Maybe that’s what drew me to Pipe Dream. I liked journalism — sure — but it was also so damn easy. Heading over to a story I had to cover, talking to the people I had to talk to, then walking back to my room to write.

It’s so easy to just sit back and watch. People have their own stories that I was to learn about and tell. Penning my own was harder. And telling those people how much I loved talking to them was out of the question.

When I first started college, I told myself that no matter what, I’d end up as a lawyer. Ironically, I had this big dream of representing refugees and anyone looking for somewhere to call home.

A large part of me still wants that path. But I’ve always been a wanderer, and someone once told me I could be a writer.

So the first week of classes, I found myself sitting in the back of UUWB03 — a space I would eventually live in — and listening as editors explained the meaning behind their publication’s unusual name.

Little did I know I’d spend my senior year desperately trying to fill their shoes, doing my best to give back to this 77-year-old, independent, underappreciated newspaper that plucked my wandering self right out of freshman year and told me I could become something.

As comforting as it was to hide and write, to stay in my little corner of solitude, it didn’t last. My sophomore year someone told me I should be a leader too. At this point, I started to ask questions — that definitely wasn’t me and it quite obviously never would be me. I was perfectly happy right where I was.

But sometimes, people know you better than you know yourself, and as someone stuck in his own corner for that long, I didn’t really know what I was becoming. Halfway through my junior year, I found myself staring back at a team of shy, pensive freshmen, telling them that they too, could be writers.

There’s something strangely beautiful in writing about a world you struggle to feel a part of, in talking to people under the guise of interviews, then spending hours thinking as you slowly craft a story you hope they may care to glance at.

I took pride in it — we all did. But it was much more than just that. I was giving writers a voice, and telling readers things they never knew. It was empowering, and it was special. I was a writer, and yes, I guess I was a leader too.

So my senior year, when I was asked to take up the reins of my little newspaper, I knew I could do it, even with a head full of doubts. I still held journalism at a cautious distance — part of me viewed the oddly comforting world it sucked me into with suspicion — but I owed this place something.

Pipe Dream, for those who don’t know, really is true to its name. In a school without a journalism program, we are an entirely independent paper with no funding or alumni advisor. The people who find their way into our office, and especially the ones that join our staff — many of them really are wanderers.

But dare I say, they are so much more than just writers, and so much more than just editors, photographers, designers and marketers. The staff that mentored me for years before it was their turn to graduate, and the ones that work under me now — they mean more to me than they’ll ever know.

This year, after more than a few sleepless nights, I did my best to give back to one of the few places I’ve ever been able to call home. We started up a sustainable printing model, turned our bank account around, bought new equipment and created new digital projects that hopefully won’t disappear every year.

But most of all, this year I wanted to show everyone what Pipe Dream could be, just as its staff once did for me.

Now, in a pattern I’m all-too-familiar with, it’s once again time for me to leave, to head back into a world I always knew best only as an observer. Only this time, I’ll go armed with the knowledge of what I can be. This time I know that if I choose to step out into uncertainty, there will always be people who embrace me for who I am and remind me of what I should be.

In lieu of the “thank you” I’ll never be able to put into words, this time I really want to say goodbye.

Lia, it’s a tough job, but I can already tell you are going to do amazing. Remember to take a step back once in a while and look at how far you’ve come.

Bella, as you so kindly always remind us, none of this would have been possible without you. I know, and I’m so grateful for that. You will do great things.

To all our staff and contributors — yes, there’s too many of you to name — I love you guys. I know I was a little hard on you at times, and I regret some of that, but I hope you understand why. This place has a long way to go, as do we. Let’s make sure we get there.

Professor Larémont, thank you for your constant support. I wish I could’ve shown you what I was capable of, but hopefully the best is yet to come.

To Pipe Dream and its encouraging editors, it’s been four years since I was drawn into the embrace of your windowless office. Maybe it’s a little odd that a student organization is where I drew my stake in the sand and demanded I make something of myself. Maybe I’m getting sentimental as I prepare to leave it all behind.

But for the first time I can remember, I’m grateful for a chance to say goodbye.

Hamza Khan is a senior majoring in political science and is Pipe Dream’s Editor-in-Chief. He was News Editor in spring 2022 and an assistant news editor from 2020-21.

Over spring break, the University announced it would raise minimum stipends for full-time, 10-month doctoral students from $17,000 to $21,000 in fall 2023. Doctoral students already receiving stipends above $21,000 will receive a $1,000 raise.

Other large SUNY institutions have also recently committed to stipend increases in fall 2023, including the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University. The University at Buffalo announced on Dec. 6 that it would raise minimum stipends for 10-month Ph.D. appointments from $20,000 to $23,000. Two months later, Stony Brook University announced their impending stipend raise for graduate, teaching and research assistants — from around $23,000 to $26,000.

The stipends do not yet meet the demands of BU’s Graduate Student Employee Union (GSEU), which is calling for a “living wage” — or $31,896, which is the living cost of a single adult with no children in Broome County as per Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator. The GSEU is also calling for stipends for all graduate employees, beyond just doctoral students.

According to Donald Hall, BU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, BU’s stipend raise was funded by the University itself.

“This increase isn’t funded by SUNY or the state of New York,” Hall said. “We are using scarce internal resources to fund it. Approximately 830 doctoral students will be impacted by the raises, at a cost to the University of approximately $1.54 million per year.”

Last year, the University announced the removal of broad-based fees for Ph.D. students. Hall attributed recent initiatives largely to inflation and keeping the school competitive in recruiting and cost-of-living standards.

GSEU officials pointed to Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo as institutions more aligned with its goals. The former provides a minimum stipend for all graduate workers — regardless of program — while the latter’s offerings remain above the University’s doctoral stipends.

Both institutions, however, do not provide living wages, but Emily Blakley — the president of GSEU and a sixth-year Ph.D. student studying psychology — feels their commitments to improving stipends are different.

“However, both Stony Brook and Buffalo were quick to understand that graduate employee wages were critical to the functioning of their universities, and we wish [BU] had been much quicker to realize how important we are to this institution,” Blakley wrote in an email. “With all the pushback and delays, it really made a lot of us feel unappreciated despite the labor we contribute day in and day out, a lot of it unpaid.”

Many are looking toward Gov. Kathy Hochul for change, as 19 SUNY schools are operating at a collective deficit of $170 million. Hochul had promised to allocate a historic $1.5 billion in new funding to SUNY and CUNY, but this would in-part be funded by a six percent annual tuition increase at SUNY’s four research institutions.

Hall said he cannot “predict the future,” but that the University will make effort to meet the necessities of doctoral students.

“SUNY provides no resources to our campus to support doctoral students or this initiative,” Hall said. “Similarly I can’t comment on what Buffalo can do given its resources. We will do the best we can. All 10-month university supported Ph.D. students are covered by the increase in wages.”

The GSEU said it will continue advocating for further stipend increases. Last week, its members raised signs outside of BU’s baseball stadium during national student employee appreciation week.

Troy Hunter, a second-year graduate student studying history, said he found recent stipend increases to be an encouraging start.

“Obviously, the increase from a $17,000 stipend to $21,000 is still quite a ways off from the $35,000 that the Living Wage Campaign has been advocating for,” Hunter wrote in an email. “That said, an extra $4,000 should still be seen as a victory, especially for workers such as myself who have found it difficult to cover the associated costs of living on a lower-end stipend.”

Lia Richter was a contributing reporter for this article

SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the end of the vaccination mandate on Tuesday. The decision came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden signed a bill ending the country’s COVID-19 national emergency.

SUNY’s mandate had been in place since fall 2021, instated by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Currently, 77.5 percent of New Yorkers between the ages of 18 and 25 are vaccinated. At the time of Cuomo’s announcement, the number of young vaccinated New Yorkers was far lower — with 24.7 percent of New Yorkers aged 16 to 24 vaccinated.

On April 12, Binghamton University updated its COVID-19 guidance policy to announce their compliance with the chancellor’s decision, effective immediately. COVID-19 vaccinations will instead be strongly recommended across SUNY campuses, like vaccinations for the flu, King said in a press release.

“The safety of SUNY’s students is our first and foremost priority, and while [COVID-19] is no longer an emergency, we will not lose sight of the impact it continues to have on us,” King said. “Across SUNY we will continue to monitor cases and make adjustments as needed, but even more importantly, we will look to increase the overall health and wellness support we provide our students.”

Previously, students were required to show proof of vaccination in order to attend in-person classes at BU. As of fall 2021 — the last year BU President Harvey Stenger’s quarterly report included vaccination data — 99 percent of on-campus BU students were vaccinated, with 280 claiming religious exemption.

According to SUNY’s updated COVID-19 guidance policy, vaccines may still be required for students taking part in internships at third-party locations, who must comply with the guidelines at said location. Some students, like Lucy Mandel, a junior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, felt that despite the mandate ending, on-campus students should get vaccinations to keep the campus community safe.

“I guess as long as it’s strongly encouraged that’s still important, but there’s still people that are immunocompromised — and that puts them at risk — and older professors,” Mandel said. “It’s up to people to decide what to do but it’s also important to get vaccinated.”

SUNY has been rolling back COVID-19 protocols over the past few years, with mandatory surveillance testing ending at the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year. Seth Bally, a senior majoring psychology, said the mandate’s end came amid a decreasing presence of COVID-19 in day-to-day life.

“I do feel like [COVID-19] is, thank god, slowly winding down, so it makes sense now, and it’s kind of liberating to know that,” Bally said. “But we haven’t had mask mandates and stuff for a while — so for a while it’s kind of felt like it’s been over.”

SUNY campuses are also given the choice to keep their mandate in place if they face changes in local COVID-19 conditions, according to the guidance policy. Campuses considering maintaining the mandate must consult with SUNY’s senior vice chancellor for academic health and hospital affairs and the SUNY General Counsel.

On March 8, the Binghamton University Registrar announced updates to the registration process, including an interface with “enhanced functionality” which highlights classes with time conflicts or waitlists. Some students, however, feel the process has been made more confusing — the interface has a maximum of 50 classes on a page, and also cannot be used in conjunction with College Scheduler, a tool commonly used by students in the registration process.

The change occurred after the University upgraded its student information system, Ellucian Banner. Banner is a software package commonly used in higher education, with BU using the system for finances, human resources and student and financial aid systems. According to Amber Stallman, the registrar and assistant provost for student success, the upgrade was necessary, as the older version of the software was eventually going to be discontinued.

The University had emailed students on March 16 to clarify the change, including instructional videos by Assistant Registrar Jayne Burlingame.

“I encourage all students to review the videos in advance of their registration time,” Stallman wrote in an email. “Jayne did a nice job breaking a lot of content into snippets of information that can be easily consumed by the topic in just a few minutes.”

Some students, like Amy Held, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, found the new layout hard to navigate. Held had not yet registered for classes, but said she would have to adjust to the new interface.

“It’s definitely hard using the same system for the last three years that I’ve been here and then changing it up,” Held said. “It is a little confusing, and I know that they are putting resources to try to help us, but it’s hard to get advising appointments sometimes at [BU], so [those] extra resources and support during this time would be helpful.”

The page adds a new feature, however, in its “plan ahead” option, which allows students to preselect courses prior to their registration slot.

Other students voiced issues with College Scheduler, a tool students would — in prior years — use to plan out their schedule before confirming their classes. With the new system, students cannot have College Scheduler up at the same time as they are registering for courses.

Stallman said information regarding College Scheduler was available in one of the instructional videos, and that its usability was still simple, though different.

“Students using College Scheduler will find their ‘registration cart’ in the plans section of registration and are able to easily register with just a few clicks of a button,” Stallman wrote.

A total of 11 instructional videos accompanied the introduction of the new interface, ranging from information on course withdrawal to guidelines on adding oneself to a waitlist.

Daniel Mygan, a junior majoring in economics, said that — while the new system will be an adjustment — he feels it is something he can get used to.

“The old system I liked how everything just showed on one page,” Mygan said. “The new one took a second to figure out how to get all the details up, and that made it a little harder to figure out all the details about the classes — I didn’t think it was too much of a problem, but I would’ve preferred if they just kept it the other way.”

This year’s SA elections saw only two races contested — president and vice president for multicultural affairs (VPMA). A total of 2,039 students participated in voting, a slight increase from 1,941 the year prior, but still far below voter turnout in the years before 2020.

In the presidential race, Elisheva Ezor, a junior double-majoring in mathematics and business administration, achieved a dominating performance. Ezor received 764 first-choice votes, more than double her closest opponent — Anindya Debnath, a junior double-majoring in economics and political science, who serves as the current vice president for student success (VPSS).

This marks the second year in a row that an SA E-Board incumbent has been defeated in a presidential race.

The other contested race — VPMA — saw Khalimah Choi, a junior double-majoring in economics and integrative neuroscience, claim victory. Choi received 472 first-choice votes in the first round, but the three-way race was close. Krizia Yao, a sophomore majoring in human development, received 412 first-choice votes, and Adejo Ibrahim, a sophomore majoring in economics, received 393.

In the four uncontested E-Board positions, each candidate won their race. Luca Cassidy, a sophomore majoring in economics, was elected VPSS, Chance Fiorisi, a sophomore majoring in political science, was elected executive vice president (EVP) and Sydney Ferreira, a junior majoring in anthropology, will be the new vice president for programming (VPP). Joining the three is Daniel Croce, a junior majoring in business administration, who won his bid for reelection as vice president for finance (VPF).

Cassidy said he hopes to see a more contested race going forward, as one of the unopposed candidates himself.

“The election went well for me and I will not lie that I was overjoyed I ran unopposed, but I plan to encourage more students from across different spaces on campus to get involved in SA next year,” Cassidy wrote in an email. “I do not want to see a single unopposed election next year.”

In the 2016-17 election, SA voter turnout was 2,735, followed by 3,063 in 2017-18 and 2,855 in 2018-19. Turnout saw a massive decrease to 2,062 in 2019-20, since which it has yet to fully recover.

While results were unofficially announced on March 14, a host of grievances and administrative procedures slowed the process of official certification, according to Christopher Ribarić, the chair of the Elections and Judiciary committee and a sophomore majoring in accounting.

Some candidates, like Fiorisi, felt that the delays were necessary — despite the inconvenience.

“It’s unfortunate news, but we need to make sure that moving forward, our election officers, SA and the [Graduate Student Organization (GSO)], are in constant and direct communication,” Fiorisi wrote in an email. “It is unacceptable for that line of communication to be lacking in any way. Let’s not allow it to get there.”

The GSO manages the election for BU Council Representative, which will be redone on March 24. The organization had mistakenly not used ranked-choice voting in their portion of the election, according to Ribarić.

With the election for SA E-Board squared away, President-Elect Ezor said she is looking forward to getting started.

“I am really excited to get to know what the student body is looking for in a president and also to implement my initiatives — but also [to] really understand what the role of president is and all of the possibilities so that I can get the most out of it,” Ezor said.

Nearly two weeks ago, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul stopped by Johnson City, pledging $400,000 toward Binghamton University’s Freedom Trail Project. The project’s aims are twofold — to erect a statue of the famous abolitionist at the UDC and to place 12 historical markers denoting underground railroad stops and other sites around Binghamton.

BU’s Harriet Tubman Center for the Study of Freedom and Equity was founded in 2019, with the goal of advancing equity on campus. That same year, the center held a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, seeking solutions to problems of racism and diversity.

The Freedom Trail Project resulted from conversations within the commission, according to Anne Bailey, director of the Tubman Center and a professor of history at BU.

“Some who testified say they wanted to see more representation on our campus and in the greater community of the ideals we aspire to — freedom and equity,” Bailey wrote in an email. “So one answer was to erect a statue to Harriet Tubman, because who better than Tubman could remind us and inspire us each day to complete her unfinished work?”

As of currently, five artists are in consideration for designing the statue — all of which are expected to present their models in the UDC on April 20.

The Tubman Center will begin placing the historical markers earlier — on March 10, or Harriet Tubman Day. According to Bailey, these will include “Underground Railroad stops, anti-slavery sites and other sites representing the advancement of civil rights.”

Bailey said the Tubman Center hopes for the project to be engaging, particularly through incorporating programming for local K-12 students that will be among those touring.

“At the same time, we did not want to just erect a statue and historical markers that were static,” Bailey wrote. “We wanted from the start to have a very interactive component which we are working on now. That is where our students and the students in our public schools come in.”

The tour will begin with the statue of Harriet Tubman and end at the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Susquehanna River. According to Bailey, this represents the project’s theme of “passing the baton” from Tubman to King to others.

Javonne Thomas, a junior majoring in biology, said he was excited to hear of the project, describing it as a welcome change from statues that depict problematic historical figures.

“To have a statue of someone that represents something more positive is very beneficial,” Thomas said. “For a community that’s usually underrepresented — like Black people — I feel like it’s very important for them. And also it is history — history isn’t just white history.”

Christian Bouie, a freshman with an individualized major in journalism, shared Thomas’ sentiment.

“I think it’s good to bring exposure to the Black community,” Bouie said. “We already go to a predominantly white institution, and we don’t as itself get a lot of recognition. So I think it’s good for the town and to just bring more acknowledgment to just us as a whole, in general.”

During Hochul’s Feb. 22 visit, she also promised $10 million to the Village of Johnson City as a part of her Downtown Revitalization Initiative. As staff at the Tubman Center prepare for the project ahead, Bailey said she is glad to have the governor’s support.

“We were still, however, in the throes of seeking more support so this announcement was a great boost,” Bailey wrote. “It was also great to meet the governor and to hear more about the great initiatives coming to our area, including further revitalization of Johnson City.”

Editor’s note (3/8/23): A previous version of this article stated that the Tubman Center was founded in 2021. The center was founded in 2019. The article has been corrected.

Marcus Molinaro (R) has won the election for New York’s 19th Congressional District, defeating Josh Riley (D) by 6,244 votes. The seat had been left vacant after then-congressman Antonio Delgado (D) was tapped up as New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul’s lieutenant governor.

NY-19 now joins a series of congressional districts in which Republicans have picked up U.S. House seats, with three others flipped across the state.

Molinaro thanked his supporters on Twitter — having won a district where 36 percent of registered voters are Democrats and 32 percent are Republicans.

“Thank you to the people of #NY19,” Molinaro wrote. “To all my supporters and to all those who volunteered. We were outspent, but not outworked.”

BU was previously a part of NY-22, once represented by U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney. Following the recent redistricting process, the University joined the newly drawn NY-19 — at the time under Delgado — which includes parts of Broome County.

On Wednesday, Riley conceded defeat as he called for unity rather than division.

“I’ve called [Marcus] Molinaro to congratulate him on his hard-fought victory, to wish him all the best in Congress and to thank his family for the sacrifices they’ve made in the spirit of public service,” Riley wrote in a statement. “I appreciate [Molinaro’s] stated commitment to opposing a national abortion ban, improving funding for mental health services and creating good jobs in Upstate New York.”

Molinaro’s stated policies include working to improve social support programs, specifically in mental health and the opioid epidemic. Regarding abortion, Molinaro maintains a pro-life stance, but opposes a total ban on abortion without exceptions.

Local elections saw a different outcome. New York State Senate District 52, led by Fred Akshar (R) for seven years, will now see Lea Webb (D) at its helm. Webb had run against former Binghamton Mayor Rich David (R), winning by just over 1,000 votes.

Chance Fiorisi, president of BU’s College Democrats and a sophomore majoring in political science, said he felt the election cycle was largely positive for the Democratic party.

“Locally we were successful in that [the] majority of our candidates were elected and re-elected — we are disappointed that our local congressional candidate, Josh Riley, lost to [Marcus] Molinaro, but we are optimistic that the seat will flip blue in a general election year,” Fiorisi said. “Internally we were pretty shocked that the supposed ‘red wave’ was more of a red drip, but I think that nationally the American people have decided that enough was enough.”

Webb, who served two terms on Binghamton’s City Council, also works as a diversity education coordinator at BU’s division of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Akshar had left his seat to run for Broome County Sheriff, which he won by nearly 26 percent on Tuesday, defeating Kate Newcomb (D). The seat had formerly been held by David Harder, who did not seek reelection this year.

Logan Blakeslee, vice president of the BU College Republicans and a senior majoring in history, said members of the College Republicans were “heavily active” in New York state’s congressional races.

“Many of us were on the ground for [Marcus] Molinaro, who achieved a razor-thin victory in a district that leans blue,” Blakeslee said. “We are proud of this work, and the work we did for Lee Zeldin. We are energized and ready to move forward to the next challenge.”

Hochul, who had been appointed as the state’s governor following the abrupt resignation of Andrew Cuomo, also won her election — though narrowly, defeating Zeldin by just 5 percent. The election had been the closest for New York state governor in two decades.

Along with a group of four others, Lizak had traveled to the U.S. Capitol and remained inside for approximately 35 minutes, according to court documents. The group allegedly roamed through the building and entered the office of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Lizak is now facing misdemeanor charges, and was released on bond on Sept. 22.

Lizak was the only member of the group who was a former BU student, with the others having no known relation to the University. While four of the men face misdemeanor charges, one of them — Joseph Brody, 23, of Virginia — is charged with a felony for assaulting a U.S. Capitol police officer with a metal barricade.

“Brody’s associates watched as he assaulted this law enforcement officer,” the affidavit reads. “The group then watched the destruction of media equipment, which had been surrounded by metal barricades.”

For the past two years, Lizak has also been at the helm of a lawsuit against BU, claiming a violation of freedom of speech. The lawsuit stemmed from the disruption of a tabling event in fall 2019 — organized by conservative activist group Turning Point USA and the BU College Republicans — by hundreds of protestors.

The semester following the tabling event, Lizak became president of the College Republicans, remaining at the post until spring 2022 — though the club had become dormant during COVID-19, according to its members.

In an email statement, the College Republicans denounced Lizak’s actions.

“His actions at the [U.S.] Capitol Building are not representative of this club or what we stand for,” the College Republicans wrote. “Furthermore, we believe that conservatism rejects political violence and radicalism as a means for change.”

Investigators determined that the five men involved in the breaching of the U.S. Capitol, including Lizak, were part of America First, a group that advocates against demographic shifts in the U.S. According to the affidavit, the men had met at prior America First events, as well as at a “Stop the Steal, March for Trump” rally on Nov. 14, 2020.

The group had allegedly traveled to Washington, D.C. around a day prior to the storming of the U.S. Capitol, gathering from across the East Coast. They first entered the building from the Senate Wing Door before entering various restricted areas, including the Rotunda and third-floor hallways, according to court documents.

Lizak had cut off ties with the College Republicans after spring 2022, according to a statement from the organization. Logan Blakeslee, interim president of the College Republicans and a senior majoring in history, wrote that he was “not surprised” by Lizak’s alleged actions.

“He was adamant in his belief that Donald Trump won the 2020 election, and he labeled Republicans who thought otherwise as [Republicans in Name Only],” Blakeslee wrote. “Lizak broke the law because of an unfounded theory about voter fraud.”

Following their fall 2019 tabling event, the College Republicans and the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), a conservative youth group, had hosted Arthur Laffer — former economic advisor to former President Ronald Reagan and former President Donald Trump. The event was disrupted by protestors, leading to Lizak, the College Republicans and the YAF suing University officials, the Student Association, the College Progressives and local activist group Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow (PLOT).

Andrew Hruska, an attorney at King & Spalding LLP representing Lizak in the lawsuit, declined to comment on the impact of Lizak’s recent arrest.

Brody was the only member of the group accused of entering the Senate Chamber, though Lizak had allegedly called him while he was inside. Brody and Lizak then left the building at 2:51:40 p.m., the affidavit stated, as all the men gathered on the U.S. Capitol’s North Side.

It was there that Brody allegedly assaulted a Capitol police officer, while the other men stood by. Then, Brody had damaged media equipment, according to the affidavit — which cited video evidence.

“Several open-source videos and images captured this incident, including Brody and his group both observing and participating in the destruction,” the affidavit reads.

Lizak and one of the other men had been arrested on Sept. 15., joining over 870 individuals arrested for breaching the U.S. Capitol and related crimes. The investigation remains ongoing, and Lizak will appear in court in Washington D.C. on Nov. 17.

The College Republicans denounced the events of Jan. 6 in their statement, describing it as in violation of the values of both the club and the country in whole.

“College Republicans have always supported free speech and the right to protest,” the College Republicans wrote. “However, what took place during the Capitol Riots was an abuse of the freedoms we hold so dear.”

Pipe Dream was unable to verify Lizak’s graduation status, however Lizak is not listed in BU’s student directory.

Candela, a former assistant professor in Binghamton University’s sociology department, had for years implemented a “progressive stacking” policy in her course — Sociology 100: Social Change: Intro to Sociology. The policy, which stated that Candela would prioritize students in class discussions who are non-white, women or shy and quiet, prompted a Title IX complaint by a student claiming gender discrimination.

Soon after, conservative media outlet Campus Reform published a story on the policy, followed by a variety of large media outlets, including Fox News, the Daily Mail and the New York Post. A screenshot of the syllabus had also been shared on the “Binghamton University Class of 2023 – Parents” Facebook group. While the attention has since subsided, Candela quietly resigned from her post on Sept. 1, stating she found it difficult to remain at the University.

“In the handling of the progressive stacking targeted political attack and public spectacle that I experienced during the spring 2022 semester, I was treated with such callous disrespect by members of the administration of Harpur College, by [BU’s] media and public relations and by a student in my course that to continue to contribute my labor to the institution would involve a profound lack of self-love and self-respect,” Candela wrote in an email.

Progressive stacking is a practice that was borne out of the Occupy movement, and has been used by some educators over the past few years. In her syllabus, Candela also wrote that she would ask students who were white, male or “privileged by the racial and gender structures of our society” to often hold off from asking questions, in order to give priority to others. As Candela’s implementation of the practice gained attention last year, she removed the clause from her syllabus.

Last semester, Celia Klin, the dean of Harpur College, had held a meeting with Candela explaining why the University felt the language was problematic — but Candela had not faced disciplinary action. In a letter from Donald Nieman, former provost and academic vice president for academic affairs, the University described why it had not issued a public statement in support of Candela — a demand made by many of her supporters.

“The University supports the goal of inclusive teaching, and all good teachers strive to ensure that all students have a voice in their classes,” Nieman wrote. “Undoubtedly, that was Professor Candela’s intent, and we applaud her for it. However, the controversy was not about Professor Candela’s intentions or even her actual teaching practices. It was about the language she included in her syllabus which is inconsistent with Professor Candela’s and [the] University’s obligations under federal law.”

Specifically, the letter said Candela’s policy had breached Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Title IX of the 1972 Amendments to the Education Act. While Nieman wrote that Candela’s “intention was to be inclusive,” he stressed that the primary issue was the wording of the syllabus.

Sean Harrigan, a reporter for Campus Reform and a junior majoring in economics, had made the Title IX complaint — and was a student of the course last year. Harrigan said the news of Candela’s resignation did not affect his stance.

“My reaction to the news of her resignation is mostly indifference — my goal was never for her to be harassed, fired or pressured to leave,” Harrigan wrote in an email. “At the same time, I was disappointed in the pedagogy of the course.”

In addition to being quoted by several media outlets, Harrigan was also featured on a segment of “Fox and Friends” on Feb. 23, where he discussed the policy.

Kenyon Cavender, a teaching assistant (TA) in the course and second-year doctoral student in sociology, said Candela’s resignation would come at a cost for the department.

“Sociology is not a huge department,” Canvender said. “It’s an absolute loss for our department and it’s felt. We know why she resigned and understand, and are sad that she’s gone. We lost a really good scholar due to this situation.”

Canvender and other TAs raised the issue of privacy in their criticism of the University’s alleged lack of support, as they — along with Candela — had their names and office numbers included in the syllabus posted in the Campus Reform article. In April, Campus Reform had published another article on the class, this time publishing emails between Harrigan and a TA who required masks to be worn after the mask mandate had ended.

Emily Blakely, representative of BU’s Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU) and a sixth-year Ph.D. student studying psychology, said the GSEU was “disappointed” by the University’s “centering” of “the feelings of the right wing.”

“Campus Reform represents a real threat, as those whose identities are exposed by them are unwillingly subjected to racist hate speech and threats of harm,” Blakely said. “This has lasting implications from employees who have to return to the classroom and are forced to continue to work in hostile and unsafe work environments.”

In regard to the syllabus clause itself, students expressed a range of responses, with the Latin American Student Union (LASU) holding a protest in favor of Candela last month.

Some, like Adam Tartasky, a junior majoring in psychology who had taken Candela’s course, said they supported the policy — which Tartasky said supported “underrepresented” students.

“I found it odd that the student that felt the need to go to the local conservative tabloid media was given so much attention for voicing a grievance that, from my observation, held no discernible truth to it,” Tartasky said. “The individual that complained against Professor Candela was in my class, and in my discussion group, and was routinely called on despite his broadly unpopular comments.”

Others, like Danyal Shah, a senior majoring in biochemistry, said the clause should not have been included within the syllabus.

“I can understand that she might want to hear more unique perspectives in discussion, but the policy didn’t need to be outlined in the syllabus,” Shah said. “It sounds like a common unwritten rule that a lot of professors use.”

The sociology department has also seen a recent change in leadership, now chaired by Ji-Song Ku, an associate professor in the department of Asian and Asian American Studies. Ku said his appointment was not related to the syllabus controversy.

With Candela no longer a part of the department, Tartasky said he would miss his experiences with her as an instructor.

“I will be forever grateful for the lessons learned inside and outside of Professor Candela’s classroom, and that I was fortunate enough to be a student of hers,” Tartasky said. “It would be an understatement to say that she made me a better person.”

Late Nite bus routes run to and from campus on Friday and Saturday nights — frequently used by students to return from Downtown Binghamton or the West Side. But on Sept. 9, the first night of the LUMA festival, the service was suspended after students forced open closed doors on an OCCT bus.

The following weekend, the service remained suspended. According to Daniel Croce — OCCT’s chief financial officer, vice president for finance of the Student Association (SA) and a junior majoring in business administration — one of the buses had been taken out of service following damage caused by “several passengers.”

“The disorderly conduct of numerous passengers placed the drivers and all other passengers at a potential for great risk,” Croce wrote in an email. “This past weekend was suspended as a result of the necessity to prevent such actions from occurring again. We are actively working (and almost complete) with developing safeguards for both drivers and passengers.”

Croce said the damage has since been repaired, but the SA is working on more long-term safety measures. In a statement on Instagram, the SA warned of the potential permanent suspension of Late Nite runs, and said the service will be reinstated following the approval of new policies.

This will include new punitive measures against disorderly passengers, according to Croce.

“More specifically, going forward any student acting in any form of disorderly conduct on OCCT buses will face student misconduct charges and will be possibly banned from bus use,” Croce wrote. “All appropriate legal or University officials will be called to assist in any sort of similar situation.”

The service had previously been suspended last year, for two weeks in mid-October, after mask noncompliance and verbal and physical abuse from riders. Later, the bus routes resumed as a “probationary” service for the remainder of the semester.

Antoinette Stefanakos, OCCT’s public relations coordinator, suggested that the situation has not improved.

“The issues regarding passenger noncompliance have always existed to some degree, and the removal of the mask policy did not change these issues,” Stefanakos wrote in an email.

Despite the safety concerns, some students who rely on the service said they found the suspension to be inconvenient. OCCT remains among the most accessible transportation options for students — with its costs included in the transportation fee billed to graduate and undergraduate students.

Leo Cohen, a senior majoring in political science, uses OCCT buses to travel to and from campus and the West Side daily. Cohen described the bus service as a “privilege” because it makes travel substantially more convenient, especially for students and faculty who do not own cars.

“It’s unfortunate and disturbing that a handful of patrons have been unable to follow the OCCT guidelines and have abused this privilege,” Cohen said. “As a result, a large number of rule-abiding students and other riders, including myself, are forced to make concessions to travel to and from campus due to the suspension of [Late Nite] OCCT bus services. This suspension is perfectly justifiable yet disappointing.”

Nico De Vita, a junior majoring in business administration, said students should respect the service — and those who rely on it.

“There is no excuse for anyone to assault a student driver on a free transportation shuttle that brings every student who lives on campus safely back to their dorms,” De Vita said. “Not only is it unacceptable, but it’s a selfish, demeaning act that leaves other students stranded and forced to spend their money on a car service, rather than ride on the bus for free.”

Stefanakos and Croce stressed that it is not safe to continue the service until new procedures are in place. Until then, Croce suggested students consider using taxis, rideshare services or designated drivers.

“We are working diligently on long-term solutions and they are in sight,” Croce said. “I understand that for the majority of students, Late Nite being canceled can be an inconvenience to a great free service. However, the current form of Late Nite is not safe for anyone. Safety is my number one priority for everyone.”

When my photographer and I walked into the restaurant, we quickly realized what gives Garage Taco Bar its name. The eating area is split into a half-indoor, half-outdoor setting. Inside, tire rims line the ceiling, with the walls filled with faded brick. Outdoors, there are large green tables, with umbrellas to shield the sun’s rays. With the weather being as warm as it was, it was tough to decide where to take our seats — but it was clear that the restaurant’s decor gave it a calm, laid-back vibe that immediately makes one feel at home.

For my first course, I decided to try the street corn bowl, while Megan, the photographer, opted for the chips and pico. I’ve never been a huge fan of corn, so you can imagine my surprise when the bowl ended up being my favorite item on the menu. The combination of butter, queso and seasoning formed a creamy texture that tasted like a whole new food altogether. While the chips and pico were also a solid choice, they paled in comparison to the flavor provided by other items on the menu.

Next, I tried the vegan chorizo taco, with Megan selecting the chicken taco. Both were served in pairs of two, but the portions were so filling that both Megan and I were only able to finish one. Before diving into the taste, I do have to comment on the presentation. All courses were served together on a tray, and the colorful combination of salsa verde, lime crema and the rest of the ingredients on each taco really stood out.

I found the vegan chorizo to be delicious. The hint of lime along with the poblano and other vegetables built an explosion of flavor in each bite. Megan had the same experience with her chicken taco, particularly noting the glistening sauce, which meant there was never a dry bite. Not only were both tacos well-sized, but they were also both filled to the brim. It was clear that we were at a restaurant deserving of the word “taco” in its name.

For our third course, both Megan and I selected the sopapilla, or fried tortillas sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and honey. This was a perfect end to our meal — or at least, it would have been, if we could wait that long to try it. Each piece of tortilla had the perfect hint of sweetness — not enough to be overwhelming, but more than enough for us to find them difficult to put down. Each bite was better than the one before.

In addition to the decor was a rather calming air brought by the soft rock playing in the background. Even the group of patrons itself brought an inviting air, as the restaurant was not too full, yet a constant murmur could be heard in the background.

Lastly, but certainly not least important, was the service. Our server was quick to seat us, checked in with us regularly and never served us without a smile on her face.

By the end of our lunch, we were so full that we packed nearly half our meal. Even then, we knew that eating at home would not provide the same experience we found at Garage Taco Bar. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone — and can’t wait to come back myself.

On Thursday, BU held a memorial service in honor of Dhillon. The dean, who passed away in April from advanced-stage cancer, was at the helm of SOM for 21 years out of his 35-year career at BU. At the service, BU President Harvey Stenger was joined by Dhillon’s colleagues, friends and family.

Dhillon first became associated with BU in 1987, after visiting the University as an assistant professor of finance from Louisiana State University. That same year, Dhillon joined BU as an assistant professor, eventually becoming an associate professor of finance in 1993. In 1997, he became a finance coordinator, later completing his career as a professor and Koffman Scholar of finance, as well as the dean of SOM.

According to Stenger, Dhillon inspired the University with his accomplishments.

“All of us were lucky enough to have someone like [Dhillon] in our lives,” Stenger said. “Of course, [Dhillon’s] accomplishments as the dean of the [SOM] are broad, numerous and legendary. Under his leadership, [SOM] gained national prominence as a top-50 business program. And this year, for the first time, the school is recognized as a top-10 public business program.”

Dhillon earned many awards throughout his career, including the Chancellor’s award for Excellence in teaching, the Corning award for outstanding research and the Chicago Board of Trade award for best paper in futures and options. In his time at BU, Dhillon contributed to SOM’s ranking as one of the country’s top-10 management programs.

Subimal Chatterjee, distinguished professor of marketing and area chair of analytics in SOM, was the fourth speaker at the memorial. He said his relationship with Dhillon, who he knew for over two decades, was memorable, and that he will always cherish the lessons the dean taught him.

“We work for something bigger than ourselves,” Chatterjee said. “That is the most valuable lesson [Dhillon] taught me. And to [Dhillon], that was unquestionably, his love for the [SOM]. And when you watched him about his lessons and leadership, that’s all you could see. Love for the school. And if you love the school, easy or hard, you will make all the right choices.”

Also among the speakers were Krishnaswami Srihari, the dean of the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Laurie Norell, SOM’s senior director of development and members of Dhillon’s family.

Shelley Dionne, the current dean of SOM, had worked alongside Dhillon as an associate dean for four years. Dionne said she feels inspired by Dhillon, and credited him for the program’s improvement.

“[Dhillon] touched the lives of so many students and colleagues,” Dionne wrote in an email. “We felt it was important to bring the campus community together to honor his legacy and the impact he made on SOM. [Dhillon] recognized that SOM had the potential to be a top-tier business school, and he brought the school to new heights over the course of his 21-year deanship. He had a real passion for the SOM and [the University’s] community, and we will never forget him.”

At the end of the service, a reception was held outside the Anderson Center, where hundreds of students and campus and community members gathered to remember the late dean.

Jaiden Price, a member of the Dean’s Mentoring Program (DMP) and a junior majoring in business administration, said the DMP was influenced by Dhillon, who often engaged with the program.

“The DMP’s E-Board is grateful to have been touched by Dean Dhillon’s warm personality and inspiring positivity,” Price wrote in an email. “He played an instrumental role in forming this program and impacting innumerable lives. He was generous enough to share his time and knowledge each semester to individually mentor our mentees. His memory empowers us to continue to give back to the SOM community through the Dean’s Mentoring Program.”

Before the service came to an end, Dhillon’s son spoke on behalf of the dean and his family. Dhillon said his father felt close to the community at BU, which has always been a second home for his family.

“In fact, through this ordeal, the only time I saw him visibly emotional was as he signed his retirement papers,” Dhillon said. “Dad was always a man of great resolve. In a few words, I think if he were here, he would want all of you to know that you were much more to him than colleagues or friends. This campus will always feel like an extension of our home, and all of you will always be family.”

Webb, a diversity education coordinator at Binghamton University’s division of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), won last week’s Democratic primary for State Senate District 52. She defeated Leslie Danks Burke, an Ithaca-based lawyer, by over 20 points.

Webb will now face former Binghamton Mayor Rich David, MPA ’02, in the general elections, both vying for a district that includes parts of Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Tioga Counties. If elected, she would be the first Democrat in over 100 years to hold the position.

Though she began her career as an activist in college many years ago, Webb said her campaign is just getting started.

“I was born and raised here in the Southern Tier, specifically in Binghamton,” Webb said. “I’m always asking myself, ‘What can I do to be in service?’ And so, when this opportunity presented itself to run for state senate, I pledged to pass my proverbial hat in the ring. But I didn’t do it by myself.”

She stressed that her campaign is a “people-powered” movement — one that engages with the voices of working families. Specifically, many of Webb’s campaign goals have centered around affordable housing, equitable health care and “reproductive justice.”

The 52nd district has seen a Democratic advantage from 2016 to 2020, according to Jonathan Krasno, a professor in political science. However, with a Republican wave initially on the forecast for 2022, Krasno said its future is unclear.

“Now that wave seems very uncertain,” Krasno said. “The votes are there for Webb to win if Democrats turn out. They are also probably there for David to win if it’s a good Republican year or possibly an even year. [It’s] so hard to tell.”

As the results rolled in Tuesday night, Webb said the show of support spurred her forward.

“What that said to me was that voters agree that that is something that they do believe in,” Webb said. “And so it just provided me even more motivation, inspiration — and other folks as well — to become more involved. So it was very inspiring and exciting.”

David, Webb’s upcoming opponent and Binghamton mayor for two terms, announced his candidacy for state senate last July. The seat is currently held by Fred Akshar, who has served in the post since 2015.

At BU, Webb’s work includes developing diversity and inclusion programs for faculty, staff and students. Outside of her position at the University, she has also worked with local community-based organizations — including Citizen’s Action of New York and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

In the challenge ahead this November, Krasno said Webb’s affiliation with the University may be in the spotlight.

“Her employment at [BU] will almost certainly be an issue in the campaign, but one that cuts both ways,” Krasno wrote. “Lots of people in the community are [BU] grads or value the University for the resources it brings to the area. Others, however, certainly see the University quite differently — in some cases almost like a colonizing force from outside the community bringing people and values not from here. It’s a common town v. gown divide in college towns.”

Some students, like Chance Fiorisi, president of BU’s College Democrats and a sophomore majoring in political science, said they were eager to see Webb on the ballot sheet.

“She has always been a great communicator, and we hope that she takes her great personality and passion to help others, to her next office,” Fiorisi said.

Others, like Thomas Bravata, a senior majoring in psychology, said they didn’t closely follow local politics but hoped to see their views heeded by BU-affiliated politicians.

“I just ask that whoever is running makes an honest effort to change things for the better and listens to the needs of the student body,” Bravata said.

The general election will be held Nov. 8. Until then, Webb encouraged BU students to remain civically engaged, with many of them voting for the first time.

“So there is power in your home,” Webb said. “It is a tool to express yourself on those issues that you’re concerned about, and that is the type of work that I’ve done since I was 15 years old. I think it is important that young people really get involved in campaigns, on issues, to really assure that they too will have a better future.”

Editor’s Note (8/31/22): An earlier version of this article stated that Webb had been elected to City Council eight years ago instead of 15. The article has been updated with the correct information.

In July, non-email-related Google tools were removed from alumni B-Mail accounts — including Google Drive. Binghamton University had made the decision after Google rebranded its Google Workspace for Education services, limiting its total storage to 100 terabytes, with a paid option for larger storage.

Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, described how the University made effort to notify alumni of the change.

“When Google first announced a reduction in the storage limits of Google Workspace for Education accounts, [Information Technology Services (ITS)] and the Office of Alumni Engagement repeatedly reached out to alumni about checking the file storage in their Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos — also known as Google Workspace,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “ITS staff also reached out personally to the largest users to offer migration assistance.”

The service is now called Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals. If the University were to increase storage limits, it would need to purchase a paid version, priced at five dollars per student, per year. In total, the University contains over 14,000 undergraduates, as well as 3,800 graduate students, meaning purchasing an additional service could be a significant expense if alumni were to be included.

Not all alumni were satisfied with the University’s notice of the service removal. Some, like Jaclyn Fastenau, ‘21, said they were disappointed with the communication.

“I was frustrated that [BU] left so much up to chance with the whole process,” Fastenau said. “I had to ask my boyfriend for help, and I had no idea what to do to get everything off. I had every essay and paper I’d ever written in college on my Google account.”

The University had sent emails from alumni@binghamton.edu notifying students of the change. One email, sent in late April, encouraged the soon-to-be alumni to back up their information. However, the information regarding the reduction of storage was first mentioned in the email’s third paragraph — under an announcement regarding two-factor authentication — drawing confusion from some students, like Gaurav Deo, ‘20.

“I learned about this change via Reddit because the initial announcement was buried under a long email and nobody paid attention to it,” Deo wrote in an email. “It was only after people started realizing they sent out a separate email about the change.”

Deo said he had purchased a new service on his personal Google account to back up his 200 gigabytes of data. Beyond its free, 15 gigabyte storage offerings, paid Google services range from $1.99 to $9.99 a month.

Not all were dissatisfied with the announcements, however. Gillian Matthews, ‘21, said she felt that the email, though inconvenient, just needed some more information.

“The University did communicate in advance about the erasure, which was appreciated, but I wish they had sent out resources to help alumni learn how to backup and transport files accordingly,” Matthews said.

Current students, along with faculty and staff, will not be affected by the change, according to Yarosh. Until then, Deo suggested students take care to use their B-Mail for educational purposes only.

“[My] advice to any incoming or current students is that try not to link major accounts (banking) to your B-Mail,” Deo wrote. “You never know if they remove access to the Gmail as well in the future.”

Students, faculty face parking frustrations

As students and faculty returned to campus this year, many expressed frustration with available parking space. In Pipe Dream’s coverage, we explore how an increase in parking permit sales, in conjunction with a decrease in the usage of Off Campus College Transport (OCCT) buses, may have led to difficulty for students and faculty in finding parking spots. Toward the end of the spring semester, the University also announced the approval of new parking fees, including a $10 fee for those attempting to appeal parking tickets — refunded if the appeal is won.

In an appearance at a March Student Association congress meeting, BU President Stenger acknowledged the parking difficulties, but stated that the University did not have space for additional parking facilities, and that constructing new facilities would lead to an increase in ticket prices. Administrators encouraged students and faculty to plan ahead and utilize OCCT buses when available.

Graduate student teaching assistant’s (TA’s) protest against broad-based fees

For years, BU’s Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU) has protested against their payment of broad-based fees, which cover non-tuition costs such as technology and transportation. The fees, GSEU argued, constituted wage theft, as many graduate students reported finding themselves paying for services that did not apply to them, and the fees were not included in the wages the employees were being paid. This year, members of the GSEU marched to Stenger’s office, rolling a petition across the floor with 700 signatures calling for the abolition of the fees.

In January, Donald Nieman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, announced the fees would be lifted for full-time, fully tuition funded Ph.D. students. While GSEU described the announcement as a step forward, some had expressed hope to see removal of the fees for masters students.

OCCT suspends Late Nite service amid mistreatment of drivers.

As students came back to campus for a fully in-person year, OCCT employees reported witnessing repeated mask noncompliance and mistreatment from riders. Drivers reported particular issues during OCCT’s Late Nite service, which runs past 12:05 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, frequently used by students to travel to and from Downtown Binghamton bars. After having warned students of a potential suspension of the service, Late Nite runs were eventually paused in October as the situation was reportedly not improving.

Weeks later, the runs resumed as a “probationary” service for the remainder of the fall semester, after OCCT observed improvements in student behavior. While not all agreed with the resumption of the service within a two-week timespan, others felt it was needed to provide students with a safe way home.

Popular Downtown restaurants close amid sexual assault allegations

The Colonial, Dos Rios Cantina and the Stone Fox — neighboring restaurants owned by the same ownership group — had been frequented by students for years. In early December, anonymous allegations against owners began spreading on Facebook, with claims that owners had been taking part in the drugging and sexual assault of women. The allegations would begin to rapidly spread, with a Facebook group created online to share stories gaining thousands of followers within days, and employees quitting en masse. Shortly afterward, the restaurants closed, and the Binghamton Police Department (BPD) announced an investigation into the allegations. By the end of the fall semester, hundreds of students and community members gathered outside the establishments, protesting an attempt by the restaurants to reopen.

Though the restaurants had reopened over the winter, it was short-lived. Two owners, Jordan Rindgen, 33, and Yaron “Ron” Kweller, 41, were charged by the BPD in late February — Rindgen with a charge of criminal sale of a substance in the third and fifth degree and Kweller with a charge of rape in the third degree. By the end of April, two of the restaurants, The Colonial and Dos Rios Cantina, voted to close permanently. Pipe Dream’s coverage of the events spanned five stories, which included interviews with the many BU students that had worked for the establishments.

U Club Binghamton begins charging for utilities.

U Club Binghamton is one of the most well-known off-campus student housing complexes in the area, within walking distance of the University. By the end of the fall semester, the housing complex began charging students for utilities, a bill residents had not had to pay for prior. In Pipe Dream’s coverage, a reporter found inconsistencies in how the fees were allocated, with multiple residents from different buildings receiving the same utility charges in one month, and differing utility charges in another. Students had also reported being told conflicting information from U Club Binghamton employees earlier in the year, who had stated that residents would not see utility charges unless their usage passed a certain limit.

BU professor amends syllabus policy amid complaint, national media attention.

For years, Ana Maria Candela, an assistant professor of sociology, had included a “progressive stacking” policy in the syllabus for her Sociology 100: Intro to Social Change class. The policy, which Candela said aimed to support marginalized groups, stated that Candela would give priority to students of color, women and students who are “shy and quiet” when calling on students during class discussions. National media attention was brought to the policy after a student filed a Title IX claim against the syllabus clause, claiming gender discrimination. Since the claim, Candela decided to amend the syllabus policy, which University administrators claimed was in violation of the Faculty-Staff handbook.

Weeks later, in March, the Latin American Student Union organized a rally for the professor, criticizing what protestors described as a lack of University support for the professor. People who attended the rally also complained of how quickly they felt the Title IX complaint was addressed, compared to complaints of sexual violence also handled by the Title IX office. Amid the situation, the University had also released a letter from Donald Nieman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, responding to commonly asked questions and misconceptions.

Non-traditional junior protests false Student Accounts claim

On March 21, two protestors stood by an entrance to the University’s campus, holding a sign reading “Binghamton University abuses disabled students.” Pictures of the protestors were quickly shared across social media, with many wondering of their motives.

Pipe Dream’s coverage told the story of the two protestors. One of the protestors, Michelle Hami, previously a junior majoring in political science, found herself unable to afford tuition after being incorrectly labeled as an out-of-state student by Student Accounts. Hami, who has bipolar disorder, had previously been able to pay for tuition through ACCES-VR, a state program that aims to assist those with disabilities in pursuing education and employment. Despite having proof of New York state residency dating back to 1996, Hami had lost ACCES-VR funding due to her out-of-state labeling, causing her to be unable to register for classes in spring 2022.

BU lifts indoor mask mandate

Since online classes began in fall 2020, BU students have been mandated to wear masks in all indoor buildings on campus. In late March, that policy was lifted as COVID-19 case rates declined nationwide. The decision came shortly following the end of spring break, and marked one of the many milestones in the University’s push toward a fully “normal” semester. Later that month, BU President Harvey Stenger announced that the 2022 Commencement would have no mask, vaccination or testing requirement.

Both decisions saw varying responses from students and faculty, with some warning that the decisions would be difficult to reverse should the pandemic take a turn. Others, including some seniors, were eager to turn the page on a pandemic that has for years limited their experiences on campus.

Death of former SOM Dean Upinder Dhillon and IGMAP co-director Nadia Rubaii

The BU campus community lost several important figures this year, including the pioneers of some of its renowned programs.

Nadia Rubaii, 57, the co-director of the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP), died on March 12 after entering cardiac arrest a week prior. Rubaii had assisted in the founding of I-GMAP in 2015, and had received various accolades for her work at the University, including the 2014 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service. Rubaii was remembered by various community members for her impact on the department, as well as her kindness toward students and colleagues.

Upinder Dhillon, 71, the retired dean of the School of Management (SOM), died on April 23, after retiring weeks earlier following a diagnosis with advanced stage cancer. As dean, Dhillon had led SOM through a rise in national rankings, and oversaw the creation of some of the program’s widely used facilities, including the Zurack Trading Room. Faculty and students alike mourned the loss, describing Dhillon as a trailblazer for the school.

Ten people were killed and three were wounded in the shooting, 11 of whom were Black. Investigators said the alleged perpetrator had driven to Buffalo from his home in Conklin, a town in Broome County miles away from Binghamton. After combing through the suspect’s online posts, including messages on Discord claiming that the location was chosen due to the percentage of Black residents within its ZIP code, investigators said the suspect had planned the attack well in advance, according to the New York Times. The gun used in the shooting — an AR-15 style weapon — was legally purchased at a gun store in New York state.

Since the incident, various Binghamton University organizations and departments have shared responses. BU President Harvey Stenger and Vice President Karen Jones released a written statement on Sunday.

“[BU] grieves with the families of the victims and the city of Buffalo following the senseless shooting that killed 10 people and wounded others,” Stenger and Jones wrote. “The spirit of racism, hatred and acts of violence has once again shown its ugliness, destroying the lives of innocent people — targeted simply because of who they are, for what they represent as a people. There is no place in our society for such blatant racism, hatred and violence.”

Four of the victims killed in the attack were employees at the supermarket. Many were well known in their community, including Aaron Salter, 59, a security guard, Katherine Massey, 72, a longtime civil rights activist and Pearl Young, 77, a substitute teacher from a local school district.

The accused perpetrator, Payton Gendron, 18, had referenced the “great replacement theory” as a motive behind the attack in an alleged 180-page manifesto posted online, which also included detailed plans for an intended shooting. The conspiracy theory, a false concept often propagated by white supremacists, alleges that white people are being replaced in a coordinated effort through methods such as immigration. Gendron has since been charged with first-degree murder and plead not guilty.

On Monday, BU’s Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (I-GMAP) released a statement on the incident, describing it as part of a larger framework of identity-based violence. In the statement, I-GMAP called for stronger gun-control, accountability of social media companies that promote radicalization and the confrontation of mass-perpetuated conspiracy theories.

“The particular conspiracy theory that ensnared the perpetrator, so-called replacement theory, argues that a shadowy cadre of liberal political elites uses immigration policies as part of a broader plot to replace white Americans with members of other ethnic and racial groups,” I-GMAP wrote. “While fringe white supremacist sites peddle this theory in blunt terms, a spectrum of Republican politicians and pundits, such as Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, have adopted their own version of replacement theory, tailored for wider consumption and dissemination.”

According to Broome County District Attorney Michael Korchak, the accused was a former student at Susquehanna Valley High School, having graduated in June 2021. The high school had previously contacted New York State Police last year after the student made “disturbing” comments regarding murder-suicide.

Korchak said the student had not made threats against the high school or students, and returned to school following a mental health evaluation at a local hospital.

“From the information provided to this office, the Susquehanna Valley Central School District and the New York State Police followed the procedures and protocols that were in place at that time,” Korchak wrote in a press release. “I am certain that members of the New York State legislature will review the facts and circumstances of this case and propose appropriate changes as necessary, regarding mental health and background checks when purchasing firearms.”

In an alleged social media post by Gendron from Jan. 30, 2022, the suspect claimed he was able to return to school following his mental health evaluation by claiming his murder-suicide plans were a joke, when in reality the comment had detailed what he was “planning to do,” the suspect wrote in the post.

Some BU student organizations shared statements on social media following the shooting, including the Latin American Student Union (LASU). In an email, LASU expressed solidarity with the Black community.

“Our identities and very existence are ruthlessly debated, dehumanized and targeted but we can always find solace within our own communities,” LASU wrote in an email. “We will always fight for our Black community members and practice the acts of love and care that have resiliently survived every attempt to eliminate our voices.”

Locally, the Stakeholders of Broome County, a housing activist group, has organized a candlelight vigil to be held in honor of the victims of the shooting. At the vigil, which is scheduled for Thursday evening at the Peacemaker’s Stage on Court Street, the Stakeholders plan to collect donated items to provide to the affected Buffalo neighborhood.

As the campus community continues to respond to the shooting, Stenger and Jones encouraged the community to work toward promoting change.

“The emotional and psychological toll these incidents have on our communities is profound and members of our communities are silently suffering as they try to cope with these horrific events,” Stenger and Jones wrote. “It is time for us to come together as a nation and a campus to prevent this type of violence from becoming the norm; we must work toward seeing the humanity in each other.”

Leigh Ann Wheeler, a professor of history at Binghamton University, has spent years researching Anne Moody, an African American author known for her activism amid the Civil Rights movement, and her widely shared autobiography, “Coming of Age in Mississippi.” In 2018, Wheeler learned she was not alone in her research, crossing paths with Glen Conley, a prisoner at Mississippi’s Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF), who she would eventually invite to speak with her class.

Conley, who has spent over two dozen years incarcerated and is currently serving a life sentence without parole, was researching Moody as part of the WCCF Anne Moody History Project, an initiative which allows prisoners to learn about the activist through a book group. When teaching a class on Moody in 2017, Wheeler was introduced to the program after stumbling upon a website created by a chaplain at WCCF.

Wheeler soon became interested, donating 50 books to be used in the initiative, which prisoners then used for discussions, readings and creative works projects. Through the program, Wheeler became acquainted with Conley, who had asked her to write a foreword for a self-published book of poetry he was writing on Moody.

“So [Conley’s] friend — his name is David — David sent me the poems and I was really moved,” Wheeler said. “I was moved by his insight on Moody, and I agreed to do it. So I wrote the foreword, and David sent it to [Conley], and he loved it.”

Wheeler’s relationship with Conley would grow stronger over the years, as both Wheeler and Conley would share their research with each other. In 2021, Wheeler invited Conley to make a virtual appearance at the Western Association of Women Historians Conference in California, in which Conley presented his research paper on the factors behind Moody’s advocacy.

For Conley, the event was not only a place to share his ideas, but it was also a source of validation, as Conley was the first Mississippi inmate to present at an academic conference.

“It also meant a lot to me that people outside, particularly educated people, historians, academicians [and] people involved in pedagogy, were interested in hearing what someone inside had to say, because there are so many stereotypes that go along with an incarcerated person,” Conley said.

Conley’s research focused on the impacts of white people in Moody’s life, and the extent to which they served as inspiration for her advocacy. As Conley described, his thesis was not an ordinary one found in discussions of Moody.

“You know, many times in doing research, people only report part of the story, they’ll basically put their own angle into it,” Conley said. “For example, they’ll show, ‘This person is pro-Black,’ but they’ll frame it as, ‘This person is against the whites.’ And I found in Anne Moody’s case that that was not true.”

To Conley, Moody’s surroundings were far more nuanced. Conley described how Moody’s mother, along with other close family members, would urge her to limit her advocacy out of fear. Instead, Conley said Moody gained some motivation from the white people she had worked for, with some even teaching her how to read.

Conley said his research allowed him to make parallels with contemporary movements, including the Black Lives Matter movement, drawing him to the conclusion that change is most easily brought upon by working together.

“I concluded that it’s only when we become unified in our approach to solving the problems of civil rights, and stop pointing fingers at each other, that we’ll come up with a solution that works for everybody,” Conley said. “And [then] we can begin to make progress.”

Back in BU, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to take hold, Wheeler said she often found herself thinking of creative ways to bring speakers to her students, including using Zoom to host authors for her graduate seminar. After seeing the impact Conley’s participation in the panel had on him, Wheeler soon decided to invite Conley to speak with her undergraduate history course.

“It was clear to me that the conference experience was really incredible for him in ways that I can’t fully appreciate, because I don’t know what it’s like to be where he’s been,” Wheeler said. “And so, I guess I was interested in ways to recreate something like that for him.”

Wheeler said she was initially nervous of how her students would perceive Conley, as the event was the first of its kind she had held in her class. When the call began, with Conley’s video on a screen at the end of the lecture hall room — and the call split into three, paid 15-minute segments — Wheeler was pleasantly surprised by her students’ reactions.

“I thought it was incredibly powerful,” Wheeler said. “It was clear the students were moved. Some students, who said they weren’t going to participate and weren’t going to ask questions, actually got up from the back row and walked down to the front and sat down in the chair in front of the camera, took off their mask and asked him questions.”

Students were able to submit questions to Conley verbally or in written form.

Students in the class were able to either ask questions verbally to Conley, or to write their questions for a teaching assistant (TA) to read.

One student attendee, Sarah Grace-Willemite, a sophomore majoring in economics, said she was impressed with Conley’s research and efforts amid the restrictions he faced in prison. In addition to his academic research, Conley had also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary while incarcerated.

“So many offenders lose contact with the ones they love because they begin to believe the conviction or because the time spent inside is such a complication in their relationship, but [Conley] still has the family that he left when he went inside,” Grace-Willemite wrote in an email. “He has reached out and tried to be a part of multiple prison reform projects and organizations but it is incredibly difficult to even get access to the internet while in prison and he is constantly monitored.”

In a fundraising campaign online, Wheeler had called for support in appealing what she described as Conley’s false incarceration, noting his “exemplary” institutional record over 25 years, which includes receiving an award from a warden in 2019 after providing first aid to a collapsed correctional officer. In addition, Wheeler had noted what she described as inconsistencies in the case, including changing accounts from witnesses, a lack of communication from Conley’s lawyers and the testimony of a controversial pathologist lacking board certification.

Grace-Willemite said her experience with the event allowed her to better understand the perspectives of those incarcerated.

“The whole class loved hearing his story and the details about what it’s really like being incarcerated, especially in the South,” Grace-Willemite wrote. “I truly think his personal experiences he shared with us brought so much first-person perspective to what incarceration is like within America.”

Noelle Dutch, a sophomore majoring in political science, said she was touched by Conley’s responses.

“Any time a classmate asked a question, he was sure to find where they were seated through the video call, actively listen and repeat back our names before he answered a question,” Dutch wrote in an email. “It meant a lot to him to interact with people on the outside, particularly a large group of young scholars who were interested in his work.”

Erin Heard, an adjunct lecturer in geography, had also attended the class, as her own class took place in the same room after Wheeler’s. While she hadn’t prepared questions for the event, Heard said she enjoyed attending.

“Her class and specialty are very different from mine, and I am always excited to learn from others so I gratefully accepted her invitation,” Heard wrote in an email. “I quickly Googled the guest speaker to get some info on him before the call began. There was some information on him, a little on his conviction and then on his work while incarcerated. It was a very interesting Google search.

Heard said she found the event and questions asked by the students intriguing, particularly the emphasis on Conley’s academic research.

“The questions mostly focused on his research, what prompted him to begin his work and the difficulties in gaining access to research materials behind bars,” Heard wrote. “I would say that this was probably the most surprising to me. There is a lot of red tape involved in even academic research, which could be seen as part of rehabilitation and an asset to the individual and the institution.”

Beyond his experiences with Wheeler and research regarding Moody, Conley said he particularly drew inspiration from Anthony Ray Hinton, an Alabama resident who was on death row for 28 years under a wrongful conviction. Hinton had spoken with BU students through a virtual event in 2020. Conley said he had based poetry in his book off of Hinton’s story, including the book’s final poem, titled “The sun does shine.”

Conley said that the event in Wheeler’s classroom, like his experiences in the panel conference, allowed him to form connections that may bring about change.

“Many on the outside are blinded by the stigma that society at large puts on incarcerated persons,” Conley said. “It’s very beneficial to me in that regard. Not only that, I feel that this opens up many possibilities. One possibility [is] it may begin to help free members of society, take a different view, a different approach toward people on the inside. It may help them to realize that people on the inside have potential.”

On Thursday at 10:09 p.m., the Binghamton Police Department (BPD) responded to a report of shots fired at the area of Bigelow Street and Chamberlain Street. Upon arrival to the scene, officers found Aliza Spencer, an East Middle School sixth grader, with a gunshot wound to the chest. Spencer was later pronounced dead by emergency medical services.

According to a press conference by Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, officers were unable to determine a suspect and are still investigating the incident. An initial reward amount of $10,000 for information leading to an arrest has been nearly doubled to $19,500 following matching donations from community members.

According to BPD Chief Joseph Zikusi, Spencer, who was walking with family members at the time of the shooting, was the youngest victim he had seen in his decades at the department.

“It’s heartbreaking, as the mayor said,” Zikusi said. “It’s a terrible thing. As the mayor said, all resources that we have will continue until we come to a conclusion one way or another.”

Since the shooting, community members have created a memorial at the corner of the two streets, with pictures and signs honoring Spencer’s memory. A GoFundMe page has also been organized, with $14,450 raised as of April 27.

Gina Faiella, 41, of Binghamton, created the GoFundMe. Faiella said she has been a friend of the Spencer family for years, and that the proceeds of the fundraiser will go directly to Spencer’s parents.

“My hope is that this money will help relieve some of the financial burden that comes along with such an unexpected tragedy,” Faiella wrote in an email. “Funeral costs, meals and lost wages, etc. Hopefully it will help with bills so they can take time off work and grieve without the added stress of worrying about how they will pay bills.”

In addition to funds raised through the GoFundMe, one local business has raised over $6,000 in an opening weekend fundraiser, donating all proceeds to the Spencer family.

Michael Huang, a current student at the University at Buffalo and former resident of Binghamton who had went to East Middle School, said he found the event heartbreaking, along with other incidents of gun violence in the area.

“Over the years, I feel that gun violence and crime have risen,” Huang said. “I know there have been efforts before to counter gun violence but in my opinion, not much has changed.”

According to Zikusi, the event is believed to be unrelated to previous instances of gun violence in Binghamton, including a recent incident involving shots fired through Binghamton’s West Side.

Some residents had taken to Facebook to express concerns with the lack of available information regarding the shooting, with officers still unable to determine a suspect or motive.

Others, like one resident of Bigelow Street who wished to remain anonymous, said the lack of information was understandable, with potentially few witnesses given the time and place of the incident.

The resident said he had seen his neighbors react to the situation in fear.

“Those closer to the scene have responded by keeping their kids indoors during one of our few sunny days so far this year and, if a kid is outside, their parent is close by,” the resident said. “They seem on guard and wary, but trying to put up a front for their kids.”

As community members continue to mourn Spencer’s death and raise funds, plans to memorialize her may soon be underway.

Faiella said she has been approached by friends of the Spencer family regarding organizing a walk-in Spencer’s honor and hopes to implement similar initiatives with the campus community.

“I also would like to have her added to next year’s annual “Tribute of Hope’ that is hosted by Crime Victims [Assistance Center] to remember victims of violence and support the families of those victims,” Faiella wrote. “If any students at BU would be interested in helping to organize a walk, that would be great!”

In a letter released to the Binghamton City School District on Friday, Tonia Thompson, superintendent of the district, remembered Spencer for her presence as a student.

“Aliza was a bright, talented child who will be profoundly missed in the Binghamton City School District,” the letter read. “Aliza also attended Calvin Coolidge Elementary School. She will be fondly remembered by her peers, as well as our faculty and staff.”

Kraham encouraged all those with available information to contact the BPD Detective Bureau at 607 772-7080.

Beginning Monday night and continuing into early Tuesday morning, Broome County saw over a foot of snowfall. On Tuesday morning, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar had declared a state of emergency, as well a county-wide travel ban with the exception of work-related travel, due to widespread power outages and downing of trees.

According to New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG), the Southern Tier faced over 100,000 power outages as a result of the storm, with 50,000 occurring in the Binghamton area. While the University had canceled in-person classes on Tuesday, classes resumed on Wednesday, with Garnar’s travel ban also lifted on Tuesday evening.

One student, Kyle Fahey, an off-campus resident and a junior majoring in computer engineering, had lost power in their apartment in Twin River Commons. Fahey said they had missed their 9:40 a.m. class on Wednesday, with their apartment having regained power at noon.

“My phone was at like 10 percent,” Fahey said. “My laptop wasn’t charged so I couldn’t take notes on anything, no hot running water, so I couldn’t take a shower — or I couldn’t take a comfortable shower. I would not be in a state where I’d be comfortable going to class in the state the way that I was.”

Some professors had also reported losing power and facing difficulty coming to class as a result of the storm. According to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, professors have been asked to respond accordingly to the situation.

“The provost has asked all instructors to exercise flexibility as many work through this,” Yarosh wrote in an email.

Over two days, the snowfall in Binghamton reached 14.2 inches, according to the National Weather Service, exceeding the previous two-day April snowfall record of 13.6 inches. As of Wednesday morning, 6,100 NYSEG customers were without power in Binghamton, according to a tweet from Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham. On Tuesday, Kraham had also tweeted that 60 streets in Binghamton were blocked or partially blocked by downed trees.

Another student, Matt Kreher, an off-campus resident and a junior majoring in environmental studies, said he was still without power, having lost power since early Tuesday morning. Kreher said he was working on his schoolwork on campus.

“The classes part is not as big of an issue because I feel like I’m going to be on campus no matter what,” Kreher said. ”There are a lot of projects and things due this week throughout all of my classes — I don’t know if that’s a thing University-wide, I haven’t seen a lot of extensions or things with that. But it’s a little bit harder to focus on that, along with everything else happening at home and not being able to have a home base.”

On Tuesday evening, Garnar had lifted the travel ban and adjusted it to a travel advisory. Garnar warned residents against unnecessary travel on Facebook.

“While crews continue working to remove trees and downed power lines, unnecessary travel is still strongly discouraged,” Garnar wrote. “If you need to be out, please use caution as workers continue their efforts to clear the roads.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, 57,000 power outages remained in the Southern Tier, according to pressconnects.com, with NYSEG expecting power to be 95 percent restored by 11:30 p.m. on Friday.

Kreher said he appreciated having classes canceled on Tuesday, and hoped the situation would soon improve.

“I think as students we’re a lot luckier than other people in the area,” Kreher said. “We have a place to go to that’s warm, that can provide food. Obviously it’s not ideal, but I think there’s a lot of people around us that are a lot less fortunate.”

This is one of many statistics regarding alcohol and drug usage among students that have been seen on flyers around the Binghamton University campus since 2019.

The data is often received as a surprise by students, as the flyers aim to combat false perceptions of social norms. The flyers were created as part of the University’s #WhoKnew campaign, an initiative launched in 2019 to reduce underage drinking and drug use. In 2017, BU, along with 19 other SUNY and CUNY schools, had received a five-year grant from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), allowing them to pursue the initiative.

As part of the grant, schools distributed a survey on substance usage, created through SUNY and OASAS, to students in 2017, 2019 and 2021. The University had also used the grant to establish the Binghamton Campus and Community Coalition, a group of local stakeholders that work to reduce substance misuse.

In 2019, BU had partnered with a marketing agency, Idea Kraft, to launch a “social norms” campaign with its survey results. Linda Reynolds, the college prevention coordinator of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) program, said the campaign provides particular benefits in reducing substance use among younger adults.

“Research has indicated that college students tend to overestimate peer substance use and, in turn, this misperception influences individual attitudes and behaviors,” Reynolds wrote in an email. “The goal with a social norms campaign is to correct misperceptions by providing accurate information.”

According to Reynolds, the 2021 survey had used a stratified random sampling method based on year and gender involving 6,999 undergraduate students at BU. Students had been sent the anonymous survey via email, and were also entered into a drawing for a $500 gift card after participating.

Among the questions asked in the fall 2021 survey were questions asking respondents to state the number of days they had smoked weed or used pain medications without a prescription within the past 30 days. Other questions asked students how often they ate before or after alcohol consumption and how often they alternated alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.

In the flyers posted around campus regarding student usage of marijuana and prescription pain products, the 30-day stipulation was not included. Anton Schick, a professor of mathematics with a research focus in statistics, suggested the omission of this information was made out of practicality.

“It is important to ask the right question,” Schick wrote in an email. “Maybe the assumption that drug users typically do not quit was made to come to this conclusion. Of course, some students may have experienced drugs in the past, but may no longer be using them.”

According to Schick, a stratified random sampling method was an appropriate approach to the survey, though he said potential issues may arise with respondents not being truthful.

Still, the campaign has sparked conversations among students. One student, Dimitri Gouvoussis, a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, said he had remembered seeing the flyers in dining halls as a freshman. While Gouvoussis said he doubted the truthfulness of the respondents, he said a survey that was not anonymous would likely pose additional challenges.

In regard to the questions asked in the fall 2021 survey, Gouvoussis suggested more frequent drug users would have difficulty remembering their usage in the past 30 days.

“If you were to say marijuana, I would know the answer to that because the answer is zero, but if you were to say something else, no,” Gouvoussis said. “Also, I don’t think I’d be willing to take the effort to recall all the times I did said substance either, especially if there’s no incentive for accuracy.”

Other students, like Thomas Bravata, a junior majoring in psychology, said the data was accurate in regard to their own usage. Bravata said he was still surprised by the information displayed in the posters, though it had caused him to consider the broader issue of drug use on campus.

“The posters kind of help try and show that drug use isn’t as rampant as it might seem to be when you are in certain scenarios like parties and if you want to, say, not give into peer pressure or refuse a certain substance you’re not alone,” Bravata said. “It sort of helps put things into perspective that this sort of party culture isn’t as common as is often stereotyped.”

According to Reynolds, the University has seen some decline in underage drinking since the OASAS grant was provided in 2017, though the effects of the campaign are difficult to gauge. In addition to the social norms campaign, the ATOD office also provides various other initiatives to combat underage drug and alcohol use, including workshops and trainings for students.

As the #WhoKnew campaign continues to promote discourse, Reynolds said the conversations fostered are just one of many ways to reduce substance usage on campus.

“Anecdotally, I do have students regularly come up to me and ask where the data came from, so that indicates to me that the campaign is spurring conversations,” Reynolds wrote. “That’s exactly what we want the social norms campaign to do. The hope is that the campaign challenges students to consider if maybe their perception of what is going on is just reflective of what the media portrays or the immediate handful of friends they surround themselves with, and not actually reflective of the larger campus population. ”

The University held “Launch Day” on Saturday, a daylong event featuring presentations from professors, administrators and students. The event culminated in the announcement of “EXCELERATE: Moving at the Speed of Binghamton,” a University campaign to fundraise $220 million to promote the University’s academic success.

The fundraising goal was first approved by the BU Foundation board on March 4. The amount the school is aiming to raise constitutes over double the amount raised by any previous BU campaign, and the University has currently raised $151 million toward its goal.

The Launch Day event, which was broadcast over a livestream to attendees, was divided into three sections. The first section highlighted the work of faculty and students, culminating in a panel discussion titled “Problem-Solving on a Global Scale: A Transdisciplinary Approach,” where three faculty members discussed sustainable communities and the use of transdisciplinary methods in real-world contexts.

The next section of the event, beginning in the afternoon, was split into two “salons.” In one of the talks, titled “Redefining the Future of Education,” Erin Cody, director of Harpur Edge, joined Stephen Ortiz, associate professor of history and assistant vice provost for academic enrichment and James Pitarresi, vice provost and distinguished teaching professor in mechanical engineering, to discuss ways to bring BU’s academics forward.

Cody praised initiatives provided through Harpur Edge that are fueled by donors and alumni, which allow students in varying financial educations to pursue programs like study abroad.

Similarly, Ortiz referenced the Summer Scholars and Artists Program, and said he hoped such programs would be able to meet increasing demand from students through increased funding.

“We would love to be in a place where every student who is interested and can do that kind of work is empowered to do so, and has access to the types of high-impact learning practices that we’re talking about,” Ortiz said. “Access, whether it be in their first year, but continued access and they know that if they come to [BU], it may not be their first semester, but they know that if they are going out on that limb that [BU] is here to support them and enable that to happen.”

Other initiatives, including the First Year Research Immersion program and the Innovation Lab, were also discussed throughout the day. The event also showcased faculty across the University, as well as students involved in research and various extracurricular projects and initiatives, including Claudian Francis, president of the BU Student Philanthropy Committee, recipient of the George Floyd Scholarship for Social Change and senior majoring in an individualized major in strategic, legal and business communications.

Francis said she hopes to open up a patent law firm to help minority inventors and entrepreneurs secure patents and build generational wealth.

“If you can dream it here you can do it here,” Francis said. “[BU’s] faculty and staff are an inspiration for me, and alumni too.”

Toward the close of the event, Owen Pell, ‘80, the BU Foundation board chair, and Howard Unger, ‘82, the campaign chair, took to the stage to announce the new fundraising effort.

“This team here tonight has made an incredible difference so far, but [BU] has not grown from standing still,” Unger said. “We are poised to shape the future of higher education from what you all do from here. As I was sitting in this room today looking at this banner over the course of the day, we heard from exemplary and exceptional faculty and students, doing extraordinary and exciting things — all about [BU] and its excellence.”

Pell, who was filling in for BU President Harvey Stenger, thanked attendees and voiced his excitement for the new initiative.

“Supporting this campaign will give more talented students like the ones you’ve seen today — it’ll give them their shot at reaching their dreams,” Pell said. “You can ensure that today’s students can afford to come here, meet and learn from great teachers and mentors and find ways to discover how to make the world a better place.”

At 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the Binghamton Police Department (BPD) responded to a report of shots fired at 100 Roberts St. The incident was soon followed by reports of two high-speed vehicles firing shots across multiple streets on the West Side, some of which included Murray Street, Leroy Street, Chapin Street and Oak Street. No injuries were reported.

According to a BPD press release, a gun battle had been occurring between both vehicles as they drove through the West Side. Following a foot chase, a 17-year-old male suspect was taken into custody. The individuals involved in the incident are juveniles, and are known to the BPD, as per the press release.

Two uninvolved parked cars on Chapin Street were struck during the shootings, at least one of which was owned by a Binghamton University student. The student, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were scared after the incident, which occurred in a neighborhood where many students reside.

“It was worrying that something like this could happen right in front of you,” the student said. “You never think that something so horrible could happen to you, until it does. The whole neighborhood was in shock.”

The student said they appreciated the BPD response, as officers had arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting.

“I was shocked and it was scary, but the police handled it very well and made the neighborhood feel safe after the shots damaged cars,” the student said.

One of the high-speed vehicles was a dark-colored Toyota RAV4 SUV, in which police recovered two guns. Three occupants had fled the vehicle after it parked in the Botnick Chevrolet Auto Sales parking lot, after which officers discovered one additional gun in the surrounding area.

According to the BPD, the shooting was not a random act of violence. The incident is believed to be related to another shots-fired incident, which was reported at 19 Hazel St. on Saturday.

While no injuries were reported as a result of the shots fired, one local resident had accidentally shot himself in the foot when retrieving his shotgun after hearing the gunfire. The resident, who was then treated at Lourdes Hospital and United Health Services (UHS) Wilson Medical Center for non-life-threatening injuries, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.

The BPD encouraged anyone with information regarding the shots fired incidents to contact the Detective Bureau at 607-772-7080.

This is a developing story and will be updated as Pipe Dream receives more information.

Students and staff at BU, along with students from neighboring schools, gathered in the Innovative Technologies Complex on Saturday for a daylong list of programming. Among the event’s plans were networking workshops and a Q&A with panelists from a variety of professional backgrounds.

The event was presented by multiple BU divisions and departments, including the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) and the Men of Color Scholastic Society.

Richie Sebuharara, assistant director of the MRC, said the idea for the event came about in 2019, born out of a desire to provide students of color with a sense of community.

“I’m really excited that we were able to bring so many people from the community, from other campuses — [BU’s] campus, [Broome Community College’s] campus, to really meet with each other, network with each other [and] get to know each other,” Sebuharara said.

The event kicked off with a keynote address by Richard Lui, a journalist and news anchor for MSNBC and NBC News. Lui discussed his experience using selflessness as a guiding philosophy through his career — a theme further explored in his book, “Enough About Me: The Unexpected Power of Selflessness,” which was distributed to attendees.

Lui’s speech was followed by networking lunches and workshops, after which a Q&A was held with multiple professional panelists, including multiple attorneys and a retired New York Police Department (NYPD) detective.

The first question posed to panelists asked them what they had gained from their experiences at BU.

Josué “JQ” Quiñones, an educator, speaker and motivational master of ceremonies, said he had joined the University in 2005 as an Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) student, and quickly learned the benefit of introspection.

“Honestly what I’ve learned throughout my experience at [BU] was the importance of discovering yourself, and understanding yourself deeply,” Quiñones said. “I’m very big on mental and emotional wellness, and I learned that through my experience as a student.”

Along with other speakers, Quiñones said he had initially found it difficult to break away from harmful “tendencies” he had developed from his home community, and was on the verge of failing his classes before he had received help from his EOP adviser.

“Growing up, I was always looking for a place to belong,” Quiñones said. “I was always trying to fit in. I was always trying to be cool. So when I came to college, that sort of came with me, and I didn’t realize that — I didn’t really know who I was.”

Quiñones encouraged students to reach out to available resources, as resources like mental health treatment become increasingly socially acceptable.

Another question asked panelists to describe the challenges they faced as people of color. Ralph Gonzalez, a retired NYPD detective and president of Atlas Unmanned Solutions, said he had initially struggled with developing literacy skills after being taught in an inner-city school.

Despite this, Gonzalez and other panelists said the audience should remember to keep working at improving themselves. Gonzalez said he personally still chooses to write down terms he is not familiar with so he can learn about them later. Gonzalez reminded students of the availability of resources to help them.

“Why am I telling you this?” Gonzalez said. “Because it’s not impossible. The same struggles that I had, some of you guys may have, and there are resources out there. I was constantly constantly sitting there in other writing centers — you’re paying for all of this. They all [don’t] do it just because they love you — they do — but a lot of the resources that are there are there because you are paying for them.”

The event closed with a speech by Ty Muse, CEO of Visions Federal Credit Union. Muse described the road to gaining his position, as his father was a high school dropout, and his mother a church secretary. Muse told the audience to, most importantly, prioritize and develop their strengths.

“Focus on what you’re doing right,” Muse said. “Focus on the things you’re good at and become great at them. If you spend a lot of time trying to become marginally better at something you are really bad at — you’re really bad at it for a reason … People will pay you for the things you are great at.”

At the conclusion of the event, students and other attendees were encouraged to meet with the panelists and network. One student attendee, Galileo Savage, BU’s EOP ambassador and a sophomore majoring in political science, said he was inspired by the speakers.

“One of the biggest things I took away from it is that unity is key,” Galileo said. “Understanding that we are capable of anything. I think a lot of times as men of color we step back and we feel as if there are things we can’t do, but one thing that I really honed in on is we can. [We are] really changing that narrative and making sure that we’re understanding the fact that whatever we put our minds to we can accomplish. We are no different than anybody else, we are all capable — this University, [BU] as a whole, is filled with great individuals that can do anything they put their minds to.”

In an email sent out to the SOM listserv, Dhillon announced his retirement, which he said followed a recent diagnosis of advanced stage cancer. The dean was originally set to step down from the post in summer 2022, and return as a Koffman Scholar and professor.

Dhillon praised the school’s students in his message, and said his retirement came with a “heavy heart,” as he wanted to focus his energy on treatment and his family.

“Serving the University and our students and having the privilege of working with so many of you has been the greatest honor of my professional career,” Dhillon wrote. “The exceptional quality and work ethic of SOM students has always been, and will continue to be, a great source of pride for the school. The recent accolades [SOM] has received is a reflection of all of your hard work.”

Dhillon had joined BU in 1987 as an assistant professor and was later promoted to professor in 1997, before becoming dean in 2001. As dean, Dhillon was at the helm of the school amid its recent jump in the Poets&Quants 2021 Best Undergraduate Business Schools ranking, with the school jumping from 47th out of 93 schools in 2020 to 28th in 2021.

The dean had also overseen various other changes to the school, including an increase in undergraduate enrollment of over 30 percent, the establishment of the SOM mentoring program and the establishment of the Zurack Trading Room, where students use Bloomberg Terminals to analyze market data and increase an investment fund.

Subimal Chatterjee, area chair of analytics and SUNY distinguished professor, said it was Dhillon himself who had convinced him to apply for the distinguished faculty ranking.

“I [had] told him, ‘Upinder, it’s too hard, I don’t have the credentials,’” Chatterjee said. “‘I come from an area where there are no teaching-related grants, etc.’ He was always encouraging. He said, ‘No, if we set our minds to it we will make it work.’ I’m so grateful to him that he actually pushed me in that direction.”

Chatterjee said Dhillon was “extraordinarily” committed to the school’s well-being, with a particular focus on supporting and mentoring junior faculty, fostering a sense of community and developing future leaders for the school. According to Chatterjee, this was a trait that always followed Dhillon, with “leadership development” serving as a topic at one of Dhillon’s last faculty meetings.

Beyond the accolades and accomplishments, however, Chatterjee said he would remember Dhillon as a friend and an optimist who pushed faculty to success, such as when SOM had to maintain its Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB) accreditation.

“When it comes to motivating researchers both young and old, to put in the effort so that we could get the job done, Upinder always [had] a smile on his face,” Chatterjee said. “He would try to make people understand — it was not something to him personally, it was important to all of us because it was the reputation of the school.”

According to Chatterjee, Dhillon had also taken care to engage students and value their input in developing SOM, with some of his decisions sourcing from student advice, including which electives and classes were offered.

Joshua Freifeld, a sophomore majoring in business administration, said that though he had not met the dean personally, he would remember Dhillon for his passion for the school.

“Dean Dhillon spoke over Zoom for an SOM introduction in my freshman year, and his perspective of business, the students and learning was clear to see as someone who truly had great care and respect for what he was passionate about and spreading his passion to others,” Freifeld wrote in an email.

Another student, Adam Malev, a junior majoring in business administration, said he had fond experiences taking part in a program founded by Dhillon and James Pitarresi, vice provost and distinguished teaching professor.

“Dean Upinder Dhillon was always an approachable professional who gave back to students in a variety of ways,” Malev wrote. “I was in the Innovation Scholars [program], which he helped start with James Pitarresi. His dedication to connecting students with helpful alumni and developing their ideas showed his passion for supporting students with their ambitions and out-of-the-box ideas.”

Chatterjee said he hoped to see the Dean walking through the hallways once again as his health improves. Until then, he suggested students honor the Dean by viewing him as a source for inspiration, and said the Dean always had a “soft spot” for students.

“One way we can honor him in a sense — his presence as a dean — for me would be to be a better faculty mentor,” Chatterjee said. “For the students, that’s the thought I would leave them with. Ask yourself, what would Upinder want me to do? And try to do that.”

In his message, Dhillon said he hoped to thank those who have expressed their support.

“I thank you so much for your support during this challenging time and appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers,” Dhillon wrote. “I hope that in the near future I will get the opportunity to personally to express my gratitude.”

Pipe Dream: Tell me a little bit about your background. Where did you grow up?

Casey Boston: “I grew up in Canarsie, Brooklyn. Canarsie, Brooklyn, if you’re from Brooklyn, New York, it’s called the hood suburbs, because it’s a bunch of private homes but it’s not really like other neighborhoods. However, growing up in Canarsie, Brooklyn you still face a lot of the same violence and difficulties that other people grew up with living in other more high-risk communities. Growing up here, I felt like it was a blessing to have a home with both my parents here. My mom was probably predominantly everything to me.”

PD: What did it mean to get into Alfred University?

CB: “For me, I was very grateful, it was a blessing. I did see my other siblings go to school. Both of my sisters have master’s degrees, my older brother went to [SUNY] Brockport, graduated, so it wasn’t something out of norm for me to go to school. But when I got accepted into [Alfred University] it was a private school and it was kind of funny. I didn’t even know I got accepted into a private school, because I only went to play football, really, and just see what college was gonna bring. When I reached campus and I was looking into it more I was like wait, this is not a public school. And I was like, ‘Wow I made it.’ I’m in a private school from Canarsie, Brooklyn. And I didn’t pay a lot to go to school, my coach set up a great financial aid program for me.”

PD: You said you always wanted to pursue football, but when did you know you wanted to diverge from that and focus on psychology?

CB: “I thought it was a school counselor until I shadowed my high school guidance counselor and I asked her, I’m like, ‘Wait, you’re not providing any therapy for these students.’ And she was like, ‘No, that’s what the school social worker does.’ And I said, then honestly this is not what I want to do. I don’t just want to work on scheduling and getting people ready for college — that’s boring. I wanted to do real clinical work, help with mental health issues like PTSD, depression, all that. Especially when I saw how it affects, I would say, me differently, because I think the [temperament] that I had was different, but I also saw it affect a lot of my friends and family. Anger issues, violence, robbing, stealing, I always knew. I didn’t know exactly how but I felt it was something related to their mindset. And I figured if I would become a therapist I could help that.”

PD: Do you have any experience up until now doing therapy for anyone? If so, any notable experiences that impacted you?

CB: “My major was clinical psychology, which means your senior year you take a clinical procedure course, where you actually provide therapy for an underclassman, specifically a first-year student. So I provided therapy for about fourteen weeks for a first-year student. And that was the first time I ever practiced therapeutic techniques — like live, this is real. And actually at the end, when you get evaluated, I was actually blown away by my evaluation. It was a young lady, and she was like, her sessions with me really did impact her and change her life. And that was when I was like, you know what, I’m going to give all praises to the most high because I’m in the right field.”

PD: Where are you at right now, and what are your plans for the future?

CB: “I’m an intern at the Addiction Center of Broome County. I also work at the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference — and I’m also a [graduate assistant (GA)] but that has nothing to do with social work. That’s where I’m at right now. I graduate in May, and I’m looking to actually go into the clinical field where I can provide therapy for ages — however young they can start to however old you can be. That’s my plan and then eventually I want to open up my own private practice of providing therapy for individuals, especially our young Black youth and adults, who are predominantly affected by the violence that we experience and PTSD and they’re not even aware of it. In addition to me doing that, I’m actually interested in becoming a public speaker, doing keynote events and talking to our youth, talking to our young adults. Once again, predominantly in our Black community, because I feel like they’re not really aware of what’s really going on and how what they’re living amongst — what we live amongst, because I live in Canarsie — is not normal. And it really impacts us individually and as a community and I think in order to shake the ground or to break the cycle it takes somebody to go in and speak, and that’s something that I’m looking to do in the next coming years.”

PD: You talked a lot about yourself and your background. How does that motivate you to be a better social worker — do you feel it helps you connect with people?

CB: “Absolutely, and also I study a lot, so it’s a combination of experience and studies. It’s funny to me, a lot of people say these books aren’t culturally competent. Sometimes I definitely do agree. But hey, when you’re from it you have the cultural competency already because this is where I’m from. I’m from the Caribbean, our parents are from the Caribbean and I grew up in America, and I live in the hood. So, I have the balance of the studies and the cultural competency. And I think with that two combined it gives me a great perspective to provide culturally humble therapy for my people, and for individuals in general, that’s not Black or from the Caribbean, or that’s not from the hood, because I study a lot.”

PD: You mentioned religion a few times. How long has that been an underlying theme in your life, and how does that motivate you in your career?

CB: “When I started to look at the Bible, it required me to follow a specific type of code, a specific type of law and when I was following that I realized this is the greatest thing on Earth. It gives me that inner peace to follow this code and I understand, through that, you’re not better than anybody else. And when you have that understanding you can actually help other people, because, OK somebody’s struggling with XYZ, OK you struggled with this too. What did Christ say — ‘He that is without sin cast the first stone.’ I was just highlighting, first of all they were hypocrites, but also highlighting that even though this person might be struggling with this — this was a woman caught in the act of adultery — even when she might be struggling with that, you guys aren’t no better. I think that’s almost the same thing with us today. At the addiction center, I won’t repeat the word recovering. Normally, these people are castaways, by their families, they call them addicts. Personally, I stay away from that term because of the negative stigma attached to it. I use the term ‘users,’ but they are castaways, and I feel like the Bible changed my mindset on the world. Even though [there is] degradation that is going on in the world, you can make a difference just by bringing out that inner light within you. Let your light shine so bright among men. And that’s why I feel my belief in the Bible is the core to everything that I do in my life.”

PD: What do you hope to get across to students today?

CB: “Community violence is a large issue, actually [in] some research it’s considered a public health issue, an epidemic. What I’m looking to do with my talk — it’s more than three things — the first is raise the awareness of what is going on. Number two, is to link how community violence impacts the mental health of our young Black individuals, because I mentioned earlier, they are not aware. I grew up, one of my friends got shot at, drive-by, I thought it was normal honestly. Me, I almost got pressed a few times myself, I evaded that. Both of my brothers were sticked up at gunpoint, I thought all of this was honestly regular. Witnessing people get jumped all the time, robbed all the time, I thought it was regular, and [stabbings]. I didn’t realize how that’s not regular until I left my neighborhood. When I went to college I realized that’s not regular. So I want to bring awareness to how what’s going on in the community is not regular and how it impacts your mental health by default, not everybody, but there’s a strong possibility it impacts a lot. Now, after that, I want to bring to the light, preventive factors and how we can start to overcome.”

PD: You talked about parent-child relationships, and a lot about your mother. What kind of figure was she for you in your life and did she motivate you in your career?

CB: “My mom was a role model for me, and a leader. She really endured through diversity, a lot. My mom had seven children. She lost her job in the twin towers, praise to the most high she didn’t lose her life. But me witnessing all of that really did impact how I grew up, and I’m like, adversity is just another obstacle to hop over. Me, also witnessing that, I think that developed my optimism. A lot of people might tell you, I really don’t see a negative in a lot of situations. Of course I see, but I don’t seek it. I seek opportunity and optimism out of every situation because there is one. There genuinely is one. Like I said, even though my mom lost her job she didn’t lose her life. I naturally do it because I’m an optimistic person, and I think I gained that witnessing her overcome all the adversity that we endured and all the adversity she’s still enduring. So that’s the base level of what I gleaned from her.”

Editor’s note (3/30/22): An earlier version of this article stated Boston was a Master of Public Administration student. Boston is pursuing a Master of Social Work. Pipe Dream regrets the error.

Pipe Dream: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Greg Hill: “I’m a professional adventurer. I grew up just north of Vermont, in Quebec, Canada, small town named Sutton. My family is an outdoorsy family so I ended up skiing a lot as a kid. And as you will learn in my talk today, I went to university but it wasn’t for me because I just had too much energy and I wanted to just live life. And I think part of the reason I ended up becoming a skier is that, with my mom, we’d skip school and go skiing. So I think every day that I’m skiing, it feels like I’m skipping school. And that’s why I’m a professional skier.”

PD: When did you know you wanted to become professional skier?

GH: “That’s a good one because I never thought it was possible. I’m not somebody that ever had posters up on my wall. It wasn’t a reality for me and funnily enough, when I moved out West and started really skiing a lot, we had an expression in my house with these Aussies, and if you had a good day, you’d come home and they’re like, ‘How’s your day?’ and you’d say, ‘Oh, sponsors are happy.’ And I didn’t have any clue that I was gonna be sponsored at the time. It was insane. And then a couple years later, once I got into the ski mountaineering where you climb and ski the mountains, and I found kind of my happy place, and I started setting records and winning races and stuff, that’s when all of a sudden this whole sponsored athlete became a reality. And honestly, it’s kind of weird to think that I’m sponsored.”

PD: What was it like setting your first record?

GH: “I’ve been trying to figure out why I do these things, because there must be some reasons. But yeah, I started doing these records because I wanted to make sure that I was fighting my potential, that I was living life to the fullest. The 50,000 [feet] was one, but I had to work my way up there. And you know, I did 30,000 feet, when nobody had done 30,000 feet that I’d heard of. I did 40,000 feet, 50,000 feet. So I really worked up to it. And each of those was an accomplishment in itself. It just just feels good to aim toward a goal, I’ve trained enough. Believe in yourself enough to accomplish it. It feels good and validates myself that I actually feel like I’m unique and trying to live life differently.”

PD: You’re more than just a skier — you’re also a filmmaker. So what motivated you to branch out beyond just skiing?

GH: “I ran a blog in 2006 to 2012 and I started creating videos for that, because back then backcountry skiing wasn’t a thing. It wasn’t as mainstream as it is. And I found it so special that I wanted to share it. And I also had all this extra energy because I was always fitter than everybody I was with. So I was like, well why not, you know, use my brain and get creative and film and create stories, and then just kind of help the sport of backcountry skiing evolve. And yeah, it was always really fun. Since then, I work with all these other companies creating videos and yeah, it’s really fun. It’s just about making engaging stories.”

PD: In terms of filmmaking, is there any piece you have that you’re especially proud of?

GH: “They’re too old now, but I did make a movie that went on the Banff [Centre Mountain] Film Festival World Tour. The Banff Film Festival is one of the biggest mountain film festivals in the world. That [film] was called ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing.’ And that was really, for me, that was a moment like, ‘Wow, I just did something that’s interesting to everyone.’ But more recently, we created this movie called ‘Electric Greg,’ which kind of encapsulates where I am now and why I changed and why I’m trying to be more of an environmental person or a sustainable adventurer. Because as somebody that’s outdoors that gets all this stuff back from nature, I want to make sure I’m a steward for it. ‘Electric Greg’ really captures that. I’m proud of it.”

PD: Let’s talk about your commitment to sustainability. When did you know you also wanted to pursue that, also in terms of sustainable fashion?

GH: “My brother is a big environmentalist. He’s very well known for it and I’ve always cared for it, but I was always worried about taking those steps because I knew I wasn’t going to be perfect and everybody likes to attack you if you’re not perfect. What really happened is I broke my leg and I almost died in this avalanche. And at that point, while I was healing from it was this time of reflection and, ‘Oh what is it my life [is] all about?’ And what can I change? And I knew then I was like, ‘Okay, it’s time to make a change.’ And, if I’ve got this little soapbox to stand on then I should influence people in a better way and try to make the world a better place. It’s kind of happened basically the last five years, I’ve really been working on it.”

PD: Going back to that avalanche that broke your leg, what was that like for you?

GH: “Lying there with this broken leg with a physio telling me I probably would never be as fit or be able to do what I used to do, it was definitely a dark time because I really didn’t know if I would get my fitness back and be able to do these things that brought me so much reward. But I did, I worked hard, like anything, I just got diligently focused on it. I made sure that I rehabbed well, and I’m lucky enough to be back. My physical 100 percent isn’t what it was, but I evolved and I’ve found more value in other things. And that’s been really rewarding. And this whole sustainable adventure thing and kind of pushing the whole industry I’m a part of to being better has been really fun. Like, go back six years, all my sponsors, we would have never talked about any sustainable stuff in our line, or anything. And now it’s a huge part of the conversation. And every company I work with is trying to do their best. Right now this Arc’teryx jacket I’m wearing is made of reused polyester and nylon. So it’s actually already been out in use and it’s actually used material, which is cool. And natural fibers like wool, and really try to push these things that are more cyclical and are better for the world.”

PD: Why fashion specifically with sustainability?

GH: “You don’t even want to look at the 70 billion T shirts [that] are made every year. We’re just talking T-shirts. This is a huge impact and it’s one that all of us are part of. So if it’s something we can change, then it’ll need to change on a global scale. And that’s why the fashion industry, it’s crazy. I mean, there’s piles and piles and piles of clothing everywhere that’s not being used in South America. There’s piles that are almost becoming mountains — maybe I’ll have a mountain to climb soon. I just think it’s part of everybody’s lives and if we can make it a point of conversation and a point of change, and then you’re wearing a shirt that’s recycled material, that’ll bring it into the rest of your life. You’ll be like, ‘Oh, I’m recycling. Maybe I’ll be better there and there.’”

PD: How does being a father motivate you to do this kind of work?

GH: “So when I was laying on that couch, I was also looking at my kids, I’m like, ‘OK, I’ve been showing them that you should live your life and be selfish and do whatever you want, and not care about the effects of your life.’ And that’s definitely part of the change was like, well, let’s teach them as well that we can live a great life but have a bit more responsibility to everyone else. And you do. You look at your kids, you’re like, ‘I want them to have the choices in the world that I’ve grown up with.’ And I’d like to see what I can do to make sure that happens.”

PD: What are your plans for the future now?

GH: “I’ve done a bunch of personal changes, and I’m loving influencing the companies I work with. But I also think personal changes are big, because, sure, it is all the corporations that have a huge impact, but if the mindset changes, and it becomes a part of everyone’s conversation, then it’s going to change on a global scale. So I’ve been trying to start these little backcountry trips where people come and I guide them around the mountains, but the whole conversation is surrounded about around them and figuring out their footprints and where we can make changes. And then when they go home, ideally, they’re empowered to make changes in their own lives. So I’m basically just trying to make sure the conversation grows and grows to the point that it’s on everybody’s minds.”

Pipe Dream: Tell me about yourself.

Courtney Hurley: “I’m from Texas. I was born in Houston, grew up in the Hill country and made my way to San Antonio. My parents were fencers, that’s how they met and [how] my sister and I both became fencers. We did a lot of sports when we were younger but eventually realized we had a talent for fencing. We were traveling all through high school and got full scholarships to [The University of] Notre Dame. My sister is a four-time Olympian and I’m a three-time Olympian. We won the bronze medal in the London [2012 Summer] Olympics [and] we both won NCAA Championships, and currently my sister is in [medical] school and I am pursuing fencing again.”

PD: When did you know you wanted to be a professional fencer?

CH: “It kind of just surprised us. We really didn’t think about anything until my sister nearly missed qualifying for the Athens Olympics in 2004. And at that time I was 13. When that happened we were like, ‘Woah, we can actually do something.’ Like, it was an accident. We didn’t even plan for it but she did really well in a couple international tournaments and, yeah, that’s kind of when it took off. We were like, ‘Wow, we can actually do something in this sport.’”

PD: What was it like having your sister alongside you throughout this whole journey? How did that impact you?

CH: “Well, when we were younger it was pretty competitive because I’m the younger sister by two and a half years and, when I got old enough to finally be able to beat her, we were butting heads. But we both went to [The University of] Notre Dame together and we were on the same team. That’s when we put our differences aside and were on the same team. We were a little more mature, so having her, from then on on the same team, we’ve lived together ever since and we really have each other’s backs. Without that, I don’t know if we could have made it as far as we have. In fencing, it’s such a competitive individual sport and to have somebody in your corner 100 percent is really a valuable asset to have.”

PD: Pulling away from fencing, you’ve traveled a lot. How has that impacted you as a person and as a fencer?

CH: “Back in the day, there was a lot more competitions. Now there’s less but there’s still a lot of traveling. Back then we were literally just training in Europe and we’d have a base in Budapest and we’d go to different World Cups in Europe for the weekend and come back to Budapest to train. It really opens up your eyes to different types of people, different cultures [and] seeing different parts of the world. You can’t get that any other way than seeing how other people live, other ways of life. It opens up your eyes and you can really empathize more and understand more of just different ways of life. We traveled so much. It’s not really for vacation. Fencing is more of a business, but we’ve definitely seen all of Budapest. We go to Barcelona every year. Rio de Janeiro we’ve been to many times. It’s just really cool to go to these cities and see different cultures and different people.”

PD: Do you have a favorite bout?

CH: “Yeah, it’s definitely from when I won a bronze medal at the Olympics for sure. It’s also a cool one because it’s on YouTube and you can watch it. Prior to London there weren’t too many recordings of fencing. There wasn’t the technology so there weren’t many ways to watch my international bouts online. Just the way I won too was very inspiring and beating the Russians was really inspiring. The situation is called a ‘priority’ but it’s like a sudden-death situation where one touch wins the bout so it was really high-risk. It was a really entertaining bout.”

PD: What did winning that first bronze medal mean to you? How’d it make you feel?

CH: “We made history. Fencing has three different types — epee, foil and saber. I do epee, and women’s epee has never won a medal at the Olympics. That was the first and last time a woman epee has won a medal. We just felt so cool, so honored to be a part of history.”

PD: What do you hope to get across to students with your talk?

CH: “[My talk is] about the Olympics but kind of from a different perspective. It’s about how the [COVID-19] pandemic played out at the Olympics and how it was such a unique experience for everybody. The pandemic in general but also dealing with the Olympics in the middle of it. The Olympics is kind of seen as this amazing thing but I’ll try to dive in a little more into my critiques and the different perspectives of the Olympics. It’s not just cakes and rainbows. There can be a lot of problems from within the Olympics and how that’s changed from my young age in London where I was just young and happy to me now thinking more critically about the Olympics and how it’s played a part in my life.”

PD: Lastly, what are your plans for the future going forward?

CH: “As far as fencing, I’m still training a little bit. I took a long time off since Tokyo. I just started fencing [again] like a month ago. Part of the talk is about me trying to find happiness in my day-to-day with fencing and not really worry so much about the Olympics and the future. I’m helping with coaching a little and I started a fencing business, so I’m just seeing where that takes off. Yeah, just taking it day by day and trying to be happy and fulfilled in my day-to-day life.”

Beginning Saturday, BU’s indoor mask mandate will be lifted regardless of vaccination status, with the exception of inside health care facilities and buses. The decision comes a month after SUNY had revised its COVID-19 guidance policies to allow individual campuses to consider lifting the mandate, in consultation with local health departments.

A March 24 B-Line Addition cited low transmission rates in Broome County and on campus as cause for the decision. Currently, the rolling average 14-day positivity rate on campus is 0.76 percent, slightly above the SUNY number of 0.53 percent but far below the New York state number of 1.80 percent.

A March 2 B-Line had announced the mandate would be lifted if the county remained in the low or medium transmission category by March 26, or five days after spring break. Broome County remains listed as a medium-transmission county by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of only seven out of the state’s 62 counties that are not at low transmission.

The University is the latest of a string of SUNY campuses lifting their mandates, joining SUNY Cortland, SUNY Oswego, Stony Brook University, the University at Buffalo and others. SUNY Brockport and SUNY Oswego had lifted their mandate only for those that had received COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

Though Broome County is at a higher risk for COVID-19 transmission than Monroe and Oswego County, the University is also testing at a higher rate than the two campuses. In addition, BU reported a vaccination rate of over 99 percent for students and 94 percent for faculty, as of the beginning of this semester.

While students are no longer required to wear masks in the classroom, the B-Line encouraged students to abide by the wishes of their professors, regardless of whether punitive measures are in place.

“Students who choose not to wear a mask in these instances will not be penalized; however, we hope that they will comply with these requests as a way to show respect and compassion for individuals who may have underlying health issues or have vulnerable family members,” the B-Line reads. “It is a minor inconvenience that promotes the sense of community that has always characterized our University.”

On Thursday, the University had sent an email to faculty encouraging them to discuss the issue with their students. Some faculty continued to ask students to wear masks, while others are forming their decision as they speak to their students.

Benjamin Fordham, a professor in the political science department, said he had discussed the lifting of the mandate with one of his classes. Fordham said he said he would take any student feedback into account.

“I may tell people in our class that [their] candid feelings about this could make a difference,” Fordham said. “If I have a lot of immunocompromised people in the class, or there’s other evidence that lifting this thing is going to present special problems, maybe I would still keep it in effect in our class. But I don’t want to do that if nobody really wants it.”

Fordham said he would also seek to provide communication channels outside of class, such as email, for students who may be uncomfortable sharing their opinions to contact him through.

Students expressed varying sentiment about the lifting of the mandate, which was announced two days prior to the decision date proposed in the earlier B-Line. Luke Blumenberg, an undeclared freshman, said he felt the decision was made too early, with the effect of spring break still too difficult to tell.

“I was surprised at how early they lifted it,” Blumenberg said. “I thought they were going to wait another week. I don’t think it was in the best taste to do it that early.”

Other students, like Eva Vazquez, a junior majoring in Spanish, said they did not take issue with the lifting of the mandate, but hoped students would continue to abide by any concerns of their professors. Vazquez said she would take off her mask based on the comfort levels of those around her.

“It’ll depend, probably if I’m walking with my friends I will,” Vazquez said. “I work at the Fleishman Center [for Career and Professional Development], so if I’m face-to-face with the person in an appointment I might wear it, especially if they’re wearing it and they’re not comfortable with me not doing [so]. So basically however everyone else feels, if they are comfortable or not.”

According to the B-Line, the University will monitor transmission rates and discuss the issue with health officials should transmission rates rise to levels that require reconsideration of the mandate.

Last week, members of the Stakeholders of Broome County, a housing rights activist group, as well as other members of the Binghamton Tenants Union, gathered at Mary Street to voice their support for Angel and Deidre Garcia, a family with seven children that has been living without water access after their landlord, Douglas Ritter, removed water pipes from the building.

The Garcia family has been living without access to running water since Feb. 4, according to a complaint submitted to the New York State Supreme Court. Ritter, the landlord, alleges the water access was removed as a result of water coming down through the ceiling onto the first-floor tenant, who lives below the Garcia family, which Ritter claims the Garcias are at fault for.

Shutting off water access to a tenant constitutes a Class A misdemeanor in New York state, and is also in violation of code of the City of Binghamton.

Though Ritter claimed the closing of water was unrelated to rent payments, the timing of the water shutoff on Feb. 4 coincides with the date of a postponed non-payment eviction proceeding against the Garcias, according to court filings.

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham said Ritter is currently being criminally prosecuted by the city attorney and the Broome County District Attorney’s Office. According to Megan Heiman, executive assistant to Kraham, the water cannot be immediately switched on by the city’s code department — one of several demands proposed by the Stakeholders of Broome County.

“Regarding water service, this is unfortunately not a matter of turning a valve back on to restore service,” Heiman wrote in an email. “A section of plumbing was cut from the building. This is part of the reason why the landlord is facing criminal charges. Substantive repairs are needed.”

Binghamton Code Enforcement had asked Ritter to restore water service by Feb. 9, which Ritter had refused to do, leading to him being charged with a misdemeanor for unlawful eviction, and the issuing of a warrant, with a court date scheduled of April 1.

Ritter said he had first turned off the Garcia’s family’s water for a five-day period in December, as a result of water flooding down onto the first floor, and had turned the water back on “reluctantly,” before shutting it off again in February when water continued to come through the ceiling. Ritter blamed the Garcia family for the leakage, but said he was not sure of the exact cause.

“There’s only one thing it can be,” Ritter said. “They plug up the drains, turn the water on and leave.”

Ritter said he had placed a padlock on a door in the basement leading to the water controls, and that he would not return water access until the Garcia family left the building — though Binghamton City Code requires a tenant to have access to water controls.

The Garcias’ lawyer, William Niebel of Legal Services of Central New York, told a different story. Niebel said shutting off the water was a decision made by Ritter in frustration, following his inability to evict the Garcias, who were struggling to pay for rent amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After falling behind in recent rent payments amid having work hours cut due to the rising Omicron variant, Niebel said the family had applied for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) on January 19, which stayed a non-payment eviction proceeding scheduled for Feb. 4.

“Mr. Ritter found out a few days before at least, that the eviction case was canceled,” Neibel said. “So there was going to be no hearing on the [Feb. 4], and he tried to persuade the court otherwise, that didn’t go anywhere and so then on [Feb. 4], he went ahead and turned the water off.”

Ritter denied he had closed the Garcia’s water access as a result of rent, and claimed he had attempted to fix the water leakage, which he attributed to the Garcias, but said his workers had difficulty accessing the apartment. Niebel said there was no evidence the Garcias were responsible for any water leakage, and Ritter had not contacted him to fix the issue.

“I don’t think Mr. Ritter has gone in to seriously make the repair,” Niebel said. “Even since I’ve been involved — Feb. 8 is when I first talked to him about this — he’s never asked me to get access to the apartment, which of course I would facilitate. So I think there’s been, maybe, some work done from below, from the first floor apartment to fix a clogged pipe, that was kind of my understanding. But not in the Garcia’s apartment that I’m aware of.”

The first-floor tenant is also a defendant in the upcoming court proceedings, with the Garcia family claiming he had prevented them from accessing the water controls in the basement. According to the tenant, who wished to remain anonymous, his ceiling tiles — recently replaced by the landlord’s son, Steven Ritter — have become damp even after the water was turned off in the alleged attempt to prevent the issue from occurring, though the leakage has subsided.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on, I really don’t,” the tenant said. “But already they [are] stained, if you come in you could see already. And he just put the brand new things in there so where could anything be from if there ain’t no water turned off?”

Other complaints submitted by the Garcia family to the Court included being asked to pay $50 for a copy of their lease and Ritter calling Child Protective Services (CPS) on the family following his removal of their water access. Though Ritter denied having asked the family to pay for their lease, he said he had called CPS at least two times, including to report the lack of running water.

Niebel said the Garcia family has been attempting to seek housing elsewhere, but has had difficulty finding other options, using bottled water to cook meals. In court filings, the Garcias also stated they had been forced to partially move out of the apartment, as well as purchase a storage unit and live in a one-bedroom apartment owned by Mr. Garcia’s brother.

Ritter said he would not return water service to the family, claiming they had also misdirected him about the number of family members in the apartment.

“I’ve got to think of the rights of the other tenants, not just them,” Ritter said. “And I won’t turn it on because I turned it on, they promised it wouldn’t happen again and it happened again, and they’ve lied to me so many times I’ve given up.”

As a landlord, Ritter has been reported for code violations in the past, and was also involved in a recent lawsuit in 2019, in which Ritter had increased his tenants’ rent by $375 per month partially through the year, unless the tenants paid rent by the 19th of each month. The court had deemed the rent increase, which amounted to 65 to 75 percent of the tenants’ monthly rent an unenforceable late fee.

In the past few weeks, various community members and members of the Binghamton Tenants Union have been dropping off bottles and gallons of water at the Garcias’ house to support the family. Among them is Salka Valerio, community organizer of Citizen Action, who said over $200 dollars worth of water has been delivered so far. Valerio described the issue as a forced eviction.

“[It] is really a plumbing issue, not anything of their fault,” Valerio said. “Back in September, the tenant did report that it was plumbing issues — the landlord never came and fixed it. So then here [he] comes trying to do a forced eviction, turning the water back off and stating that he’s not going to turn it back on.”

Earlier this week, members of Citizen Action of New York and the Binghamton Tenants Union had also traveled to the office of New York State Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, to call for her support of Good Cause Eviction — a bill that would create automatic lease renewal rights and set rent increase limits. In an email, Lupardo condemned Ritter’s actions, and said she supported actions taken to prevent landlord abuses.

“While I am not involved with the County’s policies on Tax Foreclosure Auctions, I am involved with discussions about the proposed Good Cause Eviction legislation,” Lupardo wrote. “I have never downplayed the importance of keeping people in their homes, avoiding unreasonable rent increases and preventing landlords from using unfair tactics to remove good tenants. Unfortunately, this issue has become politically charged, to the point where each side has made it a litmus test.”

Lupardo said her office is working on the initiative, also taking example from New Jersey, which has had Good Cause Eviction legislation since the 1970s.

In addition to calling for support for Good Cause Eviction, the Stakeholders of Broome County had also called for a systematic code enforcement program, a receivership program to address “persistent noncompliance” by property owners and the end of the Broome County Real Property Tax Foreclosure Auction.

“We recognize the Ritters aren’t the first slumlords in Broome County and they won’t be the last,” the Stakeholders of Broome County wrote. “If you currently have landlord issues or are interested in combating abusive landlords throughout the county, we encourage you to reach out.”

Ritter, the first-floor tenant and the Garcias are scheduled to appear in the New York State Supreme Court on April 1.

The Garcia family did not respond to request for comment.

This is a developing story, which will be updated as Pipe Dream receives more information.

Last Friday, on March 11, the Center for Learning and Teaching organized a panel of Binghamton University faculty to discuss their experiences with and techniques used in teaching large lectures. Panelists ranged from faculty in the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences to faculty in the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Management.

One of the first questions posed to the panelists asked them to explain how they gauged students’ understanding of the material in large classes.

Kirill Zaychik, a lecturer of mechanical engineering, described the challenges he and other professors had faced during online classes.

“Especially last year when everything was remote, the experience from the delivering end of a lecture to a large audience was very unnerving in my case because students [didn’t] use cameras and [were] reluctant to unmute themselves and ask a question verbally — they are more likely to type,” Zaychik said. “That was something that [it had] forced me to get used to. That was a learning curve on my part.”

To gauge students’ interest and attention currently, Zaychik said professors needed to implement a more engaged approach, taking time to observe the attention levels of students during classes, and to implement interactive teaching strategies like question and answer sessions, which constantly “force feedback.”

Benjamin Turnpenny, an instructor of chemistry, said he often tried to use innovative ways to hold students’ attention, including humor in lectures. For other students, Turnpenny said faculty have tried to make themselves available.

“For the ones [whose] lack of engagement are affecting their grades, this semester we’ve opened up, between me and the other faculty members, we’re posting times for the students to be able to reserve,” Turnpenny said. “Just time to talk about how they can better perform in the class, [if] they feel like they are putting in all this effort but not seeing the results [then] what are different strategies to try and build that.”

Turnpenny also said his teaching assistants were being trained in ways to facilitate consistent engagement in all members of group work, to ensure all students were involved.

Another question asked professors whether they were able to foster individual connections with students in large lectures or whether they rather viewed their classes as a collective of students.

Cláudia Marques, an associate professor of biology, said she often sought to establish a connection by seeking out students who are in need of support.

“Generally speaking, it’s harder to engage with all students and to get to know every student in your class,” Marques said. “You’ll know the ones that will talk to you more [and] engage with you more. In my case, if I see that someone is really not engaging and [there] is something wrong, I will go out of my way to talk to that student.”

George Bobinski, associate dean of the School of Management, said he often tried to foster connections through assignments in the classroom to reach students who he had not already formed a relationship with.

“I think it is a certain percentage of students, maybe 10 or 15 percent, that will engage you after class, during class, participate in a very high level — and you’ll get to know those students pretty well,” Bobinski said. “In my case though, every student does one presentation, even in a very large class, so I do get to know them a little bit in that particular path.”

In a question posed to the panelists asking what they enjoyed about teaching large class sizes, Turnpenny said he appreciated the diversity of students in his lectures, which influenced him as a professor.

“There’s a variety of student backgrounds, and a lot of different personalities in my students,” Turnpenny said. “So it challenges me to be adaptive in the classroom, to communicate a concept to them in different ways. I’ll have my way of explaining it initially, then I get a good question that maybe needs a clarification, so I can go in a different way with my explanation.”