“No Justice, No Peace,” echoed around Binghamton University as students and community members marched in solidarity for Tyre Nichols.

On Feb. 8, the Black Student Union (BSU) organized a march and rally for Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who was beaten by Memphis Police Department officers and died days later. The protest started in front of the MarketPlace, with members of the BSU leading a moment of silence for Nichols. It was followed by an open mic, where BSU members and other students were given opportunities to speak. Organizers passed out black flags with the names of Black Americans who were killed by police. Protesters then marched down the Spine through the Lecture Hall and Glenn G. Bartle Library, stopping periodically to remember past victims of police violence.

The march occurred nearly a month after Nichols’ death. On Jan. 7, Nichols was stopped by Memphis police for what the department initially claimed was reckless driving. The traffic stop then violently escalated, resulting in Nichols being punched, kicked and beaten with a baton for nearly three minutes after being pepper-sprayed and tased. Nichols was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died three days later from excessive bleeding, according to an autopsy commissioned by the Nichols family.

One of the organizers of the protest was Taylor Chance, BSU’s political correspondent and a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience. Chance described the importance of this march as an opportunity to raise awareness, build solidarity and honor victims of police brutality throughout recent history.

“A man lost his life unnecessarily and unjustly,” Chance wrote in an email. “This has been an ongoing problem and there seems to be no correction. The whole nation should be in outrage, cities should be marching and protesting because [Nichols] could’ve been any of us. However, I guess since he was Black, like many victims of police brutality, the nation can’t empathize with this plight.”

The death of Nichols has also sparked protests in Memphis and around the United States following the release of police body camera footage. Five Memphis police officers who were involved in the beating were later fired, arrested and charged with various felonies, including second-degree murder and aggravated assault.

Chance listed a variety of police reforms that could be implemented, including laws that reduce usage of excessive force, increase accountability and programs that encourage community policing and social services.

“The current police system has been built on anti-Black legislation and policies,” Chance wrote. “It prioritizes the use of force over alternative approaches like community policing and social services. Police officers receive inadequate training in de-escalation techniques, mental health and diversity. A complete overhaul of the system is not just a demand at this point. It is a necessity to address these deeply ingrained biases and to ensure that policing is fair and just for all.”

The BSU’s march ended in the University Union, with final remarks urging change and reform in police departments across the country.

One protestor, Hanson Cofie, an undeclared sophomore, said he felt compelled to participate after learning about the protest on Instagram.

“There was a feeling that I had to come out and protest,” Cofie said. “Every step I took, I was thinking about [Nichols]. I was thinking that could be anyone, that could my family members. That could be the friends I made here. That could’ve been me.”

Another protester, Vanessa Padilla, a junior majoring in economics, also learned about the protest through a Instagram post and shared it with her friends and classmates. A member of the Latin American Student Union, she described being encouraged by other members to participate in the rally.

“I feel we keep coming out here preaching, ‘No justice, no peace,’ and we will continue to come out here speaking our truths and our feelings,” Padilla said. “If they do not want to hear, we [will] just keep on going.”

“Study drug’’ is a colloquial umbrella term for a range of central nervous system stimulants, including methylphenidates like Ritalin and amphetamines like Adderall, Vyvanse and Dexedrine. As prescription stimulants, the drugs help treat individuals diagnosed with conditions including narcolepsy, binge eating disorder and, primarily, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, unprescribed individuals, particularly college students, may use drugs like Adderall to enhance their ability to complete schoolwork. The stimulants are also used for athletic performance as well as recreationally for their euphoric properties.

A fall 2021 SUNY and New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports survey found 2.2 percent of BU undergraduate students surveyed used nonmedical amphetamines in the last 30 days. The drugs are most commonly used by college-aged students, with a pre-COVID-19 Johns Hopkins University study finding that 60 percent of unprescribed Adderall users are within the 18 to 25 age range.

After over a year of virtual instruction at BU, some believe that cognitive-enhancing drug usage might rise, with some faculty witnessing a decline in student performance as in-person instruction returned. One such person is Lina Begdache, an assistant professor of health and wellness studies and mentor of the Binghamton Student Managed Adderall Research Team (B-SMART), a group that researches Adderall use on college campuses.

“That is the concern, faculty are seeing a decline in students’ performance and quality of work,” Begdache wrote in an email. “We are also seeing changes in students’ behaviors and attitudes. This can translate into students feeling the challenges of in-person education, which may prompt more people to resort to easy fixes.”

While the stimulants can increase alertness and cognitive function, they also contain many side effects, including paranoia and anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, irregular heartbeat and if overdosed, heart attack or death. The stimulants also reduce the sedating effects of alcohol when mixed with alcoholic beverages, leading to an increased risk of alcohol poisoning. Many of these drugs are classified as Schedule 2 drugs by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with a high risk of leading to a substance use disorder.

Despite known side effects, some students are resistant to quitting. One anonymous student said they use unprescribed Adderall to study and had also used the drug once at a party. The student said they understood the risks but believed the drug helps them be more productive and happy.

“I do not take them regularly because I understand the risk of abusing it easily and keeps my tolerance low,” the student said. “But it is super convenient, since I just retain more information for my test and feel more efficient with my time.”

Begdache warned students that these “easy fixes” have been linked to poor dieting, reduced development of the brain’s prefrontal cortex and worse grades, according to results from B-SMART and other researchers.

“It is hard sometimes to believe it as the short-term reward may be a higher grade on a test, but these drugs only promote information retention in the short-term memory; therefore, they do not promote learning,” Begdache wrote. “This is an issue as students start taking upper-level classes that are based on previously learned information. These students start struggling, which prompts them to rely further on these medications to improve their grades. We found a close relationship between taking non-medicinal Adderall and low GPA and low GPA and Adderall abuse. It becomes a cyclic phenomenon.”

One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said they have taken both unprescribed Adderall and Vyvanse solely for academic purposes. The student said their grades and mood improve while using the stimulants, if they remain focused on schoolwork.

“When I take it I feel all my senses are enhanced and all my thoughts are organized,” the student said. “I feel so focused and it does improve my study habits and actually correlates with better grades and Adderall. It also makes me reach a state of happiness for a little while which I feel and am nicer.”

Another student, who also wished to remain anonymous, said they take Adderall, Vyvanse and Dexedrine to study when faced with multiple exams on the same day or during finals. While the student has been diagnosed with ADHD, they said they do not have a prescription and use the drug to help deal with symptoms.

“I feel like I can study for way longer when I take it,” the student said. “Essentially, it eliminates brain fog and procrastination. However, if I don’t also take it before the test I find that I don’t perform as well as when I was studying off of it.”

Linda Reynolds, the college prevention coordinator of BU’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs program, told students who are struggling with stimulant misuse to contact her or Angelica Dellapenna, a senior counselor at the University Counseling Center who specializes in substance misuse.

Like Begdache, Reynolds wrote that unprescribed Adderall usage does not improve ability to learn or understand material and is more likely to promote negative side effects. Instead, Reynolds provided healthy alternatives.

“If students truly want to improve their concentration and relieve stress, they should go back to the basics: get sufficient and consistent sleep, engage in some type of physical activity and eat a well-rounded diet,” Reynolds wrote in an email.

Martin, a graduate student from Syracuse, New York who died on April 1, was a goalkeeper for the BU men’s lacrosse team since his freshman year. The memorial service was held at the Events Center, where attendees were given candles and a photo of Martin. The service featured speakers including Martin’s teammates, a pastor and a collage highlighting photos and videos of Martin throughout his life.

One of Martin’s teammates reminisced on their first time meeting Martin and the memories they shared both on and off the lacrosse field. The speaker talked about the positive energy Martin brought as a person, particularly during games.

“Something that always made me smile is when we watch the [game] film and you always notice one kid on the sideline who is cheering a little louder than everyone else,” the teammate said. “He was pretty much on the field when we scored a goal or we made a stop on defense. Those little things are what I am going to miss the most about Rob.”

Another teammate first thanked everyone for attending the service and the outreach given by the University community, and then reminisced about his first time meeting Martin at a party.

“He was unapologetically himself,” the teammate said. “He was never afraid to be different and it is what made Rob so special.”

The teammate said the men’s lacrosse team had reached out to John Timm, ‘21, who had founded No Man Sits Alone, a campaign that promotes discussion on men’s mental health. Founded following Timm’s own battles with depression and anxiety, the campaign builds and sells folding Adirondack chairs, with $100 sent to a mental health nonprofit for every four chairs sold. The speaker announced that Timm plans to send chairs to the University and Downtown Binghamton in honor of Martin.

The teammate urged the crowd, especially men, who feel hesitant to speak out about mental health issues to always reach out.

“As men, we have to understand that everyone has struggles,” the teammate said. “Check in with each other, love one another and never be afraid to ask for help. While this is an incredible tragedy, it was my greatest honor to be on that team with Robert. Not only was he an amazing teammate, but a beautiful soul. Everyone can say they were blessed enough for the opportunity to get to know Rob.”

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.

The Together for Ukraine Foundation, along with local Ukrainian churches including the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church and the St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church, held their “Stand with Ukraine” rally in front of Binghamton City Hall on Sunday. The rally featured speakers, including leaders in the local Ukrainian American community and elected government officials like Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham and New York State Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. Moments of prayer by religious leaders and a performance by a Ukrainian orchestra were also held. The venue also included a table where people could make donations in order to aid Ukrainian citizens and soldiers.

The rally comes almost two weeks after Russia began a full-scale invasion against the independent eastern European country. The war has been met with international condemnation against Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin as around 1.5 million Ukrainians have been displaced, according to Reuters.

The event began with Stephan Wasylko, one of the coordinators and master of ceremonies of the rally, who spoke on the amount of support Ukrainians have received around the world as they fought against their Russian neighbors.

“As we gather here today, I want you to know that there are hundreds of other communities, large and small in the [United States] and around the world, that are standing with the people of Ukraine during this very difficult time in our ancestral homeland,” Wasylko said. “Our goal here today is to demonstrate that we as a civilized people in the year of 2022, stand together for peace, human rights and an end to the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, a free and democratic nation. A democratic nation, a beautiful nation, rich in history, culture and tradition, which is being denied its very right to exist by an evil, barbaric tyrant named Vladimir Putin.”

A number of Broome County government officials were in attendance, including Kraham, Lupardo and Broome County Executive Jason Garnar. Garnar spoke on the efforts Broome County is making to support Ukraine during the war, including providing a potential home for refugees.

“We are ready, we are willing and able to assist anyone who is in need of a home, whether it be temporary or permanent as a result of the violence in Ukraine,” Garnar said. “Broome County is already home to a sizable Ukrainian population — one that is proud, active and involved in our community. Along with these residents and a variety of strong community agencies, Broome County is ready to welcome anyone fleeing violence in Ukraine, and we have numerous services and programs that can help them assimilate to our community when they arrive.”

During his speech, Kraham spoke on the pride of the Ukrainian community in Binghamton, mentioning that the rally was one of its biggest in a decade. He praised the work ethic, spirit and culture he said Ukrainians have exhibited, especially during this time of crisis.

“Our Ukrainian residents, whether first-generation Americans or descendants of immigrants, define those character traits that have won the world over,” Kraham said. “The dedication to family, their faith to the civic institutions that matter to any democracy, the commitment to truth and an unyielding truth in the face of evil. The murderous plots out of Moscow probably talked about many things in those rooms. What they did not plan for was the resolve of the Ukrainian people.”

Lupardo spoke on the actions New York state is taking in response to the war, specifically the sanctions the state has imposed on Russia.

“I’m here to report [New York State] Gov. Hochul signed an executive order forbidding New York [state] from doing business with Russia, including canceling all of our investments — canceling all investment activity to aid Russia as it commits these human rights violations,” Lupardo said. “And by the way, the New York state economy is much larger than Russia’s, so when we exert our power regarding investments, they will feel it. I can promise that New York stands with Ukraine.”

Tom Burns, ‘20, attended the rally in solidarity with Ukraine after discovering the event on Facebook. While he was not Ukrainian, he had close friends growing up who are and wanted to show support.

“It is really just shocking,” Burns said. “We really have not seen something like this in our lifetime. I would have thought all the lessons of history have taught us that we as a civilization can move past this unnecessary violence. I do view Russia as the aggressor and overall think it is senseless to cause all of this violence that is leading to this loss of life.”

Mike Gulachok, ‘77, also attended the rally. Gulachok is a third-generation Ukrainian American, with his wife being first-generation from Chernivtsi, Ukraine. His son is currently in Ukraine and unable to leave due to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to arms that bars Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 years old from leaving the country. While his son lives near Lviv, which has not seen much fighting, Gulachok expressed spite against Putin, who he feels has caused pain to his fellow Ukrainians, and said he hopes his country will find peace someday soon.

“Stand for Ukraine,” Gulachok said. “Stand for peace and end this horrible war.”

Celia Woodruff was a contributing reporter for this article.

Editor’s note (3/11/22): An earlier version of this article listed the master of ceremonies as Stefan Vasylnikov. This information is incorrect, and has been updated to state Stephan Wasylko. Pipe Dream regrets the error.

On Wednesday, the Binghamton Police Department (BPD) arrested Yaron “Ron” Kweller, 41, on the charge of rape in the third degree, and Jordan Rindgen, 33, on the charge of criminal sale of a substance in the third and fifth degree, and stated in a press release that another arrest was “expected.” On Monday, Ron Kweller’s brother, Leor Kweller, was also charged with rape in the third degree. Each arrest was in connection with an ongoing investigation regarding an incident that took place Nov. 27 at 141 Washington St.

Leor Kweller, who had turned himself in to BPD on Monday, was charged with raping a 19 year old woman, while Ron Kweller was accused of raping a 21 year old woman, according to binghamtonhomepage.com. All three individuals were arraigned in Binghamton City Court and then released.

Yaron Kweller and Rindgen are owners of The Colonial, a Downtown restaurant frequented by students, also holding ownership shares of Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox. In December, each restaurant had closed following an outpour of sexual assault allegations on social media and the announcement of a BPD investigation, with residents holding a protest outside of the restaurants shortly after. The restaurants had opened again in January, announcing the instatement of several new policies in a statement, including a new management team.

In a statement posted on The Colonial’s Facebook page on Feb. 24, the restaurants announced both Kweller and Rindgen had been removed from operations in December, and that their legal team is “exploring options” in removing them as partners.

“Our remaining group of owners remains focused on earning back the faith and trust of our community, and restoring the restaurants to the positive, energetic members of the revitalized Downtown Binghamton business scene that they were prior to this event,” the statement read. “Please be reminded that, while there are some mutual owners of all three restaurants, each establishment has its own unique ownership group.”

Jared Kraham, mayor of the city of Binghamton — who had previously declined to comment on the investigation — said in a Twitter statement on Wednesday that the arrests are the product of months of investigative work from BPD and the Broome County District Attorney’s Office.

“With today’s arrests, I want to be clear — our community will not tolerate sexual assault anytime, anywhere by anyone,” Kraham wrote. “These charges are serious and beyond disturbing. It’s important to recognize, too, the bravery of sexual assault survivors who come forward under unimaginable circumstances in the pursuit of justice and accountability.”

The “Binghamton Believes Survivors of Sexual Assault” Facebook group, in which many allegations of sexual assault had surfaced in December, currently holds over 14,300 members, including several admins with experience in helping survivors of sexual assault.

Quinn Singer, an admin of the Facebook page, currently works as a volunteer with the Crime and Victims Assistance Center (CVAC), and had previously been working full-time at the organization for years, most recently as the Broome County sexual assault response team coordinator. Singer said she has been in contact with “secondary victims,” or the families of survivors.

Singer said the restaurants should not have reopened, and that despite the new initiatives and statements, the owners had expressed indifference when organizations like CVAC had attempted to work with them before.

“It all feels too little, too late,” Singer said. “I just know firsthand that there were programs that reached out to the bar for incidents like [these]. CVAC had a safer bars program that was pitched specifically to this restaurant group. And it was not something they pursued at the time.”

As information continues to come to light, Singer noted the impact of advocacy and community attention.

“I think that our students on the [BU] campus also have organized and begun advocating like none other in the past few years, and I think that that definitely will have an influence on their ability to remain open as people are arrested and the trial happens and the real details emerge,” Singer said. “I think people are underestimating the fact that details will end up coming out from the case, and it’s not going to end just as they released a statement today — the trial could take years.”

Though many allegations have surfaced publicly on social media, Christine Battisti, CEO of CVAC, said the organization adheres to strict confidentiality protocols with survivors, and that it aims to provide a comforting environment to any survivors.

“That’s all part of coming here, empowering victims to be a part of the outcome and how their case proceeds and to give them choices in the matter — because sometimes victims are powerless because something happened to them,” Battisti said. “They didn’t have control over that. So part of what we work with is we try to give victims control over the decisions that they make about their case.”

Kweller’s attorney, Paul Battisti, who ran as the Republican candidate for Broome County District Attorney in 2020, is the husband of Christine. Battisti said the connection would not impact either of their work, stating she had worked at CVAC for 18 years, serving clients in various roles with no issue.

“I don’t think there’s a conflict of interest at all,” Battisti said. “Paul is a defense attorney and has his own rules and regulations and ethics that he has to provide to his clients and CVAC has theirs. And we adhere to confidentiality, and we take that very seriously.”

Jordan Rindgen is represented by Thomas Jackson, who had formerly served as senior assistant district attorney in 2008.

On campus, various student organizations made public statements regarding the situation in December, including a call for a boycott of the restaurants by the Student Association (SA) and the Women’s Student Union.

Samantha Carroll, the SA vice president for student success and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, wrote the SA Executive Board is relieved to see that “punitive legal measures” are being taken against Kweller and Rindgen.

“That being said, we recognize that many in the community may still not be satisfied with this, and may still feel uncomfortable given the restaurants’ presence downtown,” Carroll wrote. “We want to reiterate that survivors of sexual assault always have our support, and we will continue to do everything in our power to make all students feel safe.”

Carroll also emphasized that the SA stands in solidarity with anyone impacted by these events and that there are resources available on and off campus to students who may be struggling or are in need of support.

Other student groups like Domestic and Oppressive Violence Education (DOVE) — an organization that aims to educate students on forms of interpersonal violence, including sexual assault — want students who may feel unsafe in Downtown Binghamton after the news of the arrests to know that they should remain supportive of each other.

“The fact that so many young women have reportedly come forward highlights the importance of learning the warning signs of sexual abuse, keeping each other safe and ultimately speaking up when you see something wrong,” the DOVE E-Board wrote in an email.

Paul Battisti, The Colonial, Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox declined to comment.

This is a developing story, which will be updated as Pipe Dream receives more information from witnesses and authorities. This story was last updated on 3/1/2022 with further information regarding a third arrest.

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, harassment or anything related, the Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center (VARCC) or the Crime Victims Assistance Center (CVAC) are available resources. CVAC is located at 377 Robinson St. in Binghamton and can be reached by phone at (607) 722-4256 for a 24/7 crisis support line or by text at (607) 725-8196. CVAC services are also available at the VARCC office, which is located on the third floor of Old Johnson Hall and can be reached by phone at (607) 777-3010.

Pipe Dream was in contact with sexual assault survivors who opted not to share their story with the media out of a concern for their safety. Those interested in sharing their experiences can contact news@bupipedream.com.

In a Facebook post on Jan. 7, The Colonial announced its reopening, also announcing the presence of a new management team. The restaurants opened for in-person dining and takeout later that night and operated under a limited schedule until Jan. 16. Currently, all restaurants have returned to their normal hours of operation.

The Colonial, Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox all initially closed on Dec. 9, amid sexual assault allegations made against owners. The Binghamton Police Department (BPD) had announced it was investigating an incident involving the owners of the restaurants that took place on Nov. 28, with no arrests made according to BPD Detective Captain Cory Minor. Additional allegations of sexual assault, including alleged instances of drugging by owners, had been made on social media, primarily on a Facebook group now named “Binghamton Believes Survivors of Sexual Assault,” which has since grown to over 14,200 members.

In The Colonial’s Facebook post, the restaurants also announced the hiring of an external law firm outside of Broome County, a new independent HR firm and the presence of meetings with staff to hear their concerns. The post did not provide an update on the individuals the restaurants had formerly said were placed on leave amid the allegations.

“First and foremost, we want you to know that we are deeply sorry for the poor handling of the recent situation and initial social media posts,” the Facebook post read. “We want to assure you that we have a revised management team in place handling all day-to-day operations of the businesses. Furthermore, we understand the allegations in question are serious and traumatic. We condemn sexual violence in all forms.“

In a Facebook post from Dec. 10 — later deleted — in which The Colonial had announced its earlier attempted reopening, the allegations were described as “baseless,” and the restaurants stated their refusal to comment on “cancel culture.”

Nick Pasquale, one of several admins of the “Binghamton Believes Survivors of Sexual Assault” Facebook group, had worked as a server at Dos Rios Cantina for approximately a year until November 2019.

Pasquale said he was made aware of the sexual assault allegations as they began to spread on social media in the days after Nov. 28, and had personally known one of the victims who had shared her story of sexual assault on Facebook in the days following.

He described witnessing some instances of harassment from an owner of the restaurants — allegedly placed on leave – during his time as a server.

“I would often sort of catch [an owner] saying inappropriate things to, especially hostesses, at the front end, who were oftentimes barely 18, maybe 19,” Pasquale said. “[The owner] would make comments about what they were wearing and how [the owner] enjoyed it — very much in that sort of inappropriate way. Very oftentimes I would see [the owner] going up to that host stand, especially if he were alone with them, [the owner] would try to go up there when it was able to just be [the owner] and them. Sometimes it almost looked as though that hostess was cornered.”

Pasquale said he had become one of the admins of the Facebook group following the “Downtown Shutdown” protest, in which hundreds of protestors had marched to each of the three restaurants, sharing stories of sexual assault and harassment. Pasquale said the restaurants’ reopening lacked substantial changes, and that instating “new management” was rather just shifting around the face of the restaurant.

Currently, members of the Facebook group have been sharing information and resources for sexual assault survivors, as well as news updates regarding the ongoing police investigation.

One anonymous BU student, who had formerly worked as a server for Dos Rios Cantina and quit in the weeks following the initial allegations, said the owners had shared the recent Facebook announcement with staff before posting, and held two separate staff meetings to hear concerns.

“When they planned to reopen, I wasn’t surprised, I knew there was no way they would just close down the restaurants fully, and I can say for a fact that they stayed closed down for as long as they could (they couldn’t remain closed and keep paying all their employees),” the former server wrote in an email. “As for the measures listed in the Facebook post, those were more or less what I was expecting to see. I would’ve liked to see them take more accountability for what happened inside [The] Colonial and more safety measures for the customers in general.”

While the student said they had not personally witnessed instances of sexual assault, they said they had experienced forms of mistreatment from one of the owners allegedly responsible, including not being given adequate break times and being subject to verbal harassment. The student said that individuals in lower management had expressed an interest in rectifying the situation surrounding the restaurants’ closure, and that the restaurants had continued to pay servers when closed.

“For the time being they are following through with the promises they made,” the former server wrote. “Lastly, I think it’s because I try to reason with myself that 200 people didn’t/don’t deserve to lose their jobs because of the actions of [individuals].”

In the days following the initial closure of the restaurants, Binghamton University’s Student Association (SA) announced on Instagram its support for the ongoing community-wide boycott of the establishments, a boycott that had also been called for by members of the Facebook group, then-named “Boycotting Colonial, Dos Rios, Stone Fox, etc.”

Samantha Carroll, SA vice president for student success and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said the SA E-Board believes continuing the boycott is necessary.

“I think these businesses need to recognize that earning back a community’s trust is not something that happens over the course of a month,” Carroll wrote. “They have a lot to prove and it’s unclear if that is even possible.”

Carroll said the new policies instated by the restaurants, including its new management team, HR firm and meetings with staff, were not enough to support the reopening of the restaurants.

“While these may be a step in the right direction, they are entirely internal,” Carroll wrote. “They provided no clear plan to mitigate their negative impact on the community and for this reason, it is not justified.”

The Women’s Student Union (WSU) had also called for a boycott of the restaurants, including several other establishments, amid the allegations of sexual assault and allegations of “racial violence” and mistreatment by restaurant owners.

Abigail Cornelia, president of WSU and senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, also said the restaurants’ reopening plans were inadequate, describing the reopening as a practical decision made due to the replenishment of staff, who had quit en masse in December.

“Rape culture coupled with the exploitative culture of the service industry cannot be rectified in a day, it takes a long, consistent, reframing of how we view each other and abolishment of the idea that any relationship is transactional,” Cornelia wrote in an email. “I am very skeptical that a collection of overpriced, gentrifying gastropubs cares to put in the work necessary to rectify that environment. Continuing to boycott these establishments is an incredibly easy way to show solidarity to not only the victims that have bravely come forward, but also the victims of sexual violence in your life.”

The Colonial, Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox did not respond to Pipe Dream’s requests for comment.

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

Pipe Dream was in contact with sexual assault survivors who opted not to share their story with the media out of a concern for their safety. Those interested in sharing their experiences can contact news@bupipedream.com.

From Dec. 1, 2021 to March 15, 2022, Binghamton streets are under annual winter alternate side parking rules in an effort to assist efficient and safe snow plowing and emergency crew service travel. The rules require residents to only park on the even side of the street on even-numbered calendar days and on the odd side of the street on odd-numbered days until 5 p.m. After 5 p.m., city residents must “park for tomorrow” and move their vehicles to the other side in anticipation for the next calendar day. The even and odd street sides are indicated by the even and odd side residence house numbers. The rules apply to all streets in Binghamton, including one-side parking streets, with certain exceptions. Failure to comply with the rules results in a ticket issued by the Binghamton Police Department (BPD) and in some cases impedes emergency service travel.

The alternate side parking rules include Binghamton’s West Side neighborhood, where many of Binghamton University’s off-campus students live. According to Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, compliance to the rules has been a yearly issue.

“The bottom line here is that adherence to alternate side parking rules in the city of Binghamton is the number one effort, collectively, residents can make to support snow plow operations,” Kraham said. “When cars are parked illegally, which to be frank, we see a lot in student-heavy neighborhoods, it slows down snow plow operations. We made a huge focus to enforce the city’s alternate side parking this snow season.”

According to data provided by the Mayor’s Office from Jan. 22 — when many students returned to Binghamton for the start of the spring semester — to Feb. 7, the BPD issued 1,778 tickets to alternate side parking violators. While the number is citywide, Kraham said a significant number of the tickets were issued in student-concentrated areas. While Kraham acknowledged the parking rules may be inconvenient for some as students may have to park far from their residence, he said the costs of noncompliance can be significant.

“That parking convenience equates to a public safety issue for all residents in Binghamton,” Kraham said. “If a snowplow cannot move down a street, the street cannot be cleared. While students may be inconvenienced by it, parking there has created a public safety issue, and that is not acceptable.”

Sade Salazar, president of Off Campus College Council (OC3) and senior triple-majoring in economics, accounting and philosophy, politics and law, wrote that the council has not yet received formal student complaints regarding alternate side parking and tickets. However, she said the City of Binghamton has not done enough regarding street plowing — which the new rules are attempting to support — and advised students to use other modes of transportation during severe weather.

“In [OC3’s] opinion, the City of Binghamton hasn’t been the best at keeping up with snow plowing various streets in the area,” Salazar wrote in an email. ”The University must recognize that their service isn’t perfect and communicate with professors to seek alternative class formats if necessary. We advise students to seek alternate routes or take public transportation or [Off Campus College Transportation] blue buses rather than use their own transportation during and after inclement weather.”

While both the City of Binghamton Mayor’s Office and the OC3 have not received formal complaints about the issues with alternate side parking, some off-campus students expressed frustration with the street parking regulation.

According to section 400-78 of the Traffic Code of the City of Binghamton, the city requires only one annual posting to inform the public about the alternate side parking rules by the local newspaper and local airways.

Athina Glumicic, an off-campus resident and a junior majoring in psychology, said Binghamton officials do not do an adequate job communicating the winter parking rules when they go into effect.

“The communication is not clear enough, there are no signs anywhere to remind the community of the alternate side parking rules,” Glumicic said. “The rules were communicated via flyers placed on some vehicles, leaving many students uninformed about how to avoid getting ticketed.”

Other off-campus students like Paula Jankowski, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, pointed to the lack of space available — as residents are required to only park on one side at a time instead of both. When parked in her driveway, she recalled often being blocked in and texting roommates to move their cars.

“Realistically on a single block, there are many cars and expecting people to fit on one side of the street for four months straight is ridiculous,” Jankowski said. “I understand there are driveways, but with conflicting schedules, it can be difficult to park without blocking each other.”

While Kraham is aware of these struggles that resulted from winter parking, he suggested students think creatively and be more proactive.

“I encourage students to think outside the box,” Kraham said. “Many homes have driveways, maybe not in full use, so text a neighbor or roommate to try to get cars off the street entirely, or use alternative modes of transportation or utilize parking lots at city parks which are open to students during snowstorms.”

Guidelines and exemptions of the City of Binghamton’s alternate side parking mandate can be found here.

Leigh Ann Wheeler, a professor of history, is one of the leading scholars in sexuality, feminism and the historical and contemporary social movements associated with them. After receiving a doctorate in history from the University of Minnesota, Wheeler became an associate professor of history at BU in 2008. Since then, she has published her second book, “How Sex Became a Civil Liberty,” which explores the legal, political and cultural impact of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on sexual expression, privacy and other related issues, like abortion, in American history.

Wheeler credited her interest in the study of history and sexuality to her upbringing with strict, fundamentalist Christian values during the 1970s, where speaking about sex and sexuality was considered amoral and sinful. She said her childhood church’s views greatly differed from others, viewing scriptures in the Bible as completely literal and representative of outdated values that should be maintained today.

“The church I grew up in was not just fundamentalist — it was fundamentally ahistorical, claiming to be identical to the churches founded by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament,” Wheeler wrote in an email. “It enforced strict gender roles, claiming that Paul had ordained women’s silence in church, prohibited women from teaching or leading ‘mixed groups’ (groups that included men) and required women to submit to their husbands and devote their lives to homemaking.”

As Wheeler grew more connected to society outside of her fundamentalist household, she still found striking similarities, though not as intense, between American cultural values for women and the teachings of her church.

“Even as I developed a critical perspective on what I’d learned about sex and history growing up, I was not really pleased with how mainstream culture objectified women as sexual playthings,” Wheeler wrote. “I felt caught between two worlds that seemed diametrically opposed but were actually very similar in that both treated women primarily according to their sex and sexuality — rather than their personhood — and as if their purpose was to serve men’s pleasure.”

Both realizations, coupled with her interest in history, fueled Wheeler’s passion in exploring the field of sexuality in American history as she arrived at graduate school. However, she explained history of sex and sexuality was not considered a “field” in the 1990s, as University of Minnesota professors did not teach any classes in the subject nor were they knowledgeable about it. This led her to create study groups with her peers, assigning themselves journal articles and teaching each other. Now, Wheeler says the field of the history of sexuality has exploded in contemporary society.

Wheeler’s study in historical developments in sexuality often naturally coincides with the study of U.S. women’s rights and feminism, another focus on her research. Wheeler explained, for example, the impact women’s suffrage had on blurring the taboo lines of sexuality in society.

“The importance of women’s suffrage regarding sexuality is probably that it broke down yet another barrier blocking women from access to the public realm and direct political power,” Wheeler wrote. “So [women’s] suffrage helped to obliterate the boundary that was — according to middle- and upper-class ideals — supposed to separate women’s private from men’s public sphere. Simply put, the idea that women remain confined to the private sphere made less and less sense when women were out in the public sphere voting and even running for office.”

Women’s suffrage is one of many examples of how political and legal action has changed societal views on sex, according to Wheeler. In her book, “How Sex Became a Civil Liberty,” Wheeler explores how early struggles for sexual rights were viewed as fights for freedom of speech and due process under the First Amendment and Fifth Amendment, respectively, of the U.S. Constitution. Wheeler said advocate groups like the ACLU evolved in the mid-20th century, with greater focus on specific topics regarding women’s sexuality — like access for contraceptives, abortions and professionals who specialize in women’s health — and have shaped modern discussions, from LGBTQ+ rights to health insurance.

However, Wheeler said she worries that in discussions of sex today, sex is often removed as a form of intimacy and rather thought of purely as a source of pleasure and entertainment with the rise of “hookup” culture, citing the increased commodification of sex as a possible reason. Wheeler hopes society continues to view sexuality as an expression of love, trust and commitment, especially during today’s changing climate.

“I think we need to look closely at how the world we currently inhabit has made privacy hard to come by — not just due to the intrusions of artificial intelligence, for example — but also because, in the name of free sexual expression, we are increasingly, voluntarily de-privatizing sex, historically, one of the most intimate of human relations,” Wheeler wrote. “What that means for women versus men remains to be seen, but chances are good that it is women who will be most disadvantaged by it.”

On Jan. 3, BU President Harvey Stenger and Donald Nieman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, announced in an open letter that full-time, fully tuition-funded doctoral students will have their broad-based fees covered starting this spring semester. The fees, which are non-tuition costs like technology and transportation fees, will be covered in a new scholarship which will be awarded to around 700 qualified doctoral students according to the letter.

In the letter, Stenger praised the University’s doctoral students for their research and teaching missions, and addressed the importance of financial support to assist them.

“[BU] is committed to helping our Ph.D. students progress to their degree,” Stenger wrote. “Each year, the University awards around 150 Ph.D.s; it is in all our interests to see that number increase and to reduce the amount of time it takes for students to achieve their terminal degree. Clearly, increased financial support can play an important part in helping us achieve this goal.”

The announcement comes after a series of demonstrations by members of the Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU) during last semester. In September, members handed out informational flyers regarding problems with graduate student broad-based fees during family weekend. In November, GSEU members rallied at the Couper Administration Building to personally present a petition with signatures from 700 people demanding the removal of graduate student teaching assistant (TA) broad-based fees. In a video taken of the demonstration, Stenger said the fees would be paid by the University in the near future.

In an email, Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, wrote that the University initially could not guarantee the fees would be waived when it was first requested, but sought to find a solution.

“We always listen to members of the campus community and consider their requests, even when they are challenging to meet,” Yarosh wrote. “Our funded Ph.D. students are critical to the success of the University and we have devoted greater resources to support them in the past decade. Sometimes, however, it takes a while to figure out a way to accomplish something you want to do. That was true in this case. We did not want to promise something we couldn’t deliver. Instead, we analyzed the problem and after extensive discussions, found a way to provide fee scholarships.”

However, the fee scholarship may be met with new budget constraints. According to Yarosh, the University estimates the cost of the new scholarship to be approximately $750,000 per year. In the letter, Stenger pointed out that covering the fees will be a “significant cost” to the University and will result in redirecting funds from other sections in the budget.

While not specifically mentioning from where the new funds will be reapportioned, Yarosh wrote the University is confident it will find more revenue streams and maintain flexibility in their future budgets.

“At this point, we are using savings that accrue from a variety of areas and University reserves to absorb the cost,” Yarosh wrote. “Our intention is that we will be successful in generating additional revenue, largely through graduate student growth to support this and other initiatives. Budgets and needs do not remain fixed, so we are constantly seeking to grow revenue to maintain the strength and competitiveness of the University.”

Andrey Darovskikh, a member of GSEU and a doctoral candidate in philosophy, said he is grateful for the University’s decision to cover the fees.

“Overall, as a Ph.D. student and GSEU organizer, I warmly welcome the news that BU will provide Ph.D. students with a scholarship that covers broad-based fees,” Darovskikh wrote in an email. “It’s a right decision that had been awaited by all Ph.D. students for a long time. It was confirmed basically by everyone that conceptually it does not make sense to pay salaries to employees and then ask them to pay part of the wages back in the form of fees.”

However, both Darovskikh and Emily Blakley, a union representative for the GSEU and a doctoral student in cognitive and behavioral science, said the scholarship is only targeted toward doctoral students, not other graduate students.

“We are happy with the progress the University has made, but our campaign to eliminate the financial burden of fees was for all grad workers, not just those with a specific degree,” Blakley wrote in an email. “We are absolutely hopeful that the University will realize how important M.A. and M.S. students who TA are to the University, as they are often paid less than Ph.D. students within the same department for the same hours of work. We even asked Stenger if grad workers going toward a M.S. or M.A. degree would be included and his initial answer was yes, so we were very upset to see these union members left behind.”

The College-in-the-Woods Dining Center’s services will be suspended to residents during the beginning of the spring 2022 semester in order to support students who might face isolation, according to a Jan. 20 B-Line News Addition. The dining center is prepared to be used for meal preparation and packaging for students who might have to be isolated or quarantined in Old Rafuse Hall. The dining hall will remain closed until further notice, while the Appalachian Collegiate Center, Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4) and Hinman Dining Center remain open.

Last spring, Binghamton University also closed the College-in-the-Woods Dining Center for over a month to support the rising number of students in isolation and quarantine housing early in the semester.

While the decision last year was a reactive policy to the rapid spike in cases, Deanne Ellison, director of Auxiliary Services, said the closure of the College-in-the-Woods Dining Center was out of precaution if the University sees a high amount of COVID-19 cases and students in isolation.

“The difficult decision to temporarily suspend regular dining operations in [College-the-the-Woods Dining Center] has been made to ensure [BU] Dining Services [(BUDS)] is able to meet what could be a significant demand for isolation housing that may come from arrival testing,” Ellison wrote in an email. “Suspending regular operations in [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center] creates the much-needed capacity for [BUDS] to provide meal support to isolation students while maintaining a superior level of service in our three largest dining halls.”

Ellison said the closure of the dining hall is not definite.

“If we have low positivity during arrival testing and the first weeks of classes and become confident the level of support for isolation and quarantine meals is manageable while operating a full-service dining hall, then we will look forward to returning [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center] to regular dining operations as quickly as possible,” Ellison wrote.

The closure of the dining center has caused some students to walk greater distances for access to food. Kaitlyn Gargano, a College-in-the-Woods resident and a sophomore majoring in mathematics, described her experience.

“When I want to go get food, I have to walk to much farther dining halls, which doesn’t seem like a huge deal unless taking the weather into consideration,” Gargano wrote. “Me and my roommate have been walking a significant distance through very cold weather as well as snow every time we want to eat, when we normally would just have to walk two minutes to the [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center].”

Another College-in-the-Woods resident, Robert Sallai, a sophomore double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law, said he believes that while it is important to help isolated and quarantined students, there could be better options than closing College-in-the-Woods Dining Center.

“I’m generally disappointed by the closing of [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center],” Sallai wrote in an email. ”I feel like closing C4 would have made more sense as it’s significantly larger than [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center] and would have a better infrastructure for providing food to students in isolation. Although I’m disappointed, I still think it’s important for the University to try and provide for the students in isolation considering some of the events that happened last year or so.”

Gargano said she understands the University’s intentions but believes the repeated closure of College-in-the-Woods Dining Center is unfair to residents of the community.

“I understand the intentions behind closing the dining hall, as quarantined students need to eat, but I think that it is an unfair solution to completely close the [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center],” Gargano wrote in an email. “This dining hall already experienced this last spring, and was already closed for the whole weekend in the fall. With slippery sidewalks and stairs, it seems unfair that we pay for housing and dining (which is very expensive) and are the only living community to continuously lose the opportunity to get food where we live.”

According to the Jan. 26 SUNY COVID-19 Case Tracker, the rolling seven-day positive COVID-19 cases were reported at 56 from among 7,309 tests the past week, a 0.77 percent rate. Up-to-date numbers can be found here.

The Binghamton Police Department (BPD) announced in a news release Friday that they are “investigating an incident involving the owners of The Colonial” that took place on Nov. 28, also announcing their awareness of “additional allegations” made on social media, according to WBNG. Numerous sexual assault allegations have been made on social media against owners of the restaurants, with many beginning Wednesday night. On Thursday, each establishment shared a since-removed post on their Facebook pages announcing awareness of the allegations and closure until further notice, with “individuals in question placed on leave.”

A Facebook group named “Boycotting Colonial, Dos Rios, Stone Fox, etc.” was created on Wednesday night. The group has since grown to 13,500 members as of Dec. 12, and is now named “Binghamton Believes Survivors of Sexual Assault.” On the page, members posted about their experiences at the restaurants, including some alleged instances of drugging and sexual assault by owners, and encouraged others to share information.

In a Facebook post made on Friday, Dec. 10 — since-deleted — The Colonial announced it would reopen later that evening, yet the restaurant remained closed. Protestors placed paper signs on the windows of the building with phrases such as “protect whistleblowers” and “rape management,” which were taken down later that day.

According to multiple anonymous servers from Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox, also including Ryan La Peruta — a former server at The Stone Fox and senior majoring in biomedical engineering at Binghamton University, who quit following the allegations against owners — two individuals were placed on leave due to the allegations. Many managers and employees have since quit the establishments over the past three days, including at least three managers from The Stone Fox, according to both La Peruta and an anonymous employee from The Stone Fox, and more than 15 servers from The Colonial by Friday, according to anonymous servers from Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox.

Some employees said they had begun to hear rumors of alleged drugging and sexual assault on social media prior to Wednesday, including an apparent screenshot of a Snapchat story circulating. While La Peruta and other employees said they had not personally witnessed alleged drugging and sexual assaults taking place, he said the restaurants did not come out with an immediate statement.

“I told one of my [fellow] workers and we both discussed the rumor and apparently other people knew about the rumor as well and brought it up to management, but no one was coming forward with a statement about any of this until all the social media statements came out the past couple of days,” La Peruta said.

An excerpt from a screenshot of the Snapchat story read, “PSA: to everyone in Binghamton. The owner of [The] Colonial and Dos Rios [Cantina] has been drugging and sexually assaulting girls.”

La Peruta — who, like other servers and managers, said he did not want to work at the restaurant following the allegations — called for accountability and for justice for the victims.

Among the multiple staff members who quit Dos Rios Cantina following the allegations was Joanna Van Slyke, a former server at Dos Rios Cantina and junior majoring in political science at BU. Van Slyke said she had also first heard the allegations of drugging and sexual assault through social media, on a Snapchat story. She wrote about an interaction she had witnessed between an owner — who is allegedly on leave — and an employee.

“I will say there have been various events that showed red flags in relation to what is now going on,” Van Slyke wrote. “I remember a specific incident with [an owner] and a host who is about my age and the same demographic of a young college girl. She was basically being harassed by a man at the host stand outside, which during the warmer weather, happened very often. [The owner’s] only response to this harassment was that he ‘knows that guy’ and that he was not interested in women. Even if [he] was correct about the man’s sexuality, it did not matter. One of his employees felt like she was in danger and he failed to see that and rather backed up the harasser.”

According to a screenshot of the “Dos Rios Hosts” GroupMe, provided to Pipe Dream by an anonymous Dos Rios Cantina employee, another staff member’s suspension was announced on Oct. 6 in a separate incident. The screenshot appears to show an owner citing “serious allegations” as the cause of the staff member’s removal. The owner’s message was sent after another employee sent a message sharing a since-taken-down Reddit post alleging a Dos Rios Cantina staff member was involved in sexual assault. According to La Peruta, Van Slyke and other anonymous employees from Dos Rios Cantina, the individual involved was known as a predator and repeat offender prior to their suspension, which occurred only after increased social media and community attention.

In Friday’s Facebook post The Colonial had announced it would reopen at 5 p.m. and called the allegations unsubstantiated.

“Regarding the allegations at hand, we will not comment on baseless claims,” the post read. “Nor will we comment on cancel culture. As a professional organization we will continue to operate our establishments in a manner that ensures the safety and security of not only our staff but all patrons. We are very grateful for the continuous support from the community.”

Though each of the three restaurants have since remained closed, employees said they are still being paid. Multiple anonymous employees said those remaining at the restaurants were doing so due to a need to remain employed and provide for their families.

“I really don’t want people thinking that, because a lot of the women are pregnant and have to go on maternity leave and collect that money and have three kids at home and have to pay their bills,” an anonymous Dos Rios Cantina employee said. “They are all disgusted but they just morally cannot quit and go hungry. I don’t want a lot of blame being cast on them, I feel really bad about the situation.”

Plans for a protest in Downtown Binghamton were shared in the “Binghamton Believes Survivors of Sexual Assault” Facebook group, and scheduled for Saturday at 8:15 p.m. in response to the sexual assault allegations. Called the “Downtown Shutdown,” protestors marched on both State Street and Court Street, going to each of the three accused restaurants, also marching into XTASY Restaurant & Lounge. At the end of the protest, an open mic session was held, with employees among the speakers, sharing stories of uncomfortable experiences and racism they experienced or witnessed within the restaurants.

The Women’s Student Union announced their demand for a boycott of the three restaurants in an Instagram post on Saturday, calling upon community members to believe sexual assault survivors.

“We encourage those claiming to await more details of the situation to acknowledge that not only are these incidents not isolated, but supporting those of sexual violence begins with believing them,” the Women’s Student Union wrote. “Binghamton carries a pervasive culture of sexual violence that seeps into every aspect of student and community life which is perpetuated and upheld by our own University and its students. Establishments that cater to BU students like those of [The] Colonial, Dos Rios [Cantina] and [The] Stone Fox have a history of racist violence and sexual violence as they gentrify the local community and exploit those most vulnerable.”

The Colonial and Dos Rios Cantina have been restaurants with large followings since their openings in 2015 and 2018, respectively. The Stone Fox is the newest addition, having opened its doors in 2020. According to pressconnects.com, Yaron Kweller, Jordan Rindgen and Animal Adventure Park owner Jordan Patch were among the founders of Dos Rios Cantina, and Kweller was a founder of The Colonial as well.

Patch announced he would cut ties with Dos Rios Cantina and its sister restaurants in a Dec. 9 Facebook post, citing concerns over the recent allegations.

“Being born and raised in Broome County, I’ve always been excited about projects that make the Binghamton area better,” Patch wrote in a the post. “I was excited about the opportunity to invest in Dos Rios Cantina, believing the restaurant would be an asset to our great community and bring culture and vibrancy to Downtown Binghamton. I have never worked on site or been part of day-to-day operations, essentially operating as a silent partner. However, today, I can no longer be silent.”

The Colonial, Dos Rios Cantina and The Stone Fox did not respond to Pipe Dream’s requests for comment.

Lakhsmi Chatterjee was a contributing reporter for this article.

Pipe Dream was in contact with sexual assault survivors who opted not to share their story with the media out of a concern for their safety. Those interested in sharing their experiences can contact news@bupipedream.com.

Amir Aslamkhan, a security services assistant for Binghamton’s New York State University Police (UPD), is one of many Americans who traveled to Michigan to assist incoming refugees from Afghanistan. Aslamkhan, an Afghan American, took a two-month, unpaid leave from his job at the University to serve as an interpreter for unaccompanied Afghan children refugees. This was in response to the Taliban’s takeover of the Afghan government in August following the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country after 20 years of occupation. The Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, forced tens of thousands to flee the country.

As an interpreter, Aslamkhan was tasked with assisting Afghan minors with their education, talking to doctors, lawyers and government officials and overall bridging the gap between Afghan and American culture, like teaching the children about new foods. He worked in one of over a dozen emergency intake sites established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which altogether holds 201 minors according to a CNN report. The HHS is responsible for the refugees in these sites until a sponsor, usually a parent and relative in the United States, is able to take them.

Aslamkhan was born and raised in Queens, New York in an Afghan household where he learned to speak Dari, one of the major languages in Afghanistan. He moved with his mother, an Afghan linguist for the U.S. Department of Defense, from Staten Island, New York to Binghamton when he was 16 years old, as his mother had friends in the area.

Though Aslamkhan was unable to share many details of his work, he did speak on how he was recruited to be an interpreter.

“I was proactively looking for ways to help out the situation and I was eventually contacted by a company since I put it out that I was fluent in Dari,” Aslamkhan said in a press conference. “It was very rapid and short notice. I let [UPD Chief John Pelletier] and the University know that I am passionate about this and want to assist with this. They agreed and then I went to Michigan to help out.”

While Aslamkhan has never been to Afghanistan, he said it was a no-brainer to help the refugee children as their situation reminded him of his roots and his family’s journey to America.

“This is one of those rare situations where income, location and comfort level does not matter,” Aslamkhan said. “This is something that I was very passionate about — just being about to give back to my people. My mother and family were in very similar situations when they immigrated here during the Soviet-Afghan War. So it really hit close to home for me.”

While Aslamkhan’s immediate family is in the United States, he still has uncles, aunts and cousins in Kabul. He said his relatives are doing fine and are in constant contact with him but he is saddened by the situation in the country.

“Especially when I first saw the news coming out [of Afghanistan], it was absolutely heartbreaking,” Aslamkhan said. “I don’t think anyone, doesn’t matter what country of origin, race, religion or political view, can view what is happening and not have some sort of heartache. One of the biggest things for me personally is mental health services and women’s rights and to see 20 years of progress getting taken away in a matter of weeks is really heartbreaking.”

Nevertheless, Aslamkhan’s work as an interpreter not only aimed to make a profound impact for the minors he assisted but also allowed him to reconnect to his heritage, something he said he is not able to do in Binghamton often.

“My takeaway personally was that [interpreting] helped me reconnect with my culture,” he said. “It helped me reconnect with my people, my language and my religion. It was a reminder that I do come from a great country, as much turmoil there has been over the decades, and reminds me how much these kids want to grow to be contributors to society. [They] are the future doctors, researchers, lawyers and sports players.”

Aslamkhan does not plan on stopping his work with incoming Afghan refugees. He hopes to incorporate his passion for mental health by providing services for the Afghan families, adults and minors, something he believes is not readily available in Afghanistan.

Aslamkhan left off with a message for any refugees from any country that is experiencing a crisis that are struggling to get acclimated with their new homes.

“Have patience and have hope,” Aslamkhan said. “Just do your best learning about the culture you are assimilating with and start creating that fluidity [with your own culture]. Learn the language, find the fastest way to get an education and services and more than anything, have optimism. If you hold on to that word and mindset, I think that will help above anything else.”

City of Binghamton:

Election Districts 1 and 13

Boulevard United Methodist Church

113 Grand Blvd.

Election District 2

Broome-Tioga BOCES

435 Glenwood Road

Election Districts 3 and 7

Centenary-Chenango Street United Methodist Church

438 Chenango St.

Use the side entrance off the parking lot.

Election District 4

Carlisle Hills Apartments, Gym

150 Moeller St.

Election Districts 5 and 6

Boys & Girls Club of Binghamton

90 Clinton St.

Use the gym entrance.

Election District 8

Broome County Library, Decker Room

185 Court St.

Election Districts 9, 10, 11 and 12

American Legion Post 1645

177 Robinson St.

Election District 14

St. Thomas Aquinas Church

1 Aquinas St.

Election District 15

CrossPoint Community Church

1 Grand Blvd.

Use the Schiller Street entrance.

Election Districts 16, 17, 20 and 21

Tabernacle United Methodist Church

83 Main St.

Use Arthur Street entrance.

Election District 18

Trinity Memorial Episcopal Church

44 Main St.

Use Trinity House entrance on 118 Oak St.

Election District 19

Community Center

45 Exchange St.

Election District 22

St Patrick’s Parish Center, Lobby

58 Oak St.

Election District 23

Temple Concord Reform

9 Riverside Drive

Election Districts 24 and 25

Ross Memorial Presbyterian Church

6 Morris St.

Election District 26, 27, 28 and 29

The Parish of Saints John and Andrew Catholic Church

1263 Vestal Ave.

Election Districts 30 and 31

Conklin Ave. First Baptist Church

91 Baldwin St.

Election District 32

Saratoga Terrace Apartments, New Community Room/Gym

60 Saratoga Ave.

Town of Binghamton:

Election District 1

Binghamton Town Hall

279 Upper Park Ave.

Election District 2

Town of Binghamton Community Center

1905 Coleman Road

Election District 3

Hawleyton United Methodist Church

901 Hawleyton Road

Town of Vestal:

Election District 1

Vestal Fire Station #3 Ross Corners

2164 Owego Road

Election District 2

Vestal Fire Station #1 Four Corners

116 N. Main St.

Election District 3

Vestal Public Library

320 Vestal Pkwy. E.

Election Districts 4 and 9

Grace Point Church

3701 Vestal Road

Parking entrance off of Gates Road

Election Districts 5 and 19

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

305 Murray Hill Road

Election District 6

Vestal Town Hall, Board Room

605 Vestal Pkwy. W.

Election Districts 7 and 15

Our Lady of Sorrows Church

801 Main St.

Election Districts 8 and 16

Pierce Hill Christian Fellowship

232 Pierce Hill Road

Election District 10

Vestal Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church

834 Bunn Hill Road

Election Districts 11, 12 and 13

Binghamton University, Underground Lounge UU-B32

4400 Vestal Pkwy. E.

Location for students registered to vote with their on-campus address.

Election District 14

Vestal Center United Methodist Church

478 W. Hill Road

Use the back entrance.

Election District 17

Valleyview Alliance Church

11 Foster Road

Election District 18

Vestal Fire Station #2 Vestal Center

2517 State Route 26 S.

As more and more people worldwide receive doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, Pipe Dream had the opportunity to sit down with a Binghamton University alumna who had a direct impact on its development.

Darryl Melissa Charles, ‘12, works at Pfizer as a vaccine research and development scientist, a job she currently has had for over two years. During her time at the company, she had a role in the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. More specifically, she and her research team were responsible for developing serological assays for COVID-19, a test that detects antibodies from past infections of the COVID-19 pathogen.

According to Charles, creating the test took months and countless hours in the laboratory as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect more and more families.

“We were just focused and excited to get to work,” Charles wrote in an email. “And after months in the lab when we realized our product was receiving emergency use authorization from the [United States Food and Drug Administration], that is when I finally took pause and acknowledged the amazing work we had accomplished. It still leaves me at a loss for words to have such a heavy impact so early in my career. It is truly humbling.”

Before her career at Pfizer, Charles grew up in Rockland County, New York with the dreams of becoming a doctor, not a vaccine researcher. During her time at BU, she pursued a degree in cellular and molecular biology as a stepping stone into dental school. However, her life vision changed after taking a pre-health lab course with Claudia Marques, an associate professor of biology.

“[Marques] was my microbiology lab instructor as an undergraduate at [BU], and I enjoyed her lab so much I ended up requesting to do an independent studies research course under her guidance,” Charles wrote. “I spent one summer and a spring semester in a lab where hand-eye coordination is extremely important for technique. Originally this was to make myself a better dental school applicant, but it ended up shaping the skills needed to work in a research industry lab. When I first started at Pfizer, I realized how important that skill set was, and it made me that much more excited to be working in a lab as a career path.”

While Charles’ career requires hours of research and testing that may seem stressful to some, she said her passion in the field makes her energetic rather than stressed. Charles said for her, a simple “thank you” from others motivates her to continue researching and bring a positive impact into the world.

“It honestly means that much more to know that so many appreciate the hard work we’ve put into this program,” Charles wrote. “It is no simple task, however when you love what you do, work never truly feels like work.”

While her career continues to bring her life fulfillment, Charles still values her free time and the ability to relax from her line of work. She wrote about some of her favorite activities, particularly during this autumn season.

“As for free time, if I’m not at home simply relaxing, I’m in the gym (I’ve always been an athlete) or I am spending time with family and friends,” Charles wrote. “We missed out on so much when the world shut down; I’m honestly just happy to be able to enjoy the little things like apple picking, haunted houses and attending family gatherings; safely of course.”

Charles wrote that her work in the Pfizer vaccine is far from over, as her team continues doing trials and conducting research. Her experience has also proven valuable as she is currently training newly hired scientists at Pfizer within her line of work.

As Charles trains a new generation of scientists and researchers in her field, she left the interview off with advice for the next generation who are still seeking to find their place in the world.

“If you’re unsure of what you want to do in life, or if ‘Plan A’ doesn’t work out, don’t panic,’’ Charles wrote. “Life has a way of working itself out, and you end up exactly where you are meant to be.”

On Oct. 12, the BU Healthy Campus Initiative, B-Healthy, held a presentation and discussion on the results of the pilot Student Wellbeing Institutional Support Survey (SWISS). SWISS was created by the Butler University Institute for Wellbeing, and was designed to measure student welfare on an institutional level by asking students how they feel about the support and emphasis the University gives on fundamental areas of student life. The anonymous survey measures basic needs, social life, mental and physical health, self-purpose, intellectual well-being, inclusiveness and diversity.

Universities nationwide have an opportunity to enroll in the pilot program for the entire 2021-2022 academic year. The BU Healthy Campus Initiative enrolled the University into SWISS and conducted the survey during the spring 2021 semester. The survey was sent out to a random sample of 5,000 students via email. Students who completed the survey were automatically put into a raffle of 10 Visa gift cards ranging in value from $25 to $100.

Several campus administrators attended the SWISS results presentation, a part of the larger Healthy Campus Summit Fall Workshop Series, including Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, Katharine Ellis, senior director of communications and marketing and Kim Yousey-Elsener, director of student affairs assessment and head of the University’s SWISS implementation. The presentation was broken into a slideshow showcasing the data of the pilot survey and was followed with small roundtable discussions on the impact of the results and ways to improve student well-being on campus.

Yousey-Elsener believes the metrics and overall design of the SWISS caters to BU’s goals to provide a more holistic approach to identifying and strengthening student well-being.

“We had been using a different survey that measured individual student behavior but needed different information in order to inform our practice,” Yousey-Elsener wrote in an email. “We began searching for one that looked more at students’ perceptions of how the University is supporting health and wellness so when the SWISS was released we were excited to try it.”

However, the survey only saw 333 student responses from a 5,000-student pool. This is lower than the targeted 1,000 responses in order to make the data usable according to the BU Healthy Campus Initiative website.

Yousey-Elsener acknowledged the low response rate as a limitation to the data, pointing to COVID-19 as a possible factor. While Yousey-Elsener does not want to make the data public due to possible inaccuracies from a small sample, she looks forward to administering SWISS in the near future.

“With COVID-19 having an impact on our campus experience and environment last February and therefore affecting responses, I am really interested in comparing this data with future administrations of the survey to see what changes as we move more toward ‘normal,’” Yousey-Elsener wrote. “To me, that will help sort out what was part of the COVID-19 effect and what areas need to be focused on.”

Students like Matthew Murray, a junior majoring in biology, were not aware that such a survey existed. While Murray supported the University being proactive in gauging student well-being, he understood the low response rate as students often ignore such emails, especially when it does not provide enticing incentives.

“I am unaware of a lot of the survey emails they send out, majority because they go to my spam email,” Murray said. “I feel they could have more responses if they not only better incentivize feedback but also get the word out better.”

Olivia DiPalermo, a senior majoring in history, shared Murray’s sentiments but hoped the University would take steps to address student issues using the results.

“I think that it is good that the campus is trying to reach out to students for feedback on student well-being and on-campus life but only if the University is actually planning to take steps to address the responses given by students,’’ DiPalermo said. “I definitely think the University should better incentivize students to take these surveys because I know myself and others see these kinds of emails from BU and delete them without consideration.”

One positive Yousey-Elsener took away from the pilot survey was the level of diversity within a small sample size. According to the presentation, the response demographics were 70 percent heterosexual, 58 percent white and 62 percent cisgender female, compared to the Butler University benchmark of 78 percent, 72 percent and 72 percent respectively.

Yousey-Elsener believes the diverse group relative to the benchmark is a small victory. She hopes the responses will be more diverse when the University plans to administer SWISS again within the next two to three years.

“One thing that we are always thinking about is how our health- and wellness-related data reflects our overall student population,” Yousey-Elsener wrote. “When we administer the survey in the future, one focus will be getting students from lots of diverse backgrounds and identities to respond so that their voices can be included when we are using the data.”

Starting with the 2021-2022 academic year, the University has increased student permit sales by an additional 856 commuter passes and 79 resident passes, compared to two years ago. Despite this, the University sold 180 less passes to faculty/staff. The tighter parking availability has been further exacerbated by a 30 percent decrease in Off Campus College Transportation (OCCT) compared to the previous academic year.

While the University administration and Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) acknowledge main campus parking will be tougher compared to previous years, Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, said there are always available spots, even during peak hours, in lots E1, G1 and ZZ, behind the East Gym, West Gym and Hillside Community, respectively.

“As we return to campus for an in-person academic year, [TAPS] reminds the campus community that parking on campus will be much tighter than it was during the 2020-2021 academic year,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “There is always available space, but it is not always right next to a destination. [TAPS] has been closely monitoring lot availability and updating the TAPS website with which parking lots have available space during peak times on campus.”

Yarosh mentioned TAPS has no plans to cap permit sales, claiming there are around 75 spots available in each lot during peak hours.

However, a BU professor who wished to remain anonymous had to cancel class due to the lack of close parking spots on-campus, after being forced to park at the United Health Services (UHS) parking across the BU main entrance. The professor mentioned that faculty have brought up issues of parking to the University for a few years and suspected this year would be much worse compared to previous years.

The professor said the University should model campus parking after other SUNY schools.

“I know there are things [SUNYs] do differently than us in terms of allocating spots,” the anonymous source said. “[SUNY] is under the same union regulations, so it simply comes down to if other schools are doing things better there, we should [apply] what they are doing that is preventing this parking shortage.”

Douglas Fuchs, a senior majoring in accounting, believes asking students to park far away from classes is unrealistic and mentioned he has trouble finding spots even in lots E1 and G1 during peak hours.

“The parking on campus is absolutely ridiculous,” Fuchs said. “The fact that we all pay for spots and cannot even get a spot without driving around for 20 minutes waiting for someone to pull out is absurd. I do not know how they sell this many passes with the knowledge they would not be able to fit everyone.”

The parking shortage expands into the University Downtown Center (UDC), home of the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) as well. John Mancusi, a senior double-majoring in history and business administration, struggles to get parking for his class in Downtown Binghamton.

“The main issue is that about half the parking is reserved for teachers and half is reserved for students,” Mancusi said. “It is so difficult to find a spot in the student section so one time I parked in the teachers’ section, where there were virtually no cars. I almost immediately received a ticket. Parking on campus has been so bad, but I just arrive early in the morning and stay all day to guarantee a spot.”

Caroline Sandleitner, BU Council student representative and a first-year graduate student studying public administration, spoke about the parking shortage during the Sept. 10 BU Council meeting and plans to be proactive with the University about fixing the issue, or at remedying it, before the winter comes.

“Moving forward from this point, I plan to speak with the administration about updating the ‘live update’ website more frequently to reflect where parking is available at any given time,” Sandleiner wrote in an email. “It takes time for students, faculty and staff to naturally adjust to new traffic patterns, but I could see a need for more frequent and direct pickups from the campus shuttles to help transport students from more peripheral lots.”

Sandleitner concluded that while the parking shortage still persists, students can do their part in reducing car usage by taking public transportation to and from campus.

“Students should encourage one another to utilize the OCCT bus system when possible, or carpool to classes to reduce traffic on and off campus,” Sandleitner wrote. “Even if one out of three students carpool once a week, that would dramatically improve the parking situation and would require equally as much or less time for students to get to class.”

For nearly six years, Ortiz has called College-in-the-Woods home, helping undergraduate students with the possible woes of college life as a collegiate professor.

As assistant vice provost for academic enrichment, Ortiz will be tasked with hiring two new collegiate professors, one as his replacement in College-in-the-Woods and another for the retirement of Al Vos, former collegiate professor of Hinman College and associate professor emeritus of English. In addition, Ortiz will be the head of the First-year Research Immersion (FRI) program, the Undergraduate Research Center and the Office of External Scholarships.

One of Ortiz’s first goals as assistant vice provost for academic enrichment is to establish a tenure limit to collegiate professors, only allowing professors to hold the position for six to eight years. Ortiz said this model, while not flawless, would be a benefit for campus life as a whole.

“It is something we have talked about for a while, but a rotational model is only as good as the pipeline feeding it,” Ortiz said to BingUNews. “One benefit of long-standing collegiate professors is that they become symbols of the residential communities for alumni and others, but we hope we will continue to have fresh voices, new personalities and be ready to connect with undergraduates in new ways.”

As head of the BU Scholars Program, Ortiz believes though the program is running smoothly, new personnel and perspectives are important to continue its success. Ortiz hopes to conduct both an internal and external review of the program and find new ways to improve upon it.

Students like Luke McNamara, a senior majoring in history, have had a positive experience with Ortiz both in the classroom and residential life and now look forward to seeing his impact throughout BU with his new role.

“Not only is he a great teacher, [but] he helped to make [College-in-the-Woods] a fun and engaging place to live,” Mcnamara wrote in an email. “While I was in student government, he was always involved, helping students and making sure he was present for our events. I am lucky as a history major to have met Ortiz, as he has also been a great resource and mentor for me.”

On March 23, BU President Harvey Stenger first announced plans to return to “near” normalcy during a Student Association (SA) Congress meeting. Stenger expressed optimism to resume in-person classes and cocurricular activities for both undergraduate and graduate students. A month later, Stenger announced during a BU Council meeting that campus offices will transition in-person business on June 1.

New return-to-campus guidelines have been effective since June 1 for summer 2021. The University guidelines require state employees to fill out daily symptom attestation surveys, be surveillance tested if unvaccinated, practice social distancing and wear a face mask indoors “regardless of vaccination status.” All campus employees are expected to be in person starting Aug. 2. New guidelines for fall 2021 will be drawn up and announced later during the summer according to the summer 2021 guidance as well.

The only announced mandate currently in effect for fall 2021 is that all students must be vaccinated and be able to provide proof in order to return to in-person instruction. There are no plans for courses to be fully remote next semester for students unless it is normally offered virtually, according to Donald Nieman, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

Although official plans and guidelines for the fall 2021 semester are being deliberated with SUNY and the state of New York, the University is certain students will be able to experience what campus life was like before the pandemic, according to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations at BU.

“The past year has been challenging for us all, and we’re happy to be on the path to ‘normal,”’ Yarosh wrote in an email. “This fall, students will get to experience [BU] the way it’s supposed to be — in person, with challenging classes, face-to-face interactions with faculty and a campus social life that develops leadership — and friendships as well. We can’t wait to get started.”

Jake Solomon, a junior majoring in accounting, believes a return to normalcy is a must and misses campus life before COVID-19.

“I think it is important to go back to in-person classes in order to properly socialize, make connections, learn more and have off-campus students feel more a part of the campus community,” Solomon said. “In many aspects, I do miss it and I look forward to the new semester and interactions. I understood the need last semester to have restrictions on classrooms and supported it, but as more people are being vaccinated, I think a return is only natural.”

Justin Saccone, a junior majoring in economics, shared Solomon’s sentiments for in-person courses next semester while hoping the University continues to prioritize health and cleanliness.

“In-person classes are so much better than online [classes] and I am very happy we are going back to them,” Saccone said. “I feel as long as the University sticks with requiring vaccines, mostly everything will be back to normal. However, I do like the sanitation everywhere and I do think that should remain in general.”

However, Saccone has doubts that the University will have efficient and comprehensive guidelines, citing his personal experiences living on campus.

“I do not really trust the University,” Saccone said. “I think a lot of the choices made in the last two semesters, especially related to dorms, were extremely unnecessary. I believe much of what they did was more for show.”

Conversely, Solomon has full faith that BU, SUNY and New York state will make the right calls to promote both the safety of students while having a full campus life.

“I think the leadership of Stenger worked well with [keeping] our positive COVID-19 rates relatively low overall later on in the semester and [having] lots of [opportunities] for students to get vaccinated,” Solomon said. “I think the University did what was best for the community and I trust them to continue to make the best decisions. I think we can look back and acknowledge that compared to other universities, we did well and put the community first.”

The University decided not to resume administering the J&J vaccine due to the result of a campus-wide survey regarding student vaccinations sent via email to students. According to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations at BU, based on over 7,000 responses, the survey reported more than 80 percent of students are vaccinated or in the process of being vaccinated.

Yarosh said it is not necessary to provide on-campus vaccines given the result of the survey and the additional transportation the University provides for off-campus vaccination sites, like the New York state vaccination site at 10 Gannett Drive.

“There is also open availability for vaccination slots and plenty of supply of vaccines locally,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “Given all the above, we believe that there is ample opportunity for students to get vaccinated without undertaking the additional effort necessary to re-establish a vaccination site on campus at this time.”

This quick turnaround comes after the University announced a J&J on-campus vaccination site in the Mandela Room of the University Union beginning the week of April 5. There were no vaccinations after that week due to a supply shortage. On April 13, the J&J vaccine was placed on pause by the FDA due to reports of rare lethal blood clots. In order to accommodate students, the University started to provide shuttles to off-campus vaccination sites.

Christopher Schneider, a sophomore majoring in accounting, believes the vaccines on campus make it easier for students to get them and will speed up the vaccine process overall.

“Increasing the accessibility to get vaccinated will certainly allow us to get back to normal as soon as possible, whether that be increased transportation or more availability on campus,” Schneider said. “On-campus vaccinations would definitely lift some of the burdens of going out and getting a vaccine off campus.”

Ross Mesnick, Student Association (SA) speaker of Congress and a junior majoring in business administration, wishes on-campus vaccinations continued. Mesnick said he understands the possible doubts by the University due to supply shortages and the public opinion of the J&J vaccine following its pull from the market.

“I applaud the University’s efforts to continue providing transportation to the state-run vaccination site in Johnson City,” Mesnick wrote in an email. “I believe this is important as it allows students to secure transportation to and from the vaccination site, thereby making the vaccine accessible to all students who want to get it. Prior to the shuttle to the vaccine site, I’d heard complaints from students, especially those without cars, about the difficulty of getting to the Johnson City site. So, it was really inspiring to see that [BU] lifted this barrier, making it possible for all students to get the vaccine.”

According to Yarosh, faculty will not be required to get vaccinated before returning to campus in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). While the decision will be made by SUNY administration, BU has expressed interest in supporting full student vaccinations, including a possible mandate.

Schneider supports this cause, stating that the COVID-19 vaccine should be enforced like other vaccines students are required to have before arriving in BU.

“I understand that students are required to get some mandatory vaccines before entering as a student, so this does not surprise me,” Schneider said. “Despite its inconvenience, I know that it is put in place to ensure the health of [BU] students.”

Sandleitner won by 40 votes, defeating Eduardo Gomez, a senior majoring in systems science and industrial engineering, and Jacob Eckhaus, current SA vice president for finance (VPF) and a senior majoring in accounting. While the election was held on March 22, the results of the BU Council representative election were contested by the Graduate Student Organization (GSO). The GSO raised concerns with the method of vote-keeping for the position since it was being counted via B-Engaged to accommodate votes for both undergraduate and graduate students.

The 2021-2022 SA Elections was the first fully digital election cycle along with a new ranked-choice voting system, which brought unseen challenges and an outcry for reforms following the late BU Council representative confirmation. During a SA Congress meeting held on April 27, students proposed an amendment with the hope of addressing these issues during the election cycle. The amendment would force the SA Elections and Judiciary Committee to create annual Election Codes, including a timeliness clause before the penultimate Congress meeting of each fall semester. Only when both the Election Codes and the Election Calendar is approved, then the SA Election cycle can begin.

This amendment comes after a grievance was filed by Sandleitner to the SA Joint Grievance Board on March 31, accusing the Elections and Judiciary Committee for unconstitutional conduct in terms of interpreting clauses within the SA management policies. The amendment was discussed and was tabled for the next SA Congress meeting on May 4.

Following the announcement of her victory for the BU Council representative position, Sandleitner said she is ready to go to work and wants to ensure a situation like this does not happen again.

“Although I am relieved that the election is over, I do feel the pressure to step up and deliver for my peers,” Sandleitner wrote in an email. “More than anything, I’m excited for the opportunity to represent [BU] students to the best of my abilities. The past month was stressful given the uncertainty surrounding the election. However, I was less worried about whether I won the position and more concerned about ensuring that campus-wide elections will run smoothly for future candidates.”

Sandleitner said she views the new amendment as a step in the right direction, but wants to offer her personal ideas and perspective on how to resolve such issues.

“If [the SA Congress] finds it fit to adopt this amendment, then I am confident it will be the right course of action to mitigate future election issues,” Sandleitner wrote. “In my capacity as a Congress representative for [Off Campus College Council], I do have ideas to improve future SA elections and will be discussing those at the upcoming [SA] Congress meeting on May 4, 2021. My greatest advice would be that students should remain actively involved in the decision-making processes of their elected representatives. The [SA] runs best when students engage to make change.”

The Broome County Industrial Development Agency and Local Development Corporation, also known as The Agency, is an economic development organization that supports businesses locally in an effort to drive the Broome County economy upward. The organization does this through development assistance programs, including tax abatement for expansion and renovation projects, loan and bond issuing and consolidating information of federal and state business financing resources. Several local businesses and projects have received assistance or funding from The Agency, including 20 Hawley Street student apartments in Downtown Binghamton, the Century Sunrise Residences across from the Binghamton University Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City and Lupo’s Char-Pit in Endicott.

In an effort to better consolidate economic development resources, The Agency started a collaboration with the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce called the Leadership Alliance in November 2019. Working alongside Visit Binghamton and the Greater Binghamton Education Outreach Program (GBEOP), the informal merger allowed the two separate boards of directors to communicate and pool resources on shared projects more efficiently while still being able to pursuit each organization’s respective missions.

Stacy Duncan, executive director of The Agency and chief executive officer of the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce, was able to facilitate the merger with her roles in both of the organizations.

Amy Williamson, communications and marketing director at The Agency, said this connection between the two organizations strengthened their relationship and allowed them to better allocate resources more effectively to stimulate economic growth.

“Historically, the two organizations have always worked closely together, however, with this new administrative link and the subsequent creation of the Leadership Alliance, The Agency and the [Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce] will be better equipped to identify synergies between the two organizations and implement effective change for both the business community and [Broome County] at large,” Williamson wrote in an email. “The vision of the Leadership Alliance is to be recognized as the single voice for economic development and driver of collaborative efforts to strengthen the area’s long-term sustainability.”

One of these single-voice collaborative efforts was a recent series of public forums hosted by the Leadership Alliance called the Economic Development Blueprint Community Lab. Started on March 8 over Zoom, the six-week program allowed community members to discuss obstacles of economic development within Broome County and the possible solutions to address and continue to create more well-supported communities. Each forum focused on a single topic ranging from neighborhood infrastructural and cultural development to economic inclusivity. The final meeting, held on April 14, focused on the idea of the health community, looking ahead on what the ideal Broome County would look like and how to get there.

Duncan viewed the community labs as beneficial, allowing the Leadership Alliance to form a blueprint better tailored to the areas of the local communities that need the most help.

“At that time, the two boards created a list of strategic priorities that will culminate in the development of a collaborative and comprehensive economic development blueprint for Broome County,” Duncan wrote in an email. “The Leadership Alliance believes that it is community development that truly drives economic development. The [Economic Development Blueprint] Community Labs were created to ensure a holistic and inclusive planning process. By meeting with Broome County residents twice a week for six weeks, the Leadership Alliance was able to better understand obstacles to growth within the community and focus our strategic priorities to address these gaps as we develop the economic development blueprint for a better Broome County.”

Along with information from community members, The Agency gathers data and creates a Broome County Dashboard, which monitors the economic health of Broome County. The dashboard pinpoints weakened parts of the local economy by tracking changes in unemployment, annual earnings by occupation, net county migration and education attainment. The dashboard also includes a COVID-19 impact and recovery section, measuring the impact of the pandemic through graphs of small business closings and revenue while also measuring Broome County’s real estate and labor market. The data is gathered from the annual American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From the data gathered on the overall effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses, The Agency created an Emergency Loan Fund for small businesses affected by the pandemic in order to provide immediate capital. Duncan stressed that small business is what creates a local economy and making it easier to receive funding is paramount even as the economic impact of the pandemic lessens.

“To make the process easier and more affordable for businesses, principal and interest payments were waived for 12 months, there were no application or closing fees and the review and closing process was expedited,” Duncan wrote in an email. “In the year of its existence, The Agency provided over $1 million in loans to local businesses. Small businesses are the backbone to our economy and for this reason, The Agency has extended the Emergency Loan Fund program for an additional six months.”

You can find The Agency Broome County Dashboard here .

On April 6, the GSEU, a workers’ union representing teaching assistants (TA) and graduate assistants (GA), started a petition demanding Binghamton University “stand by the statement they made to condemn racist actions.” This petition came following a racial incident last month, when a student expressed racist, sexist remarks to the TA, an African American woman, during the first discussion class in Sociology 100: Social Change: Intro to Sociology. Joshua Price, professor and chair of the sociology department, and Gladys Jiménez-Muńoz, associate professor and undergraduate director of the sociology department, both consulted with the TA for support and spent the following class periods discussing racism and racial discrimination. The three also worked together to create an email to Sirju-Johnson, addressing the course of action for the perpetrating student.

In her email response, Sirju-Johnson said that the responsibility of taking action against racism does not solely lie on the DEI office, but the Office of Student Conduct as well.

“Our goal is to provide guidance within the confines of our policies, to create learning experiences for all with the goal of addressing inappropriate behavior while keeping the person ‘whole,’” Sirju-Johnson wrote. “We are well aware that students will make egregious errors in judgment, and again, our goal is to create lifelong learning opportunities — that we draw them in rather than push them out.”

Sirju-Johnson said she attempted to work with Price to rectify the issue, who apparently abruptly ended a phone call between the two over how to address the issue going forward..

“Unfortunately, everyone has as much a right to be racist as they have a right to be culturally competent,” Sirju-Johnson wrote. “There was more than one way to address the situation as I attempted to discuss with you last week.”

Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, confirmed that the incident did in fact happen and that the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) attempted to work with Price to offer a solution to the situation.

“The University condemned the act for what it was: unacceptable conduct that has no place on our campus,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “[Sirju-Johnson] repeatedly attempted to work with the instructor of record for the course to develop a strategy to address the situation in a manner consistent with federal law and University policy. Unfortunately, the instructor refused to work with Sirju-Johnson and ended a phone conversation by hanging up on her.”

Yarosh continued to condemn Price’s actions.

“Rather than working with DEI to utilize the tools at our disposal, the instructor acted independently while criticizing the University for refusing to act, even as he refused to work with Sirju-Johnson and [Karen Jones, vice president of DEI],” Yarosh wrote. “We find his behavior unprofessional, not collegial and counterproductive. We hope that, as members of the campus community, we can work together to gain an understanding of difficult situations like this one and collaborate to solve the problem, rather than attempt to destroy one another simply because we do not agree with how to manage a situation.”

Sirju-Johnson declined to comment further.

According to their petition, the GSEU had numerous issues with Sirju-Johnson’s response to the event.

“[Sirju-Johnson] responded by saying that ‘everyone has as much a right to be racist as they have a right to be culturally competent’ and insisted that instructors prioritize keeping undergraduate students ‘whole’ instead of protecting the staff and students affected by such blatant racism in the classroom,” the petition stated. “Additionally, [Sirju-Johnson] defended racist and offensive students stating that a student who racially and verbally attacked their professor needs ‘to be able to move through the course and trust they can be treated fairly.’”

In addition to calling for Sirju-Johnson’s resignation, the petition demanded that the DEI develop a collaborative plan “to address the rights and policies for instructors who experience or witness racism,” specifically giving professors the option to remove and fail students if they commit intolerant and offensive actions.

Emily Blakley, a business agent of GSEU and a fourth-year graduate student studying cognitive psychology, felt as though Sirju-Johnson’s action was inadequate and further contributes to the racism on campus.

“I 100 percent believe that the inaction from the University and from the [DEI] not only normalizes but encourages racist behavior in the classroom,” Blakley wrote in an email. “Additionally, their lack of responses actively promotes a feeling of fear for faculty and students of color.”

The GSEU said they felt as though this response was inadequate and, according to Blakley, went further to create a petition to encourage a conversation about the prevalence of racism at BU and the consequences of participating in such events.

“The goal of the petition, and why we are sending it again with the higher numbers of signatures is that we want University administration to sit down with student leaders and organizations to discuss consequences for nonphysical racist behavior that is in the classroom and for there to be greater support and prioritization of students, faculty and staff of color over racists,” Blakley said.

According to Blakley, the petition has already gained support. The GSEU plans to involve BU administration, local news stations and other campus and state groups in the conversation of racism on campus as well.

“The petition currently has 1,500 signatures, and we are planning to send it to administration including [Jones], [Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs], [Donald Nieman, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost] and [BU President Harvey Stenger],” Blakley wrote. “Additionally, we are assisting getting the word out for the antiracism town hall [that happened on] Sunday, April 18, and plan to continue to work with student and faculty groups across campus who are willing to stand up to racism.”

Individual students are taking action to garner support for the petition as well. Jaelah Jackson, an undeclared freshman, made an Instagram post featuring Sirju-Johnson’s email response that received over 2,000 likes as of April 21. Jackson hopes to see a substantial change in the way that racism is handled by the University.

“I hope that [BU] is open to changing and adapting their rules and policies to make campus feel safe and comfortable for all students and staff,” Jackson wrote in an email. “I do not want emails issuing out apologies anymore either, I want action taken by the University to ensure that they are not excusing any racially motivated or discriminatory actions.”

According to Yarosh, change is coming, as the University plans to create a task force to address such incidents.

“We remain hopeful, that we can come together as one campus to work toward a remedy of how to address events that serve to hurt and attempt to destroy members of our community,” Yarosh wrote. “To this end, Faculty Senate leaders have agreed to create a task force that will identify ways to address disruptive behavior, including the use of disparaging, uncivil, racist language that interferes with the ability of all students in the class to learn; this task force will collaborate with the [DEI], Division of Student Affairs and Office of Human Resources to establish recommendations for implementation for the fall 2021 semester.”

Jiménez-Muńoz believes the current procedures by the University in racial discriminatory incidents are ineffective and ignorant in regard to race-related issues that many students of color face.

“The restorative justice approach these officers suggested has proven inefficient because it ignores how individual racist behavior both reflects and is supported by larger structures of power by treating a systemic problem as a personal shortcoming and a misunderstanding caused by impolite conduct,” Jiménez-Muńoz wrote in an email. “Simply having this student apologize and partake in a workshop and conversation with the diversity officers confirms the lack of accountability for such behavior while telling our students that ultimately there are no consequences for these kinds of acts.”

Jiménez-Muńoz continued that during her tenure at BU, there has been a recurring pattern with racist incidents in classes that study race, gender, sex and disability discrimination. She believes both the lack of mandatory antiracism courses and accountability by the University to perpetrating students will continue to breed such incidents, undermining what the University stands for.

“By not making perpetrators accountable, we are inadvertently making them comfortable,” Jiménez-Muńoz wrote. “These practices will continue making the learning experience of our undergraduate students of color all the more difficult. While graduate students of color will think twice before coming to an upstate institution, like BU, to pursue graduate work running the risk of being insulted, disrespected and harmed as TAs by the racism that this University carelessly allows. If it’s to go beyond virtue-signaling platitudes and empty rhetoric, the administration’s claim and goal of ‘no tolerance’ for racism needs to be backed up by institutional measures that will actually prevent racism from proliferating.”

Nicole Marks Kaufman was a contributing reporter for this article.

Editor’s note: This article, which was initially published on April 19, has gone through several revisions since its original publication to reflect objectivity. First, on April 22, an official University response was added to give clarity to both sides of the story after they had contacted us the day of publication. Pipe Dream had reached out to Joshua Price on April 19 for the same reason, but he did not give any further comment. Pipe Dream apologizes and regrets the errors in this story’s original reporting. We have added a hyperlink in this story to our original article about this incident for further clarification.

On March 26, BU President Harvey Stenger announced over WNBF News Radio 1290 that the University is creating a greenspace within the BU Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City. Near the recently built campus for the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the two-acre project will contain a park and a walkway between Corliss Avenue and Main Street with amenities, such as art installations, picnic tables and benches. The project will be exclusively funded through the Binghamton University Foundation, although designs of the park are being collaborated on by the University, Broome County and the Johnson City Mayor’s Office. Construction is planned to start by the end of April.

The greenspace is another part of the recent Downtown Johnson City revitalization in the areas surrounding the BU Health Sciences Campus, which includes the development of new apartment complexes Century Sunrise Residences, located on Baldwin Street, and LOFTS@JC, located on Grand Avenue. The BU Health Science Campus itself was renovated from the abandoned Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company factory and opened its doors to students this semester. For the construction of the greenspace, several buildings along Lewis Street, Jennison Avenue, Willow Street and Main Street will be demolished.

The construction of the greenspace and the entire BU Health Science Campus has drawn criticism, including the issue of a lack of transparency for revitalization plans with local officials. Angela Riley, council member representing the third district on the Binghamton City Council, was not informed about the construction of the new greenspace. Riley is also a member of the Town-Gown Advisory Board (TGAB), a committee between BU and community members that address the University and student impact on local neighborhoods.

Johnson City Mayor Greg Deemie believes the new greenspace and the overall construction of the BU Health Science Campus will promote economic growth and improve the lives of residents rather than hurting them.

“The influx of students, faculty and staff will create a boost of life to the area,” Deemie wrote in an email. “It will create new opportunities for jobs and businesses. It has added new housing for low- to moderate-income families. With the removal of the blighted structures and addition of the park, the area will have cleaner surroundings. I believe it will better the lives of those in the community.”

Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations at BU, concurred with Deemie, pointing out that projects, specifically the Century Sunrise Residences apartment complex, have promoted housing affordability rather than deterring it.

“This apartment complex increased affordable housing by 105 apartments,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “The $33 million mixed purpose building offers affordable apartments to individuals and families at multiple income levels. The building also has 9,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. The complex included apartments set aside for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The revitalization of these two significant buildings is vital to the core of Johnson City.”

According to Yarosh, students expressed interest in a park via University surveys on how to improve the BU Health Sciences Campus. He said the Johnson City Redevelopment Project, led by John Frazier, director of graduate studies and SUNY distinguished professor in geography, looked into the possible effects of such a project and judged how it should be done to maximize benefits for both students and local residents.

“His research team consists of faculty and graduate students under faculty supervision who know what type of data collection is necessary around neighborhood revitalization,” Yarosh wrote. “This project monitors neighborhoods around the [BU] Health Sciences Campus to detect any critical changes to businesses, residents, community services and other stakeholders in this community.”

The research team tracks changes in demographics, housing, infrastructure, crime and the local businesses in the surrounding BU Health Sciences Campus area and publishes them onto their website. The website also provides an interactive map called Story Map, which allows users to interact and be informed about demographic and economic changes in the revitalized area.

Emily Guida, a senior majoring in nursing, said she believes the greenspace will provide an area that students can unwind from their rigorous coursework.

“I think creating a greenspace is a great idea,” Guida said. “It would be so nice if, after a long day of studying or simulation, students could walk around the park or sit and read a book to de-stress. Whenever the sun comes out here and it is warm, students love to be outside. Providing more space and opportunity to do so could really benefit everyone.”

The website to the Johnson City Revitalization Project and Story Map can be found here.

On March 15, Speaker of the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie and Higher Education Committee Chair Deborah Glick announced that $18.6 billion will be set aside for higher education as part of the Assembly’s State Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Budget. Starting on April 1, new investments include a $1,000 increase in maximum Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) awards to $6,165 and a $100 million and $66 million increase in maintenance funding for SUNY and CUNY schools, respectively. The budget aims to incentivize renewable energy, as CUNY schools will also receive $15 million for solar and wind energy training programs for students.

The budget also includes $180 million for college opportunity programs, an increase of 20 percent from last year. Popular programs, like Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) and Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge (SEEK), will see a $7.1 million and a $5.6 million increase in funding respectively under the new budget.

This announcement comes one month after New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo previously proposed a budget, which aimed to give only $11.1 billion in higher education. While the COVID-19 pandemic caused the New York state revenue to shrink, Heastie said he believes education and college affordability is more essential now than ever before.

“Education is a critical rung on the ladder of success — and the Assembly Majority is committed to making sure it is within reach for every New Yorker,” Heastie said in a press release. “Especially as families across the state are struggling as a result of the pandemic, we will keep fighting to fund SUNY, CUNY and opportunity programs that make college accessible to all New Yorkers.”

Along with families, the costs of the pandemic have burdened many SUNY schools, including Binghamton University. According to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations, BU has incurred costs of over $71 million due to the pandemic, which include COVID-19 tests, isolation and quarantine housing as well as personal protective equipment (PPE). While the recent announcement of the American Rescue Plan Act plans to help the University with these expenses, Yarosh said the University is working with lawmakers to ensure the budget will provide sufficient help from the costs of the pandemic.

“We’ve been working with our partners at SUNY as well as advocating through our local elected legislators for fiscal relief because of the pandemic and additional support as a result of the federal stimulus program,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “We are closely watching the developments in Albany, and we eagerly await the results of these state budget talks.”

The struggles of both families and higher education institutions inflicted by the pandemic are being prioritized by the New York State Assembly Committee of Higher Education, according to Glick. While the previous proposed budget aimed to increase tuition costs for students, Glick said she believes the new budget ensures families that financial woes would not keep students from getting an education, and increasing tuition would be adverse to that goal.

“This last year has put an incredible financial strain on many families in New York, and it is more important than ever that we ensure the cost of higher education does not keep our students from going to college,” Glick said. “The [New York State] Assembly Majority will continue to ensure that education, the great equalizer, is accessible for all New Yorkers.”

This increase in funding for state campuses has been met with approval from students, including David Goldhirsch, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering. Goldhirsch noted funding, especially for CUNY schools, is underwhelming and especially due to the pandemic, sometimes fails to provide the “world-class” education the schools promise students.

“Personally, I believe putting more funds into higher education is essential,” Goldhirsch said. “My brother went to a CUNY for college, and he noted that the campus was heavily underfunded. The elevators were always broken, most of his professors were adjuncts and the classrooms were decrepit.”

Goldhirsch said he continues to value the expansion of scholarship during the financial uncertainty many families are experiencing.

“Besides just expanding the budget of school, I’m glad that some of the funds will go directly to students,” Goldhirsch wrote. “The pandemic really took a toll on people’s savings, so scholarships will be needed for many college students.”

On March 23, BU President Harvey Stenger announced during a Student Association (SA) Congress meeting that the College-in-the-Woods Dining Center will reopen starting on Monday, March 29. The dining hall was shut down on Feb. 26 to prepare and package meals for a rapidly growing amount of students in quarantine and isolation housing due to COVID-19.

When the dining center was shut down, student quarantine and isolation occupancy was at 71 percent, with 429 students residing in these designated locations during the first week of March. As of March 24, the occupancy rate of quarantine and isolation housing is at 4 percent. With this dramatic decrease in COVID-19 cases, dining halls will resume previous conditions by allowing 50 percent occupancy for in-person dining.

Stenger said he understood the frustration students had with the College-in-the-Woods Dining Center shutting down but painted a picture of the situation the University faced at the time.

“We were delivering 1,300 meals per day at the peak, and it required [BU] to use the [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center], which we knew was an inconvenience for many students,” Stenger said. “But it was the only way we were able to feed the students in isolation and quarantine.”

Deanne Ellison, director of Auxiliary Services, shared the same sentiment with Stenger, adding that no matter where students may be on campus, the need to provide food is top priority.

“Serving the needs of all students is the most important thing Dining Services does,” Ellison wrote in an email. “The ability of the campus to equitably balance the needs of students who can choose where they eat and those who are assigned to isolation and quarantine housing is very important — and is taken very seriously.”

Mikayla Roy, an undeclared freshman and College-in-the-Woods resident, said she felt discouraged to get meals since the other dining halls were farther away.

“I think the biggest challenge was just the walk,” Roy wrote in an email. “Sometimes my roommate and I didn’t get food simply because we didn’t feel like walking the distance. Personally, I understand the reason for closing, but I was upset that it was my living community’s dining hall.”

Robert Sallai, an undeclared freshman and College-in-the-Woods resident, was also displeased about closure of the dining hall and said he felt it was counterintuitive, as the University was trying to limit traffic and exposure among students.

“My initial reaction to the closing of [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center] was disappointment,” Sallei wrote in an email. “For one, the closing of [College-in-the-Woods Dining Center] forced an entire living community to commute to either [Appalachian Collegiate Center] or [Chenango-Champlain Collegiate Center (C4)], and on top of that, since Hinman Dining Hall is still closed, it puts the University at more risk considering that all of the living communities into two crammed dining halls.”

While Roy found the situation inconvenient, she said she is happy that some normalcy will be returning on campus.

“I’m personally really excited,” Roy wrote. “As much as I love [Appalachian Collegiate Center], I’m looking forward to the shorter walk for food. My friends and I are also in love with the cookies, so we’re ready to stock up on those!”

On March 11, the University announced that national legal firm Husch Blackwell had released their report on the University’s Title IX policies and practices, specifically toward sexual assault cases. Throughout Husch Blackwell’s 34-page report, the firm reportedly found little evidence of “negligence and unprofessionalism” by Title IX administrators, like Title IX coordinator Andrew Baker and the Office of Student Conduct (OSC). The report stated that campus practices of national Title IX policies and its Title IX Council are robust and well trained, concluding the University provides a “committed and effective response” toward sexual assault and interpersonal violence cases.

While the report held the University favorable toward sexual misconduct practices, it also found problems in specific aspects of campus administration. It reported the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) is often overwhelmed with COVID-19, hazing and alcohol and drug violations with its limited staff and capacity and is not formally integrated into the University’s Title IX structure. Caseloads are also an issue for the OSC, as many staffers are often stressed and drawn out with a lack of informal resolutions. Husch Blackwell also provided recommendations to the University including hiring two investigators and counselors for sexual assault cases, clarity of roles within the Title IX administrators and increased investment in sexual assault and interpersonal prevention training.

The review, according to Ryan Yarosh, senior director of media and public relations at BU, was made in response to the increase in complaints and cases reported by @shareyourstorybing, an Instagram account created last summer that anonymously published sexual assault survivors’ stories and supportive resources. Yarosh said the University has taken strides toward reform, including the creation of a Violence, Abuse and Rape Crisis Center (VARCC) in Old Johnson Hall and plans to use Husch Blackwell’s recommendations.

“[Husch Blackwell]’s review involved a review of several case files of University investigations of sexual assault complaints that they selected and that students themselves reported based on their concerns,” Yarosh wrote in an email. “[Husch Blackwell] had the opportunity to interview anyone they wished, and the University did not limit to whom they could speak. The staff who are involved with the VARCC and the Title IX Council will continue to not only work on implementing [Husch Blackwell]’s recommendations but also evaluate other opportunities for improvement.”

While the University was grateful to Husch Blackwell for their report, according to their statement, the Women’s Student Union (WSU) viewed the report as troubling and harmful, according to Elizabeth Kamerman, the WSU treasurer and a junior majoring in environmental studies. Kamerman said she believed the University’s eagerness to show the report and not the failures in support for sexual assault and rape survivors is a disservice.

“It is known through the experiences of countless students that there is negligence and unprofessionalism from administrators in the Title IX process and beyond,” Kamerman wrote in an email. “The report stated that administrators had a legal obligation to ‘act without bias’ and ‘provide appropriate due process,’ but that ‘this is a difficult balance.’ No matter the difficulty, if an administrator cannot balance acting without bias while providing appropriate due process, then they are not doing their job. Multiple student organizations, @shareyourstorybing and individual students have voiced their damaging experiences with the administration. These interactions are repeatedly unsupportive, not trauma-informed and outline the clear negligence of administrators that Husch Blackwell refused to acknowledge.”

As some issues remained unsolved on campus, Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, said he believes the release of this report it is the first step for an important process.

“The University will remain vigilant in our efforts to improve Title IX services and programs as we develop new initiatives guided by the report recommendations and the work of those involved with the VARCC,” Rose said. “We will continue to work together to create a safe and welcoming campus community for all.”

The report can be found here .

On March 11, 2020, New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that all SUNY schools would shift to a remote learning model for the remainder of the semester starting on March 19. This unprecedented shift was against the backdrop of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. The announcement marked the beginning of a new reality for all students, faculty and staff, as education and campus operations were shifted into uncharted waters.

The shift to remote learning was a procedure University administrators were prepared for but still posed many challenges, according to BU President Harvey Stenger.

“We were already anticipating something like this and had already begun a remote teaching pilot program through the Center for Learning and Teaching,” Stenger wrote in an email. “Still, the announcement required us to make a number of changes involving almost every aspect of the campus, since not only were classes going remote but so were almost all of the University’s day-to-day operations, with the exception of what were deemed ‘essential’ campus services.”

While campus administration was actively preparing for this outcome, students like Victoria Gilliams, ‘20, were shocked by the sudden situation.

“When the campus actually shut down and everything started to set in I got scared, especially for my family given I live a block away from New Rochelle, where the outbreak was traced back to,” Gilliams said. “Unfortunately one day my parents just showed up to my apartment unbeknownst to me and told me to pack everything up. At that moment, I was really upset and knew college was over, I wasn’t going to have a chance to say bye to my friends and realized that it was highly unlikely there’d be a graduation.”

Along with students, professors and teachers like Amy Parker, who is a teaching assistant and doctoral student in English and creative writing, faced many obstacles with the sudden change to remote teaching. Parker taught Writing 111: Inquiry and Academic Writing, a class focused on in-person instruction, during the shift to remote learning and recounted the stress of restructuring the class.

“The Writing Initiative guides instructors with the class, and they continued to do so during [COVID-19], but no one saw this coming,” Parker wrote in an email. “For me, the switch to Zoom presented issues, especially concerning workshops and presentations, as nonverbal cues can contribute to the atmosphere of the class. This is also why I prefer teaching in person — I can tell how responsive students are.”

These challenges continued into the fall 2020 semester, as the University administration and students faced challenges in a multitude of areas, including the cost of testing BU community members for COVID-19, providing quarantine and isolation housing to students, new sanitization procedures and the cancellation of social and athletic activities.

Many leadership roles throughout campus shifted due to the pandemic and fostered new obstacles as well. One particular challenge was the expanded role resident assistants (RA) assumed to maintain COVID-19 precautions in on-campus housing, such as mask and social distancing violations. RAs were now obligated to write up students to Residential Life for possible expulsion on campus. An RA, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed frustration about their new status as a “bad guy” among fellow students.

“Pre-[COVID-19], I was able to bond and connect with residents in a much more open, comfortable and natural way,” the anonymous RA wrote in an email. “Now, all interactions feel forced, and nobody likes being told that they have to meet with their RA. [Residential Life] implements an artificial relationship in the building. Everyone is trying to do their best, but [Residential Life] has significantly cut our budget from last year. That’s what really got me. This proved to me that [BU] is a business.”

The spring 2021 semester aimed to fix many of the issues and grievances expressed from the previous semester. For example, the implementation of rejuvenation days to support student mental health and the creation of more accessible testing procedures for students and faculty. Even with improvements in certain aspects on-campus, COVID-19 cases remain at an all-time high with 407 estimated positive cases on-campus during the Feb. 27 to March 12 period. This increase in numbers has resulted in shortages in isolation and quarantine housing. Despite the continuing issues on campus, Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, said he believed that as long as students and faculty maintain diligence, the campus will eventually see improvement.

“My ask for all members of our community, including but not limited to students, is to continue to care for each other and come together,” Rose said. “Follow safety guidelines to protect your friends, classmates and peers. Instead of pointing out the examples of failures that can be easy to find amidst such an overwhelming challenge, acknowledge the many successes and the efforts of all those doing their best to provide a genuine residential educational experience.”

Along with Rose, Stenger said he believed if the University unites together as one, there will be a sense of normalcy in the near future.

“I’d like to tell everyone how proud I am of the campus and the way our community has pulled together,” Stenger wrote. “And while the crisis isn’t over, it is time to start looking ahead to what the next year or two will be like. Fiscally, there will be some challenges, and we will need to be cautious in how we address them. But I think that there is a lot to look forward to, as well. I think there will be a great deal of demand for [BU] over the next year or two, particularly as travel restrictions from other states and nations are relaxed. And while I don’t have a crystal ball, I think that the University should be well on its way to normal by next fall and certainly by next spring.”

Mariia Koskina, a fourth-year Ph.D. student studying history, has traveled across the world for her doctoral research, which focuses on the “Green Race’’ between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1970s and the Russian struggle to balance economic development and prowess with environmental protection on the untouched Siberian landscape. Specifically, Koskina’s research took her to the city of Krasnoyarsk, home of a powerful hydroelectric dam on the Yenisei River. Her research investigates the effects of the aluminum factory powered by the dam, which has been linked to toxic smog and parts of the Yenisei River forever being unfrozen, despite the frigid Siberian temperatures dropping below -65 degrees Fahrenheit.

While Koskina admits the effects of the hydroelectric dam helped many locals feel more secure in terms of economics and safety, the more subtle, negative externalities are often overlooked.

“To an extent, the local population benefited from an unfrozen river, which brought the possibility of winter navigation, lowered the risks of spring floods and created better conditions for hydraulic engineering,” Koskina wrote in an email. “Yet, the anomaly affected the microclimate, dramatically changing the humidity and biological rhythms to which local ecosystems were accustomed. The soaring river is now a health and visibility hazard. The occurrence reminds us of the last decades’ warnings about melting glaciers, ice caps and permafrost, which is a harbinger of the imminent rise in world temperature.”

Koskina’s dissertation has been pivotal for environmental research, receiving various grants, including the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies Dissertation Research Grant. More recently, she received the Stanford United States-Russia Forum (SURF) fellowship, joining scholars from 11 countries whose research focuses on mutual policies between the United States and Russia.

The theme of environmental sacrifices for industry was a centerpiece in Koskina’s upbringing in Tula, Russia. Most of Koskina’s family income came from working in a metallurgical plant, which would cause the air and crops to be covered in soot and other pollutants. When she came to the United States, she found a renewed love of the environment, which became one of her main motivations to research this topic.

Heather DeHaan, associate professor of history, is Koskina’s doctoral adviser. DeHaan was a pivotal figure for Koskina’s academia and research, helping her in the early stages of her dissertation. However, as Koskina is now in the fourth year of her research, DeHann views her adviser role as a mutual learning experience rather than just a professor.

“While I still offer suggestions on her research, writing, grant applications and teaching, I am also learning from [Koskina’s] research — and frankly inspired by her ideas and findings,” DeHaan wrote in an email. “It is a delightful moment, where my main role as an adviser is to be a ‘good listener.’ When [Koskina] expresses as-yet-unprocessed thoughts and findings, I reflect back to her what I think I’ve understood about her work. Sometimes, I compare something she has shared to something I have read or come across in my own research. She then clarifies reflections, based on what I have said. In such conversations, we learn from one another.”

Stephen Ortiz, associate professor of history and collegiate professor of College-in-the-Woods, was there for the beginning of Koskina’s academic journey, teaching modern U.S. history when she was a graduate student. Ortiz was a patient support system to Koskina, as English was her second language, which allowed him to see her growth as a student and researcher.

“An underappreciated aspect of graduate student success — academic success, really — is how well someone can observe, listen and grow,” Ortiz wrote in an email. “[Koskina] is as smart as any graduate student I’ve had here, but she developed into the scholar she is now because of these absolutely vital skills. I am so happy to see [Koskina’s] academic successes. The accolades she receives couldn’t happen to a better person, either.”

Koskina believes her research is important, especially in today’s society, and hopes her research highlights the importance of environmental policies.

“From a global perspective, if you imagine our planet as a car that humanity drives, then it seems to me that, with all the technology that humanity possesses, we are now in full control, but we are rushing through all the red lights at the moment,” Koskina wrote. “Unlike cars, which get replaced all the time and make up an unthinkable amount of junk, we are risking to inflict irreparable damage to the environment. Not to be alarmist, but we are running out of time, and a comprehensive reorganization and rethinking of our industry and consumption practices are required as soon as possible so that we do not lose everything we love.”

This marked the first time a Chase Bank opened in the Binghamton area since 1984, when the company merged with the Rochester-based Lincoln 1st Bank. The new bank aims to challenge the orthodox design of a financial institution with a more casual approach by having meeting pods, a living room and a digital banking access bar.

Plans to open a Chase Bank branch in the Greater Binghamton area were in the works for a long time, according to Kayla Rother, branch manager of the Vestal location. While Chase Bank has maintained a presence in the region through digital financing and a subsidiary investment office, Rother believes that building a physical location was the next logical step to expand business and have a more active role with its Broome County residents.

“We’ve been serving more than 25,000 customers in Broome County through our credit card, auto finance and other businesses digitally, and now seemed like the perfect time to increase our physical presence in the region,” Rother wrote in an email. “75 percent of our deposit growth comes from customers who use branches and 60 percent is from clients who use both branches and digital. We find that customers prefer high-touch advice during key life moments, like saving for retirement or buying a house. In fact, two-thirds of customers come into our branches, on average, four times a quarter.”

The new Chase branch has to compete in a market of other, well-established financial institutions in the region, including Visions Federal Credit Union, KeyBank and M&T Bank. Rother aims to appeal to the student population with its student-focused location next to U Club Binghamton, casual banking design and regular financial workshops for students and local residents to teach budgeting and saving, future homeownership and general financial wellness.

Rother said what makes Chase different from their competitors is the driven nature of her staff, the connections they have and their plan to build in the Binghamton community.

“We view our expansion into the Southern Tier as a marathon, not a sprint,” Rother wrote. “Our Chase team members are on the front lines when it comes to supporting our customers. Their dedication is truly what makes us unique. We view growth through a holistic lens. Of course, we are looking to grow our customer base, but we also see growth in the relationships we can build within the communities where we operate. It’s our people that set us apart.”

JPMorgan Chase has been a supporter and partner with regional organizations, such as the Broome County Council of Churches, the United Way of Broome County and the Southern Tier AIDS Program. Concurring with Rother, Chase Regional Director Monica Nation views community service and corporate social responsibility as one of their priorities with the new location.

“When Chase enters a community, we bring the full force of the firm,” Nation said in a statement. “In addition to going above and beyond to serve our customers, we are going to be engaged in the community and collaborating with our neighbors to create an even brighter future here in the Southern Tier.”

William Hofving, a sophomore majoring in accounting, who plans to live in U Club Binghamton next year, believes the location of the bank is a positive for the University Plaza community.

“I think that would be a big help for myself and many others who plan on living at [U Club Binghamton] next year,” Hofving said. “Having a bank that close would be convenient if I needed to take money out from my account or just to go in for any other financial needs.”

Eli Meltzer, a sophomore majoring in economics, supports the new Chase branch’s financial workshops and believes it should continue to play an active role in teaching students about financial literacy.

“I think getting students up to speed in financial literacy is a fantastic idea,” Meltzer wrote in an email. “Too many people today don’t have any idea how the financial system works, and that has only been detrimental. Our culture steers college students toward taking out massive loans without always understanding the consequences or how to make an informed decision about them. I think banks should have a role in educating students about how the financial system operates and how they fit into it, probably in the form of community outreach — maybe free classes provided by the University in partnership with Chase.”