In collaboration with Binghamton University’s Residential Life and Environmental Health and Safety offices, the talk included a screening of the documentary “After the Fire: A True Story of Heroes & Cowards,” which centered around Llanos and Simons’ recovery and the investigation into the fire. Afterward, the two spoke to the crowd about their experience and general fire safety, before the floor was opened to audience questions.

“What we have done is we’ve turned our tragedy, in a sense, into an educational and inspirational story for young adults, especially who are living on college campuses, just to show them the importance of fire safety and fire prevention from our perspective,” Simons said in an interview with Pipe Dream. “We’re not firefighters, we didn’t go to school to learn this. We were students, and we thought we were invincible, that nothing could happen to us, and unfortunately, the situation did.”

“Now we’re just trying to embrace that tragedy in order to help others,” he continued.

On Jan. 19, 2000, two students, Sean Ryan and Joseph LePore, set fire to a bulletin board in Boland Hall, a freshman dormitory, as a fraternity prank. Because the building did not have a sprinkler system, the fire spread rapidly. Three students passed away — Aaron Karol, Frank Caltabilota and John Giunta — and 56 more were injured.

Llanos and Simons, then 18, were two of the most severely injured students. They awoke at 4:30 a.m. to the fire alarm, which Simons said frequently went off as a result of pranks. Expecting another false alarm, the two tried to leave, only to be met by intense heat and smoke.

The two crawled out of the room and were separated. Simons was able to escape but suffered burns while crawling, as the fire reached about 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. While attempting to leave through a door, Llanos was struck by a fireball and set on fire. Two residential assistants helped put out the fire, and they were evacuated.

Simons was burned on 16 percent of his body, suffering serious injuries to his hands, head and face. Llanos suffered burns on 56 percent of his body. The two were hospitalized and put in medically induced comas, Simons for two weeks and Llanos for three months.

The documentary showcased testimonials from their family members, as well as healthcare workers, police officers and other survivors of the fire. Ryan and LePore pled guilty to third-degree arson and witness tampering and were sentenced to five years at a youth correctional facility.

After the screening, Llanos and Simons gave safety tips to the audience in the event of a residence hall fire. As many students attending were RAs, they showed a list of banned items in dorms and urged students to report any potential fire hazards.

They also warned of the dangers of smoke inhalation, the most common cause of death in a fire.

“I strongly urge every single person in this room today that whenever you all hear a fire alarm go off, we need you all to take it as serious as possible,” Simons said. “Stop what you’re doing, get up and get out as quickly as you can. Don’t sit there and look at your roommate and say, ‘Do you think we should go outside?’”

Llanos and Simons told students that when entering an unfamiliar space, check to see if there are multiple exits. They said that in the event of a fire, many people try to escape through the exit they came in from, but that might not be the quickest or safest way to leave the building.

Along with fire prevention tips, Llanos and Simons shared how their recovery taught them invaluable life lessons.

Llanos said that his recovery was both physical and psychological, as he struggled with his identity after being scarred. After fearing how he would be perceived by those around him, he realized that “before society could accept me, I had to learn to accept myself.”

“I had to learn how to love myself, and we all need to learn how to love ourselves a bit more,” Llanos said. “Our scars, our flaws and imperfections don’t define who we are. Everything in our heart, everything we become defines who we are.”

Attendees then asked Llanos and Simons questions. One attendee asked if they were able to forgive the two arsonists. Both said they did and that letting go of their resentment allowed them greater happiness.

While Llanos said he realized he needed to forgive early on in his recovery, Simons said it took him 10 years and a conversation with his mother to forgive.

“A lot of times we say, ‘Oh, we hate a person, we can’t stand a person,’ and nine times out of 10, that person is off living their life not thinking about you one second of the day,” Simons said. “You’re the only person that’s hurting by holding on to that, and when I was able to truly grasp that and be able to say, ‘You know what, there’s nothing I can do about changing the past. If they don’t want to come forward, if they don’t want to apologize, that’s on them. That’s not on me at any point.’”

“Once I was able to truly grasp that, honestly, my life became a lot more positive because I wasn’t holding on to that negative energy,” he finished.

The march, held in coalition with the Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine, the Student Power Coalition and other local organizations, is part of the SJP’s “Week of Solidarity.” According to an SJP Instagram post, the events of this week aim to “commemorate and commiserate 2 years of genocide” and “reveal the complicity of our institutions.”

“There are dynasties of tragedy written into every Palestinian life,” said a student at the beginning of the march. “Whether born under siege, under occupation or in exile, Palestinians carry 76 years of inherited grief, but also of resilience, and now, two years into Israel’s most brutal, most shameless assault in Gaza, we find ourselves still screaming the same truth, still pleading, still mourning, still counting the dead, if we are even allowed to count them. We should not have to prove our suffering to the world.”

Demonstrators met at the Glenn G. Bartle Library bridge and continued to the Pegasus Statue in front of the Library Tower. Protesters held signs reading “Free Palestine” and “Lockheed Martin Bombs Children” while chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The student speaker then continued their speech, highlighting the role of “scholasticide” in the humanitarian crisis. According to the American Historical Association, which condemned the scholasticide in Gaza back in January, the term refers to the systematic destruction of educational institutions.

A member of the Feminist Collective spoke next, emphasizing the role of gendered violence in Gaza. She explained how sexual violence has been used as a tool of war and colonization, dehumanizing women and destroying communities.

“Gendered violence under Israeli apartheid functions as a mechanism of erasure, one that tells Palestinian women that their lives, their knowledge and their futures are expendable,” the speaker said. “It mirrors patterns seen throughout history and other genocides: women’s suffering made invisible, their pain politicized only when it serves the oppressor’s narrative.”

In a September report, the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel, found that Israeli authorities “committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

Over 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces over the past two years, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The march then moved in front of the Engineering Building. A speaker from Georgia affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America talked about an effort to build a police training facility on the outskirts of Atlanta. First proposed in 2021, the facility, nicknamed “Cop City,” opened in April after years of protest by the local community.

The speaker argued that building this facility was akin to bringing Israeli military training onto U.S. soil. They also accused Binghamton University of spending money on a “surveillance system that prevents protests from happening before they start,” likely referencing the University’s partnership with Genetec, a Montreal-based surveillance solutions company, to integrate data from its 1,635 surveillance cameras into one system.

In a case study, Dave Martin, assistant director of security infrastructure and support at the University, said unplanned gatherings “can sometimes get out of hand,” but the new video analytics tools can “preemptively alert us” if the crowd is large enough so security can determine if the situation “needs to be addressed.”

A representative from the Muslim Student Association then spoke, reciting a prayer calling for an end to oppression worldwide.

Protesters then marched to the Couper Administration Building. A speaker from the Yiddish Bund condemned collaboration between the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science and weapons manufacturing companies.

Afterward, a registered nurse talked about their experience last year working in Gaza and described witnessing babies being delivered amid active bombings. They then read a poem they wrote about the humanitarian crisis.

Several counterprotesters waving Israeli flags were also present throughout the march, with several making comments during the speeches.

Next, a student described her time studying abroad last semester and said she saw “more Palestinian flags than I’d ever thought I’d see.” While in Morocco, she met a scarf maker who, upon recognizing her Palestinian pendant, held her hand and said, “We are all Palestinians.”

One counterprotester yelled back, “No guy held your hand, we don’t believe that.”

She continued speaking about her personal experience, telling the crowd she had not “felt that sense of humanity in a very long time.”

Finally, a representative from the Rainbow Pride Union spoke about pinkwashing, a term they said refers to “Israel’s cynical weaponization of a veneer of LGBTQ acceptance to distract from and ultimately justify its brutal oppression of Palestinians.”

“I still truly believe that there’s something beautiful about the fact that all these people come together to support this cause, to talk about this and, honestly, let Couper admin know that we are here and we stand for Palestine,” they said.

Hours after the march ended, the University sent out a Dateline announcement condemning the actions of SJP.

“Even if conducted peacefully, holding a protest on this solemn day was viewed by many as deeply insensitive,” the statement read. “We ask all members of our community to exercise empathy and awareness when expressing their views, considering how and when to do so. Freedom of expression carries with it the responsibility to assess the broader impact of our actions.”

The march was held on the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 250 were abducted. As of yesterday, 48 hostages, 26 of whom are publicly confirmed to be deceased, are still held captive in Gaza.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced on social media that the leaders of Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan, which involves an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. According to Trump, the plan will also include the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza to an “agreed upon line.”

In a statement to Pipe Dream, the SJP called the University’s statement “disheartening,” claiming that the University’s actions do not adhere to the code of conduct or uphold principles of freedom of speech and expression. The statement further highlighted cases of alleged harassment against pro-Palestine protesters that have gone unaddressed by the University.

The SJP also argued that despite the controversy surrounding the date of the march, Oct. 7 holds significance for its advocacy as well.

“True, we could’ve held our action on another day, as every day is significant for our cause,” SJP wrote in its statement. “However, October 7th does not have a singular significance that is exclusive to ‘one side.’ We cannot entertain the notion that we are being ‘insensitive’ for holding our action on this day, while in the same breath, Zionists celebrate the Israeli-orchestrated genocide that has only intensified in the two years since.”

Held in the Mandela Room, the memorial was in remembrance of the 2023 Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, where about 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken hostage. Most of the victims were Israeli citizens.

“I think it’s definitely very important to be able to bring our community together on this anniversary, especially in the midst of peace talks going on currently in Egypt that could possibly bring an end to this war,” said Mackenzie Cooper ‘25, BUZO’s vice president and a first-year graduate student studying public administration. “It just brings an added level of significance and remembrance to this day, knowing that there’s an element of hope, knowing that this mourning could reach a resolution sooner.”

Two years after the attacks, 48 hostages, including 26 who are confirmed deceased, remain in Gaza. Negotiations continued this week to strike an agreement that would lead to the release of hostages and a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced on social media that the leaders of Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of a peace plan, which involves an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

“There has been a mixture of opinion on the politics of the war, and I think that there’s some beauty in that, in the fact that the Jewish population across the diaspora and in Israel is not homogeneous at all, and we have the liberty to have a diversity of opinion,” Cooper said. “So while we all mourn the hostages that are still there, we mourn the life of each and every soldier that is lost, the perception of the political implications and happenings of the war have definitely shifted, but the severity remains the same.”

In the center of the room, 48 yellow chairs displayed images of the remaining hostages. More photos of the hostages were also displayed around the room, along with yellow ribbons, which have been used as a symbol of hope for the release of hostages and to show support for Israel.

“I think for many people in the greater Jewish community, no matter what day it is, every day still feels like Oct. 7, especially when you think about the 48 hostages still there,” said Angelina Palumbo, the president of BUZO and a senior majoring in Judaic studies. “It’s very hard to move on when we’re still stuck on that day.”

Another exhibit honored the Bibas family. Yarden Bibas was held hostage for 484 days and his wife Shiri, 4-year-old son Ariel and 9-month-old son Kfir died in captivity. A crib was displayed to represent “the childhood and youth that was sadly taken away,” Palumbo said.

A sukkah, a hut topped with branches, was set up to celebrate Sukkot, a weeklong holiday that begins five days after Yom Kippur. Pictures were displayed of sukkahs in Israel that had been destroyed or damaged during the attacks, which took place one day after Sukkot ended in 2023.

Another table showed prayers for the state of Israel, captives and members of the Israel Defense Forces in both English and Hebrew.

Moshe Creditor, a junior double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and environmental studies, attended the memorial to remember the victims of Oct. 7.

“This was the most Jews killed on a single day since the Holocaust,” Creditor said. “And after the Holocaust, a promise was made, ‘never again.’ Like, #neveragain, in reference to what the Nazis did to the Jewish population of Europe.”

“And Oct. 7 was an example of us failing that promise of never again, because [about 1,200] people [were] murdered, another 250 kidnapped, so I’m here to honor their memory and continue our promise of making sure this can never happen again,” he continued.

In a 2025 report, the Anti-Defamation League reported a 344 percent increase in documented antisemitic incidents across the United States over the past five years. Fifty-eight percent of incidents in 2024 were related to anti-Israel and anti-Zionist sentiment, according to the report.

BUZO will hold a vigil and another walkthrough memorial on Oct. 16.

“Right after Oct. 7, we were hit with a wave of a lot of heightened emotions and feelings from people of all different communities, and sometimes people react in certain ways when they’re hurt or upset,” Palumbo said. “And I think we’ve definitely seen studies show a 400 percent spike in antisemitism, especially on college campuses. But I think the best way to respond is by coming together as a community and being proud and strong with our identity, and that’s why events like this are so important.”

The fair was organized in collaboration with the Center for Civic Engagement and a variety of student organizations: the Asian Student Union; the Latin American Student Union; the Indian International Student Union; the Hindu Student Council; the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program; the Caribbean Student Association; the Black Student Union; the African Student Organization; the Binghamton University Association of Mixed Students; the Global Public Health Student Association; the University’s chapter of the NAACP; Undivided; ColorStack BU; and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

“The third annual Multicultural Voting Fair aimed to promote voting behavior and civic engagement among the student body of Binghamton University, especially in students of color, who are historically underrepresented at the polls,” Kristina Donders, the vice president for student success and a senior double-majoring in mathematics and political science, wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “By giving out $1,500+ of cultural food and 300 cans of Celsius, the VPSS Office was able to entice students to learn about civic engagement.”

Students received cards at the fair entrance to get stamped by visiting each of the four voter information tables, which offered information about becoming a poll worker, registering to vote, pledging to vote and requesting an absentee ballot. Once they collected a stamp from each table, attendees went around to the many tables set up by multicultural organizations that offered food, drinks and snacks.

Donders described the event as a “huge success.”

“Even though it’s not a big voting year, we had three students register to vote at the event, 38 students actively go to vote.gov [HYPERLINK: vote.gov] to get registered, and 55 students go to the website to request absentee ballots,” Donders wrote.

Binghamton city’s mayoral election will be held on Nov. 4, with early voting from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2. Voters will decide whether to give incumbent Republican Mayor Jared Kraham a second term or elect his Democratic challenger, Miles Burnett.

Donders wrote that this election will “directly impact” students and showcase the importance of being active in local politics.

According to the Census Bureau’s Population Survey, voter registration among Black, Asian and Latino Americans has been persistently lower than that of white Americans. While Latinos and Asian Americans are among the fastest-growing electorates in the United States, they remain among the lowest in terms of voter registration. This is due to a myriad of factors, including historical and economic barriers to poll access and voter ID requirements.

“Voting in communities that are historically underrepresented, especially, is a really good way to start the conversation about how oppression begins and how we can fight to stop it,” said Hatim Husainy, an SA Congress representative for Hillside and a sophomore majoring in political science. “That conversation shouldn’t end at voting, but it’s a good place for it to start.”

Jestina Tam, vice president of multicultural affairs and a senior majoring in biology, volunteered at a table that provided absentee ballot request forms. Tam told Pipe Dream in a statement that it was “incredible” to engage with attendees and answer their questions about voting eligibility.

Students representing the NAACP described the importance of racially and culturally informed voter education.

“The NAACP has a huge history in promoting the right to vote for people of color, so it’s very important that, as an organization on campus, we also show up for events like this,” said Damel Stewart, the press and publicity chair for BU’s NAACP chapter and a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering.

In early November, the VPSS office will host a “Chalk the Vote” event, where students can write non-partisan quotes and slogans on the Spine to encourage their peers to vote in the general election.

“Over the past two years, the Multicultural Voting Fair has helped dozens of students get registered to vote, become poll workers, request absentee ballots, and pledge to vote,” wrote Donders. “By putting students in a place where they can have support to become more civically engaged, while also getting free food, we’re able to get students genuinely excited about voting.”

The Title VI coordinator works with students and faculty to combat discrimination and promote a safe and inclusive learning environment. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on skin color, race, national origin and shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics. The University designated Ada Robinson-Perez, Ph.D. ‘19, the executive director of the Office of Equity and Access and coordinator for accommodations and accessibility services, as its Title VI coordinator.

As Title VI coordinator, Robinson-Perez will act as the primary point of contact for discrimination protection efforts, lead investigations into suspected bias and ensure any investigation complies with federal and state law. She will also be responsible for notifying individuals who submit a Title VI complaint of the University’s procedures and telling all BU students and faculty about the policies in place for reporting discrimination and harassment reports every academic year.

The University is currently searching for a Title VI specialist to support Robinson-Perez in her duties.

“As a person who honors our humanity, I believe we all share a social responsibility that supports and protects equity and equality,” Robinson-Perez wrote.

Robinson-Perez completed her Ph.D. in community research and action from the College of Community and Public Affairs. She spent five years as associate director of the University’s Employee Assistance Program and has been the student affairs divisional diversity officer since February 2020.

“This new law is about making sure there are clear, accountable systems in place to protect students and uphold their civil rights,” State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Every student, no matter their background, should feel safe, supported, and heard on campus, and this law brings us one step closer to that goal.”

In February, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the creation of a multi-agency task force to combat antisemitism on college campuses. It was formed days after President Donald Trump signed a directive ordering the head of each executive department and agency to create a report detailing all administrative complaints submitted against institutions of higher education “alleging civil-rights violations related to or arising from post-October 7, 2023, campus anti-Semitism.”

The Department of Education then opened Title VI investigations into five universities, including Columbia University and Northwestern University, “where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported.”

In March, the University and 59 other higher education institutions received letters [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/university-one-of-60-colleges-warned-by-education-department/163686/] from the Education Department that warned of “potential enforcement actions” if they did not adequately fulfill their obligations to protect Jewish students under Title VI. All 60 universities were under investigation for alleged antisemitic discrimination and harassment on their campuses.

The investigation at BU began in [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/u-s-education-department-opens-investigation-into-university-following-complaint-of-failing-to-respond-to-antisemitism/146557/] January 2024 after the University allegedly failed to respond to an incident of antisemitism on campus.

The University’s Title VI committee, which is mandated by SUNY, reviews discrimination cases and has procedures for complex and high-profile complaints.

Title VI does not protect students from discrimination that is solely based on religion. However, students part of a religious group that experiences discrimination based on national origin are protected by Title VI, meaning the University is responsible for addressing conduct that “may create a hostile environment,” according to Robinson-Perez.

“As our country faces increased instances of hate, particularly antisemitism, our colleges must take proactive measures to ensure everyone feels safe and welcome on campuses,” State Sen. Shelley B. Mayer, who represents parts of Westchester, said in a press release.

The University has a Religious Accommodation and Expression policy affirming its commitment to “providing a welcoming environment for all, regardless of religious affiliation or belief.” The policy protects freedom of religious speech and expression and provides for reasonable religious accommodations for students and faculty.

Hochul has also taken other steps to root out discrimination on campuses. In 2023, she created the New York State Anti-Hate in Education Center to address and eradicate any form of campus discrimination. She also directed officials to improve the state’s reporting of hate crime incidents, established a domestic terror prevention unit and conducted a review of state universities’ policies on discrimination.

“No one should fear for their safety while trying to get an education,” Hochul said in a press release. “It’s my top priority to ensure every New York student feels safe at school, and I will continue to take action against campus discrimination and use every tool at my disposal to eliminate hate and bias from our school communities.”

Japa Pallikkathayil, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, gave a presentation entitled “How to Feel About Structural Injustice” and answered questions from the audience.

“The philosophy department regularly hosts lively colloquia at which invited speakers discuss their newest, cutting-edge research on hotly debated contemporary concerns,” wrote Anja Karnein, associate professor and graduate director of philosophy, and Anthony Reeves, associate professor and chair of the philosophy department at Binghamton University, in a joint statement. “Here, faculty and students mingle and openly discuss philosophy at the highest level of the profession. The talk by Japa Pallikkathayil, Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, is a great example of this.”

At the start of the talk, Pallikkathayil provided a handout with a roadmap of her talk’s argumentative structure.

Pallikkathayil first addressed common reactions to structural injustice from a philosophical perspective, including feelings of resentment and righteous indignation. She then described a dilemma posed by David Estlund, a professor of philosophy at Brown University. According to Estlund’s theory, if structural injustice is merely bad, it would not warrant attitudes like resentment, a conclusion that is vulnerable to a “grievance challenge.”

If structural injustice is wrong only because of individual action, Estlund argues that many injustices cannot be classified as such because they are not explained solely by individual wrongdoing.

“This leaves the theorists of structural injustice with a really delicate needle to thread, right?” asked Pallikkathayil. “So they have to be able to explain why social causes matter, but in a way that doesn’t ultimately make it all about individual wrongdoing.”

The presentation then touched on how some replies to this dilemma have been inadequate. Resenting people for their contributions to structural injustice, for example, despite those people not being sole actors or the original cause of the injustice, is a situation she coined as “the mismatch problem.” Pallikkathayil continued, however, by objecting to other philosophers’ arguments, stating that they fail to seriously consider the risks involved in denying victims of structural injustice the space to grieve and react.

Pallikkathayil also argued that an important distinction exists between social structures that may be appropriately resented and those that are simply not as good as they could be. Estlund’s dilemma, she suggested, overlooks the possibility that structural injustice is neither wrong nor merely bad and it is possible to have legitimate expectations that can be disappointed.

To conclude her presentation, Pallikkathayil argued we should take an “associative perspective,” in which we can think of ourselves as participants in different kinds of associations, practices, institutions and structures.

“Insofar as these associations are not regulated by the relevant principles, they are apt targets of emotional responses — and I want to say in responses just like anger, blame and resentment,” said Pallikkathayil. “And I also want to just observe that associations might also go above and beyond what they’re required to do. So they might be the apt targets of emotional responses like gratitude.”

After a five-minute break, the audience reconvened for a Q&A session where students and faculty asked questions and critiqued parts of Pallikkathayil’s argument.

“Professor Pallikkathayil’s presentation combined two important topics: the moral demands that we can place on institutional structures, apart from the expectations that we have on individuals, and the connection between the aptness of our grievance attitudes and our attributions of agency,” Robert Guay, a professor of philosophy, wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream.

She both rejected and agreed with suggestions from audience members. Although structural injustice can call for proactive, forward-looking responses, she suggested that there is also room for simply resenting unjust events that have happened.

“Taking up the topic of structural injustice, injustice like racism or sexism that cannot be fully reduced to unjust individual actions, she argued against the recently defended view that it’s improper to feel aggrieved at certain aspects of structural injustice,” wrote Karnein and Reeves. “Roughly, if no one is to blame for some aspect of an injustice, then how can we properly feel indignant about it, even if we are its victims?”

“Often aspects of structural injustice can be explained by individuals or collectives acting wrongly, but not always,” they continued. “Against this type of sensibility, Pallikkathayil drew out the intuitive sense in which victims of structural injustice still seem properly indignant at the mere injustice: the mere fact of a failure to live up to principles of social justice is simply itself something that can be aggrieved, even if there is sometimes no agent that is the target of the specific grievance.”

The podcast, titled “The Wellness Couch Podcast,” features various guest speakers and aims to support healthy living and student wellness on campus. The first three episodes featured guests from the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, the Office for Student Transition and Success and the Dean of Students CARE Team. Students can view these 25-minute episodes, which will be put out twice a month, free of charge.

“We came up with the name ‘The Wellness Couch Podcast’ because our focus is all about wellness, and we want every listener to feel excited about being the next guest to sit on our ‘wellness couch’ and share how they’re incorporating wellness into their lives, academics, and student organizations,” wrote Chanel Jones, moderator of the podcast and mental health specialist for B-Healthy, in a statement to Pipe Dream.

B-Healthy was founded in 2012 with the goal of “making Binghamton University the healthiest campus.” According to its website, the initiative aims to foster an environment that supports the health and well-being of individuals and groups. The podcast launch follows the implementation of other B-Healthy initiatives such as Wellness Challenges, the Move Your Way program and free access to safe sex kits and menstrual products.

“Our goal is to meet students where they are, whether driving to class, hitting the gym, or walking across campus,” Jones wrote. “Wherever you are, you’ll have access to episodes that spark reflection, inspire growth, and encourage you to ask important questions about your wellbeing and your future.”

The podcast’s opening episode focused on putting “a personality” behind the University’s on-campus resources. Guest speaker Jennifer Weiss, a senior student engagement specialist at the Fleishman Center, guided students through the opportunities and resources the center provides and the benefits of understanding career options on well-being.

“This was a great platform to highlight the incredible resources and dedicated staff we have, and I would love the chance to do something like this again in the future!” Weiss told Pipe Dream in a statement.

Inspiration for the podcast came to Jones during a tabling session, where she discussed a B-Healthy project with an off-campus partner that encouraged students to journal their thoughts. The partner told Jones that her daughter records her reflections on audio rather than writing them down. She then suggested that Jones create a podcast for students.

In the second episode, mental health took center stage, with coordinators from the Office for Student Transition and Success as podcast guests. The episode focused on managing “crash outs” and ways students can manage stress and navigate their semester to get ahead of deadlines.

Looking to the future, Jones told Pipe Dream she wants to expand the listening audience and spotlight student-run organizations.

“In the coming months, we’re excited to host listening parties across campus, in the residence halls and the Union, where students can gather, enjoy snacks, listen to our newest episodes, and join in meaningful dialogue afterward,” Jones wrote. “We also plan to feature more student organizations, giving them the opportunity to share the incredible work they’re doing on campus and highlight how they are prioritizing wellness as student leaders.”

“Overall, we’re eager to see the podcast continue to grow, gain popularity, and make a lasting impact across campus,” she continued.

Through pressure from graduate student workers, new campus-based raises are expected starting January 2026. The University announced last week that the base stipend given to all doctoral students in fully funded teaching or graduate assistant programs will increase to $25,000 per academic year. Since the increase will start in the middle of the academic year, current students will receive $12,500 paid over 10 periods during the spring semester.

“A huge proportion of the work that makes institutions like BU able to function is performed by graduate students,” said Camille Gagnier, then-president of BU’s GSEU chapter and a sixth-year Ph.D. student in the Translation Research and Instruction Program, in a November 2024 statement to Pipe Dream. “And that is even more and more true over the years because as a cost-cutting measure, administrations tend to reallocate work that used to be done by tenured professors who demand higher pay. They’re moving that work and giving it instead to more precarious workers who have less power to demand fair pay.”

The new base stipend represents a $4,000 increase compared to the $21,000 base the University offered some doctoral students back in February. This will apply to both STEM and non-STEM programs, eliminating pay disparities based on field of work. Graduate and teaching assistants who are not in a doctoral program will receive a minimum of $18,000 for a full-time assistantship, beginning July 2026.

This increased baseline payment still falls short of the minimum living wage needed in Broome County, estimated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to be around $40,000 annually.

Since their previous agreement with SUNY and New York state expired in July 2023, GSEU members have met with representatives and held rallies to raise awareness of their new contract demands. In June 2025, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the ratification of an updated three-year contract that will run until July 1, 2026.

Part of the Communications Workers of America Local 1104, the GSEU is a union that has represented and negotiated wages, benefits and working conditions for graduate and teaching assistants across SUNY campuses since 1977. The new contract includes guaranteed raises for SUNY graduate workers, including a 3 percent raise for October 2023 and 2024, and an additional $1,500 signing bonus in October 2025.

Since the duration of the contract runs from July 2023 to July 2026, members who worked in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years will receive retroactive back pay for those years worked. All workers will receive the additional raise this October.

Other wins for the GSEU in the contract include expanded professional development funding and 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave. International students who must leave and renew their visas during the academic year are also guaranteed job protection for up to one semester.

“While we wanted a longer contract, we were able to trade the length of the contract for victories today,” GSEU Binghamton wrote in an email to its members back in May. “We will build on these victories in the next round of negotiations.”

The talk, titled “Gaza Beyond the Strip: Histories and Possibilities of a Middle East Borderland,” was the first in a planned three-part series to foster dialogue and discuss solutions for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The roundtable featured Dotan Halevy, a senior lecturer and assistant professor at Tel Aviv University’s Department of Middle Eastern and African History, who explored the history of Gaza from pre-1948 Mandatory Palestine to the present day.

“What is Gaza anyway, when it is not a strip?” Halevy asked the audience. “A city, a district, a geographical area? What is the natural space, if there is one, to which Gaza belongs?”

“To begin examining this, we must ask, what was Gaza before the Gaza Strip?” he continued. “That is, what was Gaza before the Palestinian Nakba of 1948, when the strip was created as an enclave containing 200,000 Palestinian refugees?

The Nakba refers to the forced displacement of Palestinians in the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Following the war, around 750,000 Palestinians were displaced from their homes and thousands were killed. Of those displaced, tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees fled to the area around the Gaza Strip, under Egyptian control at the time.

Halevy said the collective memories shared by Gazans over the past seven decades have cemented a common identity. He added that both Israelis and Palestinians could not imagine a future layout of the region without the Gaza Strip.

“The most crucial question to ask now regarding the future of Palestine and Israel is whether the destruction of Gaza and the genocide of its people will change this perception,” said Halevy. “This is a critical question for any peace-seeking human being, because even if the war stops today, the Gaza Strip on the eve of the seventh of October 2023 no longer exists, and there is no way back to it.”

Halevy highlighted the increased death toll in Gaza and the destruction of political and administrative institutions, residential buildings, agricultural areas, hospitals and water plants. On Tuesday, an independent United Nations commission released a 72-page report that concluded Israel “committed four genocidal acts” in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023.

Lior Libman, associate professor of Israeli studies and director of Binghamton University’s CIS, explained the importance of the talk series and the department’s responsibility to educate students on Israeli involvement in the region.

“The motto I picked for this series is a line from Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’ that resonates with me,” said Libman. “It says, ‘Was I sleeping when others suffered? Am I sleeping now?’ I felt that as a center that deals with Israel studies, we cannot ignore the major events that are going on in the region and what Israel is doing, and being involved in, and we have to teach our students and educate our students about the realities, the histories and the possibilities on the other side of the border.”

Since the Oct. 7 attacks, various student organizations on campus have organized in support of Israel and the Palestinian people. Last year, students set up an encampment on the Peace Quad in solidarity with Palestinians and to call on the University to divest from the defense industry.

The encampment came weeks after the Student Association passed a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions resolution calling on the University to end partnerships with Israel and divest from defense companies. The SA Congress repealed the resolution last October.

Libman said the second roundtable will feature an aid worker from Doctors Without Borders, allowing students to learn about the humanitarian crisis in the region. The third speaker is expected to feature an eyewitness voice who can provide a firsthand account of what Palestinians are experiencing.

“I wanted students to get to know Gaza,” said Libman. “To learn, to know that it has a history, that it has a story, and that it can have a future that is different than just taking it over, like some nationalists would want. And then recognize the rights, the humanity and needs of everyone between the river and the sea, Jews and Palestinians.”

Throughout October, the SA will partner with the Vice President for Student Success office, Services for Students with Disabilities and the Disabled Student Union to host events for student organizations looking to increase accessibility in email messaging. Guidelines have also been posted on the SA website under its “Accessibility in Digital Media” page.

The required accommodations include: adding alternative text to any pictures or videos attached in emails; using descriptive subject lines; maintaining “sufficient color contrast” between the text and background; using simple, accessible fonts like sans serif; using headers for longer emails; and avoiding tables. Additionally, organizations are encouraged to test their emails with a screen reader to ensure accessibility.

The SA has previously released guidance on how to create accessible social media posts by things like adding captions on videos, minimizing emoji usage or capitalizing the first letter of each word in a hashtag.

“It is important students learn how to make these adjustments and put them into standard practice, so it will be easier to pass down this knowledge and emphasis on accessibility for the greater campus community,” Janmariz Deguia, the SA’s accessibility liaison and a senior majoring in human development, wrote in an email to Pipe Dream.

The accessibility liaison operates in the Vice President for Student Success office and helps connect clubs with other accessibility resources on campus.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice finalized a law requiring all local and state governments, including public universities, to ensure their web content and mobile apps are accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act by April 2026.

From 2023 to 2024, about 2,310 Binghamton University students self-identified as having one or more disabilities, according to New York’s Department of Education. Of those students, 294 have a disability that requires them to use readers, note takers or instructional materials in an altered format.

Organizations wishing to participate in this accessibility campaign will be entered into a raffle. At the end of October, organizations will be selected and receive a $100 grant. The SA will vet all emails from those organizations sent in October to confirm that the winners followed the accessibility guidelines.

“The campaign is all about showing students how simple it is to make digital promotional materials accessible,” Kristina Donders, the current vice president for student success and a senior double-majoring in mathematics and political science, wrote in an email. “As the University works toward making all digital content accessible, the SA is committed to staying ahead of the curve and following suit.”

The SA plans to host presentations and office hours for organizations interested in learning these guidelines. These presentations will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 4 to 5 p.m. in University Union 122.

Beyond the SA, the SSD office coordinates accommodations in the classroom and around campus, working individually with students to identify their specific needs.

“Binghamton University is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring an inclusive environment for all students, including those with digital accessibility needs and/or disabilities,” wrote Christen Szymanski, the director of SSD. “For the past two years, SSD and the SA have partnered to raise accessibility awareness, and I am thrilled to see this continue.”

Held on Thursday, the panel, “The Unexpected Gift of Conflict: How Intergenerational Trust Powers Transformative Change,” centered around the potential for intergenerational cooperation to transform conflict into opportunities for change. It was the first of three public presentations that I-GMAP plans to host as part of its visiting practitioner program, where atrocity prevention practitioners visit the Greater Binghamton area for one week and engage with students, faculty and the local community.

Prelis is the director of children and youth programs at Search for Common Ground, an international conflict transformation organization. He has 25 years of experience in leading global efforts to build intergenerational collaboration and trust in over 35 countries, successfully co-leading advocacy for three United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for youth needs to be centered in conflict mitigation. In 2017, he received the Luxembourg Peace Prize for Outstanding Peace Support for his work.

“Young people, people in their teens and twenties, play a really key role in promoting human rights and in building more peaceful, more just societies around the world,” Kerry Whigham, founding co-director of I-GMAP and an associate professor of public administration, said. “And that’s a really important message for our students to hear, especially because it shows that all over the world, young people and students have been key in transforming societies and making them more just and more peaceful. Hopefully that’s something that can inspire students today, when we’re living through some really difficult moments nationally, but also globally, when it comes to human rights protections.”

The panel began with a land acknowledgement honoring the Oneida and Onondaga nations. Prelis then opened the talk by discussing his upbringing in Sri Lanka, a country that suffered through civil war from 1983 to 2009.

During this time, Prelis explained that he witnessed both the horrific atrocities and courageous acts humans carry out during conflict. He described watching one of his friends be killed during the conflict, which led him to choose not to avenge his murder. These experiences led Prelis to become an advocate for conflict resolution.

Prelis highlighted the importance of viewing conflict beyond the surface level to grow, reflecting on how it can be an “unexpected gift.”

“If you only see the conflict as an ugly thing that is dangerous and bad, then you’re only going to see more bad things,” Prelis said. “But if you see the silver lining in it, no matter how ugly it might be, then we are able to also see through these processes and see the possibilities as well.”

Prelis also compared conflict to a controlled fire that can awaken individuals and prompt them to focus on crucial societal issues. When conflict turns violent, however, it can spiral and become detrimental to society.

During the talk, Prelis listed areas where the median age of the population was younger than 20, like Sub-Saharan Africa, where the median age is 19, and the Sahel region of Africa, where the median is 15, both as of 2023. He then highlighted a large gap between these medians and representation in government, saying that only 2.7 percent of government officials worldwide are under 30. This can create discrepancies in perspectives between the population and the government, he said.

Prelis explained the importance of interconnectedness, arguing that youth voices can be built in a network with other aspects of society. Despite their differences, all people across different demographics and age groups desire an improved society and can work together with a shift in understanding, Prelis said, and that these coalitions will grow stronger as trust is built over time.

When asked by Pipe Dream how young people can implement these ideas into the local community, Prelis outlined four things for students to keep in mind: they should highlight the youth aspect of the issue; welcome discussions with older generations; recognize that change and trust building do not occur overnight; and the importance of laying the groundwork for change.

“The door you open today, more people will come and continue to open and widen [the door] and open the windows in the room for more people to benefit from it,” Prelis said. “Your legacy is making sure the door is open for the others to come after you.”

The 2025 edition of the list places the University at No. 24. College rankings are based on a variety of metrics, including alumni salary and hiring after graduation, financial success, academic outcomes for students, retention rate and return on investment for students. The same criteria are used by Forbes to create its list of the top 500 colleges in the United States, where BU placed at No. 68 in its annual ranking.

“As the flagship public university in our region, we are proud of this acknowledgement to continue raising our standards, deepening our impact, and offering transformative experiences through education — resulting in alumni who go out into the world and create positive change,” said University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Hall in a statement.

The University was ranked No. 4 in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 list of best-value public universities, a rating determined by four indicators: academic quality, the number of full-time students that receive need-based aid, full-time students receiving aid without obligations to repay and the average discount from the school’s baseline price. Forbes also named BU a Top 10 “Public Ivy” in 2024 and was named an R1 “very high research” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education in 2018, a title held by less than 200 schools nationwide.

The new ranking comes as the University reported receiving a record-breaking 74,725 applicants for the fall 2025 semester, a 15.5 percent increase from last year’s total admissions cycle. Out of 61,200 total first-year undergraduate applicants, over 3,160 freshmen enrolled in classes this semester. There were also 4,575 transfer applications, a 12.1 percent increase from last year, with about 14 percent of enrolled transfer students previously attending SUNY Broome Community College.

“As a transfer student, you hope you’re making the right decision and seeing Binghamton recognized as one of the top 25 schools really affirms that choice,” said Zunairah Masud, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience. “It feels inspiring to be surrounded by students and faculty who are committed to high academic excellence, and it pushes me to hold myself to the same standard.”

Top state universities across the country have faced funding cuts and investigations by the Trump administration. James Ryan, former president of the University of Virginia, stepped down in June amid pressure from the federal government over UVA’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies. The Trump administration has also withheld $584 million in research grants from the University of California-Los Angeles over allegations of antisemitism and allowing transgender athletes to compete in sports.

Despite expected challenges, Forbes said students attend public universities for their Division I sports, large campuses, wide selection of programs and alumni connections. BU recently broke ground on a $5.6 million track and field complex and continues to host D1 programs that attract student athletes and sports fans. The University also has plans to expand on-campus housing by building a new 350-bed residence hall. Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges list recognized BU for its research, specifically in the fields of clean energy and battery technology.

“Being singled out in this elite group highlights the hard work of our faculty, the drive of our students and the support of all our alumni,” said University President Harvey Stenger in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Binghamton University has a truly unique role in advancing opportunity and education in New York state, and we’re proud to be on the forefront.”

Launched in 2013, the Road Map initiative aimed to grow the University’s “faculty and staff, increase enrollment and expand the University’s capacity for research and industry partnerships.” The Road Map initiative created six goals that Stenger wanted the University to meet in the coming years: engaging in creative activities; providing a “transformative learning community;” building an inclusive campus; promoting community engagement; strategically investing resources; and boosting internationalization.

Interns were also hired to assist in meeting these objectives. Starting in 2012 with just four interns, the initiative grew into a two-credit program in 2015, sponsored by the Career Development Center Internship Program. Since then, interns have dedicated hours each week to researching new campus initiatives.

The interns have made their mark on campus over the years through their ideas, from having freshmen take the B-Photo at the Bearcat Sports Complex’s practice field to unveiling a binturong statue in the Admissions Center.

“I think the Road Map’s greatest success was how much student interns contributed to its work,” Stenger told Pipe Dream in a statement. “Their ideas were highly valued and drove much of what the Road Map did in making Binghamton University bigger and better.”

In the final program report released in August, Stenger credited the work of students, faculty, staff and community as playing an important role in helping the University achieve successes under his administration, including record-high applications and enrollment rates.

Mackenzie Cooper ‘25, a former Road Map internship coordinator and a first-year graduate student studying public administration, said the program “brought a new prestige” to the University and “helped enhance the Binghamton name.”

Cooper said her favorite memory of the internship program was unveiling the bearcat statue in the Admissions Center. The statue, nicknamed “Bingturong,” was proposed by former Road Map interns Nora Monasheri ’23 MBA ’24, Mia Raskin ’23 MBA ’24 and Daniel Chavarria ‘24 to commemorate 25 years of BU’s current mascot.

“We have such an amazing school, but sometimes we lack appreciation for that,” Cooper told BingUNews at the time. “With this bearcat statue, we want to get everyone excited — maybe high-five the binturong for good luck on the way to class.”

Road Map interns also helped implement a Plan B vending machine in the Glenn G. Bartle Library basement. Working with a coalition of campus leaders, the interns helped conduct student surveys, prepare presentations and coordinate with outside organizations to bring the project to reality.

“The Road Map provided a venue for many members of the University community to deliberate on strategies for the University’s future and address developing challenges while keeping Binghamton’s mission and its most cherished values at the forefront of those discussions,” said Donald Hall, the University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Stenger said that ending the program was a “necessary step” to allow BU’s next president, Anne D’Alleva, to forge her own vision for the campus community.

In the final report, Stenger analyzed the extent to which the program had met its goals over the years.

“To all those who were ever part of the Road Map, thank you for making Binghamton bigger and better without losing sight of what makes this such a special place,” read a statement from Stenger posted on the program’s website. “As the Road Map ends, know that we have reached our destination.”

The Red Zone begins at the start of the fall semester and lasts until Thanksgiving, a time when new students might be unfamiliar with their university campus and other students. More than half of sexual assaults on college campuses occur during this time.

From Tuesday to Thursday, the Feminist Collective, which advocates for intersectional feminism and the rights of marginalized groups, held a chalking event on the Spine, an informational presentation and a showing of the movie “The Hunting Ground” to raise awareness of on-campus sexual assault.

“I don’t think there’s enough spaces for people to comfortably talk about activism, especially to the extent that we engage in it,” Olivia Rutherford, the Feminist Collective’s co-public relations chair and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said in an interview. “It can be difficult to find spaces, even among friends, classmates, coworkers, to discuss activism and feminism and engage in that kind of rhetoric with other people who are also passionate about it.”

The events focused on sharing stories from sexual assault survivors and important statistics about sexual violence on college campuses in the United States. According to the American Psychological Association, up to 25 percent of female college students have reported being a victim of sexual assault, with women in their first year of college facing the highest risk of being assaulted compared to other college students.

“For us here, the main specific changes we’re advocating for is increasing knowledge of comprehensive sexual assault,” Gillian Rohde, president of the Feminist Collective and a senior majoring in biology, told Pipe Dream. “What is consent? What is coercion? What counts as rape?”

On Tuesday, students chalked a variety of messages across the Spine, including contact numbers for resources that are available both on and off campus. The University’s Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center, located on the third floor of Old Johnson Hall, offers both private and confidential services for students, including meetings with a sexual assault advocate, deputy Title IX coordinator and bystander training coordinator. The Crime Victims Assistance Center, a local resource assisting all victims of crime, recently hired a new campus advocate coordinator [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/crime-victims-assistance-center-hires-new-campus-advocate-coordinator/168900/] to help student victims of sexual violence, stalking, harassment, domestic violence and other crimes.

The next day, an educational forum was held for students to learn about sexual violence risk in college, particularly at events hosted by fraternities. Rohde spoke about an Instagram page known as @shareyourstorybing, which shares the stories of students who survived sexual violence at Binghamton University from 2019 to 2022. The account references faculty members, resident directors, student assistants and 26 fraternities that are still present on campus.

According to the University’s annual security and fire report, there were 14 rapes and 17 reported incidents of fondling on campus in 2024.

“However, we have to remember that 80 to 90 percent of rapes are actually not reported to the police,” Rohde told Pipe Dream. “So let’s say these round out to about 10. There were probably 100 that actually did occur.”

“But I would again hold that up higher, considering the fact that we have 20,000 students at this university, and we’re supposed to believe that only 15 to 100 were sexually assaulted here?” she continued. “I don’t believe that.”

On Thursday, the Feminist Collective hosted a screening of “The Hunting Ground,” a 2015 documentary that focuses on the experiences of survivors who attended schools like Harvard University, Florida State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The film also highlighted the lack of action taken by college administrators and the police in response to reported assaults.

When asked if she had any advice for new students, Rohde highlighted the importance of partying safely and suggested that students research the groups that host parties and events on weekends.

“The school has a list of banned fraternities and sororities that operate,” Rohde said. “However, you must look for that list yourself, and it is updated every semester. So the most recent one is for spring 2025 and on the school website, under fraternities and sororities, on the ‘For Parents’ section, they list all of the banned fraternities and sororities.”

“So when you get those little slips of paper under your door, definitely double check where you’re going and always go with friends,” she added.

The company offers a variety of services, including video surveillance and new control systems, that clients can use on a single platform. Notable entities that use Genetec services include Heathrow Airport in London and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

By adapting the Genetec Security Center platform, the University will integrate data from its 1,635 surveillance cameras and over 4,800 access control readers into one system. A case study produced by Genetec found that the University possessed a “fragmented legacy tech stack” that did not allow communication between video management and access control systems.

“Intrusion detection, panic buttons, and mass notification systems were also siloed and disconnected,” the case study continued. “As a result, the university’s IT and security teams struggled with disconnected data, security gaps, and time-consuming manual workarounds.”

The platform includes Omnicast, a dynamic video surveillance interface allowing for improved incident response; Synergis, a systems operator for better controlled access to certain locations; Sipelia, a streamlined communications tool; Genetec Clearance, a management system for digital footage and other evidence; and AutoVu automatic license plate recognition. Other higher education institutions also employ Genetec services — Cornell University uses the AutoVu license plate software, while both Texas A&M and Brigham Young University operate their security systems with Genetec Security Center.

Managing unexpected large gatherings is also cited in the case study as a reason for adopting enhanced surveillance tools.

“Planned gatherings are welcomed,” Dave Martin, assistant director of security infrastructure and support at the University, said in the case study. “But the unplanned ones can sometimes get out of hand. Now, if a group hits a certain size, the video analytics tools preemptively alert us. We can confirm whether or not the situation is a permitted activity or needs to be addressed.”

The University released a B-Line Addition on Aug. 21, warning students against disruptive protests, camping on campus and using chalk or putting up posters without following University guidelines. The statement, signed by several administrative officials, said that civil dialogue workshops and planned conversations with “Student Dialogue Ambassadors” will help facilitate productive discussion around “controversial ideas within the boundaries of our policies.”

“Without the right to express ideas — especially controversial ideas — education and discovery are limited; dialogue is restricted and our capacity to educate engaged citizens is compromised,” the statement read. “For those reasons and our obligations as a public university to respect the First Amendment, we place a high value on freedom of expression, association and assembly.”

“No right, however, is absolute,” it continued. “Binghamton will not permit protest and expression that disrupts the University’s academic mission, interferes with the free expression of others or threatens members of the campus community or campus property.”

The debate around the parameters of protesting on college campuses has grown in recent years as students publicly demonstrate against the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In May 2024, students established an encampment on the Peace Quad to stand in solidarity with Palestinians and call on BU to divest from the defense industry. The Trump administration has launched investigations into students at schools like Columbia University for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

“As the Trump administration attempts to attack the First Amendment and scale up the U.S. government’s surveillance apparatus, we are dismayed at our university’s actions to scale up its own surveillance,” wrote Binghamton’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America in a statement to Pipe Dream. “Students deserve to live in safety. This means protecting our campus, but it also means a right to assemble and not be surveilled as though we are not welcome.”

“Students, faculty, and the university community will, of course, continue to protest against Trump and for Palestinian liberation and free speech in higher education,” the statement continued

Ariel Hochman ‘24 MPA ‘25 told Pipe Dream that she became involved with the center after she lost a family member due to domestic violence. As a graduate student wanting to serve the campus community, she interned for Binghamton University’s Healthy Campus Initiative, which provides resources to support all dimensions of student health. Building on her campus involvement, Hochman said her new position at the center fits “right in like a puzzle piece.”

As campus advocate coordinator, Hochman is available Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the University’s Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center, located on the third floor of Old Johnson Hall. Alongside the campus advocate coordinator representing CVAC, VARCC offers private and confidential services for victims of sexual violence, including a sexual assault advocate, trauma recovery and reporting assistance.

Unlike private resource providers, who are mandated reporters for sexual violence, domestic abuse and stalking, Hochman’s service is confidential, so she is not required to report information students tell her unless someone plans to harm themself or others.

“If they’re coming to me just to tell me about crime that they’ve experienced and the trauma they may have gone through, I’m there to support them in that, and I’m there to also walk them through what avenues, what paths they may want to go down — whether that’s going to be going to Title IX at the University, going to the University police, going into the community and getting resources out of there,” Hochman said. “I can help be that guide for them and explain to them what their resources could be in the near future.”

Students seeking support during a medical or legal appointment can ask Hochman to accompany them to the hospital or court as an advocate.

CVAC offers resources to victims and survivors of all crimes, including sexual violence, stalking, harassment and domestic violence. Much of its funding comes from New York’s 2015 Enough is Enough law, which requires all colleges and universities in the state to adopt a uniform definition of affirmative consent and conduct campus climate surveys gauging student awareness of resources available to survivors of interpersonal violence.

The program helps fund 52 rape crisis programs in the state “to help provide services to student survivors of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking,” according to New York’s Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Additional funding comes from other sources, including the Office of Victim Services, which provides resources to crime victims and their relatives.

The center also provides custom training for faculty and staff on topics like relevant law and what to do if a victim comes forward seeking help.

In 2019, a survey conducted by the Association of American Universities found that 13 percent of students experienced “nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or inability to consent.” Female and transgender, genderqueer, nonbinary or otherwise gender nonconforming individuals experienced the highest rates of harassment, intimate partner violence and stalking.

In the study, less than a third of women who reported sexual assault connected with a supportive program. When asked why they did not reach out, 15.9 percent of those women said they felt “embarrassed, ashamed or that it would be too emotionally difficult to seek assistance.”

“I think that there’s a huge stigma around victimization in general because nobody feels like it’s going to happen to them until it does, and then when it does, a lot of victims may feel a lot of shame around what has happened to them,” Hochman said. “They’ll go down a rabbit hole mentally about what they could have done differently and how they’re going to proceed in the future and all of these different things.”

“Every victim has their own story and their own method of healing from that,” she continued. “And so part of my role is to guide them through that healing as well.”

Other spaces offering confidential resources include the University Counseling Center, the Student Association’s Title IX Peer Advisors and the Decker Student Health Services Center.

For students looking to get involved, CVAC offers internships and volunteer opportunities where participants are trained in crisis counseling and provide administrative assistance.

“The University is fortunate to have the collaboration and support of such well-trained advocates as those working for CVAC and our students,” Beth Riley, assistant dean for early intervention and crisis management at the University, wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream.

The new updates include extended hours at the College-in-the-Woods Dining Hall, online nutrition facts for all dining hall foods, local food vendors available at Nite Owl and new food truck options on campus.

The dining hall, previously open Monday through Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Fridays until 1:30 p.m., has expanded its hours to include a brunch option on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This update follows repeated student requests, allowing College-in-the-Woods residents to eat closer to their dorms on weekends.

“It’s great that CIW is expanding to weekend hours because as a previous CIW resident it was annoying to have to walk to Mountainview or C4 in the morning on the weekends,” wrote Ella Sperry, a junior majoring in economics.

The University also announced it has discontinued the BUC$ program, an optional service allowing prepaid funds to be added to a student ID card for use at locations like the University Bookstore, the Food Co-op and all campus dining locations (3). The BUDS website claims that this change will allow for a “transition to more modern, flexible, and widely used payment options across campus.”

BUDS will also provide nutrition facts for each food item served at the dining halls on their website, allowing students to make more informed choices about their diets. New options at food trucks on campus and local food vendor features at Nite Owl will also be unveiled in the coming weeks.

“BUDS values feedback and works continuously/throughout the year with students and administration to make campus dining more convenient, inclusive, nutritious, tasty and engaging for the entire community,” Lori Benson, the director of marketing for BUDS, wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream.

Students have previously voiced their frustration at the state of campus dining. In March, the Young Democratic Socialists of America hosted a town hall for students to come together and share their grievances against BUDS and Sodexo, the company that operates the University’s dining services. Sodexo’s current contract with BU, signed in 2015, is set to expire this year.

Despite the new updates, some students do not believe these changes made by BUDS adequately address their concerns. In their petition last semester, the YDSA focused its attention on four main areas — meal plan reform, health and safety precautions, dietary accommodations and worker rights/dignity.

In a March Instagram post, the YDSA further described their demands, like the introduction of a meal swipe plan instead of using dining dollars, levying penalties on food providers when health standards are not met, expanding kosher and halal options and increasing pay for dining hall workers. The YDSA claimed more than half of all students who answered their survey became sick from the dining hall food and that about 61 percent have run out of funds in their meal plans.

“Sodexo claims that ‘Binghamton students asked and BUDS delivered,’” wrote the YDSA in a statement to Pipe Dream. “That is not the case. While we appreciate the Sodexo’s response to our pressure campaign with the addition of nutritional facts, the other changes — a new pickup app and three hours of CIW weekend dining — do nothing to meaningfully address student concerns that center affordability, variety, and quality because it would mean Sodexo would have to deliver for students, not its shareholders.”

The Student Association unanimously passed a resolution last year calling for expanded kosher, halal and vegetarian options on campus and improved student access to inclusive dining. The legislation cited the importance of accessible food options for students of all religious and dietary needs.

BUDS and Sodexo have yet to expand these options, as kosher and halal food are only available for limited lunch and dinner hours at C4.

“The administration has not delivered on providing dining that students can afford through the implementation of a meal swipe program and the elimination of the $4,220 yearly membership fee,” the statement continued. “They have not delivered in providing more dietary accommodations for our kosher, halal, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free students. They have not delivered in supporting our hardworking dining hall employees by condemning Sodexo’s union-busting of student workers and demanding higher pay and better benefits. They have not even delivered on making the food safe to eat with numerous critical health violations at our dining halls.”

“The student body is not asking: we demand better dining on campus,” it concluded.

The Student Power Coalition, now composed of 13 organizations, was formed last year out of collaborative activist work done by several organizations protesting Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip after Oct. 7, 2023. Led by BU’s chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, the coalition was founded on four major principles — campus democracy, anti-Zionism, antimilitarism and antiracism.

“Defending and expanding student democracy” is the coalition’s chief objective for the new academic year, the group’s chairperson wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream.

“Democracy is under attack by the American government, by our University administration, and by our previous Student Congress,” the statement read. “To this end, Student Power will fight for the will of students, inside and outside of the Student Association: divestment from genocide, the military-industrial complex, and Sodexo; expansion of DEI programs; and protection for protestors and international students.”

Many of the coalition’s members, including Binghamton’s Students for Justice in Palestine, the Latin American Student Union, the Abortion Advocacy Coalition, the Disabled Student Union, the Muslim Student Association, the Yiddish Bund of Binghamton, the Henna Club and the Feminist Collective, also joined together [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/campus-news/divest-from-death-coalition-backs-pro-bds-resolution/152013/] last year urging the SA to adopt a Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions resolution calling on the University to end partnerships with and divest funding from Israel and defense companies.

After a tense, nearly five-hour long meeting [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/bds-resolution-passes/152111/] in April 2024, the SA Congress passed the resolution with 14 representatives voting in favor, 11 voting against, two abstaining and one vote deemed invalid. The resolution also directed the SA to deem Israel’s military actions in Gaza as a genocide and Israel as an apartheid state.

Two weeks later, the SA Judicial Board struck down parts of the resolution because it determined that three clauses violated the SA Constitution.

In October, the SA Congress reversed course and repealed the BDS resolution. At the same meeting, the body also passed two other notable resolutions — the first prohibits SA chartered organizations from working with Binghamton Solidarity for Palestine, BinghamtonBDS and SUNY BDS, while the second expressed support for passing a state law to “prohibit the use of hoods, masks, and other facial coverings to conceal identity during lawful and unlawful assemblies or riots.”

The SA E-Board vetoed both measures the following week.

That same day, YDSA, LASU, SJP and the Disabled Student Union joined SHADES Binghamton in posting a statement on Instagram commending the SA E-Board for vetoing the resolutions, writing that “our pressure on administration made a difference” and that student outcry against the measures “made it untenable for the Student Association to continue with these unpopular policies.”

The Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society and the Powerful United Ladies Striving to Elevate also released statements opposing the resolutions. Both organizations are part of the Student Power Coalition.

During last year’s tumultuous SA elections cycle, the coalition made endorsements in two races. The coalition backed incumbent McKenzie Skrastins for SA president, now a senior majoring in mathematics, for reelection against opponent Joseph Kornblum, a senior majoring in business administration. In the race for BU Council Representative, the coalition endorsed Irene Cui, now a junior majoring in economics, to unseat Mackenzie Cooper, the incumbent and a first-year graduate student studying public administration.

“Exercising student voices is vital because each time they are heard, our campus community grows stronger,” Skrastins wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “As SA President, my goal is to be a resource for all student groups, meeting their needs in whatever capacity possible. I am here to listen and assist any student or organization that reaches out to me.”

Cui won her race against Cooper by just 36 votes out of 2,686 total ballots cast, while Skrastins defeated Kornblum by a larger 520 vote margin.

“In today’s climate, strengthening student democracy is more important than ever,” Cui wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “I value the role that student organizations play in fostering dialogue, advocacy, and community on campus. I’m committed to working with all groups of students at BU to ensure their voices are heard and represented.”

Last week, Student Power began encouraging students interested in running for SA Congress to fill out a Google Form to get connected. On Instagram, the coalition criticized last year’s body for “trying to ban masks at protests, attempting to overturn a student election, and upholding support for Israel’s genocide.”

The coalition plans on endorsing student candidates running for SA Congress this year.

Student Power hosted a general interest meeting last Thursday for students interested in joining one of the organizations. Attendees also met and greeted each other while decorating cupcakes.

“The strength of students lies in their numbers,” wrote the chair of Student Power. “The university can expel one student or ban one group.”

“When our disparate organizations act separately towards singular concessions, we achieve nothing,” they continued. “Only when students act together can our goals be realized.”

The grants are aimed at supporting novel research in areas related to psychology, biomedical and industrial engineering, computing, physics and systems science. These awards are given to academic researchers early in their careers who demonstrate potential in leading groundbreaking research to advance their department’s mission.

The winners include Ana Laura Elías Arriaga, assistant professor of physics; Jia Deng, associate professor of systems science and industrial engineering; Fuda Ning, assistant SSIE professor; Yincheng Jin, assistant professor of computing; Sung-Joo Lim, assistant professor of psychology; and Qianbin Wang, assistant professor of biomedical engineering.

“Binghamton University is fortunate to add six new faculty members to a long list of those who have previously won NSF CAREER Awards,” said Donald Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, in a statement to BingUNews. “This award routinely recognizes brilliant and hard-working faculty members who grow to become internationally respected leaders in their fields.”

“These six individuals are going to make our world a better place through their research and scholarship,” he continued.

University faculty received more NSF CAREER Awards this year than any other SUNY school. This recent set of award winners each received between $580,000 and $815,000 to further their research.

“I am excited to investigate the environmental and neural factors that support efficient learning, particularly in the challenging area of perceptual skill learning in adults,” Lim wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “By examining how adults acquire complex non-speech and foreign speech sounds, I hope to gain deeper insights about brain plasticity while working more closely with the community that may benefit from this research.”

Jin plans to work alongside the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities and learners of American Sign Language to develop an ASL training platform that incorporates artificial intelligence and wearable devices. He hopes his project will create valuable datasets that can be used in future research on human-computer exchanges.

Within the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, Deng and Ning will use their grants to advance the technology industry. Deng aims to explore probe-based nanomanufacturing to improve the performance of electronics, while Ning’s research will focus on improving 3D printing, which can benefit industries ranging from medicine to astronomy.

“This is not just my personal effort,” Ning said in a statement to BingUNews. “The SSIE School’s support, collaborations and, of course, my students’ hard work also made this award happen.”

Elías Arriaga was awarded an NSF CAREER Award to build on her “one-pot synthesis” method, a technique that stacks ultra-thin materials with layers of different atoms to develop new properties. This building process can be used to create microchips and improve clean energy technology, among other implementations. Elías Arriaga also designed educational modules for the Physics Outreach Project, which can introduce physics and science to hundreds of K-5 students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

Finally, Wang, who came to the University in 2023, will use his funding to explore causes of glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease and the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.

“Currently, we are at a point where materials science, neural engineering and AI can work together to make a real breakthrough,” Wang said in a BingUNews feature. “I think my role is just to build some bridges between these fields. Then, we can make better tools, either for the early detection of glaucoma or some kind of treatment.”

News of these project grants comes as the Trump administration proposed significant cuts in federal funding for many areas of scientific research. New grant funding this year is at its lowest since at least 1990, (2) per reporting from The New York Times. Early-career researchers, in particular, often rely on grant funding to obtain tenure and continue their line of study.

“The NSF CAREER Awards are an incredibly prestigious honor and distinction for early-career faculty,” said University President Harvey Stenger in a statement to BingUNews. “To have six faculty members receive these awards should instill the entire University community with a great deal of pride.”

“I am impressed by the range and the scope of their work, which is undoubtedly going to continue to inspire their peers, our students and Binghamton’s alumni,” he continued.

Joined by friends and family at the Osterhout Concert Theater in the Anderson Center, 74 students crossed the stage to receive their white coats. The ceremony began with a welcome from Pharmacy School Dean Dr. Kanneboyina Nagaraju, University President Harvey G. Stenger and Donald Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

“You are embarking on an exciting path,” Dr. Nagaraju said. “We pledge to educate and prepare you to become person-centered pharmacists who will practice at the top of your license.”

First opened in 2017, the School of Pharmacy last year had 257 Doctor of Pharmacy students and around 25 master’s and Ph.D. students, who take classes in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences located on the University’s Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City. The Saturday ceremony inaugurated the ninth class of students into the program.

Dr. Philip Hritcko, dean of the University of Connecticut’s School of Pharmacy, delivered the ceremony’s keynote address.

“This is not just a professional occasion, it’s really a homecoming,” said Hritcko, an Endicott native and graduate of Union-Endicott High School.
He said both he and his wife, Lorraine Hritcko MBA ‘86, who also grew up in Endicott, have strong roots in the Triple Cities area and reminded students of their role as the next generation of healthcare professionals.

“The white coat you receive today is more than just a garment,” said Hritcko. “It’s a symbol of trust. It represents compassion, service, integrity and a lifelong commitment to learning.”

Hritcko also discussed his work with incoming BU president Anne D’Alleva, the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at UConn. The SUNY Board of Trustees last Tuesday voted to confirm D’Alleva to lead the University over 10 months after Stenger announced his intent to step down.

“She is probably the best boss I’ve ever had in my life,” Hritcko said. “So I’m a little mad that you recruited her away from UConn, but on the same token, I’m so happy for Anne. She will do a wonderful job here at Binghamton University, and I know she will continue the great legacy that President Stenger has already created here, and it will continue to blossom.”

After the keynote speech, James “JJ” Brice, the pharmacy school’s director of student affairs, presented white coats to each student. As they crossed the stage, Dr. Erin Pauling and Dr. Anthony Hopkins, both professors of pharmacy practice, coated each of the students.

Following the coat presentation, Brice guided students in passing the light of knowledge, a ceremony where students held candles and spread the light among each other down all of the rows.

Before the ceremony ended, students recited the Oath of a Pharmacist, a key tradition that symbolizes a student’s committed devotion to service through pharmacy science. Students pledge to protect personal health information, advocate for improved patient care and hold themselves to high ethical standards, among other pillars of pharmaceutical sciences.

Afterward, the newly inducted members gathered outside the Anderson Center for a class photo. Family and friends flooded the center with bouquets before heading to a reception at the Pharmacy School.

“I think it sets a great tone for the students and proactively celebrates what will be their accomplishments in four years,” said Keisha Wisdom, whose son, Nicholas, received his white coat.

“It’s very exciting for us as a family investing in Nicholas’ education to know that he has a place that’s specific to his learning, that allows for research. And so even as a student, he will have the opportunity to influence the future,” Wisdom continued.

Wisdom, a nurse, comes from a family of healthcare professionals. Her mother and daughter are also nurses, so she said her son is continuing a family tradition of working as healthcare professionals.

Julia Baisley, a first-year student pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, said she is looking forward to working with her peers in the program.

“I think Binghamton is really focused on community, and I can really appreciate team-based learning, and I really like having that tight-knit friendship with my peers,” Baisley said. “Coming from a small school to here is a bit overwhelming, but I feel like this is a good community for that adjustment.”

According to Facilities Management, the University has made progress on several construction projects, like clearing the site for a new lecture hall located across from the Academic Complex, building an addition to the East Gym and constructing new residence halls. Other projects, like installing a new turf field at Mountainview College and renovating chemistry teaching labs in Science 2, were completed over the summer.

The University began construction to improve and expand residential living for students on campus. Oneida Hall, a residential dorm building that housed first-year students in College-in-the-Woods, was shut down over the summer and will undergo renovations to remove asbestos and install new flooring, ceilings and bathrooms. Construction is expected to be complete by the fall of 2026.

A new residential hall will also be built between Mountainview College and College-in-the-Woods. Expected to house about 350 students, the project is slated to be completed by the summer of 2027.

These projects come as the University saw a record-breaking 74,725 students apply this year.

“As student needs have evolved over the years, so have the residence halls we have constructed,” Casey Wall, the director of Residential Life & Housing at BU, wrote to Pipe Dream. “This new residence hall will provide suite style housing, much like Mountainview College, while providing more single room options.”

“There will be a good amount of social space, in addition to study space,” Wall continued.

Renovations at the East Gym also made significant progress over the summer, with completion expected next fall. The 75,000-square-foot addition will include an expanded fitness center, three gym courts and an elevated running track.

Closer to the heart of campus, construction work continues at the Plaza Deck between the Glenn G. Bartle Library and the Engineering Building to expand seating areas and improve walkways. The old Chenango Room also remains under construction. Expected to be finished in 2026, the new building will include a Panera Bread, a second story addition and an event space with outdoor seating.

“We’re looking forward to having the current Plaza Deck paver project wrapped up in a couple of months and two other large projects, the Chenango Room Addition and the East Gym Addition, within a year,” wrote Karen Fennie, the communications director for Facilities Management.

Some students have expressed frustration at the extensive construction across campus.

“I’m excited that Binghamton is making improvements to campus, but it’s tough to feel grateful knowing that the work won’t even be done by the time I graduate,” said Sara Roger-Gordon, a junior double-majoring in English and philosophy, politics and law. “It just feels a bit unfair that the memories I’ll have of campus will be accompanied by loud and ugly construction, and only future students will be the ones to reap the benefits of this work.”

Other changes completed before the semester began include updated showers and countertops in the Hillside Community and new planting installations in the Memorial Courtyard.

“Construction is never fun, but we strive to take care of critical maintenance, as is the case with the Plaza Deck project, while fulfilling programmatic/academic needs with projects such as the East Gym project and the new Lecture Hall,” Fennie concluded.

By downloading Grubhub and linking their student account, BU students can place mobile orders at the MarketPlace, the John Arthur Café Presents: Einstein Bros. Bagels, the Hungry Bearcat, Garbanzo and the Library Tower Café. The service does not currently include food from the dining halls.

“BUDS is thrilled to have Grubhub as our new mobile ordering app!” Lori Benson, the BUDS director of marketing, wrote to Pipe Dream. “Students can skip the line and order ahead and it’s easy to link your meal plan to your account. Promotions and discounts will be available throughout the year.”

The initiative comes one year after Grubhub expanded its campus dining program to over 360 universities nationwide, including other public education institutions like the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Tampa and the University of Missouri. BU students are now part of over 4.5 million students who can use this mobile ordering option.

The average young adult orders meals through a food delivery app about twice per week, according to research published in the Journal of Community Health. High app usage may be especially common among full-time college students.

Grubhub Campus Dining claims to offer greater flexibility in how students utilize their meal plans, which makes it easier for students to obtain food while navigating busy schedules and high stress.

After connecting their student card in the app, University students are eligible for Grubhub+ Student for free until they graduate. This offer includes no delivery fees on eligible off-campus orders, lower service fees and the ability to earn 5 percent credit back on some eligible orders.

Several other changes to campus dining have also been made by BUDS, including a wider range of menu options at sit-down dining locations and food trucks. Operating hours at College-in-the-Woods Dining Hall have also been expanded to 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Local food vendors will be featured by BUDS this semester during Nite Owl hours at both Appalachian Dining Hall and Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center.

Additionally, students can now view nutritional content for meals offered at each dining hall.

“These fresh and new updates create a dining experience that is flexible, inclusive and exciting,” said Benson in a statement on the BUDS website. “Students will have access to great food and memorable experiences that connect our campus community.”

Out of 61,200 total first-year undergraduate applicants, over 3,160 freshmen enrolled in classes this semester. This marked a 15.5 percent increase from last year’s 53,001 applications. The University also received 4,575 transfer applications, a 12.1 percent increase from last year, and over 8,950 graduate applications, with 850 transfer students and 1,300 graduate students enrolling. About 14 percent of enrolled transfer students previously attended Broome Community College.

“Another record-breaking year of applications makes it clear that the University is growing its reputation as a desirable destination for incoming students,” President Harvey Stenger said in a statement to BingUNews. “Binghamton’s commitment to academic excellence, its ability to prepare students for graduate school and careers, and the quality of its physical facilities have made the University one of the premier public institutions in the nation.”

Around 550 new international students from over 50 countries also enrolled this fall, with the majority of students likely coming from India, China, Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea.

The increase in applications is part of a nationwide trend of more students applying to college. In the 2024-25 application cycle, first-year student applications across the United States increased by 5 percent compared to the 2023-24 cycle, according to Common App data. Students from first-generation, low-income and underrepresented backgrounds are among the fastest-growing college demographics nationwide.

“Binghamton University has so much to offer to today’s college students, and it’s no surprise to see continuous growth in the number of students who choose to apply,” said Donald Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, in a BingUNews statement.

Lily Scott, a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she applied to the University because of its affordability, strong academics and dynamic social life. Scott said that by December 2024, she had decided to enroll if she was accepted.

“My main factor was cost,” Scott said. “I obviously wanted to go to college, but college can be so expensive, especially now and Binghamton was very affordable. It was a good mix of everything — it had the affordability and all the upsides of a public school, but it also had really good academics, really good social life, everyone here is really open to making friends.”

About 37 percent of this year’s new BU students, including Scott, come from Upstate New York, and 5 percent are local to Broome and Tioga counties. Around 21 percent of new students arrive from Long Island and 24 percent hail from New York City.

Classes began on Tuesday, Aug. 19 after an extended move-in weekend, which allowed for students to unpack and settle in.

“My congratulations to Binghamton’s newest students as well as the faculty and staff who have helped the University grow bigger, get better and attract brilliant, talented and high-performing students,” said Stenger.

Over 10 months after Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger announced his intent to step down, the SUNY Board of Trustees named the University’s next president.

Anne D’Alleva, the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut, was appointed on Tuesday morning during a closed executive session meeting. She will begin her duties on Nov. 1.

Before becoming UConn’s first female provost in 2022, D’Alleva was dean of its School of Fine Arts for seven years, where she co-founded the Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute. She received an undergraduate degree in art history from Harvard University in 1986 and her M.A. and Ph.D. in art history from Columbia University, along with a graduate certificate in feminist theory. D’Alleva is the author of several books, including “Fundamentals of Art History” and “Methods and Theories of Art History.”

As provost, D’Alleva was responsible for “strategic planning, budgetary management, faculty development, and curriculum innovation” across UConn’s 14 schools and campuses. She also expanded UConn’s work in artificial intelligence and strengthened ties with Connecticut’s Native American nations.

“I am so eager to work with Binghamton’s faculty and staff, the SUNY system, the community and industry partners we will engage to build even greater research strength, expand economic impact and extend the University’s reach across New York, the nation and the world,” D’Alleva said at the meeting. “In fact, Binghamton already possesses many of the hallmarks of a world class institution.”

“Our task now is to ensure that the world recognizes Binghamton as such,” she continued.

During an otherwise ordinary BU Council meeting last October, Stenger announced he planned to leave his post, saying it was a “difficult decision” to make because he will greatly miss “working with Binghamton University’s wonderful students, faculty, staff, community members and alumni.”

A presidential search committee, led by BU Council Chair Kathryn Grant Madigan, first met in February to find Stenger’s replacement. The committee selected WittKieffer, an executive search firm that previously assisted the University in finding candidates for other administrative positions, to help search for the next president.

The search committee hosted 15 listening sessions with select faculty, students, alumni and community members during the spring semester to gather input.

Over 90 applicants were considered for the position, Madigan reported. In a June 16 update, the committee announced it would interview 12 candidates on Zoom and eventually narrow the pool down to “no fewer than 5 semi-finalists.”

Unlike a fully “open” search process, where the names of semi-finalist candidates are publicized, the BU Council and SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. allowed the committee to use a hybrid approach, giving various communities and stakeholders a confidential voice in the process while protecting candidates’ identities. An open search could deter some highly qualified candidates from applying if their employers were made aware they were applying to a new position, Madigan wrote.

From July 6 to 14, six candidates were interviewed on campus by the search committee and other groups. After one semi-finalist withdrew their application, the committee submitted a list of five individuals to the BU Council, which picked three to attend final interviews.

Stenger was selected in November 2011 after a 17-month search was launched following former University President Lois DeFleur’s retirement. The process first began as an open search in April 2010, which ended after then-SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher rejected the two recommended finalists. The process resumed in July 2011 as a closed search with no information released publicly about potential candidates until Stenger was named in November.

Stenger congratulated D’Alleva on her selection as the next University president.

“She brings with her a reputation as a multidisciplinary collaborator in research and scholarship, a leader in expanding and enhancing Connecticut’s facilities, and an administrator who has developed innovative solutions to support student success,” Stenger said. “I wish Anne the best in her time as Binghamton president, and I look forward to many future successes for the University, its people and the local community.”

Radenka Maric, the president of UConn, announced that Pamir Alpay, vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, will be appointed interim provost once D’Alleva leaves on Oct. 3. In a statement to UConn students and faculty, Maric said BU was “fortunate to have Anne stepping in as their leader,” adding that D’Alleva’s leadership at UConn was “characterized by vision, practicality, tenacity, and the highest degree of collegiality.”

The search for UConn’s next provost will begin early next year.

A May 27 cable message sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to suspend interview scheduling while officials prepared to release further guidance, as first reported by Politico.

Under the new order, issued June 18, applicants will be asked to “adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to ‘public’ in order to facilitate vetting,” according to a department spokesperson.

“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form,” the spokesperson added. “Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.”

The Free Press, an independent news site, reported that consular officers were instructed to identify individuals who “bear hostile attitudes toward our citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles” and flag applicants who allegedly advocate or support “designated foreign terrorists” and “other threats to U.S. national security.” Officers will have discretion in determining whether an applicant’s online activity constitutes a true threat.

Embassies can now resume scheduling interviews, but were advised to prioritize individuals looking to study at universities “where international students constitute 15 percent or less of the total student population.”

Since 2019, the department has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on certain forms.

“In every case, we will take the time necessary to ensure an applicant does not pose a risk to the safety and security of the United States and that he or she has credibly established his or her eligibility for the visa sought, including that the applicant intends to engage in activities consistent with the terms of admission,” the spokesperson wrote.

In March, Rubio ordered consular officers to refer certain applicants to the “Fraud Prevention Unit” for a “mandatory social media check.” Officers were told to check for any “derogatory information” indicating an applicant is “advocating for, sympathizing with, or persuading others to endorse or espouse terrorist activities.”

On April 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the agency will “consider social media content that indicates an alien endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity” when evaluating immigration benefit requests.

In May, Rubio announced that the Trump administration would “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students,” who made up about a quarter of all international students during the 2023-2024 academic year.

Late in June, Mahmoud Khalil, a legal permanent resident detained in March by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University, was released on bail. According to the Associated Press, a federal district judge said it was “highly, highly unusual” for the government to detain a legal resident who was not accused of committing violence and unlikely to flee the country.

The Trump administration motioned to appeal the judge’s decision later that evening.

In early April, a University spokesperson told Pipe Dream that five students had their visas revoked. These students and 41 others at SUNY schools have since had their legal statuses restored, a temporary reversal while officials create a new system to review and terminate records for international students.

Over 21,000 international students enrolled at SUNY campuses last fall, with 2,048 attending Binghamton University.

“The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission,” a June 18 department press release read.

Stenger spoke at every commencement ceremony, along with Provost Donald Hall, Alumni Association President Cara Treidel ‘16 and the dean of each school. Honorary degree recipients, selected student speakers and Jennifer Flanz ‘98, executive producer of “The Daily Show” and winner of this year’s alumni award, also spoke at the ceremonies.

At the beginning of each speech, Stenger yelled out, “You did it!” to the students. He congratulated them on their accomplishments in and outside of the classroom.

“We call this event ‘commencement,’ not because it’s the end of a chapter — it’s a beginning,” Stenger said during his speech. “As you venture off into graduate school or a career, you’re commencing on a new journey. It can be intimidating: new people, new tasks, a new role. Change can be a challenge when you’re not sure what to expect.”

“But remember, you’ve done it before,” he continued. “You did it here, and now you’re equipped with so many more skills and so much more knowledge. So be confident in your next steps — you are ready.”

Three alumni and the CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union were awarded honorary degrees this year. Amy J. Hyatt ‘78, a retired ambassador and recipient of a Doctor of Laws, spoke at the College of Community and Public Affairs’ commencement ceremony. Tyrone Eugene Muse II, president and CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union, was honored with a Doctor of Humane Letters at the School of Management ceremony.

Michael Dudley Timmeny ‘73, a retired Cisco executive and former chief of staff to five members of Congress, received a Doctor of Humane Letters at the second Harpur College commencement. He shared the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in his career, particularly working under Shirley Chisholm, who served as the first Black woman in Congress. Timmeny gave three pieces of advice to students: “build strategic alliances across differences,” “empower those around you” and “have the courage to speak up.”

“Even as DEI language and practices are contested in today’s discourse, remember this: you’ll excel in every aspect of life by embracing America’s vast diversity,” Timmeny said. “You’ll discover opportunities and reach heights you never expected, as I did.”

“Look around this audience,” he continued. “Diversity isn’t going away, it’s a fact. In fact, it is the most positive fact of American life.”

Stuart F. Koenig ‘73, a business executive and chair of the Binghamton University Foundation, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters during the final ceremony. During his speech, he praised the University’s expansion and investment into the local community as “a major factor in the resurgence of the entire Southern Tier.” He later said he was by Stenger’s side during “his gentrification of Johnson City.”

Following the honorary speakers, student speakers chosen for their contributions on campus reflected on their college experience and offered advice to graduates. Natalie Khalil BS ‘24, MBA ‘25, the student speaker for the School of Management, dedicated her speech to her late grandmother and encouraged students to look at life through experiences, not just career and academic success.

“We’ve spent years studying and preparing, but now comes the real challenge,” Khalil said. “Let’s not be people who know, let’s be people who experience. Let’s not just analyze life, let’s live it. Because, at the end of the day, true success is not found in the pages of a textbook. It’s found in the moments that challenge us, that change us and that make us who we are.”

After student speakers, students crossed the stage and received their awards, waving to the crowd and shaking hands with Stenger. Attendees sang along to “In the Rolling Hills of Binghamton,” the University’s alma mater, and graduates flipped their tassels and threw their caps into the air.

Throughout the ceremonies, speakers commended Stenger for his leadership and legacy in his 13-year tenure at the University. Stenger announced his intent to step down last October, with the search for his successor still continuing. In an interview after the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science ceremony, Stenger shared the significance of the 2025 commencement being his last.

“These 13 years, 50,000 students have come across this stage, and that’s amazing, and it feels great to have done that,” Stenger said.

“I said to somebody, ‘When the next president comes, ask them if they’re going to shake all the hands at the ceremonies,’” he continued. “That’s the test. Because this is where you show your love for all the students, all the parents, all the faculty and staff, being up there through thick and thin with them and watching their smiles come across the stage, is probably the best experience that I can imagine.”

To view the commencement ceremonies, visit the University’s YouTube channel to watch the saved livestreams.

Christina Fuller ‘19, MPA ‘21 began the project in 2018 to reduce waste as off-campus students pack up their belongings before returning home. The volunteer-run project is coordinated by the Susquehanna Group of the Sierra Club and partners with Binghamton University.

In 2022, the project began operating on campus. This year, on-campus students have until May 20 to drop off items in collection bins at seven locations: the University Union’s donation nook; Appalachian Dining Hall; Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center Multi-purpose Room; College-in-the-Woods Iroquois Commons; Hinman Dining Hall; Susquehanna Coffee House; and Hillside Commons.

From May 14 to 16, volunteers also set up outdoor collection sites at dorm communities.

The Move Out Project accepts a variety of items like books, toys, games, unopened personal care items and small appliances.

Donated items are then sent to a sorting facility before being distributed to community organizations. For the first time, this year’s sorting room is on campus, located in UU120. After all items are weighed and arranged into different categories, volunteers then organize the room “like a thrift store” for donation partners to select from.

“A lot of similar models across the country, they kind of have a sale with this stuff, which we think is great, but we really like that we’re able to give the items back to community organizations who are already working with individuals in need,” Fuller said. “And we’ve heard very positive feedback from that.”

“They get these items that they would have to purchase otherwise to give to their clients, and a lot of nonprofits and churches, stuff like that, they don’t have the funds to do that,” she continued.

During the spring 2023 cycle, the Move Out Project “was able to collect, sort, and donate over 18,000 pounds of material” that would have been sent to the landfill, according to its website.

Donations have made a real impact in the lives of those in the local community, Fuller said. Three years ago, the team received two donated pairs of tap dance shoes. It connected with a local dance studio, which used the shoes for students who might not be able to afford a pair.

That same year, a student donated a giant stuffed teddy bear that was later picked up by the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference, a local organization providing residential support and care for children and their families.

The teddy bear is now in a pediatrician’s office used by the Children’s Home.

“Over the years, we’ve significantly expanded our on-campus collections and have heard great feedback from students who say if they weren’t able to donate to MOP, their items would’ve ended up in the trash,” Fuller wrote in a statement. “Instead, we make sure they get back into the community.”

Students can donate nonperishable foods like canned goods and unopened snacks. Fuller said that Chris Harasta, volunteer coordinator for the Move Out Project and sustainability manager for Binghamton University Dining Services, reached out to a national hunger relief group and arranged for it to send enough bags for every campus dorm. The food is then distributed to the University Food Pantry and other donation partners.

For seniors not planning to keep their cap and gown, the project team is partnering with the Student Association and TRIO to collect graduation regalia to help future students attend commencement.

Volunteers will drive and pick up items from off-campus students through May 31. Last year, the Move Out Project received about 60 pickup requests, Fuller said. The team advertises on graduate listservs while connecting with large housing companies to boost student awareness.

It also reached out to Off Campus Programs and Services and the SA’s Off Campus College Council to spread the word about its services.

“I absolutely love this program and would commend each and every person who participates,” wrote Ryan Yarosh ‘02, MPA ‘09, the University’s senior director of media and public relations. “Beyond the impact on the community, we’re also keeping all of this stuff out of the landfill, which is so important as well.”

The resolutions were passed on April 26 by the SUNY University Faculty Senate, which represents 33 SUNY colleges, then sent to schools for endorsement. Of the voting members present, the University’s senate endorsed all three resolutions without dissent.

John Starks Jr., a SUNY University Faculty senator representing BU and an associate professor in Middle Eastern and ancient Mediterranean studies, read the resolutions to the senate. He told Pipe Dream the resolutions were written to address “the nature of higher education right now.”

“In this particular case, they were deemed more important to address at the state level and then also at the local level, because of particular kinds of executive orders or federal changes that have been announced, if not always implemented, around those particular areas of concern,” Starks said.

The first resolution addressed federal action leading to “significant uncertainty around the eligibility criteria and implementation of scholarships, grants, and programs” for higher education. It called on the SUNY administration to “provide clear and consistent guidance” in response to these changes, along with legal support and collaboration between colleges.

In April, President Harvey Stenger signed a letter along with hundreds of higher education leaders criticizing the “coercive use of public research funding.” A statement released in March, signed by University Graduate School Dean Terrence Deak, affirmed that graduate student research offers and funding packages would continue as planned.

During comment time, a faculty member asked if it was “wise” to call on the SUNY administration to bind itself to the resolution, potentially leading to “inflexibility.” Provost Donald Hall responded that each resolution would protect individual campuses from federal action.

“What I like about all three of these resolutions, but I’ll speak to this one, is that it’s asking the SUNY central administration to take on that role so that we’re not making any individual campus a target for anything that will be coming from the federal administration,” Hall said. “With SUNY’s large apparatus of legal counsel and other support systems, that they are very well situated to be the central voice on this, and so I think this is actually the right strategy.”

The second resolution, “Legal Help for Immigration Issues,” called on SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. and the Board of Trustees to take several actions that protect the First Amendment and due process rights of noncitizen students, staff and faculty. It instructed the chancellor to keep students on a visa or with permanent resident status enrolled in their school “in the event of visa revocation, revocation of permanent residency, legal status termination, detention, and/or deportation.”

The resolution also called for establishing a fund to help affected students continue their education, providing legal support and expanding “Know Your Rights” training and information.

SUNY faculty members across 14 campuses drafted the original resolution. A University faculty member involved in the resolution’s creation pointed to several factors that made the resolution “urgent,” including a recent “one-strike policy” where visa holders can lose their status if charged with “any kind of infraction.”

In April, 46 SUNY students, including five at BU, had their visa status revoked and then restored, according to a Justice Department lawyer in federal court. The restoration was reported to be “temporary” as the Trump administration develops a new system to evaluate and revoke legal records for international students, per the New York Times.

“We think that this is the right kind of resolution coming from the SUNY UFS, providing support for our faculty, for our staff, for our students as they’re making risk calculations about ‘Should I travel or not, should I talk about this subject in my classroom or not, should I speak up if I’m a student in a discussion or not, what kind of support will I have?’” a faculty member said.

The third resolution, titled “In Support of All Forms of Gender Identity and Expression,” was drafted by a working group at BU. It affirmed the University Faculty Senate’s support for protecting gender expression and identity, as outlined in the New York State Constitution.

In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order recognizing two unchangeable sexes and instructing federal agencies to adhere to “sex-based definitions” while denouncing “gender ideology.” Last November, New York voters passed Proposal One to add constitutional protections against discrimination or unequal treatment based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The amendment was implemented on Jan. 1.

Starks said the resolution would follow previous statements made by King affirming support for nonbinary, transgender and intersex students, along with actions by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James.

“If this were to be contested, it is so ensconced in New York State law and in the SUNY charter that it would actually face a strong backlash to challenge these protections,” Starks said.

Bridget Whearty, an associate professor of English, voiced support for the resolution during the meeting. She told Pipe Dream that the resolution would confirm SUNY employees’ obligations to uphold the state constitution.

“A resolution is a limited tool — it cannot do everything, but it is something,” Whearty said. “And I think silence very often can be taken as tacit agreement with large statements by powerful federal entities that say scientifically incorrect things, like there are only two sexes.”

“It’s just a statement, but saying something matters,” she continued. “My goal would be that this would be a robust declaration for all SUNY students that you will be protected, and it would be the start of that. It can’t be the only thing, but it is an important something.”

As students prepared for final exams, several injured deer ran across campus on Sunday, causing chaos and confusion. Two deer crashed into the Engineering Building on Sunday, creating a commotion inside, while another was reportedly dragged onto the grass outside, shot and hauled away.

At around 3 p.m., a deer toppled the metal fence surrounding construction on the Lois B. DeFleur Walkway, according to a video obtained by Pipe Dream. Two other deer then ran onto the construction zone, with one slamming into a University Union door before following the others.

A deer was found dead near the exit ramp at the lot between the University Union and the Engineering Building.

The Engineering Building’s garage door was open at the time as members from Binghamton Motorsports, an organization composed of two teams that design vehicles “made in-house under the supervision of experienced shop technicians and faculty,” worked outside on parts for their Formula SAE electric vehicle. They were joined by Cefast, a Formula SAE team from Brazil that Binghamton Motorsports was hosting before its competition in Michigan later this week.

At around 3 p.m., a deer bolted through the garage entrance into the Fabrication Lab, followed moments later by another. A video from Binghamton Motorsports showed the deer acting erratically and stumbling to the ground while in the lab.

Lara Ahmad, a sophomore majoring in computer engineering, was working on a final project with her friend in the Engineering Building’s basement. After stepping out to grab food, her friend called and told her a “rabid” deer was inside the building. Upon returning, Ahmad found “blood smeared all over the glass where we were working,” she told Pipe Dream.

Ahmad shared a video of the deer by the lab’s glass doors. The deer, bleeding from its mouth, appeared confused before it bumped into a panel and smeared blood onto the glass frame.

One of the deer then left the building and ran straight to the University Union’s side door entrance.

“The deer just ran straight into the Union doors,” said Jennifer Pillai, a freshman majoring in industrial systems engineering. “And then it just kept banging its head against the door, it was bleeding everywhere. It looked really scary, really dystopian too, like blood all over the face.”

Pillai said the deer eventually ran across the street and disappeared into the trees by College-in-the-Woods.

Around 3:40 p.m., a police officer and another individual dragged the second deer out of the Engineering Building and onto the grass. Another officer told a nearby crowd of students to back away from the scene and “give [the deer] some peace.”

Students said that within a few minutes, a gunshot rang out. The deer’s body was left on the grass before being hauled into a University vehicle.

Requests for comment have been given to the University Police Department, Facilities Management and other administrators. It is unclear what caused the deer to behave erratically, or whether the bodies will be tested for illnesses like rabies or chronic wasting disease.

“You don’t expect to be getting Dunkin’ and going back to studying and just seeing blood smeared onto the door walls and everything,” said Aleksandra Berrios, a junior majoring in psychology. “So it was very shocking, and I personally am not that comfortable taking videos or taking pictures of that sort of stuff, so I didn’t. But then I saw some people that were also very caught up in what was happening and everything.”

“So very shocking for that to just happen when you’re in the midst of studying for finals and doing projects and stuff, and then you kind of just have to go back to whatever you were doing.”

Panelists included Fadel Abdulghany, the executive director of the Syrian Network for Human Rights; Assaad Al Achi, the president of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression; Bassam Alahmad, the executive director of Syrians for Truth and Justice; Razan Rashidi, the executive director of The Syria Campaign; and Beth Van Schaack, a distinguished fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Human Rights and International Justice.

Maxim Pensky, a philosophy professor who serves as a co-director of I-GMAP, moderated the Zoom webinar, where interpreters gave attendees the option to listen in Arabic or English. He began by defining transitional justice, saying it requires not just “not raising risks of future violence” but also implementing policies that ensure justice for victims and accountability to perpetrators.

“It’s a tall order for any society,” Pensky said. “In the case of Syria, I think it is an exceptionally great challenge.”

Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship over Syria ended in December 2024 after an almost 14-year-long civil war, resulting in hundreds of thousands killed and half the population displaced.

Pensky asked Rashidi to refute the idea that “Syria has neither the tolerance nor the capacity” to seek justice for victims and perpetrators. She responded, saying people from a variety of social and economic backgrounds protested the lack of accountability for their missing loved ones.

Al Achi, however, said the Syrian government has taken actions that do not reflect a commitment to transitional justice. He added that sanctions against the government hamper efforts for economic recovery, raising the risk of further violence.

Several panelists discussed the possibility of establishing a truth committee in Syria to facilitate the carrying out of justice. Van Schaack said creating a body “representative of different communities within that society” is critical to centering people at the core of transitional justice efforts.

“There are elements that exist within the current Syrian authorities that are our allies,” Al Achi said. “We should not alienate them. We should find ways to connect with them, support them and lobby with them against whatever we don’t like that the Syrian authorities are doing today.”

Abdulghany said establishing a truth commission focused on reform could be difficult, citing various logistical and ethical concerns, like documentation, selecting which victims should be given justice and time frames.

In January, 51 organizations working on transitional justice met in Damascus, Rashidi said. In 2014, The Syria Campaign, a human rights organization, was formed to support “Syria’s heroes in their struggle for freedom, justice and democracy,” according to its website.

Disinformation, misinformation and hate speech were discussed as key barriers to sharing stories and gaining momentum. Rashidi said it may be wise to partner with “nontraditional actors” in transitional justice, like journalists and those involved in arts, culture and the media, as these individuals influence public opinion and perception.

“Survivors have given testimony, many of them dozens of times — to journalists, to local civil society groups, to international organizations — but to put that into a formalized record and to have that acknowledged, I think, is something that a truth commission can do,” Van Schaack said. “Especially because we know that justice can never be comprehensive. Every victim will not have their day in court.”

According to Abdulghany, civil society actors could be key partners in the accountability process by monitoring and criticizing the actions of a transitional justice committee, while also ensuring the body reports to the media and other channels.

Pensky read a question asked by Gregory Stanton, the founding director of Genocide Watch, an organization that aims to foster “an international movement to prevent and stop genocide,” considering if a globalized civil society could bring transitional justice to Syria. Van Schaack said it was possible.

“We now have 50 years of empirical longitudinal research, plus really deep and rich case studies of individual societies, and we know that there are a number of models that are available that have different degrees of hybridization, different degrees of different ways in which mechanisms can be sequenced — and all of this can be adapted for the Syrian context, but it has to be locally driven,” Van Schaack said. “So this is where having an open dialogue with the various communities within Syria and creating a process that’s genuine and inclusive and participatory for that to happen.”

Al Achi and Alahmad said a broad swath of Syrian society must come together to shape the country’s future. Abdulghany urged for a national dialogue between groups who disagree and for involving experts in this process.

“Allow Syrians a chance to succeed,” Al Achi said. “And for Syrians to have a chance to succeed, all sanctions need to be lifted on the Syrian government.”