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.”

The town hall was hosted by the Broome Tioga chapter of the NAACP and held in the Recreation Center next to the park. Members of the Binghamton City Council, Associate Dean of Decker College Sharon Bryant, Broome County Historian Roger Luther and former city Mayor Richard Bucci attended the town hall.

The NAACP requested a reexamination of the park’s name after the organization asked residents for their opinion on renaming the park. At a Juneteenth event held in Columbus Park, the NAACP asked attendees to fill out a brief survey. After an organization meeting in July, the organization sent that same survey out via a listserv.

Of the respondents who filled out the survey on Juneteenth, 79 percent expressed support for renaming the park. These findings contrasted with the survey results overall, which showed that 52 percent of all respondents opposed a name change.

At the town hall, Bryant presented the survey’s findings, which included an option for respondents to select a new name for the park. Potential names included Billie Anderson, a local civil rights activist who passed away in 2023; Assata Shakur, an activist and member of the Black Liberation Army; and some location-based names like Binghamton Community Park.

Harold Wheat, a South Side resident, supported a name change. He read a quote by Bartolomé de las Casas, a Dominican friar who, in 1542, described the hardship faced by the indigenous people as the Spanish conquered islands in the Caribbean.

“’The Spaniards still leave nothing save to tear the natives to shreds, burn on them, and inflict upon them untold misery, suffering and distress,’” Wheat quoted. “’Tormenting, harrying and persecuting them mercilessly. By some accounts on the island of Hispaniola, there were several million people when Columbus arrived; he had established several colonial administrations.’”

“By the end of his life, there were less than 1,000 by some accounts,” he continued. “That, by all accounts, is genocide.”

Wheat’s statement elicited strong opposing responses from some community members.

As of 2023, 16 states officially recognize the second Monday in October as Columbus Day. In 1990, South Dakota became the first state to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day. New Mexico, Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C. renamed the holiday to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2019. Two years later, Joe Biden became the first U.S. president to issue a proclamation recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day on the same day as Columbus Day, honoring the “immeasurable positive impact” that Indigenous peoples have on American society.

In the early 2000s, only 25 states and the District of Columbia observed Columbus Day. California and Delaware stopped officially recognizing the holiday in 2009.

“Columbus had become synonymous with the Italian American immigrant experience,” Bucci said at the town hall. “The journey was not easy for Italians — they faced hardships, prejudice, discrimination and even exploitation. They were at the bottom of the social scale, and menial jobs were the ones most commonly only available to them.”

“As the son and grandson of Italian immigrants, I learned firsthand of the trials and tribulations of their experience,” he continued. “During these struggles, Christopher Columbus became a symbol of pride and achievement.”

Luther presented his research on the history of the park’s surrounding area and its importance to the Black community. Luther said a 1938 study of the city showed that 55 percent of the African American population lived in the area near what is now Columbus Park. The park was originally named Caroll Street Playground after the site of School No. 8, built in 1845 as the city’s first school for African American students.

The park was expanded in 1926 and renamed to Sherman Place Park before returning to its original name two years later. However, in 1955, the park was expanded and reopened in 1959 as the Christopher Columbus Park. Luther said many residents in surrounding areas were displaced in the 1960s because of urban renewal projects.

In his closing statement, Rev. Damond Wilson, the Broome Tioga NAACP president, said it was important to have the local area reflect the identity of all the people who live there. He emphasized the importance of community and the impact a name truly representative of the area’s residents can have in his closing statement.

“If we take this opportunity to actually work together as a community, I feel like we can do something great,” Wilson said. “I feel like we can change the trajectory of not only history, but having a way of changing the trajectory of young people’s lives.”

The plan aims to increase reliability, expand system capacity and modernize the grid to achieve statewide climate goals set by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

Signed in 2019, the law aims to reduce the state’s carbon emissions and build more efficient and climate-friendly infrastructure. NYSEG’s plan will likely be reviewed by the New York State Department of Public Service and other third parties.

With these upgrades, the plan is expected to have a heavy price tag. NYSEG’s plan involves an approximately $16 billion investment in an improved electric grid, including a $244 million investment in load relief and an allocation of $236 million to replace more than 75 circuit breakers annually. To avoid a steep increase for customers, NYSEG is expected to roll out the plan in phases over five years.

“Our Powering New York plan brings together the competing demands of state and legacy cost drivers, like storm restoration costs and the massive arrears that built up during and after the pandemic, while also supporting economic development through new jobs and grid improvement to attract and retain businesses,” said NYSEG and RG&E CEO Patricia Nilsen in a press release. “Our customers deserve a modern, resilient grid and top-notch customer service, and this plan enables us to continue our forward momentum.”

Over the past few months, utility companies have faced increased scrutiny by state lawmakers. In April, Congressman Josh Riley launched an investigation into the billing practices of utility companies after constituents complained about increasing energy bills. Riley also issued a formal request to NYSEG demanding access to customer billing and other data from January 2023, along with access to NYSEG’s analysis of factors that may have contributed to price hikes.

In a statement to Pipe Dream, State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 said she opposed NYSEG’s plan, citing how many Binghamton residents struggle with increased costs of living.

“In my office, we are constantly hearing stories from constituents about incorrect bills, late bills, multiple months of bills arriving in their mailboxes in staggering amounts, and service challenges,” Webb said. “National Grid’s rate increase and NYSEG’s requested increase could not come at a worse time.”

Riley also questioned the relationship between recent price hikes and an attempt by utility companies to boost corporate profits. NYSEG is responsible for providing electricity and gas for over 1.9 million customers in upstate New York. The company is owned by Avangrid, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, a Spanish multinational electric utility corporation.

After the proposed plan was released in July, Riley called on NYSEG to be fully transparent about its financial dealings and urged the company to hold community hearings across the 19th congressional district about the plan.

“Growing up, I remember my parents would sit at the kitchen table each week, sorting our budget into envelopes–one for the mortgage, one for groceries, one for school clothes, and so on,” Riley said in April. “Today, too many families across Upstate New York have too many envelopes and not enough money to fill them.”

“Meanwhile, utility companies are jacking up rates and bragging to investors about record profits,” he continued. “Folks deserve answers and action, and that’s what I’m fighting to deliver.”

Outgoing University President Harvey Stenger

Harvey Stenger, the University’s seventh president, assumed the role of university president in 2012. Before his arrival at BU, Stenger served as interim provost at the University at Buffalo, where he was dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He was also a professor and dean at Lehigh University’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

During his tenure at BU, Stenger oversaw the creation of the Road Map initiative, a plan to strategically expand and promote the University, and led the establishment of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Last October, Stenger announced he intended to leave his post, paving the way for a presidential search committee to interview new candidates. As of publication, no candidate has been publicly announced.

The Office of the President can be reached at (607) 777-2131 or president@binghamton.edu.

The Next University President

The presidential search committee first met in February, aiming to find the University’s eighth president before the fall semester. It has held listening sessions with faculty and student representatives to discuss what the needs and priorities of the University should be considered when choosing the next president.

A June 16 B-Line update read that the committee remains in the interview phase, with plans to closely review a dozen candidates. The committee intends to narrow their search down to “no fewer than 5 semi-finalists.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Brian Rose

The vice president for the Division of Student Affairs since 2008, Rose and the division work to monitor and improve students’ academic performance and community wellbeing. Rose previously worked in the Student Affairs office at Rutgers University. He can be reached at (607) 777-4788 or brose@binghamton.edu.

Student Association President McKenzie Skrastins

McKenzie Skrastins, a rising senior majoring in mathematics, has served as the Student Association president since fall 2024. The SA is an independent organization responsible for representing and addressing the needs of undergraduate students, like chartering and funding student organizations.

As president, Skrastins has worked to promote diversity within the SA and create spaces where student organizations can make their voices heard. She has also worked to improve transparency and organized initiatives like the Multicultural Professional Development Summit and collecting graduation regalia for donation. She can be reached at president@binghamtonsa.org.

BU Council Representative Irene Cui

Irene Cui, a rising junior majoring in economics, was the victor of a highly contested race against the previous council representative, Mackenzie Cooper. Cui was removed from the ballot in March and later filed a grievance with the Joint Grievance Board, which restored her to the ballot in a 5-4 decision. The decision paved the way for the SA Elections and Judiciary Committee to release results in the BU Council race, where Cui narrowly beat Cooper.

The BU Council Representative represents graduate and undergraduate students on a 10-member council that oversees certain University operations. Cui has pledged to take student feedback seriously and improve dining accessibility. She can be reached at bucrep@binghamton.edu.

Medical Director Dr. Richard Moose

Moose is the medical director of Decker Student Health Services Center. The center provides medical services for students, including primary care, health education, immunizations and a range of testing and laboratory services.

A physician, Moose was appointed medical director in 2018. Before his appointment, he was a college physician and medical and administrative director at SUNY Potsdam. Moose can be reached at (607) 777-2221 or rmoose@binghamton.edu.

Associate Director of the Q Center Nick Martin

The Q Center provides LGBTQ+ students with a safe space inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The Q Center hosts events and activities throughout the year to promote diversity and inclusion.

Nick Martin, the center’s associate director, first joined the Q Center in 2021. With a background as a resident advisor in other institutions like Virginia Tech, California State University, East Bay and Syracuse University, Martin brought his prior experience with him to lead the Q Center. In the past few years, the Q Center has expanded its Active Advocacy program and opened the Gender Bender closet, providing students with gender-affirming clothing. Martin can be reached at (607) 777-6054 or martinn@binghamton.edu.

Organized as part of a final project for a course, WGSS 282F: Activism, Feminism and Social Justice, the event allowed students to share their experiences with DEI programs. They also presented data from a survey showing that a majority of students support DEI initiatives at the University. Students from SHADES, the Q Center, ColorStack and the Disabled Student Union also spoke at the event.

“This University has done a better job than others in its effort to realize DEI policies and practices,” wrote Dara Silberstein, the director of the women, gender and sexuality studies program. “However, there is room for improvement. For instance, there could be more outreach and educational programming as demonstrated by students who responded that they were unclear what DEI was.”

Organizers highlighted how DEI initiatives encompass a variety of University programs and resources, like Services for Students with Disabilities, the University Counseling Center, the Multicultural Resource Center and the Q Center. Commitment to DEI also inspired campus support services like the Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center and the Consultation, Advocacy, Referral and Education team, the University’s case management office.

DEI initiatives now face greater scrutiny under the Trump administration, which has accused these programs of violating civil rights. On Jan. 21, President Donald Trump signed an executive order, “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” aimed at ending DEI programs in the federal government and urging the private sector to follow suit.

The order also required the attorney general and secretary of education to send guidance on complying with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning race-based affirmative action in admissions to colleges and universities that receive federal funding. In April, the Department of Education sent letters to state education agencies requiring them to eliminate all DEI programs that “advantage one’s race over another” or face a loss in federal funding.

A University spokesperson did not return a request for comment.

One of the presentations addressed common misconceptions about DEI programs, like that they only benefit minorities, promote reverse discrimination and threaten meritocracy. The presentation argued that these programs are not intended to discriminate against any group, but rather to “level the playing field and remove structural obstacles” and ensure all people have an “equal opportunity to succeed.”

Mansha Rahman, the president of the Rainbow Pride Union and a junior double-majoring in art and design and Spanish, said DEI “comes in very little ways, shapes and forms” that people may not initially realize.

“A lot of people don’t recognize that the accessibility buttons are a form of DEI,” they said. “A lot of people don’t recognize that tampons and pads being provided for people who menstruate is DEI. A lot of people don’t realize that talking about the fact that we have all these different majors, WGSS, LACAS, all these different things are a form of DEI.”

Other representatives shared how their organizations contribute to DEI efforts on campus by creating inclusive spaces and spreading awareness across the University. Some of these spaces include the Disabled Student Union, which promotes campus accessibility and education, the Q Center, which advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion, and SHADES, which fosters community for queer people of color.

“In an ideal world, DEI would transform the make up of our work and school environments in such a way that as a society we come to reimagine such terms as ‘skilled labor’ and ‘high achievers’ which today often reflect characteristics most closely associated with the privileges of white masculinity,” Silberstein wrote. “DEI policies should not only be about a process of ‘inclusion’ (which to me begs the questions of who is doing the inclusion and to what?) but about transformation.”

In its 11th edition, the Blueprint included policies aimed at improving recycling accessibility in Downtown Binghamton; transforming the Center for Civic Engagement’s community service bussing program; addressing food insecurity on campus; expanding mental health resources at the Broome County Jail; and calling for the University to better support undocumented students and those with various legal statuses.

Students work in groups to identify policy concerns, research potential solutions and meet with various stakeholders to ensure their proposals accurately reflect the community’s needs. The policies are then published in the annual Blueprint, after which the organization continues to work with stakeholders to implement them.

“The implementation sometimes takes longer than a semester, and so that is something that we continue advocating and trying to implement throughout the summer and then continuing in the fall with the goal of actually implementing the policies,” said Luna Azcurrain, the organization’s co-president and a junior double-majoring in sociology and Latin American and Caribbean studies.

Azcurrain said this year was the first that a policy group “centered around or focused on undocumented students and students with various legal statuses” was formed. A University spokesperson earlier this month confirmed to Pipe Dream that at least five students had their visas revoked [HYPERLINK: https://www.bupipedream.com/news/at-least-five-student-visas-have-been-revoked-university-confirms/165800/]. They are among 21 SUNY students who have seen a change-of-visa status as of April 9, according to a SUNY spokesperson.

“The policy proposal is asking for the administration to implement more resources for these students, so things like a centralized website, more legal support, more support in the Counseling Center, more support in terms of having bilingual and just translating options and centralized advocates, so that students can have someone directly to talk to that can then be a liaison and direct them to the appropriate departments,” Azcurrain said.

The proposal calls for the University to begin implementing these actions before the end of the semester. Looking at the next steps, the group believes the University must become a sanctuary campus, which would “expand protections for students and faculty regarding ICE’s entry on campus,” according to the group’s event presentation.

The environmental justice policy group proposed the “installation of recycling bins adjacent to existing trash cans in the City of Binghamton to reduce litter and improve recycling accessibility,” which they said was a cost-effective solution that aligned with Binghamton’s goals to promote sustainability. They suggested that five bins be placed in areas with high traffic, with the possibility for expansion following public response.

Working to address local food insecurity, another policy group proposed workshops and visibility events — including a competition between dining halls — to grow food insecurity awareness throughout Broome County and “foster a cultural shift toward sustainable food access and community support within Binghamton University.”

The community engagement policy group called on the University to expand the Center for Civic Engagement’s bussing program, which began during the fall 2024 semester and used Off Campus College Transport to transport students to volunteer opportunities. This expanded program would operate regularly, establishing more of a “structured volunteer schedule for students that aligns with the academic calendar” and transporting students across the county. Under this proposal, CCE would identify certain areas with a greater need for the program to operate.

While student groups work to adopt policies as quickly as possible, challenges may arise that delay this implementation. Students in the criminal legal reform group working to require corrections officers to participate in yearly mental health training had unsuccessfully attempted to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, complicating its implementation, they said.

Their proposal states that “the Jail will work collaboratively with the County’s Office of Mental Health to provide this training,” as many incarcerated people struggle with mental illness and corrections officers are often poorly prepared to appropriately address mental health crises.

Previous policy projects have resulted in the creation of the Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center and a new University course focused on increasing student community engagement.

“Pick up a Blueprint, read it, flip through it, see the work that we’re trying to do,” Abigail Connors, the organization’s co-president and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said. “There’s two QR codes, one that provides updates on our implementation process, and some groups have a second QR code where students can sign their support for the policy to help us show administration, or whoever it is who has the power to implement these policies, that this is a change students want to see.”

The lecture, titled “Race, Place, and Pollution: Redlining, Kinship, and Environmental Justice,” was part of the annual Harpur College Dean’s Distinguished Lecture series, which began in 1998 and offers faculty the ability to showcase their research. Previous lectures have included presentations on Judaic studies, art history and political science.

The event was co-sponsored by the BU chapter of United University Professions, a union for faculty and professional staff at institutions of higher education. Brendan McGovern, the chapter’s president and the program coordinator in the Geography Department, delivered opening remarks.

“Dr. Neha Khanna’s work goes beyond measuring environmental harms,” McGovern said. “It asks the deeper questions about how race, history and place determine who is burdened by pollution and why. It challenges us to see the ways systemic injustice is reproduced, even under the guise of progress. In many ways, her scholarship reminds us that education and research are not just academic pursuits. They are acts of public service and truth-telling.”

Khanna, the winner of the 2024 Lois B. DeFleur Faculty Prize for Academic Achievement, centered her talk on disparities in pollution levels between non-Hispanic white neighborhoods and historically redlined neighborhoods. Redlining was a discriminatory practice where financial services, like mortgages, were denied in often predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods. She cited studies that found these historically redlined neighborhoods were hotter and had worse air quality.

She said kinship was closely tied to environmental outcomes, using the sociological concept of in-group favoritism to explain why more diverse communities were less likely to invest in public goods that could benefit others outside their group and why more diverse neighborhoods had lower investment in public goods. According to Khanna, public goods include environmental quality.

“When we talk about investment in public amenities, that competition for resources becomes important,” Khanna said. “If there is, how much you compete and how many groups are competing, that fills out those availability of resources.”

To gauge kinship in her economic model, Khanna used quantitative methods to measure industry concentration, ethnic diversity and inequality.

Her research, based on a survey of 20,000 people provided by the National Institutes of Health, found that most who identified as people of color lived predominantly in racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods, and those who identified as white tended to live in homogeneous neighborhoods. Her findings showed that the neighborhoods with the highest pollution were largely nonwhite in historically redlined areas.

“No matter which pollutant I look at, redlining is very strongly correlated with contemporary levels of pollution, no matter whether they’re regulated pollutants, unregulated pollutants, chemical and nonchemical, which is important,” Khanna said. “It is important, it is explaining that the areas that are redlined have higher levels of pollution, and these are not small numbers by the way.”

A study published last January found that historically redlined neighborhoods across California experienced worse environmental quality than other communities. Another study published by the American Chemical Society found that redlining was associated with disparities in present-day air pollution.

“To me, sustainability is not just ecological sustainability, it’s social sustainability,” Khanna said to Pipe Dream. “And if we forget this fundamental idea of equity, it doesn’t matter how great the solution is. If the if the losers are always the losers and the winners are always the winners, that cannot be a sustainable solution, because people are going to ultimately rise up.”

The two-day event, held on Friday and Saturday, brought together 24 experts from around the world, divided into seven panels centered around atrocity prevention across different regions. Discussions focused on issues like the Sudanese Civil War, identity-based violence prevention and refugees in Kenya. One panel was titled “After the Ceasefire: Short- and Medium-Term Option for Protection and Accountability in Gaza.”

Maxim Pensky, a co-director of I-GMAP and a professor of philosophy, said the conference, first held in 2018, allows for a wide-ranging study in atrocity prevention. He said the event sought to unite what he sees as two distinct worlds: academia and government.

“One of the things that when we founded I-GMAP, we recognized there is a desperate need to get those two worlds communicating and collaborating better,” Pensky said. “And so one of the things that we really thought was: What better way to do that than bring practitioners physically here to Binghamton?”

“Instead of having a conference — a usual conference with papers and PowerPoints and that sort of thing — just have them talk and then build in lots and lots of time for us and our students to network with them, to talk with them, to pick their brains over coffee and to try to understand really one essential question — which is, what opportunities for collaboration or for cooperation are we missing? What can we do together?” he continued.

Established in 2016, I-GMAP is committed to helping the University become a leader in preventing violence like genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It remains one of the only academic-based institutes in the world that focuses on preventing atrocities.

Kai Mata, an LGBTQ+ Indonesian singer-songwriter and winner of the 2024-25 Joint Annual Engaged Artivist Award on Atrocity Prevention and Human Rights, performed on the conference’s first day. The award she won recognizes artist-activists who respond to large-scale identity-based violence and mass atrocities globally.

“In my opinion, music can be the heartbeat of any social movement,” said Mata, speaking on her performance at the conference and the role of art as a tool for atrocity prevention. “It is what people chant on the streets, what people listen to in their cars, it is what people gravitate toward when they are feeling sad or happy. Every event has music in it. And how do we imbue that music with messages that can contribute to building a world where there’s more compassion, where we have more kindness and more sense of actually wanting to be a part of creating the best world possible?”

On Friday, welcoming remarks were delivered by the institute’s co-directors, Pensky and Kerry Whigham. The opening expert discussion with speakers, including Annie Bird, an instructor at the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, was followed by a panel titled “Catastrophe in Sudan: What Way Forward?” and another called “Preventing Identity-Based Violence from the Ground Up.”

More panels were held on Saturday, with one about the atrocity risks posed in the second Trump administration and another titled “Safer Havens: State-Civil Society Collaboration for Better Protection of Refugees in Kenya.” The weekend concluded with a final panel discussion, “Education and Prevention.”

On Friday evening, I-GMAP presented the Nadia Rubaii Memorial Prize, named for the late I-GMAP founding co-director, to “The Parents Circle-Families Forum,” an Israeli-Palestinian peace organization supporting families who have lost relatives in the ongoing violence. Robi Damelin and Sima Mohammed Awad, who are Israeli and Palestinian, accepted the award in recognition of their commitment to promoting human rights and prevention of mass atrocity.

Their speech, titled “Shared Grief, Shared Hope: Israelis and Palestinians for Peace,” called for an end to the violence, more tolerance and the beginning of a long-lasting peace.

Damelin, a spokesperson and director of international relations for the organization, and Awad, a Palestinian from the West Bank, shared personal stories of tragedy and loss. Damelin’s son, David, was killed by a Palestinian sniper during his service in the Israel Defense Forces, and Awad’s brother died after an outbreak of violence in 2008. Awad said her mother and Damelin connected over their shared loss and worked to move forward, with her mother realizing “that there is no Palestinian or Israeli grief” but only “mothers who lost their sons.”

Damelin described how she reacted when the Israeli military informed her that her son had been killed and how it inspired her to demand change.

“One of my first reactions was, ‘You cannot kill anybody in the name of my child,’” Damelin said. “And that was very prophetic about what I was going to do with the rest of my life, and I knew almost immediately that I wanted to do something to prevent mainly others from experiencing this pain. This is a pain that doesn’t go away. You learn to live with it next to you, and you make a choice, what will you do with that?”

“And so the Parents Circle found me because I spoke at a huge demonstration to get out of the occupied territories, and they invited me to come to a weekend in East Jerusalem to meet other bereaved families,” she continued. “And I remember sitting around the table, just almost like the table in front of me, looking into the eyes of the Palestinian mothers and recognizing that we shared the same pain and that if we together could stand on the stage and talk for reconciliation and nonviolence, then surely that would be an example for everybody.”

Editor’s Note (4/7): Because of editing errors, the cause of death for Awad’s brother was misstated. He died from injuries after an outbreak of violence.

First held in 2018, the program began as a “normal academic conference” with prepared papers and slideshows, according to Maxim Pensky, a co-director of I-GMAP and professor of philosophy. After the COVID-19 pandemic ended, organizers restructured the event to focus on unscripted discussions between panelists and the audience.

“The event gathers atrocity prevention practitioners from government, civil society, and academia from around the globe to spend two days of intense, informal conversation at Binghamton’s University Downtown Center,” Pensky wrote. “Over the eight years of its existence Frontiers of Prevention has now established itself as a highly visible annual event in the broader international community of atrocity prevention practice.”

“It also allows BU students and faculty and the broader Binghamton community the chance to experience firsthand how that international community works, and to engage in discussions with experts on key current events that affect all of us, whether they are half a world away or here in the United States and in our communities,” he continued.

This year, students and faculty can attend panel discussions centered around specific regions, like the crises in Sudan and Gaza. Discussions on refugees in Kenya and the role small grassroots organizations and educators play in atrocity prevention will also be included — including a panel focused “on the atrocity risk implications of the second Trump administration.”

On Friday, the institute will present the Nadia Rubaii Memorial Prize to “The Parents Circle — Families Forum,” an Israeli–Palestinian peace organization made up of families who have lost relatives in the ongoing violence. Robi Damelin and Sima Mohammed Awad, who are Israeli and Palestinian, will accept the award — named in honor of the late Nadia Rubaii, an I-GMAP’s founding co-director. They will deliver an acceptance speech, titled “Shared Grief, Shared Hope: Israelis and Palestinians for Peace.”

The award was created in 2023 and is awarded annually. The previous winners have included Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who founded a top news site in the Philippines, and Frank Mugisha, a Ugandan LGBTQ+ activist.

Established in 2016, I-GMAP is committed to making the University a leader in preventing atrocity violence, including genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The institute offers a range of programs for students, like an interdisciplinary minor, a graduate certificate and a master’s degree in genocide and mass atrocity prevention.

“We think Frontiers of Prevention and events like it are more valuable than ever at a time when polarization, democratic backsliding, and political uncertainties are far more concerning than they have been in generations,” Pensky wrote. “All societies have risks for political violence and mass atrocities, just as all societies have sources of resilience that they can draw on to address and help reduce those risks. Frontiers of Prevention has the goal of creating a durable space where very differently situated people can come together in an open, equal, and productive space to discuss both risks and resiliencies.”

The meeting comes as a contract signed 10 years ago by Sodexo, the company that operates University Dining Services, is set to expire.

John Ferrara, the chair of YDSA and a senior double-majoring in biology and Italian, led the town hall, saying students, faculty and administration realize that campus dining “is a big problem.”

“This affects every student no matter who you are, and moreover, Sodexo, the company that provides our food, is a terrible, horrible corporation — worse than average,” Ferrara said. “In addition to providing us unsafe and crappy food that makes us all want to vomit, it’s also a private prison owner in Europe and Australia.”

He was likely referring to a Sodexo subsidiary, Sodexo Justice Services.

Ferrara said the Sodexo-run dining system is unaffordable, lacks adequate dietary accommodations and flouts health and safety standards. He said that Sodexo is intimidating student workers looking to unionize; the company has faced allegations of intimidating union stewards.

After Ferrara presented his concerns with Sodexo management, he asked those in attendance to form small groups and discuss changes they felt should be implemented at the dining halls. Students then voiced their issues with the system, including high prices, undercooked food, and a lack of kosher and halal options for students.

Sodexo declined repeated requests for comment.

YDSA listed a series of demands on a petition form linked to a recent Instagram post. They are outlined in four main categories: meal plan reform, health and safety protections, dietary accommodations and worker rights/dignity.

“Binghamton University frequently touts its status as a ‘public ivy,’ emphasizing its commitment to affordability and excellence on campus,” the petition reads. “Despite this promise, university dining services — provided by Sodexo — are far too expensive, not accommodating towards student dietary restrictions, and lack the quality students expect from the university. We deserve a university where we aren’t price-gouged, where dining workers are paid livable wages, and where attempts are not made to union-bust student worker organizing.”

The petition calls for implementing a meal swipe program to replace the current dining dollars system. Responding to student complaints of unsafe food preparation, it calls for new contract language mandating University-run health inspections while imposing “substantive penalizations on a food provider when it does not meet health and safety standards.”

Sensitive to various student dining needs, the petition calls for a “Simple Servings” station, which caters to students with allergies or other dietary restrictions, to run in every dining hall — not just the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center or the Appalachian Collegiate Center. Those at the event discussed a lack of food options for Jewish and Muslim students.

“The only dining hall that I’ve heard of that had a halal option was C4,” said a representative from the Muslim Student Association. “But because of the number of employees that are not available to work, the station is closed down. Me and the president of MSA also spoke to Sodexo about ourselves about how there aren’t options on campus, and I feel that they weren’t receptive, to especially the Muslim students.”

The petition demands an additional Kosher Korner be opened at a second dining hall, open for at least three hours per meal, and the installment of two weeklong halal stations with hours adjusted during Ramadan.

Last semester, the Student Association passed a resolution calling for the expansion of kosher and halal dining options on campus, looking to implement similar changes.

“I was really excited that people were passionate about different things: the price, dietary restriction issues, accessibility, just everything that we were talking about,” said Sarah Pitcher, a junior majoring in history. “I really hope that all people who can can spread the petition and just get as many people involved as possible. I think that this is a really good start, and hopefully we can make a lot of progress before the end of the semester.”

The speech described progress on key issues like unemployment, housing and business growth over Garnar’s eight-year tenure. He praised county employees for their public service and thanked the Broome County Legislature, controlled by Republicans, for maintaining a “working relationship based on mutual respect, open communication, and a shared commitment to the people of Broome County.” District Attorney Paul Battisti, County Clerk Joe Mihalko and Sheriff Fred Akshar were among the elected officials who attended.

Garnar, a Democrat, acknowledged uncertainty over the status of federal funding, saying that the county receives more than $140 million from the federal government.

“We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure that Broome County has the resources it needs to thrive, no matter the challenges ahead,” Garnar said. “So while we will advocate to our federal officials the importance of funding critical county programs, we are in a much better position today than we were eight years ago to deal with any potential funding cuts.”

Infrastructure was one of the speech’s key focuses, with Garnar thanking leaders like Jeff Stafford, the acting deputy commissioner of the Binghamton Department of Public Works’ Engineering Division, for planning and managing new projects. He commended the “record-setting” results the Highway Division achieved, with the county repairing more than 84 miles of roadway in 2024.

Looking ahead, Garnar pointed to several projects to be completed this year, including renovations to the Greater Binghamton Airport and the completion of the new Veterans Resource Center in Binghamton’s North Side.

Oakdale Commons has begun the next phases of its yearslong renovation, which will add 125 new living units and a 22,000-square-foot childcare space to the property by 2026. New medical facilities like an ambulatory surgery center will also be built.

Another project, the Crime Victims Memorial, is expected to open in April at Roundtop Park. Garnar recognized Schyler Savage, a member of Boy Scout Troop 199 who envisioned the memorial as a way to honor his mother, whom he lost in 2023, and other crime victims. The project will contain a patio and a large wall etched with the names of the victims who lost their lives.

Both Akshar and Battisti were recognized for their efforts in public safety. Garnar praised the work of the Strategic Response Group, which Akshar’s office launched last June to handle “quality-of-life concerns,” according to WNBF [HYPERLINK https://wnbf.com/inside-look-broome-county-sheriffs-office-srg-crime-response-program/]. The group has made 354 arrests for various crimes and conducted more than 900 traffic stops, with the vast majority resulting in violations. Battisti’s efforts to tackle personnel shortages in his office were also mentioned.

“District Attorney Paul Battisti has worked hard to address staffing challenges in his office, and we’ve been glad to support him in that effort by making investments to raise pay and attract talent,” Garnar said. “As a result, the DA’s office is now nearly fully staffed and well-positioned to continue its critical work of seeking justice and keeping our community safe.”

Garnar took a moment to honor the life of John “JR” Gaudet, an 11-year veteran of the Binghamton Fire Department who was killed on Feb. 12 after a wall collapsed while crews battled a three-alarm fire.

Following his eight years serving in the Broome County Legislature, Garnar was elected as the county’s ninth executive in 2016, the youngest in county history. He won reelection in 2024 for the third time, making him Broome’s first three-term executive.

At the end of his address, Garnar said the people of Broome County should have “leaders who put progress ahead of politics.”

“By continuing to foster this strong working relationship, we will ensure that Broome County remains a place where people want to live, work, and raise their families,” Garnar said. “So let’s keep moving forward — together.”

Held Saturday in front of the Broome County Courthouse, the event was spearheaded by the Together for Ukraine Foundation, a local volunteer organization supporting refugees and providing aid, cultural diplomacy and advocacy across political parties. A large Ukrainian flag was draped across the front of the courthouse, and the crowd held flags and signs, including one reading, “We The People Stand with Ukraine.”

The service opened with words from Anatoliy Pradun, the board president of the Together for Ukraine Foundation, followed by the American and Ukrainian national anthems, performed by Ayana Del Valle and the Ukrainian Community Chorus, respectively.

“It is very important for us, for not only the Ukrainian community but everyone who lives in Binghamton to support,” Pradun said. “To send that spirit of encouragement, to stand with them, to show our people that we are standing and supporting them.”

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump incorrectly called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” responsible for the war. The statement followed a diplomatic meeting between the United States and Russia to address the war — a meeting from which Ukrainian representatives were notably absent.

On Saturday, the United States proposed a resolution to the United Nations calling for peace, rivaling another proposal by the European Union and Ukraine. While the European resolution demands a complete withdrawal of Russian military forces from Ukraine, its American counterpart calls more broadly for “a swift end to the conflict.”

In her opening remarks, Christina Zawerucha ‘05, the executive director of the Together for Ukraine Foundation and a lecturer and conversation pairs coordinator at the English Language Institute, criticized the administration’s handling of negotiations.

“There should be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine, and no negotiations about Europe without Europe at the table,” Zawerucha said. “A peace deal with Russia is not just about stopping a war. A deal should also be made to prevent the next one by convincing Russia that its invasion was a costly failure.”

Over the past three years, Russia has paid a large price in equipment and casualties — with one estimate from the International Institute for Strategic Studies concluding that “a minimum of 172,000 Russian troops have been killed and 611,000 wounded,” while thousands of Russian main battle tanks and armored vehicles have been destroyed.

“If America abandons Ukraine now and denies Ukraine the right to reclaim all of its territory or join NATO, these concessions send the message to Putin to think that, after all this, the war was worth the cost,” she added. “A short-term peace does not justify long-term instability and power grabs.”

The Very Reverend Father Teodor Czabala and Father Ivan Synyvsky, leaders from the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church and St. John’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, led the group in a panakhyda memorial service. Afterward, Fathers Jim Dutko of St. Michael’s Orthodox Church and Nathaniel Choma of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church said a moleben, or a mourning prayer.

The Rev. Joe Sellepack from the Broome County Council of Churches shared his upbringing as a child of an immigrant before leading the crowd in an interfaith prayer.

“Today we all suffer,” Sellepack said. “We suffer with you, because we know what it’s like to have to leave your home looking for freedom.”

State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84 and Rep. Josh Riley were also present, advocating for Ukrainian independence and reaffirming Ukraine’s right to self-determination.

“Despite what some of our leadership may think, and most certainly may do, to diminish the human spirit through policies that are rooted in injustice and sow seeds of divisiveness, and lead to loss of life and loss of our shared humanity, us standing here together today — it is my prayer that it serves as a reminder of the power that we have when we all stand together to demand justice and peace for our shared humanity,” Webb said.

Lupardo criticized the Trump administration’s shift in policy as a “betrayal” and a rewriting of the history of the war. Long-term security and peace within Ukraine is critical, she said.

Riley noted the sizable Ukrainian community in the 19th Congressional District, saying he would support his constituents in the federal government.

“I want you to know, with all the uncertainty and all the fights that are happening in Washington, no matter what, when push comes to shove, I am going to have your backs through thick and thin,” Riley said. “You can count on me for that.”

Harris Weiss ‘16, a district representative from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, read a similar statement in support of Ukraine and Ukrainian Americans.

After the event, a small reception was held at Atomic Tom’s gallery, serving traditional Ukrainian baked goods. Later that night, the Security Mutual Life Building downtown was lit in blue and yellow to honor the victims of the war.

On Monday, the Ukrainian Cultural Association will place around 200 Ukrainian flags on the Peace Quad to commemorate the lives lost in the war. Zawerucha urged students to call their representatives and voice their support for Ukraine.

“Let our elected officials know — please support Ukraine,” Zawerucha told Pipe Dream. “Please support Ukraine, do not betray our allies in Ukraine. Please stand up for freedom, justice and democracy by supporting Ukraine.”

Finding a replacement is no easy feat, according to Kathryn Grant Madigan, the chair of the BU Council and head of the search committee. Serving in her position on the BU Council, a 10-member body that supervises certain University operations, for about 16 years, Madigan was part of the committee that first selected current University President Harvey Stenger after a 17-month search in 2011.

Designed to represent all stakeholders on campus, the search committee consists of 21 members — students, faculty members, University Council members and the president of SUNY Broome.

The search for a new president is closed, meaning the identities of potential candidates are not disclosed. This contrasts with an open search, in which applications are open, and their identities are publicly available. Madigan said their search would be a hybrid form with some “representational aspects.” They may ask groups of people like faculty, students, staff and community members who commit to being confidential and allow them to provide their input on potential finalists.

Stenger announced his intent to step down at a BU Council meeting in October. Since his appointment, he has overseen initiatives like the Road Map Premier, described as a plan to ensure the University capitalizes on new opportunities and achieves its strategic goals.

Stenger also directed the establishment of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which saw its first graduating class in 2021. Other accomplishments include the robust student body growth body, the expansion of graduate programs and the University’s designation as a “public Ivy” by Forbes.

To help conduct the search for his replacement, the committee sent requests in December to eight firms. Following an extensive vetting and interview process, the committee unanimously selected WittKieffer, an executive search and leadership advisory firm that has previously conducted searches for BU, most recently in January for David Whitmore, who will become vice president of advancement and executive director of the BU Foundation in March.

The search committee formally met on Thursday, and the team will soon create a presidential profile to center the qualities they hope to attract. This will be followed by the active recruitment stage, projected to last six to eight weeks. From a potential pool of 50 to 100 candidates, it will likely decrease to 10 or 12 semifinalists, Madigan said.

After another extensive interview process, about five will formally be recommended to the University Council. The top three will be selected from this pool, whose candidacies are then forwarded to King with a detailed evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. The chancellor will then meet with the SUNY Board of Trustees, who will interview the candidates one final time before the chancellor makes the final selection.

Stenger has vowed to remain in his post until a replacement is appointed, though Madigan said ideally, a replacement is found before the fall 2025 semester. As part of the search, she said the team plans to organize listening sessions to connect with “various constituencies on campus.” Madigan said she hopes these sessions will be a place where students can provide insight.

“I think everybody wants to feel that their perspective is considered as we develop the profile of the kind of person we want to lead the University into the future,” Madigan said. “And I think the community is definitely going to be interested in weighing in.”

The committee’s website has a feedback form so students can provide input on qualities and characteristics for the University’s next president. The committee hopes to keep the campus community informed through updates on their website.

“I remember talking to the press after he was selected as the new president, and I told the reporter, ‘He’s a star,’ and that’s exactly what he’s been,” Madigan said, thinking back to when Stenger was selected. “And so now we are now a premier institution not only in New York but also in the Northeast. And now with the Forbes and the other rankings we have, we’re going national.”

“Harvey has really set the stage for an amazing opportunity for the right person, the right leader, the vision and someone who could build on all the things that Harvey has done,” Madigan added.

The 21 search committee members are: Kathryn Grant Madigan, Linda Beimer, Dennis McCabe and Maureen Wilson, representing the BU Council; Paul Chiarot, Tina Chronopoulus, Eric Cotts, Komla Dzigbede, Barry Jones, Debi Mishra and Sue O’Brien, representing the faculty; Daksh Mehta, an undergraduate student; Kiana Tanghatar, a graduate student; Dan Black, representing the Alumni Association; Stuart Koenig and Tyrone Muse, the chair and vice chair of the University Foundation; Terry Deak, vice provost and the dean of the Graduate School; Andre Mathis, representing the Professional Staff Senate; Dewan Mantosh and Tony D. Hawkins, representing SUNY; Janet Ranucci, representing administrative support staff; and Zulaika Rodriguez-Awoliyi, a nonvoting member from the SUNY chancellor’s office.

The gathering, held at the beginning of Black History Month in the Q Center Lounge, allowed students to discuss their personal experiences with found family. Conversations centered around the definition of family, the concept of community, and how these ideas impact and affect LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. Food from local minority-owned restaurants was offered and various discussion questions addressed the challenges these groups can face when these identities conflict.

”We hope to encourage attendees to reflect on and listen to each others’ experiences as queer and/or BIPOC students who have sought ‘chosen family’ outside of their home life,” Iris DeFino, a sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression educator and a senior majoring in political science, wrote in an email. “Many queer people in particular face rejection or shame from their families and thus try to find supportive, safe, and liberating environments elsewhere. We hope that attendees may also connect and meet new people at this event who could potentially become a part of their own ‘found family’ as well, especially if they are new to Binghamton or starting to explore their gender or sexual identity.”

Jasdeep Braich, a student manager for the Q Center and a junior double-majoring in business administration and biological sciences, said the Q Center and SHADES, an organization for LGBTQ+ students of color, allowed queer individuals to be open, express themselves and find community in ways he and many others had previously been unable to.

The center, founded in 2015 with the purpose of fostering a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students, offers mental health resources and diverse clothing options to explore one’s gender expression, while hosting numerous events throughout the year.

The Q Center hosts the “Echoes of Identity” event series to highlight BIPOC and queer perspectives at the University throughout the semester. Throughout its history, the event has had several educational themes, including transgender history and navigating politics as a marginalized person.

Andrew Smith, a sophomore majoring in global public health, said that the Q Center allowed him to find a “chosen family.”

Recent political developments — like President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order to bar transgender athletes from women’s sports on Wednesday — have increasingly targeted the LGBTQ+ community. Amid national developments, the Q Center aims to foster a sense of community that is invaluable not only to LGBTQ+ students but the entire student body, DeFino said.

“The state of American politics is very hostile and it may feel as though there is little we can do to affect change. However, this community work on campus is one of the best ways we can make a positive impact and support the well-being and journeys of queer students at Binghamton,” DeFino wrote. “I hope that this event and others like it continue to encourage marginalized students on campus to find their safe spaces, while also fighting to advance the rights and visibility of our communities.”