I’m reluctant to start anything that isn’t easy or quick because I know I’ll abandon it halfway through. I wasn’t in any way a perfectionist, but I’ve been burned by the educational system ever since middle school. I went into college thinking that it’d be just more of the same, something that I had to grind through for the eventual freedom that having a job gives you.

I joined Arts & Culture my second semester after failing the grammar test for both the Copy desk and Asian Outlook. I did not think of myself as an outgoing and easy-going person. I hate explaining the most basic facts about myself, and showing my personal work to others is a degree away from letting them perform brain surgery on me. All of this means I wouldn’t make a good journalistic writer.

And yet, I was good. I was such an amazing journalist that I won the Pulitzer my first — yeah no, I didn’t. But I did show up to events, take notes, ask for interviews and write my articles. Having long, full conversations with people I’d otherwise never cross paths with is more eye-opening than I’d ever imagined. And I only missed two deadlines out of the 30 or so articles I wrote.

Arts & Culture were one of the few constants during my time at Binghamton University. I was proud to see my articles in print. I still have the newspaper cutouts that I’m definitely going to put in a scrapbook one day. Productions became a time that I looked forward to after a stressful week. Technically, it’s work, but it’s low-stakes work that reminds me of reading time, where all you do is kick your friends under the table and talk.

It’s hard to describe what leaving feels like for someone who’s not in touch with their emotions. I’ve done it a lot, but never for something I’ve chosen to attach so much of my life to. I think it’s best to keep it short and move on to the thank you’s.

To Sam: Thanks for being my Pipe Dream stoner buddy. You’re a good and caring leader who always lets us off as soon as possible, and you’re always fun and keep the vibes lighthearted no matter how tired you are. I know you’re going to keep smiling no matter what happens, either because you’re naturally a chill guy or because of the stash you’re hiding from your parents.

To Eli: I thought you were a weird-ass dude when we first met. But now I kind of get your vibe, and I like that you’re just doing your thing without really caring about other people’s lives and their opinions. You’ll continue to have a successful time in college and write listicles until you go to grad school and leave Pipe Dream for the Rolling Stone TV & Movies section.

To Samra, Revati, Hudson and Molly: Thank you for being such dedicated unpaid interns and making our job easier. I enjoyed getting to know you better this year, and I hope that you had a good experience in Arts & Culture and won’t sue me for abusing my powers. (Sue Sam. He’s the one who was at Newbie Night.) Revati, Hudson and Molly, I don’t think our section can be left in better hands.

Thank you, Hamza, for going along with my jokes. Thank you, Alexis, for taking up the torch for Arts & Culture. I always look forward to reading your articles because they’re written like a dream, and you’ll make the best editor. Thank you, Michael, our honorary arts member, and thank you to all my friends from Pipe Dream.

Jamie H Nguyen is a senior majoring in English and an assistant Arts & Culture editor.

The event will be the big ending following the 2023 P.U.L.S.E month in March, where multiple forms of programming — ranging from general body meetings to fundraisers — were held all month.

P.U.L.S.E was created to provide a space to elevate women of color in both the past and present. The organization was formed in 2007 and became Student Association (SA) chartered on March 8, 2010 — International Women’s Day. Apart from holding big and small events, P.U.L.S.E also has an online publication called H.O.P.E., short for Heartbeat of P.U.L.S.E. Embodies, which highlights people of interest and social issues in the Binghamton community.

Karen Alburquerque, vice president of P.U.L.S.E. and a senior double-majoring in biology and Korean studies, described P.U.L.S.E.’s mission.

“[The] organization that aims to educating, elevating and empowering (three Es) all women in the Binghamton community, specifically those of color, through a network of support on a cultural, educational and personal level,” Alburquerque wrote in an email. “Our mission is to promote self-awareness and provide a safe and open place to discuss gender, health, self-esteem and many other issues that concern women of color.”

Billed as a “royal night in the enchanted forest” on the organization’s Instagram, this event also serves as a fundraiser for reproductive rights. Apart from the usual banquet staples, such as food and performances, there will also be a photo booth, readings from poets and authors in the student body as well as a fashion show. The casting process for these performers was not quick or easy. Tryouts were held three times at the beginning of this semester, and those that are chosen had been practicing every week since then.

In addition, awards will be given to different students, faculty and organizations that have made a large impact on the organization and community. And most notably, P.U.L.S.E. is also working toward bringing back the annual Idalia Herrera Scholarship, which is gifted to one of the students in their D.I.V.A.S. mentorship program. To keep each banquet fresh and different from the others, a different cause relating to women of color is chosen to be highlighted for each banquet.

Alburquerque described this year’s cause, which is intended to have a dual-impact.

“The purpose of this year’s P.U.L.S.E. banquet is to showcase the never-ending influence and efforts made by Black women to the development of our society, its activism, arts, etc. — while simultaneously highlighting one of the current social issues women of color have been advocating and fighting for, abortion rights and [reproductive] health,” Alburquerque wrote in an email.

P.U.L.S.E. aims for the event to both bring the community together and inspire those in attendance, making sure they feel heard, empowered and represented. Presale has ended, but regular tickets can still be purchased preshow for $12 by contacting an E-Board member, and tickets at the door are $15.

Set on the first day of the lunar calendar, this event was a collaboration between Binghamton University’s Chinese Scholar and Students Association (CSSA) and Chinascope. The event created a space for students of Chinese descent to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Erika Ji, publicity chair of CSSA and a junior majoring in psychology, wrote about the long and difficult journey behind the event’s organization, which started during the fall 2022 semester.

“It’s hard to organize the meeting time for winter break, especially since some of our E-Board members travel to foreign countries with different time zones,” Ji said. “Due to the effect of [COVID-19] … most of our members have never experienced this event.”

This lack of direction led the CSSA E-Board to revolutionize the event, eventually landing on the theme “Empresses in the Palace,” which was based on an internationally famous TV series set in the Qing Dynasty with the same title. The theme was expressed through the traditional Qing Dynasty clothing worn by CSSA staff, and guests were encouraged to wear their own garments from any time period.

Apart from the typical catered food, activity stations for cultural experience were set up around the room, such as paper-cutting for window decoration, couplet writing and fortune telling, where attendees flocked to try their luck for the year of the Rabbit.

The opening performance was a jihong dance performed by Xutong Shi, a junior majoring in theatre. In her flowy pastel outfit, Shi captured the audience’s attention immediately with just a short number. She then performed an intricate and graceful solo dance named “Remembering Old Friends.”

BU’s Kung Fu Club was the next performer, bringing their crowd pleaser, the lion dance, amid the energetic beats of drums and cymbals that projected throughout the whole hall. The two black-and-white beasts interacted with the audience like real animals, letting people pet their heads and getting down like dogs. With their moving eyelids, floppy ears and moving mouths, it is as if they were actual animals despite the obvious people puppeteering them.

Intersecting with the performances were participation games. Anything from Kahoot quizzes about Spring Festival to “Drawing Guessing” — similar to charades — guessing the songs and a raffle to tie up the night. The prizes were red envelopes with money inside, typically given to children by older relatives to wish them to grow up smart and strong. Although lacking the same cultural value, the raffle prizes were won in monetary value with a 4K Samsung TV so big it had to be shipped to the winner.

Other performances included a solo song of “The Wind Keeps Blowing,” originally sung by the late and great Leslie Cheung, carried out by performer Lianghui Huang, a Ph.D. candidate in comparative literature. A slow, emotional and chill performance, it is a perfect homage to anyone who grew up with it. Following this was a flute and piano duet by performers Naomi Pan, a junior majoring in business administration, and Huanmu Xu, a junior double-majoring in psychology and sociology.

The most anticipated performances were perhaps the Traditional Chinese Clothes Show and the traditional Beijing Opera. The clothing show was similar to a fashion catwalk, with each model presenting different silhouettes, accessories and props. Linghui Tu, professor and Chinese director of the Confucius Institute Chinese Opera at BU, brought the final performance. She performed an excerpt named “The Drunken Beauty,” which included both sophisticated choreography and powerful singing, in full opera gear and make-up. It was a great send-off for the night.

Zuer Wu, president of Chinascope and a junior majoring in biochemistry, shared her thoughts after the event.

“It has been more than four years since we had our last Spring Festival Gala,” Wu said. “It not only helps Chinese international students to alleviate the nostalgic feeling but also introduces Chinese New Year to local students.”

Coming to the stage with Choreographer and Director JoEllen Kuhlman — an adjunct lecturer in the theater department — at the helm, the show reimagines the classic Nutcracker by altering the storyline, choreography and soundtrack.

Much of the Act 1 storyline stayed the same as in the original. It begins at a Christmas party — the costumes are mainly dresses and suits. The children, played by students from the wider Binghamton community, are given wonderful presents — toy cowgirls and ballerinas that come to life and dance for them accompanied by “Pass The Duje (Pas de Deux)” by Shorty Rogers and “Doll On a Music Box” from “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” by Guy Dearden.

Kuhlman described her background and how it informed the style of the show.

“Being mostly a jazz and tap dancer, the music I chose needed to fit the styles I like to dance, and [to] fit into the swing of the show,” Kuhlman said.

The music revitalized the Nutcracker to create an entirely new show where jazz, tap, ballet and pointe were all performed on stage. Additional elements like snowfall, drums, magic tricks and new set pieces were also present. The Nutcracker — played by Ravin Van Gelder, a junior majoring in dance — comes to life riding a gigantic toy horse and the toy soldiers are awakened with him. They come out carrying drums and drumsticks which are vital to their dances. The clacking of the sticks together overhead and on the drums themselves were part of the music.

This unique feature was most noticeable when they were fighting against the mice who entered the music of “Pink Panther” by Henry Mancini. Dressed from neck to toe in black, they had rat tails and heads attached. The Mouse Queen could be spotted by the glittery pink outlining her neck and between her ears. After the mice’s defeat came the last few numbers of Act 1, featuring the Snow Queen, her snowflakes, and Clara, played by Dior Wright, an undeclared freshman. Clara was dressed in a red dress with golden snowflakes, while the snowflakes themselves were in silver asymmetrical skirts and white leotards — performing ballet and pointe. Snowfall came down from the lighting rig bringing Act 1 to a close. Kuhlman said specific changes were made to Act 2.

“We are now set in Drosselmeyer’s sweet shop and have also switched up a few of our songs,” Kuhlman said. “It’s nice to be able to change things up a bit and keep it fresh and entertaining,” Kuhlman said.

Some songs included were “Hot Chocolate from the Polar Express” by Mike Lewis, “Russian Dance” by Glenn Miller and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pentatonix. The second act featured a menagerie of dancers, from the waiters running the sweet shop to the candy they served. Lollipops, marzipan, gingerbread, sugar plums and cupcakes were all performed in colorful costumes. The lollipops, for example, were dressed in bright dresses and danced with sashes, while the Sugar Plum Fairy was dressed in a brown leotard with a long sheer purple skirt.

The costume that took the cake, however, was Mother Ginger, played by Tommy Iafrate, an associate professor and director of musical theater at BU, who came out in a giant dress that needed to be moved on wheels. Numerous girls playing cupcakes came out from underneath the dress with hats on their heads that looked like cherries for their entrance and exit. Clara danced alongside many of them, and the Snow Queen also reappeared from the first act. The last song was “Peanut Butter Brittle Brigade (March)” by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, in which the cast took their bows.

Kuhlman discussed providing recurring holiday entertainment as the reason for putting the show on every year, along with other reasons.

“It was designed to be something we do for the local community as well as the campus community,” Kuhlman said. “Particularly to engage children, both so that they can enjoy it and also to participate in it.”

Overall, the show achieved those goals, creating a kid-friendly show and atmosphere — with a raffle in the lobby to win things like a magician for a kid’s birthday party. However, you would be mistaken to think the show is just for children. The innovative music, storyline and showcase of numerous dance styles make the piece appealing to all students. If you’re a fan of dancing, music and the holiday classics, then this is a show for you.

The Mandela Room was packed full of formal dresses and suits on Saturday for Asian Night 2022: A Tap Away.

Asian Night is the biggest annual event for Asian organizations on Binghamton University’s campus, courtesy of the Asian Student Union (ASU). This year’s theme, A Tap Away, is a rom-com skit parodying K-dramas, full of charmingly cringe, funny and — most of all — emotional moments. Apart from the video skit, the event included more than 15 performances that have been in the works all semester.

Constance Chen, a sophomore majoring in computer science, and Dechen Pema, a junior majoring in business administration — both co-event coordinators — wrote about the hectic experience of working with and recruiting different performers.

“For performers, we reach out pretty early in the semester to gain interest,” Chen and Pema wrote in an email. “The most important thing we focus on is consistent communication between all parties to ensure that tasks are getting done and deadlines are being met.”

Most of the performers are members of the various cultural organizations of BU. Apart from classic acts such as the Vietnamese fan dance, Taekwondo choreographies and group dances from various E-Boards, this year also brought many unique acts from emerging clubs and solo artists. Shaarang Sawale, cultural chair for the Indian International Student Union (ISU) and a sophomore majoring in computer science, showcased an acoustic guitar performance of “Castle on the Hill.” Additionally, the musical group Sulpoong played the four traditional Korean percussion instruments, and an a capella song was performed by the a capella group No Strings Attached.

Chen and Pema wrote about the pressure of planning an event with such a long history, and why they picked a video medium this year for the skit over playing it live.

“It definitely is difficult to maintain tradition, while also bringing new ideas every year to Asian Night,” Chen and Pema wrote in an email. ”Every year, our [event coordinators] try to think of new ways to make Asian Night unique — whether it’s through inviting new performers or trying a new medium for the skit.”

In the skit’s first act, the first main character, Robin, is under heavy pressure to find an A+ boyfriend from her powerful family, and the second main character, Elias, is so broke he’s fake dating for rent. Throughout the skit, it is revealed that Robin risks losing her inheritance if she doesn’t have an impressive boyfriend, and Elias’ dreams of being an artist got his parents to cut him off. Robin offers to let him come live with her. A collection of their peaceful moments together plays, revealing that Elias’ real name is Sam, ending with a classic K-drama fade-to-black kiss.

Chen and Pema wrote about how the E-Board landed on this theme.

“This year, ASU decided to go with a skit plot that we felt was entertaining, both for the audience and for us as skit writers,” Chen and Pema wrote in an email. “Additionally, we felt that the main problem, which was dealing with parental pressures, was an experience the audience could relate with.”

The skit’s second act starts with Robin’s parents finding out Sam is a poor art student, threatening her to cut ties with him. Her friend, Hannah, promised to help her because “Harvey owes her a favor.” The skit ends with them finally reunited, prompting an emotional response from the audience.

The event also received visits from Asian organizations from other schools, including Cornell University and Rochester Institute of Technology, strengthening the camaraderie between these organizations. Cornell’s drumming team, Yamatai, brought a three-song performance on traditional Japanese drums near the end, reinvigorating the crowd with their heavy drums and lively cheers.

Other acts included a step routine from Binghamton Lambdas, beatboxing by Darren Yu, ‘19 and light art by BU’s Flow team. MODA impressed with a hip-hop performance — with perfect synchronization and creative choreography — as a fitting final act.

The night concluded with ASU President Hubert Zhou, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, giving a thank you speech to everyone that helped bring the event to life, and an emotional acknowledgment and send-off to the graduating members.

With a heaping 16 performances and a professionally produced skit, Asian Night 2022 was a resounding success.

These are the words of Kaveh Akbar in his poem “The Miracle,” from the collection “Pilgrim Bell.”

Akbar, who is known for being extremely earnest and easily caught up in the literature he’s reading, visited the Binghamton University Center for Writers virtually last Thursday to read from his own works — offering a glimpse into what inspired his poetry.

Akbar is an Iranian-American poet and scholar who’s currently teaching at the University of Iowa, Warren Wilson College and the master of fine arts (MFA) programs at Randolph College — also serving as poetry editor of “The Nation.” His first poetry book, “Calling Wolf a Wolf,” catapulted him into the modern literary canon in 2017, and his newest poetry collection, “Pilgrim Bell,” continues to receive high praise.

He was introduced by Omid Ghaemmaghami, director of the Middle Eastern and North Africa Studies Program (MENA), and Tina Chang, director of the creative writing department.

The first excerpt Akbar read was from “The Miracle,” drawing from a story detailing how the Quran came into existence. The poem starts by describing the angel Gabriel coming to the Prophet Muhammad and giving him the gift of literacy. As he read the piece, the words appeared to emerge rather than just being dispensed from a page. The moment it was over, Akbar shrunk back into the usual self-conscious writer’s shell and apologized for the strength of his reading. He prefaced the second poem as “by not-me people.”

“I spend a lot of time with myself and I’m a little over me,” Akbar said. “But, in the spirit of this being a ‘me’ moment, I want to shout out to the beginner of beginner, the earliest attributable author of our species is a Middle Eastern woman in current Iraq named Enheduanna, who was writing in ancient Sumerian, writing these hymns in 4300 BCE.”

Akbar praised the poem’s trot and lyricism, which sets this translation — by Jane Hirshfield — apart from other stiff and literal translations. The poem is included in the newly published “The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 110 Poets on the Divine,” of which he is the editor.

Akbar then read another poem from “Pilgrim Bell” called “My Empire,” which was published in The New Yorker. As before, he was quick to remove himself from the spotlight once the poem closed, and introduced the audience to a poetry collection called “Bad Boats” by Laura Jensen, whom he called his “private pantheon poet.” As he read the first line of “Bad Boats,” Akbar — unable to hold himself back from his professor-instincts — stopped at the first line to marvel at the use of languages. He concluded the reading with another poem also called “Pilgrim Bell,” in a series of poems with the same name.

Chang started the Q&A by reading her favorite part from her marked-up and tear-stained copy of “Pilgrims Bell.” This spawned a conversation about recognizing “members of your tribe” in literature and the human nature of asking for help, even from members that had been gone long ago.

Akbar also talked about his struggling start at building his connections, getting rejected from MFA programs and being desperately hungry to talk about poetry — which led to him creating the DiveDapper website, which includes profiles of writers.

“If you just cold call Sharon Olds and ask to talk for an hour, she might say, ‘How’d you get this number?’” Akbar said. “But if you said, ‘Hey I’m the editor of this website you’ve never heard of,’ it’s marginally more legitimate. And that became my education.”

The session ended with Akbar talking about the pleasure of creating, or “having written” something that only exists because of one’s own mind, and the messy stage of writing before it actually becomes recognizable.

“The Palace went through a million different forms before I found what it is,” Akbar said. “I sent [my friend] the messy soup of that at some point. He had created these protovertebrae that became the biggest step of becoming the recognizable poem that it is. It took a defamiliarized set of eyes to recognize those protovertebrae.”

This is the second installment of the Vogue Ball, which aims to connect the campus community to local drag and performance culture, as well as create a safe space to explore and enjoy the art of performances. The local drag scene was represented by two guest artists, Paris Lurux and Yvoni Amór. Lurux had been a welcomed guest at the last SHADES event, the Sex Carnival. Although this was her first on-campus event, Amór also brought a mind-blowing performance with powerful dancing and all the splits, kicks and dips one can do. The show also had Derek Jorden, the resident director at Bingham Hall, as their main emcee.

The first category was Butch Queen Realness, which portrays “a gay male that is neither extremely feminine nor extremely masculine and can easily portray both mannerisms,” according to Jorden. Contestants walked from outside of the room to the crowd, before introducing themselves. They were made to “appeal” to the judges for an additional 30 seconds under the strong encouragement of the emcee. The judges gave scores on a scale of 10, with the highest scorer deemed the winner and receiving a commemorated trophy.

The next two categories’ contestants were picked liberally from among the attendees. The first category, a catwalk focusing on outfits, was judged based on the crowds’ loudness. The final two favorites were split between an exacting handmade jumpsuit and a goth matrix-esque outfit, with the winner being the goth fit. Joskarly Fermin Rodriguez, winner of the category and a junior majoring in Italian, described how she prepared for her performance.

“I watched some vogue videos to get an idea of what I could do and the types of dances done,” Rodriguez said. “I listened to the song for my scene a couple times the night before and honestly I just vibed with the music day of. The Vogue Ball was different in the sense that everything was improvised, and no prior practice was really had.”

The Vogue category started with a WandaVision-themed performance, fitting for the Halloween season. An attendee from the crowd and the two guest performers also joined this category, with the attendee being the surprising hidden talent who snatched the trophy.

The Runway category was the closing competition, judged based on the participants’ ability to walk like supermodels. The first few contestants walked with a controlled magnetism and dramatic movements that drew attention to them and their personalities, regardless of their outfits. There was a light-hearted duo performance that portrayed youthful love, and the last participant, who brought a competitive car racing outfit complete with a helmet. This was the only category where the judges gave 10s across the board. Rodriguez spoke about her experience post-show.

“I feel really great, appreciative of SHADES for letting me be a part of this,” Rodriguez said. “I felt like I was simply having fun with my performance.”

A closing lip sync performance was given by Lurux, in which the SHADES E-Board gave her the final trophy as a token of their appreciation. The Vogue Ball closed as a smashing success, especially in creating an intimate atmosphere with little separation between performers, attendees and staff. At any point, someone from the crowd could join the show and earn a trophy.

Harper-Leighton Scott, the vice president of SHADES and a junior majoring in political science, shared her feelings after the event.

“I’m feeling great post-show,” Scott said. “It was a good turnout for the event, everyone enjoyed themselves and there was a lot of support for the student performers. Most of them are new to ballroom culture. It is great to see hard work pay off on something like this.”

Aidan Beigie, vice president of BUMP and a junior majoring in business administration, discussed the process behind choosing the talents to bring to the campus.

“At the beginning of each year, the committees within the SAPB compile a long list of artists that might catch the interest of people here at Binghamton [University],” Beigie said. “After that point, we send it out to all of our students as a Google Form. The form allows us to gauge what artists students are most excited about. From there, it’s all a matter of reaching out and making it happen!”

All BUMP shows are performed in the Union Undergrounds Cafe, with the only lighting focused on a small stage. This gives those present a much more intimate feeling than the usual venue, as it is closer to a house show. The show was also a collaboration with the Food Co-op, which provided an open bar with three mocktail options.

“[A] reason why we make our shows free is it gives students the opportunity to discover something they may have not otherwise known there was a platform for,” Beigie said.

Ano Chrispin, known by stage name Native Son, performed as a duo with a supporting friend. Chrispin got the crowd into the mood with songs from his first album and newer ones. His sounds ranged from stripped-down, slow and echo-heavy to low guitars. It was a combination of alternative hip-hop, punk, jazz and neo-soul. This style gives his songs very different and exciting types of compositions, where it can start with a punk guitar riff and an intersection of quiet rap, and end with soulful melodies. He ended his set with a punkier song compared to the more groovy ones before, which was appropriately named “Riot!” — prompting the crowd to bob with the energetic vibrations.

Next up, Stimulator Jones started his set with a literal “bang” with a drum solo. The first song had few lyrics and a generous amount of guitar, which immediately showed his talent as a multi-instrument musician. His range, however, wasn’t just limited to instruments. Like the 70s and 80s R&B songs that he grew up with, Jones hit high-pitched harmonies with ease, which drove the audience wild. Throughout his set, he jumped from drums to the mic, guitar and eventually the DJ table with seemingly endless energy. Even when the backing music got cut off, he kept his performance up, making the crowd laugh and whoop with him. It was a well-produced and performed set, especially for people who just happened to stumble into the show.

Beigie spoke about the range of music BUMP has brought to BU.

“Something we do look for year in and year out is a way to represent everyone’s music taste in the artists that we book,” Beigie said. “Our hope is that we can appeal to all of the identities that make up our student population, as we want everyone to be able to come and enjoy our shows.”

Those interested can listen to Native Son’s two music videos from his EP “Metro Dread,” which came out on Oct. 28, and Stimulator Jones’ newest album “Round Spiritual Ring,” now on all platforms. Both are fully written and composed by their respective artists, and worth a listen if any of their genres’ inspirations is of appeal.

Beigie reflected on the show after it ended, describing it as a success.

“The energy that everyone brought to this first show was amazing,” Beigie said. “Special thanks go out to the SAPB E-Board, the Binghamton Food Co-op and the Union Undergrounds staff for all the help in bringing the event together. We are looking forward to what’s next!”

Apart from their snappy outfits, attendees also brought cardboard cutouts of the contestants, with images ranging from flattering to funny warped memes. The usually blank Mandela Room was transformed, with a catwalk placed in the middle of the room and seats around it. There were also photo booths with VSA-themed backgrounds for pictures. True to the theme, masquerade masks were provided at the door and were a part of a raffle toward the night’s end.

Most attendees flocked to the food line after entering, which included the usual Asian dishes — mapo tofu, white rice, noodles and stir-fried veggies. And thus, with full bellies, the audience was ready to meet the future Miss Asia. The night started with an introduction to the judges and the supporting Asian organizations, both on-campus and from neighboring VSAs.

The five contestants walked out with uproarious applause. The event featured Anita Liu, a senior majoring in English representing Taiwan, Bhea Aglibot, a junior majoring in nursing representing the Philippines, Jessica Hong, a sophomore majoring in political science representing China, Sharanya Nair, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience representing India and SooBin Ha, a sophomore majoring in biology representing Korea.

Minh Bùi, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering and a cultural event coordinator for VSA, discussed the process of picking the final contestants.

“We interviewed the contestants and had them showcase to us their cultural knowledge and talent,” Bùi said. “Then, all E-Board members chose the most suitable candidate among all applicants.”

There were five rounds of performances the contestants competed in. The first round was an introduction, where they were introduced to the audience while walking through the catwalk and down to the audience’s level. Each showed off their personalities with a confident strong walk, adding their own flair. The second round was the cultural garment walk, where they wore the traditional garment of their choice. Miss India and Miss Philippines also performed short dances alongside their walks.

The talent round was probably the most anticipated part of the night, with contestants showcasing the fruits of their hard work. Miss Taiwan’s talent was drawing. She found her model in the crowd of attendees and then showed it to the crowd with an energetic gallop.

Miss India performed a traditional dance with two backup dancers, starting with smooth moves which gradually got more fierce to the energetic beats. Miss Korea performed a K-pop dance to The Boyz and other classic K-pop hits, urging the audience to sing along to the songs.

Miss China performed an energetic dance duo to “Lovesick Girls” by BLACKPINK. And, finally, Miss Philippines graced the audience with her emotional voice, prompting them to wave their lights to the song.

Intersecting with the contestant’s performances were games and a raffle with crowd participation, such as musical chairs, balloon popping and charades. The highlight was a catwalk to find a “Mister Asia,” with a mini waffle maker as the prize. Other prizes included Squishmallows, an air fryer and Starbucks gift cards.

In the fourth round, audiences voted for their favorite costume. The winner was Miss Taiwan, who brought the heat in a Guy Fieri costume with chunky knee-high boots. Miss India dressed up as Jasmine from Aladdin, complete with a man-powered magic carpet. Miss Korea was Little Red Riding Hood, getting chased through her catwalk by a wolf-headed man. Miss China banked on the cuteness factor with a Stitch onesie and pulled out paper hearts from her outfits. Miss Philippines was Tinkerbell bestowing candies to the crowd.

The final walk was where contestants would change into show-stopping gowns. Then, they answered preliminary questions about what they wanted from the competition and their thoughts on how social support can grow on BU’s campus and beyond. This year’s top three, Miss India, Miss Philippines and Miss China were picked after their answers. The final questions for the top three concerned topics of beauty, feminism their plan to continue to represent Miss Asia after the event and their own individuality.

After long deliberation, Miss India — Nair — was crowned Miss Asia 2022.

“It was stressful at first to prepare for this event,” Bùi said. “This year Miss Asia started one month earlier so we had to work on planning logistics and interviews earlier during the summer, and it was also Joseph’s [Trần] and [I’s] first time coordinating this big of an event. However, thanks to the help of our amazing E-Board members and the wonderful contestants, the event went well and smoothly.”

Dickinson Community: A+

It’s modern and close to the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4) — which allows access to all of the curly fries and chicken strips your drunk heart desires. There’s also no hill to trek back on when you just want a nap after your 8 a.m. class. The Dickinson Community has snatched first place largely by its ultra-convenient location, being near the Union and right in the middle of all the bus stops, so there is no running to catch a bus for your off-campus classes. But what pushed it to the top is its flat-housing style. Each flat holds four or five residents and includes an entry vestibule with a tabletop and sink. This adds a sense of privacy, as well as hygiene, since there is a separate space for all the forgotten dishes to live.

College-in-the-Woods: A

College-in-the-Woods is also one of the best communities for its location, being right across the University Union. True to its name, there is a sense of being in nature when you’re hanging out around its grounds. The dorms themselves are old, which gives off a cozy vibe, and it is superior to other dorm-style communities — not the least because of there being a full kitchen and laundry on each floor. Cozy vibes are also present in its dining hall. (Here’s a tip for off-campus folks — if you want to save on food without carrying a lunch box around, try getting your meals in the College-in-the-Woods dining hall instead of the Marketplace.)

Hinman College: A-

The first thing that non-Hinman residents think of when they hear “Hinman” is probably the Hinman Production Company, which puts on plays and acts every season, ranging from popular stage shows to original productions. The new Hinman Dining Center made a splash with two retail options including a — finally stationary — Starbucks and modern finishing. Hinman College dorms only consist of suites, with a furnished living room. This is great for friend groups and those who want a deeper connection with their suitemates. The final thing that boosted its rating is the location, being right across from the Lecture Halls and Glenn G. Bartle library, so you can still make it to class if you just woke up 10 minutes before.

Mountainview College: A-

The best view on campus, mainly because it’s right next to the vast beauty of Nature Preserve. Yet, this is also a big strike against it. The walk up is quite steep, and just thinking about walking back after a long day is enough to make me sigh. Before the Hinman Dining Center, the Appalachian Collegiate Center was arguably the best dining hall on campus, and Mountainview College is still holding up as one of the best places to hang out. Suites and designed triplets in Mountainview College do have a standalone sink, and, based on my hatred of washing dishes in the bathroom, this is a big plus.

Apartments Community: B

Exclusively reserved for transfers and upperclassmen, the Apartments Community is, well, true apartment-style living. With a full kitchen and living room as well as all-single bedrooms, it provides the comfort and independence that older students crave. Its location being further from the center of campus gives it a distinct quiet atmosphere, while still maintaining the convenience of living on campus. This, yet again, is also its biggest con — the walk back to Susquehanna is truly diabolical. But it’s a worthy trade for not getting kicked out of your bedroom for the visit of your roommate’s paramour. It does feel a bit unfair to compare the apartments to the dorm-style communities since they fill different styles of living.

Newing College: B

As a person who spent their freshman year in Newing College, the best thing about it is the infamous C4 — including Nite Owl — and the ease with which I could go to my freshman classes. Being in Newing College during the breaks — when break housing was still in effect — is truly the height of luxury. Although not as close to the University Union as College-in-the-Woods and the Dickinson Community, the walk there is still easy, with no steep hill. The biggest con of this dorm is its lack of sinks and full kitchens — there’s only one kitchen for a whole building and only bathrooms have sinks. I do not miss bringing a week’s worth of dishes down and dragging them back up to wash them.

For this fall’s Restaurant Week, The Shop offers a three-course dinner for $25. The appetizers are alcoholic drinks, perfect for the now cool evenings that have come to Binghamton. The main course has four options, each a representation of the different types of meals in their usual menus — a crepe, steak, a salad and a sandwich. The two dessert options are cheesecake and an Irish coffee, perfect whether you’re stuffed and want a palate cleanser or a heavy dessert.

I started with a lavender latte, which was not on their Restaurant Week menu but is my favorite drink from them — and I still have to stay sober to write this review. My waitress was very accommodating with the off-menu order. It warmed me up after walking outside for a while, and was well portioned and not too sweet, so I could keep sipping from it throughout my courses.

For the main course I had the pulled pork sandwich, with fries and coleslaw as sides. The pork was tender and moist, cooked just right to not be mushy and overpowered by its sauce. There was a lot of filling, so much so that it was spilling from the sides when it first came out. The sandwich bread was light and warm, which makes it less rich and garnished — with a bit of pickle for an additional tangy depth.

I also got to taste The Shop’s steak frites, which were grilled sirloin served with fries. To be honest, I’m not a big steak fan since their flavor profile is very limiting, but this was served with house-made herb butter, giving it an intriguing twist. The steak itself was moist and pink in the middle, maintaining its natural savory taste with simple salt and pepper.

The fries were tastefully seasoned with salt and pepper. The pepper gives them a special warm flavor. I tried it without condiments, and it still tasted satisfying on its own, and they had that right-out-of-the-fryer crispiness. The small portion of coleslaw was refreshing and cut right through the rich and savory food, serving as a palate cleanser for the next dish.

As my food came out and the golden hour dimmed into the night, the restaurant was steadily filling up for the dinner rush. My dessert was the New York-style cheesecake, which was cold, creamy and thick. Although I often opt for less rich desserts, the dish’s composition did a great job of enhancing the cheesecake. The strawberry sauce is on the sour side, pairing nicely with the richer dessert. It retains the refreshing feeling of biting into a just-before ripe strawberry, and I drizzled it liberally on every bite of cheesecake. The whipped cream was not too sweet and very airy, which is a sign of a well-made dessert.

I would recommend trying The Shop’s Restaurant Week offerings, whether you are a steady customer or have never gone before. The ambiance combined with the price will make it a good night out, and Restaurant Week is an excellent way to gauge what they offer during usual services, which range from the usual steaks to the more refined savory crepes. Maybe it will become your next date spot!

Pork Ribs Vegetable Soup (Vietnamese ‘Canh Sup’)

Ingredients:

Minced Garlic

Shallot or Onion

1lb Pork Ribs

1 Carrot

1 Potato

Pepper, sugar, chicken bouillon*, salt. (*Substitute with chicken stock)

Directions:

1. Sauté the garlic and shallot on medium heat until fragrance.

2. Add the pork ribs and braise them until all sides are cooked. Add water and wait for it to boil.

3. While waiting, cut the vegetables into equal-sized pieces. Size to your liking.

4. Add carrots to the boiling pot for 3-4 minutes, then add potatoes. Wait for it to boil again, then lower the heat to medium-low and turn off the heat when vegetables are cooked.

5. Season to taste with the above seasonings.

Chunky Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion

1 garlic clove

600g pumpkin (or butternut squash)

1 potato

1-liter stock (vegetable or chicken)

400g can mixed beans

2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley* (*optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the stock. While waiting, chop the onions and garlic. Peel and dice the potato and pumpkin and drain the beans.

2. Saute the onion and garlic until fragranced and the onion is clear.

3. Add pumpkin and potato. Stir until cooked on the outside.

4. Add stock and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is cooked.

5. Stir in the beans and parsley and serve hot.

6. For an optional protein kick, scatter cooked and chopped lean bacon or ham over the finished soup.

Autumn Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 white onion, diced (half a cup)

1.5 pounds chopped up butternut squash

1 cup of cut-up carrots

4 cups of chicken broth

1 cup of apple juice

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1.5 ounces of cream cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a big pot, heat olive oil over medium heat, and then add white onions until they are cooked looking clear.

2. Add the carrots, chicken broth, apple juice, spices and the squash.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 12-13 minutes, or until the squash softens.

4. Remove the pot from heat and add the vegetable oil, cream cheese and brown sugar. Mix together with a whisk.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste and add more broth to make the soup thinner.

6. Return the pot to medium heat to heat the soup back up, then serve.

Wild Rice Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

6 cups of chicken stock

1 cup uncooked wild rice

6 ounces of sliced baby mushrooms

2 cloves of minced garlic

4 small cut-up carrots

3 ounces of diced scallions

Half a pound of peeled and sliced potato

1 tablespoon of basil leaves

2 teaspoons of salt

2 teaspoons of pepper

2 teaspoons of paprika

1 ½ cups of half and half

A handful of spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

2. Add scallions and heat for around 5 minutes until translucent, then stir in the minced garlic for 2 minutes.

3. Pour in the chicken stock, rice, carrots, mushrooms, seasonings and spices, basil leaves and potato. Stir them all together.

4. Cook the soup until it begins to simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover it. Stir occasionally and keep it covered for 35 minutes until the rice gets soft.

5. Pour in the half and half, as well as the spinach, until combined. Season with more salt if needed or any of the other seasonings or spices.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Broome County Farmers Market

The Broome County Farmers Market is located on 840 Upper Front Street, right by Applebee’s. It meets every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., year-round. It also holds many events throughout the year, such as the Ag & Art Night Market — with live music, artisan vendors — and even Yoga in the Garden. There is also the yearly Fresh Food Face Off along with many more events. With over 35 local vendors, his farmer’s market is both a cornerstone for the social life of Broome and its economy.

Currently, the Market is campaigning for the 2022 America’s Farmers Market Celebration. You can vote for them here.

First Friday Art Walk

First Friday is organized by the Broome County Arts Council. The first Friday of each month, art spaces and restaurants open their doors for visitors to browse, listen to live music and engage in the wider community. The exhibitions often range from photography and theme group exhibitions to installation art. New exhibitions and activities, as well as pop-up events, often debut on First Fridays, giving it a celebratory air. Doing the First Friday Art Walk will give you a very comprehensive tour of Downtown Binghamton, since the galleries and creative spaces are spread throughout.

Roberson Museum and Science Center (and RoberCon)

The Roberson Museum is located within the Roberson Mansion, which was designed in the style of the Italian Renaissance Revival. This gives the museum a unique atmosphere compared to the often futuristic designs of other science-focused museums. Apart from its collection of arts and scientific knowledge, the museum often has exhibitions on various subjects, from historical photography to a collection of practical quilts.

It is also the home of RoberCon, a two-day convention focusing on sci-fi, tabletop gaming and extended fan culture. Currently, the convention is still held in a virtual format, and has added mini-events and workshops year-round that center around writing, panel discussions and art.

Phelps Mansion Museum

Built in 1870, the Phelps Mansion will transport you back in time with its impressive architecture belonging to the Gilded Age. The Mansion has tours every weekend and doubles as a space for events such as play readings and “paranormal investigations.”

Recently the free trolley tour that highlights important points of Binghamton has returned. It leaves from Phelps Mansion Museum at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m, touring sites along the way, including Lost Dog Café, the Roberson Museum and Science Center and the Bundy Museum, before returning to the Phelps Museum.

Downtown Binghamton Courtyard Market

This is a seasonal market located in the Metrocenter Courtyard boasting locally-sourced goods. Featuring chefs, artisanal goods and produce, the market is reminiscent of a night market with its live music and outdoor setting. Apart from their set list of vendors (which changes every season), there would be a new artisan vendor each week. It is an excellent place to visit if you want to explore a fun destination downtown during the daytime, or if you want a nice relaxing evening after classes.

This year’s market runs from July 5 to Oct. 4, meeting every Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment is accepted.

1. Glenn G. Bartle Library

Of course, the top of the list goes to our beloved Bartle Library. There are study spaces spread throughout all of the library’s levels, with the individual pods with computers being among the most popular spots. You can also register for a study room beforehand for a stress-free, undisturbed study session. Bartle Library offers designated quiet spaces in places like the East and North Reading Room and fourth floor, also offering an outdoor patio. Otherwise, you can try to score a window seat for ample natural light.

2. Dining halls

A great choice if you don’t want to drag all of your textbooks to the library and back, your nearest dining hall — outside of rush hour — serves as a spacious and bright study space, whether you’re settling in at Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4), College-in-the-Woods Dining Center, Hinman Dining Center or Appalachian Collegiate Center. All dining halls offer different types of spaces. C4, for example, has couches and a Student Success Center to do work and print out papers. Hinman Dining Center holds lots of space, while Appalachian Collegiate Center brings a quieter environment. Either way, what’s best is that if you’re in need of some fuel while studying, a snack is just a few steps away.

3. Science Library

A very underrated spot due to being overshadowed by the big Bartle Library, the Science Library has a cozier, smaller and quieter vibe than the always-busy Bartle Library. It’s also placed in a more calm location, so you can enjoy its big windows without constantly being distracted by whatever event is going on that day.

4. The University Union Undergrounds

If you’re motivated by being surrounded by others who are also studying, or like a coffee-shop-kind of background noise, try the Union basement. Grab a coffee and a snack from Dunkin and settle in for your session. There is lots of seating and tables to do work with much less hectic vibes than the Marketplace has. If you need a break from all the stress, try out the bowling alley or pool tables!

5. Outdoors

Even if you’re not nature’s biggest fan, being outside on a nice day can still improve your mood greatly, especially after a rough week of school. Bring a picnic blanket if you’re sitting on the grass, a snack and pick a nice shade to spread out your workstation. One nice spot to check out is the Memorial Courtyard inside the Fine Arts building. Another great area is the tables outside of the John Arthur Cafe right next to the Spine. Be careful though, the wind may pick up your papers!

6. An empty classroom

At the risk of being kicked out by an incoming class, an empty classroom is ideal if you like to be absolutely alone while studying. The teacher’s table has plenty of space for you to spread out, and you can use the chalkboard if big visual guides help you study, or to act out your movie genius fantasy.

1. Join a club you’ve never tried

College is seen as a period for exploration, and what better way to do it than to try a new hobby? If you’ve been more bookish up until now, try a recreational sports team — and if you’re already very outdoorsy, try an arts and crafts group. You might make some unexpected friends even if you ended up not sticking to the club.

2. Join a cultural organization of your background

It’s not easy leaving behind your country, especially if it has a wholly different culture than the U.S. Joining an organization that is specific to your heritage can help a lot with homesickness and soften the culture shock. Most will hold a Big/Little event to find your ‘Big’ — an older student who will guide you through your college journey — which will give you a nice support system away from home.

3. Go to office hours

Office hours are probably one of the most underutilized academic tools ever. For students that are used to a different academic system with no office hours, this is even more true. If your professors encourage you to visit them, then take them up on the offer. Prepare a question or two, or even just stop by to say hi. It might come in handy when you need a recommendation letter, or in the best case scenario, you might gain a mentor.

4. Get to know the community apart from BU

If you’re going to spend multiple years as a student at BU, then you’re also spending time as a Binghamton community member. Go eat at a locally owned restaurant during the weekends, get to know what local grocery stores there are beyond big-name stores like Target and visit the local landmarks. The easiest and most fun way to do this is through the First Friday Art Walk events, which show off the local art scenes where Downtown Binghamton as a whole comes alive.

5. Familiarize yourself with emergency services

Do you know who to call when you’re injured on campus? How about off-campus? Do you know the difference between these two services? Who should you call when feeling unsafe or stranded? Spend some time learning about and adding these service numbers to your phone to prevent being stranded while in danger.

6. Open a bank account

Even if you have a perfectly functional credit card from your home country, you never know what kind of services do not accept it. Stash some emergency funds into your U.S. bank account for those rainy days, or use it as your main card and opt-out of the ever-changing exchange rate altogether.

7. Find/make a dish that you miss

This is, again, a strategy to combat homesickness. Depending on where you came from, you can either find a restaurant or learn how to make it on your own. From my own experience, food is a big comfort against almost anything, from being overwhelmed at school to being stranded in the U.S. due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show follows the usual 22-minute format of sitcoms, similar to iconic shows like “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Community,” although “Abbott Elementary’s” most similar senior precedent is “The Office.” The show is a mockumentary and workplace comedy, with many moments where characters would look into the camera in exasperation, “The Office”-style. The in-universe explanation for the film crew is that “they’re documenting the underfunded and poorly run schools in America,” truly setting up our expectations of the school.

The show’s strongest facet, to me, lies in its characters. Brunson plays the main character Janine Teagues, an awkward, rookie second-grade teacher whose endlessly positive attitude brings annoyance and change to her senior co-workers. Her relationship with her boyfriend Tariq, a genuine yet useless guy, and her budding mutual romance with substitute teacher Gregory Eddie seems to be set up for a tiring love triangle, but it is handled delicately as the season progresses. This could be said for all other characters as well, which is a feat for a show that just aired its first season. The ensemble cast includes Teagues’ peer Jacob Hill, who struggles to get his students to respect him, a teacher of 20 years. The show also features the witty and shady Barbara Howard, who feels like she’s being left behind, Melissa Schemmenti with her own budding romance and the outwardly outrageous Principal Ava Coleman with a hidden heart.

Despite its ”monster-of-the-week,” or rather “problem-of-the-week” format, it is the subtle character moments that bind the show together and make it more than your average sitcom. It takes obvious pride in its Philadelphia roots, despite the school’s problems that all came from having no money. The show doesn’t shy away from the real problems their school district faces, being a majority Black and brown student district in North Philadelphia, from the discrimination of gifted programs to the school-to-prison pipeline, also portraying the low-quality lunches provided to students. The problems are faced head-on, yet the show is still able to keep its lighthearted tone through the characters’ even more ridiculous reactions. The show’s bright color scheme reflects this optimism, with brightly lit classrooms and bright colors everywhere.

It’s important to point out that Brunson named the show after her sixth-grade teacher Ms. Joyce Abbott, inspired by her dedication to all of her students. This inspiration really shines in the show — it fundamentally lacks mean-spirited energy. Even characters that are the worst, like Coleman, who spent school money on herself, they still aren’t portrayed as a one-dimensional vile person or despised by others. The show’s philosophy centered on kindness and sacrifices for the students.

For audiences that haven’t known the works of Brunson, this is a surprisingly strong debut. But for those that had followed her career at one point or another, we are happy to see her finally get her own show, after years of short YouTube series either for Buzzfeed or on her independent channel and comedy skits. It’s like welcoming an old friend back, excited to see what she has accomplished.

Rating: 4.25/5

Several speeches were given by supporters of the Q Center within faculty, including Karen A. Jones, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and BU President Harvey Stenger. The Q Center also presented a video cameo from Alok Vaid-Menon, known as ALOK, a media personality, writer and performer, giving supporting words to the ceremony and the student’s success.

Aviva Friedman, ’14, a Binghamton City Council member and a known educator on sex and gender, gave a speech at the event. In her speech, Friedman reminisced about her early life as a young closeted child, her time being a BU student and her time leading The Equality Project to install gender-neutral bathrooms on campus.

Nic Francisco, coordinator of the Q Center, said they hoped the event would inspire students.

“Having our keynote speaker [Friedman] here, who’s an [alumna] of BU, is a representation [that] taking [BU’s] values and building that community after your time here is really important,” Francisco said. “She’s a city councilperson and being able to connect back to BU shows the enduring legacy of queer students here is important. The message we got from Alok Vaid-Menon, who’s a personal hero of mine, who’s such a visible embodiment of queer and trans joy, evokes such positive emotions from me and I hope students felt that too.”

The Cording Ceremony is one of the two main events of the celebration, where graduating students were announced and received their cords individually, starting with graduate students. The cords are multicolored, breaking away from more traditional monochrome cords usually received from Greek Life or club association. It’s a distinct yet subtle nod to their belonging in the LGBTQ+ community during their time at BU, while still inconspicuous enough to not out the wearers if they haven’t come out publicly. Graduating students who wished to receive a cord but could not attend the ceremony were able to pick them up from the Q Center.

“It was really awesome to see students and staff all gathered in one place, to be able to celebrate, see each other, being a community with each other in person,” Francisco said. “I think that visibility is really, really important, seeing the cords get put on them and [that] they get to take the cords to commencement if they feel comfortable.”

The Pride Awards followed the ceremony, where individuals who made important contributions to support BU’s LGBTQ+ community were acknowledged and honored. The awards included the OUTstanding Student Awards for graduate and undergraduate students, the Sunshine Award, Faculty/Staff Advocacy in Action Award, the Activism Award and the Community Service Award. The recipients of each award received heartfelt ovations after their speeches, with more than one standing ovation inspired from their popularity within the community. Q Center staff and student coordinators for the event were also recognized.

“I hope that LGBTQ students come to our physical location throughout the year to celebrate who they are — not just at the end — and learn about queer history and create a community with each other,” Francisco said.

Editor’s Note: Lakhsmi Chatterjee, Arts & Culture Editor, is an employee of the Q Center and co-host of the Lavender Celebration. She was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.

The show was created through the musical direction and original compositions of Fabrizio Mocata, and choreographers and artistic directors by GD Tango, the professional name for the duo of Guillermo De Fazio and Giovanna Dan, who are in a professional partnership. All three directors also took a large part in the show’s performances with Mocata as the quartet’s pianist and Fazio and Dan as a dance duo. The quartet also includes a violinist, a bandoneon player and a cellist.

“The show was created with the idea of the evolution of tango,” GD Tango wrote in an email. “Every song travels to a different decade, with the music, costumes and style of dancing. Creating the show was a process of getting to know the genuine personalities of the cast and bringing them alive in all the different decades!”

The show opened with a nice, fast, cheery tone, turning slightly dramatic at times. Intersecting with Mocata’s original compositions, which were performed mostly with just the quartet, there were familiar pieces that even a musical novice could pick up, tweaked to fit the dances’ storylines. One especially humorous moment was when Mocata left his piano to join a female dancer, and her dance partner sneaked over to play the piano badly. For a dance novice, this performance dispels a lot of assumptions generally held toward tango: the dances were sexy, yes, but also flirty, romantic in all of its meaning and quite fun overall.

The second part after the break was distinctly more dramatic, with a boleadoras gaucho act by Dan, who is one of the first women to specialize in this act. With two cowboy-like whips, each having an orb on its end, she performed a complicated dance that included acrobatic moves and tapping the orbs in sync with the music. This was perhaps the most unique and memorable act of the night, diverting from the show’s tango dances and live songs. The other acts kept the dramatic and intense pace — the stories were more subdued and sad compared to the light romantic tones during the first part.

After the show, the audience had the chance to meet the trio of directors at the Osterhout Concert Theater’s reception, where they chatted and gave out autographs. When asked about their touring experience, Fazio and Dan gave a delighted response.

“Touring the show around the [United States] has brought us so much joy,” GD Tango wrote in an email. “We had a standing ovation at every show and we are so proud that we were able to achieve a show with so much traditional tango, and so much personality. It’s truly original!”

According to Amazon, Febos “is the author of the memoir, ‘Whip Smart: [The True Story of a Secret Life’] (St. Martin’s Press 2010), and the essay collection, ‘Abandon Me: [Memoirs’] (Bloomsbury 2017), which was a Lambda Literary Award finalist, a Publishing Triangle Award finalist, an Indie Next [List] pick and was widely named a best book of 2017.” Her third essay collection, “Girlhood,” a national bestseller, was published by Bloomsbury Publishing on March 30, 2021. Her newest work, a craft book named “Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative,” was published by Catapult Books on March 15, 2022.

Tina Chang, director of creative writing and an associate professor of English, and Leslie Heywood, a professor of English, introduced Febos and her works and welcomed her to the University. The center of this visit was Febos’ live reading from “Girlhood,” which she announced was illustrated by Forsyth Harmon, which is the first time she collaborated with an artist and certainly not her last. She picked an essay named “The Mirror Test,” which she said is one of her typical “unmanageable heart-wrenching 50-page thing” essays.

“The Mirror Test” started with a short etymology of the word “slut” — a sloppy woman who’s a poor housekeeper — and Febos weaved it into a memory of a pool party in middle school where she was slut-shamed. It became less about reading and quite more about remembering. In parts, she paused, looked down as if to center herself against the overwhelming emotion that the writing brought.

The Q&A session, moderated by Heywood, started off with Febos expanding on one of her quotes: “I have observed that we bring the best of ourselves to writing and that publishing brings out our worst.” She described the corrosive and exhausting process of publishing a book, which she went through twice in two years.

“I generally try to firmly steer myself away from attention-seeking, or trying to manage other people’s impression or thought about me, trying to think of myself as a brand, or even really thinking about what other might be thinking about me or my work,” Febos said. “When I treat myself as a commodity, I feel soulless.”

She continued on to the nature of self-branding and the generational beliefs of “selling out,” which had changed tremendously within this decade. One attendee asked about how to include a personal anecdote and the process of choosing one. Febos said that there is one that feels more right than others and that she encourages her students to work with the first thing they thought of, to take the memory and excavate the meaning that is there that resides beneath the consciousness of that memory.

The Q&A ended with her talking about handling rejection from publishers, especially letters that expressed their shock and pessimism in sales for her memoir “Whip Smart: The True Story of a Secret Life,” which got her to a point of giving up trying to publish it. She overcame it with the help of her therapist, and now she would still continue to write even if no one would ever publish them again.

“Melissa’s story is her own and at the same time every writer’s story,” Chang said. “It really causes one to dig down deep, to ask oneself, ‘Why am I doing this if the rest of the world doesn’t recognize it?’”

For the last two years, the carnival was held during the spring semester instead of October, which is traditionally national LGBTQ+ History Month, due to last year’s COVID-19 protocols. To celebrate the return to an in-person format after a Zoom event last year, this year’s event format was changed dramatically. Soledad Arianna Perez, president of SHADES and a senior majoring in Spanish, recalled last year’s obstacles.

“We had a lot of difficulties last year because we lost our SHADES office to quarantine housing, losing all our equipment in the process,” Perez said. “However, we were able to get most of it back and bring that interactive experience back to this year’s sex carnival.”

Apart from hosting the biggest sex toy and self-care raffle in SHADES’ history, three contests for audience participation with prizes were included, alongside three showstopping performances by drag queen Paris LuRux. The change in format also greatly improved the attendees’ experience. Although the in-person carnival two years ago was fun and exciting, there was only one interactive contest, two performances by drag queens who were the anchor for the stage show and a raffle at the end. This left long stretches of time before and in between these stages. This year’s stage sets opened with an impressive best outfit competition, after which the events became even more sensational. Lap dance contests let couples and strangers showcase their chemistry and skills, concluding with the cutest couple contest. Paris LuRux followed every contest with a high-energy performance. A sex toy raffle wrapped up each stage set before opening up games. The interactive elements also brought a unifying sense to the attendees. The room’s energy rose noticeably after the first set.

Anna Schaefer, a senior majoring in philosophy, expressed their excitement after winning the best outfit competition.

“It’s an amazing event,” Schaefer said. “I’ve never been to anything like this before. I’m very surprised by the quality stuff they have, as well as the games.”

Although “50 SHADES” was created and run by SHADES, other campus organizations were involved in hosting the game tables, creating an overall sex-positive environment within the carnival. Since the people gathering were open and eager to learn about sexual health, sex became a normal, commonplace topic at the event, like sports are in everyday life. Games included the famous “pin the clit on the vagina,” guessing kinks, guessing sex positions and condom races. Apart from the raffle, dental dams, condoms and lube could be earned by just participating in games and competitions. There was also a Valentine’s Day-themed selfie booth including a ring light so you could capture your memory of the carnival with the best lighting.

“This year I can confidently say had our biggest turnout yet,” Perez said. “Our goal is to amplify the voices of queer and trans students of color, to create a safe space for every student who needs one. ‘50 SHADES’ was an amazing event to end my last semester and I can’t wait to see how SHADES continues to grow and evolve.”

A Google search for “ethical porn sites” garners dozens upon dozens of listicles much like this one compiling porn sites that are women-focused, provide fair wages to workers, are LGBTQ-owned and more. In short, it’s any porn site that aims (or claims) to treat its employees and users with respect.

The problem for most consumers is that ethical porn costs money. Big “tube” sites, such as Pornhub or xHamster, contain mostly pirated content, re-uploads or partnerships with studios that underpay their performers. Of course, one can only watch content uploaded by performers themselves, but these are usually shorter clips from a paid video. In short, money runs the porn world, so giving it directly to performers/transparent studios is still the best option.

1. Bellesa

Perhaps the most well-known ethical porn site, Bellesa is run by women and makes films that cater to women. Apart from this mission, the site also hosts most of porn star Owen Gray’s (who has been sensational among female consumers) new works, which drew new users to the site. It offers free videos, cams and written erotica stories as well as premium subscriptions. Currently, Bellesa’s Valentine’s Day sale starts at $3 a month for a premium subscription.

2. PinkLabel.TV

PinkLabel.TV offers great cinematography, where there’s no painful, stiff acting rushed through to get to the good parts. The website is beautifully designed, without losing a typical porn site’s “quantity” effect. Filmmaker Shine Louise Houston created this platform to explore the fluidity of sexuality with performers who are queer, trans, people of color, people with disabilities and older folks.

3. Kink.com

If you want the hardcore stuff — and I mean truly hardcore, not just violence masquerading as porn — go to Kink.com. Highlighting BDSM and hard fetishes, it’s a tube-like site that compiles videos from partner studios across the board, with many already well known on Pornhub. This platform works to destigmatize the shame that surrounds kinks and represent various members of society.

4. Make Love Not Porn

Cindy Gallop created Make Love Not Porn in order to showcase what real sex looks like, in every flavor. Real couples and individuals send in their erotic videos and get paid for them. People can remain anonymous if they choose, and they can also remove their videos from the platform at any time.

5. Dipsea

Tired of visual stimulus or craving a fresher, more imaginative form of porn? Dipsea, an audio-based platform, might be what you’re looking for. It is both a website and app, which means enjoying NSFW content on the go is way safer and more convenient now.

Of course, this list is just a beginner’s guide to the much bigger and more complicated world of ethical porn. The debate of what’s considered ethical, and whether porn could be ethical at all, is at an all-time high. You’re encouraged to look at other lists and decide for yourself which direction to steer your porn consumption to.

Pipe Dream: Can you give us a summary of your research paper?

Monishka Jhaveri: My paper delves into the two main positions in this discussion about sex work policy: the sex-positive stance and the abolition stance. The abolition stance is held by most government and nongovernment institutions. This stance sees sex work as a harmful practice that exploits women’s bodies for the benefit of men. Due to the violence enacted upon women through sex work, it should never be seen as legitimate and should be abolished. The second stance, the sex work position, or as I call the “sex-positive” position, demands the normalization and legalization of voluntary prostitution and sex work. It acknowledges the underlying reasons that give rise to the structural violence and coercion that sex workers face. It redefines and gives focus to the barriers that cause women to have to resort [to sex work].

PD: Why do you support the sex-positive stance in your research?

MJ: I think the reason why women and feminists take [the abolition] stance is due to the violence that women have to endure when practicing sex work. But this erases the subtleties that the sex work stance realized. These women have lives, they depend on sex work to survive, and to take it away is harmful. Criminalization only shifts the blame from pimps and clients to the government and law enforcement. By supporting abolition, you’re trusting these systems to know what they’re doing while the reality is they never have people in mind. They only perpetuate the current system, and in this system, it’s beneficial for women to be sex workers.

PD: Is there an example that you can give to support the sex work stance?

MJ: Yeah, in the book ‘’What’s Love Got To Do With It?” by Denise Brennan, one of the cases addresses the women from the Dominican Republic, Sosúa. These women rely on sex work as a way to escape their current situation by selling sex to white European and North American men to leave their city and find better opportunities. [Brennan writes,] “This sex-for-sale system circumvents the asymmetry of power that turns Sosúa into a space of opportunity rather than a space of exploitation and domination … by the foreign owners who have taken control of Sosúa.” To completely abolish sex work, which is in a way exploitative toward the white man, disrupts this ecosystem. It questions the agency of these women as a whole.

PD: What to you is the ideal law, the ideal kind of regulation for sex work?

MJ: To me, the point isn’t even that sex work is legal or not. It is to create a society [where] women [don’t] have to resort to sex work in order to provide for themselves. But in order to do that, you have to consider the sex-positive stance. To abolish is to take away the jobs that sex workers currently have. So, to get to this society that I’m speaking of, being pro-sex work is a stepping stone to get there. We’re already here: women already have to sell sex to survive. So ideally, there should be more social programs dedicated to protecting women who choose to engage in sex work. There should be free and easily accessible health care, such as Plan B, condoms, STD tests, etc. It should not be a chore to work in this field.

PD: Is there any kind of ending, or conclusion, question you want people to think about regarding this topic?

MJ: I think one thing to understand from this whole topic is criminalization only shifts the abuse and exploitation from pimps/clients to the government. And the question is not, “Should this one act be allowed?” but the goal is to create conditions for women to do what they want to do and not have to resort to sex work. The abolition stance is not nuanced enough. It’s too rushed of a solution to take care of all the problems women face.

Dec. 3 to Dec. 24 at Orazio Salati Studio & Gallery (204 State St.)

This exhibition, titled “A Holiday Exhibition,” features the works of Cindy Henry, Fern P. Lynn and Orazio Salati. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the works will include “fiber art — mixed media, ceramics and new paintings.” It will open this First Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and First Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dec. 3 to Dec. 18 at Cooperative Gallery 213 (213 State St.)

This “Members Holiday Show” will feature “all supporting and exhibiting members of Cooperative Gallery,” according to the Broome County Arts Council website. Crafts from wood, jewelry, fabric, pottery and more will be exhibited “in addition to paintings and photography usually on display.” It will open on First Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and First Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dec. 3 to Dec. 4 at Portrait Art School (186 State St., Floor 2)

This “Portrait Open Studio” features the art of Dr. Reda Abdelrahman. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the event is “located on the upstairs of the presently closed [Anthony Brunelli Fine Arts] gallery.” It will open on First Friday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and First Saturday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Dec. 3 to Dec. 4 at Garland Gallery (116 Washington St.)

Live music will be brought to First Friday by Pat Raube. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the performance will include folk and pop music as well as “your favorite sad Christmas songs.” It will open on First Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and First Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Dec. 3 at Kilmer Mansion (9 Riverside Drive)

The “Art” exhibition, presented by the Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier, will include an art demonstration with Kathy Smith. It will open on First Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Now through Jan. 7 at Roberson Museum and Science Center (30 Front St.)

The exhibition “Home for the Holidays” will feature various artists. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, it “features hundreds of elaborately decorated trees, dazzling holiday displays and the International Forest — a collection of adorned trees and displays that represent the holiday traditions of cultures from around the world.” It will open on First Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and First Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Now through Dec. 30 at Artisan Gallery @ Taste NY (840 Upper Front St.)

The 2021 BCAC Members exhibition will be hosted in conjunction Artisan Gallery at Taste NY. The theme is meant to capture the beauty of New York state, according to the event description. It will open on First Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and First Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Dec. 3 at The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier Kids Commons Gallery (60 Morgan Road)

According to the Broome County Art Council website, the annual “Gingerbread Village” showcase includes works from “adults, children, fellow nonprofits and businesses in our community.” It will open on First Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Dec. 3 at Muckles! (60 Court St.)

Muckles! is exhibiting the work of Dan Simonds, a local photographer. It will open on First Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Dec. 3 at Phelps Mansion Museum (191 Court St.)

The Phelps Mansion Museum will present its annual piano recital. The recital will feature “the students of Jessica Farrell for their annual piano recital,” according to the event description. It will open on First Friday at 7 p.m.

Now through Jan. 4 at Binghamton Photo (32 Cedar St.)

The “Expired” exhibition features photography by Eric Yetter. Masks will be required for all visitors regardless of vaccination status. Admissions are free. It will open on First Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Dec. 3 to Jan. 29 at Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.)

According to the Broome County Arts Council website’s event description, the “Where the Woodbine Twine” exhibition features “oil paintings by Cornelius Nixon, with special guest artists Chuck Naholnik, Carol Rosenbaum, David Montgomery, Brianna Phillips, Pat Shea and Jeffrey Garren.” It will open on First Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and First Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Ada Limón is a National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry winner for her poetry collection, “The Carrying.” She was also the finalist of the National Book Award, the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award for her fourth book, “Bright Dead Things.” Limón is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship for Poetry, serves as a faculty member for the Queens University of Charlotte’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program and is based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Tina Chang, director of the creative writing department and an associate professor of English at BU, introduced Limón’s work and welcomed her to the University. Limón started the reading with two poems from her collection “The Carrying”: the titular poem and “Love Poem with Apologies for My Appearance,” which is a love poem for her husband “and writers or partners of writers.”

Next, she read from her new book, which will be released in May. It’s a six-page poem which she encouraged the audience to think of as six individual poems. She read them like a private chat between close friends — emotional, excited, smiling through the lines.

“I’ve been focusing a lot on honoring lately and the importance of it,” Limón said. “This [poem] is about my ancestors and in particular, my grandmother and grandfather.”

A Q&A session followed Limón’s reading, moderated by María Álvarez, associate director of creative writing and a lecturer of English at BU. The questions were asked through the Zoom chat box feature throughout Limón’s reading. She discussed her writing process — both generally and for the longer six-page piece she read — her thoughts about the “writer” identity and the insecurities that come with it. One attendee asked about the poems inspired by her dreams in her previous book and whether she planned to publish the remaining ones on other platforms. Limón said those particular poems are a very intimate deep-dive into her brain which is why she won’t publish all of them.

“I really wanted to write because it gives me life, but I was so ill and couldn’t figure out how to do it,” Limón said. “So I basically use my dreams as my poems so that I could have this whole other world.”

Limón touched on her friendship with fellow writer Natalie Diaz, a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry winner and activist. The Q&A session closed with her discussing the process of tapping into something true when one struggles in bringing out a piece. Álvarez said this discussion about writer’s block and channeling emotions into writing stuck with her after the event had ended.

“One of the key takeaways for me was her disbelief in writer’s block and the necessity for sitting still and fully experiencing difficult moments and emotions rather than dismissing them,” Álvarez said. “It was a wonderful evening, and I’m happy to be a part of the program that brought Ada Limón to the [BU] community.”

This upcoming spring, the Distinguished Writers Series is welcoming Adrian Matejka, poet and author of “Somebody Else Sold the World,” in February and Melissa Febos, author of “Girlhood,” in March. The series will partially transition to in-person readings in fall 2023. The Binghamton Center for Writers can be found on Instagram at @binghamton_center_for_writers.

The “2 Person Exhibition” features two artists: Cindy Henry and Viggo Holm Madsen. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the works include “fiber mixed-media art and printmaking.”

Nov. 5 to Nov. 27 at Cooperative Gallery 213 (213 State St.)

The “Three Artists in November” show features three individual exhibitions. The show includes the exhibits “Melange” by photographer Bill Gorman, “Iceland’s Natural Beauty” by photographer Geof Gould and “Layers” by painter Eileen Schlag.

Nov. 1 to Nov. 30 at Portrait Art School (186 State St., Floor 2)

The exhibition “Portrait” by Reda Abdelrahman is located in his studio and art school.

Nov. 5 at Garland Gallery (116 Washington St.)

According to the Broome County Arts Council website, Pat Raube, a singer/songwriter who performs “classic folk-rock and something new,” will be bringing his music to First Friday.

Nov. 5 at Kilmer Mansion (9 Riverside Drive)

Art and live music will be brought by the Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier. Music will be performed by Bob Alan Bricks from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Now through June 1, 2023 at Roberson Museum and Science Center (30 Front St.)

According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the exhibition “Memories of Braided Lives” by various artists “celebrates the labors of women and the items they worked and sewed.”

Nov. 5 to Dec. 30 at Artisan Gallery @ Taste NY (840 Upper Front St.)

According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the exhibition “Breathe In NY, Exhale ART!” is by Broome County Arts Council members. The exhibit “honors the beauty and essence of New York state which is so artfully captured by BCAC member artists,” according to the exhibition’s description.

Nov. 5 at The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier Kids Commons Gallery (60 Morgan Road)

According to the Broome County Arts, The Discovery Center’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program and the Memory Maker Project’s collaborative exhibition “Bookends” “[celebrates] intergenerational connections.”

Nov. 5 at Phelps Mansion Museum (191 Court St.)

The exhibition “Those Who Crossed Barriers” by PresentArts is about “Americans brave [enough] to cross barriers and willing to face the consequences,” according to the Broome County Arts Council website. Admission to the exhibit costs $15 per person.

Nov. 5 at Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.)

“What is the value of art?” is the question “Rubbish | a reflective installation” by artist AmarA*jk intends to answer. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, “The opening will include live painting and will be livestreamed on Twitch.tv/AmarAstarjk.”

Nov. 5 at Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.)

The “Visual Smut | never before exhibited erotic paintings” exhibition also by AmarA*jk will include paintings “from [their] own boudoir,” and will be open to mature audiences only, according to the Broome County Arts Council website.

Oct. 1 at Limitless Arts (83 Front St.)

Organized by Binghamton Club, this pop-up features artwork by the late Ariele Moulton-Barrett. According to the Broome County Arts Council website, “proceeds will be a one-time charitable donation to a local graduating student pursuing a career in the arts.”

Oct. 1 to Nov. 27 at Orazio Salati Studio & Gallery (204 State St.)

The “4 Artists, 4 Mediums” exhibition features artists Cindy Henry, Fern P. Lynn, Laura O’Neill and Orazio Salati. According to the Broom County Arts Council website, the works include “paintings, raku and functional ceramics, fiber mixed media and beaded jewelry.”

Oct. 1 to Oct. 23 at Cooperative Gallery 213 (213 State St.)

The “Joanne Thorne Arnold & Art Trail” exhibition will feature Joanne Thorne Arnold, alongside the annual Broome County Arts Council Art Trail with artists Judy Salton, MaryRose and Betsy Jo Williams. It is open on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout October.

Oct. 1 at Garland Gallery ( 116 Washington St.)

According to the Broome County Arts Council website, Pat Raube, a singer-songwriter, will be playing your favorite acoustic and folk songs “from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and more.”

Oct. 1 at Kilmer Mansion (9 Riverside Drive) from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

According to the Broome Country Arts Council website, this will be a “fantastic evening of art and music” and will be brought to you this First Friday from “18 artists from the Fine Arts Society of the Southern Tier. Peggy Sniezek, Denise Helms and Maureen Helms … will perform music from the Renaissance, Ragtime.”

Now to Oct. 3 at Roberson Museum and Science Center (30 Front St.)

According to the Broome County Arts Council website, the “Word and Image” exhibition showcases Jules Gotay’s artwork, whose “use of [color] and verse creates a nostalgia. ‘The geometry that colors the sleep of stars’ pieces together shapes from a dream, and the color palette [is] reminiscent of a bedtime storybook.”

Sept. 30 to Nov. 26 at Artisan Gallery @ Taste NY (804 Front St.)

Debuting Sept. 30, “NYS Nature Inspired Photography” exhibits the works of Liam Axton and Merri J. Markovitch. The exhibition will be located at Taste NY, right next to the Broome County Regional Farmers Market.

Oct. 1 at The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier (60 Morgan Road) 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The Center’s Discovery Kids School Program will feature Kirsten Nicole Mann, an artist and children’s book author.

Oct.1 at the Bundy Museum of History and Art (129 Main St.) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

During First Friday, the museum will exhibit “Serious Moonlight” in its third floor gallery, featuring artist Angela Cook’s acrylic art. This exhibition will also host live music by Kellie Wright, a crystal sale from Chloe Serkiz of L’Andrea Crystals, tarot card readings by Samantha Lynn Morris and a photo booth by Dusty Boxx, according to the event’s website.

“The Clothesline Project” by the Crime Victims Assistance Center (CVAC) and the 20:1 Program for the Clothesline Project Display will also be on display during the reception. According to the exhibition’s description, “this visual display honors victims and survivors of interpersonal violence that often go ignored … Visitors have the opportunity to create their own shirt to honor experiences of interpersonal violence that have impacted them or someone they know.”

Sept. 3 to Oct. 26 at Binghamton Photo (32 Cedar St.)

The “Preserved Memories” exhibition will feature photography by Josh Lasky.

The rules are simple: scattered around campus are posters of works from the Museum with QR codes on them. By scanning the codes which contain clues, participants will be led to a search game in the Main Gallery. If they could complete the search, they would earn a prize. The first poster with QR code was announced on Instagram, located in Glenn G. Bartle Library on the general interest board between Jazzman’s and the library. The hunt was open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., the same as the museum’s hours. Albert Zhang, a social media intern for the BU Art Museum and a sophomore majoring in psychology, said the event was created to promote the galleries on campus. The scavenger hunt and search game was also a fun way for new students to familiarize themselves with the campus and help older students to discover or revisit a forgotten spot.

“We want participants to visit the museum and get a close look at the works in the main gallery,” Zhang said. “With [COVID-19] shutting everyone indoors, we want the hunt to draw students out of their dorms and onto campus.”

The event was formed as a creative way to bring new visitors to the museum by Zhang and the museum’s social media team. The game portion of the scavenger hunt was developed first and then later accompanied by the rest of the scavenger hunt. Using their own ideas of what they understand and enjoy as a baseline, they created this game for the rest of the participants.

Although this year’s engagement was low, there is some hope of making the game a yearly tradition to boost the museum’s popularity among the student body. This will make visiting the museum a larger part of people’s daily experience on campus, and to familiarize them with the art that BU has to offer. Zhang detailed his experience being an intern for the museum as eye-opening, and that it helped him to appreciate and understand the efforts of museum staff.

“I enjoy visiting museums, but have never considered a career in museums,” Zhang said. “This opportunity to work hands-on in the field has really helped me develop skills that I didn’t have before.”

Although the scavenger hunt has ended, on-campus visitors can still browse several exhibitions in both galleries from now until Dec. 12 for free. The BU Art Museum is located in the Fine Arts Building, with the Main Gallery in room 213 and the Lower Gallery in room 179. There are currently six exhibitions on display that have been curated by museum staff, faculty members and students, as well as the permanent collection.

The international three-branched institute started in 2010 as a weekly workshop for teenagers in Winnipeg, Canada led by the institute’s co-founder Kier-la Janisse, a film writer, author and producer. Later that same year, the workshop’s audience shifted toward adults and the location moved to Montreal, where Janisse’s microcinema, the Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre, served as the venue for these classes. Scholars Kristopher Woofter and Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare then joined Janisse, first as instructors and later on as co-directors and curators.

“After we started the London branch in 2015 it went to a monthly format due to the demands of the venues,” Janisse said. “In 2016, the NYC branch started, and in 2018, the LA branch started. In 2019, we got our first advisory board.”

The physical locations that house these branches each carry a history fit to be a setting for a Gothic novel. Currently, the New York City branch is located at Film Noir Cinema, which used to be a funeral home. There’s still an ice chute in the basement that existed before refrigeration systems were made to keep the bodies on ice. The London branch is housed by The Swedenborg Society, one of the world’s oldest independent publishers in addition to being a registered charity, academic publisher, archive and museum. The Los Angeles branch is located in The Philosophical Research Society. Apart from having a world-famous occult library, it’s also where Bela Lugosi, an actor best known for playing Count Dracula in a 1931 film, got married.

A wide range of topics is covered in classes. From queer studies to Gothicism to psychology and alternative stories that deviate from mainstream voices, anything that had a presence in and influenced horror contents can be discussed. Artistic choices and themes of races, war and humor are some topics presented in this semester’s lineup. A class or lecture can be created by either proposal from instructors or commissioned by the institute to specific instructors. The submission includes the instructor’s curriculum vitae, a 400-word pitch for their intended class and a bibliography or filmography of the content that would be a part of the lecture.

“[The instructor’s] proposal must have a thesis or angle,” Janisse said. “We then balance that with the other proposals to come up with a lineup for each semester that is diverse in both topic and approach.”

The sweep of COVID-19 had brought unexpected changes to the way The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies operated. A series of archival online courses were released periodically last summer that are accessible through donations, presenting both lectures and master classes. These include “The Shadow over Lovecraft: Interrogating H.P. Lovecraft’s Racism,” one of the most celebrated classes in the institute’s history. The 2020 fall semester is fully online for all three branches in NYC, LA and London, with all classes not being geo-blocked to allow global viewing. These classes operate similarly to the usual in-person class as live events that can’t be watched later.

The word “zine” is derived from “magazine,” reflective of its format. Typically, zines are printed or photocopied by their authors or an independent press, their volume is not much thicker than your typical pamphlet. The construction of zines has stayed virtually the same throughout history — pieces of paper are stapled together into a small book. One popular form is an eight-page made from a single A4 piece, following a simple fold-cut-fold method. There is no barcode nor distribution channel — the author is usually the only person behind the circulation.

The content of zines is comparable to poetry, due to the shared idea of not having defining characteristics. They are mediums that are “hyper-personal.” Within this limited real estate, the audience is open to anything the author throws at them, from an unfiltered look at their interior to a ten-page sci-fi story. It’s helpful to think of them as one moment in an artist’s book, condensed yet still riveting.

Although zines have been around since the 1830s, their big break into dominant publication started in geek culture and punk movements. The first era of zines started in the 1940s, with mimeographs and cyanide-based printing techniques. A certain group of science-fiction writers, including Harlan Ellison and William Gibson, got their starts through making and distributing their own fan fiction, and then went on to become the biggest names in pop culture. These zines were distributed through fan conventions and mails, and a large number went to conventions solely to buy them. To that loosely tied-together fandom culture, zines served as the glue that held everything together — despite falling apart after a few weeks of readings themselves. It’s where you can trace the ideas that eventually grew into independent stories, where conversations between fans happened and where Fanworks got its platform before the days of blogs and message boards.

What about the punks and the Riot grrrl movement? Fast-forward to the 1970s, when punk music was still under the radar and unfavored by the mainstream music industry. Once again, self-published zines become one of the main outlets to advertise their music and spread political tracts. The punk community’s DIY mindset translated incredibly well into this medium, producing art collages, music reviews and political retorts. Although this generation of zine is still highly specific to its region, it marks the growth of several fanzines from amateur to national circulation monthlies, Crawdaddy and Creem being two of them.

In the late 1980s, the Riot grrrl movement evolved and distanced itself from the main punk scene due to sexism, incorporating second-wave feminism into its main messages. The movement’s origin can be traced back to band members of Bikini Kill, whose vision of a new movement took the form of an album called “Revolution Girl Style Now!” The album set the first brick in place for Riot grrrl. They were followed by Bratmobile members who coined the phrase “girl riot.” If the main punk subculture shifted zine’s content to a more politically charged nature, Riot grrrl is where a space in zine culture for marginalized voices that is permanently created and popularized.

Now, zine culture seems to be thriving once again, alongside the classic hipster vinyl. Its power of amplifying marginalized voices is stronger than ever, with thousands of artists collaborating and self-publishing. Most zines can be purchased online from the author’s sources, with both physical and digital copies available. Pop-up zine workshops and zinefests are resiliently making their way up. For the artist, it’s to tell a story. For the historians, it’s a rich source to find underrepresented narratives.

All of the convention’s experiences will take place online, including their famous costume contest. The contest will be streaming pictures and videos submitted by contestants with live judges. Vendors, panels, writing workshops with authors, tabletop games and question panels with special guests will be taking place through Zoom. Topics for these forums range from creative writing, recording a live podcast, cosplays and roleplaying. Some notable panels include “Everything Is Fine,” a panel discussing the philosophy and comedy of the television show “The Good Place” and “Together We’ll Be Heroes,” a panel where the topic of “queernorm” is introduced and discussed through a lens of the superheroine She-Ra.

Natalie Shoemaker, RoberCon’s marketing and event coordinator, said there were challenges that came with turning RoberCon into a completely virtual event.

“The biggest challenge has been trying to maintain some kind of social aspect of the convention,” Shoemaker said. “I think we were able to strike a balance by using Discord to act as our ‘convention hall,’ where all things social live, and Zoom acts as our rooms.”

Being true to their words, a free Discord channel will be open to everyone during the convention without needing to purchase the virtual badge. Serving as a platform for online gaming, chatting and back-to-back artist live streams, Discord will be where attendees hang out and socialize. These streams include book readings, live art and concerts throughout the two-day convention. They give attendees access to artists’ behind-the-scenes processes, which is hard to do in-person.

Moving online comes with advantages as well. Actors Paul McGann, known for roles in “Doctor Who” and “Alien 3” and Miriam Margolyes, known for roles in “Harry Potter,” “Blackadder” and “Call the Midwife,” are two guests that will attend RoberCon this year.

“While I consider RoberCon an event that is close to my heart, it does serve an altruistic purpose outside of just bringing people together,” Shoemaker said. “I’m excited that we get to share this labor of love with not just people from Binghamton, but now all over the country.”

The convention spans through Sept. 26 and 27. Events are accessible with a $15 virtual badge.