The official figures were discussed by the Professional Staff Senate (PSS) — the official governing organization of professional employees at the University — during their meeting on March 29. Since the fall 2013 semester, freshman applications increased from 29,025 to 41,642, approximately a 43 percent rise. During the same period, transfer applications decreased by nearly 18 percent, from 4,590 to 3,774. The acceptance rate for both have fluctuated between around 40 and 50 percent throughout this time.

BU President Harvey Stenger acknowledged the decline in transfer applicants when describing the Binghamton Advantage Program (BAP) expansion during his 2023 State of the University address.

“What we’re trying to do is help [SUNY Broome Community College (BCC)] improve their enrollment, and at the same time, we’re trying to turn around that problem that [was] identified before,” Stenger said. “We are lacking transfer students. We don’t have enough transfer students to meet our goal.”

Stenger expressed hope for the impact of the BAP expansion — which would allow students to live at BCC or at home while also encouraging participation in BU’s student life and guaranteeing a transfer after one year.

The PSS also noted that international student applications are not-yet as high as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, though the numbers are growing — unlike transfer applications.

Overall freshman applications, though growing, also faced a slight dip years back — though before the COVID-19 pandemic. BU had 38,712 total freshman applicants in fall 2018, which dropped to 37,512 in fall 2019. Since then, however, freshman applications have ramped up steadily.

Ryan Yarosh, the senior director of media and public relations at BU, credited larger statewide initiatives as a potential factor for recent increases in freshman applications.

“The increase is most likely connected to a SUNY policy that offered a two-week period when any student could apply with no fee,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “This has never happened before, and we received more than 20,000 applications during these weeks.”

Alana Nappi, a freshman majoring in business administration, explained how the fee waiver — offered for a portion of fall 2022 — impacted her decision to apply to various universities.

“I sent in my transfer application to [BU] during those two weeks with no application fee,” Nappi said. “It definitely gave me the incentive to apply to more SUNY schools than I otherwise would have.”

While transfer applications to the University have consistently dropped each year, the PSS reported increased figures from international students. According to a Forbes report, larger applicant pools are a national trend among institutions using the Common Application.

Mason Day, a junior majoring in biology, related his college experience to the flux of current events.

“I definitely had a less than normal experience when I decided to attend [BU] during the middle of the [COVID-19] pandemic,” Day said. “I knew some people who put off going to college during this time and instead tried to take time off and work, so it makes sense that people could be deciding to come back to school when things are better now.”

“Econ-nect” is a series of events that connects students majoring in economics to Binghamton University alumni currently working in the field for career advice and preparation. Harpur Edge, the professional advising service for undergraduate students in Harpur College, first launched the program in January 2020. On March 17, Maya Reid, ‘18, vice president of data project management at Citibank, spoke to Harpur College students through Zoom about her professional journey from being a student to working for a global financial services corporation.

While attending BU, Reid double-majored in economics and human development. During her junior year, she attended a campus-wide career fair and secured a summer internship in the Risk and Compliance Department for Protiviti, a management consulting company. After graduation, Reid returned to Protiviti before getting her current job in product management for Citibank.

During the virtual event, Reid discussed her initial experiences when transitioning to a full-time career in management consulting, which she said did not exactly align with her economics degree from Harpur College.

“Going right into the field of consulting made me feel like I had impostor syndrome for a little bit,” Reid said. “But I was able to adjust into my role by networking internally when I was an intern, as well as working on training courses outside of work to help improve my technical skills.”

At the event, students were curious to know about the similarities and differences between Reid’s experiences working in consulting and product management. Reid said her current role in product management was more tailored to skills she obtained from her economics degree.

“I get to work with a lot more data in product management, which ties into a lot of my economics classes I took at [BU],” Reid said. “The analytical side of economics helps me make better decisions when it comes to deciding about what opportunity costs a project I’m working on will have.”

Megan Konstantakos, assistant director of Harpur Edge, first connected with Reid in January over Linkedin to arrange the “Econ-nect” event. They had an initial Zoom meeting to discuss ways in which her background would help Harpur students, specifically those studying economics.

Konstantakos explained that Reid’s established background in product management can point students toward a potential career path they didn’t think of before.

“Reid’s successful career in data product management also happens to be an area of growing interest for our students and can be relevant to many jobs they hope to seek after graduation,” Konstantakos wrote in an email. “Engaging with recent alumni allows students to have direct insight into the job market that they are entering into.”

Richard Saunooke, a senior majoring in political science, said he is interested in a consulting career and learning about the steps needed to get there.

“It was nice to know that Reid was able to take advantage of courses that can help us become proficient at stuff like Tableau and SQL, which are definitely becoming important to know in many fields of management,” Saunooke said. “I can see myself trying out an external professional course in the future.”

Other students were curious about what Reid’s career experience was like in terms of life outside of the office environment. Nicholas Wines, a junior double-majoring in economics and business administration, said he had not considered the perks involved in a consulting job.

“It was cool hearing about how much traveling around the country Reid could do when working for a consulting firm,” Wines said. “I always like to see new places and work on a variety of different projects, so financial consulting is something I have my eye on.”

The Immigration Law Conference was hosted by BU’s Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society (TMPLS), a professional student organization with the objective of preparing students of all backgrounds for careers in the legal field. The conference featured a panel of four guest speakers who have all worked in immigration law in different capacities.

They included Margaret Kelly, Esq. and Shuyuan Michelle Tian, Esq., attorneys currently practicing in the Binghamton area, Shannon Laguerre-Maingrette, Esq., an attorney specializing in asylum cases and a partner for the Spar & Bernstein firm in Manhattan, and Clarisse Motfoso, the founder of a nonprofit organization that connects African immigrants with legal assistance in the NYC metropolitan area.

The conference lasted for three hours and featured a keynote speech and panel, followed by a lunch break and then time to break into groups, which allowed students interested in immigration law to network with the guest speakers.

One of the panel questions asked the speakers to describe what got them involved in the legal field of immigration, and having shared experiences with the current immigrant population was a reason for some of the speakers to begin their interest in law.

Tian, who obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing before moving to the United States, expressed her connection to her clients.

“As a first-generation immigrant, I feel like I can relate to my clients, especially considering common factors such as gaining employment and bringing over their families to the United States,” Tian said. “I feel like I am well equipped to understand their difficulties and help them to the best of my ability.”

Kelly, who currently practices law for a refugee services center called Journey’s End in Binghamton, stated that hearing about changes in immigration policies in the political landscape was a major incentive for her to get involved in the field.

“I was fortunate to grow up as a privileged white woman, but hearing about devastating events with regard to immigration sent a message to me that isn’t how the world should be,” Kelly said. “I knew right then that this was something I wanted to do for a career.”

The Immigration Law Conference is part of the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society’s effort to hold a legal conference every semester with a different theme. Previous subject areas for conferences have included criminal law and medical law, which are some of the main interests for students in the pre-law track at BU.

Anna Shablak, the president of the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she believes that it is the responsibility of the TMPLS to promote the field of immigration law to the student body at BU.

“There are many students on campus who are either the children of immigrant parents or first-generation college students, and it is important to recognize the diverse experiences that everyone has on campus and beyond,” Shablak wrote in an email. “We are the only multicultural pre-law organization at BU, and our goal is to create an inclusive environment for any student to study law.”

Some students who attended the Immigration Law conference were left impressed with the achievements of the guest speakers in their respective careers.

Charles Tumino, a junior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, said that hearing the experiences of Laguerre-Maingrette was the highlight of his time at the conference.

“I thought [Laguerre-Maingrette] had the most interesting background when it came to practicing law, especially since her work in Florida with people from Cuba was really hands-on and involved helping clients overcome some horrible stuff,” Tumino said. “As someone who is studying law myself, this is something I could see myself doing in the future.”

Other attending students said they felt that attending the Immigration Law Conference helped narrow down what specific field of law they might be interested in studying in the future.

Eghan Zapata, an undeclared freshman, said he thinks law can be very broad, but the conference helped him learn more.

“I’ve always been interested in studying law since I was a kid, but there are so many fields to think about such as criminal law, entertainment law, business law and so on, so conferences like these are very beneficial for me to go to,” Zapata said. “Just getting the knowledge to learn about a new type of law is so important when it eventually comes to deciding what path I will take.”

After the panel, there was time for the guest speakers to answer questions from the audience. A common question regarded how hard it is to manage the intense workload that is often involved in a legal career.

Laguerre-Maingrette said it is vital to find a balance for how often she allows legal work to interfere with her personal life.

“This can be a very difficult and overwhelming job, and there are dangers to the personal well-being of immigration lawyers that need to get discussed,” Laguerre-Maingrette said. “You can get easily overwhelmed, and it’s about finding the right things outside of work that can make you happy.”

The decision to reinstate Late Nite comes after a several-week suspension of the service in response to numerous student misconduct incidents — which occurred at the OCCT bus stop on the intersection of State Street and Hawley Street. During the temporary closure, the SA and OCCT staff worked together to form a long-term solution to stop recurring student misbehavior. The solution includes placing barricades and having more police officers at the downtown bus stops.

Students can expect new rule additions from when Late Nite services were last operating, according to the SA’s statement. One of the changes includes moving the bus stop to Parlor City Commons to ensure that less students will overcrowd and cut lines when boarding the bus.

“All buses will now stop and pick up passengers from Hawley Street beside the courtyard immediately behind Stone Fox,” the SA wrote in an Instagram statement. “Barricades with a distinct queue area will also be placed at this stop.”

Furthermore, the SA and OCCT announced they will be cooperating with both the New York State University Police Department (UPD) and Binghamton Police Department (BPD) officers to guarantee that students adhere to the newly established rules.

“Both BU police officers and the [BPD] will be on the scene to keep everyone safe,” the SA wrote. “Trained OCCT Late Nite staff will also be present at the stops to assist with crowd control.”

OCCT staff has had to deal with overcrowding issues throughout the semester, but decided to make a permanent change following numerous incidents of antagonistic student behavior on Halloween weekend, according to the SA.

Daniel Croce, chairman and chief financial officer for OCCT, SA vice president for finance and a junior majoring in business administration, said that the impact of recent disorderly conduct on OCCT staff and other passengers was one of the main reasons behind implementing the rule changes.

“The disruptions to service were caused by unruly passenger behavior when boarding the bus,” Croce wrote in an email. “This behavior was targeted against both the officers at the scene and drivers, and posed significant safety risks for not just OCCT staff but other passengers as well.”

The most recent suspension of the service marks the third time OCCT has been suspended this semester. Alex Lewyn, a senior majoring in economics, said he thinks student behavior on the buses worsened in the semesters during COVID-19.

“At first during [COVID-19] I noticed drivers struggling with smaller issues such as getting students to wear masks on the bus,” Lewyn said. “Then, it became a bigger problem on the weekends with everyone pushing each other in line to get on the Late Nite buses.”

HanChen Liu, a sophomore majoring in accounting, described how the recent suspension of Late Nite services has impacted him on weekends.

“I live off campus and since the Late Nite buses were not running these past weeks, it was hard for my friends on campus to take the bus to my place on the weekends,” Liu wrote in an email. “I am happy to see the buses resume at these times, and hopefully the schedule can be consistent now.”

The SA has warned that further instances of disorderly conduct from students could lead to a permanent termination of Late Nite services. Croce has called for continued student compliance in the interest of keeping the buses running.

“Myself and all employees at OCCT have one mission — to get students home and around the Binghamton area safely,” Croce wrote in an email. “I continue to encourage all students to respect staff members, buses and the service. We will get you home safely, and we are truly in this together!”

The clean energy landscape event was hosted as a joint initiative between Harpur Edge, an organization that promotes professional and intellectual development among students at the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, and the Watson Career and Alumni Connections (WCAC) office. The event was led by guest speaker and alumnus Luke Wentlent, Ph.D. ‘15, who received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering and his Ph.D. in materials science from BU. Wentlent discussed the importance of the storage of renewable energy and how students can get involved, concluding with a Q&A session with attendees.

Wentlent currently works as a principal research and development engineer at Plug Power, a manufacturing company that focuses on developing hydrogen fuel cell systems to store renewable energy. During his presentation, Wentlent explained how the sporadic nature of energy sources makes renewable energy storage a necessity.

“We need to store [renewable energy] because everything on the planet is intermittent,” Wentlent said. “The sun doesn’t shine all the time, the wind doesn’t blow all the time and hydropower is limited in terms of being able to deploy it. And when you start thinking about careers and opportunities and things you can do, all of these energy industries require virtually every physical science and stem background to be used in some capacity.”

Kimberly Eiche, director of the WCAC, expressed her belief that the event opened students up to a growing field.

“The WCAC is always looking to expand partnerships with companies in a variety of industries, and clean energy is becoming a primary focus for many students and local industries here,” Eiche wrote in an email. “Companies in this realm are actively recruiting our students for jobs and internships including BAE Systems, Constellation, Plug Power, Avangrid Renewables and many others.”

Some students attended to get a head start on job recruitment through attending Wentlent’s speaker event.

Harpreet Singh, a senior majoring in chemistry, said attending Wentlent’s talk helped him evaluate potential career opportunities that he could apply for once he graduates.

“The biggest thing I learned from this lecture is that the job dynamics in the field of science and engineering are shifting a lot, and have been moving toward ways of efficiently utilizing renewable resources for the benefit of the environment,” Singh said. “So I just came here to think about ways I can get involved in this field, as there are many paths I can consider based on my background.”

Other students attended the event to attain a basic understanding of the current energy landscape, and the research that Wentlent has conducted at Plug Power.

Mason Day, a junior majoring in biology, said Wentlent’s discussion helped him develop more of an interest in the different fields concerning clean energy usage.

“It was nice to become more familiar with what is currently going on in other fields of science that I do not study on a regular basis,” Day said. “I never realized just how interconnected different disciplines of STEM can be, so it is good knowing there are opportunities here that match some of my skill sets.”

During his guest lecture, Wentlent emphasized the importance of students participating in work beyond studying for their bachelor’s degree, in order to have the best chance for success after graduation.

“Always remember to constantly be out there seeking jobs, internships, conducting research and taking leadership roles that showcase your technical skills and experiences,” Wentlent said. “Energy is a great place to be in right now, we have professionals working with us at Plug Power from so many different educational backgrounds, who all acquired the skills needed to work here through other opportunities.”

“Bowling for Books” was a culmination of fundraising work for the project known as Operation BigBookBag, in which more than 20 different student organizations across the University actively participated, with the intent of tackling the needs of local school children who are educationally at risk, in homeless shelters or in facilities of extended care such as hospitals.

The Lethal Lambda Zeta chapter of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) student organization at Binghamton, were the two main organizations behind Operation BigBookBag. Sigma Gamma Rho hosts back-to-school giveaways every August and January, where money and school supplies are donated to the cause.

Kaylah Williams, president of Sigma Gamma Rho, a member of NAACP Binghamton and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said a big aspect of the fundraiser was bringing a large community of students together.

“Bringing back a traditional national event like Operation BigBookBag to [BU] every year is a great way to get everyone more involved, especially on campus,” Williams said. “And with hosting Bowling for Books, there is also an aspect of fun that goes along with the hard work.”

“Bowling for Books” was co-hosted by Sigma Gamma Rho and the NAACP in University Union West Room 324, with chairs and tables being moved out of the way for two large bowling lanes. One side of the room featured tables with games and snacks, as well as speakers playing music. Admission to the event was free and the classroom was filled with students from the various participating organizations.

Sigma Gamma Rho’s E-Board, who coordinated the fundraising efforts with other schools in the local Binghamton area, set a target amount of money to raise by the end of the event. Students then tried to match that amount through either monetary donations or contributing school supplies.

Shanae Phillips, vice-president of Sigma Gamma Rho and a senior majoring in human development, said that even the smallest contributions can go a long way toward the cause.

“The principals I’ve talked to at the schools that we often donate to say that the money goes toward things they desperately need every semester, such as iPads,” Phillips said. “Pretty much the donations are used for anything which can make a positive difference to their education.”

While Sigma Gamma Rho and NAACP Binghamton were the main organizers of Operation BigBookBag, they were not the only student organizations to have an impact on the proceedings for the fundraiser.

Alex Nandalall, a member of Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program (JUMP) Nation and a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said the goals of the program were aligned with the values of his student organization.

“Since the overall goal of Operation BigBookBag was to raise money for school supplies, JUMP Nation got involved by contributing essential items like folders, pens and pencils,” Nandalall said. “We realize we can help these children at risk have a greater quality of education and hopefully lower school dropout rates, as well.”

The BU Men of Color Scholastic Society (BUMCS) student group, which places an emphasis on current events affecting men of color, also played a part in Operation BigBookBag.

Hector Colon, president of the BUMCS and a junior majoring in accounting, wrote that it is important for members of his organization to keep giving back to the community in order to ensure prosperity for youth.

“[The fundraiser] allows us to help children that face many of the same issues that our own members have faced throughout their lives,” Colon wrote in an email. “We want to ensure that these goals continue to be achieved since the greater aim is to provide everyone with more chances of success in the future.”

Some buildings currently undergoing construction and renovations include the third floor of the Glenn G. Bartle Library, the Science II and IV buildings, the West Gym, the Events Center and the outdoor “Hinman Hill’’ project. The renovations on the third floor of the Bartle Library, which began last November, involve the installation of new flooring and lighting along with the removal of asbestos.

Bryan Field, the libraries communications officer for BU, said that renovations for the third floor of the Bartle Library are currently on track to be completed by the spring of 2024.

“The renovation project on the third floor of the Bartle Library is well underway with renovations expected to add several new resources and spaces that will support student and faculty use,” Field wrote in an email. “When complete, the third floor will feature a new digital scholarship center, meeting spaces for collaboration and individual quiet study as well as our unique collections.”

The Science II and Science IV buildings have both been undergoing consistent renovations, with offices, labs and support spaces being updated in each of the buildings. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are also being installed in Science IV.

Karen Fennie, the communications specialist for Physical Facilities, has confirmed that construction for both buildings will be finished for the upcoming fall semester.

“The projects [in Science II and IV] are substantially complete and most of the remaining work is centered around furniture and equipment installations which take place over the next couple of months,” Fennie wrote in an email.

Fennie also described the potential environmental benefits that students can expect to see from the renovated Science buildings.

“They’ve enhanced energy efficiency in these older buildings through new windows, insulated metal panels on the building exteriors and updated mechanical systems,” Fennie wrote. “Aside from that, students will have more small informal gathering/study spaces in the buildings.”

Plans for the outdoor “Hinman Hill” project have been finalized, with construction set to start over the summer. Al Vos, former collegiate professor of Hinman College and associate professor emeritus of English, was behind the idea for the project, and initially had hoped the hill would be ready by the time alumni arrived for Homecoming in the fall.

The upcoming fall semester remains the target date for the project, according to James Brice, the associate director of operations and crisis for Residential Life.

“The project has been awarded to a contractor and work will begin this summer,” Brice wrote in an email. “We cannot commit to a specific completion date at this time, as we are often at the mercy of supply chain issues and weather delays with a project like this.”

Fennie provided an additional update for the boiler project in the Events Center and the West Gym, which is still expected to be completed in the fall of 2022.

“The main work remaining in the boiler project involves interior work in the new plant, the Events Center and the West Gym,” Fennie wrote. “The goal is to help reduce load on the central heating plant, deactivate high-temperature hot water (HTHW) lines in poor condition and provide heat and hot water for the Events Center and the West Gym.”

Some students are looking forward to the improvements that these projects can bring to student life and campus infrastructure. Joshua Blankstein, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said that a refurbished library would be a better resource for the campus.

“The third floor of the Bartle Library is the most useful renovation for me,” Blankstein wrote in an email. “I will be living off campus next semester and a renovated space to do work between classes can be useful to me academically.”

Daniel Shulman, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said he wishes the third floor of the Bartle Library could be renovated sooner.

“I like the improvements that these projects are bringing, but it’s unfortunate that the third floor of the [Bartle] Library will only be reopened by 2024,” Shulman said. “It can be hard finding study spots in the library as it is during exam weeks.”

The rule changes were first proposed by BU’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS), and then modified by the Parking and Transportation Stakeholders Group (PTSG) before being approved and passed during a recent BU Council meeting. The PTSG consists of a mixture of faculty, staff and students, with the chair of the group as Brian Rose, the vice president for student affairs. In addition to the appeal fee, other rule changes include higher fines for parking in unauthorized spots and a $5 nuisance fee for those who park in the garage without paying.

Rose, who presented the changes at the BU Council meeting on behalf of the PTSG, explained some of the University’s motives behind raising and adding fees.

“We operate the parking on campus as an auxiliary service, which means it is a self-supporting operation,” Rose said at the Council meeting. “The urban legend is that we’re raking in money, the reality is we don’t actually yield enough money to pay all the costs associated with maintaining the lots we have right now.”

Tanya Husick, the executive director of BU’s TAPS, commented on the factors behind the recent changes to parking fees made by the PTSG.

“Currently the deferred maintenance is in excess of [$2.9 million],” Husick wrote in an email. “Changes made to the parking citation amounts are meant to deter inappropriate behavior.”

Some students expressed disapproval of the changes made by the University, with regard to the appeal fee in particular.

Mouhamadou Anne, a sophomore majoring in systems science and industrial engineering, said the University could be more aware of the extenuating circumstances students face while parking.

“I have received a ticket before for not being able to move my car out of a spot because of a snowstorm,” Anne said. “I shouldn’t have to pay an extra fee to appeal a charge like that in the future.”

Rose suggested that the inclusion of the appeal fee by the TAPS office is warranted due to the high number of appeals the office has to handle on a regular basis.

“We deal with more than 1,200 appeals [every year],” Rose said. “The vast majority of appeals are from people who don’t like to pay, it is not that they actually have evidence that they didn’t commit a violation. So the idea is to try to disincentivize people from filing an appeal just so they have the opportunity [to not pay].”

A few students are unsure if the changes made to parking fees will be enough to address other issues that students frequently face with on-campus parking.

Mevindra Sawh, an undeclared sophomore, questioned whether the proposed changes will address the overcrowding of lots.

“I think it is necessary to build an additional parking garage so that both resident students and commuters can have more access to parking spaces,” Sawh wrote in an email. “It is very hard to find a parking spot during the day with the commuters taking up most of them.”

Called “Hinman Hill,” the project plans to include a stage and a carved stone and brick sign with the words “Hinman College” engraved. The landscape of the hill where the terrace will be located will allow for students to give presentations and concerts. The project hopes to emulate other terraced areas, such as the one at the end of the Infinity Fountain by the center of campus. The planned brick sign will mirror those already constructed in other residential communities, such as in Newing College, Dickinson College and Susquehanna Community.

This project was developed by Al Vos, former collegiate professor of Hinman College and associate professor emeritus of English. Vos initially proposed the idea in 2017, but plans were put on hold due to the renovation of the Hinman Dining Center, which was completed last fall. Plans for the project were then updated and put into motion this spring, with construction ready to take place over the summer.

The project is expected to be complete prior to the fall 2022 semester. Vos, who has also been a long-serving collegiate professor at Hinman College, said the completed project could be of use to Hinman College residents in a variety of ways.

“The hill can become a place for outdoor classes, for [resident assistant (RA)] events, outdoor concerts and films, community assemblies — in short, a gathering place for Hinman [College] students,” Vos wrote.

This is not the first time there have been efforts to actively develop portions of the hill. According to Vos, a small garden was constructed by students a few years ago. However, with no one being there to tend to the garden over the summer, the plants were destroyed by deer in the area.

Vos is joined in the project planning by Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, Paola Mignone, assistant vice president for residential experiences and Jay Duseau, director of development for Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, who are assisting Vos in gaining support of the project and participating in logistics regarding design and construction.

Funding for the project was provided through various alumni donations. Due to the donations, the fundraising goal was within reach, allowing for a contract to be signed with a local landscaping company.

Some students said they welcome the new project. Mason Day, a sophomore majoring in biology, believes residents will make frequent use of the hill once it has been renovated.

“I can see the renovated hill becoming a main area for social gatherings [at Hinman College],” Day wrote in an email. “It should be a good way to display the great community spirit that we have here.”

Michael Mackey, a sophomore majoring in economics, hopes BU will continue to follow the construction with more potential renovations.

“It’s nice to see that the University is putting in the effort to improve such a nice outdoor space,” Mackey wrote in an email. “I wonder what this means for other underdeveloped areas on campus that need upgrades.”

Rose hinted at more restoration projects across campus in the future.

“We are always looking for opportunities to make improvements to our residential communities so they can continue to support a vibrant campus life,” Rose wrote in an email. “This summer we will begin work to restore and renovate Old Rafuse Hall, and will thereafter explore improvements to outdoor recreational spaces in some of the communities.”

Pipe Dream: Can you just tell me a little bit about yourself and your background, and what you are doing currently?

Daniel Adeyanju: A lot of my identity comes from how I grew up, really — both my parents are pastors, as well as professionals. My mom is a doctor and my dad is an engineer by training, an electrical engineer. And when [they] moved from Nigeria to Jamaica and then had myself and my brother, my dad was also coming to the [United States] and learning about the world of technology that was emerging in building computers. So he’s learning how to build computers, he was teaching others how to build computers and he was also ministering in churches — and my mom was working as a medical doctor. So growing up, I always saw my parents as builders and givers, and that really influenced me growing up. My mom always told me that I used to help people with their homework before I finished mine. When we came to the [United States], we eventually started building a church in New York. And I was a big part of supporting that. So just kind of that mold of being a giver and a builder.

PD: How will your talk fit in with the theme “Welcome to Tomorrow?”

DA: So I’m a career nerd. As I will talk about in my talk, I’m just freakishly passionate about what people do in their careers — like I’m gonna ask you about what you’re gonna do next. And I’ll give you some [advice], whatever I can in whatever time we have. And that’s because I believe if people are spending their time doing the things that are optimal for them, exploring their passions and their proclivities, and they are doing what they’re good at, the world will be a better place. I believe that there are people doing jobs that don’t even require a human. They should be curing cancer.

PD: So implementing projects is all based on whether people want to put in the effort to do so?

DA: Exactly. So projects are key. And then in interviews you’re talking about things you’ve worked on. And the reason I say that is because we often talk about internships, which is great, or get involved on campus, which is such a general term, but folks are getting involved with things and they’re not necessarily creating anything. You want to have a portfolio and finished products. That’s huge, you’ll want to talk about that in an interview. You’ve done the work, you have a process, a story to tell. The last one is packaging, which kind of alludes to the story aspect. How do you tell a coherent story between, media, various media, your resume, cover letter, your LinkedIn, for example. Social media is huge. And you are messaging to folks, these [four] things — “Who am I? What do I do? Why do do it?” In addition, “How can you help me get there?” So you’re constantly messaging that when you’re using this media, when you’re in conversation, you have an elevator elevator pitch, you can say that in about 30 to 45 seconds, and you should be able to invite people to know who you are.

PD: You currently work at a lab that you helped create?

DA: We specifically prepare folks for jobs that have job titles, such as site reliability engineer and DevOps engineer. These jobs are concerned with making sure constant changes are made to the site. I don’t know if you know this, but there are people who are coding at any given time. There’s constant changes being made to Google, for example. And any of those changes can cause Google to break, or Netflix more importantly. And if Netflix were to go down, Netflix would lose a lot of money because we would probably unsubscribe because we can’t get to watch “Bridgerton” or something — I like “Bridgerton,” but that’s not important. So we train our [instructors] to ensure that we teach our students the skills necessary to keep those platforms up. They have to understand the infrastructure, things like Linux, a popular operating system for infrastructure, programming and then other software to automate. So it’s really interesting, because this role that I’m preparing folks for, it’s about automation. There are people who need to do these jobs, and these people actually have to be highly communicative.

PD: You just want to get them to achieve a sort of balance between the two?

DA: Yeah, but the most important thing is that they have to be relentless about solving problems and being problem solvers. They also need to have strong people skills. And they have to have that desire to learn, that insatiable desire to learn, constantly learning on the side. So they are always learning, they are always building those connecting dots, even within the systems, and they are drawing diagrams, trying to understand how things work. I would say another thing, too, is curiosity and all the things I’ve mentioned are just important skills in general life. I believe that the folks that we are training now are going to be the leaders of the future of technology, based on the skills that they’ve developed over the course of their lives, and also at Kura Labs.

On Sunday, Feb. 27, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the statewide order requiring students to wear masks while inside school buildings would end on March 2. The decision to impose mandates has now been left to local officials of each respective school district. In a recent press conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams introduced a plan to phase out the city’s vaccine requirement for restaurants, bars and other indoor settings by the end of this week. As of Feb. 28, the state’s seven-day positivity rate is under 2 percent, the lowest it has been since last summer. Additionally, over 75 percent of the population in New York are fully vaccinated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In response, the SUNY website has updated its guidance, allowing individual campuses to lift mask mandates upon consultation with local health partners and CDC guidelines. SUNY Cortland and SUNY Stony Brook have already announced they will do so effective Wednesday, March 2.

In a recent B-Line announcement, BU President Harvey Stenger set late March as a tentative deadline for deciding whether to remove the University’s indoor mask mandate.

“We have decided we will defer a decision on lifting the indoor mask mandate until March 26, five days following the end of spring break,” Stenger wrote in the email. “If, at that time, Broome County and [BU] are in the medium or low transmission categories, masks will no longer be required in indoor spaces on campus.”

Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations at BU, confirmed that the mask mandate is still in effect for the time being.

“The [CDC] revised its mask guidelines late last week,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “However, based on the number of hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the county, Broome County remains an area where it is still recommended to wear a well-fitting mask indoors in public, regardless of vaccination status or individual risk.”

While the majority of New York state, including New York City, has a low level of transmission, Broome County is one of a handful of counties that still falls into the high-level category, according to the latest CDC data from the seven-day period ending March 2. As Yarosh wrote, the CDC recommends individuals living in high-risk areas to wear masks indoors, including in school settings.

According to the CDC website, Broome County’s rolling seven-day positivity rate is 5.45 percent as of March 2. Just over two-thirds of Broome County residents are vaccinated, compared to 99 percent of BU’s student population.

According to a press release from the Binghamton City School District’s website, despite this data, masks will not be required much longer in the Binghamton City School District.

“Effective this Wednesday, masks will be optional in all Binghamton City School District buildings and buses,” the press release reads. “Thank you to our students and staff for their diligence and patience as we continue to follow the guidelines and requirements of New York state and our local health department.”

The Binghamton City School District wrote that even without mandatory masks, there are other measures that are still important in being able to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“We will continue to support those who choose to wear masks, along with the other mitigating measures such as testing and social distancing until advised otherwise by the state and local health departments,” the press release reads.

Some students at BU are conflicted by Hochul’s decision and the response it has prompted from the University.

Felicia Fiacco, an undeclared freshman, believes it is important to be patient in easing restrictions.

“You have to get back to normal at some point, but you can’t just flip the switch, you have to gradually ease into it,” Fiacco wrote in an email. “If [the University] doesn’t gradually try to social distance without masks on, they are just going to go back to mask mandates.”

Some students are ready to do away with masks all together. Nicolas Costello, a junior majoring in business administration, said it is time for the mandate to end.

“The University should consider relaxing or even completely removing the mask mandate,” Costello wrote. “There are no longer mask mandates in [New York state], and if masks aren’t required anywhere off campus it does not make sense to require them on campus.”

Aaron Berkowitz, a sophomore majoring in art history, said masks are still important but should not be required in all indoor settings on campus.

“I believe that people should still have their masks indoors for classes as people are really right on top of each other,” Berkowitz wrote in an email. “However, when it comes to possibly being in a more open space like the library and you have distance from other people, I think it would be OK to have your mask down. The same concept holds true in places like the dining hall or Marketplace.”