The fair was organized in collaboration with the Center for Civic Engagement and a variety of student organizations: the Asian Student Union; the Latin American Student Union; the Indian International Student Union; the Hindu Student Council; the Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program; the Caribbean Student Association; the Black Student Union; the African Student Organization; the Binghamton University Association of Mixed Students; the Global Public Health Student Association; the University’s chapter of the NAACP; Undivided; ColorStack BU; and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.

“The third annual Multicultural Voting Fair aimed to promote voting behavior and civic engagement among the student body of Binghamton University, especially in students of color, who are historically underrepresented at the polls,” Kristina Donders, the vice president for student success and a senior double-majoring in mathematics and political science, wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream. “By giving out $1,500+ of cultural food and 300 cans of Celsius, the VPSS Office was able to entice students to learn about civic engagement.”

Students received cards at the fair entrance to get stamped by visiting each of the four voter information tables, which offered information about becoming a poll worker, registering to vote, pledging to vote and requesting an absentee ballot. Once they collected a stamp from each table, attendees went around to the many tables set up by multicultural organizations that offered food, drinks and snacks.

Donders described the event as a “huge success.”

“Even though it’s not a big voting year, we had three students register to vote at the event, 38 students actively go to vote.gov [HYPERLINK: vote.gov] to get registered, and 55 students go to the website to request absentee ballots,” Donders wrote.

Binghamton city’s mayoral election will be held on Nov. 4, with early voting from Oct. 25 to Nov. 2. Voters will decide whether to give incumbent Republican Mayor Jared Kraham a second term or elect his Democratic challenger, Miles Burnett.

Donders wrote that this election will “directly impact” students and showcase the importance of being active in local politics.

According to the Census Bureau’s Population Survey, voter registration among Black, Asian and Latino Americans has been persistently lower than that of white Americans. While Latinos and Asian Americans are among the fastest-growing electorates in the United States, they remain among the lowest in terms of voter registration. This is due to a myriad of factors, including historical and economic barriers to poll access and voter ID requirements.

“Voting in communities that are historically underrepresented, especially, is a really good way to start the conversation about how oppression begins and how we can fight to stop it,” said Hatim Husainy, an SA Congress representative for Hillside and a sophomore majoring in political science. “That conversation shouldn’t end at voting, but it’s a good place for it to start.”

Jestina Tam, vice president of multicultural affairs and a senior majoring in biology, volunteered at a table that provided absentee ballot request forms. Tam told Pipe Dream in a statement that it was “incredible” to engage with attendees and answer their questions about voting eligibility.

Students representing the NAACP described the importance of racially and culturally informed voter education.

“The NAACP has a huge history in promoting the right to vote for people of color, so it’s very important that, as an organization on campus, we also show up for events like this,” said Damel Stewart, the press and publicity chair for BU’s NAACP chapter and a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering.

In early November, the VPSS office will host a “Chalk the Vote” event, where students can write non-partisan quotes and slogans on the Spine to encourage their peers to vote in the general election.

“Over the past two years, the Multicultural Voting Fair has helped dozens of students get registered to vote, become poll workers, request absentee ballots, and pledge to vote,” wrote Donders. “By putting students in a place where they can have support to become more civically engaged, while also getting free food, we’re able to get students genuinely excited about voting.”

Launched in 2013, the Road Map initiative aimed to grow the University’s “faculty and staff, increase enrollment and expand the University’s capacity for research and industry partnerships.” The Road Map initiative created six goals that Stenger wanted the University to meet in the coming years: engaging in creative activities; providing a “transformative learning community;” building an inclusive campus; promoting community engagement; strategically investing resources; and boosting internationalization.

Interns were also hired to assist in meeting these objectives. Starting in 2012 with just four interns, the initiative grew into a two-credit program in 2015, sponsored by the Career Development Center Internship Program. Since then, interns have dedicated hours each week to researching new campus initiatives.

The interns have made their mark on campus over the years through their ideas, from having freshmen take the B-Photo at the Bearcat Sports Complex’s practice field to unveiling a binturong statue in the Admissions Center.

“I think the Road Map’s greatest success was how much student interns contributed to its work,” Stenger told Pipe Dream in a statement. “Their ideas were highly valued and drove much of what the Road Map did in making Binghamton University bigger and better.”

In the final program report released in August, Stenger credited the work of students, faculty, staff and community as playing an important role in helping the University achieve successes under his administration, including record-high applications and enrollment rates.

Mackenzie Cooper ‘25, a former Road Map internship coordinator and a first-year graduate student studying public administration, said the program “brought a new prestige” to the University and “helped enhance the Binghamton name.”

Cooper said her favorite memory of the internship program was unveiling the bearcat statue in the Admissions Center. The statue, nicknamed “Bingturong,” was proposed by former Road Map interns Nora Monasheri ’23 MBA ’24, Mia Raskin ’23 MBA ’24 and Daniel Chavarria ‘24 to commemorate 25 years of BU’s current mascot.

“We have such an amazing school, but sometimes we lack appreciation for that,” Cooper told BingUNews at the time. “With this bearcat statue, we want to get everyone excited — maybe high-five the binturong for good luck on the way to class.”

Road Map interns also helped implement a Plan B vending machine in the Glenn G. Bartle Library basement. Working with a coalition of campus leaders, the interns helped conduct student surveys, prepare presentations and coordinate with outside organizations to bring the project to reality.

“The Road Map provided a venue for many members of the University community to deliberate on strategies for the University’s future and address developing challenges while keeping Binghamton’s mission and its most cherished values at the forefront of those discussions,” said Donald Hall, the University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Stenger said that ending the program was a “necessary step” to allow BU’s next president, Anne D’Alleva, to forge her own vision for the campus community.

In the final report, Stenger analyzed the extent to which the program had met its goals over the years.

“To all those who were ever part of the Road Map, thank you for making Binghamton bigger and better without losing sight of what makes this such a special place,” read a statement from Stenger posted on the program’s website. “As the Road Map ends, know that we have reached our destination.”

Out of 61,200 total first-year undergraduate applicants, over 3,160 freshmen enrolled in classes this semester. This marked a 15.5 percent increase from last year’s 53,001 applications. The University also received 4,575 transfer applications, a 12.1 percent increase from last year, and over 8,950 graduate applications, with 850 transfer students and 1,300 graduate students enrolling. About 14 percent of enrolled transfer students previously attended Broome Community College.

“Another record-breaking year of applications makes it clear that the University is growing its reputation as a desirable destination for incoming students,” President Harvey Stenger said in a statement to BingUNews. “Binghamton’s commitment to academic excellence, its ability to prepare students for graduate school and careers, and the quality of its physical facilities have made the University one of the premier public institutions in the nation.”

Around 550 new international students from over 50 countries also enrolled this fall, with the majority of students likely coming from India, China, Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan and South Korea.

The increase in applications is part of a nationwide trend of more students applying to college. In the 2024-25 application cycle, first-year student applications across the United States increased by 5 percent compared to the 2023-24 cycle, according to Common App data. Students from first-generation, low-income and underrepresented backgrounds are among the fastest-growing college demographics nationwide.

“Binghamton University has so much to offer to today’s college students, and it’s no surprise to see continuous growth in the number of students who choose to apply,” said Donald Hall, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, in a BingUNews statement.

Lily Scott, a freshman majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she applied to the University because of its affordability, strong academics and dynamic social life. Scott said that by December 2024, she had decided to enroll if she was accepted.

“My main factor was cost,” Scott said. “I obviously wanted to go to college, but college can be so expensive, especially now and Binghamton was very affordable. It was a good mix of everything — it had the affordability and all the upsides of a public school, but it also had really good academics, really good social life, everyone here is really open to making friends.”

About 37 percent of this year’s new BU students, including Scott, come from Upstate New York, and 5 percent are local to Broome and Tioga counties. Around 21 percent of new students arrive from Long Island and 24 percent hail from New York City.

Classes began on Tuesday, Aug. 19 after an extended move-in weekend, which allowed for students to unpack and settle in.

“My congratulations to Binghamton’s newest students as well as the faculty and staff who have helped the University grow bigger, get better and attract brilliant, talented and high-performing students,” said Stenger.

Food Co-op

Starting with the least hidden of the gems on this list, the Food Co-op, located in the University Union Undergrounds, is a classic spot for BU students. For students missing home-cooked meals, lunches are made using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Be sure to look out for specialty drink menus — all of the co-op’s syrups are made in-house!

In addition to serving food, the Food Co-op is home to a variety of events in partnership with organizations across campus, including flea markets. Founded in 1975, the Food Co-op is entirely student-run, meaning all the drinks and vegan lunches are prepared by your peers. New volunteers can join during the semester by contacting or stopping by the co-op and asking the volunteers on shift.

Stair Park
Further off the beaten path is this spot right outside the Nature Preserve. Near Lehigh Avenue and Fuller Hollow Creek, Stair Park is well worth a visit, boasting a small waterfall and playground. Bring your friends or a date, or hike yourself to enjoy the peace and quiet of slowly cascading water.

Want to continue exploring nature? Accessible behind Mountainview College, all 190 acres of the Nature Preserve, including 11 miles of designated hiking trails, are worth checking out. Along with fun hikes and beautiful views, the Nature Preserve is home to over 200 bird species, among other animals and plants.

Memorial Courtyard

A serene picnic or study spot, Memorial Courtyard lies at the heart of campus in the Fine Arts Building. In 2002, the courtyard was dedicated to honoring the lives of 15 University alumni who died on Sept. 11, 2001, and memorials have since been added to honor other alumni and faculty who have passed. The courtyard is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Library Tower Café Outdoor Courtyard

Hidden in plain sight, the outdoor courtyard is an extension of the indoor booths beside the cafe in the Glenn G. Bartle Library. Accessible through a side door in the sitting area beside the Library Tower Café, the courtyard is a perfect lunch or study spot for those beautiful spring days when it feels almost criminal to stay inside your dorm, or when all the booths are full.

Outdoor Challenge Program

BU’s own ropes course, located just off East Drive, is available to on and off-campus groups interested in trying their hand at the outdoor challenge. The program can last anywhere between three and eight hours. Designed for “all levels of physical ability,” with staff trained in first aid and CPR, the Outdoor Challenge Program is a safe, accessible and fun team-building activity. To review pricing and schedule a program, interested parties can visit the Campus Recreation website.

Secret Poetry Room

Finally, tucked away in Bartle Library, the secret poetry room is a time capsule from the 1960s and the ultimate hidden gem. To find the secret poetry room, do some exploring of your own!

Molly Peacock ‘69 envisioned the space as a recreation of her favorite hideaway as a student.

“It was a refuge room, so important for working class and financially challenged students who might never have had a room of their own to foster creativity,” Peacock wrote last year. “When I learned that the hideaway no longer exists, I knew I had to work with the Binghamton University Library to recreate it.”

Last month, Joe Herringshaw, president of the Vestal Teachers’ Association, told Pipe Dream he believes both parties are “very close” to finalizing a contract after a series of informal meetings, while retiree health insurance remains a significant outstanding issue. Until a new contract is finalized, salaries, benefits and insurance plans will remain at rates set by the old contract, which expired on June 30, 2024.

Both parties proposed a 4.5 percent salary increase for the 2024-25 school year, but they differ on raises for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. The school district proposed a 3.8 percent increase for both years, while the teachers’ union proposed a 4 percent hike.

As for health insurance, Herringshaw said the union is prepared to switch to a cheaper health insurance plan, which could “generate potentially millions of dollars” of savings over the next decade. The Vestal Teacher’s Association asks the district to direct some of those savings toward increased coverage for retirees.

“We’re asking to share in the savings, take some of that savings and apply it toward the district paying a larger contribution to our retirement health care,” Herringshaw said. “We believe that our offer to the district would allow for the district and the taxpayers to save millions of dollars and enhance the lives of our retirees by alleviating some of the financial burden of retiree health insurance.”

Currently, the district contributes 70 percent toward individual retiree health insurance plans. The union proposed an increase to 86.5 percent, while district officials offered an 82 percent contribution.

Similar increases are being negotiated for spousal and family coverage plans.

Clifford Kasson, the school district superintendent, told Pipe Dream the union requested “a very large increase to retiree/family members health insurance paid by the district for life.” In a March letter to the district community, Kasson wrote that the union’s proposed rates “would have a negative fiscal impact on our district budget and is not fiscally sustainable.”

The school district’s latest proposal includes six one-hour after-school meetings for professional development. Kason believed the expired contract “does not provide teachers time to collaborate after school” to discuss lesson plans and curriculum instruction.

In contrast, the union proposed two additional faculty meetings each year.
Herringshaw’s work schedule has also been brought up for debate. As union president, Herringshaw works “part-time for a full-time salary and benefits,” Kasson wrote in the letter. The president teaches three classes per day, instead of the usual five, and is exempt from study hall and homeroom duties. The district spends over $16,000 annually to cover the two classes and pays “two other teachers above contract to teach those classes not taught by the VTA president,” Kasson wrote to Pipe Dream.

“We see it as an anti-worker agenda,” Herringshaw said. “The union release time provides opportunities for the members to have access to the president of the association to advocate on their behalf, to problem-solve issues and create resolutions before they become significant labor issues.”

“That was the intention of the creation of the release time,” he continued. “It’s worked well for over a decade. The superintendent just does not share that vision.”

In April, dozens of teachers and community residents rallied in support of Vestal School District teachers. Many carried signs reading “Settle the Vestal Teachers’ Contract!” and “Children Deserve What’s Best, Teachers Deserve What’s Fair.”

“Vestal teachers are committed to our students, our community and school district,” Herringshaw said. “We have a history of excellence in the region, and we just want to be able to care for our own families in a way that is financially sustainable and be able to retire with dignity.”

ASA said Elfar’s presence “has helped provide students on campus with facts regarding the state of the Palestinian people, on an issue which is increasingly clouded with misinformation and propaganda,” as much of the content he presented was not sourced from external organizations or partisan news channels but through firsthand accounts from him and his team.

“It remains crucial that we continue to speak on the ongoing crisis and bring attention to the everyday experience of Palestinians,” the ASA E-Board wrote. “Our voices will remain loud for as long as this genocide continues. As many have stopped to advocate, we believe our identity as not just Arabs, but also human beings, should be called into question if we fail to speak up for those who can’t.”

“We as an organization, will continue to advocate for those who are oppressed, regardless of cultural background,” they continued. “Here and abroad, our culture and traditions are always questioned, yet if we continue to celebrate our traditions, speak our language, and share the unheard stories, we are resisting the forces that seek to erase us. Our culture and representation is our resistance.”

In February 2024, Elfar led a group of 20 physicians and health workers from the United States, Jordan and France on a 12-day mission to Gaza that was organized by two groups: Rahma Worldwide, founded in 2014 to assist humanitarian efforts in regions across the world, and Palestinian American Bridge, a volunteer-led organization created in 2008 focused on “empowering Gazans through healthcare and education,” according to its website.

In an interview before the event, Elfar said that he has given this talk over 10 times across several states, adding he felt compelled out of a sense of duty “to be the voice for those people who’ve been silenced.” He shared the impact of witnessing the destruction and suffering in Gaza during the mission.

“We all came back emotional,” Elfar said. “We all came back feeling that there has to be a solution to this situation because, and I said that before, we were practicing medicine by the 18th-century measurements and that shouldn’t be acceptable.”

“No child, man or woman should be treated like this, regardless of any ethnic background, age, education, citizenship, religion,” he continued. “We all have to be treated equal.”

Before he began, Elfar told the audience that he is a “completely independent practitioner” and warned of the graphic pictures and videos he would share, which were taken during his time in Gaza. He shared pictures of patients while discussing his experience treating those in Gaza, most of whom were children. In total, he performed about 35 reconstructive surgeries during the mission.

He told the story of one teenage boy who was left out on the street for five days because it was unsafe to rescue him. When he was finally rescued, both of his legs had gangrene and needed to be amputated. He died two days after surgery. Another story was of a patient who he said was arrested, blindfolded and beaten by settlers until he lost consciousness. The patient was then taken to an Israeli hospital, where he was stabilized and underwent amputations on his arm and leg before being returned to Gaza.

Elfar said his team was blocked from leaving without explanation and forced to return to the hospital for shelter. He played a video of himself the next morning, briefly describing his experience as bombs went off in the background.

“I’m in Gaza, and we’re going to be leaving today after we tried to leave yesterday,” Elfar said in the video. “You can hear the bombing ongoing, and that’s basically the life here, every night, every morning, nonstop.”

He also shared pictures of the hospital he worked in, which showed outdated machinery and a lack of materials like gloves or gowns. Elfar said he operated on patients with instruments contaminated with previous patients’ blood because they could not be adequately cleaned.

“You just do the best you can,” Elfar said. “And you have to keep thinking about the question, ‘Why?’ What is the problem of having an extra piece of cloth? What’s the problem of letting some supplies go in?”

When discussing the humanitarian crisis, Elfar said, “in these hospitals, there’s no food,” and that only the medical team was able to access it. Sheltering families also live in these hospitals, with many lacking access to electricity and water.

“Some people don’t or can’t afford to have a tent, so they just grab a blanket and strip themselves on the hallway and sleep there,” Elfar said. “These are regular people: engineers, teachers, captains, lawyers, you name it. Outside the hospital, it’s not different. You look out, same thing. People are camping around the hospital, thinking that this is a safe haven.”

Elfar left attendees with a final question before moving into a Q&A session.

“How would you label this?” Elfar asked. “Is that a war, is it a state defense, is it a state offense? Is it a genocide, an ethnic cleansing? What is it exactly? I’m not going to volunteer an answer for you — but this is what I saw with my own eyes. I have my answer, but you need to get your answer.”

Elfar plans to head to Ukraine soon before returning to Gaza or the West Bank in the fall. In an interview with Pipe Dream, he said there were two things he hoped students and faculty would take away from this event.

“First is to understand the difference between facts and fiction, and find the reality and the truth behind what’s going on there,” Elfar said. “And second, never stop talking about Gaza.”

Korchak was previously a senior educator at StandWithUs, an “international, non-partisan education organization that supports Israel and fights antisemitism,” according to the group’s website. Her family moved from Los Angeles to Israel when she was 9 years old before leaving in 2002 during the second intifada.

Korchak said she witnessed acts of violence like shootings and stabbings during that time, adding that she lost three of her friends in a suicide bombing when she was 14. She said that this experience “laid the groundwork” for her work today and that looking at how Israeli and Jewish people coped after Oct. 7, the trauma she experienced persists.

“It hasn’t ended, because we still have people being held hostage, and this war is still ongoing, and there’s a lot going on,” she said. “There’s a lot going on even beyond the war. There’s a lot going on when it comes to politics in Israel.”

“And then, of course, let’s put aside Israel and jump here to college campuses,” she continued. “We’re dealing with antisemitism at a higher rate than we’ve ever dealt with before, and at the same time, we’re being gaslit about that antisemitism and people telling us that it’s not real or that it’s justified based on what’s going on.”

Korchak discussed Jewish identity, saying Jewish people across the diaspora share a common history, culture and language and that their traditions cannot be fully practiced “unless you’re in the land of Israel.” She then discussed the origins of “modern Zionism,” which emerged in the 19th century, and said Zionism has “been around and persisted in Jewish tradition for 2,500 years.”

Theodor Herzl, who published an influential 1896 pamphlet calling for the creation of a Jewish nation, is widely considered to have founded the political Zionist movement. Korchak said that all Zionists “believe in a Jewish state in the land of Israel” but often disagree on other policies or tactics.

“The hard part is that within every movement, there are always going to be extremes,” she said. “And there are, of course, extremes in the Zionist movement today, and it’s hard because some of those extremes actually sit inside of the Israeli government, and that makes people think that that is mainstream, or that is representative of the whole, which it is usually not.”

Korchak characterized opponents of Zionism as ignoring Jewish people’s right to self-determination. She also criticized Zionists who believe that Palestinians do not have the same right, saying that “we also have to check our own hypocrisy.”

While addressing the diaspora’s diversity, Korchak said Jewish people are indigenous to and have lived in present-day Israel for thousands of years, but that Palestinians are also native to the same land.

She then discussed Jewish migration during the late 19th and early 20th centuries and said these arrivals did not steal land but purchased it at high prices from Arab landowners. From 1882 to 1918, Jewish immigrants established “58 small settlements, kibbutzim, moshavim, and urban areas” in Palestine, according to a book by Kenneth Stein, a former professor at Emory University. Immigration to the area rapidly increased, with around 232,000 Jewish immigrants arriving in the 1930s, according to the United Nations.

Korchak said the native renters “felt like their land was being stolen from them.”

“That isn’t the truth, but that was their perception of it,” she said. “And people were displaced, and you could understand their anger and their frustration that’s going to fester as time goes on, and that builds up that tension that will create the modern-day conflict that we now are in.”

Korchak characterized the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which began one day after the Israeli Declaration of Independence was proclaimed, as being about survival. The war led to the forced displacement of around 750,000 Palestinians from their homes, an event known in Arabic as the Nakba. She said some atrocities were committed against Palestinians during the war, including the expulsion of entire villages.

Turning to Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, Korchak said Hamas prevented food and humanitarian aid distribution into the region and that Israel tried to open several pathways for assistance to reach northern Gaza. In March, Israel announced a pause in sending humanitarian aid to Gaza following the end of a temporary ceasefire. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres criticized the blockade last week and said that “more than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza.”

“I don’t think there’s any evidence out there that someone can ever introduce to me that would convince me that the Jews don’t have the right to a state,” Korchak told Pipe Dream after the discussion. “But that doesn’t mean the Palestinians don’t also have a right to a state. And I think that’s, again, the more you talk to Palestinians, the more that’s the perspective that now I hold very strongly.”

Gender-affirming medical care encompasses a variety of medications, surgical interventions and other treatments like puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, top surgery, bottom surgery, facial surgery and vocal surgery. There are also social elements to transitioning, like name and personal pronoun changes, haircuts and clothing choices. While some people use medical intervention in their transition, others do not.

Aiden Braun, a coordinator at the Q Center, described the challenges local transgender people face, including proximity barriers to clinics that offer gender-affirming care.

“Much of upstate New York, including Broome County and the Southern Tier, is conservative, so trans and gender diverse people may face challenges finding healthcare, receiving treatment, and being treated equitably depending on the area,” Braun wrote.

Despite efforts by the Trump administration to challenge transgender rights, including an executive order that declares sex as unchanging, New York state prohibits health care providers from discriminating based on sexual orientation or gender identity when providing care or insurance coverage.

Clinics providing gender-affirming medical care, specifically hormone replacement therapy, typically use one of two models: a diagnostic approach or the informed consent model. Clinics utilizing the diagnostic approach require patients to have a gender dysphoria diagnosis, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

“One of the major barriers to HRT access was that most providers required a therapist’s letter — some even required two,” said Tarett Blusk, a senior majoring in English. “I could not justify spending months going to therapy for something I already knew about myself, plus the money it would demand.”

Other clinics use an informed consent model, where physicians disclose the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy to the patient, and their parents if they are under 18, allowing them space to make an informed decision.

The Oneonta-based Gender Wellness Center or the Planned Parenthoods in Ithaca and Syracuse are the closest options for Binghamton residents seeking hormone replacement therapy from a clinic employing the informed consent model.

“I would go to Planned Parenthood every three months for labs as was required; 4 labs per year,” Blusk wrote. “However this presented challenges — transportation being one of the biggest. Without a car, it was extremely difficult to make my appointments, and with a single parent who works full time, it was hard to arrange times that worked for both of us. It came with a lot of careful planning, a lot of inconvenience, and a lot of stress.”

While Blusk said traveling for medical care was expensive and interfered with schoolwork and his parent’s work schedule, he recommended the Planned Parenthood in Syracuse “for anyone who is low on options.”

“When I went, they were kind, queer-friendly, and didn’t make me jump through hurdles,” Blusk said. “That being said, Planned Parenthood’s HRT services do not operate with endocrinologists who specialize in gender affirming care.”

Individuals on hormones may be able to fill their prescriptions at United Health Services. Braun said UHS practitioners certified by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health can provide hormone replacement therapy, adding that Decker Student Health Services can provide referrals to UHS Primary Care or the Gender Wellness Center.

Blusk shared that when he tried using UHS for hormone replacement therapy, he was “immediately faced with healthcare insurance jargon, overwhelming costs, and a lot of unknown factors.” He said that “getting gender affirming care just isn’t feasible” in Binghamton, adding that he wanted to see more from the University “than just a webpage with a list of resources.” The University did not return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

Bee Huh, a co-director of Transcend, a “peer-led social group for transgender and gender expansive students,” and a senior majoring in English, receives estrogen online through Planned Parenthood, previously having used Folx, an online clinic specializing in queer health care. They said that access to gender-affirming medical care in Binghamton is “lacking.”

“We believe that campus health services should be better equipped to help trans students obtain gender affirming care,” Huh said. “It’s telling that most trans students need to travel to Ithaca to get the care they need.”

Then, on Wednesday morning, the SA’s E-Board vetoed it, saying in a message to students that if allowed to proceed, the proposed changes would “contribute to a power imbalance in the Student Association.”

The resolution included four main components: overhauling Congress’ absence policy, mandating the completion of parliamentary procedure courses for the body’s leadership, allowing the chairs of special committees to retain voting power and the ability to step down from other committee positions, and clarifying succession for the position of parliamentarian.

It was authored by Saul Hakim, an off-campus representative and a senior double-majoring in political science and Judaic studies, who had said it addressed “major constitutional issues.” The E-Board’s veto message specifically pointed to the clause on privileges for special committee chairs.

“The Executive Board believes that all positions within the SA should have the same abilities, and that the legislation passed on Tuesday does not reflect this,” McKenzie Skrastins, the newly reelected SA president and a junior majoring in mathematics, wrote to Pipe Dream.

Hakim told Pipe Dream that he opposes the decision to veto — that while the E-Board has the authority to do so, it has “no legitimate basis to interfere with an internal update to the Management Policies that affects only Congress.”

“This was not a policy disagreement — it was a small group overriding the will of every single representative in Congress on ideological grounds, and it sets a troubling precedent for executive interference,” he said, adding that he plans to move to override the veto.

At the emergency meeting a month ago, a critic, Lotus Taylor, a Hillside Community representative and a junior majoring in sociology, took issue with the legislation’s quick pace. In that meeting, held because of a provision within the Management Policies that empowers at least 10 representatives to call a session, Taylor had said that the timeline forced representatives into “a position where they have to make a hasty decision.”

The resolution was then tabled to the Congress’ next meeting on March 18, when it was tabled again because of Hakim’s absence.

“I am of the belief as I was the week before spring break that these policies were not proposed with the benefit of the student body or the student association at large but simply created to ensure that Saul was not subjected to a judicial board complaint that was submitted,” Taylor, who is also the secretary of the SUNY Student Assembly, told Pipe Dream after the legislation passed. She added that she did not oppose the motion to pass the legislation unanimously because she was exhausted after the lengthy election proceedings.

“I also knew at this point that I said my peace at the last meeting — and there would be no real purpose in continuing to hold folks in the room,” Taylor wrote.

The Judicial Board on Wednesday heard the aforementioned grievance, which was filed by Kristina Donders, the speaker of Congress and a junior double-majoring in mathematics and political science. Donders and the Judicial Board previously declined to comment while the grievance process is ongoing.

Clay Jeon, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, focused his talk on philanthropy and charitable giving. He is a part of the Dickinson Town Council’s E-Board, the New York Public Interest Research Group, the Binghamton Policy Project and the Pre-Law Education Organization. His interview responses have been slightly edited for clarity.

Q: You said your speech is about how we should feel compelled to give to others. Can you tell me a bit about that? 

A: “Primarily, I want to discuss one impetus for why we should feel the need to give to others more, at least more than we’re doing now. I know that the total amount of people that have been giving, in the United States at least, has been falling although total donations are up. It just means that there are fewer individual people who are feeling compelled to give, and I think that is a very bad sign for our country and also our democracy, but more so as a society.

There is a natural inclination for people to want to help one another, but the fact that we’re reverting away from that doesn’t necessarily mean that that inclination is going away. People are feeling like giving, or charitable giving, is not the right means to do that, or they feel like it’s ineffective.”

Q: Why do you think that is? 

A: “I think people are feeling very disillusioned with our societal infrastructure. One thing that I’ve noticed recently is a lot of people are very distrusting of our existing systems, and that applies to a lot of things, like media and government and even higher education — although higher education is one of the more trusted institutions — these days, people are very untrusting of large institutions in general.

Perhaps charity is one of those, and people may see it as ineffective. It’s a complicated issue, there’s definitely not just one reason why people are deciding to give less. Maybe people just are feeling less compelled, but I’m sure it’s some combination of distrust in institutions and feeling like giving is ineffective.

It’s also maybe a shift more towards this tribalistic view. There’s a lot of rhetoric these days about ‘America First’ or ‘We gotta protect our own country’s interests first, over anything else.’ I think that isolated view really restricts how we view helping other people, especially considering that a lot of the most effective help is primarily distributed to impoverished countries that are not in North America or Europe.”

Q: When you talk about giving and philanthropy, is there a specific type that you’re talking about, like foreign aid, or are you talking about all kinds of philanthropy?

A: “It’s a little bit of a nuanced issue. I talk about effective altruism, which is an idea by Peter Singer, who’s a philosopher, who discusses how, like the name suggests, we can be the most effective in our giving. He suggests that we should give primarily to areas that are the most impoverished and the most desolate because that’s where each dollar has a much greater impact. In areas where people are not even making $2 a day, giving $2 is a really big deal, as opposed to giving $2 somewhere in a developed country. So in that sense, I bring up his idea to get people thinking about how we can give effectively.

But at the same time, I don’t want to endorse his philosophy wholly because I think there’s more to it. By no means am I saying it’s an end-all, be-all, or it’s the philosophy that I’m prescribing, but I am bringing it up because I think there are a lot of valuable things we can learn from it.

Giving is a very personal thing. For example, Singer argues that we shouldn’t be giving money to help charities that help train guide dogs for the visually impaired because it costs an immense amount of money to train a guide dog — upward of $40,000, $50,000 — versus if we paid $100, we can buy preventative treatments or medicines, for people in impoverished countries, to prevent against trachoma, which causes blindness.

So he’s saying that by diverting our money to something like that, we can prevent a lot more and solve a lot more, just numbers-wise, than training a guide dog. That’s not something I bring up in the talk, necessarily, but that’s just a general foundation of his philosophy — that we should be giving to the most effective charities.

I really just bring up effective altruism to get people thinking about why we should feel compelled to give and why we should feel like we should give in general. But I also mention in my speech that giving can mean a lot of different things. Even if you are showing your empathy toward somebody, even if you spend an hour of your time to listen to somebody, that’s a way of giving also.”

Q: You’re saying giving doesn’t just have to be money? 

A: “Yeah, it could be our skills, our experiences, our knowledge, our empathy, our research, anything. I want to embrace a more broad definition of giving and philanthropy so that more people feel like they are philanthropists and that they can do what philanthropy prescribes.

Philanthropy, in the traditional sense, might seem very elitist — it seems like something Bill Gates does, or only people with billions of dollars. I bring up effective altruism to point out that even $5 can make a very significant difference when you put it into areas or people that really need that $2 or $5.

At the same time, I don’t think we should put a ban on giving to less effective charities because, for the most part, all charities do very good work. I think you can make a good argument to provide support for the arts or support for more social issues, like LGBTQ rights or women’s rights, rather than basic needs, like ensuring that people survive. Of course, ensuring that people survive is very important — I’m not saying that that’s not important — but I think there’s more to it.

Giving can mean a lot of different things, and I think that just having the intent of wanting to give is a perfectly good step in the right direction, especially considering that a lot of people haven’t even gotten to that point.”

Q: Tell me about the inspiration for your subject. 

A: “In my freshman year, I took a class, with Professor David Campbell — he’s a PPL professor — called Philanthropy and Civil Society. In that class, we spent the whole semester really diving deep into what it means to give to other people, what it means to be part of a community and a society, and how we can integrate giving into our lives. That class was really helpful in making me realize the importance of giving, not only in a practical sense but also in a more symbolic or figurative sense — what it means to want to contribute or give to others and feel connected to others. I would say academically, at least, that was probably my primary inspiration. I think that class is fantastic. I highly recommend it for everybody whether a PPL major or not.

Also, more broadly, a lot of my extracurricular work has been working with low-income areas around Broome County. I’m part of NYPIRG, which is the New York Public Interest Research Group, and within the higher education campaign, we had a tutoring program last year where we would go to the Union-Endicott middle school and high school and tutor kids there every Friday. A lot of the kids there had some difficult times with school for a variety of reasons. It could be issues at home, or issues with family, or basic needs, or whatever the case is. I think interacting with those kids made me realize that this is not just some far-off issue on the other side of the world.

I think distance is, at least intuitively, something that’s very difficult for people to reconcile with. When something’s physically far away, it’s easy to ignore it, obviously. There’s that common phrase, ‘out of sight, out of mind.’ So having face-to-face interaction with people who are struggling, really made me feel like I should do something.

That’s also something that Singer talks about, too. That’s a big part of his philosophy — that most of us would save somebody if they were in trouble right in front of us, but when somebody’s across the world, it feels less important to do so, at least from an intuitive sense, and he’s trying to get at why that is. I think that’s an important question to ask.”

Q: What do you want listeners to take away from your speech? 

A: “The No. 1 thing is that I really don’t want people to think that there’s any right way of giving. Obviously, with very few exceptions, but for the most part, if you have the intent to want to contribute, to want to give, to others, those who you feel need it. I think just the fact that you’re thinking of that is important, and you should act on it in whatever way that you see fit.

Am I saying you should only donate to causes that prevent preventable diseases like malaria and measles? Those are highly important, of course, and often, they are highly effective charities because they can save the most lives with the least amount of money. This is a very utilitarian approach to it. That’s perfectly reasonable, but if you also want to donate money to construct a sculpture for an important social figure that you think is important, that’s also philanthropy. Just because it’s not as effective, in the Peter Singer sense, I don’t think that has to mean that it’s not valuable.

Essentially, what I want people to take away is that giving is a lot broader than people think, and it’s a lot easier than people think. I touched a lot upon the broader aspect — it could be anything — but in the easier sense, I think the No. 1 thing people feel when you ask them to give is, ‘What is my $5 really gonna do?’ People feel disconnected from it, and obviously, there’s no easy way to reconcile that. That’s just how it is. It’s a hard fact that when you’re donating through some mechanism, as opposed to helping somebody directly, you’re removing the personal element of it. But even $2 certainly has the potential to save somebody’s life.

For example, the Against Malaria Foundation uses all of its donations to purchase nets for families in impoverished areas that protect them against mosquitos that carry malaria. In impoverished areas, malaria is a very deadly disease because there are often not enough resources to provide hospital treatment. Just $2 can provide a net that protects at least one person against malaria, which could inevitably save their lives, so even $2 can certainly make a difference. My point is that philanthropy is a lot easier than people think it is, and it’s also a lot more accessible than people think it is, as long as we reshape how we define it.”

Q: Can you tell me a bit about the philanthropy you’re doing in your personal life?

A: “In my time here, I’ve tried to pursue as many different avenues of philanthropy as I can because I think as a college student, you have more time — there’s no better time to pursue items that are more to your interest, or more your passions, as opposed to the most effective or efficient charity.

For example, I mentioned NYPIRG. We ran a tutoring program all last year — I consider that a means of philanthropy. I’m also part of the Binghamton Policy Project. In that club, we spend the whole academic year basically writing up policy proposals aimed at different areas of campus life These include environmental protections, the criminal justice system, protections for undocumented students, community engagement, etc.

Last year, our community engagement group was actually able to create a new UNIV 101 class called “Making Binghamton Your Home.” That class allows students to learn about the history of Binghamton and Broome County, the context of it, and what Binghamton’s needs are — where it came from. It connects students with ways to be more engaged in their community, and in that way, I also see that as philanthropy.

More directly, I donate to Meals, which is a nonprofit in the Maine-Endwell School District. It’s run by a teacher at the high school, and essentially, they provide meals and food for students who don’t have access to a regular supply of food. That’s probably my most traditional philanthropy, giving money to that organization because it really speaks to me. It’s not fully comprehensive, but my point is I’m trying to just pursue different kinds of philanthropy, whether that’s doing research or actually donating money or volunteering my time — I think those are all ways that I’ve tried to contribute.”

Q: In the future, as you move through your career at Binghamton and in the world, what do you want to do next philanthropically and in general? 

A: “My goal right now is to go to law school, but more broadly in terms of philanthropy, I hope that I can continue to contribute in two different senses. In one way, I do see Peter Singer’s philosophy as very convincing, so hopefully, I can give to those effective charities and try to be efficient in how I give my money. At the same time, I also want to try to get other people to realize that philanthropy is much more open than we think.

As people get older, they tend to have less time but more money. As you grow out of being in college, your primary means of giving is probably through money, that’s the case for most people. Hopefully, I can contribute to projects that I think are very valuable — even in an artistic sense or a more symbolic sense, rather than a logistical one — and I hopefully can give back to Binghamton students, in particular, that I think are pursuing interesting initiatives.”

The protest, held in Downtown Binghamton, was organized by activist groups Citizen Action and Indivisible Binghamton. Speakers discussed the impact Medicaid has on their personal lives and those in the area, from retirees to people with disabilities to single parents. All emphasized the harm — in terms of public health and economics — that they posited would come from cuts to Medicaid.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a budget proposal in February that would instruct the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid funding, to identify $880 billion in spending cuts over the next decade. An analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicated that cuts to Medicaid would be unavoidable under the plan.

Linda Quilty, a co-lead of Indivisible Binghamton, spoke first, sharing how Medicaid helps her disabled granddaughter afford services like occupational and physical therapy.

Next was Dr. Chris Ryan, a veteran and retired family practice physician who discussed the importance of Medicaid and other public health funding. He said federal grants are critical for medical research and that Medicaid cuts would hinder preventative care efforts.

“There’s nothing efficient about creating a system in which people are forced to ignore their illness until it’s life-threatening,” Ryan said. “In my view, this is not about efficiency. It’s about cruelty, greed and social control, keeping our most vulnerable neighbors always afraid.”

Another speaker, Amber Brown, described the “life-saving mental health care” Medicaid helped her afford when she began experiencing symptoms of PTSD in 2014, saying the program helped her and her family pay for hospitalization and other health care needs that would have otherwise been unaffordable.

Barbara Mullen, another co-lead at Indivisible Binghamton, discussed the history behind Medicaid’s 1965 enactment and said 56,474 Broome County residents — around a quarter of the population — are Medicaid beneficiaries and that 51 percent of that care is federally funded, with the rest split between county and state governments.

“If Congress’ proposed cut of $880 billion over the next 10 years happens, it will decimate not only the country’s health care plan but right here in Broome County,” Mullen said. “These are big numbers — millions of people and billions of dollars — but in reality, as the doc said, it comes down to our neighbors, our grandparents. It comes down to a disabled student at school, one of our neighbors who we have to drive to dialysis once a week or to a chemo clinic. This is not okay.”

Ann Marie Taliercio, the president of the Central New York Area Labor Federation, discussed the importance of social safety net programs for working people and pushed back on the idea that these services are handouts. She said workers earned the right to participate in programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“Instead of giving all these tax breaks, and doing stuff for the richest Americans, we deserve to have a government that actually helps out all of its people,” said Josh Ludden, a field coordinator for the labor federation.

Delgado concluded the protest. He advocated for continued activism and protest, telling attendees not to just blame the current administration but to examine the “root causes” behind social safety net cuts, which he argued were class conflicts.

“When we talk about cuts to Medicaid, when we talk about cuts to SNAP, when we talk about cuts to education and cuts to our most vulnerable, it’s about cuts to that literal safety net that captures our most vulnerable,” Delgado said. “We are talking about a direct assault on our values and on our principles, a direct assault on freedom, a direct assault on equality, a direct assault on compassion, truth, justice, empathy, a direct assault on our humanity.”

Speaking to reporters, Delgado said he disagreed with U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s decision to support the Republican-drafted continuing resolution two weeks ago, saying Schumer “should have fought.”

Addressing what the governor’s office could do to supplement Medicaid funding losses, Delgado said a plan should be organized and that New York has a responsibility to set an example.

“Whether it’s in the health care space, whether it’s in the education space, in the SNAP space, you know, I don’t think it should just be a scenario where we’re just gonna wait and see,” Delgado told Pipe Dream. “I think it’s important for us to figure out where we can be more intentional with our resources, where we can direct them in a more tangible way to meet these direct needs.”

Quilty said that Indivisible Binghamton has held protests against cuts to “everything on the chopping block,” including the Department of Education, federal worker protections, veteran services and Medicaid. She said the group was founded after the 2016 election and has redoubled protesting, phone-banking and door-knocking efforts after Trump’s reelection.

“These cuts are not just numbers on a page — they represent real people’s lives, families, and futures,” said Ravo Root, a lead organizer at Citizen Action. “We will not stand by while these radical Republicans attempt to dismantle programs that millions of New Yorkers rely on for their very survival. We are here to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, and we will not back down until these cuts are stopped.”

Content Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide.

More than a dozen protesters disrupted a Wednesday night Q Center event featuring a transgender activist who served in the Israel Defense Forces.

Michael Alroy addressed students over Zoom and shared stories about his experience as a transgender man in Israel at the event, which was held in collaboration with Hillel at Binghamton.

“I’ll tell you one thing and this is what my story is about: It’s not just being part of the LGBTQ community and being trans,” Alroy said. “It’s about being and building resilience. So imagine how much crap we all have to go through in life. We all have our own stories, and the whole idea of it is, this is what I want to tell you all: that you come out stronger on the other hand.”

The first protesters arrived at the Q Center a little after 7 p.m., when the event was scheduled to begin, and more entered the room after it had started. Most silently held signs for the duration of Alroy’s hourlong talk, and when the floor was opened for a Q&A, protesters began asking questions and shouting different phrases, like “free, free Palestine” and “no pride in genocide.”

Though an Instagram post promoting the event mentioned Alroy’s background in the IDF, he said during the talk that he did not intend for the event to be political.

“I came to Binghamton University peacefully to share my personal experience as a transgender man to support others who may be facing similar challenges,” Alroy wrote to Pipe Dream following the event. “My talk was not political, nor was it intended to be.”

He largely focused on his experiences as a trans person, growing up first in South Africa and then in Israel, struggling with his mental health as a teenager, and eventually transitioning socially and medically before going to college.

He said that from a young age, he struggled to feel like he belonged but was unable to put the feelings into words until, when he was 15, his mother showed him a document with 15 “symptoms” of being transgender. She didn’t do this to support him, telling him instead never to “do something” about this discovery because nobody would accept him. Feeling isolated and disrespected by his family and peers, Alroy attempted suicide and was sent to a psychiatric hospital, which he described as “hell.”

“We hope attendees take away the understanding that trans and queer identities exist globally and that it is essential to engage with diverse lived experiences,” Chelsea Rego, the executive director of Hillel at Binghamton, wrote to Pipe Dream before the event. “Listening to personal stories, especially from perspectives outside the U.S., helps build greater awareness and inclusivity.”

Over the next few years, Alroy found a girlfriend who saw him for who he really was and started going to a support group, but he had not publicly transitioned. Then, as is mandatory regardless of gender in Israel, he enlisted in the IDF. Alroy briefly mentioned his time serving in the military, saying that he wasn’t in active combat, then moved on to discussing his transition in 2012.

The last portion of his talk centered on his experience coming out in college, where he chose to spread awareness of being transgender instead of hiding his identity. He showed a video, taken by an Israeli news channel, of a gathering he organized to come out to his college peers, where he received overwhelming support.

At the end of the talk, Alroy addressed protesters directly, saying he was “glad” they were in attendance but that he had encountered protesters at previous talks who were unwilling to have a dialogue with him, instead preferring to talk at him.

Protesters then asked Alroy questions about Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip, but the conversation quickly devolved into a shouting match between protesters and event attendees. Officers from the University Police Department soon got involved, repeatedly asking some protesters to leave and eventually forcibly removing them, threatening arrest.

Raymond Bernstein, a junior majoring in social work, said that Alroy had “a very similar experience to what I’ve dealt with my entire life” and that he finally “found someone who understands what I have been through in a more serious way.”

“He came to talk to other trans youth to try to make them feel more comfortable and let them know that they’re not alone,” Bernstein said. “And these pro-Palestinians scared off everybody and made everyone feel uncomfortable with asking questions that they wanted to ask him.”

“And instead of this being a space where we felt comfortable and were able to open up, we felt terrified to tell our truths because these people — they scare us,” he added. “But we say it anyway because we are here for the speaker, we’re not here for those people.”

Leila Nations and her wife Rend, activists who do not attend BU, were key players in the demonstration. Rend, who cited her background as part of her motivation for protesting the talk, is a queer Palestinian.

Nations approached the camera toward the beginning of the demonstration and addressed Alroy directly.

“You are coming to people and telling people that you’re an IDF soldier, right?” Nations said. “Like, that’s something that you are. Your identity is coming forward. Your transness is coming forward.”

“You’re saying that there should be a dialogue with every single one of these people, and these people are here ready to have a dialogue with you, but you’re saying that that you’re not going to actually have that dialogue, so you’re either being a hypocrite, or you’re just avoiding to talk to people who support Palestinians, most of whom are queer and most of whom are trans,” she continued.

As Alroy attempted to respond, Rend interrupted to ask him to explain how he’s “depoliticizing” his “political identities” as a transgender Israeli person, and she and other protesters drowned out Alroy’s answer. Rend was removed by the campus police officers, and Nations followed shortly afterward. Before she left, Nations and Alroy tentatively agreed to meet at a later date over YouTube Live to discuss further.

As they were pulled out of the room, protesters shouted that the event and police response were a “stain on the Q Center’s reputation.”

Samuél, the president of The Yiddish Bund of Binghamton, also attended the event as a protester. He told Pipe Dream that he saw the Q Center’s involvement in this event as hypocritical, given what he saw as its support for a March 3 Pinkwashing educational presentation organized by the Rainbow Pride Union and Students for Justice in Palestine.

“So it’s like this country or this occupation that puts on like a facade of progressivism, but then goes and indiscriminately bombs Palestinians, which includes queer and trans Palestinians, including a lot of children,” he said. “So we were sure to point out the hypocrisy in the Q Center in having an IOF soldier here who’s gonna hide behind their trans identity to do PR, essentially for the Israeli occupation.”

Samuél called on the Q Center to issue a formal apology, identifying “how they did wrong,” and to work with “organizations that actually support human rights” in the future.

“Hillel at Binghamton remains committed to fostering open and respectful dialogue, where all students can engage with diverse perspectives in a safe and supportive environment,” Rego wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream after the event. “While we recognize that conversations on complex topics can evoke strong emotions, we encourage all expressions of viewpoint to be shared in a manner that fosters constructive dialogue and mutual respect.”

“We appreciate the efforts of campus staff and security in supporting a safe and inclusive environment for all attendees,” they continued.” Our goal remains to provide meaningful opportunities for learning and engagement, and we look forward to fostering future discussions that encourage mutual respect, open-mindedness, and a genuine exchange of perspectives.”

Mansha Rahman, a junior double-majoring in art and design and Spanish who works in the Q Center, was among the protesters. They said the turnaround for planning the event was quick and that the center’s professional and student staff did not have much say.

They said that while the Q Center did not fund the event, it sent a poor message to queer Palestinian and Muslim students, in part referring to Alroy’s social media page, which they said spread negative “rhetoric about Islam.”

“I grew up Muslim, but I still feel really strongly about the representation of those people on this campus,” Rahman, who also serves as president of the Rainbow Pride Union, said. “I don’t see enough attention or enough collabs or anything or enough effort put into doing stuff with Muslim student organizations, Muslim student associations and other multicultural organizations.”

The Q Center declined to comment before and after the event. A University spokesperson and Alroy did not return separate requests for comment.

“The purpose of last night’s event was to foster an environment of education and dialogue,” wrote Arielle Schlissel, Hillel’s president and a senior double-majoring in psychology and anthropology, and Myles Resnick, the organization’s executive vice president and senior with an individualized major in mass media studies. “We believe that learning from one another and having meaningful conversations is key to understanding each other and gaining mutual respect. However, the event was disrupted by protestors who created an environment that was extremely uncomfortable and unsafe for the Jewish students in attendance.”

“The actions of those who disrupted the event made it so that the event was almost unable to continue,” they added. “This event was meant to be a space to learn and understand the complex identity of being Jewish and Queer. We hope that moving forward we are able to have meaningful dialogue that builds a greater understanding of others. We will continue to advocate for the voices of Queer Jewish individuals to be heard and for all members of our community to feel safe on Binghamton’s campus.”

Editor’s Note (3/20): A previous version of this article misstated Resnick’s year. He is a senior. The UJA-Federation of New York has also been removed from the list of the event’s sponsors. Pipe Dream regrets the errors.

Created in 2015, the charter calls on higher education institutions to “embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates,” and to “lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.” Since then, it has been adopted by 37 colleges and universities as of Feb. 24. Viewing health and wellness holistically, the charter emphasizes the value of environmental sustainability to support the health of people, communities and the world.

The University adopted the charter during last Friday’s B-Healthy Summit, where it was signed by President Harvey Stenger, Chief Health and Wellness Officer Johann Fiore-Conte and representatives from the Divisions of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Operations, as well as the University Foundation, the Office of Sustainability, the Student Association and the Graduate Student Organization.

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, The Ohio State University’s vice president for health promotion and chief wellness officer, delivered a keynote address touching on the importance of preventative care, encouraging a shift from “sick and crisis care to prevention and well-being” in the United States, according to a report from BingUNews.

Melnyk then led a discussion with experts on how to enhance well-being among students and health care workers. The panelists were Dr. Ann Teng, the vice president and chief wellness officer at United Health Services; Alice Teall, senior director of wellness at Kenyon College; and Jennifer Wegmann, a lecturer in the Health and Wellness Studies Department. They discussed approaches to stress management and presented a “wish list” of actions for organizations to adopt to promote mental wellness.

From the Healthy Campus Initiative, B-Healthy, to the Office of Sustainability, the University has a variety of health and wellness programs. Fiore-Conte, also an associate vice president for student affairs, said that adopting the charter represents a “commitment (or re-commitment)” to health, wellness and sustainability.

“Great work is currently being done throughout campus that aligns with the guiding principles of the Okanagan Charter,” Fiore-Conte wrote. “It seems only natural that Binghamton would adopt the Charter as a formal and public commitment to the continuation of this work in a systematic and sustainable way on our campus.”

B-Healthy uses a “nine-dimension model of wellness” created in 2012 that prioritizes various parts of students’ health, including emotional, financial and physical, among others. The initiative is responsible for services like distributing free safe sex and menstrual products available around campus.

The Office of Sustainability, established in 2023, oversees projects and initiatives to promote environmental stewardship and “leads a coordinated effort to track goals and metrics for the campus,” according to a University spokesperson.

Looking to the future of wellness at the University, Fiore-Conte mentioned the construction of a new 75,000-square-foot addition to the East Gym and “substantial investments” in new staff positions within divisions like the University Counseling Center, CARE Team and Services for Students with Disabilities.

“Adopting the Okanagan Charter is a significant step in enriching the University’s commitment to health and well-being for its students, faculty and staff,” Stenger said. “This is a holistic approach to prioritizing health that will allow us to build on Binghamton’s strengths in health science and research and in communicating important ideas about personal health to members of the University community. My thanks go out to all of the people who will make this a healthier and more sustainable place to live, work and study.”

Burnett, a Democrat, joined dozens of supporters downtown at Atomic Tom’s, a bar and art space. Organizers distributed campaign literature and petitions for his nomination on the party’s primary ballot. Burnett’s friends and family, local business owners and public officials like City Clerk Sarah Dinhofer, City Council President Michael Dundon and Councilmember Kinya Middleton were among those in attendance.

The incumbent mayor, Jared Kraham, a Republican, has yet to announce his campaign for reelection. Burnett is looking become the first Democrat elected as Binghamton’s mayor since Matt Ryan ‘83, who served from 2006 to 2013.

After people ate, mingled and signed petitions, introductory speeches were given by Omar Acosta-Nuñez, a campaign organizer and first-year graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Administration, and Broome County Democratic Chair Karen Beebe. Acosta-Nuñez described the importance of community, energy and momentum in successful campaigns, while Beebe emphasized Burnett’s local connections.

Burnett served as deputy chief of staff to State Sen Lea Webb ‘04 from 2023 to 2024. He also worked as an aide to a former New York City councilman and as executive director of a nonprofit tasked with “advancing small business growth and economic development projects.”

Beebe then introduced Burnett, who took the stage to a thundering round of applause. After thanking his family for their support, he said that local government plays a critical role, especially in light of recent federal developments that threaten “critical protections and resources.”

Turning to his campaign platform, Burnett listed a number of issues — from the housing crisis to public safety — he plans to address as mayor. He advocated expanding access to home ownership while holding “absentee and out-of-town landlords accountable.” He said that increased funding for violence prevention programs and mental health resources were vital to improving community safety and shared his plans for younger Binghamton residents.

“I’m very passionate about expanding our youth services here in the city,” Burnett said. “We need to increase mentorship programs and job training and recreational opportunities for our young people. We want them to stay here. I mean, we have so many people who come to this community, go to Binghamton University or SUNY Broome, and then as soon as they’re done — because they can’t find a place to live or there’s no job opportunities — they’re gone. We need to retain our young people and be investing in the next generation.”

He further pledged to “cut red tape” that harms entrepreneurs and invest in small businesses, urging residents to shop locally in areas like the Downtown Business District.

Michael Kane, a member of activist group Citizen Action of New York who sits on the Binghamton City Democratic Committee, said he approved of Burnett’s promise to reexamine the city’s “blue bag” policy, which requires residents to purchase and dispose of trash in special blue plastic bags. Before the rule was implemented in 1991, property taxes were used to pay a fee for every ton of garbage dropped at the Broome County Landfill. Critics of the bag rule have argued that it passes the cost of trash disposal to individuals like renters, rather than landlords or property owners.

Several local candidates attended the campaign event, including Nick Libous, the son of the late New York State Sen. Tom Libous, a Republican who represented the Binghamton area for more than 20 years. Libous, who changed his party registration several years ago, announced his candidacy for Broome County Clerk earlier in the month. Also in attendance was Christina Charuk, a teacher running for mayor of Johnson City.

Dinner was prepared by Robin Drayton, a local Democrat who regularly caters food for political events and for the unhoused community. Dessert was provided by Carol Grippen, owner of Creative Confections by Carol and member of the Democratic Women of Broome County.

“I think that first you need to focus on the issues that matter to young voters, not just taking their vote for granted and telling them to show up on Election Day,” Burnett told Pipe Dream. “And then I think that once I’m the mayor of Binghamton, it’s keeping young voices involved in my administration, starting a Youth Advisory Board, possibly putting someone on the City Council that is a nonvoting member that represents youth in our community.”

“We have an incredible group of young people living in this community, and we need to be retaining them and making sure that they stay here by having access to good-paying jobs and making sure that there is safe, affordable housing for them to build a future here,” he added.

Editor’s Note (2/27): This article was edited to clarify the positions of the legislative leaders who attended the campaign launch.

Representatives of the American Civic Association, the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society, the Sociology Department, the Young Democratic Socialists of America and LASU all spoke at the protest.

LASU called for the University’s full noncooperation with ICE, protection for student activists, statements denouncing ICE raids and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and full protection for migrant workers on campus in an Instagram post preceding the event.

“The Latin American Student Union refuses to stay silent while undocumented students and students of color are ignored,” the post read.

Standing by the Pegasus statue, students held posters and flags signaling their solidarity with undocumented immigrants. Donna Villa, the president of LASU, urged students to represent the groups of people they were fighting for while carrying the Ecuadorian flag in honor of her parents, who came from Ecuador.

Speakers called on the campus community and University administration to advocate for undocumented students, emphasizing barriers to legal immigration pathways and the necessity of University programs that support immigrant students.

“We, as an immigrant community, understand firsthand the challenges of navigating a system that can often be unwelcome and hostile,” said Laila Hernandez ‘18, the deputy director of the American Civic Association, in a speech. “We know the struggles of finding secure employment, facing discrimination and navigating a complex legal landscape. Therefore, I believe it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with all those who fight for a more just world.”

In his first month in office, immigration policy has been at the forefront of Trump’s executive actions. He declared a national emergency at the southwestern border, proposed an end to universal birthright citizenship — which a fourth federal judge blocked last Thursday in federal court — and placed limitations on asylum access. He also began sending undocumented immigrants residing in the United States to Guantánamo Bay for the first time in U.S. history.

Trump has also placed restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, an action that, while not directly targeting immigrants, could impact immigrant students.

In a speech, Jayden Perez, LASU’s secretary and political coordinator, highlighted the organization’s “deep ties” to SUNY’s Educational Opportunity Program, which admits students from lower economic backgrounds who show academic promise and supports them through their collegiate experiences. With a New York gubernatorial race approaching, he said there is uncertainty surrounding future state immigration law and whether that could impact the University’s response to these issues moving forward.

“We will face enemies to undocumented immigrants from Democrats and Republicans alike in the upcoming governor election,” Perez, a senior majoring in psychology and also pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration, said. “And should this happen, will the University continue to have our backs? Or will they immediately cave to pressure from outside? We are here today to show the University that we are strong and that we stand up to protect one another.”

Villa, a senior double-majoring in political science and history, also called on the administration to implement an online resource page for undocumented students. While she acknowledged the recent email sent to the entire campus community from SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., she noted that University President Harvey Stenger has not made any statements himself.

In the email, King mentioned an executive order continued by Gov. Kathy Hochul that requires a judicial warrant or order for federal immigration officials to make any arrests within state facilities like SUNY campuses.

“From our founding, SUNY’s mission has been ‘to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population,’” King wrote in the email. “We have no intention of backing away from that mission and its inherent commitment to a diverse and inclusive university and society.”

A University spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.

George Ygarza, a postdoctoral fellow in the Sociology Department who is a child of immigrants, spoke about his faith in community organizing. He added that U.S. military intervention and sanctions have played a role in creating the influx of immigration across the country.

“We are the consequence of empire, and treating immigrants like disposable entities is not the way forward but continues the legacy of white supremacy and colonialism,” Ygarza said.

Jackie Gomez, a junior double-majoring in musical theatre and Africana studies who represented the University’s YDSA chapter, compared the struggles of immigrants today to that of Irish immigrants during the potato famine or Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution, saying immigrants from across the globe have been scapegoated throughout history.

Toward the end of the rally, ‘Know Your Rights’ cards, small slips intended to remind undocumented immigrants of their constitutional rights, were handed out among those assembled. The crowd marched, chanting things like “No fear, no hate, we don’t want ICE in our state!,” and “When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!”

“We stand in solidarity with immigrants, and we greatly denounce mass deportation,” said Chelsea Brothers, the political coordinator for the Thurgood Marshall Pre-Law Society and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law. “Speak up about this issue. Get angry at this issue — we have the right to. Don’t be silent for it equals complicity. Hear their cries for they matter too.”

The event saw appearances by several notable Republicans, including the current clerk, Joseph Mihalko; Richard Bucci, the mayor of Binghamton from 1994 to 2005; Johnson City Mayor Martin Meaney; and Port Dickinson Mayor Kevin Burke.

After an introduction and endorsement from Mihalko, who has served as Broome County clerk for eight years, David delivered a brief speech centered around his gratitude for the friends and family who have supported his campaign. If elected, David would act as records management officer for all Broome County records and as an agent to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

“I want to make the office more efficient, and I would also like to expand access more into the rural areas,” David told Pipe Dream. “Right now, the primary offices are in the city of Binghamton and in the Triple Cities, but in the rural areas, there’s a lack of access, so I’d like to explore what’s called a mobile DMV.”

Though county clerks are traditionally responsible for running elections, Broome County designates that authority to the Board of Elections. David and Mihalko both said county clerks do not have the authority to defy President Donald Trump’s executive order banning sex marker changes on IDs. With these limitations in mind, they said the position is not a partisan one.

“There’s no Democratic or Republican way to file deeds or mortgages, nor passport applications or car registrations or driver’s licenses,” Mihalko said in his introduction of David. “It’s all about service — service to the community and to our constituents.”

Despite the sentiment, Mihalko said he was confident that David was a “true Republican.”

David is running in a primary against fellow Republican Aaron Martin, the clerk of the Broome County Legislature who, according to David, was previously not a registered Republican, belonging instead to the Conservative Party. Martin did not immediately return Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

If he wins in June, he could face Nick Libous, the only Democrat currently in the race and the son of the late New York State Sen. Tom Libous, in the general election. Libous, a vice president at Wireless Construction Solutions, previously ran for a State Senate seat on the Republican and Conservative lines but switched his political affiliation several years ago, according to reporting from WIVT. Pipe Dream was unable to reach Libous for comment.

“You have three individuals, and two of them have abandoned their values and their former party for political expediency or political opportunity, because it might be easier for them,” David said of his opponents.

Aside from partisan allegiance, David said his extensive public- and private-sector experience in Binghamton is an asset to his candidacy. After his mayoralty ended, David opened the sports bar Stadium 148 on Washington Street. In 2022, he lost a close race to State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 to represent New York’s 52nd Senate District.

“I think he’s a man of integrity,” Mihalko said of David. “I think he’s an all-around great guy. He’s got a positive outlook on things, a great vision. He led the city for eight years, and I think he’s able to take over the office and keep moving it forward like we have for the past eight years.”

David said that though some may be surprised by his decision to run for county clerk after serving as mayor and that his political opponents have tried to spread “false narratives,” including that if elected, he would seek higher office before his term expires. He added that he missed public service after his time in government ended.

“I like the fact that there’s so many different interactions with multiple levels of government,” David said. “I love that there’s more interaction with people directly, on the frontlines, than I really had when I was mayor.”

The Gay Men’s Health Crisis oral histories project led by Sean Massey, an associate professor in women, gender and sexuality studies, and Thomas Holland, the Q Center’s outreach graduate assistant’s “From Stonewall to oSTEM,” honor the long-ignored lives and generational stories of LGBTQ+ people in Binghamton.

“I know at least in the early ’90s, there was a chapter of ACT UP, which is the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, in Binghamton,” said Casey Adrian ‘22, MSW ‘24, a social science researcher at Cornell University who worked on Massey’s oral history project. “They were active, both in the community and also on the Binghamton campus. I know a lot of Binghamton students were involved in that. And if you know anything about ACT UP, they were a very radical militant organization that was very unhappy with the government’s lack of response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”

The Harpur Gay Liberation Front was founded in October of 1970 following an ad in The Colonial News, now Pipe Dream, gauging interest in forming a gay activist group on campus. The group was modeled after a national namesake, the Gay Liberation Front, a radical anti-assimilationist group dedicated to queer liberation.

Around the same time, there were queer and leftist student publications, like The Other Voice and Looking Left, and a newsletter, The Amethyst, published by Save Your Own Life. There was also a lesbian group, Herizon, on campus.

Both a political and social organization, the Harpur Gay Liberation Front led political actions, hosted teach-ins and were connected to chapters at other universities. They also held dances and donut socials.

“Especially for queer people, I think that that social aspect is inherently political,” Holland, a graduate student studying adolescent education in social studies, said: “Having those dances is inherently political. Reclaiming these events, like proms, is inherently, [if] not political, it’s a stance that you’re taking.”

The organization’s founders both died of AIDS-related complications in the 1990s, Holland said, but some first-generation members are still alive today, including Sarah Cruz, who he interviewed for his project. She told him that up to the 1990s, the group was more focused on political organizing — they drew pink triangles around campus, sent members to work on the AIDS memorial quilt and would stage campus protests.

“They would do things like break into the bowling alley and steal bowling balls and stuff like that, which is crazy because she gave me one of the bowling balls that they stole,” Holland said. “So in my apartment, I have a bowling ball from like 1994 that says SUNY Binghamton.”

Although the group’s relationship with the University administration was rocky, it was never outright hostile. They fought for a designated space on campus, which they eventually obtained, and were included in student handbooks starting in 1975. Still, a lot of LGBTQ+ students felt ostracized by the administration because of queer erasure in history and human sexuality classes.

“They had to fight to get what they had, but they were given space to fight for it,” Holland said.

In the late 1990s, though, he described a growing tension between the activist “old guard” and newer members more interested in the social side of things. Around that time, the organization was renamed the Rainbow Pride Union, and it started to gain a reputation as a hookup spot for gay students more than a liberation group.

Thirty-five years later, RPU is trying to reclaim its political roots. This semester, they are organizing on-campus protests, planning to attend Binghamton Town Hall meetings, and last year, they signed onto the Divest from Death statement, calling on the Student Association to pressure the University to implement principles of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.

In the ’70s and ’80s, queer life in Binghamton was inextricably tied to queer life on campus. Students frequented the gay bars downtown, and locals took advantage of the resources LGBTQ+ student organizations provided, like the Harpur Gay Liberation Front’s “gay hotline.”

“It wasn’t just Binghamton students that were using it, in The Colonial News or Pipe Dream, there’s a little note from a local Binghamton high schooler that was like, ‘I’ve used this gay hotline, it’s really helped me,’” Holland said.

In fact, Cruz and some of her friends actually started attending Harpur Gay Liberation Front meetings when they were going to high school in Binghamton, Holland said.

Nowadays, with fewer gay bars in Binghamton and around the country, both Adrian and Holland highlighted queer-owned businesses downtown, like Parlor City Vegan and the Lost Dog Cafe, as unofficial gathering spots.

Anyone interested in learning more about the history of gay organizing in Binghamton can explore Massey’s Gay Men’s Health Crisis oral histories, Holland’s “From Stonewall to oSTEM” — which has a timeline up outside the Q Center — and “Boy with a Bullhorn,” a personal history of New York’s ACT UP chapter written by Ron Goldberg ‘80, a self-described “nice gay Jewish theater queen turned AIDS activist.”

There is so much more to Binghamton’s LGBTQ+ history that can never be discovered, partially because of how many lives were lost during the AIDS crisis. Still, projects like Holland’s provide a valuable window into the rich, fraught, joyful, scary gay life in cities across America.

“Everywhere, in every city, but I know from personal experience in Binghamton, there are older queer people in the community who, similarly are just really excited to talk about their lives and what they lived through,” said Adrian. “I would very much urge college students to not discount older community members and their stories and what they can offer for guidance.”

The presidential action declared that the United States defines sex as a fixed, binary marker, which may make it more difficult for transgender and gender-nonconforming Americans — particularly trans women — to access gender-affirming healthcare and other resources at schools or in the workplace. The order has created widespread fear and confusion among LGBTQ+ individuals, with many unclear about its exact scope and legal viability.

Section One of the executive order states that “ideologues” have permitted men to self-identify as women, gaining access to single-sex spaces and activities and harming women’s rights. In Section Two, the order redefines the words sex, women, men, girls, boys, female, male, gender ideology and identity. “Female” is defined as “a person belonging, at conception, to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell” — a definition that has been criticized by medical and legal experts like Kellan E. Baker, the executive director of the Institute for Health Research & Policy at Whitman-Walker, a health services network. In an interview with ABC News, Baker rejected the idea that sex is “a singular, binary, immutable trait.”

Eve Feinberg, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said “nobody is male or female at fertilization.”

“Everybody has some combination of X and Y chromosomes, but it’s not until between nine to 13 weeks of gestation that formation of the internal reproductive organs begins, and this is not a binary ‘male’ or ‘female’ pathway,” Feinberg said in a Northwestern Now article.

Section Three directs government agencies to enforce sex-based rights, protections, opportunities and accommodations based on the aforementioned definitions, to use the term sex instead of gender in government documents, and to remove all statements, policies and forms that “promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology.”

It also instructs the secretaries of state and homeland security to implement changes requiring individuals’ gender markers on government IDs to correspond with their sex as defined in Section Two. This order only impacts new IDs. It is not retroactive, and previously issued IDs with the gender marker X are still valid and usable.

Finally, Section Three directs the attorney general to “issue guidance” on how government agencies can correct the alleged misapplication of Bostock v. Clayton County (2020), a Supreme Court case holding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or transgender status.

The majority opinion, authored by Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, ensures workplace protections against discrimination for transgender individuals. Single-gender spaces, however, were not explicitly litigated in Bostock v. Clayton County, and the Trump administration could alter provisions surrounding transgender individuals’ locker rooms and bathroom access.

Section Four mandates that trans women be housed with male inmates and prohibits them from accessing gender-affirming care while incarcerated. On Feb. 4, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Bureau of Prisons from enacting this order, saying that the three transgender women who brought forward the petition had “straightforwardly demonstrated that irreparable harm will follow.”

“Sending her to an all-male prison will be the end of her,” a mother and sister of one of the three transgender inmates wrote in a letter. “She will get sexually assaulted and even possibly killed for being who she is. She is a citizen designated as a female and deserves protection like any other human.”

The order further instructed agency heads to rescind a series of documents, including “U.S. Department of Education Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students” and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s “Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace.”

Some portions of the executive order have been challenged in court, with the American Civil Liberties Union filing a lawsuit that said the policy preventing gender marker changes on U.S. passports goes against Constitutional rights. Still, critics argue the ideology reflected in the presidential action will perpetuate harm against queer and transgender people.

“Even though the U.S., I don’t consider that to be the most progressive country in the world, I finally thought that we were getting to a place where I felt so much more safe to be myself and to be nonbinary, but to already hear that the U.S. is only legalizing these two genders is just crazy to me for a multitude of reasons,” said Mansha Rahman, president of the Rainbow Pride Union, a student manager at the Q Center and a junior double-majoring in art and design and Spanish.

The shop was born from a dream Pan had in 2012 — literally.

“I feel like I’m kind of witchy,” Pan said. “I have premonition dreams sometimes, and I dreamt of the logo and the location, and then my mom also had a similar dream.”

At the time, Pan’s father was fixing computers for a living, and the family was looking for a way to make more money. With bubble tea’s growing popularity in the United States and no other authentic boba shops in the area at the time, Pan saw an opportunity.

In 2012, Pan graduated from high school in Johnson City and was taking classes at SUNY Broome Community College, but she made time to handle the tea house’s marketing and branding. She was also one of the shop’s four everyday employees, along with her sister, mother and father. Her sister has since moved to San Francisco, so now it is just Pan and her parents running things.

It took the family just under a year following the dreams about Nihao Tea House to officially open up the shop. During that time, the family researched Taiwanese techniques for authentic tea making. Pan said her father took classes in Taiwan to perfect the tapioca.

“A lot of it was learning how to do the techniques,” Pan said. “How to make it perfectly, how to cook the tapioca perfectly, because not to toot my own horn, but I think we have the best tapioca in the area, and that’s what we get comments about all of the time. So we really are proud of our technique.”

Once the business was up and running, Pan said they thrived because of their loyal customer base in Binghamton, where people are eager to support local small businesses.

“Having a really great product translates to having good customers and a long-lasting clientele,” Pan said.

Pan’s father emigrated from Taiwan to the United States to study computer science at Binghamton University and met her mother on a vacation back to Taiwan. They share their daughter’s witchy side — when they went to a psychic together just after meeting, they found that their fortunes pointed towards each other. The two got married within the week, and a year later, Pan’s mother moved with her father back to the United States.

With their heritage in mind, they knew they wanted to commemorate Taiwanese culture and food through Nihao Tea Cafe. With all of their teas sourced from Taiwan, they have totaled over 35 flavors of milk and fruit tea, taking classes and pursuing research to ensure their product is the highest quality.

Pan described the tradeoffs to starting a business so young, losing friends because of her tight schedule between working, high school and eventually obtaining her bachelor’s and then master’s in marketing at the University. But she said the experience also helped foster stronger relationships between her and her closest friends, who would come visit her at the cafe.

Since Nihao Tea Cafe was last featured in Pipe Dream in 2018, Pan said the shop has changed a lot. They added smoothies as a healthier alternative to the delicious — but high in sugar — classic bubble tea. Additionally, they have planned some new marketing tactics. Pan, who is also an artist, will make new hand-drawn stickers every month for returning customers, starting with a Valentine’s sticker launching in February.

Last week, the shop held a Lunar New Year promotion. Patrons who purchased two or more drinks received a red envelope, a classic Lunar New Year tradition typically given to children or family members for good luck, with a blessing inside instead of cash.

Long term, Pan is looking forward to a day when her father will be able to take a step back from the business.

“My dad really likes playing golf, so I really want to be able to make enough money and things like that to help him retire so he can play golf every day,” Pan said. “But yeah, I feel like we’ll still be open.”

While her parents are still working at the shop, Pan said she really values the time they spend together each Tuesday when the shop is closed. They plan family dinners and get a chance to relax together after working hard all week.

Nihao Tea House is open every other day from noon to 7 p.m. except for Saturday when it is open from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Pan has recommendations for both bubble tea lovers and newbies alike.

“For a good starter bubble tea, I would always recommend taro or mango, and that could be in any of our forms, like a milk tea, fruit tea, a slush,” Pan said. “Personally, I really like the slushes, and [they are] really popular amongst kids too.”

“For a person that has already had bubble tea and wants to try something new, I really recommend the white peach fruit tea with strawberry jelly or strawberry pop,” Pan added. “I think that’s a super amazing refreshing combo, and I recommend it all the freaking time to everyone that comes in.”

Spearheaded by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Distinguished Speaker Series, the event saw King joined by moderators Nkiru Nzegwu, a SUNY distinguished professor of Africana studies and the founder of the digital platform Africa Knowledge Project, and Donald Hall, the University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

It was co-sponsored by the president’s office, the provost’s office, the Africana Studies Department, the Student Association’s vice president for multicultural affairs, the Black Student Union, the University Gospel Choir and the Pi Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

The fireside chat, held in the Osterhout Concert Theater, tackled a range of recent political events and social justice issues. It was followed by a signing of “What Is My Legacy?” a book written by King, Arndrea Waters King, Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger.

“As students at Binghamton University, each of you have unlimited potential to make a difference in the world, and now, more than ever, that potential is needed to confront today’s many challenges,” King wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream sent before the talk. “You have the power to define your own path and create your own legacy. I hope it is one of service that defines not only your career but in how you show up for your community and country. It is precisely during times of division and chaos that your voice, your actions, and your commitment to justice matter most.”

“Your legacy won’t just be defined by your achievements — it will be shaped by the service you offer to others and the ways in which you help enhance the lives of others,” he added. “So, study hard and learn to think critically, act with compassion, and tap into that vast well of potential to help create a future that is better for everyone.”

Through his work as a human rights activist, philanthropist and advocate, King has continued his father’s legacy, fighting for human rights and combating racism, violence and poverty. Like his father, King addresses social, political and economic injustices while advocating for the rights of marginalized communities through nonviolent means.

A performance of Marvin Sapp’s “Praise Him In Advance,” started off the evening, followed by introductions from Karen Jones, the University’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, and Sean Pena, a member of the Pi Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. The crowd then heard Aiyana George, the publications coordinator of the Black Student Union and a senior majoring in cinema, perform a spoken-word poem.

“Where are the stories for girls like me,” George began. “The dreamers, the doers, the ones who wear their skin like a crown, who dance through the world with the scent of possibility, who write their journeys on the thunder of society.”

A standing ovation began as King and the two faculty members took the stage. Nzegwu, also a Nelson Mandela visiting professor at Rhodes University in South Africa and a professor extraordinarius at the University of South Africa, and Hall asked King questions about several subjects, including politics, government, nonviolence and youth political involvement.

King said many Americans have become desensitized to violence, pointing to the normalization of active shooter drills in schools and the mainstream media’s focus on polarizing news. To create meaningful progress in overcoming the “triple evils” of poverty, racism and violence, King said, civility needs to return to political discourse.

He spoke about his experience as one of the first Black students at a recently integrated public elementary school, saying that at the time, one student frequently called him names and acted hatefully toward him. King noted that even at a young age, this student was troubled. He told an anecdote, emphasizing his decision to connect with the student on a human level, complimenting his artwork.

“What do you feel your future is in a nation that has so many amazing ethnic groups and people, and we don’t all have to be the same,” King said. “We don’t even all have to agree on every issue. Sometimes, we have to disagree without being disagreeable.”

All Americans deserve access to housing, health care, education and justice, King added, addressing the persisting fractured political climate in the United States. He mentioned some of President Donald Trump’s controversial executive orders, his immigration policy and the threats imposed more broadly on civil rights across the country.

Throughout the conversation, King expressed strong concern at the violence and polarization he sees in today’s America. Taking a more optimistic perspective, he also emphasized his hopes for the future, especially in light of growing youth action and advocacy.

King described an occasion when his daughter, Yolanda Renee King, asked former President Barack Obama what would be done about gun control, adding that she spoke out against gun violence at March for Our Lives. He praised her ability, and many other young people’s, to be uncompromising in their values.

Ending the discussion, Yvedrenne Pierre, the vice president of the Black Student Union and a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, asked King some questions submitted by students and alumni. Responding to one about lessons his parents taught him, King discouraged insincere idolization of his father, urging listeners to instead live each day by his values.

“What he would want us to do is to live and embrace the ideals,” King said. “Because when the third Monday of January comes around every year, we take the idol off the shelf, we dust it off, we look at it, ‘this is great.’ We do something one day, and then we go back and put the idol back on the shelf. It’s not that, it really is embracing the ideals of peace and justice and equity and freedom.”

A Martin Luther King Jr. statue, unveiled in 2010, stands on Binghamton’s River Walk at the Court Street Bridge. On Jan. 20, community members and local political officials gathered in Binghamton celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr with prayers, spiritual music and speeches from local leaders.

“Being in the presence of and hearing the words of MLK III was incredibly inspirational,” wrote Ari Hoffman, a freshman majoring in political science. “He continues to honor the legacy of his father and the other numerous civil rights activities of the 20th century in such a beautiful way.”

“We are looking for exceptional leaders who are seeking the uncommon opportunity of starting a fraternity here at Binghamton rather than joining one,” wrote Pi Kappa Phi leadership consultant Cormac O’Dear. “Each member will collectively decide who Pi Kappa Phi is on campus and actively create a presence from the moment they join.”

In an Instagram post, BU’s chapter of Pi Kappa Phi boasted 15 years of history at the University, and O’Dear said the organization was active beginning in 2010. The listed cause of de-chartering in September 2015 was an alleged alcohol-related individual conduct violation of Pi Kappa Phi’s risk management policy. The case was not adjudicated because of the fraternity’s closure the next month, which appears to be because of violations of their interim suspension.

L.C. Coghill, the senior director of off-campus and fraternity and sorority life, did not return a request for comment on the fraternity’s 2015 closure.

Founded in 1904 at the College of Charleston, Pi Kappa Phi has 187 active chapters in the United States. In 1977, Pi Kappa Phi became the first fraternity to start its own philanthropic organization, The Ability Experience, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting disabled people through awareness campaigns, fundraising and volunteering.

“The Ability Experience strives to instill a passion for lifelong service in our fraternity members while helping to empower people living with disabilities,” O’Dear wrote.

Pi Kappa Phi chapters host educational empathy training events that “simulate” the experiences of disabled people and advocate for the use of person-first language, or putting the person before their disability when referring to them. Many disability advocacy groups champion person-first language, while others prefer identity-first language, which places the disability before the person, including many deaf and autistic advocacy groups. A study published in the National Institutes of Health journal suggests asking individuals’ preferences or using a mix of both when referring to a group.

Pi Kappa Phi has raised over $20 million for The Ability Experience. These funds are “distributed across the country to benefit people with disabilities,” and give Pi Kappa Phi members volunteer opportunities. The Theta Omega Chapter does not yet have a fundraising page through the organization’s website.

Pi Kappa Phi chapters are encouraged to build “volunteer relationships” with local community organizations, where members participate in activities ranging from bowling and renovating facilities to buddy programs.

“Members of Pi Kappa Phi support The Ability Experience in a variety of ways — fundraising through cycling events or through campus-wide philanthropy weeks, hands-on volunteering with organizations that serve the disability community, Ability Camps where members spend a weekend making camps that serve the disability community more accessible, etc.,” O’Dear wrote.

The fraternity plans to host rush events and fundraisers for The Ability Experience this semester. Students interested in rushing can learn more at https://pikapp.org/ or by visiting the fraternity’s Instagram account, @pikappbinghamton.

Anthony was born with fibular hemimelia, a birth defect that led to the amputation of his lower leg. He is no stranger to adversity, having experienced a house fire that killed his grandmother and physical and sexual abuse at a young age. Anthony described the immense gratitude he has for his mother and aunt, who saved his prosthetic leg in the fire and worked multiple jobs to send him to private school.

“The reason why I choose to use my platform and my voice is because there may be someone here who’s going through what I’ve gone through, or who knows someone else who’s going through what I’m going through,” Anthony said. “So I choose to use my voice, to be a victor and not a victim, because I know that my voice is power.”

His desire to help others has taken on many forms, from music to acting to athletics. As a teenager, Anthony wanted to be a rapper — he saw himself as the “prosthetic-leg Tupac.” Anthony still enjoys the music, putting on a short rap performance during the talk. Still, he said he only really started to thrive after embracing his disability.

In 2019, Anthony helped produce an Emmy-nominated 17-minute short film about his life called “Able.” He has also appeared on multiple TV shows — including “America Ninja Warrior,” where he hopes to return and become the first amputee to climb the whirlpool. Anthony also has an upcoming show with actor Billy Crystal called “Winston,” set to air in January.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Anthony struggled with depression while trying to homeschool his kids, keep his job and support his wife, who worked at a hospital. Anthony then described finding hope in the butterflies he saw outside, which he viewed as a transformative symbol, encouraging him to get back on his feet and pursue a new goal.

“I started to train for a triathlon, and I had this vision of me crossing the finish line with the USA kit, USA across my chest and my last name,” Anthony said.

He sought a triathlon training program and worked toward becoming an athlete, attending a qualifier where he placed well enough to earn a place on Team USA. He rose from unranked in 2022 to 16th in the world today.

Anthony also played for the world’s only all-amputee basketball team and traveled to schools to give motivational speeches. On one trip, they received a message from a 13-year-old girl who was failing school, struggling with her parents’ divorce and planned to commit suicide the next weekend. She said his speech inspired her not to give up and hoped the message could help her peers too. Anthony described this as the moment he realized he wanted to be a motivational speaker and advocate.

After producing the film, he was hired to work in the prosthetic industry for the company that made his first leg as a kid, Hanger Clinic. His work has taken him worldwide — from Haiti to the Philippines — raising money and awareness for amputees. Last month, he climbed a volcano in Ecuador to raise money for kids in need of prosthetics who cannot afford them.

In the future, Anthony will pursue advocacy in the United States, mentioning his work to get sports prosthetics, categorized as luxuries, covered by insurance. While eight states have addressed this issue so far, he plans to raise that number to 28 states by 2028.

Throughout his talk, Anthony highlighted the values of gratitude, intuition and perspective. He said he strives to see beyond his perception to a more global understanding and to trust his gut more, urging audience members to do the same.

“First and foremost, believe in yourself, take a deep breath, be in the moment and find gratitude,” Anthony said. “Find gratitude even in the things that you don’t have, or that you feel you may be missing out, because when you find yourself in a state of gratitude, that’s the gateway to grace.”

Kiana Fitzgerald, Anthony’s younger cousin and a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, attended the speech. She and Anthony have been close since childhood, with Anthony describing her as a “little sister.” He praised Fitzgerald’s support for his children during rough times, saying his daughter looks up to Fitzgerald and wants to attend Binghamton University.

“He’s one of the family members I’ve known [for the longest], and he’s helped me with almost everything, every obstacle I’ve ever had in life,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s super inspirational, as I’m sure you can tell — he always knows what to say, he’s just the light in our family’s life.”

Fitzgerald added that she hopes speeches like the one Anthony gave will reduce the stigma around physical and mental disabilities.

SSD will host other events this week, including a student panel where students with disabilities will share their experiences on campus, a workshop on electronic accessibility, goat yoga and a stop-and-go tabling event. Christen Szymanski, SSD’s director, said Reframing Disability Week will focus on shifting narratives around disability.

“[Disability] is not about being less than,” Szymanski said. “People with disabilities are large on campus, we’re over 10 percent of the student population, and in the country it’s 25 percent of the population. We want to take disability as identity and show people on campus, ‘hey, theres a lot of things that people with disabilities can do, maybe we shouldn’t think about all the things people with disabilities can’t do.”

Speculation that a dispensary could replace the popular Hacienda Mexican Restaurant has sparked concern from community members and local political figures.

In October, New York’s Office of Cannabis Management issued a marijuana dispensary license to Tranquil Ark, LLC for the restaurant’s current address on Vestal Avenue, where the business currently operates. Tranquil Ark, LLC must apply to the City of Binghamton Planning Commission. They will need a special-use permit and a public hearing would be held for residents to share their opinions on the change.

Restaurant owner Jose Rodriguez voiced concern about the developments, claiming that building owner Vincent Altadonna did not notify him about the situation, even after the approval had been given a month prior. Altadonna, who also operates Grande Pizzeria on Front Street, said that the dispensary offered him $300,000 more to purchase the building than Hacienda was considering.

“I’ve been inviting … Hacienda [to] buy the building for quite a few years,” Altadonna said in an interview with 12 News. “But unfortunately, Hacienda doesn’t want to pay the price the other guys pay.”

Altadonna said he is looking to retire, and that after 54 years in the restaurant business, he wants to “get out of it” and sell the building. He did not immediately respond to Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

Mayor Jared Kraham expressed opposition to the replacement but clarified that it is not a “done deal.” If Tranquil Ark, LLC fails to obtain a special-use permit, the restaurant could continue operations.

“I’ve heard from a number of residents regarding the Hacienda Mexican Restaurant site being approved at the state level for a cannabis retail location,” Kraham wrote in a statement released last week. “I reiterate that cannabis retail locations should fill vacant storefronts or support revitalization of business districts in need — not locations that already have a productive active use.”

Kraham wrote a letter to the state’s Office of Cannabis Management describing his concerns, including worries about the dispensary’s location, which sits just 0.3 miles from MacArthur Elementary School and Park, meaning they would have to ensure their marketing did not appeal to minors. The site is also less than a mile from another licensed cannabis dispensary, Just Breathe.

The letter mentioned its impact on Hacienda, with the mayor’s office voicing disapproval of an application that could harm the restaurant, as they were unable to confirm that the “location would not displace an existing business” and were happy to discuss alternative options.

“The purchase agreement makes reference to the lease for Hacienda Mexican Restaurant either expiring or being terminated prior to closing on the property,” the letter reads. “In either case, the purchase agreement represents that the existing business would no longer be in operation at the site and provides a mechanism by which the new owner could force the tenant out via ‘termination.’ We cannot in good faith support an application that would cause an existing business to be displaced.”

The Office of Cannabis Management recently wrote that a new cannabis shop would satisfy location regulations implemented by the Cannabis Control Board — that any dispensary must be 1,000 feet from another dispensary in municipalities with more than 20,000 people and 500 feet from a school or public youth facility. The board noted that they cannot weigh in on a landlord’s leasing decisions, so the existing tenant does not factor into their consideration.

Some Binghamton residents expressed concern with the potential opening of another dispensary, with some reflecting on the city’s changing atmosphere.

“I don’t think we should be getting rid of a local restaurant for another weed store, because this restaurant has been here for a decent amount of time now,” Nate Kick, of Binghamton, told WBNG. “Hacienda has great food, a great atmosphere and I don’t think we need another weed store around here.”

This year’s conference included keynote addresses by Stacey Shipe, the chair of the College of Community and Public Affairs’ social work program, and Amy Rice of the Astor D. Rice Foundation. Panel discussions included community initiatives, addiction recovery and artificial intelligence.

During her talk, Shipe addressed the audience, first discussing child abuse prevention. She described the different types of maltreatment children experience, emphasizing child neglect as a prevalent and often ignored form of abuse. She cited evidence about racial and class inequalities within the child welfare system.

She detailed essential reform to Child Protective Services to better protect children, highlighting four key changes she hopes to see — stronger economic support for families, quality care and education for young children, altering the ways people think and speak about abuse while focusing on preventative rather than punitive care.

Shipe gave the audience opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas, including a word cloud and an interactive exercise, where individuals were encouraged to brainstorm solutions to a real-world example of fatal child maltreatment.

“Child maltreatment is a social issue,” Shipe said. “It’s not an individual one, and the child welfare system cannot handle it alone. It simply doesn’t have the resources necessary to mitigate the negative human, social and economic outcomes of child abuse and neglect.”

Shipe concluded her speech with a call to action, including eight ways her audience could actualize what they learned, including volunteering, educating oneself and others, reporting abuse and advocating for better child care.

After a brief break, attendees split up to listen to different panels. One panel, “Creating Place: Inclusive Community Initiatives Through Engaged Learning” focused on educational programs, like the Black art program at the Binghamton Art Museum and the American Civic Association. Panelists discussed the ways their organizations help to educate people, placing a special emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

At “Empowering Voices in Addiction Recovery,” panelists discussed BU and Broome County programs to help students and community members make healthier eating choices and reduce addiction harm. The panel included two BU students — Ushima Chowdhury, the lead research assistant with BMINDS and a senior majoring in biochemistry, and Kayla Taufman, a lead researcher with B-SMART and a senior majoring in psychology.

“A.I. and its Place in Diversity and Inclusion in Community Initiatives” discussed the role technology and A.I. play in their work, focusing mainly on social media. In the Q&A following the panel, an attendee asked about the potential blind spots of a diversity panel composed exclusively of white women, sparking a conversation about privilege and opportunities for diversification. One panelist seemed to take offense to the question.

“It rankles me when people make assumptions about me just because I’m an old, fat white lady,” said Janet Kent, co-founder of the nonprofit It’s Raining Lemonade. “You know, nobody knows what anyone has gone through.”

Jonathan Shaw, a senior majoring in social work interning at Owego Elementary School, said his experience at the conference inspired him to pursue new ways of celebrating diversity with the students at Owego. He said he wants to ensure they are getting educated during Black History Month and Pride Month, and he’s thinking about forming a multicultural club for the students there.

Rice, the founder and director of the Astor D. Rice Foundation, gave the closing keynote address and spoke about the foundation’s work throughout the local community. Founded in honor of her father, the organization’s mission is to “enhance the lives of individuals and families,” establishing support within the community and providing services and partnerships with “like-minded stakeholders.”

“His values of love, compassion, accountability and unwavering generosity shaped not only our family, but extended to our community and neighborhoods as well,” Rice said during the address. “Growing up, we lived very, very much below the poverty level, yet my father shared everything we had to make sure that others had what they needed.”

She recalled how neighborhood kids would come to her house for meals, a place to sleep and support not offered at their own homes. Her parents would wait until those children were fed before taking any for themselves.

After several awards celebrating “changemakers” in the community were handed out — with recipients including State Sen. Lea Webb and Rice herself — Thomas was also honored with a special changemakers award and praised for his continued faith in human beings and patience with a diverse group of people.

In an interview, Thomas remarked that he was pleased with the number of organizations coming to the “Let Us Dream” conference each year, and he has enjoyed seeing young people and seniors “mutually sharing stories and values, or their visions and dreams” and putting in the work to better their community. He said he came out of this conference inspired to work with youth volunteers to connect with people in his neighborhood and reduce loneliness.

He then gave his closing remarks, highlighting the power that people have to make a difference in the world. He continued by saying that a voice makes sense whereas a noise — like social media — does not.

“So if you reduce that noise, we can build that voice,” Thomas said. “Every single one of you [is] here with a voice. That voice makes some sense. That voice makes some impact in our community. Again, when we have [a] voice or voices, we have harmony.”

Second-year Ph.D. student Mary Ann Bogert, a teaching and research assistant, has spent the past four years banding owls to research differences in migration patterns between male and female Northern Saw-whet owls.

Northern Saw-whet owls are tiny, less than a foot tall with a foot-and-a-half wingspan, and they weigh about as much as a stick of butter. They hunt and eat rodents but are sometimes preyed upon by larger owls. Because of this, they live in environments with coniferous trees, which provide them a place to hide even in the winter months. Generally, Northern Saw-whet owls migrate between the Canada and upstate New York area and West Virginia.

Bogert heads her field site, which she started in 2020, centering her research on the differences between male and female Northern Saw-whet owl migration patterns. Banders across the country broadcast male mating calls, subsequently attracting females and allowing researchers to capture them. They then place unobtrusive U.S. Geological Survey bands with individualized numbers on them on the birds. If that bird is caught again by another bander, they’ll be able to tell where the bird was banded, giving them information about the distance the birds have traveled.

Researchers have a lot of information about females’ movement but much less about males, and Bogert’s site is one of only two banding stations that also broadcast female mating calls to attract male owls. Without these stations, researchers would have more limited information about male migration patterns.

“Prior to [these two sites], we just hypothesized that males typically will stay closer to the breeding grounds to reclaim suitable habitat for their breeding season, and they mate in the lower part of Canada, upper part of New York,” Bogert said. “But now, between myself and the other research site that is doing this work, we’re seeing that males are more migratory than we have known previously.”

Once owls are caught, their sex is not always clear. Northern Saw-whet owls aren’t sexually dimorphic, which means that there aren’t any external sex characteristics researchers could use to identify males and females. Instead, they have to use what Bogert referred to as a “discriminant function analysis.” Female Northern Saw-whet owls tend to be heavier and have longer wings, so weight and wingspan are often used to determine the owl’s sex. Still, many owls fall in between the average male and female weight or wingspan, and their blood can be drawn to determine sex.

When she isn’t researching, or working on either of her dissertations — one on owl-banding, another on remedying inequality in STEM education — Bogert teaches two classes at BU, BIO 115, an introductory biology lab course, and How To Live A Meaningful Life, a University course for freshmen. Although neither of these courses is about owl-banding, Bogert said she always invites students to come to her research sites — she herself learned about bird banding from a trip in college, and she wants to pay it forward.

“I want other people to be able to have that experience because it changed my life and it might change somebody else’s life,” Bogert said.

Some of those students just attend one trip, but others discover a passion for working with owls and have visited Bogert many times. A few students have even pursued degrees in wildlife or ornithology following their experience.

It’s not just for students, as Bogert described how learning about bird-banding and visiting a site can open people’s minds to conservation. She keeps her site open to the public to make that experience accessible to as many people as possible.

Moving forward, Bogert looks to expand her research to other owl species, as she only bands the Northern Saw-whet owls between October and November. She recently attended a workshop dedicated to working with larger birds and expressed interest in researching short-eared owls, turkeys and black vultures.

A few weeks ago, students taking Birds and Bugs, a course taught by Steven Tammariello, the associate chair of the biology department, visited Bogert’s research site in Pennsylvania. One student in the class, Rory Shupp, an undeclared freshman, said the class trip sparked her interest in bird-watching.

“The researchers were super nice to us, and although we didn’t catch any owls that night, I think that it was still a really fun experience,” Shupp said.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office launched the Blue Envelope Program last week to create “safer, more understanding” police interactions with individuals that have autism.

The office partnered with local autism advocacy organizations and politicians Rep. Marc Molinaro and Broome County Legislator Matt Pasquale, to prevent the miscommunication with police that autistic people sometimes experience during traffic stops or emergencies. Broome County’s Blue Envelope Program will be the first in New York state, drawing inspiration from similar initiatives in New Jersey and Massachusetts.

The program provides participants with a blue envelope and sticker for their car. Instructions for both the driver and police officer are found on the envelope, and a fillable card inside contains emergency contact information. The envelope also includes warnings that police may use flashlights during a stop. Participating organizations — including ACHIEVE, Advocates for Autism, Alive With Autism, GiGi’s Playhouse, Helping Celebrate Abilities and the Southern Tier Independence Center — will help distribute envelopes and stickers.

“The Blue Envelope Program is one of those elegantly simple solutions that helps even when not in use,” Deputy Edward Hlebica of the Highway Patrol Division wrote in an email. “I remember my friend’s mother telling me that ‘with autism comes anxiety’ and for me this program is a simple way to kind of alleviate that potential anxiety. It gives people a plan, and [the] security to know that everything they need is in one place, and that the person receiving that information is going to have [at] least a general understanding of what to expect going forward. Hopefully this program will give people that [peace] of mind and confidence to be even more independent.”

Hlebica said that miscommunication, or misunderstanding, is one of the most common issues facing autistic people during traffic stops. If an officer doesn’t know the person is autistic, self-stimulating behaviors — or stims — like rocking back and forth, fidgeting or muttering could be misinterpreted as signs of drug use or criminal activity.

Autism diagnoses have skyrocketed since the 1990s. Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started measuring diagnoses, rates have gone from 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 in 2024. Sally Colletti, the president and chief executive of Advocates for Autism, described how parental concern contributed to the program’s creation.

“We have some of them who are about 24 or 25 — not getting their license until around then, that’s okay — getting their licenses though, and parents being very, very afraid, particularly when we see bad interactions with police,” Colletti said. “There’s been some incidences, I know there was one in Florida, there was one out west, where people have been pulled over and it has gone bad.”

Colletti said she believed that Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar shared her concerns and is confident he will help encourage counties across the state to implement the program.

Alana Brower, the president of Binghamton Students for Autism Acceptance and a senior majoring in psychology, said she hadn’t heard of the Blue Envelope Program and hopes it gets further promoted.

“I wish something like this was promoted more so people could also be more understanding, increase communication, also create safety protocols and just make sure their loved ones who do have autism are just more prepared for a situation like this,” Brower said. “Because I feel like more times than not, people don’t know the resources that are out there and something like this could be really beneficial.” (6, [1:35])

Brower said some people associate police with impatience or are afraid that they will use unnecessary force. She said it is important for police to approach all interactions — especially those with autistic people — calmly and from a place of understanding.

The Blue Envelope Program is not the only way Broome County’s Sheriff’s department is working to better accommodate people with autism. In addition to the training they receive at the police academy, Hlebica said that Broome County officers receive biannual trainings to ensure they have the most up to date strategies to handle “all sorts of people, with all sorts of abilities, and situations.”

The exact number of people participating in the program is unknown, but the department has distributed over 600 envelopes for participating organizations to hand out.

“I think that this is a huge step forward for us at the sheriff’s office, and hopefully this program grows and expands,” Hlebica wrote. “This along with a continuation of training and understanding will undoubtedly improve our relationships and interactions.”

The Broome County Overdose Prevention Program and the Central New York Rotary collaborated to place 24 ”Naloxoboxes” around the county. Amid the national overdose epidemic, increased Naloxone access will help Broome County residents protect each other from opioid overdoses. Each box is equipped with two doses of Narcan, a brand of Naloxone, a face mask for rescue breathing — also known as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation — an instruction card and fentanyl and xylazine test strips. Users are protected by New York’s Good Samaritan law, meaning there is no legal risk of liability in case of injury or death to the overdosing person.

Naloxoboxes will be dispersed countywide [HYPERLINK: https://broomecountyny.gov/boac] at parks, government buildings, senior centers and on public transportation.

The program launched last week with funding from a grant from the Central New York Rotary Club, a service organization working together to address global humanitarian issues like polio eradication, water sanitation and environmental projects. The project’s first phase will see boxes installed beginning at the Broome County Health Department. A second phase, starting in 2025, will see boxes placed in county-operated sites and is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Overdose Data to Action: LOCAL program — designed to reach areas with high overdose risk. In recent years, the Rotary Club has taken on opiate overdose.

“Actually, this started, it’s a very sad story, because it was a fellow Rotarian who lost his son,” said Lana Rouff MA ‘72, the global grants chair of Binghamton’s Rotary Club chapter. “[He] woke up one morning and [his son] was dead in his bedroom from an overdose of opioids. A lot of times you think, ‘Oh, these people can stop,’ but what happened to him was, it was a sports injury, and he needed it for the pain and, of course, he overdosed.”

Rouff said after conducting a needs assessment in the counties they were in charge of, it became clear solutions were needed to help handle overdoses. Working with health departments across multiple counties, including the Broome County Health Department, the Rotary Club funded a global grant for the Naloxoboxes.

“We really believe in harm reduction,” said Marissa Knapp ‘04, the supervising public health director at the Broome County Health Department. “My job isn’t to get people to treatment or recovery. My job is to keep people alive and to reduce the harm to them or to other people.”

After receiving the appropriate training, students can access Naloxone kits, which they can request by emailing oem@binghamton.edu or calling (607) 777-3545. Narcan is available on-site at life-safety equipment stations around campus with automated external defibrillators and Stop the Bleed kits.

Knapp said she hopes this program will contribute to further destigmatizing Naloxone use.

“I keep a kit in my car,” Knapp said. “I have one in my purse. I have one at my home. My kids have one in their backpacks. My husband has one in his car. It’s just to really saturate the community with Narcan.”

Pro-choice advocates from the community attended the protest, held in Tyler Park at noon. The rally was part of Citizen Action’s weekly protests, called “Molinaro Mondays,” that denounce Molinaro’s policies and voting record on issues like SNAP benefits and veteran services. Molinaro is running for reelection to New York’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Binghamton, Ithaca and Cortland.

“He can say whatever incendiary rhetoric he wants about other people, but the congressman needs to be held accountable at the polls because he consistently votes against women,” said Ravo Root, a community organizer with Citizen Action.

Molinaro previously served in the State Legislature and as Dutchess County executive. He was the Republican nominee in the 2018 gubernatorial race against then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Margaret Giordano, a senior majoring in psychology serving as president of Binghamton University’s Abortion Advocacy Coalition, an organization that aims to connect students to reproductive care resources, attended the rally.

“I think it serves as a very poignant reminder that just because we’re in New York it doesn’t mean that we’re always going to be safe, and that we always need to be aware and speaking out about what the politicians in this area are doing,” Giordano said of the protest. “His voting is obviously ridiculous, like unconscionable. I think that it’s just really important to make sure that people in the area know, especially with elections coming up, what his voting record is.”

The race for Molinaro’s seat is expected to be close, making the congressman a top target of Democrats, who are looking to reclaim a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has amplified Molinaro’s vote to ban the use of Medicaid funds for abortion while in the State Assembly and opposing the federal Reproductive Health Act. According to campaign finance records, Molinaro has transferred funds to Care Net Ministries, a self-described pro-abundant life ministry, that operates crisis pregnancy centers, which can attempt to dissuade women from receiving an abortion.

In a statement to Pipe Dream, Molinaro’s press secretary said the congressman believes “healthcare decisions should be between a woman and her doctor” and voted against a national abortion ban. They also mentioned Molinaro’s positions, often against members of his party, in support of in vitro fertilization, birth control and mifepristone.

The majority of gathered constituents at the rally were senior citizens who reflected on the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion, and the court’s subsequent overturning of that ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision two years ago. Wanda Mead Campbell ‘66, said she struggles to remain positive when discussing abortion.

“I’m just appalled that we have gone backward and that we are redoing the same issue,” Campbell said.

The protest saw nearly unanimous support for Josh Riley, the Democratic candidate battling Molinaro for the congressional seat. Grace Merrill, a volunteer with Citizen Action, said Riley voiced his firm support for a woman’s right to choose in a personal conversation with her, and she felt optimistic about his chances.

“I phone bank with [Citizen Action] Mondays and Wednesday nights,” Merrill said. “Almost every conversation I’ve had with someone, if they don’t know who Marc Molinaro is, once you tell them about his voting record, they’re usually pretty upset about it — and if they do know him, they’re already upset with the distrust that he’s caused among constituents.”

Root emphasized the importance of standing up for women’s rights and his hope that the protests will help prevent Molinaro’s reelection.

“We’re organizing every day,” Root said. “And that’s the hope, and we’re gonna kick him the hell out of office.”

Bennett was the executive director at the District Six Museum in Cape Town, South Africa from 2008 to 2020, where she remains engaged as a research associate. After the apartheid government declared the district “whites only” and began evicting Black residents, community members organized the Hands Off District Six conference, where they discussed ways to cement District Six’s history in the collective memory. Many view this conference as the beginning of the District Six museum’s story, although it did not have a physical building until 1994.

“Black histories were not recorded or considered relevant in South Africa,” Bennett said. “There was almost no record that people had ever lived in District Six, and that’s why they came out to call for a place of memory.”

The museum’s goal is to build a space within the community where people can share their stories. It was not aimed at having curated exhibitions but at sharing the district and its residents’ living history.

Bennett said that the museum also “lays a great ground” for reducing xenophobia in South Africa, as many South Africans experiencing unemployment and struggling to find health care or housing tend to vilify refugees from other parts of Africa.

“Some of the things that we do address through the work of the museum is if a community understands that it’s got the cohesiveness to deal with different points of view and conflict,” Bennett said. “I think it lays a great ground for stopping things that have happened and continue to happen in our country, like xenophobia, for example, when people were South African, particularly Black, South Africans, who [are] battling for resources, unemployed, who [are] struggling for housing and healthcare, and they see refugees from other parts of Africa come into the country, and they vilify them and demonize them.”

Many of the museum’s exhibits are interactive artworks, including a district map people are encouraged to draw on. Many others are made up of community artifacts, like a pile of rubble from torn-down buildings in the area. All are established specifically to spark conversations and awaken memories.

“Monuments and statues are essentially closed stories,” Bennett said. “So that tells you the story of the four Nobel Prize rules. You can’t add to the story. You don’t feel part of the story. And there needs to be different ways of allowing people to be part of unfinished stories or unknown stories.”

Bennett also emphasized what she called “small stories,” saying movements start in church basements and around kitchen tables, and only after that slow, small start can they begin to grow. She said presenting only grand narratives makes it hard for people to feel motivated to make a difference.

Students across multiple academic years attended the talk and participated in a Q&A session after Bennett ended her lecture.

“I learned so much about District Six,” said Meeya Cummings, a freshman majoring in economics. “I was aware of apartheid and what had happened in South Africa and more specifically, Cape Town. But I was not entirely familiar with District Six. I also heard a lot about the District Six Museum and the work that they’re doing there for memorialization. [Bonita Bennett] had mentioned memorialization instead of monumentalism, so like using art to memorialize people, which I thought was really interesting.”

Bennett is one of the visiting practitioners the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention invited to BU this year, along with speakers from Kosovo, Nicaragua and Iran. The institute is the first and only master’s program to focus solely on analyzing and preventing mass atrocities, aiming to educate not only master’s students but also hold campus-wide events to educate the Binghamton community.

“Our whole purpose for bringing people, visiting practitioners, to campus, is to make our students and our faculty and the whole campus community think beyond the boundaries of Binghamton,” said Kerry Whigham, an institute co-director. “To really bring the world to this campus, and to get our students to think about the very different ways that they can have an impact in shaping that world and changing that world in positive ways.”