“On Saturday night we’re having a family pregame at my apartment, grandma,” I told her. “You have to be on my beer pong team.”

The only time I’ve seen my grandma drink was when she “downed” half of a glass of Manischewitz wine at the annual Passover seder, but after finding a bottle of Grey Goose in her wine rack, I was curious to hear her reaction.

“What’s beer pong?” she asked, barely showing true interest.

I explained the game to her, going over the process of sinking the ball into your opponent’s cup, causing them to drink the beer. At that point, my grandma looked up.

“That is why everyone says your generation is useless.”

This wasn’t the reaction I was expecting, but I couldn’t help but burst out in laughter. Then I started to think … is she right?

The class of 2011 is in the middle of a generation with a reputation for being violent, lazy and drunk.

We entered college just four months after a 23-year-old gunman killed 32 people at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The media started playing the blame game, and the target became the very video games we grew up with.

In December 2009, a campus tragedy hit closer to home when a Binghamton University graduate student was charged with stabbing professor Richard Antoun to death with a kitchen blade in Science I.

Three years into our college careers, MTV produced “Jersey Shore,” which was humorous, yet controversial, and proved week after week that alcohol, drama, peeing behind bars and “smushing” define us.

Our generation has taken many hard hits through media portrayal, but as the class of 2011 enters the world on May 22, it is up to us to remind the generations before us of all the great things that we have and will accomplish.

We were the generation that “Rocked the Vote” and elected the first African-American president into the White House. According to a report from MSNBC, the 2008 election had the greatest turnout of young voters since 1976 — the year exit polls started classifying voters by age.

We are also the generation who came of age during the September 11 era; we had our peers volunteer to fight on the frontline in the War on Terror — and finally defeated Osama bin Laden.

This year’s college graduates, for the first time in a long time, will enter a sustainable economy.

Within my apartment alone, six girls are attending top graduate programs in New York City and four have great post-grad jobs already lined up. That is not the definition of lazy.

Sure we spend our nights on State Street, and we will continue the tradition with a NYC happy hour or two — a week — but every girl I live with, and every BU graduate who walks across the stage next week, should make it their job to prove that the class of 2011, and our generation, is not useless.

It is now our job to show the world that we should not be judged by our stereotypes.

The State of Israel was formally established on May 14, 1948. Its founding is celebrated in Israel annually with a national holiday called Yom Ha’Atzmaut, or Independence Day.

Hillel at BU and Bearcats for Israel will bring the celebration to campus with a carnival and barbecue from 4 to 7 p.m. today in the Dickinson Amphitheater. The event will be free for students with a valid BU ID and $7 for community members.

According to Andrew Topal, a freshman majoring in political science and co-chair of the event, upwards of 20 BU students helped plan the celebration.

Those who attend the celebration can expect to experience some of the tastes, sights and sounds of Israel, including 22 tons of white beach sand, Israeli foods from schwarma and schnitzel to kebabs and falafel, Israeli singer Paula Valstein and a Bedouin tent.

The event will feature activities specific to unique locations throughout Israel, such as a “mini-Western Wall” representing Jerusalem and a mini-spa with products from AHAVA representing the Dead Sea.

Student band Phoenix and the Ravens will perform, as will Jewish a cappella group Kaskeset.

“It’s a good mix of a lot of different things,” Topal said. “I think a lot of people will … learn more about Israel and what Israel means to the world through the past 63 years.”

— Alexandra Abel contributed to this report.

I went into my senior year ready to hit the post-graduation ground running and dive into the workforce. I thought that I was ready for a real job. I had three summer internships, great recommendations and real work experience — slaving my college life away in the dungeon that is the Pipe Dream office.

After tirelessly studying for the GRE and drastically bombing it — twice — I decided graduate school just wasn’t for me. “I don’t need it anyway,” I thought, after speaking to friends who made it as reporters straight out of undergrad. But by “don’t need it” I meant “won’t get in.”

Here’s the story of my GRE: I did better on math. Me, an English major, the Editor in Chief of Pipe Dream — where my job is literally to edit and comprehend reading passages — did better on math. I honestly thought that was the end.

No fear though, I was not alone. The national average for the GRE in 2010 was 460 for the verbal section and 590 for the quantitative section. There was still hope. But did I want this hope? Not getting into graduate programs would make my choices a bit more clear cut.

As I wrote my personal statements for the three journalism programs I was applying to, I realized I not only wanted to go to graduate school, I needed to. What was the theme of my essay you ask? How I still had so much to learn before entering the workforce.

Sure I got a great, well-rounded education out of Binghamton University, but would I have the confidence, much less the résumé, to get a job that I actually wanted? I know, I know, not everyone gets their dream job out of college, but an MA after my name can’t hurt my efforts, right?

I attended BU’s graduate fair along with hundreds of my peers, and I asked questions. I wasn’t trying to sound smart, I was actually just curious. At that point I was a nameless face, I figured this was my last chance to learn about the program without the fear of rejection.

I did end up shamelessly promoting myself by offering the representatives from both CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism a copy of Pipe Dream to take home. (I treated myself to their pens, it was the least I could do.)

I watched and waited as all of my friends heard back from their schools but three months later, I finally, FINALLY got the letter from CUNY and the email from Columbia.

Some say I am lucky to have options, but honestly, it would have been nice for my life to decide itself for me. Now for the tough decision: Columbia, the top journalism graduate program in the nation, and CUNY, the only three-semester journalism grad program that requires a summer internship and offers a cross-medium education. Hmm.

“Pretend money is not a factor” my parents would say. But it is.

“You got into the magazine program at Columbia and that’s exactly what you want to do,” my friends would say. But is it?

Today, at long last, I made my decision. In fall 2011, I will be taking my talents to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

It’s not South Beach, but it is next to The New York Times building.

SUNY Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments, (SUNY VINES), a Binghamton University student group aiming to reduce Binghamton’s carbon footprint, and Binghamton Rising, a movement of the Binghamton Regional Sustainability Coalition (BRSC), will host a screening of the film “The Economics of Happiness” at 7 p.m. on May 5 in Lecture Hall 10.

Both organizations said they want to raise awareness that hope for Binghamton’s future lies in local economic self-reliance.

“Businesses that are grown locally are the ones that are going to help us prosper locally,” said David Currie, executive director of BRSC. “We need local solutions to local challenges — that is what localizations is about.”

According to a mission statement from Binghamton Rising, the decline of the Binghamton area in terms of population and economics can be attributed to the departure or demise of industries such as IBM, Link Aviation and Endicott Johnson.

The website Business Insider recently ranked Binghamton as the fifth-most depressing city in America, using information from a recent Gallup poll that measured factors including job growth, “satisfaction within the community” and “optimism about the future” in various metropolitan areas throughout the United States.

Though Currie said he understands why many see the city as depressed, he thinks that it is time for people to change their expectations and begin thinking locally to shape Binghamton’s future.

“The challenge is how do we come up with a system that makes sense for both developing and emerging economies,” Currie said. “This film [“The Economics of Happiness”] suggests that strong local economies are the answer but we can’t seem to break out of the idea that we need to compete on the global market place.”

Currie said that people in Binghamton need to reshape how they view the local economy as well as the nation’s economy.

“It doesn’t make any sense, so why is that our primary economic development plan?” he asked. “How about we tilt the playing field? How do we capitalize small businesses?”

According to Tinamarie McDermott, a junior majoring in environmental and social justice and president of SUNY VINES, people depend on importing goods and food too much, which is bad for the economy and the environment. McDermott said that even if students do not plan to stay in Binghamton after they graduate, they should still try to help the city grow.

“Everything is interconnected,” she said. “We shouldn’t be so shortsighted where it will hit us. If it [the depleting fossil fuels] hits Binghamton, it will eventually hit its peak everywhere and we will have to localize the economy. We should focus on preparing ourselves for that now.”

According to Currie, localization is an important movement to the community because it increases civic participation, reduces inequality and values the connections between people and the city.

Buying locally-made products and from locally-owned businesses minimizes the leakage of revenue that will leave the city. The city is therefore less vulnerable to outside forces and more resilient, according to information from Binghamton Rising.

“The Economics of Happiness” screening is public and free of charge, though the organizations hosting the event are recommending a $15 donation, part of which will go to the International Society for Ecology and Culture.

According to a press release from the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control of the State Liquor Authority, “the suspension was ordered by Members of the SLA, Chairman Dennis Rosen, Commissioner Jeanique Greene, and Commissioner Noreen Healey at a meeting of the Full Board on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. Effective immediately, no alcohol may be served or consumed on the premises.”

“We don’t close bars. What we did today was our members met and issued an emergency summary suspension,” said William Crowley, a spokesman for the New York Liquor Authority. “They could still open and serve food, but in terms of trafficking alcohol they could no longer do that legally.”

Investigators from the State Liquor Authority will head over to the Rat today to take away the license from bar owners Andrew Urso and Christine Pasquale, and post the emergency suspension on the bar’s door.

The liquor license has been suspended after two recent instances where the bar was observed serving alcohol to underage patrons.

The first of these instances occurred on Jan. 27. According to Binghamton Police Chief Joe Zikuski, as officers approached the Rathskeller Bar at 92-94 State St. for a routine check, dozens of patrons were hurrying out of the bar, saying “fire.”

After an investigation, the Binghamton police discovered that Urso, instructed the DJ to announce a fire in the building over the PA system, upon learning the police were en route.

Urso was charged with “Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree” and “Obstructing Governmental Administration,” both Class A misdemeanors.

The next incident occurred more recently on April 1 when, according to the press release, undercover investigators from the SLA witnessed three underage patrons purchase and consume alcohol at the bar. When they further investigated the bar, the SLA also found two unlicensed bouncers working security, and three additional minors present at the “21 and over” bar.

These were not the first interactions the Rat’s owners had with the SLA.

According to the press release, “the Rathskeller was fined $3,500 by the SLA in 2008 for failure to supervise the premises. Additionally, on March 30, 2011 the SLA imposed a $5,000 fine for purchasing from an unauthorized source, sale for consumption off the premises and for maintaining inadequate books and records.”

Pasquale, according to the order of suspension, has until April 29 to enter a plea to the charges. If she is to plea “not guilty” she will be afforded a “prompt and speedy administrative hearing.”

The Rat has owned a liquor license since July 12, 2005 and it was set to expire on June 30, 2011.

In addition to the Rathskeller, Urso owns restaurant Sake-Tumi at 71 Court Street. According to Crowley, the SLA has seen no liquor license violations from this location.

Shabbat 1500, an event held by Chabad Center for Jewish Life at Binghamton University since 1996 in honor of the Jewish Sabbath, a day of rest and spiritual enrichment, will take place at 6 p.m. Friday in the West Gym.

“We start cooking Thursday afternoon and work straight through till Friday at 5:30 p.m. when we open the doors,” said Marni Strauss, a junior in the Decker School of Nursing and the food coordinator for the event. “We get a ton of volunteers, do a lot of cooking, preparing and dishing out of food.”

All of the food for the event is cooked and prepared at the Chabad Center on Murray Hill Road and then transported to the West Gym on Friday afternoon.

“It’s really hectic until you get everything together, but once you see everything set up it’s amazing,” Strauss said. “It really pays off when you see everyone seated and enjoying the food.”

Though feeding 1,500 people is a huge job, recruiting 1,500 students to attend the Shabbat dinner is also an elaborate task taken on by three dedicated committee chairs: Dayna Driscoll, Gabriella Zur and Ariel Yadaie.

“While [recruitment] may be difficult, once you get a lot of people to start talking about the event it encourages a lot of people to sign up,” said Driscoll, a junior double-majoring in political science and linguistics and vice president of Chabad. “This year we went through Binghamton’s organization listservs and any organization we thought would be interested in coming, we sent out personalized e-mails.”

Chabad held a “freeze mob” on campus Monday afternoon to garner publicity for Shabbat 1500.

Close to 100 students wearing Shabbat 1500 T-shirts froze on the Lois B. DeFleur walkway for approximately two and a half minutes to promote the event.

Saryah Sober, a senior majoring in political science who coordinated the freeze mob, said such a large event needs big publicity.

“We have never done this here before, but other Chabad organizations have,” he said.

The event, which originally started as Shabbat 1000, became Shabbat 1500 in 2008 when Chabad decided to increase its attendance goal.

“Our goal is 1,500 students, and a few years ago we came very close to that,” said Rabbi Levi Slonim, the programming and development director at Chabad. “We don’t know exactly how many people to expect, but probably anywhere between 1,200 and 1,500 based on past years.”

For most attendees, the family and group atmosphere of the event is what they enjoy the most.

“In the past, before I was on E-Board, my favorite part was seeing all of the people who don’t normally come to Chabad participate, but this year I will still enjoy seeing everyone come together, but it will be even better because I was a part of planning it,” Driscoll said.

Shabbat 1500 is spearheaded by Chabad at Binghamton University and co-sponsored by Hillel/Jewish Student Union as well as other groups on campus.

The 20th annual Purim Carnival brought hundreds of students, faculty and community members to campus to participate in raffles, play carnival games and learn about Purim.

“People learn about the holiday, it’s a big turnout and people have a great time,” said Rabbi Levi Slonim of the Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life at BU. “What’s beautiful about the event is the charity component, everyone is involved and giving back.”

This year’s event raised money for LIVESTRONG, an organization that aims to improve the lives of people affected by cancer, and for relief in Japan, though a specific relief organization has not yet been chosen.

In addition to participating in a philanthropy event, carnival attendees were in for a treat with attractions including a mechanical bull, World Sports Arena, inflatable obstacle course, moon walk, battle of the bands competition, pie-eating contest and hot dog-eating contest.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” said Stephen Shilale, a freshman majoring in engineering. “I did the moon bounce and rode the bull. I’ve done everything.”

The event was spearheaded by Chabad, Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and Alpha Epsilon Phi sorority, and co-sponsored by Off Campus College Council, Financial Council, BU Convocations, Sodexo, Kaplan and Hillel — Jewish Student Union.

According to carnival director Jordan Waldman, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, this year’s event is expected to raise at least $1,000 more than last year’s since they had already raised almost $4,000 halfway through the night.

With some help from my fellow Binghamton University students, I compiled a list of a few of the best (and worst) Valentine’s Day gift ideas for your boyfriend, girlfriend or just the eye-candy you’ve been crushing on in class.

Best for him:

1. Is your boy toy always ordering beer at the bars on a Friday night? Well, bring the bar home by registering him for the Beer of the Month Club through www.amazingclubs.com. After gaining membership to the Beer of the Month Club as a birthday gift from his girlfriend, Andy Silva, a senior double-majoring in English and psychology, recommended this gift idea for any holiday.

If he isn’t into beer, the site also offers other clubs from neckties to cheesecake.

Where to buy:

www.amazingclubs.com

2. Are you looking to keep it simple this year or is your relationship still new? Chocolate and strawberries are a known aphrodisiac, so why not combine the two into a romantic dessert?

Ariel Schlesinger, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, once made a boyfriend chocolate-covered strawberries and put them in a gift box with cologne and a picture frame.

Where to buy:

Picture frame — Things Remembered

Cologne — I recommend Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio.

Best for her:

1. Maybe I’m just supporting my past employer, but a Build-A-Bear could be the perfect gift if you are in a long-distance relationship. Though making the purchase in the store is more personal, you can order and ship the bear directly from the website to your girlfriend so she has something to cuddle when you’re not around. They even offer a selection of Valentine’s Day-themed bears and clothing.

Where to buy:

Build-A-Bear

2. While jewelry is always an easy go-to gift, making it more personal by engraving a quote or both of your initials is a nice touch. Too late to make a purchase? Pipe Dream’s Managing Editor, Katrina Skovan, recommends making your valentine a coupon book.

“A coupon book is a great way to personalize a gift: it shows you really know your lady and were willing to do more than run out and buy a card and restaurant gift card,” said Skovan, a senior majoring in graphic design and English. “Another advantage is that you can avoid appearing insanely last-minute even if you are.”

The worst:

Even though Taylor Swift’s character in the movie “Valentine’s Day” toted one around school with her, in my book, a life-sized teddy bear is never a good gift idea.

Marisa Caramanico, a senior majoring in human development, agreed after her boyfriend, trying to be cute we assume, bought her a life-sized bear to take back to school with her.

“He was definitely trying to find the most obnoxious gift he could get me, but now it just sits in the corner of my room,” Caramanico said.

The contract, written on Jan. 28 by Associate Counsel Barbara Westbrook Scarlett, is the first written agreement student groups will have to sign for ongoing activities.

The contract is still awaiting signatures from Vice President for Administration James Van Voorst and SA President Jared Kirschenbaum.

Until now, student groups who hold office space on campus, and groups who use campus rooms for meeting space, had a verbal agreement with the administration to respect the space.

Though Kirschenbaum understands the need to formalize an agreement, especially in preparation for a new University president, he fears one clause may threaten student groups’ ability to remain in their offices.

Clause 22 of the permit states, “the permission … shall continue only during the pleasure of the State University of New York and may be revoked any time without cause. Upon revocation … said Permittee shall and will promptly discontinue the use of the premises and shall thereupon remove all of its property from the premises.”

While Kirschenbaum is waiting to hear back from the SA’s lawyer before he makes a formal response, he commented on the clause calling it “interesting, to say the least.”

According to University spokeswoman Gail Glover, however, the SA should be fairly familiar with the contract and the clause since it is used for all concert contracts.

“The process uses a standard SUNY revocable permit, which lays out the agreement that organizations need to follow if they are utilizing state property to conduct on-campus activities,” Glover said.

Glover said that this contract was put into place to “firm up” what was an informal arrangement, and that there are no plans to evict anyone from their current office space.

This idea of a revocable permit comes from SUNY’s policy 5603 titled “Use of Facilities by Non-Commercial Organizations.”

The policy calls for the campus president, in BU’s case Interim President C. Peter Magrath, to issue a revocable permit to require that the organization observes the University’s regulations and policies. The revocable permit also provides evidence of appropriate insurance protection.

This SUNY policy has been in existence for a number of years, and according to Glover, it is followed by organizations that include the Binghamton University Foundation and the campus preschool.

SUNY advised that BU ask both the SA and the Graduate Student Organization to agree to this policy as well.

Though they had to bundle up with coats and scarves, the cold did not stop these singers from warming up their voices early Sunday morning. A tuning note played and passersby looked on with delight as the group began to harmonize.

These students were not caroling on the streets of Manhattan; they were The Binghamtonics, BU’s oldest co-ed a cappella group, preparing to perform on stage to open for the famous Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular.

The members of The Binghamtonics were shuffled into the historic building’s side door, given moments to practice in a barricaded section of the lobby, then brought on stage as the 6,000-person sold-out audience began to find their seats.

“I think this is bigger than Lecture Hall,” Lindsay Gelb, a senior majoring in biology and a member of The Binghamtonics, jokingly whispered to a fellow Tonics member as they were being led to the stage door. This past semester the group performed at the Dollar Show and Fall Semester show in rooms throughout Lecture Hall, but none of these rooms would compare to the stage they were about to step foot on.

Once members of the group formed their semi-circle on the middle of the stage, it was clear they felt right at home.

“To actually have the chance to be here performing at Radio City is something that I never expected to be able to aspire to achieve. It’s a dream,” said Ashley Edlesberg, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience.

Holiday spirit filled the air as the group sang their arrangement of N*SYNC’s “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.”

Four members of the group — juniors Kristen Dale, Alexander Goldstein and Taryn Lindquist, and senior Adam Reid — performed solos during the show.

As the theater roared with applause, The Binghamtonics left the stage and sat with their friends and families to watch the Christmas Spectacular, and mentally prepare for the rest of their day singing in the city.

“Being on stage was incredible,” said Robbie Nussbaum, president of the a cappella group and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “It was definitely the experience of a lifetime to sing on such a large stage and look out on so many people. It was a feeling I will never forget.”

After the show, the group sped out into the cold once again to rush over to Saks Fifth Avenue for its next performance of the day. Once inside, the group, escorted by store employees, traveled throughout the store to sing three to five songs on four different floors. After their first performance on the ninth floor, the Tonics had family, friends and shoppers following the group as they caroled.

The Binghamtonics sang arrangements from their repertoire including “Disturbia,” “Free Falling,” “Sweet Child of Mine,” “It’s All Been Done” and “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” once again.

“This is incredible, it’s overwhelming,” said Jennifer Lane, a senior majoring in English, who belted out Rihanna’s “Disturbia” at Saks Fifth Avenue. “It’s an incredible opportunity we never thought we would have. It’s an honor, it’s really exciting. These are my best friends and to do something so great with my best friends, I couldn’t ask for more.”

According to Nussbaum, the group was selected to sing at Radio City after they responded to a flyer that was forwarded to them over the summer inquiring, “Does your group want to open for the Radio City Rockettes?”

After getting in contact with a Radio City representative, the group began the competitive audition process, during which they composed a new song to perform at the event, put together an audition tape and completed a pre-sale requirement of 50 tickets.

Listen to a clip of their performance:

Buffalo (+6) over MINNESOTA — I hear the Bills ALMOST beat the Steelers. Though I have always been told “almost doesn’t count,” I am putting my faith in our opinion editor Nate Fleming’s home town and making the call that the Bills will pull through this weekend.

New Orleans (-6.5) over CINCINNATI — New Orleans won the Super Bowl last season, and its 8-3 record supports the idea that it is heading in the right direction this season, too. Pierre Thomas, last season’s leading rusher for the Saints, could be returning to the field after eight weeks on the sidelines, which increases the Saints’ chance of having a good game (see, I did my research).

New York Jets (+3.5) over NEW ENGLAND — My cousin has a room in his house dedicated to the Jets and his dogs even bark the J-E-T-S cheer during each game, so he would call me a traitor over winter break if I don’t put my support behind his favorite team. Maybe he’ll even share his season tickets with me and invite me to a game if he reads this!

The University first announced the final candidate selection process through B-Line and Dateline messages on Nov. 30, as well as through an update on the Search Committee’s website.

Though the committee informed the University that five candidates were selected, their names are not to be announced until one day before they visit campus.

“In our search, all five of our candidates have agreed to have their names and biographical information released prior to their on-campus visits, but we have assured them that the open session for the campus community will be camera-free and that no press interviews will be permitted,” said Kathryn Madigan, chair of the Presidential Search Committee.

According to Madigan, the decision to keep the open meeting camera-free came because it’s standard practice for presidential candidates to demand privacy to protect their current positions in academe.

But BU’s five candidates agreed to have their names released prior to their campus visit.

“While some candidates have withdrawn rather than have their names publicized, everyone on the Search Committee felt quite strongly that BU has a culture of collaboration and openness and that was something we needed to honor,” Madigan said.

According to Katie Howard, the undergraduate representative on the Search Committee, BU is handling the campus visits in a very open manner, which reflects the collaborate culture between students, staff and faculty on campus.

“Some other schools like Stony Brook University had completely closed campus visits,” said Howard, a junior majoring in political science. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t have that and we continued to keep our collaborative culture.”

Each candidate will attend an open meeting in Old Union Hall from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on the day of their campus visit. At the meeting, they will make a presentation to the audience and answer questions from the public.

The first meeting, with Gary Miller, was held today, and the next three candidates will arrive next week on Monday, Dec. 6, Wednesday, Dec. 8 and Friday, Dec. 10. The final candidate’s meeting will be held on Monday, Dec. 13, the first day of finals week.

After the five candidates speak to the BU community, the top three will have their names sent to SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, who will then make her final recommendation to the SUNY Board of Trustees for approval.

According to Howard, after the campus visits, the role of the Search Committee will end, and the BU Council will be responsible for choosing the top three candidates to send to Zimpher. She said she is unsure of the timeline of the council’s decision.

According to a B-Line message, “the Search Committee requests feedback from faculty, administrators, students, staff and alumni as these campus visits progress over the next two weeks,” and will be posting an online survey so meeting attendees can share their reactions after each candidate visits.

To narrow their selection to the current five candidates, the Presidential Search Committee, working with GaleMerseth and Kate Barry from the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller, released a leadership statement and position profile. The committee also held open forums in May to hear what students and faculty wanted to see in their next president.

O’Connor Hall, Dickinson Community (1990s)

Students residing in the dormitory in 1993-94 found that the elevator had a mind of its own, going up and down when no one was inside. Three years later, maintenance staff in the building felt a cold spot in the subbasement of the building. There was talk of one member fainting at this spot and refusing to ever return to the area. Four other staff members heard screams and shouts from a ground floor bedroom during the summer, but when they keyed inside, no one was there. This room was not far from the self-moving elevator. In the fall of 1998, students reported ghostly images appearing in mirrors, and similar legends soon became localized to two rooms, 207 and 208.

‘The ghost appearing in the mirror story was put under my door that day,’ Tucker said. ‘Personal experience stories make legends interesting. They are things people feel and experience through sight, hearing and smell.’

WHRW (1960-70)

During the time when war protests were a daily sight on campus and rock and roll blasted across the radio airwaves, Moe Loogham, a spirit who was said to have brought drugs for everyone, visited WHRW.

‘People used to say that there were little black dots above doorways on campus, and these were secret signs that Moe was coming soon,’ Tucker said. A more recent account of the legend states that Moe is present in the WHRW office and looks out for the current DJs.

Current WHRW DJs said they feel his presence every time they walk into the office.

‘Moe is considered the spirit of all rightness,’ said Ferdinand Montalvo, the Radio Padre music director. ‘It is said that if everything is perfectly alright, Moe is with us. When things go bad and things break down, Moe is not here. He is our spiritual mascot.’

Moe’s name is also seen around different places on campus.

‘I was looking for a professor to help me with a paper and before the door opened and he came out, there was ‘Moe’ written on his cork board, that’s how I know Moe is here,’ said Joe Monte, general manager of WHRW.

Library fountain

A worker who was helping pour the concrete for the fountain lost his wedding ring during construction. Shortly after, his wife died. He returned to the fountain desperate to find the ring, and when he reached for the ring, the ghost of his wife appeared, glowing and staring at him across the water, according to Tucker.

Lecture Hall sundial

Upperclassmen often tell potential students of BU legends to induct them into the campus community.

‘When I was walking on my tour, I was told that if I step in the line of the shadow of the sundial by Lecture Hall I would fail all of my classes,’ said Randal Meyer, a senior triple-majoring in English, philosophy, politics and law and philosophy.

Fine Arts Building

A rumor that has spread across generations of BU students is that the sculpture of Pegasus, located outside of the Fine Arts Building, will fly away if a female virgin ever graduates from the University.

‘My mom went to BU, that’s gross, and my dad told me this legend, even worse,’ said Jordan Spiro, a 2010 graduate from the School of Management. Cornell University also has a similar legend.

Pipe Dream: Did you live on campus when you went to BU?

Art Spiegelman: I lived on and off. I think at that time, well it was a very different campus ‘ At that time, you would get one upstate and one downstate person in the same room. We started off that way but my particular roommate and I didn’t have a lot in common so it lasted one semester in the dorms then I moved to Bingham where a number of my developing friends were. Off campus I lived up the hill behind campus. I shared an A-frame with some friends.

PD: What was your experience at Pipe Dream?

AS: I was a contributing cartoonist working on a weekly basis. One strip that I did, and a friend of mine ended up taking it over when I was literally hauled off into a nut house. It must have been ’66, ’67. I did a bunch of gag cartoons when I first came into the school. ‘ When I was a freshman I was editor of this college humor magazine. I changed the name to Mother, then got in trouble ‘ for what became a major scandal. The printer was a Binghamton printer that printed mostly Catholic calendars. Not only would they not publish it, but they wouldn’t give me back my boards since they thought it was the spawn of hell. I unwittingly created this intense embarrassment.

PD: What advice would you have for someone trying to break into the world of comics?

AS: My usual advice still stands, which predates the economic cataclysm, which is get a day job and keep plugging. This job is more of a calling than a career, in that case advice really isn’t necessary you just do it because all other options are pretty much closed to you for one reason or another and you just plug away and do whatever it takes.

PD: Do you find that there is a difference in perception of ‘Maus’ between generations?

AS: The response from survivors when the book came out was surprisingly alright. I was braced for facing a jury full of Vladeks [his father’s name]. I got some wonderful responses from people at the time, but I haven’t kept up with that generation’s response. What I know about people reading it now [middle school, high school and college students] is that they say ‘Art goes back to talk to his grandfather.’ Because I’m the character that they identify with, I’m moved back a generation. ‘Maus’ came neither out of a desire to shock ‘ nor out of the desire to further a political agenda of one kind or another. I didn’t have the term graphic novel in my head, I just wanted a comic book that needed a bookmark. Now I can’t imagine exactly what it means to stumble across it in a world where the Holocaust is a given.

PD: How do you feel about ‘Maus’ being the first taste that young students have of Holocaust history?

AS: At first, I was really worried about it. I never overcome my annoyance with George Eliot for having written ‘Silas Marner’ because that ‘ was a terrible book for kids to read. I was terrified for having become a book which won contests, that could actually destroy the one-to-one relationship that a book and the reader have. Those fears have been erased, that’s not what happened and I am grateful for it. I sometimes wonder what it means for a kid in early middle school to be given ‘Maus.’ It was never made as a young adult novel. It seemed like a kind of child abuse to me at first. It’s clear that it does work for students that entered into it, but it’s not like it was designed to do that job and that way it feels like the real thing.

PD: How is your next project, ‘Meta Maus,’ coming along?

AS: ‘Meta Maus’ is taking the place of almost everything else in my life. This book will gather together the interviews with my father, the rough sketches, the outtakes, the verbal documentation that let me make ‘Maus.’ As a book that will be a companion to Maus for its 25th anniversary if I make my deadline, otherwise its the 26th anniversary. It’s accompanied by a very intensive interview with me ‘ and a DVD. It is thoroughly immersive and making me sort through literally the thousands and thousands of drawings that became the book. After that, the only thing I see on my horizon ‘ is my high school [the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan] is being moved to another building and I have been invited to make a public artwork. I will be making a large stained glass comic strip for the new building. ‘ I feel very honored to be asked to do this kind of project.

In January 2008, Calderon entered a guilty plea to third-degree sexual abuse. He was initially charged with first-degree rape, a felony, after allegedly providing a male under the age of 21 with alcohol.

According to Albany police, Calderon engaged in oral and anal sex in October 2006 with the other male.

The victim claimed he was incapable of consent because he was intoxicated, and Calderon and was arrested five months later.

According to Jim Miller, a spokesman for the City of Albany police department, being charged with sexual abuse in the third degree would usually warrant registration into the sex offender database.

‘Once they become sex offenders under the state law, wherever they are living, they have to register with the State Department,’ Miller said. ‘Once there is a conviction, I don’t know if there was a loss of paperwork ‘ He should have been registered by the State Department, I believe.’

Calderon was escorted off the BU campus by Binghamton’s New York State University Police Wednesday, Sept. 29.

‘In the course of the investigation of the false documents, we discovered Calderon’s criminal history,’ said University spokeswoman Gail Glover. ‘We took the precaution of escorting him off campus the day he was arrested. We have also notified the student organizations with which he interacted to immediately notify University Police should he return.’

Although Calderon was not a student at BU, he did have a listed binghamton.edu e-mail address and has a B-number.

During his time allegedly posing as a student at BU, Calderon was involved with the Student Association where he was a student representative on the Student Assembly and a paid office assistant for executive board members. He also performed paid work as information technology for the SA.

Calderon also was director for Rainbow Pride Union from 2009 to 2010, and he held the position of Off Campus College Council president and sat on the Board of Directors for Off Campus College Transport.

According to Adam Shamah, SA vice president for finance, Calderon earned a total of $3,941 in allocated stipends during his three years of involvement with the SA.

‘Aaron Axelson contributed to this report

Phillip Calderon, who was escorted off campus by Binghamton’s New York State University Police last week and charged with a Class A misdemeanor for falsifying his age on business documents, held executive board positions for Off Campus College Council, Off Campus College Transport and Rainbow Pride Union, a group that advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/ally (LGBTQIA) community.

In addition to the E-Board positions he held this year, Calderon performed various duties for the SA. Since he joined the SA in fall 2008, Calderon was a student representative on the Student Assembly, a paid office assistant for executive board members and he performed paid work as information technology for the SA.

Through his positions on the SA, Calderon earned stipends allocated from the SA’s budget, which is funded by undergraduate students.

During his three years of involvement with the SA, Calderon earned a total of $3,941, according to Adam Shamah, SA vice president for finance.

According to the SA Constitution, membership is only available to registered undergraduate students at the University, so only those considered members of the SA can hold leadership positions.

Since the investigation began, Calderon has been terminated from his positions and no longer has access to the offices and e-mail accounts of his former organizations, nor does he have access to any SA-affiliated office, said SA President Jared Kirschenbaum.

After holding an E-Board position with the organization last year, Calderon was elected president of OC3 at the end of the spring 2010 semester. To apply to be on the OC3 election ballot, Calderon submitted a letter of intent and his Binghamton e-mail address to verify that he was a student at BU, Kirschenbaum said.

Sarah Parrish, the current vice president of OC3, will now take over the role of president, whose responsibilities include sitting on the Board of Directors for OCCT.

‘He [Calderon] was an off-campus college representative for OCCT last year, but meetings did not start this year, so he had no impact on Board decisions,’ said Kirschenbaum, who is also CEO of OCCT.

As for RPU, Calderon, who was director last year and director of conferences this year, left the organization’s members seeking administrative help.

RPU is hosting the 2011 Northeast Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Conference from April 8 to April 10, an event that Calderon was largely responsible for bringing to campus.

‘Phil was the one running the conference and he secured the conference [to be at BU],’ said an E-Board member of RPU, whose confidentiality as a member of RPU is protected by the University. ‘He was heavily involved, so when we found this out on Friday we met with administration and the SA E-Board to find an alternative.’

The SA E-Board is working with administration to secure all offices, e-mails and records that Calderon may have had access to.

‘We are unsure of what he had access to, but we are looking into it,’ Shamah said. ‘Security-wise, everything is covered.’

To ensure that Calderon would no longer have access to RPU information, the University Union staff changed the locks on the group’s office door, and the SA locked the group’s e-mail accounts.

‘I spoke to Jared [Kirschenbaum], Jenna [Goldin, executive vice president of the SA] and Adam [Shamah] and they said the group will be fine, but they will keep an eye on us for protective reasons,’ RPU’s E-Board member said.

RPU does not provide stipends for its executive board, so Calderon had no direct monetary benefit from his involvement in the organization.

‘We don’t see what benefit he could have gotten,’ the E-Board member said. ‘We think maybe since college is such a good life, he did not want to leave it.’

‘ Robert Bellon contributed to this report

From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., students with a BU ID will have the opportunity to speak with admissions representatives from an array of graduate programs ranging from medical schools to teaching programs.

‘A big reason to attend the fair is networking with graduate school representatives,’ said Brandy Smith, coordinator of both the Graduate School Fair and Law Day for the Career Development Center. ‘There are instances when a grad school representative will convince a committee that they should interview with a student because of the conversation they had at the Graduate School Fair.’

The Graduate School Fair, unlike the Job and Internship Fair, has no dress code, but Smith said that students should still try to make a good impression.

‘You don’t need your r√É©sum√É©, cover letter or personal statement, this is just an information gathering session,’ Smith said.

Smith does recommend that students go to the CDC’s website to see what schools will be in attendance and prepare questions accordingly.

Chad Austein, the assistant director of admissions for the School of Continuing Education at Columbia University, which will be represented at the graduate school fair, echoed Smith’s advice.

‘When I go to a graduate admissions fair, I am expecting to meet with prospective students and educate them,’ Austein said. ‘A lot of students do their research before the fair and come with set questions. It’s always nice to meet those students with a clear focus.’

Austein recommends students bring printed address labels since a lot of schools will have information cards you can hand in to receive application instructions from the school.

In addition to the School of Continuing Education, representatives from four other schools within Columbia will be at the fair.

In order to set up the fair, the CDC sends out invitations to thousands of schools who have either attended the fairs in the past, seemed interested in attending or have a lot of student applicants, Smith said. The graduate schools all have different ways of deciding whether they will attend a fair.

‘Some base it on applications, and we have a strong academic student population,’ Smith said. ‘We are a good school to recruit at for graduate programs.’

Austein said that the School of Continuing Education at Columbia University attends schools where they have had interest in the prospect as well as applicant level.

‘We are looking to schools with a certain caliber of students and Binghamton University produces that caliber,’ he said.

A list of the graduate programs attending the fair can be found on the ‘Programs & Events’ link at cdc.binghamton.edu.

The announcement came Thursday that Ron Brown, former associate head coach for Fairleigh Dickinson University, would join interim head coach Mark Macon and the rest of the men’s basketball coaching staff.

Macon, who was reassigned from assistant coach to replace head coach Kevin Broadus on an interim basis in October, had his contract extended by two years in April.

Brown was with the basketball team at FDU for eight years. He was also an assistant at West Virginia University for eight seasons (1985-93), at Long Island University for four years (1998-2002) and at Western Kentucky for one year (1997-98). He was head coach at Florida A&M for three seasons (1993-96).

Brown begins his coaching at BU after a year of turnover and rebuilding for the team.

Now, nearly 40 years later, Magrath will return as interim president as the university of more than 14,000 makes the transition to its next full-time president.

Magrath was nominated by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, and began his presidency on July 1 after appointment by the SUNY Board of Trustees.

During his one-year term as interim president, Magrath plans to work on the fundraising campaign that is underway and meet with faculty, students, local council and senior officers to learn what needs to be addressed at BU.

‘I think my challenge is a positive one, it’s to make sure that I can get a lot of help from a lot of people and mobilize the many good staff, alumni and students who care about the University to keep the momentum going,’ Magrath said.

‘We are so pleased with the return of Peter Magrath to the SUNY family,’ Zimpher said in a press statement. ‘Dr. Magrath is an ideal fit to lead this superb academic institution during a period of transition and growth.’

Magrath, who was formerly the president of BU from 1972 to 1974, was most recently interim president at West Virginia University between 2008 and 2009, and since 2006, he has held the position of senior presidential adviser at The College Board. He has also worked at the University of Minnesota, the University of Missouri System and the University of West Virginia.

According to Magrath, outgoing BU President Lois DeFleur has ‘done a heck of a job,’ and BU has a larger and more positive visibility since she took over back in 1990.

‘My impression of BU is that it is a very good and positively regarded place,’ he said. ‘Whatever the media and public perception are may be all over the map, but I know that this is a good university.’

Magrath plans to make himself accessible to students over the course of the school year, and said that he is eager to meet and listen to the Student Association.

He will be working alongside Jean-Pierre Mileur, past dean of Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, whom Zimpher appointed to succeed Mary Ann Swain as interim provost.

Swain announced that she will return to teaching in spring 2011 after a semester off.

THE PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH

The search for the new president of BU is still underway, and the search committee, led by the BU Council chairwoman Kathryn Madigan, is working with the search firm of Isaacson, Miller.

Sub-groups of the committee held open forums for faculty and students in May, and are now finalizing a vision statement, analyzing where BU has been, and where it will be in the future, Madigan said.

‘We are putting together the qualities we want in a new president ‘ and will start publishing notices for the position,’ she added. ‘In July, August and September we really hope to be able to start identifying top candidates.’

Among the list of qualities the committee is looking for in the next president are a ‘powerful affinity for missions and visions of BU,’ and ‘someone who can build a strong management team and exercise ambitious plans’ with a fiscal mindset, Madigan said.

Once these documents are approved by the full search committee they will be posted on their website, www2.binghamton.edu/presidential-search.

Now, almost 40 years later, Dr. Peter Magrath will return as interim president, ready to guide a much larger University of more than 14,000 into the future.

Magrath was nominated by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher, and upon appointment by the SUNY Board of Trustees, will begin his presidency on July 1.

Magrath was most recently interim president at West Virginia University between 2008 and 2009, and since 2006, he has held the position of senior presidential adviser at The College Board.

He was last in the presidential position at BU from 1972 to 1974.

‘We are so pleased with the return of Peter Magrath to the SUNY family,’ Zimpher said in a press statement. ‘Dr. Magrath is an ideal fit to lead this superb academic institution during a period of transition and growth.’

During his one-year term as interim president, Magrath plans to work on the fundraising campaign that is underway and meet with faculty, students, local council and senior officers to learn what needs to be addressed at BU.

Magrath, who has worked at the Universities of Minnesota, Missouri System and West Virginia, hopes to bring his experience with challenges and opportunities to BU.

‘I think my challenge is a positive one, it’s to make sure that I can get a lot of help from a lot of people and mobilize the many good staff, alumni and students who care about the University to keep the momentum going,’ Magrath said.

According to Magrath, outgoing BU President Lois DeFleur has ‘done a heck of a job,’ and BU has a larger and more positive visibility since she took over back in 1990.

‘My impression of BU is that it is a very good and positively regarded place,’ he said. ‘Whatever the media and public perception are may be all over the map, but I know that this is a good University.’

Magrath plans to make himself accessible to students over the course of the school year, and said that he is ‘eager’ to meet and listen to the Student Association.

He will be working alongside Jean-Pierre Mileur, past dean of Harpur College of Arts and Sciences, who Zimpher appointed to succeed Mary Ann Swain as interim provost.

Swain announced that she will step down as provost June 30, and return to teaching spring 2011 after a semester off.

The search for the new president of BU is still underway, and the search committee, led by the BU Council chairwoman Kathryn Madigan, is working with the search firm of Isaacson, Miller.

The committee will hold open forums for faculty and students at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively on May 24 in room 324 of the New University Union, and for staff at 9 a.m. May 25 at the same location.

The 5K, which begins at 1 p.m., will be hosted by the Eating Awareness Student Sub-Committee, Alpha Phi sorority and Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to both the Steven Kovacs Memorial Scholarship Fund at Binghamton University and the Addiction Crisis Center in Binghamton.

Kovacs died July 8, 2009, after he went into cardiac arrest at a friend’s house in Carmel. According to Joni Kovacs-Howe, Kovacs’ mother, Kovacs had bronchial pneumonia, was coughing, threw up and went into cardiac arrest, which led to his death. Kovacs was on prescription medications including Adderrall and Xanax at the time of his death, she added.

Because Kovacs’ death is still under police investigation, Kovacs-Howe could not divulge additional details.

She will speak at Sunday’s walk to raise awareness on the importance of looking out for friends.

“I was told that if an ambulance was called he could have been saved,” she said. “A lot of kids don’t realize that. They think they can’t call [911] because they will be in trouble if drugs or alcohol are involved. They get scared.”

Kovacs’ death came just more than a year after the death of his friend and fellow Phi Kappa Psi brother William Gage, who was a student at BU until spring 2007.

According to Kovacs-Howe, the two died under similar circumstances: both at friends’ homes.

Kovacs’ friends and family remember him for being self-motivated and having the “biggest smile ever,” Kovacs-Howe said.

While at BU, Kovacs, a psychology major, spent hours researching at the Institute for Child Development as well as working as a personal trainer at FitSpace gym.

Upon graduation, Kovacs was accepted to work toward his doctorate in psychology at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He had plans to become a school psychologist.

“I miss Steve, I really do, and I really wish he was still here,” said Henry Mendez, an ‘09 graduate who was in the same fraternity as Kovacs.

Mendez is an emergency medical technician and wants to spread the word to college students on how to react in a life-or-death situation.

“This made me realize that more people should be aware of how to do CPR and what to do if someone is unconscious,” Mendez said. “He influenced me that way.”

Joe Clirisi, an ‘07 BU graduate and Kovacs’ big brother in the fraternity, said Kovacs was always fun-loving and had a “thrill” for life.

“He wrote a poem and one of the lines was ‘remember what is important in life: knowledge, work, humanity and morality,’ ” Clirisi said. “He also always said ‘ existence is a blessing.’ Those are quotes he wanted us all to live by.”

Tickets for Sunday’s walk will cost $8 per person, and $6 each for groups of 15 in the New University Union today from 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets will also be sold Sunday for $9 each. Currently about 150 are registered to attend the event.

During the event there will be performances by Kickline, as well as the cheer and dance teams. Music will be provided by DJ Luca Basch of Phi Kappa Psi.

The event was coordinated by Rebecca Fraid, president of the EASSC and a member of Alpha Phi.

Kovacs’ parents plan to have a bench built outside of the ICD in Kovacs’ memory by commencement. Two phrases will be engraved on a plaque on the bench. One, a message from his parents, will be “Your smile illuminates the world.” The other, a Latin phrase that was important to Kovacs, “animis opibusque parati,” meaning always prepared, forever learning. Kovacs’ parents also plan to have a tree planted in their son’s memory outside of FitSpace once the East Gym is reconstructed.

“I like to picture Steve and Will together doing wonderful things wherever they are,” Kovacs-Howe said.

The Israel Independence Day celebration, or Yom Ha’atzmaut, will be hosted by Hillel at Binghamton, the University’s Jewish Student Union, in the Dickinson Amphitheater from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

‘The goal of the event is to bring Israeli culture to campus,’ said Rebecca Kohn, president of Hillel. ‘The carnival brings aspects of Israel that most people have no experience or knowledge of.’

In addition to typical carnival features, including inflatable obstacle courses, live music and a dunk-tank, this year’s event will offer students the opportunity to ride a camel, enter a Bedouin tent and experience a Dead Sea spa where Ahava brand product samples will be distributed.

Events for children, such as an inflatable castle, will also be available since event coordinators are expecting families from the Greater Binghamton area to attend, said Danielle Kutas, activities coordinator for the event.

In the Bedouin tent, participants will have the opportunity to make their own pita. Sabra, a brand of dips, appetizers and spreads, will be donating hummus for the event.

A barbecue containing shawarma, falafel, hot dogs and hamburgers will be available to students for $4 and community members for $5.

Snow cones and cotton candy will also be sold for $1 each.

‘Every year the program is designed to highlight aspects of Israel and bring a positive taste of Israel to campus,’ said Josh Warren, financial vice president of Hillel.

This will be the third year Hillel is throwing the large celebration. This year’s event is co-sponsored by Off Campus College Council, The David Project, Sodexo, Bearcats for Israel and Chabad, along with additional organizations.

According to Kohn, more than 1,000 students, faculty and residents attended last year’s event, and Hillel is expecting a similar turnout on Tuesday.

Tickets for Samberg’s 8 p.m. show in the West Gym will cost $15 for Binghamton University students and $22 for the public.

A cash-only student pre-sale will take place Tuesday at the Student Association Box Office in the Tillman Lobby of the Old University Union.

A total of 600 tickets will be set aside for the pre-sale. Overall 1,800 student tickets and 600 public tickets are available.

General tickets will go on sale Wednesday online at sa.binghamton.edu.

Girl Talk’s performance, which will take place outside the Student Wing at 8 p.m. following Spring Fling, will be free for all.

“I think it’s just really cool that it’s going to be a true Spring Fling weekend this year,” said Aaron Cohn, vice president for programming of the Student Association.

According to Lauren Coringrato, the SA Programming Board concert chair, the board decided to bring Samberg because he was the No. 1 student pick in the online survey.

He beat out other survey selections, including Akon and Demetri Martin, by a “long shot,” Cohn said.

Samberg is known for his SNL skits, including “Dick in a Box.” He is also a member of the comedy troupe The Lonely Island, which collaborated with T-Pain for the music video “I’m on a Boat.”

“His price was pretty reasonable,” Cohn said. “We know it’s the end of the semester and students are low on funds so we wanted to keep ticket prices reasonable.”

Cohn said he could not comment on the amount the SAPB paid for Girl Talk or Samberg.

The Spring Fling carnival and concert are paid for with money from student activity fee. Through a referendum, the fee will increase from $86.50 to $92.50 per semester for the 2010-11 school year.

The show itself will not consist solely of stand-up comedy. According to Cohn, there will also be an “inside the actor’s studio” component, as well as an interactive portion where Ryan Vaughan, a BU English professor who specializes in humor and popular culture, will ask Samberg questions.

Samberg recently performed at Syracuse University and the University of Florida and will be going to the University of Delaware later this semester.

The Spring Fling carnival will run Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. Last year’s event began at noon and ran till 5 p.m., but the time schedule was changed so the carnival would have a smoother transition into the concert, Cohn said.

The carnival will also host five rides that will be placed outside the upper-level New University Union and along the spine of campus.

Another change to Spring Fling will be the food. This year the options will include shish kebabs, spiedies, sausage and peppers and salads instead of the usual hot dogs and hamburgers. The trade-off will be that students have to pay for the food.

“It will be reasonable and students can pay for it on their meal cards,” Cohn said. “All the money we used to put toward the free food is what paid for Frost Fest.”

Both Cohn and Coringrato think the weekend’s performances will exceed all expectations.

The complaint was filed with the New York State Division of Human Rights in early March, five months after Broadus was placed on paid leave from his position for violating NCAA recruiting regulations. Before that, five players were dismissed from the team for reasons ranging from drug charges to commitment issues.

Broadus continues to receive his $235,000 annual salary.

THE COMPLAINTS

Broadus individually filed complaints against SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and interim athletic director Jim Norris, stating that each displayed acts of racial discrimination.

His main arguments of discrimination were that no other coach, at BU or in SUNY, has ever received similar disciplinary action for a secondary NCAA violation.

“No one else in the department has ever been treated in this manner, but the most important component is I am the only person of color who is a head coach,” he wrote in his hand-written, filed complaint against Norris.

Broadus also complained that after he was removed from his position his travel credit card and permission to use the state-owned car were taken away. He was also told he could not attend the Final Four this year.

According to University spokeswoman Gail Glover, Broadus appealed this decision and after consulting with human resources at BU, it was decided that that the University would pay for his attendance in accordance with the standard New York state travel reimbursement policies.

In his complaint against Zimpher, Broadus stated that in 2006 active members of the SUNY Albany football team were charged with rape. According to Broadus, the active coach who recruited those players was not disciplined or have his position adjusted; instead, he instituted procedures to monitor and mentor these students.

SUNY declined to comment.

The complaints cited March 4 as the most recent date of discriminatory action.

Broadus also filed a similar complaint against BU.

Broadus has created a Web site — www.kevinbroadus.com — where he posted legal documents regarding his filed complaints.

BROADUS’ FUTURE

In late March, one of his attorneys, Linda Kenney Baden of New York City, wrote to BU’s attorney Barbara Westbrook Scarlett regarding Broadus’ leave from the athletic department.

According to Baden’s letter, his leave ends as of April 2010. She said that both she and her client are being kept out of the loop as to when he will be allowed to return to his position as head coach.

“We hope to hear sometime this month since coach has sat back and waited,” Baden said. “We hope that the University will get back to him … When someone has worked as hard has he has, he deserves the opportunity to know what is going on.”

Glover said that no decision has been made at this time regarding Broadus’ reinstatement.

Baden and Broadus sent two additional letters to the University, one of which requested the BU Council to allow Broadus to refute Judge Judith Kaye’s report at the BU Council meeting on Friday, April 17.

They are still waiting to hear back on the request.

House Democrats voted 219-212 late Sunday to send the landmark legislation to Obama. The 10-year, $938 billion bill would extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, reduce deficits and ban insurance company practices such as charging women more and denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions.

“This is what change looks like,” Obama said in televised remarks that rang familiar to his 2008 campaign promise of “change we can believe in.”

A companion package with a series of changes sought by House Democrats to the larger bill, which already passed the Senate, was approved 220-211. The fix-it bill will now go to the Senate, where debate is expected to begin as early as Tuesday. Senate Democrats hope to approve it unchanged and send it directly to Obama, though Republicans intend to attempt parliamentary objections that could change the bill and require it to go back to the House.

The complicated two-step approval process for the legislation was made necessary because Senate Democrats lost their filibuster-proof supermajority in a special election in January.

GOP lawmakers attacked the legislation as everything from a government takeover to the beginning of totalitarianism, and none voted in favor. “Hell no!” Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, shouted in a fiery speech. “We have failed to listen to America and we have failed to reflect the will of our constituents.”

Thirty four Democrats also voted “no” on the Senate-passed bill.

BU is aiming to inform students, faculty and local residents of the difficulties of reforming health care, a topical issue that is especially relevant with the upcoming Senate vote.

Health economist Mark Pauly will present his lecture “Why is Health Care So Difficult to Reform?” at 3:30 p.m. Friday in the Anderson Center. The event will focus on the role of public option, the sustainability of individual insurance reform and employer mandates in regards to the health care reform.

The lecture is the first in a series endowed by alumnus Dr. Harold Cohen, class of ’59, and his wife Jo Cohen in honor of Peter Vukasin, dean emeritus of Harpur College from 1967 to 1974.

“Pauly was chosen because of [Harold’s] interest and also for the exposure of different ideas and scholarly works of visiting professors,” said Lisa Court, senior director of development for Harpur College of Arts and Sciences. “We hope to allow students to understand a complex issue and create scholarly discourse.”

The event, hosted by the Harpur College at BU, is free and open to the public. Though it comes after the bill officially passed through the House and Senate, the debate may not yet be over.

Pauly is the Bendheim professor of health care systems, business and public policy, insurance and risk management and economics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

For more details on the health care reform see Page 13.

— Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

However, the nine-member board did acknowledge that there were possible violations of the bylaws. Judicial board members are nominated by the SA president and confirmed by the Assembly.

The hearing occurred to address a grievance from Russell Heiman, a sophomore majoring in management. He said he filed a grievance after he noticed bylaw violations in the College-in-the-Woods elections.

“I witnessed the people sitting at the poll telling other people to vote yes [for the fee increase] if they like OCCT [Off Campus College Transport],” Heiman said. “They are not allowed to express their opinions, and they are misleading people by doing this.”

In addition to his claim that poll sitters were endorsing the referendum during their shifts, Heiman said that they also did not properly check his identification according to Section V(8)(H) of the election bylaws.

Elections committee chair Karen Galan breathed a sigh of relief when the board announced its decision. She said that if the judicial board had determined the infractions to be severe enough, the committee would have to run elections again.

“It’s the weight of paranoia [that causes stress],” she said. “I think I did everything at my best. If I went back I wouldn’t have done anything different.”

MISLEADING MESSAGES

E-mails from the office of the Adam Amit, the SA president, led Heiman to consider changing the current bylaws.

Multiple SA-Line e-mails were sent out to the student body supporting the mandatory student activity fee, as well as an increase of that fee. Those items passed in the referendum by 92 percent and 82 percent, respectively.

The e-mails encouraged students who use Off Campus College Transport, attend SA programming and are involved in student groups to support the referenda on the elections ballot. The e-mail went on to say that the SA would have no funds if students did not approve the activity fee.

Amit acknowledged that when he first started campaigning for the fee he expressed false information. He originally indicated that voting the increase down would eliminate the fee, but he said the error was corrected in later e-mails. The e-mails came after he was told that voting to keep the fee mandatory would be enough to sustain funding.

“I did not know the vote for a mandatory fee had to be included,” Amit said. “I knew if one vote failed [the SA] would lose the fee. When I realized it was two votes, I thought both had to pass to keep the fee,” he said of the mandatory fee and fee increase.

When the misunderstanding was brought to Amit’s attention by members of the Assembly, and confirmed by Jacqueline Zagorsky, administrative director for the SA, he said he used the SA-Line to make sure the students got the right information.

The SA’s endorsement of the activity fee is what Heiman said might have caused the poll sitters to lead voters to vote yes.

According to Section V(13)(B) of the current SA bylaws, no member of the Assembly can use SA office resources to publicize a candidate endorsement. However, there is no bylaw prohibiting an SA affiliate from using office resources to endorse an issue brought to a referendum.

Heiman cannot file a grievance against this act since it did not violate a bylaw, but he feels that it was irresponsible for Amit’s office to use their power to influence a vote. He will be working with Galan to write an amendment to the bylaws stating that the “SA cannot endorse a candidate or a referendum.”

According to Mark Zglobicki, chair of the SA’s judicial board, Heiman’s was the only grievance on the elections committee this year. Last year there were four grievances against the committee.

According to a statement from Joe Leeson-Schatz, director of the debate at BU, Rob Glass, a senior majoring in history, and Jon Silverman, a sophomore majoring in English, defeated their rival Liberty University winning the Novice Division in the debate tournament held at Towson University.

With a 3-0 score in the finals they individually ranked as the second- and third-best speakers at the tournament, Schatz said.

This was the first time that BU’s debate team has won the title, he added. The team has appeared in four previous finals.

The Clean Innovative Transformation Initiative (CITI) aims to bring Binghamton University students into the city for an annual spring cleaning sweep, as well as to talk to store and restaurant owners about cleaning up their store fronts.

This year’s Project Clean Up and Green Up will take place Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Participants can meet with SIFE members at the Metro Center Commons.

Last year, Mayor Matthew Ryan and other city officials came out to the spring clean up event to answer questions and support the initiative.

The committee went to local businesses last semester and gave out compact fluorescent light bulbs donated by Sam’s Club, along with fact sheets about what owners can do to run a greener business.

“The town is really on our side,” said Christine Warkenthien, vice president of environment and ethics for SIFE. “The whole idea of CITI is if the city looks better and goes toward a cleaner way of business, more people will come here and get the city up and running.”

Last week the committee conducted a series of phone surveys asking managers questions regarding how much trash they produce in a week, whether they recycle and whether they unplug their appliances when they are not in use.

Businesses such as Escape State Street, Nirchi’s Pizza, Scoreboard, On the Roxx, Mad Moose Saloon, South Side Yanni’s and Sake Tumi responded to the phone survey.

Through these surveys, Warkenthien learned that a majority of these businesses have started using energy-efficient light bulbs and recycling, but could use help to switch over to Energy Star appliances.

“What we came to the conclusion of is that many businesses that we talked to are in fact environmentally aware,” Warkenthien said. “However, especially for those who did not seem to be as green as others, there is a lot of room for improvement.”

According to Warkenthien, the committee’s plan is to talk to businesses during the Clean Up and Green Up, and see if they are interested in working together in the future.

“From there we can base improvements off of what we found in the surveys,” she said.

SIFE was created six years ago as a student entrepreneurship organization. The group’s annual events include the High School Teaching Project, where club members go to local high schools to teach about entrepreneurship.

“We do a variety of consulting projects for local businesses, helping them with marketing techniques to get their names out there,” said Craig Broccoli, president of SIFE.

The club also runs an international mentoring program through Web chat conferences in which the participants speak to high school students around the world about starting a business. They are currently working with students from Rwanda.

The organization has 60 active members who participate in the annual entrepreneurial projects.

Hillel teamed up with Push America, a national organization, in organizing a pledge drive Wednesday in the New University Union. During the event, the drive group representatives asked students to promise not to use the “R-word” in a dehumanizing context by signing a pledge card.

“I have spoken to many people with mental disabilities, and whenever ‘retard’ is used around them, it’s really hurtful,” said Josh Spodick, a member of Hillel and a student organizer of the pledge drive. “We’re just trying to promote mutual respect.”

According to Spodick, there is a national goal to get at least 100,000 pledges. The pledge program is sponsored by Push America, Special Olympics athletes and Best Buddies participants nationally and internationally.

Throughout the day, a total of 240 pledge cards were signed at Binghamton University. Over 102,000 cards have been signed throughout the country.

“People don’t realize that [their words hurt] if it is not brought to their attention,” said Matt Sackett, a student organizer of the drive and Hillel’s director of community building.

The word “retard” is one that people use a lot out of context to give it a hurtful and degrading connotation, Sackett said.

“I could see how people could take it in a negative way, and if that’s the case, I’m supportive of removing it from people’s everyday vocabulary,” said Nancy Taesha, junior majoring in biology who signed a card.

Although Kristina Bechkmann, freshman art major, sees this pledge drive as a limitation on freedom of speech, she said it is for a good cause.

“Today people have turned the word ‘retarded’ into a widely-used insult,” she said. “People using the word in a negative way do not realize what other things it could mean.”

In addition to signing a pledge card and a banner, students can make a monetary pledge by going to www.r-word.org or texting “PUSH249” to 50555. This text will automatically donate $5 to the cause.

All monetary donations will go to a fundraiser to for facilities as well as a handicap accessible park and picnic area to be built in Virginia for the disabled.

— Chelsea McGovern contributed to this report.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO ACTIVITY FEE

SA President Adam Amit and executive board members are looking to raise the current $86.50 activity fee, which is used to finance student group budgets, event programming and Off Campus College Transport, among other things.

The two resolutions presented to the Assembly Monday requested the fee to increase to either $92.50 or $95.

According to SA Vice President for Programming Aaron Cohn, $95 is the amount needed to support the budgets of OCCT, the SA Programming Board and student groups. The $92.50 is offered as a compromise for Assembly representatives who would like to see a smaller increase.

“If we want to put on elite programming,” Cohn said, “we need a combination of money from retained earnings as well as an increase of the student activity fee to keep up with increasing costs.”

Others, including Assembly representative Adam Shamah and Vice President for Academic Affairs Daniel Rabinowitz disagree. They argue that an increase in the fee would be imprudent, since the SA will have more than $250,000 in retained earnings, released to them for the 2010-11 school year.

Their resolution requests that the activity fee remain at $86.50, using the available money from retained earnings from this year, and potentially holding another vote to increase the fee based on need for the 2011-12 school year.

Rabinowitz believes that if students see an increase for the fee on their ballot, they will vote against it. If any proposal regarding the student activity fee is voted down by the student body, there will be no student activity fee the following year.

“It’s just not worth the risk,” Rabinowitz said.

The State University of New York board of trustees mandates that the student activity fee be put to a referendum every two years.

ALLOCATION OF ACTIVITY FEE

Amit hopes to specifically allocate parts of the funds from the activity fee to OCCT and SAPB, but any redistribution of funds requires a constitutional amendment.

The amendments are not directly related to the proposals for an activity fee increase.

In two proposals, Amit and co-authors call for OCCT to receive a direct fee of either $12 or $13.50 per student, and the SAPB to be allocated $11 or $12, respectively. The amendment would alter the current fee per undergraduate student for OCCT, which is $9.

“The only way to guarantee in our budget year after year that we can allocate a certain amount of money to OCCT and SAPB is to change the constitution,” Amit said.

If approved by the Assembly, this constitutional change would be put to a student body vote and needs a two-thirds approval.

CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW

The SA will also vote Monday on the wide-ranging reforms to the constitution proposed last week by the the Constitutional Review Committee.

On Monday, the committee presented its recommendations, which included creating two new committees, requiring a monthly written report of the SA’s expenditures and incomes, placing new limits on the power of the Judicial Board, requiring plain language summaries of all SA legislation and more clearly defining the role of the vice president for multicultural affairs.

Randal Meyer, the committee’s chair, said the changes constituted an effort to “democratize the SA [and] improve the services of the SA for students.”

Meyer said he expects the amendments to pass unanimously.

— Rob Bellon contributed to this report.