly worked in the EVP office, he has an impressive record serving as chair of the SA Congress’ Financial Committee, which handles funding allocations to chartered clubs and other groups. As committee chair, Ginsberg has personally met with hundreds of student organizations during the annual budget season, giving him insight into the challenges faced by a diverse range of clubs.

We believe his prior experience as assistant to the vice president for finance and current leadership in Mock Trial makes him uniquely suited to tackle these issues while bringing a fresh perspective to the office.

Ginsberg has clearly defined policies he wants to implement as EVP. One of his aims is to provide storage for provisionally chartered organizations — new student groups that do not receive allocated space in the University. He plans on creating a rotational storage cage to give these clubs space to store equipment. Furthermore, he wants to simplify the fall and spring leadership conferences to cover only essential information — something we feel will benefit all campus organization leaders.

A desire to center organizations at the heart of student governance is reflected in his plan to expand SA Rentables and create a website for clubs and organizations to track the availability of rentable equipment. We are particularly responsive to Ginsberg’s idea of allowing clubs to select their preferred tabling section at events like UFEST, giving student organizations a greater voice in defining themselves.

Batia Rabin, the current EVP and a junior double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and women, gender and sexuality studies, certainly has the necessary experience needed to continue in their position. Pipe Dream, however, felt their campaign platform was somewhat lackluster.

While Rabin described steps they have taken to increase organizational space on campus — like working with Peter Nardone, the senior director of the University Union — we wish that they proposed more creative solutions to solve this challenge. Rabin moved Club Carnival to accommodate Jewish students and created a storage grant for student clubs to organize their space, which are important successes.

However, we believe that their commitment to finding new space lacked detail. Pipe Dream additionally does not feel Rabin’s response to concerns about staffing levels in the office was adequate, especially contrasted with Ginsberg’s desire to have more help available for students during the week. As the incumbent, we appreciate everything that Rabin’s accomplished, but we feel that Ginsberg is the candidate for the future.

Vice President for Finance: Gabriela Meza

Pipe Dream confidently endorses Gabriela Meza, a junior majoring in economics, for vice president for finance. While she is running unopposed, her platform and experiences show she is extremely qualified and enthusiastic about taking on this role.

As a general assistant in the current VPF’s office, a current club treasurer, an off-campus representative for OCCT and the secretary of the Economics Club, Meza has the experience to step into this leadership role. One important aspect of the job is to train assistants to understand the strict rules and regulations around a multimillion-dollar budget, and her time in the office already prepares her well for this task. Working under Caitlin McMahon, the current VPF and a senior double-majoring in accounting and business administration, will allow her to acclimate well to the stress and time commitment of these responsibilities.

We feel with this plethora of experiences, Meza will hit the ground running.

With four main points in her platform — communication, innovation, reliability and efficiency — Meza tackles some specific goals, including increasing bus lines and making financial training online. She describes how she might purchase a cheap online platform to design the training on. For the bus lines, she is considering raising drivers’ wages. While we are not confident that this is a feasible plan, we appreciate her willingness to focus her energies on a resource so many students rely on.

Moreover, her plans to create anonymous feedback forms and foster a welcoming environment are commendable and important if she is to serve the student body well. Separating the responsibilities of assistants and having designated people to turn to for different questions should also help make the office more efficient.

The biggest challenge for the VPF is managing the budget well so that the SA stays financially stable while also providing the necessary funding to all clubs. Meza feels she has learned how to not overspend in her time as an assistant and has plans to work closely with the Financial Committee to allocate as many funds as possible. With budget season in the works, we hope Meza takes advantage of her time in the office to learn the ropes so that next year, she can follow through on these promises.

Meza has a clear platform and directive forward with the skills and experience to follow through. Pipe Dream trusts she will lead the office with confidence and commitment to the student body. We look forward to seeing her take on the role.

Vice President for Multicultural Affairs: Rome Maliha 

Pipe Dream confidently endorses Rome Maliha to be elected vice president for multicultural affairs. Maliha, a junior majoring in economics, has a strong background in club involvement having served as treasurer of the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program and events coordinator for Pretty Girls Sweat. Their leadership qualities, set plans and goals would benefit Maliha in her role as VPMA. Apart from school, Maliha has enjoyed growing up in two different cultures and hemispheres.

Maliha’s platform is focused on increasing engagement and membership within the multicultural community. Through collaborative events with other multicultural organizations, she believes this is possible. Maliha stressed the importance of helping organizations begin this process because many of them do not know where to start, but enjoy these collaborations once they are in process. According to them, giving clubs incentives to collaborate is a good start to making this happen.

Increased use of services like B-Friendly and Discord is also part of Maliha’s platform and will push collaboration even further. Furthermore, she would like to put plans into motion to get international students more involved on campus. In their own words, the first step is the hardest, but once groups are connected, they will continue to work together.

When facing more serious issues, such as diversity, equity and inclusion protection, Maliha plans to help make students aware of their rights and resources when it comes to these types of situations. Maliha said this is one of the reasons why she decided to run for VPMA. One of their ideas, monthly fireside chats with the Multicultural Resource Center and Q Center, will create a safe space for students to build bonds and voice their concerns, especially regarding DEI. She will ensure that students feel safe and know their resources, including lawyers on campus that they can use.

Atop these plans that Maliha has in mind, she also has a goal of expanding the Women of Color Summit and continuing the new Alumni of Color Networking Dinner event.

Her opponent, Jestina Tam, a junior majoring in biology, has a platform focusing on “acting now.” This platform consists of a focus on advocacy and collaboration, creating initiatives to empower the multicultural community and support organizations. While Tam has good ideas with a strong baseline, she does not have specific plans set in place to go about these ideas. Although Tam is a passionate candidate, Maliha proves to be the stronger of the two. With their impressive experience in multiple clubs around campus, their clear passion for the job, and specific plans set in place, Maliha is the best candidate for the position.

Vice President for Student Success: Kristina Donders 

We believe that Kristina Donders, a junior double-majoring in mathematics and political science, is the better choice for vice president for student success. While this was a difficult decision with two great candidates on the ballot — as we believe that Lauren Wilner, a junior double-majoring in environmental studies and philosophy, politics and law, is a strong candidate — we ultimately feel that Donders’ plans are more feasible and realistic to implement.

However, certain aspects of Wilner’s platform could and should be considered, and we would love to see certain elements of her plans come to fruition as well.

Donders’ platform encompasses three main pillars: mental health, civic engagement and increased student outreach. She summarizes her platform with the slogan, “I want to help students help each other,” demonstrating her desire to strengthen the campus community with student-centered ideas.

This includes creating an anonymous resource with students who are well-versed about campus resources to support struggling students, more opioid overdose and mental health training, and creating a “complain to us” initiative, a way for students to vent and complain to the office.

Wilner’s platform included a proposed plan to lower off-campus student electricity bills by 30 percent, working with local nonprofits and the Binghamton Tenants Unions to implement solar programs. As audacious as the proposal is, we still believe it could prove a great benefit to off-campus students. Donders expressed to us a comfortability in continuing existing projects undertaken by the VPSS, and we would like to see this plan attempted regardless of who holds office.

Donders also wants to help connect students with the SA and further increase transparency. One way she plans on doing this is by helping club E-Board members be good leaders so that they can convey important information to their club members, building relationships at the same time. Donders also plans to help students learn more about what the SA is doing behind the scenes, asserting she wants to be a familiar face to those around campus that other students are comfortable speaking — and complaining — to.

Although both candidates have strong backgrounds with diverse bodies of experience that we believe provide unique advantages as VPSS candidates, we felt Donders’ body of work within the SA gave her the leg up in this race. As a three-year member of the SA Congress and its current speaker, she has worked to increase transparency in the day-to-day operations of the SA, creating an Instagram account to communicate with students.

Additionally, Donders also contributed to the writing and implementation of “Resolution Calling on Elected Officials to Support Federal Protections for Children of Long-Term Visa Holders,” demonstrating her commitment to real change. Also, her previous role as the secretary to the VPSS provided her with sufficient experience and knowledge regarding the VPSS office and its operations.

All in all, with Donders’ vast experience in the SA for the past three years, we are confident that through her plans, she will put the success in VPSS and continue to work in building a stronger, more tight-knit campus community that prioritizes support, engagement and students.

Vice President for Programming: Atticus Fauci

While the race for this position is unopposed, we believe that Atticus Fauci, the incumbent vice president for programming and a junior majoring in economics, is qualified for another year in the role.

Notable achievements from Fauci’s tenure thus far include NLE Choppa headlining this year’s fall concert — the SA Programming Board’s most profitable concert since the start of COVID-19 that simultaneously had lower ticket prices for students — “An Evening with Ross Lynch” and a Tiny Desk concert with last year’s Spring Fling opener, which was a previous campaign promise.

Fauci expressed that he wants to not only build off of his achievements from this year but also work toward important goals for SAPB’s future, such as increasing transparency with act allocation, student engagement and lowering costs for events.

Looking forward into the next academic year, Fauci proposes creating more unique and notable marketing campaigns such as putting up large posters of the Spring Fling headliner before the official SAPB announcement and sending out polls for Spring Fling and Fall Fest themes.

Fauci also noted that expanding SAPB’s digital media platform with more events like Tiny Desk concerts and Binghamton Bluffs, a video series inspired by Jubilee’s “Odd One Out” videos, would increase student involvement. We believe that these ideas could lead to more funding for better events, student attendance and voices represented in the planning process.

Additionally, Fauci suggested moving more of SAPB’s events to more accessible locations to help students living downtown. In addressing financial concerns, Fauci voiced how moving events to Friday would not only foster student engagement but also increase sales without raising prices.

While Fauci has accomplished a lot this year, there were a few setbacks, including his proposal to improve sports-related programming by organizing tailgates and creating specialized posters for Battle of the Bands. On the former, Fauci explained how after looking at the proposed bill from Sodexo, it was not feasible for SAPB to see the event through, as it was more than their entire collaborative and fundraising budget combined. On the latter, Fauci attempted to work with his graphic designer on the process, but ultimately, it proved to be too much work. Both issues are still on the drawing board, and we hope to see them come to fruition in a second year as VPP.

This semester, there was also a lack of BUMP shows due to the unavailability of the chair and vice chair. While BUMP shows are an event many students look forward to, we understand issues can arise, and Fauci explained that SAPB plans on taking half of BUMP’s budget and putting it into the headliner for Spring Fling — ensuring this year’s headliner to be a bigger artist, a silver lining that will make up for the absence of BUMP shows.

Fauci is the only candidate running for VPP, but we are confident that his prior experience and achievements in SAPB have shown that he is more than capable in the position. While there are improvements we would like to see, his dedication to the student body and emphasis on increasing student engagement is what makes us sure of his ability to continue to lead as VPP.

BU Council Representative: Mackenzie Cooper 

We endorse incumbent Mackenzie Cooper, a junior majoring in politics, philosophy and law, who has built working relationships with administration and an understanding of procedures to realistically improve campus life.

This year’s race has been confusing, with her opponent, Irene Cui, a sophomore majoring in economics, being disqualified and then temporarily restored to the ballot pending a grievance hearing. At the time of writing, we are uncertain if Cui will be on the ballot on Election Day, and Cui has lost critical time to develop her campaign, but, while both candidates are passionate and determined, we ultimately believe Cooper’s more thorough campaign and head start is an advantage.

Having served as a Financial Committee chair, SA Congress representative and member on several committees, Cooper co-authored a resolution to abolish the dress code at East Gym. Another accomplishment was promoting TAPS’ existing carpooling initiative. It is clear Cooper has successfully implemented small changes that contribute to a more robust campus, though major impacts as council representative are still to be determined.

A large concern for Cooper has been parking and transportation. Her last campaign sought to build a new garage, open lots to campus residents on weekends and create a direct bus line from the University Downtown Center to the Innovative Technologies Complex. Though these goals were lofty and ultimately did not come to fruition, we appreciate Cooper’s pivot to smaller, more realistic initiatives, like implementing a texting service for available parking spots and clearing up vague language for parking eligibility. While focusing on these new initiatives, we hope Cooper will be transparent about previous campaign promises if reelected.

It is refreshing to see Cooper reflect on her year as council representative and acknowledge the importance of student feedback where her single perspective may fail. With the proposed monthly “Civic Engagement Roundtable,” students can openly discuss polarizing issues; it is commendable to create a space for students from different backgrounds to engage in conversation outside rigid and, at times, tense Congress meetings.

As events last semester exposed mistrust in the SA and concern for representative diversity, Cooper said she personally reached out to vocal students to join the BU Council Committee, currently consisting of athletes, multicultural community leaders, members of Greek life and more. We hope Cooper not only continues to actively reach out to students who may be hesitant toward student government or participation in roundtables but also be transparent about her intentions in representing different beliefs and backgrounds.

Still, Cui’s campaign targeted material change on campus that should be of importance to Cooper. Cui’s advocacy in speaking to students directly and in highlighting dining and accessibility suggests a commitment to structural diversity and inclusion and listening to consistently voiced feedback. With the Sodexo contract coming to an end, it is now more crucial than ever that dining at Binghamton is inclusive and equitable, especially for workers, and with limitations to transportation initiatives and campus infrastructure, it is crucial that what we already have is accessible to everyone. These goals require planning and time, and we believe Cooper’s connections would allow for the most progress on these fronts.

Both Cooper and Cui’s campaigns noticeably lack mention of graduate students. While the role represents both undergraduate and graduate students, the relationship between the Graduate Student Organization and BU Council is unclear. Amid concerns of financial and cultural underappreciation of SUNY graduate students, a clear message from Cooper explaining how the BU Council will improve graduate student life can help create a culture of trust and representation outside official channels. However, Cooper’s relationship with a new advisor is a great start.

As BU sees new faces in administration and as representation on campus is increasingly a concern, we hope Cooper will continue to let her experiences and relationships inform her platform, adapt to new and old needs and be transparent about her impacts if reelected.

Editor’s Note (3/24): An earlier version of this article was published mistakenly. It has been updated to reflect the final edited version.

In late February, Bezos tweeted that The Post’s opinions section would “be writing every day in support and defense of two pillars: personal liberties and free markets.” Personally believing both pillars are “right for America,” he claimed opposing viewpoints would not be published.

This concerns all open to reading a diversity of opinions and leaves the future role of opinions and media in political, economic and social culture uncertain. Opinions are not for sale, nor are they to play host to economic and political motivations. As an independent and self-sustained editorial board, we believe it is vital for any functioning newspaper to publish a diverse range of well-informed opinions to frame the facts for readers.

While Bezos may paint himself as a champion for freedom and autonomy, the glaring violation of journalists’ personal liberties is not only indicative of Bezos’ career neglect of workers but also the dangerous role media is relegated to under billionaire ownership and censorship.

Bezos does not get to be the arbiter of vague terms and blanket nationalism; opinions, separate from news, have and should always be a place for a broad array of perspectives on accurate information. The irony in his second pillar, “free markets” and incentives for “creativity, invention, and prosperity,” is the coercion of journalists to write within the box — to disseminate and think through a limited perspective for the lofty reward of publication and a stable wage.

Wealthy individuals trading shares and using the press to add to their portfolio of wealth is not a new trend — not even for The Post — and it’s no secret media outlets have and attract perceived biases. Though heavily known for its involvement in the Watergate scandal, the paper has a long history of influencing the public editorially, from support for the Iraq War to opposition to the New Deal. The Post is also credited with coining stances and terms, like McCarthyism, that make the vocabulary and facts to think critically about the world accessible to the public, historically gaining traction for its political commentary and winning over 70 Pulitzer Prizes.

Regardless of whether we agree with The Posts’ historic alliances or biases, the important point is that the freedom to write on any side at any point without retribution or censorship has always existed. Bezos’ recent intervention in seemingly free press is a blatant misappropriation of opinions-based writing and media and an attempt to suppress free speech.
Bezos’ move comes in an era in which opinion-based media is increasingly devalued as bias, but there is a difference. The move ultimately serves to convince readers that the media is inconsequential to them and, therefore, they should not critically and openly consult, let alone engage with, media on heavily consequential issues.

Last year, Gannett, one of the largest media conglomerates, fired Tony Doris, the editor of the Palm Beach Post editorial page, for not meeting Gannett’s “standards” after he sought to publish a political cartoon criticizing the Israeli government. Gannett has also pulled back on publishing opinions and editorials altogether, claiming audiences do not want to be reminded of bias.

In 2024, Bezos prevented The Posts’ Editorial Board from publishing a presidential endorsement among a rapid kill of editorial endorsements following the 2016 elections across major outlets now owned by hedge funds or private equity groups, ultimately leading to suspicions of owners. A statement from The Post’s guild revealed fear and concern over readers’ trust for future guidance. Despite The Post’s Editorial Board representing the opinions of the paper — not Bezos — there is no accountability for the denial of well-informed opinion-based writing, but ample opportunity for biased media.

The conflation of opinions writing and simple bias as a justification for censorship is also a conflation of opinions and news — recent transparency on censorship is an indication of censorship that has been going on for years and can escalate, even to the news, in the future. Associated Press journalists were recently denied access to the Oval Office for refusing to use the terminology “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.”

Meanwhile, in early February, several media outlets, including The Post, were evicted from their offices at the Pentagon, making room for outlets more willing to be political lapdogs. It comes as no surprise Bezos is now moving to censor his staff and appease the image of influential figures, including himself, following The Post’s eviction. It’s ironic that one of The Post’s political cartoonists, Ann Telnaes, had a cartoon killed off earlier this year. It had featured Bezos kneeling at Trump’s feet with a bag of money.

“In all that time I’ve never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at,” she wrote. “Until now.”

These examples highlight the vulnerable and pivotal position media outlets are in. It has become increasingly clear the media is seen as a means to an end, not a space for independent, critical and atypical thought. As student journalists, we understand the impact any given framing of news can have and the good in furthering dialogue through thoughtful commentary. With book bans and curriculum restrictions on the rise, free speech in the media, especially opinion sections, needs to be another place where this right is guaranteed.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

Recently, Trump’s Education Department released a guidance that threatened to cut off federal funding from schools that do not remove DEI programs and practices subject to investigation by Feb. 28.

It’s unclear how we, or the University, will move forward. The current hostility of American politics permeates our education; anti-immigration policy and rhetoric may upend students of color’s ability to participate on campus fully or at all. A recent protest spearheaded by the Latin American Student Union calling for full University noncooperation with ICE should serve as a reminder of the personal impact national events have on our students.

As student journalists, we hope to keep the student body informed, but we also understand the immobilizing anxiety that may come with reading the news and the tendency to catastrophize events. With some immigration policies being unprecedented, even for Trump, we mustn’t let fear overwhelm us.

Amid heightened media coverage on immigration, remember that there are still things we can push for locally to protect one another, including our mental health, while staying aware of the latest news. We hope to keep you updated on what’s at stake, and the avenues students, administrators and the state can take in response.

In Binghamton, Trump’s orders have already had material consequences. The executive order “Realigning The United States Refugee Admissions Program” indefinitely paused future and planned entry into the United States for refugees, while another, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” mandated resettlement agencies operating with federal funding halt their services.

As a result, organizations and applicants have been left without a clear plan for immigration and funding. Days after their signing, the American Civic Association, a mainstay of the community, suspended their reception and placement program and now relies on private donations from the community to serve their clients.

Since 1939, the ACA has been aiding refugees and immigrants legally enter and integrate into the community — a community, in turn, built by the diversity of culture, skills and beliefs as well as immigrants in every sector of the workforce.

The ACA is currently working with state officials to advocate for increasing state funding for necessary programs like theirs. Officials in Albany are now beginning negotiations for the next fiscal year’s state budget with a “historic high” in state reserves. We must ensure freezes on federal funds do not disrupt the valuable work organizations like the ACA do for the community. State funding can help alleviate national pressures, but adequate attention must consistently be given to immigration during negotiations.

In New York state’s system of higher education, there are over 650,000 first- and second-generation immigrant students — some being undocumented — and international students. This is not counting students with undocumented families. While there is no public information on the immigration status of Binghamton University students, we understand our diverse student body as essential to our school.

Our University hosts over 2,000 international students. The growing campus population has subsequently allowed BU to claim global “public Ivy” status and receive seven awards for “internationalization.” However, there has recently been increased scrutiny in vetting and screening student visa holders, and with Trump canceling Chinese student visas during his first term, the future of education for many is uncertain.

Additionally, in Trump’s “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” he encouraged universities to “monitor for and report activities by alien students and staff.” Trump also promised to revoke student visas of what he called “Hamas sympathizers.” The surveillance and assumption of vulnerable, foreign-born students and faculty as already a threat would be a gross misappropriation of the fight against antisemitism.

Migrant students and workers drive our campus — from their impact on our daily operations to our culture and prestige, we hope their contributions are not lost on our administration. The Office of International Students and Scholars Services is an available resource, but comprehensive updates to policy changes and guidance, especially over extended periods not spent in Binghamton, must be ensured for our international population. The University must also guarantee their right to privacy and protect the right to peacefully protest in light of threats of deportation.

Several other factors remain uncertain for nonvisa students and families: the fate of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the right to privacy while applying for federal financial aid and potential harassment by immigration authorities.

We have all heard stories about raids and isolating fear. While you attend BU, it is essential to know your rights on this campus to protect yourself — this is as much our responsibility as it is the University’s. In New York state, some laws can slow down the deportation process, notably by requiring immigration authorities to have a judicial order or warrant to make an arrest, even on SUNY campuses, and by requiring a court order before releasing students’ sensitive information.

More can be done by our administration — a set procedure regarding ICE on our campus and clear policies, such as noncooperation between UPD and immigration officials and the designation of off-limit safe spaces, can be one or, for many, the only source of security.

Students have always needed support, but state officials and the administration must intervene in this endless cycle of media and fear now more than ever. Despite how much we may read or consume, we need to know that our campus and communities are safe.

We must stay informed and remember the shared humanity in pursuing an education or, simply, in the hopes of bettering our future. Whether you’ve felt safe and loved in the Q Center lounge or Recreation Park, we do not need to ride out this wave of executive orders and alarming rhetoric alone. Our administration and state officials must have our backs.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

The law went into effect immediately in New York City, and to opt in, municipalities are required to pass a local law through their respective legislatures. With nearly one-third of Binghamton households cost-burdened by housing and a growing student population encroaching on residential neighborhoods, our City Council must be the next to act.

Binghamton has made strides in housing reform, notably by making the “unhoused” a protected class but our attention to affordability must also be proactive. A Harvard study found that over 31 percent of Binghamton households spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, including rent and utilities, and a 2022 study found that over 31 percent of the local population lives below the poverty line, compared to the national average of 12.5 percent at the time.

With further price hikes on heat and electricity likely coming in May, according to a 2023 press release from New York State Electric and Gas, the increasing cost of necessities cannot continue to compete with the cost of shelter. A rent increase of 8.45 percent or less could greatly affect housing stability for many in the community.

Binghamton and nearby Johnson City were designated as “pro-housing” communities last February, giving the city and village priority to receive funding for residential development. Many of these projects to modernize and revamp outdated buildings target affordability — the $94 million renovations on Town and Country apartments, for example, would include roofing repairs and updated electric systems on the North Side.

Without state funds or large financing packages, however, repairs and renovations could be hard to come by, especially without the security of the proposed law. Safe and quality housing should be a right, and it should be expected that landlords make necessary improvements to ensure their buildings are up to code. The lack of legal protections, nevertheless, could hinder accountability.

As students, we’re often told which landlords never make repairs, who to avoid, and who can provide a livable condition in comparison to higher-end places Downtown, but we may find comfort in being part of a larger community. In the cycle of transient student living, we have the security of landlords expecting new faces and providing the minimum for study, dining and play.

For those in the community who are not students, this may be less certain. In a housing market catered toward students, it is imperative that Good Cause Eviction protects often-neglected tenants from predatory landlords.

The proposed law could allow many to live without the fear of being unable to afford the next rent hike and hold landlords accountable without being wrongfully evicted. Despite these basic measures, there seem to be several concerns — and misunderstandings — about the law that should be examined.

For example, it drew criticism from the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce earlier this month, which cited a lack of data. Likely referencing a similar 2021 measure passed in Minnesota, the chamber warned of builders and investors abandoning new projects in the aftermath, though the specific reasoning is unclear. However, in New York, Good Cause protections cover only homes older than 30 years. While local law may vary, Binghamton’s law, too, only applies to older buildings and would likely not put the city at a competitive disadvantage.

Further, the idea that caps on rent increases and eviction protections could harm the housing market neglects to consider the abundance of available units. Roughly half of the Town and Country apartments were vacant at the time renovation planning began. It appears the problem is not the lack of housing but rather the neglect of Binghamton’s infrastructure and community against predatory practices from landlords who do not sign a lease of their own.

This is uncharted territory, true, but we need to be honest about Binghamton’s needs in the face of the student housing industry and growing housing crisis if we want honest data. Transparency about rent and eviction is a step in the right direction toward not only robust tenant rights but also Binghamton’s revitalization. The City Council is expected to vote on the proposal soon, and we urge every councilmember to vote “yes.”

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

It’s a new year, but we are still experiencing many of the same problems. While Binghamton University’s administration has made strides since last year, we feel they have still largely failed to productively emphasize transparency between themselves and the student body. 

The University will soon face a major change, with the head of the administration, President Harvey Stenger, stepping down at the conclusion of the academic year after 13 years in the role. While Dateline messages have included calls to form a presidential search committee, there has been little to no communication with the student body as to how the search process is going.

With his announcement feeling somewhat sudden to many students, administrators should be making an effort to include the students in the process as we enter a period of uncertainty.

The Editorial Board additionally feels the administrative handling of the last year of student protest and expression on campus was poor at best. We have noticed marginal improvements, like Provost Donald Hall’s summer statement to the faculty on academic freedom which was just recently endorsed by the Faculty Senate.

Several faculty members presented a letter with concerns to the Faculty Senate earlier this semester. The body will now spend winter break crafting related resolutions for presentation in the spring. While we recognize the care that the campus leaders have put into addressing student concerns, we are apprehensive as to their ability to follow through. Consider, for example, the strict guidelines on student protest the University has implemented — that they “must not interfere with the normal functioning of the University” and require individuals to book a space in advance. 

The Editorial Board also calls on the University to stop its campaign against grass fields. Despite concerns from students, environmental groups on campus and now the Student Association Congress — after the body passed a recent resolution to preserve the Mountainview field — several residential community quads have fallen victim. If they complete the Mountainview transition, Hinman and the apartment communities will be the last ones standing.

Despite incremental steps toward creating a more transparent relationship between themselves and their students, administrators’ work is far from over. We hope that they continue to earn back students’ trust.

Student Association: C+

While SA leaders organized several important events and have advocated for students this semester, the Editorial Board feels shortcomings in the SA Congress’ process were counterproductive to the goal of an inclusive campus.

First, we commend every initiative dedicated to promoting voting access and education. The vice president for student success’ Multicultural Voting Fair was an important collaboration between student organizations, the SA and campus offices, and a related Chalk the Vote event added creativity. The sexual wellness education campaign was another great effort on campus, addressing a key issue uniquely.

This semester, the president’s office led an organization mixer, the vice president for multicultural affairs’ office held the ninth-annual Multicultural Extravaganza and the executive vice president’s office offered student organizations the opportunity to apply for free storage, keeping key promises made during last semester’s campaign. As is custom, the vice president for finance led treasurer training for student leaders, and the vice president for programming oversaw a successful Programming Board.

Over to the SA’s legislative branch, we commend Congress for passing a resolution to advocate for more kosher and halal dining hall options. Accessibility to inclusive dining options has a direct impact on students, and we hope this initiative will address an area clearly lacking. We were also happy to see last year’s resolution for support of America’s CHILDREN Act continue into this semester, with efforts from the vice president for student success to bring this legislation to other SUNYs.

However, much of our coverage of the SA stemmed from Congress meetings and the ways that procedure hurt students. The decision to send last semester’s Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions resolution to elected officials and University administrators on Oct. 7 was ignorant at best — many felt hurt and ostracized, and this was a stated factor in the passing of several key pieces of legislation during the Oct. 8 Congress meeting. 

The handling of that Congress meeting left many on campus feeling isolated and attacked. To withhold the proposed legislation from the agenda — procedure surrounding the agenda aside — prevented many students from sharing their opinions and voices. Given the controversial nature of many of the resolutions — R4 advocated for banning masks and facial coverings and R7 condemned divestment — it was the responsibility of leadership to facilitate open and honest conversation.

By providing no notice and passing many of these resolutions without much debate, we feel students were unrepresented and excluded, and many students agree.

This semester, we have received several letters to the editor from students disagreeing with SA actions, including the timing of a posted statement mandated by last year’s BDS resolution, the process surrounding the aforementioned legislation and the subsequent Judicial Board decision to strike down parts of these resolutions. Students are unhappy, and they feel misunderstood and unheard. This must change.

We appreciate the difficult roles students have in the SA. We hope to see the consideration of important pieces of legislation and events continue in the spring and that communication and clarity improve.

Student Association Programming Board: A- 

The SAPB delivered several memorable events for students, including bringing actor and performer Ross Lynch to campus and the continued hosting of community-centered events like Fall Fest and student flea markets. While the board missed a few events that were expected to occur, we believe that their absence does not diminish the quality of experiences they facilitated for students.  

The board’s Insights Committee started the semester off on a high note by bringing Lynch to campus in early September. The event, completely sold out, proved to be an unforgettable night for many, as they were treated to a 15-minute live acoustic performance and a Q&A session. Lynch’s presence was nostalgic for many and ultimately, served as a highlight for the SAPB this semester. 

In late September, SAPB presented their annual Fall Fest featuring a range of live performances, including from MODA, Treblemakers, MajorNoir, The Binghamton Crosbys, Note to Self and Quimbamba. Throughout the evening, students gathered on the Peace Quad to listen to live music, check out the various student vendors and indulge in apple cider and donuts. Fall Fest continued to serve as a beacon of showcasing the diversity, creativity and talent of the campus community. 

The board rounded off the month with their annual fall concert featuring NLE Choppa as this year’s headliner and Baby Tate as the opener.  

SAPB continued to build engagement on campus through a flea market in October, which displayed a variety of clothing, jewelry and vintage finds. Events like these emphasize the organization’s ongoing commitment to serving and spotlighting students.

October also marked the first BUMP show of the semester featuring MGNA Crrrta. A sizable crowd was drawn in, as many danced and cheered. This energy was maintained for BUMP’s final show in November, featuring indie-rock band Hello Mary. 

With the November BUMP show serving as the conclusion to SAPB’s events for the semester, we believe that the SAPB has continued to provide students opportunities to engage in campus life and recognize the importance of building a creatively enriching environment on campus. While this semester did not include a Professor Spotlight or a comedy show — two events SAPB has consistently held for the past two semesters, we hope to see both included in next semester’s lineup.

Athletics: B-

In its pursuit of a third-straight Commissioner’s Cup, Binghamton Athletics kicked off the year with a fall season that saw mixed outcomes with some teams surpassing expectations and others falling short with lackluster playoff performances.

Overall, BU’s programs had a strong showing this fall, highlighted by the volleyball team’s America East regular season title. After going undefeated at home with an 8-2 record, the Bearcats claimed the No. 1 seed and hosted the conference tournament. However, despite being top-seeded, Binghamton was upset by No. 4 Albany, ending its hopes of a NCAA berth.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams saw their fair share of ups and downs this fall. Holding a six-game unbeaten streak heading into the conference tournament, women’s soccer defeated Vermont in the semifinals but fell 3-1 to New Hampshire. The men’s soccer team captured its highest win total since 2015. However, the team had a short postseason run, falling to UMBC 1-0 in the quarterfinals. 

While the women’s cross country was not able to replicate its championship performance from a year ago, it earned a strong third-place finish at the AE championships. The men earned the same placement at the conference championships as they did a year ago with a third-place result.

Similar to last fall, the golf team’s strongest overall performance this year was at its home meet at the Matthews Auto Collegiate Golf Invitational. Junior Brandon Conner has been at the top of the Bearcats’ efforts, delivering the second-lowest round in program history relative to par to earn a first-place finish at the Lehigh Invitational. However, as a whole, the golf team has struggled to gain any real momentum to improve its placements.

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are in solid shape after capping off their final meet of the year at the Brown Invitational, the teams’ strongest competition all year. The same can be said for wrestling, which has been one of the most consistent programs in recent years and started its season strong after joining the new independence division of the EIWA.

Men’s basketball has been tough to watch since the start of the season, with its first two wins of the season coming against Division III schools. However, the team turned in a 2-1 performance at the Lafayette Classic, with back-to-back two overtime wins, showing some resiliency. Women’s basketball got off to a great start on the season at 5-3 as the team continues to figure out its identity under new head coach Mary Grimes.

All in all, with a mixed bag of results for different teams, we believe that a grade of B- accurately represents the efforts of BU athletics this fall, with disappointing playoff performances making the difference. 

Campus and political engagement: B-

This semester students participated in a pivotal presidential election, many for the first time. About 1,900 students, not including off-campus, absentee and early voters, cast their ballot in the Mandela Room on Election Day, waiting in long lines, practicing their civic responsibility and ensuring their voices were heard. 

In the months leading up to the election, the Center for Civic Engagement, Multicultural Resource Center and student-led organizations tabled on the Spine to ensure timely registration and hosted events like the Multicultural Voting Fair to empower diverse voters. Students attended a diverse selection of rallies and talks — including ones headlined by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries ‘92 and Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential nominee Claudia De la Cruz— attended watch parties and discussed the results with their communities. 

We are proud of staff and student efforts to foster productive discussions during the election season — as we become young politically engaged citizens, there is no better place than a college campus to prepare.

However, we recognize that, with both mainstream presidential candidates backing U.S. military support to Israel, many students and organizations that disagreed with the two-party system or either candidate’s approach to the conflict in the Middle East turned to third parties and write-ins. As we approached a high-stakes election, though voting third-party was a topic of discussion among some students, they comprised a minority of voters and it seems tension in campus discourse cooled with the majority of campus supporting Democratic candidates.

Developments in the Middle East deeply impacted campus climate and discourse last semester, and students extended their advocacy this semester. BU’s Jewish community held a vigil commemorating victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and the Arab and Muslim communities held a vigil to mourn victims of the ongoing violence in Gaza.

Still, campus engagement as a whole has subsided. Organizations and students continue to be outspoken and are consistently putting in the work, but turnout at events and protests has been noticeably smaller and interaction between students of opposing beliefs has been minimal. The BDS resolution that passed last semester, for example, was quietly rescinded in the SA Congress, as the meeting agenda was amended at the meeting’s start. We question if the lack of interaction between students of opposing beliefs has been productive. 

Voting may seem like an obligation while showing up to campus events, learning about issues important to our peers and creating a transparent environment may not, though they are prerequisites to political engagement. Whether our attention was elsewhere or we grew increasingly averse to the cold, it is important to note that the campus climate this semester has been less hostile. Students must be and feel safe, and we are glad campus seems to have moved more in that direction. 

This step forward cannot cost us our engagement. Safety and uncomfortable conversations are not mutually exclusive, and we hope students stay engaged after this election. This includes starting and continuing open conversations with one another and carrying them into our engagement with the world as we prepare to be well-informed citizens.

Construction: C-

Construction on campus has been disruptive. While we appreciate the positive change these projects will bring for future generations of students, it’s hard to be optimistic about the future when the inconvenience of construction is so present. 

Once-loved and often-travelled paths between the Lecture Hall, Glenn G. Bartle Library and the University Union have been replaced by a maze of ever-changing detours and construction noise, making getting to class a more time-consuming and anxiety-inducing affair. We deeply miss the old access ramp outside the Engineering Building that perfectly connected the busiest parts of the outer and inner campus.

Most inconvenience to students has come from the Plaza Deck project on the Spine between the Bartle Library, the Union and the Engineering Building. Ultimately, however, this project will increase disability accommodations on campus, add more outdoor seating and landscaping and aid in drainage issues that often lead to puddles and slurry mixes during rain or snow.

We are excited to see all these positive changes made, but at the same time, the disturbance in the most central part of campus has been hard to ignore. We are worried about the progress of this construction project. With cold weather coming up on us, construction may be paused, further delaying the completion of the project to a later time, and further inconveniencing students.

We appreciate the hard work of Facilities Management and larger desires to make campus serve the needs of students better, and we are excited to finally see the completion of long-awaited projects like Bartle’s third floor. We hope that some projects will be completed on schedule, so those experiencing the most inconvenience can enjoy the positive changes. 

Despite what some may say, I’m so grateful for the community we get to immerse ourselves in for the duration of our time here. Binghamton really is special, and though it may lack the hustle and bustle of the city and its walkability leaves something to be desired, there are so many special corners here, like Antique Row on Clinton Street and neighborhood pubs tucked away in the West Side. Just because we’re here for school doesn’t mean we have to restrict ourselves to the beaten path.

Lia Richter, Managing Editor

I am grateful for all the supportive professors and faculty who have helped students through difficult moments on campus or personal struggles. Whether it was granting an extension on an assignment or holding office hours where students can just come and talk, these faculty have made me feel taken care of at a campus away from home.

Julie Ha, Opinions Editor 

I’m grateful for Binghamton’s library collections. Spanning 3.2 million books and journals, countless online databases, an open repository and more, physically holding a book, or any in-print media, flipping through its pages and scanning its borrowed history is something special — a relationship that is both shared and deeply personal. Whether you’re taking a break from your usual study or renewing an interest in Japanese cinema or probability, the library constantly reminds you of how much you have left to learn and it’s easy to lose all sense of self, hence a 2011 column, “Bartle, the whimsical” — I thank the library for keeping my curiosity alive and scratching that itch and the staff for making it possible.

Antonia Kladias, Assistant Opinions Editor 

This semester, I am especially grateful for the Broome County Humane Society. Spending time with the shelter animals brings a special feeling of happiness to my weekends that I can’t compare to anything else. It’s bittersweet seeing dogs I love one week get adopted and not be there the next, knowing I’ll never see them again but that they have found a loving home. The Humane Society has quickly become one of my favorite places in Binghamton, and I am so thankful I get to contribute to their wonderful cause of finding animals their forever homes.

Ella Connors, News Editor 

This season, I am very grateful for the Binghamton Nature Preserve, which offers a sanctuary for those looking to clear their heads or take in the changing leaves. It provides a sense of comfort and familiarity to us students during what can otherwise be a time marked by uncertainty and unease, as we grow into a newfound independence. A hike on the trails allows us to find our footing, regroup with friends and maybe see a cute chipmunk or two.

Johnny Yang, Sports Editor

I am grateful for how walkable and beautiful Binghamton’s campus is, especially during the fall and winter seasons. While it may be cold, the views of Binghamton are unbeatable compared to many campuses across the country. When I lived on campus, I loved going for walks at night to clear my head.

Revati Gelda, Arts & Culture Editor 

I’m grateful for the pockets of artistic exploration that are available to community members and students alike. As someone who enjoys and values performances, ranging from theater productions to art installations, Binghamton has a lot to offer — you just have to be willing to look for it. With on-campus opportunities to engage in the arts, including main stage productions at the Anderson Center and the rotating art exhibitions at Binghamton University’s Art Museum to intimate and well-crafted showings at the KNOW Theatre in Downtown Binghamton and countless events at the Bundy Museum and Phelps Mansion Museum, Binghamton has its own unique charm on the art scene, and it’s something to be appreciative of.

Donald Trump would go on to win the presidential election and, with control of the House of Representatives pending as of the time of publication, the feelings of uncertainty and disillusionment about our future — and even about how to react — are common on our campus, including within the Editorial Board. As local Democrats saw several victories, we must remain steadfast in celebrating these changes, which underlay and challenge the true unpredictability of national politics. From abortion to the economy, meaningful work in local politics can provide a sense of comfort, possibly even changing the tide.

The future of abortion access undoubtedly weighs heavily on many at this moment. With Trump having boasted about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade and has signaled support for a nationwide ban on abortion in the past, his renewed deference to states’ decision-making is up in the air. Still, voters showed up in many states this election to indicate growing support for abortion against what may seem like dominant, national pro-life beliefs. In 10 states, voters saw ballot initiatives to protect or expand abortion rights, which passed in seven and, in Arizona and Missouri, effectively overturned existing restrictive abortion laws. Florida voters failed to enshrine abortion as a right, falling just short of the 60 percent needed to pass.

This may feel like a loss, but it is not. It’s clear that people in local communities are overwhelmingly committed to abortion rights, and if push comes to shove nationally, state and local leaders may help. In New York, for example, we’ve elected politicians, including Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84, who supported the Reproductive Health Act in 2019, regulating abortion as health care, not a crime of homicide, and holding it to the same standard as the Roe v. Wade decision.

One of the most significant wins this past week was the passage of Proposal 1 in New York, which extended equal-protection rights to include ethnicity, gender and reproductive health care, among others, in our state constitution. As discourse about a conservative-leaning Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branch continues, it’s important to keep in mind that possible restrictions on abortion would encounter obstacles in New York because of Proposal 1’s success. Lupardo, State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04, Broome County Legislator Kim Myers and Representative-elect Josh Riley, all of whom saw recent victories, have been vocal supporters of Proposal 1 while Maryland, Nevada and Montana saw and passed similar constitutional measures — this is the will of our communities despite Trump’s wishes.

Binghamton’s Proposal 2, which amended the appointment process to the local Human Rights Commission, also passed this week with an overwhelming majority, according to unofficial results from the county’s Board of Elections. With these changes, the commission may reconvene after sitting vacant since 2016 and address human-rights violations, including police brutality and racially motivated police misconduct. This comes amid Trump’s tough-on-crime rhetoric, including against health care providers, scrutiny of “progressive prosecutors” prioritizing rehabilitation and reform and consent decrees that halt federal investigations into abusive policing.

It’s important to note that despite Trump’s profuse attitudes on crime and policing, local results have heavily varied. In Illinois and Michigan, “progressive prosecutors” won against opponents promising more punitive approaches, such as Monique Worrell’s reelection in Florida after being removed from office by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Economic stability, inflation and unaffordability have been some of America’s most pressing issues, and Trump vows to increase tariffs, cut taxes and mass deport undocumented immigrants. In light of economists’ warnings and growing value on immigrants’ contribution to our economy, Trump’s election is more indicative of a larger desperation among America’s working class than blind belief in the effectiveness of his plans. But fear of deportations and lack of asylum are certainly exacerbated by this new election — in Trump’s first year as president, deportations rose by 150 percent in New York City until the state attorney general, Letitia James, successfully sued to stop the practice. Even with statewide victories, such as sanctuary laws, the promise of lawyers for detainees and limitations on cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency with a wide range of powers, we must have faith in Proposal 1’s protections against discrimination.

The economy is where local politics can make or break the day-to-day quality of life — talks of budget deficits from Washington D.C. come as Broome County has one of the highest rates of poverty by population in New York and, because of their community ties, local politicians have proven to be well-equipped at creating policies and budgets inducive of local economic growth. This includes Webb’s work securing funds for local industry, workforce development, expansion of tuition aid and rent assistance and Lupardo’s investment in community infrastructure that host emerging industries. These local initiatives reflect the immediacy of economic reform.

The threat of Trump’s overbearing and often transphobic, xenophobic and misogynistic rhetoric translating into policy is real and immobilizing — it is difficult to see someone in office vehemently opposed to and spreading misinformation about our core identities. In these times of national worry, we must trust our power in electing community representatives and prevent large-scale fearmongering from overshadowing the work we can do on a local level — with politicians that understand and connect with diverse groups, including the undocumented, queer people, people of color and those not represented in mainstream narratives about the overwhelming support for Trump’s plans.

National and local politics are often seen as mutually exclusive, with those in higher offices having the final say over the direction and even beliefs of our communities, but to overwrite grassroots efforts and marginalized voices with Trump’s victory is to abandon their potential on a material, everyday level. We must continue to work locally and invest in community-oriented political figures to parse through our current uncertainty and represent our communities where national politics may fail — we must remain optimistic.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. 

Currently, few external checks to police brutality, racial profiling and police misconduct exist in local law enforcement, which casts doubt on the nuance of Waddell’s verdict. Binghamton’s law enforcement agencies have continuously failed to listen to the community’s needs, and the lack of comprehensive oversight in these systems has allowed for the further institutionalization of police brutality and discrimination.

After receiving reports of racial profiling in 2015, the Binghamton Human Rights Commission proposed the Police Modernization Law, which would have increased police diversity and made racial profiling explicitly illegal in Binghamton. The law faced heavy opposition, with Police Chief Joseph Zikuski claiming it would overburden his officers. Former Mayor Rich David signed an executive order targeting police practices but promised to veto the law should it pass City Council. The order expanded data collection by directing officers to complete a demographics form for every stop and equipping officers with body cameras, but these are not proactive measures against police brutality and racial profiling. In fact, they did nothing to prevent Kaczynski from targeting and kneeling on Waddell.

Battisti claimed that “negative narratives that have been spun in our community for almost the last two years were brought to a halt with [the] verdict” as if denying the existence of police brutality and racial profiling. Police brutality is not a “narrative” to be shut down — Black individuals are still disproportionately more likely to be killed by the police and have reported being treated as “suspicious” by law enforcement. These facts were not “shut down” with two misdemeanors, especially considering that the verdict was delivered without consideration of police brutality, as Pelella touts in the first place.

There is no question that Waddell was brutalized on the night of his arrest — bodycam footage showed him pinned and immobile on the concrete, pleading for help before saying, “I can’t breathe.” In a report from the Office of the New York Attorney General, which determined excessive force was used in the arrest, it was unnecessary for Kaczynski to assault Waddell to the point of injury and fear for his life to place him in handcuffs. At the time, Mayor Jared Kraham claimed the report failed to “accurately portray the full circumstances of the incident.” With this claim, Kraham appears to ask the public to justify the use of excessive force, which is immediately not pertinent to a case in which Waddell is already incapacitated. There was no “objective reason” to use excessive force.

As several white aggressors were let go to get to Waddell that night, according to bodycam footage, Waddell was treated as the sole aggressor, and it is doubtful our legal system took this into consideration. Battisti has forgotten that deeming Waddell’s guilty verdict as “justice” is merely an extension of the injustice he faced the night of his arrest. Officers’ judgment and potential biases cannot be blindly accepted and especially cannot be considered fact, let alone the only fact, in legal proceedings. When evidence is latent with bias, especially discrimination that is not explicitly illegal, treating evidence with a lack of subjectivity is futile — it is only another way police brutality has become largely excluded from the courtroom.

The overstepping of police authority not only during arrest but also during protest and trial — a double assault — is at the crux of police brutality criticism. During a February 2023 protest against Waddell’s treatment in Johnson City, police arrested 15 people and pepper-sprayed protestors and members of the press in an all-pervasive display of moral and legal superiority. Even discourse about police brutality outside of our legal system is forcibly shut down.

From George Floyd to Rodney King, Waddell’s case is not an isolated one. Our governing bodies’ lack of accountability and their sheer reluctance to address police brutality on its head means we cannot trust them to investigate these injustices themselves. Unfortunately, former Mayor David retaliated against the attempts at police reform by effectively dissolving the Human Rights Commission, delegating authority to appoint new members entirely to the mayor. The irony in Kraham’s delegitimization of the attorney general’s report is his vetoing a law that would have reformed the commission’s appointment process, claiming “Matters of human rights and complaints of discrimination should be dealt with at the state level.” As a result, the Human Rights Commission has sat vacant since 2016.

An operating commission would allow residents to vocalize their concerns at public meetings outside of the Binghamton Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division, where cases of excessive force and misconduct are currently handled, and to protest police violence without being pepper-sprayed by, yet again, the police. It should be diverse and reflective of community needs, as originally constituted — four general representatives of the community and three representatives from community advocacy groups, like the NAACP and the Binghamton Pride Coalition. Until police misconduct is met with consequences, Battisti is wrong in purporting the “falsehood” of systemic police brutality, and receptive avenues for concern are still desperately needed in the community.

This Nov. 5, Binghamton voters will see a new referendum to amend the appointment process of the Human Rights Commission. Local Law No. 24-02 would allow four members to be appointed by the City Council and three by the mayor. We urge voters to mobilize against police brutality and the biases in this case, as law enforcement has failed to do, and vote “yes” on Proposal 2.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

The Editorial Board confidently endorses Josh Riley for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. The incumbent, Rep. Marc Molinaro, has not proven to be reliable and trustworthy, and Binghamton needs new representation.

Our coverage of Molinaro speaks for itself. The Editorial Board has condemned his rhetoric, including support of former President Donald Trump after his conviction and a call to ban Students for Justice in Palestine.

Most recently, Molinaro has continued to spread widely debunked claims about immigrants eating pets. This spread of false information is concerning, as we should trust our politicians to value and uphold the truth, even if that truth could hurt their political standing.

The New York Times recently published an article reporting that though Molinaro used to be a relative moderate in his party, he has swung toward the far-right with his full-throated support for Trump. This switch highlights Molinaro’s priorities — to further his own power, not stand on beliefs, and support the wants and needs of his constituency. Molinaro has shown he is unwilling to hold himself to the standards required of a representative.

Riley will be a new face we can trust to support the community and hold himself to these basic standards. As an Endicott local, he understands this area and can prioritize the needs of his constituency first-hand. We appreciate his plans to cut taxes for the middle class and work to control prices, as this will help struggling Broome County — something that all candidates have expressed as a concern.

This will be a tight race, as it was in the last election. The 19th Congressional District is one of seven competitive swing districts in the country and, as seen in the 2022 midterm elections, could determine the party that controls the House. Looking at how Molinaro has handled his tenure, the Editorial Board wants to see a fresh face. Riley is a reliable, capable candidate, and we believe he will be the trustworthy politician the 19th District deserves.

New York State Senate: Lea Webb

After reviewing both candidates for the State Senate, the Editorial Board enthusiastically supports Lea Webb ‘04, the incumbent, for reelection. In her time in office, it is clear to us that Webb is a community-centered candidate near-singularly focused on uplifting marginalized people. We feel that through her strong community roots, she will continue to effectively represent the 52nd Senate District in a body dominated by downstate politicians.

A SUNY alumna, Webb served on the Binghamton City Council and worked on diversity, equity and inclusion education at Binghamton University. In her first term, she secured state funding for a local public broadcasting station, helped to advance flood mitigation legislation and led an effort to ban carbon dioxide fracking in the Southern Tier.

We found Webb’s opponent in this race, Mike Sigler, a Tompkins County legislator, a strong candidate as well. As a representative on a body largely dominated by Democrats, we believed that, if elected, he could work well with local, county and state officials of both parties to advocate for Binghamton’s — and Broome County’s — needs. Sigler’s focus on bringing down costs is important and relevant given Broome County’s urgent affordability crisis. Webb’s plans to address the rampant unaffordability include using resources at the state level to bring prices down, highlighting a recent bill to increase the Tuition Assistance Program’s aid and eligibility and an effort to fight food insecurity on college campuses. Though both candidates are equally committed to economic reform, the Editorial Board is confident Webb’s connection to the community will inform her through valid criticisms of impracticality from Sigler.

As the chair of the State Senate’s Women’s Issues Committee, Webb is a strong advocate for Proposal One, a statewide referendum that would expand the New York Constitution’s protections against discrimination. She has said a state constitution amendment would insulate these freedoms from the political arena. Unlike moderate Republicans in New York, Sigler’s reluctance to support reproductive rights outlined in Proposal One and subsequent fearmongering over gender-affirming care is an extremist attitude that cannot compete with Webb’s dedication toward equal rights for all, including women’s bodily autonomy.

Though the Editorial Board feels both candidates would represent the 52nd Senate District well, we will vote for Webb because of her strong focus on the community and her unique advocacy for reproductive justice.

New York State Assembly: Donna Lupardo 

Donna Lupardo has served as an assemblywoman for nearly 20 years and the Editorial Board believes she can continue to have a positive impact on Broome County if reelected.

While Broome County has among the highest poverty rates in New York, Lupardo and her opponent, Lisa OKeefe, take a holistic approach to economic growth, identifying students as a crucial player in economic development. However, Lupardo has a track record. She helped expand the Innovative Technology Complex at BU with four new buildings, one of which created a $90.7 million impact on the Broome and Tioga region and created hundreds of local jobs in the design and construction phase alone. Other projects include the construction of the SUNY Broome Culinary Arts Center and championing the Industrial Hemp Act. The research and innovations from improved facilities put the county at the center of emerging industries and students alongside residents in advocating for economic equity.

Despite these improvements, OKeefe has rightly pointed out the lack of transparency, such as with a 29 percent pay raise for state legislators OKeefe identifies housing, small businesses and the art scene as examples of viable areas of investment that would affect the day-to-day quality of life for residents, not just students, and, more importantly, encourage students to keep their talents and economic potential in the area after graduation. With our endorsement for Lupardo, we expect that she will live up to her dedication to residents on a grassroots level, including the investment in industries that meld the student-resident divide.

State legislators, including Lupardo, have proven to work well with other elected officials to achieve goals. Alongside State Sen. Lea Webb, Lupardo pushed for the inclusion of Proposal One, extending protections against discrimination, on the ballot this year. Republicans have criticized Proposal One for its vague language — for example, the lack of the word “abortion,” and alleged expansion of rights to undocumented immigrants and transgender athletes. Though OKeefe notes abortion care is already written into New York law, the Board agrees with Lupardo — anti-discrimination measures are truly simple despite fearmongering as an excuse for transphobia and xenophobic rhetoric.

The board recognizes that having these measures in our state constitution is fundamental to curbing any future attempts at limiting abortion access or other discriminatory practices. However, the current Republican opposition to abortion, their emphasis on Proposal One’s language and the difficult, long process of amending a constitution is a reality. We hope Lupardo will draw on her previous experiences to preempt the likely opposition to fundamental rights if Proposal One is passed and that her experience will inform, rather than hinder, a renewed tenure.

To keep our news coverage of this election fully separate from the opinions pages, Pipe Dream’s news editor abstained from participation in this editorial.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

We commend faculty members’ solidarity with student protestors of all beliefs and their commitment to freedom of expression. Unfortunately, on Binghamton’s campus, freedom of expression is lost to empty statements, and bureaucratic procedures stifle, instead of amplify, opportunities for the productive exchange of ideas, whether that be in protest or in classrooms. The values that the administration claims to be faithful to cannot prosper under current university policy. We must reckon with the administration’s contradictions as we anticipate student protests this school year and build the campus we deserve.

Empirically, the administration’s response to protests has been one of defense, devaluation and policing. As Associate Professor Surya Parekh points out, students in the encampment last spring were met with ultimatums — meetings with administrators in exchange for an end to the protest. Administrators did not arrive at the Liberated Zone with the initial intention nor expectation of open dialogue themselves.

Meanwhile, students are passionate about sharing their voices, and many events of last year proved this. Last semester, the Student Association Congress voted on a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions resolution. The room was filled with voices, which quieted to listen to their fellow students. The meeting fostered real conversation between students from opposing sides of an issue, so much so that it lasted nearly five hours on a school night. It says a lot about our University’s administrators if student leaders are better equipped to organize and foster open dialogue and a respectful debate than they are.

The faculty members also expressed concerns over the University’s use of student conduct violation threats and a heavy police presence during the encampment. The encampment communally decided to disassemble in proactive protection of the “largely marginalized makeup of the encampment … who face a magnified threat of police brutality and disproportionate legal consequences.” Faculty members are right to be troubled by the precedent the University has set. It’s even more concerning that the administration clearly does not trust its students and it is the students who made the choice to protect and uphold the rights of their community in lieu of the police.

Administrators’ distrust is further exemplified by place, time and manner policies concerning protest, which are not unique to BU. Protests are held to a 12-hour limit, must be coordinated with campus police and preemptively disclose its time, place and intended purpose. While student safety is important, student protests have largely been peaceful. The imposition of guidelines and demand for transparency in anticipation of our campus values being violated suppresses the spirit of protest and, in certain cases, the ability of students to take a strong stance against University policies — ignoring that protests must be disruptive to an extent for change or an “innovative solution” to develop.

Unexpected questions cannot be radical if they are expected, open dialogue cannot exist if it is policed and innovation cannot flourish if we’re told to think and act inside the box — students cannot express themselves freely and impactfully if the administration continues its hawkish, ready-to-fight attitude. Telling students how and when they can practice expressive activity or subjecting them to tedious scheduling and sign-up processes restricts the values the University wants to foster. At some point, the “how” in students’ freedom of expression becomes fundamental to that very right.

This right to expression must be extended to our faculty members, who are also bastions of our campus values. Hall wrote to faculty this summer, recognizing their academic freedom, but only on matters concerning their subject. He claimed that it is not their right to speak out on unrelated controversial issues in their classroom. Promoting political and civic engagement on campus is meaningless if students cannot discuss and apply their findings and passions in the classroom.

The faculty at BU have continuously served as mentors to students, and they inspire us with their own pursuits. The irony in Hall citing the Distinguished Speakers Series for cutting-edge individuals is the administration’s reluctance to invest in their own faculty and students, expecting innovation and creativity without providing the means to do so.

University policies are not receptive to student and faculty needs nor are they emblematic of our values. We deserve a campus that is safe, encouraging and faithful to our freedom of expression — faculty have stood up for our values, and the administration must keep their promise to stand up as well.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. 

BU saw a record for student enrollment, over 18,000 just last year, and with only about 7,500 spots available in on-campus living communities, it is clear dormitories and apartments cannot be the only option for housing, nor should they be considered the best way to serve students. As we consider how our campus’ housing can improve, we must consider practicality, as well as cultural impact. With its growing and diverse student population, it’s time the University expand opportunities for on-campus living and look toward housing co-ops as an affordable, sustainable and, most importantly, community-centric option.

Administrators are not shy about investing money in construction projects across campus. Last spring, Old Rafuse Hall was renovated for incoming freshmen and transfer students, allowing the University to accommodate the increase in admitted students. Other projects include a new $60 million lecture hall, a Panera Bread location and renovations to the Chenango Room.

These changes neither facilitate relationship-building on campus nor do they encourage retention among those who’ve chosen off-campus life. BU clearly can expand its campus, and living spaces that promote community, and more housing in general, need to be on the docket.

The University offers six on-campus housing communities currently, the majority of which are dormitory-style. Shared dining halls, recreational fields, community governments and traditions theoretically allow students to meet friends and find community as soon as they enter college. These shared spaces might allow for collaboration and interaction among peers, but the individual-unit structure of dorms fails to promote these values. In housing co-ops across the country, students are communally responsible for household chores, decisions, rules and finances, including rent. This model encourages collaboration among students — acting as one body, not isolated individuals or groups — while providing the same sense of responsibility and independence offered by off-campus housing.

BU’s living-and-learning model, which allows students to connect through career aspirations and common interests and helps alleviate the isolation found in dorm and apartment structures, is limited to select communities — though it should be an ideal for on-campus living culture. Student housing co-ops center connections in their very foundations and are an example of this community-centric design. Co-ops across many colleges are often organized by specific interests, such as religion, political advocacy and even food preferences — one housing co-op at Vassar College, the Vassar Experimental Garden, has taken on growing its own food and one of the oldest co-ops, the University of Michigan’s Socialist House, was founded out of the school’s Socialist Club in 1932.

While over 7,000 students lived off campus in 2023 and students’ moving into the surrounding community is only increasing in numbers, it is clear student retention on campus is lacking, even if on-campus life is preferable. Affordability is one driving factor for this phenomenon. Living off campus is often less expensive than on-campus housing if done right. However, it’s not always the most convenient — for both students and locals. “Renting” from the University and managing finances with your peers is far more predictable than potential landlord horror stories, which many students are no stranger to. Predatory practices, like withholding security deposits, violating building codes and not upholding tenants’ rights, have been weaponized against student renters in Binghamton in the past — all while student rental groups and a lack of family-style housing have contributed to a growing housing crisis in Binghamton.

The surrounding neighborhoods are also not always built for humans but rather for cars and buses, which are neither reliable nor sustainable. Johnson City, for example, holds a “Walk Score” of only 42 out of 100, meaning everyday life requires a car, even as a student. Meanwhile, our campus is walkable and familiar — we see students from our classes all over and connect with those similar to us in our departments, organizations and places of worship and dining, all within 1.5 square miles. We may rent a bike, hike the Nature Preserve or people-watch on freshly mowed grass, all of which come with an added obstacle as an off-campus commuter.

Fortunately, with housing co-ops, students would not have to choose between the affordability of off-campus living and the convenience and joys of on-campus living. Student co-ops have been considered a low-cost option at colleges since their expansion during the Great Depression. Maximum rates at student housing co-ops are consistently lower than the average market rent in the area, sometimes by more than 50 percent.

Amid a 180 percent increase in college tuition since the 1980s and cuts to state funding, co-ops on BU’s campus would ensure students have access to affordable housing and continued education and, more importantly, ensure they are not “priced-out” of the lively campus environment, or push residents from their home. Allowing our students to stay on campus and immersed in the campus community — or create new ones — is important. Housing co-ops make the opportunity to do so equitable.

BU must be responsive to students’ needs, particularly as it concerns housing — community, independence, affordability, etc. — and reflect on the campus environment and values they promote amid construction plans. As BU reckons with the city’s housing crisis and builds an inclusive campus, student co-ops on campus may be the most accessible and sustainable way forward for housing our community.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. 

“Hold your people close! Academics are important, but building a community here — people who will cheer you on during the good times and pick you up during the bad — is more important.”

Lia Richter, Managing Editor

“Remember you have four years to have all the experiences you want. Definitely put yourself out there and try as many new things that sound exciting, but do not stress yourself out trying to get everything done your first year — because, I promise, you won’t.”

Julie Ha, Opinions Editor 

“The only way to become the most authentic version of yourself is to be honest with yourself — allow yourself to feel freely and unapologetically — and do things despite potential embarrassment or failure. You grow into yourself when you’re passionate and seemingly illogical — and once you’ve gotten over the fear of looking stupid, you’ll realize that everyone else is just as silly, intricate and fluid as you are.”

Antonia Kladias, Assistant Opinions Editor 

“Buy a pair of noise-canceling headphones because college can be overwhelming and sometimes you need to tune everything out to recenter yourself.”

Allison Peteka, Digital Editor

“Get involved as much as you can. You never know what you may end up liking and the friendships you will make. Getting involved as much as I have definitely shaped my college experience significantly.”

Revati Gelda, Arts & Culture Editor

“It’s okay to initially feel anxious and out of place. Remember to take your life at Binghamton University day by day and be open to experiences you may otherwise have not gotten the chance to explore.”

Emmanuel Fuentes, Business Manager

“Please wear your lanyards so the University cameras can identify you, and please blast your speakers at 1 a.m. in the dorm rooms.”

Ella Connors, News Editor 

“Keep an open mind. It can be daunting to put yourself out there, but, if you break outside of your comfort zone, you’ll form meaningful relationships in return.”

Johnny Yang, Sports Editor 

“Always give 100 percent in everything that you do. You will always get out what you put in.”

Emma Alicea, Copy Desk Chief 

“Put yourself out there! Don’t be afraid to meet new people, join new clubs and go to new places. Doing something you wouldn’t normally do can lead to the best experiences!”

Joanne Ng, Design Manager 

“Sometimes you’ll try things out that you thought you would like but you didn’t — and that’s okay. Now is the time to explore and learn! Now isn’t the time to be perfect and fall in love with whatever version of yourself you thought you’d like, so give yourself a break. Good things can take time!”

After a grand jury indictment last year, Trump’s legal battle has been measured and methodical. From his 2019 and 2021 impeachment proceedings to this hush-money case, long-standing legal procedures — including jury selection and evidence admission rules — have been working in pursuit of the truth.

Trump’s vocal supporters in his party, including Greater Binghamton Rep. Marc Molinaro, do not believe this to be the case.

Within an hour of Trump’s conviction going public, Molinaro posted a cryptic statement on X condemning the verdict, though not mentioning Trump by name, writing “This is how we’re going to do politics now? Not through spirited debates, but by weaponizing the justice and court system to attack a political rival right before the election.”

Here is a question, congressman — who is “we?” Who has meticulously worked behind the scenes to convict Trump of these charges?

By choosing to simultaneously place faith in and divorce the rule of law, resulting in a misguided statement that illustrates this significant and chaotic moment in history — one at which we are on the brink of deep distrust in political leadership — Molinaro substantially disregards judicial processes, such as trial by jury, at best and at worst, our right to fulfill this civic obligation.

This supposed conspiracy to silence democratic debate is a jury selected by prosecutors and the defense team. The very same jury that Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche picked through as if it were an art, sifting through prospective jurors’ social media and questioning their impartiality and that the defense thought could be hung with a possible Republican voter on board.

Molinaro also wrote that “The leading contender for the presidency doesn’t belong behind bars. It’s disgraceful, unprecedented, and bad for democracy.” To be clear, what Molinaro calls a “perversion of our justice system” is the jury rendering a verdict so close to an election when Trump’s image matters most for his party.

Juries are by no means perfect, but they are a line of defense against corruption, profuse power and a justice system that can be biased. Trump, by calling the trial “rigged,” is surely rejecting this system only because it does not suit his narrative, and Molinaro, calling democratic participation “weaponization,” is a sore loser. The rule of law cannot be wrong when it works against your favor and right when it does.

Other Republicans in power, such as U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, criticized the verdict, claiming political bias in the district attorney’s office. House Speaker Mike Johnson employed similar rhetoric on X, writing “The weaponization of our justice system has been a hallmark of the Biden Administration … President Trump will rightfully appeal this absurd verdict — and he WILL WIN!”

What is ironic about Johnson’s statement is that by casting the verdict as illegitimate, he encourages the weaponization of our judicial system in retaliation, though only if waged by Trump and his acolytes. It is eerie because Trump has said he would employ such measures — planning to fire federal prosecutors who refuse to prosecute his enemies and weighing pardons for his supporters involved in the Capitol riot.

Similar to Republicans before them, Molinaro and Johnson actively stoke distrust in the judicial system, a strategy historically central to the Republican ethos. But, like their contemporary peers, they are also ready to defend the system only if it decides in favor of the GOP, or Trump, fearful of committing to a solid stance. After such a flustered statement, we are unsure if Molinaro himself knows where he stands on the rule of law.

Molinaro has become a key player to House Republicans as the GOP desperately tries to hold onto swing districts like his. Despite what he may think, he does not need to be fecklessly pro-Trump to be “Republican” in image, especially when the party, ideologically-fragmented, is not a MAGA monolith.

Though Molinaro has said he did not vote for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and Collins voted to convict him during his 2021 impeachment trial, Trump’s planned retribution against those who have wronged him and most Republicans’ fear of being ostracized has resulted in newfound alliances. It is clear Molinaro has fallen victim to the GOP’s ideological disarray, only ensuring further chaos and misplaced frustrations.

It is one thing to condemn the verdict as a Trump supporter and another to disagree with the policies of a Democratic-controlled government. To cast doubt on democratic processes like trial by jury is a dangerous conflation of these two identities.

As we watch events unfold in the following days, weeks and months, we can only hope that Molinaro shows more concern for the rule of law and democratic principles rather than how another GOP mugshot may appeal to voters.

At a time when Americans’ distrust of our institutions, like the courts and elections officials, is at a high, our elected representatives need to be the adults in the room, not actively sowing chaos and discord.

The staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

Binghamton University’s administration needs to pull it together.

Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, the student body has continued to be largely divided, and the administration has been unresponsive in effectively addressing the issues at hand.

When Pipe Dream has reached out for University comments regarding protests on campus, specifically about support for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza and the implementation of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), the responses we have received from administration have been lackluster, if existent at all. One particular statement in response to students’ demands for the University to divest from the Israeli military and its suppliers, including Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, the University vaguely expressed support for Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian students. What the statement failed to address was any of the specific demands that protesters had concerning divestment and University funding for these entities.

The statement consisted of three full sentences that ultimately said nothing at all, emphasizing a disregard for students’ care and investment in real issues. Administration should be able to address students’ concerns in a timely manner and, after two full semesters of protests and campus division, they have failed to do so immensely. They have not only been unsuccessful in mending a negative campus climate, but in failing to appropriately respond, they have contributed to it.

Administrators have disregarded students’ best interests on several other occasions this semester. The continuous efforts to turn recreational fields into turf, despite backlash from the student body, highlights a lack of attentiveness to the students’ opinions. Student employees were also asked to volunteer at the Student Employee Appreciation event, an incident that, although the administration claimed was an accident, demonstrates gross carelessness on their part.

Despite many shortcomings on their end and their lack of involvement students’ affairs, the administration has allowed for students to organize rallies and protests as well as voice their opinions at the latest SA Congress meeting, which went well past midnight, while voting on the BDS resolution. Though this is seemingly the bare minimum, it does not go unnoticed.

Understandably, these circumstances are unprecedented and we recognize that navigating them successfully is difficult. However, after two semesters, administration needs to do better— if not for their own sake, for the sake of students.

SA: C+ 

Our assessment of the Student Association (SA) this semester weighed on us.

On one hand, they, as student leaders, shouldered an immense burden representing the countless competing interests and perspectives of our campus community while balancing an academic course load.

On the other hand, many of the SA’s elected representatives were consumed with infighting and personal attacks, which distracted from deliberations over issues important to the student body during one of the most eventful semesters in recent memory.

The Editorial Board’s assessment of the SA would be remiss without mentioning a defining moment of the semester — the SA Congress passing a resolution in support of the BDS movement during a marathon meeting. We commend the SA for providing a thorough debate and a platform for issues students care about deeply to be heard.

We also applaud the SA for its various successes, including work on a Plan B vending machine, collaborations with outside groups, such as Sonic Connections, to enhance programming for students, creation of the Title IX Peer Advisors Program and a resolution to revive the Campus Sleepout to raise awareness on student homelessness.

For the second year in a row, the SA’s E-Board experienced difficulties with ranked-choice voting during election, which resulted in a runoff election to decide the vice president for programming. Despite a lively campaign period, this error created uncertainty at a point in the semester when students needed confidence in the SA.

Interpersonal issues within the organization, as noted in a previous editorial, also gave us pause. As student leaders, we expect those in the SA to pursue their goals with professionalism. The revolving door of representatives with secret recordings of each other combined with petty personal arguments at a time that required maturity, sensitivity and respect was disheartening to see.

Though we recognize the struggles many in the SA have faced given uncertain times, the Editorial Board hopes that next year some in the SA can reflect on their organizational mission and refocus on issues deeply important to students.

Campus Climate: C+ 

BU’s campus has been alive, tenacious and resounding this semester. The BDS resolution and the ongoing war in Gaza remain the most divisive issues on campus as student groups, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the Yiddish Bund of Binghamton and BU’s Zionist Organization (BUZO) and their allies continue to rally for their causes. A glance around the Union lobby or Old Union Hall at the April 16 SA Congress meeting should be enough to indicate the state of disunion on our campus as students self-categorized into two predominant groups.

BUZO has been vocal about BDS’ potential to fuel antisemitism and jeopardize Jewish students’ well-being. Other multicultural organizations have also consistently identified Islamophobia and a lack of support for vulnerable Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students on campus. While it is too soon to confidently tell the impacts of the resolution, it is clear that, after a semester of student activism, the feeling of a safe and inclusive campus is still not a guarantee for all students.

Even on a national scale, doxxing, harassment and other intimidation tactics continue to pose material threats to BU students and their right to free speech. The delicate nature of this ongoing conflict in Gaza, combined with the administration’s inadequacies, has resulted in a volatile campus climate, one that necessitates student protestors cover their faces with masks and scarves at a SA Congress meeting, ignore phone cameras thrust in their faces and private their social media profiles.

Amid the division and peril, microcosmic displays of community prevail, serving as an emblem for what we hope our campus will embody in our lifetime. The Divest from Death campaign, for example, is an incredibly diverse coalition bolstered by over 20 student organizations, including the Latin American Student Union, Muslim Student Association, Arab Student Association, Disabled Student Union and SHADES. A rally held at the University Downtown Center in March displayed equal levels of kinship as local organizations, such as Veterans for Peace and the Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier, joined forces with students all over New York State through SUNY BDS.

At the SA Congress meeting, Old Union Hall quickly maxed out on capacity, though more dedicated students waited outside for hours. Inside, students were seen handing out snacks and water and volunteering their seats to those that had been standing — acts of care that reflect the resiliency our on-campus collectives are capable of.

Fostering productive debates on campus is not a lost cause. A program hosted by Hillel in February, “Two Truths, One Land,” in which Palestinian activist Noor A’wad and Orthodox Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger shared their stories and engaged in a conversation, highlighted peace and cohabitation as a non-mutually exclusive goal, not only in Gaza, but also on our campus.

We recognize the potential for mutual understanding everywhere on our campus. From watching the solar eclipse together on the Peace Quad to attending a vigil for Ukrainian refugees, we hope our campus can find solace in recognizing shared humanity.

SAPB: A 

Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) brought some impressive entertainment this semester, ranging from “The Office” actor Rainn Wilson to internet sensation Brittany Broski. SAPB has continued to keep up community engagement as well by hosting student- and staff-centric events, such as the Student Flea Market and their Professor Spotlight series.

In early February, SAPB had Jake Ewald — the lead singer of Slaughter Beach, Dog, as their final BUMP show of the year. Later in the month, they hosted their highly anticipated Battle of the Bands, with Husband Material taking home the win as student opener for this year’s Spring Fling.

March was packed with a slew of events for students to enjoy. SAPB started off on a high with the Student Flea Market in mid-March and, for the first time, introduced student artists alongside vendors. This new addition continues to show SAPB’s commitment to fostering a student-led community at BU. The SAPB also highlighted faculty through their professor spotlight series. This semester, they featured Anne Bailey, a history professor, who gave a talk on her experiences as an author, former United Nations speaker and African studies researcher.

SAPB finished off the month strong as the Anderson Center saw a packed crowd for Broski, an internet celebrity and comedian. Her announcement was met with overwhelming praise and was by far, SAPB’s crown jewel for spring semester’s entertainment.

SAPB rounded off the semester with their annual Spring Fling, featuring Neon Trees, students’ alleged top choice, as this year’s concert headliner and Laundry Day as the opener.

We believe that the SAPB has continued to offer high-quality entertainment and events for students. We recognize their dedication to enriching the BU student experience and hope that they continue to keep up the level of commitment for next semester.

Athletics: A- 

This spring semester has seen many bright spots for Binghamton Athletics. Most notably, the Bearcats have won two conference titles so far this semester. The men’s tennis team won the Northeast Conference (NEC) championship in its inaugural season as a member and the men’s swim and dive team took home the America East (AE) championship — its first since 2021. The women’s lacrosse team has also won a share of the AE regular season title for the first time in program history.

Ultimately, the men’s basketball turned around its 0-5 start in AE conference play but failed to get past UNH in the quarterfinals. Furthermore, after a shaky start to the season, women’s basketball defeated Bryant in the AE quarterfinals but blew a fourth quarter lead against the eventual champions in Maine in the AE semifinals. After parting ways with Bethann Shapiro Ord, Binghamton is looking to bounce back next season with recently-hired reigning NEC head coach of the year, Mary Grimes, at the helm. The wrestling team had a successful season as well, sending four Bearcats to the National Collegiate Athletics Association championships in addition to going 7-3 in conference duals.

Meanwhile, spring sports are off and running, and the Bearcats are faring quite well against AE competition. The baseball team struggled with injuries early on in its season, but they are getting back on track. The softball team is in the midst of a strong season and was on a 12-game win streak at one point. The women’s lacrosse team will enter the AE tournament on a six game winning streak and both track teams will compete for the AE title once again.

Overall, we feel that a grade of A- accurately reflects Binghamton Athletics’ performance as a whole, as teams continue to build momentum going into playoff competition and finish the semester off strong.

Sustainability: B+

Sustainability has been a growing focus at BU and this year has seen a mix of encouraging focuses and some unfortunate decisions. This past summer, the University announced that they would be replacing some of the real grass fields with turf. While University officials and some students felt this choice was a win for sustainability efforts on campus, many other students and campus environmental organizations spoke out about the turf as they felt it removed true green spaces and went against students wishes.

Recently, the turf project expanded to the Newing field and Zero Hour, one of the campus environmental organizations, started a petition to stop the project because of turf’s “variety of health, safety and environmental concerns.” Pipe Dream agrees that the change to turf fields causes more harm than good for the student body and we wish the administration did not pursue this project.

However, there have been really wonderful efforts to increase sustainability on campus that we cannot ignore and they are the reason this topic has such a high grade on the report card. Multiple organizations on campus, such as Zero Hour and the Fleishman Center, have held various events this year to promote environmental efforts including an Environment and Sustainability Careers Fair, Off Campus College Transport busing to the farmers market and the second-annual EcoBlitz.

Furthermore, SUNY as a whole is working to phase out single-use plastics from campuses. These events and future plans are great steps toward creating a more sustainable University, and Pipe Dream commends the efforts to help the environment in these ways.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

There have been a number of serious public issues expressed to Pipe Dream, or that we have observed over the course of the past month. A recent guest column written by John Ferrara called attention to a private recording in which a member of the Elections & Judiciary Committee warned others about Ferrara’s potential question at the SA candidate debate and encouraged them not to call on him.

There have also been countless comments under Pipe Dream Instagram posts where figures inside and outside the SA have argued in an unprofessional manner, as well as a number of printed posters attacking certain Congress members — though it is unclear who is responsible for placing them around campus.

Pipe Dream has received multiple whistleblower reports and experienced a rotating door of SA Congress representatives equipped with audio recordings attempting to incriminate their peers. Though we have not yet determined the validity of the claims in these reports, the content appears far less serious than the publicly available concerns.

What these private instances have shown Pipe Dream is the unfortunate reality that many representatives seem more eager to spend time combing through management policies they believe others have violated, rather than focusing on deeply important legislation and its impacts.

Serious accusations demand serious consideration and what has been made publicly available deserves investigations of their own. At the same time, petty arguments and interpersonal matters centered around attacking each other’s character and taking each other down only serves to erase any faith the student body may have in legislation being considered seriously.

Tuesday’s Congress is likely the most important meeting this year, not only for Congress, but for the numerous student activists and organizations across this campus. This meeting will require respect and maturity, but, based on their established pattern, the Editorial Board currently does not believe the SA Congress can do so appropriately and adequately. We hope efforts to keep this meeting professional and productive can prove us wrong.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

The first is painfully clear — the Israeli military campaign, one of the most destructive and deadly in recent history, according to experts, has killed over 30,000 Gazans as of this editorial’s publication. An invasion of Rafah, Gaza’s last “safe zone” where an estimated 1.4 million are sheltering, has drawn concern and condemnation from President Joe Biden and other top United States officials. A United Nations representative warned of a slaughter.

The second is the impact of Western media bias, a dangerous disease that minimizes Palestinian suffering to Western audiences through dehumanizing language, omission and false conflation.

A quantitative analysis performed in January by The Intercept, an investigative news outlet, paints a damning picture. In the first six weeks after Oct. 7, three major American newspapers of record — the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times — heavily skewed their coverage into the Israeli government’s narrative. After analyzing over 1,000 news articles, they found that outlets used active and emotive language — “massacre” and “slaughter” — when referring to Israeli death, but used passive language — “killed” or “died” — for Palestinian death.

As student-journalists at a school with no journalism program, we often look to mainstream media coverage for guidance in our reporting. We never anticipated being in this position — continuously reporting on war crimes, a worsening humanitarian crisis and a divided student body. But what we have witnessed from major news outlets as we sought guidance has undermined the journalistic standards that we both hold ourselves to and expect from well-established media organizations.

Journalists have a responsibility to remain impartial in news coverage and reserve personal biases or opinions for columns and editorials. In October, BBC’s world affairs editor, John Simpson, released an article explaining why it is never a news organization’s place to tell an audience “who are the bad guys.” He added that news coverage should remain as objective as possible, so that readers can make up their own minds with the information presented.

Although remaining unbiased is standard journalistic practice — one most Western media has failed to adhere to — it can often feel as if we are losing our humanity when forgoing our bias during reporting. Between the time an article is written and the time it reaches the editor-in-chief’s desk, Israel’s military, both directly and indirectly, has killed hundreds, if not thousands, more Palestinians, mostly women and children.

This Editorial Board steadfastly believes that calling for the end of the Israeli military’s near-obliteration of Gaza and its citizens is not radical.

We will always adhere to a standard of impartiality in our news coverage, but we cannot forget that Pipe Dream got its name when a group of past editors stood together to protest the Vietnam War. We took a stand when our country unjustly killed thousands of innocent civilians during a reactionary military campaign. We still, decades later, support the countless students and organizations that have called for peace and a permanent cease-fire.

As an Editorial Board, we take the responsibility that comes with the power of the written word extremely seriously and wish that the media outlets we looked up to did too.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Pipe Dream Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings.

This perspective is entirely misaligned with the reality of the situation on this campus, which Molinaro should perhaps learn more about by communicating with all student leaders at BU. The recent protest was an instance of students peacefully advocating for reduced censorship and surveillance. It is still unknown who was responsible for the posters, thus Molinaro’s mention of SJP is misdirected, dangerous and irresponsible.

SJP’s work has provided an important perspective and voice to this campus over the past couple years — now more than ever. SJP is responsible for organizing rallies, producing educational material and workshops about Palestine, and fundraising for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Not only does Molinaro’s categorization of SJP as a hate group misrepresent SJP’s beliefs and work, but it also dangerously provokes tensions on campus and feeds a harmful narrative that organizations fighting Islamophobia writ large are inherently vicious.

It is entirely fair to criticize the placement of posters in an organization’s designated meeting space without permission. Yet, calling for the removal of SJP and other pro-Palestinian organizations altogether because Molinaro does not believe in the content of their protest is strictly a threat to free speech. Furthermore, eliciting hate toward other groups of students and perpetuating harmful stereotypes directly targets Arab, Muslim and Palestinian students when their safety should be a priority. Prioritizing the safety of Jewish students on campus and prioritizing the safety of Arab, Muslim and Palestinian students should not be mutually exclusive.

Jewish students’ voices and concerns are important, and they should be heard.

Arab, Muslim and Palestinian students’ voices and concerns are important, and they should be heard.

By singling out SJP and pro-Palestinian students, Molinaro endangers an entire group of students and deepens the divide on campus.

Throughout the past few months, innocent Palestinian and Jewish people throughout the United States have faced violent threats and hate speech at an unprecedented level. While we should be working together to advocate for a cease-fire in Gaza, both to prevent the starvation and killing of innocent Palestinians and protect innocent Israelis against Hamas’ attacks, the violence and hate speech poisons the simple human message of protecting the innocent on both sides.

Just a few weeks ago, in Vermont, three innocent Palestinian college students were shot by a stranger while they were walking down the street.

In October, a landlord in Chicago fatally stabbed a 6-year-old Palestinian boy and later faced murder and hate crime charges after saying that he was angry at the boy and his mother for what was going on in Israel.

Meanwhile, the New York District Attorney has also charged a man with assaulting, stalking and using anti-Semitic rhetoric against an innocent Israeli man in Times Square this past October.

At Cornell University, just an hour away, a student was arrested in connection to an anti-Semitic post on an online discussion board in which he graphically threatened to attack a kosher dining hall.

These examples of harassment and violence are a few among many and demonstrate a stark difference between the hate that Molinaro charges SJP with and the reality of actual hate that should be prevented. Molinaro should focus on combating hatred instead of repressing freedom of speech.

We hope you enjoy our Christmas carol from the perspective of our tree!

As December approaches every year, I’ve watched the students leave for winter break.

Despite the snow and festive season, my heart can’t help but ache.

I’ve peered through neighboring windows as trees are brought in,

Decorated in warm houses, and underneath, presents left for kin.

While my shape is round and my top is pointed,

To be a Christmas tree, I have never been anointed.

I’m much too heavy and much too large,

So all my life, I’ve been relegated to the yard.

I had almost given up hope, on this 80th year of my existence,

When, one day, a man appeared, who had come from a great distance.

He slowed his car and exclaimed, in a jolly tenor,

“This must be the tree for Rockefeller Center!”

I ruffled my branches — I could hardly believe my ears!

The chance to be a real Christmas tree, and spread Christmas cheer!

The journey to the city would be long, he warned, and some branches might get tussled,

But you look like a tough tree, one whose spirit won’t get muffled.

As I listened to him speak, my emotions became suddenly conflicted,

I’ve always wanted to leave Binghamton, but now, I realized, I would really miss it.

While the winters are long and the weather overcast,

Living here has been a blast.

I’ll miss the rolling hills and the freshness of the air,

And all of the plant and animal friends for which I’ve grown to care.

This town is small, but its spirit is strong,

How will I fare in New York City, will I belong?

But then, a thought, that cleared my mind,

For once, the students wouldn’t be leaving me behind!

I’ll stand tall in midtown, wrapped in lights,

And when the students see me, they’ll squeal with delight!

A Binghamton tree, hee hee, ho ho!

How lovely to be reminded of our other home!

That’s the thing about moving on to new opportunities,

You’re leaving something special behind, but you’ll find new communities.

Students were notified via a B-Alert at 8:56 a.m. Monday morning that police were “investigating an incident” outside of the Bartle Library, and at 9:23 a.m., a follow-up B-Alert announced that Monday classes would be canceled. However, despite the tragedy occurring in the very early hours of the morning, students still attended early athletic training and classes, putting some students in situations where they were exposed to the scene — an extremely traumatizing experience. We are confused, frustrated and angry that classes were not canceled earlier, as it seems that the University had knowledge of the events prior.

On Tuesday morning, a B-Line was sent out. Everyone who read President Harvey Stenger’s message could feel the pain and grief in his words. The vulnerability from a leader in a time like this is paramount in helping students begin to confront their own feelings on the matter. The outpouring of support for his message highlighted how many students felt heard by their University President. However, in a grieving state such as Stenger’s, no one should be expected to make sweeping, last minute decisions in the best interest of all.

Stenger’s decision to not make a decision to cancel classes left professors and students alike in a limbo. And this is no fault of Stenger’s, this is completely a lack of preparation and consideration from the administration as a whole. A proper response would have been a pre-prepared response. What happened was a tragedy, and ideally would have been prevented by stronger mental health outlets, but it is something that could have been planned for. We cannot imagine that a university that caters to over 18,000 students could not have procedures in place to ensure the safety and mental well-being of their staff and students.

The decision to leave class cancellation up to professors imposed on them the burden of being the point of contact and decision-maker for a grieving student body. With no prior preparation or guidelines on how to broach conversations with students, how were professors supposed to respond in such a situation and ensure they did right by their students? Professors are also struggling with whether and how to address the tragedy in their classes. The lack of preparation and decision-making from the administration leaves professors and students with the decision whether or not to prioritize mental health following such a shock.

This tragedy highlights the dire need for more robust mental health resources on our campus. It feels especially exhausting and frustrating to call on the university to fulfill their responsibility to provide its students with adequate support after such a tragedy. In our Editorial Board’s semesterly “Report Cards,” we have repeatedly criticized the egregious lack of mental health resource, including a ratio of one University Counseling Center (UCC) counselor per about 1,213 students, as well as the university’s “brief therapy” model that falls short of long term support. When we have increased the grade that we have given “mental health” at the university, such as from an “F” in spring 2022 to a “D+” in fall 2022, it has been begrudgingly, and in response to only piecemeal improvements.

Furthermore, unfortunately, this is not the first time that our Editorial Board has had to publish an editorial of this type. In April 2022, following the passing of BU graduate student Robert Martin, we published an editorial emphasizing the lack of university-funded mental health resources while commending student organizations like the Mental Health Outreach Peer Educators (M-HOPE) group that have been taking the burden to care for our study body. A year and a half later, we are once again pleading with the University to do more to support its students.

As we continue to grieve as a community, we hope that University administration, staff, and students are mindful of each other’s mental health and well-being. As a community experiencing an unimaginable time, we must care for each other.

The decision of which candidate to endorse was clear and unanimous, which speaks both to the vast policy differences between the two candidates, and the quality of their responses to our candidate questions. We strongly believe that Matt Ryan should be the next District Attorney for Broome County. This endorsement is significant not only because we believe that Ryan’s platform has the potential to greatly improve Broome County’s legal woes, especially when compared to Battisti’s platform, but also because it is part of a bipartisan coalition of endorsements that Ryan has received. This speaks both to Ryan’s effort to engage with the community, especially younger voters and college students, and Paul Battisti’s weaknesses.

Ryan’s motivation to run for office is driven not only by his desire to make communities in Broome safer through prosecution, but is also molded by his desire to change the way that Broome’s criminal justice system has perpetuated crime and negatively impacted victims for decades. Broome County needs change in the way that it prosecutes criminals, and it is clear that Ryan is the change candidate in this election. When we asked Ryan to describe how his background translates into making him a strong candidate for the office of District Attorney, he gave a detailed response describing not only his experience as an attorney, but also as a leader of different organizations. He was a leader and activist during his time in the Broome County Public Defender’s Office and as Mayor of Binghamton, where he fought for fair treatment of defendants and practiced fair application of the law. Ryan not only lists the classic issues of safety and drug abuse prevention as pivotal to his platform, but describes the importance of prevention before crimes occur, making victims feel more comfortable reaching out to police or the DA’s office and ensuring that the post-sentencing treatment of defendants in Broome County is more equitable and sympathetic. Lastly, Ryan made a passionate commitment to support the young people of Broome, and referenced his connections with professors and students of BU over the years.

Battisti describes his motivation to run as a way to protect his family and the residents of Broome, which is not a dishonorable goal. However, his platform lacks the necessary compassion for change and ideas to improve the way Broome treats those that it prosecutes. Battisti did not provide a detailed reply that solidified his qualifications for the position, and only described his individual experience as an attorney in Broome County. Battisti has failed to expand upon his platform of safety and dealing with drug abuse in the community, and did not provide any significant plans to improve the way defendants are treated post-sentencing. Finally, Battisti failed to describe any reasons for why young people should vote for him over Ryan, and once again focused on the classic Republican talking points of eradicating crime and strengthening prosecution. While this platform might secure the votes of older voters focused on reducing violence associated with gangs and drug dealers, it fails to meet the necessary compassion required of a District Attorney who cares for all their constituents.

Whether or not you ultimately decide to cast your ballot for Matt Ryan next week, your vote in this election could be the deciding factor, so please take the time to stop by a polling site on Tuesday if you are registered to vote in Broome. Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. across New York state for this year’s local elections. Early voting in-person also runs until Nov. 5, and absentee ballots can be brought to a polling site or be postmarked and mailed in until polls close on election day.

College campuses have long been an important setting for anti-war and political protest. The Vietnam War brought one of the biggest mass waves of college student protests across the United States, which played a key role in spreading antiwar ideas in public discourse. In fact, “Pipe Dream” replaced our paper’s former name, “The Colonial News,” in response to the Vietnam War.

Universities are microcosms of democracy and political discourse. Young people have always been an important force in our political sphere, and college students, especially, often have the resources and networks to mobilize in really powerful ways. Additionally, universities are primarily learning environments. By being exposed to the ideas of people from different backgrounds and perspectives, students are able to expand their worldview. Additionally, college campuses are a space where students can form community organizing frameworks and practice political action in ways that they hopefully can continue to exercise throughout their lives.

In recent weeks, student organizations have played a key role in bringing attention to the Israel-Palestine crisis, holding officials and organizations accountable, and fostering spaces for education and conversation. Several multicultural student organizations have criticized President Harvey Stenger’s statements for failing to comment on the human rights abuses also being faced by Palestinians, not just Israelis. Student organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Muslim Student Association (MSA), Black Student Union (BSU), and Hillel, have also released their own statements seeking to educate students on the events occurring and express solidarity with those directly impacted by the crisis. Multicultural organizations, especially, are crucial political forces on BU’s campus. It is important that we listen to students who are directly or proximately impacted by the events occurring in both Israel and Palestine and affirm their experiences, regardless of political views.

While student protest is impactful, it is also important to try to center action around real change and avoid unproductive over-polarization. While the events occurring in Israel and Palestine are extremely distressing and angering, as students currently residing on the other side of the world, it can be easy to quickly become polarized and get caught up in conflict rather than working to educate and address the human rights abuses occurring to Israeli and Palestinian people. For example, organizations like the Latin American Student Union (LASU) also linked resources in their statements where students could donate to organizations providing direct humanitarian aid in Gaza.

As young people and students, we are a powerful force for change. As we continue to experience this increasingly polarized political climate, we hope that students will continue to engage in educating and organizing with each other in a respectful way.

Just this semester, last week, Daniel Croce, the Student Association’s vice president for finance, announced a minimum wage raise for student OCCT bus drivers, from $15.20 to $18 an hour. Furthermore, community and student organizations recently organized the third annual Housing Action Summit on campus, where organizations discussed the housing crisis in the Broome County area, in large part fueled by the University and students.

Although the Student Association and other organizations have done a fantastic job in advocating for our student body, the University has a responsibility to respond to student needs and ideas, as well as pressing community issues, in a timely and effective manner. If we consider the Housing Action Summit — despite the University’s complicity and role in fueling this crisis, it was left up to outside organizations to organize and create space to address this crucial issue. While it is amazing that student and community organizations are doing the work to bring attention to these local problems, the University, as an educational institution, has a duty to create space for these conversations.

Furthermore, even when the University does respond to pressing issues, it often comes after years of student advocacy, or fails to effectively address the issues at hand. For example, the vice president for student affairs revealed a plan for investment in student services at a recent BU Council meeting, which comes after the University received new state funding. This investment will include increasing staffing at the University Counseling Center (UCC) and comes after years of BU students expressing frustration at the dire lack of mental health resources at the University, demonstrating how student suggestions are often ignored or not responded to in a timely or effective way. It was only once the University received more state funds that they increased personnel at the UCC, rather than diverting resources prior to alleviating what is an extremely serious problem.

The University neglecting to respond efficiently or properly to student grievances is not a new issue. Graduate students at BU had been asking for a living wage and the abolishment of broad-based fees for years, before the University finally raised minimum stipends, although they only affected doctoral students and failed to fully meet the demands of BU’s Graduate Student Employee Union (GSEU). Additionally, the University attributed the increase to inflation and keeping the school competitive in recruiting and cost-of-living standards, rather than the current graduate students increasingly expressing their difficulties with meeting basic living costs. Furthermore, The Violence, Abuse, Rape and Crisis Center (VARCC), a resource for students dealing with sexual violence that opened in 2021, was created, by a student initiative, after years of complaints about a lack of access to sexual assault reporting services on campus. Issues like increasing living wages and responding to sexual assault require timely responses, which the University has failed to do.

Lastly, even when the University has tried to respond to student complaints, they sometimes do so in a way that is messy, or does not fully take the needs of students into consideration. For example, last year, Binghamton Residential Life abolished the resident assistant, citing the move as a response to complaints from residential assistants (RAs) about the unmanageable and stressful nature of the position. This change came suddenly and seemingly without concern for the ideas of current or past RAs — students, especially current RAs, were left confused and concerned that they would lose their positions and all of the financial benefits that come with it.

Moving forward, we hope to see the University make an active effort to collaborate with student groups to address issues effectively. A recent example of the administration and student groups coming together to pursue a long-needed project is the installation of a Plan B vending machine. The project idea originated at a Latin American Student Union (LASU) meeting last year, and has been actualized by the effort of student Road Map Interns, as well as the University’s Health Promotion and Prevention services and other organizations.

As a University, BU has a responsibility to create a safe and enjoyable learning and living environment for students. While student advocacy and protest is healthy to a well-functioning university, the University must meet students on the other end by being receptive and active in responding to grievances. We applaud students for their initiative taking, but call on the University to be more active listeners.

As an E-Board, we had a variety of reactions to the events that occurred in Bartle Library. First, we commend the student protestors for standing up for a crucial right, and affirm that disagreement and protest are crucial to learning. We also hope that space for healthy conversation about polarizing topics can be fostered on campus.

Abortion is an extremely polarizing issue across the United States, with good reason. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, 21 states currently ban abortion or restrict it to an earlier time in pregnancy than Roe’s previously set standard, leaving one in three women in the United States lacking access to abortion care. The gutting of Roe has significant harmful implications for young people and college students, with women between 20 and 29 making up 57 percent of those obtaining legal abortions. While disagreement is inevitable, and healthy to our democracy, talking with someone who is anti-choice can feel as if they are directly violating your autonomy. For those who have experienced abortion, or had people close to them experience it, this feeling is exacerbated. It can be extremely emotionally taxing to even engage with those who disagree.

After the events in Bartle Library transpired, the SFLA took to their blog to criticize pro-choice protesters for swallowing their fetal models. According to their website, BU is the third school at which student protestors have eaten their model fetuses. SFLA’s article, “Fetal Models Aren’t Food,” asserts that “education is no longer the main objective of [BU] — the goal is now conformity.” The article blames protestors for rejecting their attempts at conversation, with the secretary of the College Republicans and a senior double-majoring in history and political science, arguing that “They express themselves in ways that are increasingly graphic and illegal, and they act with impunity because institutions encourage this behavior.” However, these arguments feel hypocritical, given the graphic and extreme nature of the slogans and images displayed by the pro-choice table. Additionally, the rhetoric used by SFLA on their website is consistently derogatory and inflammatory when referring to pro-choice activists, such as a video titled “This Crazed Pro-Abort Chewed On Our Fetal Models!” SFLA’s propaganda and behavior does not suggest the desire for conversation, but to assert their viewpoint unchallenged.

It is unlikely that the events that occurred in the Bartle library bridged the ideological gap between the tablers and protestors, and likely increased tension. However, when an issue is as personal and emotionally charged as abortion, it can be taxing and extremely frustrating to even engage with those who disagree with how you should be able to make decisions concerning your body. In the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines, the Supreme Court majority famously ruled that students and teachers do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Public debate is at the core of America’s democratic values, and should be encouraged in educational environments. Just as the pro-life tablers had the right to express their views, pro-choice protesters had every right to protest.

That being said, disagreement over polarizing issues like abortion can be fueled by ignorance, and is certainly not mended without education and conversation. For example, the anti-choice tables’ posters described abortion as “the direct and intentional killing of innocent humans by starving, suctioning, poisoning or dismembering them to death.” As Dara Silberstein, an associate research professor of women, gender and sexuality studies mentioned, the tablers might have been “more impactful if their argument against reproductive rights was based on facts rather than the pseudoscience displayed.” Disagreements about “personhood” and when “human life” begins are often central to anti-choice arguments. Biologists and embryologists lack consensus about “personhood” because it is a social, not biologically defined category, which explains why disagreement is seemingly irreconcilable. However, biologists have asserted that the “multicellular pre-implantation embryo cannot be equated with a human being,” and that life is a continuum, rather than beginning at one point. Additionally, arguments about “fetal personhood’ are often fueled by misogynistic myths that equate fertilization with new life, rather than the birth of an actual child, and ignore the harm that not receiving an abortion can cause to a very human mother. The disagreements underlying abortion arguments are complex, but disentangling the religious and social influences shaping them can be crucial to fostering effective conversation moving forward.

Finally, we once again acknowledge the right of pro-life students to table and share their views, but firmly stand with pro-choice protestors. If pro-life activists sincerely want to engage in conversation, they should reconsider advertising graphic and extreme imagery and verbiage, especially misinformation, about such a personal and emotional issue. Moving forward, we hope to see the University and student groups foster meaningful conversation and continue to bring attention to the issue of abortion rights being threatened across the country.

Pipe Dream has published a list of on- and off-campus health centers where BU students can obtain sexual and reproductive health resources.

BAP is a joint admissions program between SUNY Broome Community College and BU, founded in 2011, that allows incoming freshmen to attend classes at SUNY Broome for up to two years but to live on BU’s campus and eventually transfer fully to BU if they maintain a 2.7 GPA. Now, BAP students admitted in fall 2023, whom the University promises to continue to support in their transition to BU, will be the program’s last cohort.

According to a statement from BU, the B2B program will allow local students, who live within approximately 60 miles of the University’s campus, to “seamlessly transfer” into Harpur College after fulfilling “specific academic criteria at SUNY Broome.” The letter also promises that this new program will “absolutely ensure” more access to BU for local students and that BU is working to develop more pathways for transfer students.

The University’s website explains that part of the intent of the decision to terminate and replace BAP is to “facilitate current BAP students transferring to Binghamton earlier than initially expected,” but it doesn’t detail what the timeline will be for these new students. The “Binghamton Advantage Program” web page also brags that the University has “expanded support and programming for transfer students” over the past year, who make up more than 3,300 of our undergraduate student body, citing the TRANSFERmation Summit offered in August and January each year. We hope that the University will provide more clarity and details soon about the nature, requirements and time frames for the B2B and new transfer programs.

If BU fulfills its promises, the development of the B2B program and new transfer pathways could be a great way to gain more transfer students, especially local students, who make up a minority of BU’s student body. In 2019, only 7 percent of BU students were from Broome and Tioga counties. Transfer programs make well-resourced and more selective universities accessible to students who may not have had the resources or privilege to attend those schools during their first round of college applications. Additionally, transfer students often come from a more diverse college background, have had time to hone in on their academic and professional interests and likely have meaningful reasons for wanting to attend the university to which they transfer.

In addition to the benefits that come with accepting more transfer students to BU, we hope that some of the weaknesses of the BAP program can be eliminated in BU’s new transfer programs. In Pipe Dream’s recent News article about the BAP program termination, BAP students described having difficulty navigating the transition to BU’s classes, the loss of an academic advisor and a lack of key personnel and a general neglect of the program by both SUNY Broome and BU.

While BAP had some weaknesses, the program has long provided a more accessible pathway to BU, so it is crucial that the University fulfills its promise of continuing this extremely valuable partnership and making our University accessible to transfer students. In the comment section of Pipe Dream’s Instagram post announcing BAP’s termination, students voiced disappointment that the program would discontinue, saying “this program gave opportunities to those who are often overlooked” and that “these programs allow more people of color to enter Binghamton’s campus and have access to a strong education.” Students also voiced frustration that the Universities discontinued the program rather than addressing identified issues.

We hope that BU uses the termination of BAP as an opportunity to invest resources and time into developing robust, supportive transfer programs moving forward. Transfer students are an extremely valuable sector of our student body and should be supported throughout their University experience.

SOH was enacted in response to a drastic increase in student applications and acceptances at BU. After receiving 49,500 undergraduate student applications for fall 2023, a 19 percent increase from the previous year, the University seems to have accepted students beyond its capacity.

Some freshmen in SOH housing reported that they were not aware of their housing arrangement until they got to campus. Parents pay thousands of dollars each year for on-campus housing, so the fact that the University may not have adequately informed students in advance is extremely concerning.

While the University has promised that all students in SOH housing will be reassigned to permanent rooms by October, thanks to the renovation of Old Rafuse, this microhousing crisis calls attention to larger concerns about the University’s ability to accommodate what might be a consistently increasing number of students.

Parking, for example, has long been an issue on BU’s campus that is only bound to get worse if the student body continues to increase in size. Students have long complained about having to drive around for sometimes upward of 20 minutes to find a parking spot, despite increasing prices over the past few years. The Old Rafuse renovation project promises to include an adjacent expanded parking lot, but just a few more parking spaces will likely not significantly mitigate the parking crisis on campus.

Fortunately, the University is working on some projects that might help accommodate our expanding student community. There is a new lecture hall scheduled to open in 2026, which will add more classroom spaces to campus, as well as renovations being done to Science 3, Bartle Library and some sports fields.

While we are excited that BU is increasing in popularity and welcoming a larger, hopefully diverse student population, we hope that the University is properly equipped to house and accommodate these students in every aspect of their college experience.

Holland’s settlement is a much-needed and tremendous step forward for Broome County — and hopefully the state — in calling to attention and remedying some of the inhumane treatment suffered by transgender people in carceral facilities. However, we look to the sheriff and jail’s administration to act on their promises and be transparent about how transgender people are being treated inside.

Holland’s story sheds light on the disproportionate harm experienced by transgender people in carceral facilities across the United States. Transgender incarcerated individuals experience harassment and sexual abuse from other incarcerated people and staff at unequally high rates and are denied gender-affirming and medical care across the United States.

Housing transgender people according to their gender identity is one of the most crucial ways that carceral facilities can prevent uneven abuse and harm. Some federal and state guidelines exist that encourage transgender people to be housed based on their gender identities, but these standards are piecemeal and lack authority. The dire need for more comprehensive and strong policy is evidenced by the fact that in 2020, a shocking NBC News investigation revealed that out of the almost 5,000 transgender individuals in U.S. state prisons, only 15 had been housed according to their gender identities.

The Broome County Jail’s failure to provide basic resources and care for Holland was enabled by a lack of comprehensive federal and state legislation that protects incarcerated transgender people, as well as a lack of effective enforcement mechanisms. At the federal level, protections for transgender incarcerated people are piecemeal. In January of last year, the Bureau of Prisons reissued its Transgender Offender Manual, which included a requirement that prisons place transgender people in housing units on a “case by case” basis. However, conducting “case-by-case” evaluations is left up to local and state clinical facilities across the United States, which clearly allows for abuse of discretion. Additionally, these guidelines refer to federal prisons only, not jails, where there are only 1,300 people in custody, about 1/4 percent of the overall incarcerated population.

State legislation is also lacking, with only a minority of states, such as California, Massachusetts and New York passing laws that provide protections for incarcerated transgender people. In New York, Senate Bill S6677A, passed in 2021, requires incarcerated people in state and local correctional facilities to be “presumptively placed” with people “that most closely align” with their gender identity, as well as guarantee access to commissary items, clothing and “other materials” consistent with their gender identity. The vagueness of this language, but most concerningly, the lack of proper state enforcement mechanisms, unfortunately allow for a policy-practice gap. Additionally, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in 2022 a new policy initiative that would allow transgender people to request to be housed based on their gender identity, as well as access to “gender-affirming medical and mental health care” and clothing consistent with their gender identity. Unfortunately, this policy is yet to be implemented, as it still awaits approval from state lawmakers.

While the increase in state legislation like this over recent years has been long needed, the insular and abusive nature of carceral facilities easily allows for abuse, as evidenced by Holland’s experience. Holland’s settlement mandates Broome County to change its policies to comply with federal and state laws regarding the treatment of transgender incarcerated people, including housing people consistent with their gender identity, ensuring that staff respect the gender identity of people inside and ensuring access to clothing, toiletry items, gender-affirming items and medical care free from discrimination.

It is concerning, although unfortunately not surprising, that Broome County has not already been complying with federal and state guidelines and providing even minimal treatment and care to transgender people. Holland was incarcerated while Sheriff Harder was still elected, who was notorious for his lack of transparency and complicity in mass abuse and neglect occurring in the Broome County Jail. Although there have been no drastic improvements made to the jail since Sheriff Akshar was elected this past November, his “Community FIRST” plan emphasized the need for increased transparency and accountability in the department.

We hope that, moving forward, Holland’s settlement won’t be an empty promise. In order to ensure that the Broome County Jail is treating transgender people with dignity and respect and ensuring their access to necessary items, the jail should be mandated to report on their compliance with the settlement every month or so, as well as allow for community members to become more involved in oversight for the jail. This could be accomplished through a community-independent oversight board that is given access to information regarding what is occurring inside the jail and works to come up with solutions to pressing issues. This settlement is a big step forward, and hopefully will set a precedent for progress in other counties and states, but it is meaningless without enforcement.

Broome County offers a microcosm of the ways in which a community might be at risk for widespread opioid addiction. Broome County has struggled with an opioid epidemic for decades. In 2020, Broome County suffered from double the opioid overdose rate of the statewide average, with 35.8 overdoses per 100,000 people. Last year, 460 people in Broome County overdosed on opioids, resulting in 80 deaths.

The origins of the U.S.’ opioid epidemic can be attributed in large part to multi-system regulation failure and large pharmaceutical companies like the infamous Purdue Pharma. However, certain socio-economic factors can put areas like Broome County at heightened risk. For example, national surveys have indicated that rural areas experience higher mortality and injury rates from opioids, and adolescents are more likely to use prescription opioids nonmedically than urban youth.

Additionally, opioid overdoses are concentrated in areas with higher rates of poverty and unemployment, with homelessness. These risk factors offer clues as to why Broome County has been hit especially hard by opioid addiction, as a county struggling with a housing crisis, labor shortage and a poverty rate above the national average.

Given that Broome County’s opioid crisis is inextricably intertwined with these larger systemic issues, the county requires more than the band-aid solution that this settlement offers. The settlement money is planned to be distributed among seven medical and harm reduction corporations and community organizations. While $1.6 million is a hefty donation, if split evenly among these organizations, each would receive around one or two hundred thousand. For example, Truth Pharm, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing harm caused by substance abuse, received $150,000 in funding. Despite being extremely generous and useful, a one-time donation is insufficient to sustain these organizations’ work in the long-term, especially for non-profit organizations like Truth Pharm.

As Alexis Pleus, Truth Pharm’s executive director, explained to our News team, a second round of funding is not available to organizations receiving funding in this first round. Pleus expressed a concern that we still hold — “12-month funding is an ineffective way to support organizations on the front line.” Battling this crisis requires consistent funding, rather than the one-off funding the settlement provides. Furthermore, when distributing funds, local, often underfunded organizations should be prioritized, as they are able to best identify the specific needs of their community and develop effective solutions.

While organizations like Truth Pharm are engaging in amazing preventive and reparative work and should be supported to the greatest extent possible, addressing the aforementioned systemic issues fueling Broome County’s opioid crisis is crucial. This includes alleviating Broome County’s housing crisis and bolstering employment. When responding to drug use, there must be a paradigm shift away from criminalization and punishment and toward harm reduction.

What can meaningful harm reduction and preventive strategies to address Broome County’s opioid crisis look like?

Preventive strategies can include building more affordable housing for individuals and families and making pre-existing housing more accessible and catered toward locals rather than students. As members of Broome County who contribute to some of these issues, we should use our power as students to hold the University accountable for the ways it has also helped grow these problems.

Additionally, decriminalizing drug use and possession and implementing harm-reduction programs would allow a shift from substance misuse being considered a criminal problem to acknowledging it as a medical and mental health issue. Harm reduction efforts should include establishing accessible safer consumption sites where people are able to safely consume drugs and overdoses can be quickly and properly responded to.

While organizations like TruthPharm offer crucial resources like sterile syringes and fentanyl strips, as well as harm reduction and drug safety training, Broome County does not have any safer consumption sites. As we noted in our March editorial, unfortunately, in 2022, a Johnson City law made even this prospect more unlikely by limiting areas where overdose prevention centers, heroin safe zones, supervised consumption facilities or supervised injection sites would even be allowed to be located. In the meantime, the University and Broome County should make sure that resources like Narcan kits and safe drug supplies are readily available and at no cost or risk to those who are using them.

The opioid crisis is a crisis that exemplifies many of Broome County’s most pressing issues — the pharmaceutical industrial complex, poverty, housing injustice and the criminalization of drug use. This crisis is one that requires serious restructuring of the systems that allow it to perpetuate. This settlement is a great step forward for Broome County, but there’s a long road ahead.

Binghamton University’s administration took a large step back this semester. One of the most significant issues — one Pipe Dream reported on — was a massive sex discrimination and harassment lawsuit filed by Karen Barzman, a former professor of art history. The case exposed a shocking abdication of responsibility on the part of administrators, many of whom reportedly heard about the abuse but did nothing, in a potential violation of Title IX and the New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL). A motion to dismiss the case, filed by attorneys representing SUNY and the University, was denied, and the discovery process will begin shortly.

Additionally, the recent conclusion of a second lawsuit against BU resulted in a $1.5 million judgment. Filed by Seshubabu Desu, a former dean of the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, the lawsuit alleged that the University fired him in “retaliation” for reporting financial irregularities and misconduct within his department. The University’s pattern of behavior and potential legal liability represented by these two legal actions are concerning. We urge the administration to be more transparent about these issues.

There were some bright spots this semester, including the increase in stipends for doctoral students. These changes came after relentless advocacy from the Graduate Students Employees Union (GSEU) and certainly do not go far enough in providing a livable wage for these students. Additionally, these stipend increases exclude non-doctoral graduate students. Though we recognize that the University financed these pay increases internally due to statewide funding issues, we also believe BU must be more proactive on such issues. More communication between the higher administration and its student employees will be critical moving forward.

Another positive development was the introduction of Narcan in AED stations campuswide, which was the result of a statewide mandate. While this was not a University-led initiative, we hope that BU continues on this path of increasing the accessibility of resources. In addition, the recent introduction of the LGBTQ+ living community in Newing College for the fall 2023 semester is another way BU is attempting to make the college experience safer for students. Having private bathrooms and other facilities for queer-identifying students is an incredibly important step for inclusion efforts.

The administration constantly touts the increase in freshman applications, and official figures corroborate this. However, one statistic that often goes unnoticed is the 10-year low in transfer applications, which has consistently decreased each year. Even BU President Harvey Stenger acknowledged the problem in his annual State of the University address when announcing the expansion of the Binghamton Advantage Program (BAP), which will allow students with guaranteed transfers to attend SUNY Broome Community College (BCC) while living at BCC or at home. While this is a good start, the University certainly has a long way to go to encourage transfer students, an essential part of the student body.

Overall, the administration has a long way to go to rebuild trust with many groups on campus. There is always more to be done, but this semester, especially with legal developments, administration figures should be more proactive and forthcoming with both students and faculty.

SA: A-

This semester, the Student Association (SA) has made strides in improving the chartering process and increasing on-campus accessibility — and has continued to organize great student events. But the SA has also suffered from a lack of transparency and a rocky election.

As the voice of the student body, SA Congress meetings should be accessible to the BU’s general body, as mandated by the SA constitution. However, this year, the SA stopped listing their meeting location on their website, even after a location switch halfway through the fall semester. After Pipe Dream reported on the SA’s lack of transparency, we were glad to see the SA update their website within days to include meeting locations. While we are thankful to see such a quick turnaround and recognize that SA representatives are students like ourselves, this does not excuse the fact that BU’s student body was not able to access information regarding Congress meetings for the majority of this year — hindering the SA from properly representing the student body.

In addition to a lack of transparency, there were also delays surrounding this year’s SA elections. We had the pleasure of interviewing and endorsing the SA candidates, as per Pipe Dream’s annual tradition, but were left awaiting confirmation of official election results while the SA struggled with administrative and technical roadblocks. There were multiple grievances filed concerning the election — not an unusual occurrence — which led to unofficial results being announced on March 14, with official results released the following week.

On one hand, we recognize that the factors that contributed to the late confirmation of election results were mostly out of the control of SA members, and we commend them for maintaining transparent communication with us at Pipe Dream about the issues they were facing throughout the election. However, we hope that in future elections, the SA will be finally be more efficiently able to handle incoming grievances — with an adequately staffed J-Board — as the delay in the confirmation of SA election results left students and representatives feeling uncertain.

Aside from these setbacks, this year’s SA made great progress by finally clearing their student club charter backlog, which consisted of 42 organizations, after three years. Being chartered provides a host of benefits to student organizations, including a budget and official University recognition. Given that the backlog included clubs that had applied to be chartered three years ago, it is likely that some club members never got a chance to see their organization chartered before graduating, which might have greatly hindered the ability of those organizations to operate successfully. We applaud Chance Fiorisi, this year’s SA IA chair and next year’s executive vice president (EVP), for developing a timeline for the IA committee to more efficiently charter organizations. This is a great step forward for the SA, and hopefully it will allow more students with great ideas to start and maintain thriving organizations. We hope to see the SA continue to refine their chartering process, and we are happy to see Fiorisi move up in the SA next semester.

In addition to supporting students by improving the club chartering process, we were extremely glad to see the SA launch a new bill to improve campus accessibility for BU students with disabilities this spring. After passing the “Resolution to Address Electronic Disability Accessibility” this past fall, this semester we are glad to see the SA continue to pass legislation aimed at improving accessibility for students with disabilities. On March 14, SA Congress passed the On-Campus Accessibility Reporting System Bill, drafted in collaboration with Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) and the newly formed Disabled Students Union (DSU), which will allow students to suggest improvements to physical facilities via an online form that can be accessed by scanning QR codes that have been placed on doors in the University Union.

This system will be helpful to all students, but especially students with disabilities, who can now more easily report a broken elevator, ramp or door button. We are glad that the SA consulted with student organizations representing the disabled student body to craft this legislation, and we hope that the SA will continue to meet with different student groups and communities to hear about their needs and brainstorm solutions to make BU a more accessible and enjoyable campus for all.

While the SA had their ups and downs this semester, it is important to remember that they are students who work hard to represent a large and diverse student body at BU. We hope to see more transparency from the SA next year so that the student body has an accessible outlet to voice their concerns and ideas, and we look forward to seeing new clubs continue to be efficiently chartered by the IA committee.

Student Association Programming Board: A-

Once again, the Student Association Programming Board (SAPB) delivered exciting and engaging events throughout this semester. With a strong lineup of guests and the debut of the Student Flea Market, the SAPB maintained the consistency of its programming while building upon existing events.

While Saturday Night Live (SNL)’s Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker entertained audiences with a show full of laughter and deadpan comedy, internet streamer and LGTBQ+ activist Tyler Oakley shared his career and activism experiences. The wonderful lineup of Longfellow, Walker and Oakley lives up to the SAPB’s past guests, which include rapper Yung Gravy and comedian Chris Distefano. In terms of comedy and special guest programming, SAPB continues to deliver with compelling and noteworthy guest appearances.

The Editorial Board commends the SAPB for the addition of the new Student Flea Market, which provides a space for student-run businesses to advertise and sell their products. The effort to support students’ entrepreneurial ventures helps create a supportive environment from one student to the next. With two flea markets already under SAPB’s belt, we look forward to the next one.

As SAPB’s biggest event of the year, Spring Fling saw a good turnout despite the weather. With a selection of food trucks, carnival rides and many student organizations tabling around the Spine and the Peace Quad, Spring Fling once again brought students together for one big event before the end of the semester. At the Spring Fling concert, BU band From the Bronx and dance music producer Imanbek opened with an electric entrance for surf band Surfaces.

The student body’s reaction to this year’s Spring Fling preparations, however, was not without objections. After SAPB announced Surfaces as the headliner on Instagram, students took to the comments section to express their disappointment with the choice. One of the main arguments that emerged was the fact that Surfaces was not even on the spring semester survey.

Despite these concerns, the Editorial Board recognizes that SAPB, as a student-run organization, is trying its best to provide students with an engaging campus experience. The E-Board also acknowledges that Surfaces was listed on the fall semester survey and that students expressed interest in a non-rap artist on the spring survey. We may not have gotten Ice Spice this year, but we still had a great time at Spring Fling 2023.

With the spring semester coming to a close, the Editorial Board looks forward to the engaging programming in store for fall 2023.

Residential Life: C-

Last semester was a whirlwind for Residential Life, as it was announced that residential assistants (RAs) would no longer be a position for students. Those responsibilities would be replaced by student staff. This decision, along with their lack of transparency and communication, sparked outrage among the student body, as RAs were not included in the decision. While this semester has been, thankfully, calmer as more information about these new positions has become available and nothing more egregious has occurred, we still feel there have been problems in Residential Life that keep us in line with our previous grade.

One big change announced with these new Residential Life positions is that community assistants, a subsection of student staff, may have roommates. This was slightly shocking, as one of the big appeals of being in an RA position is the guaranteed single room. However, with the increase in students in these positions, it does make sense that they cannot accommodate singles for everybody. While Pipe Dream has hope that these new positions will take away some of the burden that RA jobs had, we still wish Residential Life was more transparent and forthcoming with its information about this new situation.

Another change to note is that the University is planning to increase housing rates for the 2023-24 academic year, at the largest leap seen in past years. While this does have more to do with the administration, we decided to factor this into the Residential Life grade because this strongly affects the students who will be housed on campus. On-campus housing is efficient and easy, and Pipe Dream feels that students should not be limited by this option due to monetary restrictions. This increase in prices does nothing to improve our outlook on Residential Life this year.

Finally, fire inspections have come under their own heat, as students have complained about marshals visiting rooms early in the morning, an issue that an SA resolution asserts did not occur previously. The SA’s resolution aims to make this process less invasive, switching to a timeframe in which students would be less-impacted. Pipe Dream applauds the SA on this initiative and yet recognizes that this alone will not make the change. We encourage Residential Life to listen to the SA’s ideas and make fire inspections more respectful moving forward.

Athletics: B+

After an unexpectedly successful fall season for BU athletics, the momentum carried into the spring. This spring, the Binghamton baseball team will have the opportunity to use its brand-new Bearcats baseball complex for a full season, as completion of the complex was finished toward the end of America East (AE) play last year. In regards to the baseball team’s performance this season, things have been solid across the board. The season began with a challenging 16-game road trip, and the Bearcats managed to win eight of those matchups. The Bearcats are currently in fourth place in the AE, are above .500 in conference play and are projected to make the AE tournament. They are looking to repeat as AE tournament champions.

Softball has had a complete turnaround in comparison to its rough 2022 campaign, during which the team finished 22-23 overall with a 7-8 record in AE play. The Bearcats have already clinched a top-two seed in the AE tournament and will also have a first-round bye. In addition, the team is currently 13-4 in AE play, in the midst of a nine-game winning streak, and has won four straight AE series matchups. The program has taken great leaps, and fans should be excited for what’s to come.

Both lacrosse teams have seen great success this season and have clinched postseason spots. On the women’s side, the duo of sophomore attackers Abigail Carroll and Olivia Muscolino combined for 70 goals in the regular season and have led the Bearacts to a 5-1 record in AE play. The team clinched the No. 2 seed in the AE tournament and finished the regular season with 10 regular-season wins, the most in program history. On the men’s side, the duo of sophomore attackers Gage Adams and Matthew Keegan have combined for 88 goals, leading the Bearcats to a 5-2 record in AE play. Overall, both teams have outperformed rather low expectations, and the future looks promising with key underclassmen leading both teams.

The men’s basketball team’s season ended in similar fashion as last year, being defeated by Vermont in the AE semifinals. Despite showing signs of greatness at times during the season and finishing 8-8 in AE play, the team often struggled to play as one unit, which showed on the court. The team will also be losing senior guard Falko and will rely on the transfer portal to find the pieces it needs for the 2023–24 season. The women’s basketball team had a rather disappointing season as they finished four games under .500 and showed minimal improvement from their previous season, despite higher expectations. The Bearcats were defeated in their quarterfinal matchup against Maine by a double-digit score, and are losing key seniors Denai Bowman and Clare Traeger. The 2023–24 season will rely on younger players to step up and take charge.

BU’s track and field team had a solid showing at the AE indoor conference championships, as nine Bearcats earned third-place finishes and both the men’s and women’s teams earned third-place finishes. Both the men’s and women’s teams have overachieved this season and will look to replicate their success at the AE outdoor conference championships. The wrestling team had a mediocre season once again, finishing the season 5-13 and tied for 50th out of 61 teams at the NCAA championships. Despite their subpar record, the Bearcats faced several highly ranked teams and fared quite well against them.

On a final note, athletics at BU have taken great leaps this spring as many teams have overperformed, exceeding expectations, making a B+ a rather fitting grade at this point. Ultimately, several programs still have a couple of weeks before the end of their respective seasons. Although there is still work to be done with many programs, such as golf and basketball, the future of BU athletics looks bright.

TAPS: D-

In previous semesters, the Editorial Board has given Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) a D or D- on the basis of a lack of parking and the addition of an appeal fine. With the recent announcement of increased parking permit prices this upcoming fall, little has been done to improve this grade.

Since 2011, parking prices have remained at $140.55, a price significantly higher than other SUNY schools such as Buffalo and Albany, which charge a roughly $50 to $70 fee for on-campus parking. The proposed permit increase would raise prices at a rate of 1.25 percent per year, with the idea that the money would be used to repair and maintain the existing lots. However, many students, including us, feel that parking lot maintenance is something that should have already been covered by the existing parking and tuition fees.

In addition to rising prices, the University’s plans for a new lecture hall will inevitably result in the need for more parking spaces around the hall. Students already struggle to find parking in a timely manner as even the larger lots fill up fast at common class times, and an added lecture hall would only compound this issue.

Since the Editorial Board’s last review of TAPS, the issue of parking past midnight has remained for commuter students. Although Bartle Library remains open until 2 a.m., commuter students cannot utilize these extra few hours as they must leave by midnight. This also poses a problem for students involved in extracurriculars that often require late-night work on campus.

The recent increase in the already-high permit prices and the likely overcrowding of lots from a new lecture hall have left students frustrated and wondering why their current exorbitant parking payments are not enough. There will never be a perfect answer to the University’s parking issues, but excessive fees do not seem like a great start.

Diversity: C

While diversity-related issues are typically an administrative responsibility, we feel that diversity extends to every aspect of campus life. There is always more to do everywhere with diversity-related issues, and BU is no exception.

One clear problem is the lack of a replacement for Lea Webb, ‘04, who coordinated the University’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts for both staff and students. After Webb was elected to the New York State Senate and resigned from BU, there was no replacement for the coordinator. Furthermore, the lack of both communication and updated information is concerning, as the descriptions for DEI workshops still appear on the BU website despite being discontinued, and the form for DEI workshop sign ups had not been closed during the beginning of the spring semester. Pipe Dream, as an example, was unable to receive organizational diversity training this semester due to a lack of training staff. With the added emphasis on DEI in recent years, this lack of proactive organization is concerning.

BU’s Road Map, a strategic plan with multiple fronts, also reveals shortcomings with diversity at BU. With several goals related to underrepresented minority (URM) students, which include Black, Indigenous American, and Latinx groups, the University is falling short of its own goals — which include a target of 15 percent URM graduate students and 25 percent URM undergraduate students by 2026. Furthermore, BU is falling short on diversity in its faculty. We urge the University to rededicate itself to diversifying the student body at BU, both in order to meet its goals and to provide the campus community with a wide variety of perspectives and lived experiences.

There were some positive developments in terms of diversity this semester. BU earned 4.5 out of five stars on the Campus Pride Index, a scale run by Campus Pride that measures commitment to LGBTQ+-friendly initiatives and environments. In addition, we encourage the BU administration to follow the lead of the SA, which has recently pushed for the inclusion of multicultural days onto the academic calendar, including Black Solidarity Day and Lunar New Year.

Overall, the University has a long way to go before meeting its own standards for diversity. The effort can begin with hiring staff to administer critical educational programs before leaning more heavily on the recruitment of both a diverse student body and faculty.