BINGHAMTON REVIEW
P.O. BOX 6000 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902-6000 EDITOR@BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Founded 1987 • Volume XXXI, Issue VI
Editor-in-Chief
Patrick McAuliffe Jr. Managing Editor Matthew Rosen Copy Desk Chief Yvonne Tyler
Business Manager Kayla Jimenez
Social Media Shitposter Tommy Gagliano
Editor Emeritus Jordan Raitses
DOG DESTRESSING!
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by Our Staff
3 Editorial
by Patrick McAuliffe
4 Press Watch
by Our Staff
Associate Editors
5 An Anarchist’s Critique of the Democratic by Jordan Jardine Party
Staff Writers
6 Fuck You, Chris Brown by John Restuccia
Adrienne Vertucci
Jordan Jardine Sarah Waters Mason Carteri Jonathon Mecomber John Restuccia
Special Thanks To:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute Collegiate Network Binghamton Review was printed by Gary Marsden We Provide the Truth. He Provides the Staples
10 Why Luigi is Better Than Mario by Matt Rosen 12 The Clouded Future of NY Vaping by Tommy Gagliano 14 A Basic Guide to Firearms by Mason Carteri 15 5 Things I Wish I Had Done in College by Jonathon Mecomber
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Direct feedback to editor@binghamtonreview.com 2
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Vol. XXXI, Issue VI
EDITORIAL Dear Readers,
From the Editor
How the time flies. In your hands you hold the last issue of Fall 2018. With six issues behind us, and six more on the way next semester, you won’t be lacking the best on-campus publication this year. I’m incredibly proud of my staff and the delightfully sizable pool of one-off contributors to our magazine. It’s never too late to get involved, either! Our online presence grows more every year, and posting exclusive content online only brings more traffic to your voice. With the knowledge that my email DMs are always open, let’s see what we have in this finals issue before the holiday break. As the cover suggests, this is our third annual Dog Issue for finals season. Take a look at the center of the magazine for the cutest puppers and doggos this side of the butterfly farm. Some non-political articles may also help your mind unwind in this stressful time of year; Matt goes extremely in-depth on why Luigi is the better of the two Mario Bros, with a more relatable personality and realistic dreams and fears. John points out everything wrong with pop superstar Chris Brown’s personal life and behaviors, in some not-so-veiled terms. Jonathon, in what is likely his last article of his college career, reflects on his time in Binghamton and gives some advice on what younger students should take advantage of while they can. We’re thankful to Jonathon for his short but productive time here with the Review. As the electronic nicotine device debates rage on, Tommy updates the reader with new developments on New York’s efforts to regulate what people choose to put in their body in the name of saving “the children.” Governor Cuomo may have a hard-on for regulation, but such paternalism can only backfire both economically, practically, and morally. Jordan analyzes the modern Democratic party and its shortcomings in appealing to its growing progressive base, encouraging them to listen more to more radical calls for policy change. Finally, Mason offers an introduction to the terminology of firearms and their accessories in the hopes that, for future gun control debates, both sides know more about what they are seeking to restrict. Since we won’t be seeing you until the new year, we at the Review wish you the happiest of Kwanzas, the merriest of Christmases, and the most shalom of Hanukkahs. This season of goodwill and unity is always put to the test by our differences, especially political ones in these current times. Getting through those barriers to each other starts with a willingness to listen, to move past seeing your opposite as evil or misguided, and to understand why they believe what they believe. That is what I hope for you in the new year, dear reader. Open your mind and your heart to your neighbors and see how we can work together to solve the problems facing our world.
Sincerely,
Patrick McAuliffe Jr. Binghamton Review is a non-partisan, student-run news magazine of conservative thought founded in 1987 at Binghamton University. A true liberal arts education expands a student’s horizons and opens one’s mind to a vast array of divergent perspectives. The mark of true maturity is being able to engage with these perspectives rationally while maintaining one’s own convictions. In that spirit, we seek to promote the free and open exchange of ideas and offer alternative viewpoints not normally found or accepted on our predominately liberal campus. We stand against tyranny in all of its forms, both on campus and beyond. We believe in the principles set forth in this country’s Declaration of Independence and seek to preserve the fundamental tenets of Western civilization. It is our duty to expose the warped ideology of political correctness and cultural authoritarianism that dominates this university. Finally, we understand that a moral order is a necessary component of any civilized society. We strive to inform, engage with, and perhaps even amuse our readers in carrying out this mission.
Views expressed by writers do not necessarily represent the views of the publication as a whole. editor@binghamtonreview.com
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CPampus resswatch “Sexual assault occurs whether or not alcohol is involved” By Theodora Catrina, Pipe Dream, November 25, 2018 “Approximately one in five college women and one in 16 college men will be a victim of sexual assault.” There’s nothing quite like starting your opinion piece with a flat-out lie. The “1-in-5 women” myth has been been debunked numerous times by numerous sources, including TIME. “When I attended my freshman orientation, I vaguely recall sitting in a room learning about the importance of bystander intervention and participating in a hypothetical scenario between ‘Karen’ and ‘Jared,’ which involved red, yellow and green lights.” You “vaguely remember” it, but know both of the names used in the example? “Similarly, programs on the Binghamton University campus should also educate incoming students on interrelationship violence and assault and teach about warning signs of abusive relationships, or where to find the necessary resources for help in such situations.” Agreed. That would be far more productive than saying “rape is bad” over and over. “Ultimately, programs found on college campuses that aim to educate students about consent before they get to college are absolutely imperative…” No they aren’t. Everyone knows that sexual assault is bad. Rapists rape because they’re horrible, twisted people, not because they didn’t have a cheesy presentation to inform them that they actually shouldn’t. “Thanksgiving is a holiday for immigrants” By Hannah Gulko, Pipe Dream, November 14, 2018 “My immigrant grandparents make toasts to this country of opportuni-
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Written by our Staff
We know you don’t read the other campus publications, so we did it for you. Original pieces are in quotes, our responses are in bold.
ty and of a new life with grateful tears in their eyes, while my immigrant parents bless our table with the food of this c o u n t r y, uniquely void of our t r a d it i on al cultural meals. My immigrant family, who fought and worked and molded their new identity, are some of the most patriotic people I’ve ever met. So for me, Thanksgiving is an annual reminder that America had refugee origins. And with that reminder comes the disgust that I feel toward America’s political attitude concerning refugees today. To some extent, recent American politics have paved a road for the disgraceful, racist, xenophobic and misogynistic rhetoric. Recent elections have highlighted demographic values and reflected opinions of morality, and have supported a head of state who continues to dishonor the flames of liberty and acceptance, which the Statue of Liberty herself holds high.” Sounds like your folks have it right, they are proud Americans who understand what a privilege it is to be living in our wonderful country. And hey, there’s nothing “disgraceful, racist, xenophobic” and all that other crap about Americans restricting immigration to numbers our existing population can handle and to individuals, like your parents, who genuinely value our American way of life. “How can we slander them, dishonor them, dehumanize them and separate their families in the name of the American nation? Are we not being hypocritical in denying their chance to become U.S. citizens?”
American immigration policy does not deny alleged or actual refugees and migrants the chance to become Americans citizens, and you know this. Anyone can apply to immigrate or seek asylum, but of course only worthy claims are accepted. What you’re complaining about is that we do not guarantee all refugees and migrants and everyone else citizenship if they just choose to come here. “Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and President Trump are scarily similar” By Mendel Litzman, Pipe Dream, November 14, 2018 “Brazilians faced that choice with 553,000 homicides in their country this past decade, accounting for $120 billion in damages alone in the past 20 years. This likely helped in the election of Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro, who, like President Donald Trump, cast himself as a law-and-order candidate.” It’s clear you’re going for a negative connotation, but it doesn’t make sense to. After putting up with this many homicides for that many years, having a candidate with concrete plans to reduce the crime is a rational choice in people’s minds. “In my opinion, leaders like Xi Jinping in China, Narendra Modi in India, Joko Widodo in Indonesia, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil and Trump, who exhibit authoritarian behavior, either directly or indirectly benefit from this tribalism.” Tribalism is an easy default for humans. Whether it’s directed at a race, religion, or social class, us-vs.-them is easy to sink into. The good thing about the United States’ “authoritarian” leader is the system of government we have independent of any one person or group of people to keep them in check. Contrast this to the leader of the murderous and oversurveilling Chinese government, and you’d have to be deep in the tribal stew (as you seem to be) to not see the obvious differences between the two.
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AN ANARCHIST’S CRITIQUE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
An Anarchist’s Critique of the Democratic Party By Jordan Jardine
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ike a few of my Review colleagues and contributors, I am an ex-Democrat. I supported the Democrats during the 2008 election cycle because I liked then-Senator Barack Obama’s “Hope and Change” message. I also supported his re-election in 2012. In 2014, when I turned 18, I couldn’t wait to register as a Democrat. However, after the 2016 election, I left the Democrats. Actually, it would be more accurate to say the Democrats left me. As I continued to get more and more obsessed with politics, I saw ever more clearly that the vast majority of the Democrats in Congress don’t really care about their constituents. Even Obama proved to be a supreme disappointment. A perfect example is Obamacare. When Obama was on the campaign trail in 2007 and 2008, he didn’t even support the true progressive healthcare plan, single-payer. He was in favor of a public option, which essentially reforms the healthcare system so that government health insurance is made to be competitive with private insurers. Obama had a supermajority in Congress when Obamacare was being crafted. He could have pushed for a public option, but he didn’t, even though his base wanted some semblance of a single-payer or public option system. Instead, Americans had to deal with an individual mandate system, which mandates that all Americans must buy insurance on the private market. Obama expanded Medicare and Medicaid as well, but the private insurance
“To paraphrase my true ideological mentor Noam Chomsky, we don’t actually have two separate and opposing parties in this country anymore and very rarely ever did. What we have are two wings of a larger corporate party. “ editor@binghamtonreview.com
companies still enjoyed the privilege of calling most of the shots when it came to our healthcare system. Obama also expanded the NSA and increased the number of US military interventions from 2 to 7 and expanded the drone program, By the way, Hillary Clinton also supported all of these policies. Obama and both Clintons are not the only Democrats like this. Several other prominent Democrats (whom Fox News would have you believe are hardline leftists), including Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and many, many more are all bought and sold by numerous corporations and donors. Yes, these Democrats pay lip service to progressive policies, but one look at their voting records will prove that they only rarely fight for what the Democratic base (which is increasingly progressive) wants and needs. A 2016 Pew poll that the percentage of Democrats who identified as “liberal” (or progressive) jumped from 27% in 2000 to 42% in 2015. The relative indifference toward the base differentiates Democrats from Republicans. Republicans love pleasing their base and will fight for what they want far more often and with much more fervor than most Democrats. To be clear, Republicans are just as subservient to special interest groups, Wall Street, lobbyists and corporations, if not more so, than the Democrats, but the Republicans have mastered the art of political multitasking. Democrats have not mastered this concept. They will be overly PC in order to try and please their base, but
as soon as their base turns their backs, the Democrats will most often fail at representing the people who elected them in the first place by ignoring their policy demands. This failure to meet the needs of Democratic voters cost the Dems over 1,000 government seats nationwide. This is why I wholeheartedly disagree with conservatives and corporate media (a.k.a. the mainstream media) when they say that the Democrats are a radical left-wing or socialist party. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the Democrats of today would be considered moderate Republicans from the 1980s and 1990s. Even Obama admitted that this was exactly how he saw himself. It is laughable to assert that the Democratic Party is in any way, shape or form a socialist party. They do not advocate for worker control over the means of production, they are fervent statists (as are the Republicans) who don’t want to abolish our current hierarchical system. They love hierarchies and they love the free market capitalist system. Even Bernie Sanders supports a market system in many areas of American consumption. He is by no means a socialist. Even his supposedly “socialist” policies such as Medicare For All and free college are not actually socialist programs because workers do not control the means of production and still have to serve the interests and demands of those above them in the workplace hierarchy. Taxing, spending and safety net programs are all social democratic programs, not socialist programs. Therefore, the Democrats are not a socialist or far-left party. To paraphrase my true ideological mentor Noam Chomsky, we don’t actually have two separate and opposing parties in this country anymore and very rarely ever did. What we have are two wings of a larger corporate party. If the Democrats truly are a leftwing party, they are the poorest, most pathetic excuse for one in the entire history of politics, possibly stretching
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FUCK YOU, CHRIS BROWN all the way back to our neanderthal days. It is definitely fair to say that the Democratic Party is to the left of the GOP, but that does not mean the Dem-
“Here is the bottom line: if you have a choice between a Republican candidate and a candidate who tries to be a Republican, why wouldn’t you just choose the Republican? This logic seems to constantly elude establishment Democrats and the stupidest people in American politics, Democratic strategists.”
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM ocrats are actually a left-wing party. If they were left-wing, anarchists like myself would still be in the party. The Democrats made a fairly surprising comeback in the midterm elections this year, but their rebound will be short-lived if they don’t start actually fighting in earnest for the policy goals of their base. One of the worst aspects of the Democrats is when they try to act like Republicans, which they tend to do. For instance, prominent Democrats such as Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Dianne Feinstein all voted in favor of the Iraq War according to the Huffington Post. Clinton and Feinstein also voted for the Patriot Act, which demolished the 4th amendment of the United States Constitution. Former President Barack Obama exacerbated this problem by expanding NSA spying. Democrats are supposed to be the party of civil liberties, non-in-
terventionism, but they are no longer that party. Here is the bottom line: if you have a choice between a Republican candidate and a candidate who tries to be a Republican, why wouldn’t you just choose the Republican? This logic seems to constantly elude establishment Democrats and the stupidest people in American politics, Democratic strategists. The party no longer stands for anything except doing kabuki theater to trick their base into believing they will fight Republican policies while simultaneously agreeing with the Republicans on rampant militarism, Wall Street bailouts, corporate welfare and violations of Americans’ basic civil liberties. In reality, Democrats are not principled leftists, they are little more than idiotic corporate shills who defecate all over their base and are involved in politics solely to advance their own interests, not the interests of the American people.
Fuck You, Chris Brown By Author
D
ear Chris Brown: fuck you. Seriously. Chris Brown is one of the most repulsive human beings alive. The fact that Chris Brown is still relevant and the media has left behind his awful actions, which are still happening as recent as last year with his ex-girlfriend as reported on by Daily Mail, is a tragedy in of itself. Let’s start at the beginning though. For all three people who don’t know, Chris Brown is a rapper, producer, singer, dancer, and just about everything else in the book. He began his musical career in the early 2000s with his debut album titled Chris Brown, after himself, a record that has hit double platinum as years go on. Since that album, Chris Brown has received numerous awards including a Grammy, a World Music award, and even a Kid’s Choice Award (if only 2000s kids could see the mistake they made). To this day, Chris Brown has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music, like Drake, Wiz Khalifa, and even with DJ Khaled begin-
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ning in 2016. If one does not know the personal history of Chris Brown then they might say, “Wow, that’s quite an impressive career.” And it is. However, all of his accomplishments are diminished by his private actions.
In 2009, Chris Brown and his girlfriend at the time, pop singer Rihanna, got into an argument which lead to Chris physically assaulting her as originally reported by Daily News in 2009. The attack was so bad that Rihanna required hospitalization after the attack. Chris was described as having no injuries or scratches on him, according to police officers who were present when he turned himself in six hours after the attack. Of course, this was after he ran from police when they arrived at the scene of the incident. Pictures came out after the attack of Rihanna’s condition as well. It was horrifying. The media had a complete view of Chris Brown’s temper now. Did that change anything? Did Chris Brown get charged and put in jail for his disturbing actions? Of course not. He received a plea deal of community labor, five years of probation, and domestic violence counseling. Just a slap on the wrist. After this incident, Chris Brown shared his feelings about the situation
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BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM on Larry King Live on September 2, 2009: “I’m in shock, because, first of all, that’s not who I am as a person, and that’s not who I promise I want to be.” Oh really, Chris? Are you not a short-tempered, woman-assaulting scumbag? In fact, you even said that you have no memory of the incident occurring! Sorry Chris, but that excuse doesn’t cut it; you beat a woman so badly that she was hospitalized and you don’t remember it? That’s a lie and you should be downright ashamed of yourself for claiming that. Some of Chris Brown’s defenders dismiss the whole thing by citing his apology. How does that undo the damage done to Rihanna? Not only does she have to re-
“Why bring this up now though? This is all old news. Well, Chris Brown is still making music. This year in March, Chris Brown even went double platinum with comedy rapper Lil Dicky.” member the pain you put her through and have what you did to her plastered all over the news, but she has to live with the mental scarring that domestic abuse does to a person. The other point raised by the defenders is that, apparently, “Rihanna and Chris Brown made up! They guest-starred on each other’s songs now!”. Whoopty doo, that does absolutely nothing to address the fact that he got off with no prison time for beating up his partner. “Innocent until proven guilty” obviously doesn’t apply here, because CHRIS BROWN PLED GUILTY TO THE CHARGES! So no, Chris Brown doesn’t get a free pass. However, the media certainly gave him a free pass. In fact, he suffered no real negative consequences because of his actions. The next album he released later that same year sold over 300,000 copies which was also nominated for 2 Grammy Awards. Some radio stations boycotted his music but most did not. His acting career didn’t take a hit either; he was still getting roles in films such as Takers and
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FUCK YOU, CHRIS BROWN appeared on TV shows like Tosh.0. But maybe he did change then, maybe he saw what this backlash could have been and maybe he really did mean his apology. Nope. On Good Morning America in 2011, Chris Brown had a temper tantrum about being asked about the assault (some people will call it an incident, even though he straight up attacked a woman). He ended up throwing something at the window during a commercial break, which damaged the window. Not a violent person, Chris? Now flash forward ahead to 2011 to when Chris Brown began dating a new woman named Karrueche Tran. Karrueche is a actress and model who has had an off and on relationship with Chris Brown, but currently off for the rest of eternity. They eventually split after the revelation that Chris Brown had a child with another woman. So not only is Chris Brown a short tempered, violent scumbag, he is also a cheater too. He just gets better and better. So after their final breakup Chris Brown began getting aggressive with her (a very common theme) and demanding that she return everything he gave her. When she refused, Chris Brown then threatened her with violence. According to Karrueche, Chris even texted her “Bitch I will beat the shit out of you” as reported by TMZ and The Guardian. You did not learn. Seriously, fuck you Chris Brown. Tran also claimed that Chris had abused her before in the past. I believe her 100%. Chris has a violent past and has committed the same crime before. Thankfully Karrueche got a restraining order against the monster for 5 years. Sadly Chris Brown isn’t behind bars and rotting in a cell where he belongs. This restraining order incident only happened one year ago. Why bring this up now
though? This is all old news. Well, Chris Brown is still making music. This year in March, Chris Brown even went double platinum with comedy rapper Lil Dicky. I heard their song “Freaky Friday” for the first time two months ago, awhile after it came out. I wish I had heard it sooner. For those who haven’t heard the song, it is all about Lil Dicky switching bodies with Chris Brown and realizing how great it is being Chris Brown. The entire point of the song can be summed up with the line of Chris Brown realizing that he loves himself. Yes, the entire point of the song is to teach Chris Brown to love himself! That isn’t even the worst moment in the song. By far the line that actually made me spit out my drink was when Chris Brown, in the body of Lil Dicky (a scrawny white Jewish boy), says, “Ain’t nobody judging ‘cause I’m black or my controversial past, I can go to see a movie and relax!” I am at a loss for words. Controversial? There’s nothing controversial about it! You, Chris Brown, beat up 2 woman - one of them multiple times - got a restraining order against you, and are a despicable piece of human garbage. Boom, nothing controversial about that! My final thoughts are this. I hope Chris Brown goes to prison, forever. I hope he loses all his money. I hope everything he has worked for goes crashing down into flames. I hope he goes broke, because he deserves it. So fuck you, Chris Brown.
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DOG DESTRESSING
Dog Destressing!
BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
By Our Staff
We know that finals can be very stressful for BU students, so we’ve compiled a lovely gallery of dogs, puppers, and good bois from the four corners of the earth. If you awaken from your third power nap of the day in a panicked sweat right before that organic chemistry final, one look at these dogs will help whisk your cares away. Heck, if you’re lucky, you might even get a rare sighting around campus! Happy perusing, and best of luck on your finals!
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editor@binghamtonreview.com
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WHY LUIGI IS BETTER THAN MARIO
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Why Luigi is Better Than Mario By Matt Rosen
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espite the fact that I love politics, even I have to admit that it gets exhausting every once in awhile. Because of that, I decided to write a non-political article that everyone can be interested in. On top of that, we all could use non-stressful articles during finals. I, of course, will continue to write political articles, but the idea of more relaxing themes like this seems fun. Recently, I saw a social media post pop up that essentially said I don’t care what zodiac sign you are, what really matters is who you choose to play in Mario Kart. I tend to agree with this theory, as your favorite Mario character certainly says more about you than your zodiac sign. Personally, my Mario character always has and always will be Luigi. That social media post has inspired me to write this article and defend my claim that Luigi is a better character than Mario. When Luigi was first created, he was simply a Player 2. He was even known as just the “palette swap” of Mario, or in other words, Green Mario. There was absolutely no difference between Luigi and his older brother besides the color of their clothing. Now, 35 years after his creation, he has developed into his own, distinct and unique character.
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Most people know that Luigi grew to be taller than Mario, but most don’t know that Luigi is faster, jumps higher, and is smarter than him, which is shown off in games like Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Brothers 2, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Where Mario has very generic physical abilities, Nintendo gave Luigi special features that made him different. He has strengths (his intelligence, speed and jumping abilities), and weaknesses (he skids when he stops running, and is sometimes referred to as “cowardly,” which I get to later). He also has a unique weapon which is no doubt the coolest in the Mario Universe. Nintendo gave him the Poltergust 5000 in his Luigi’s Mansion games, which is a vacuum-like weapon used for fighting ghosts, which is particularly useful in the Mario Universe. The Poltergust also turns into Luigi’s famous go-kart in the Mario Kart games. And finally, he was given a very cool Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl called the Negative Zone. While it is not my favorite special move in the Nintendo universe, it is definitely one of the more unique attacks. It creates a bubble around Luigi called the Negative zone which makes all the players who are trapped inside dizzy, slow, and weak, while leaving Luigi largely unaffected. Something even more important than his physical uniqueness is his personality development. Despite starting off as a “palette swap” of Mario, Luigi has grown into having his own distinct personality. Luigi is more introverted and sometimes considered “cowardly,” but is also much more loyal and persevering than many other Mario characters. Luigi loves his brother and often risks his life to save or support his brother all the time. There are even theories that Luigi has some form of anxiety disorder. Whether the theory is true or not, he certainly exhibits some of the symptoms which are much more relatable to real life people. We see Luigi in distress, fearful, crying, jealous,
nervous, having nightmares, among other things. Despite these fears, he always comes through in the end showing intense bravery, loyalty, skill, and tenacity. These qualities make Luigi much more heroic than his brother. Some in-game examples to prove these points are seen in Mario is Missing, Mario & Luigi Dream Team, and Paper Mario. In the game Mario is Missing, Luigi must solve clues to save his brother, showing his intelligence and loyalty. Nintendo even admits in one of their game manuals that Luigi is smarter, calling him the brains to Mario’s brawn. A similar theme can be seen in the popular Luigi’s Mansion games. In Paper Mario, you can read Luigi’s journal which says that he is jealous of Mario since he always goes on adventures and he just wants to be able to do the same just like his big brother who he looks up to. And finally, in Dream Team, Mario navigates Luigi’s dreams where Luigi’s insecurities are also revealed as well as Dream Luigi, which is Luigi’s image the perfect version of himself. Talk about character depth.
“In fact, I wouldn’t even call Luigi cowardly, and it annoys me when people refer to him as that. Rather than calling him cowardly, we should just call him human, as he shows actual, realistic features common to real people.” Not only is Luigi’s personality distinct from Mario’s, but it is also much more realistic. Mario is a blank slate, or a cardboard cutout character. The term blank slate means that he has no personality of his own so that the player can project themselves onto him. Being a blank slate is two-dimensional, robotic and boring. The only emotion Mario is ever seen exhibiting is confidence, or other emotions relating to his confidence (such as confi-
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BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM dent anger towards Bowser). These are not a realistic qualities that anybody experiences: no one is that confident and emotionless all of the time. Most people can relate to being scared of scary things, or crying over sad things or being jealous of someone else. Most people can relate more to Luigi’s fear of powerful enemies, but willingness to fight through his weaknesses. That is the quality that makes a person heroic after all: the ability to persevere despite facing adversity. Luigi is simply more realistic, and a more compelling character overall because of his character depth, while Mario was purposefully made to be a boring blank slate character. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Mario. I am of course a Mario fan, but compared to characters like Luigi, he just can’t compete. While these reasons are completely convincing for me, and probably the more important reasons why Luigi is better than Mario, there are some other reasons, such as Luigi’s more compelling backstory, better relationships, and better rival. The first example is his backstory which features the first days of Mario and Luigi’s lives as Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. Baby Luigi’s first days are actually him being kidnapped by Kamek and stuffed inside a bag for days while Baby Mario is the same confident, emotionless character who has to find Baby Luigi. This storyline is featured in the Yoshi’s Island games, and is often used to explain Luigi’s deep “cowardly” but heroic personality later in life. In fact, I wouldn’t even call Luigi cowardly, and it annoys me when people refer to him as that. Rather than calling him cowardly, we should just call him human, as he shows actual, realistic features common to real people. Wouldn’t you be scared on a crashing hot air balloon, or being attacked by ghosts in a haunted mansion, or having your brother kidnapped, or facing a giant turtle dinosaur, or… well you get my point. Another reason that Luigi is the better brother is that he has better relationships, namely his relationship with Princess Daisy. Now I’m not gonna lie, I prefer Peach over Daisy; however, there is no doubt that Luigi has a
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WHY LUIGI IS BETTER THAN MARIO better relationship with Daisy than Mario has with Peach. Daisy and Luigi are clearly in love and have a great, normal relationship while Mario and Peach’s relat ionship barely seems official. One big example of this is the gold statue of Luigi and Daisy in the course Daisy Circuit in Mario Kart showing them dancing. On the other hand, Mario and Peach’s relationship is shrouded with flirtation, kidnapping, and even theories that Peach doesn’t love Mario back. Maybe one day Mario and Peach will be official, but as of now, we just see flirtation. One reason for all of this is because Daisy quickly stood up to Bowser and slapped the living daylights out of him in Mario Party 3, showing her toughness. Because of this, Daisy has only been kidnapped once, while Peach has been kidnapped 24 times. Peach never stands up for herself, never takes precautions against Bowser, and is in constant need for attention and saving, which would seem to be a severe strain on anyone’s relationship. While I guess you could say both couples compliment each other perfectly, I have to ask which couple is honestly cuter: the confident/emotionless man with the damsel in distress princess, or the anxious/loyal/introverted man with the charismatic/strong/extroverted princess? I think the answer is clear. Not only is their romantic relationship better, but their friendships appear better too. Mario and Peach are more pretentious towards others and seem only interested in each other, while Luigi and Daisy are known to be friendly towards everyone in the kingdom. Going back to Luigi’s journals, we see him reminisce on the times where he could just spend time and have fun with his brother and friends playing golf, racing go karts, and throwing parties (referencing Mario
Golf, Mario Kart, and Mario Party). Others look at Mario as a hero, while they look at Luigi as a friend. And finally, Luigi’s rival is much better than Mario’s. Waluigi is a much better character in general than Wario is. Wario is a bland character whose sole purpose is to be greedy and use lame attacks to thwart Mario. On the other hand, Waluigi is another deep character who is noted for being jealous of Mario and Luigi, lonely, and extremely unlucky. Greed is a boring motivation for an anti-hero like Wario, while sadness and self pity is actually an interesting story arch. Waluigi was rejected by his love (Daisy), got stuck with an only friend that is a bad influence (Wario), and feels like nothing good ever happens to him. He just wants to be recognized like the Mario brothers are, making him a more compelling anti-hero with more in-depth characteristics. For all of these reasons, Luigi is clearly the better Mario brother. Many of my friends tease me by calling Luigi “Green Mario” because they know I will actually defend him. I am very happy that Luigi is now getting his own games, and is now a main character in normal Mario games, and I hope this trend towards Luigi continues. Before I conclude, I just want to say that I really enjoyed writing this non-political article and would be happy to write more (on top of my political articles) in the future if people enjoy this! So as well as letting me know if you like these types of articles, also let me know… What Mario Kart character do YOU play?
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THE CLOUDED FUTURE OF NY VAPING
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The Clouded Future of NY Vaping By Tommy Gagliano
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hat is it about banning things that gives Andrew Cuomo so much satisfaction? Is it sucking the joy out of people that he likes? Or is he just a megalomaniac that bans things simply because he can? Either way, it is clear that telling New Yorkers that they can’t do things is Governor Cuomo’s favorite pastime. He made headlines in April, when he introduced a bill that would completely ban plastic bags in the state of New York. However he has now taken a break from his war on plastic bags to focus on fighting something equally as stupid - flavored e-cigarettes. News broke on November 8th that Cuomo plans to completely ban flavored e-cigarettes next year, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and New York Post. If he accomplishes this, New York would be the only state where flavored nicotine products are not allowed. I’m sure it’s a complete coincidence that this was announced two days after he was re-elected to serve as governor for another four years. It’s not like he knew this plan would be highly unpopular with his constituency and hurt his chances of winning the election. This isn’t the first time e-cigarettes have been in Cuomo’s crosshairs. In October 2017 he signed a bill to ban vaping anywhere that cigarettes are prohibited. He also proposed a 10-cent-per-milliliter tax on e-liquid (even e-liquid that does not contain nicotine) in January 2017. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, since Cuomo loves taxes almost as much as he loves banning things. To put the 10-cent-per-milliliter tax into perspective, a 30 mL bottle of e-juice from Vape Wild costs $2.99. The tax on a 30 mL bottle would be $3, doubling the price of the juice. The proposal was rejected by state lawmakers. Cuomo’s reasoning behind the flavored e-cigarette ban is that too many underage kids are vaping, and something needs to be done to stop them. It is true that there has been
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an enormous spike in underage vaping recently. The Health Department reported that the percentage of high school students that use e-cigarettes has increased from 10.4 percent to 27.4 percent over the past four years. It is also true that fruit and other flavored juices are more popular with teens than tobacco or unflavored juices, likely for the same reason that a teen is more likely to drink a Mike’s Hard Lemonade than a Corona. Cuomo is also right that something needs to be done about underage vaping. Nicotine is addictive, and while vaping is much healthier for you than smoking cigarettes, there are still negative health consequences. 15-year-olds vaping because they want to fit in and then getting hooked on nicotine for the rest of their life is not an ideal situation. However, banning all flavored e-cigarettes is a dictatorial and lazy “solution” to the problem.
“When discussing a proposal like this one, it’s important to also consider the impact it will have on businesses. Vape shops and similar small businesses in New York State would become virtually extinct, and their employees would be put out of work.”
same way that underage drinkers will just switch to beer or liquor when they can no longer buy fruity drinks, underage vapors will switch to unflavored e-liquids, or even to more dangerous products like cigarettes. There are better ways to cut down on underage vaping without inhibiting adults’ right to choose. One way would be to prohibit the sale of tobacco/nicotine products online. Many vaping websites require customers to upload photos of the front and back of their ID in order to complete their purchase, but it isn’t hard for underage kids to steal their parent’s driver’s license for a few minutes to take pictures of it. Increasing the penalties for selling tobacco or nicotine products to people that are underage is another way to decrease underage use. If retailers are scared of getting into legal trouble, they will be more careful about who they sell to. Another important factor to consider that Cuomo seems to be overlooking is the minors that already vape, and either have no desire to stop or are addicted to nicotine. Here in Binghamton, many will likely make the short trip to Pennsylvania, and buy whatever they want there. Most of New York State, however, does not have that luxury. Underage vapers will either have to acquire their flavored juices and pods on the black market
Going back to a comparison used in the previous paragraph, trying to combat underage vaping by making all flavored e-cigarettes illegal would be like trying to combat underage drinking by making Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Redd’s Apple Ale, Smirnoff Ice, and similar drinks, as well as any liquors with added flavors, illegal. It’s a problematic proposition because it prevents adults from enjoying these products too. It also simply won’t work. In the
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“There is one industry that would benefit from this though - Big Tobacco. As stated previously, a ban on all flavored e-liquids would surely lead to an increase in cigarette use in New York. I’m sure no one at all anywhere is going to object to legislation that benefits Big Tobacco at the expense of small businesses.” (which will inevitably come into existence), or switch to different products. It is possible that many vapers will switch to unflavored juices. However, if Cuomo gets his way, we’ll likely see a sharp increase in cigarette use, among kids and adults alike. It’s important to remember that e-cigarettes were first introduced as a healthier alternative to cigarettes to help smokers quit. If you get rid of the healthier alternative, everyone with a nicotine addiction will go back to the far more dangerous option. When discussing a proposal like this one, it’s important to also consider the impact it will have on businesses. Vape shops and similar small businesses in New York State would
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THE CLOUDED FUTURE OF NY VAPING become virtually extinct, and their employees would be put out of work. While e-cigarette companies would be able to survive just fine off of the remaining 49 states (assuming Cuomo doesn’t set a precedent that other states decide to follow), losing out on nearly 20 million potential customers would undoubtedly hurt. There is one industry that would benefit from this though - Big Tobacco. As stated previously, a ban on all flavored e-liquids would surely lead to an increase in cigarette use in New York. I’m sure no one at all anywhere is going to object to legislation that benefits Big Tobacco at the expense of small businesses. Now that we’ve discussed the finer details about why banning flavored e-cigarettes is an awful idea, let’s look at the fundamentals: The government should not be able to tell adults that they can’t use certain nicotine products. If I’m of age and want to vape e-juice that tastes like Fruit Loops, I have every right to do so. How does that expression go again? My body, my choice? To get a better understanding of the topic, I reached out to four e-cigarette users that are either currently under the legal age in their county, or were underage when they started
using nicotine products. I first asked them why they started vaping in the first place. “I liked getting the headrush” said Joe. Both Nick and Allison said that it made them feel relaxed, and helped with anxiety and stress. Other Joe said “I started vaping because I wanted to start cigarettes… but I figured the safer way would be to vape.” Other Joe happened to be in a vape shop when I was asking him these questions, and he added that 3 out of the 5 people in the shop said they started vaping as a way to quit cigarettes. While none of the four cited taste as a reason that they started vaping, when asked most of them did say they prefer sweet flavors. All four said they like fruit flavors, two enjoy mint, and one is a fan of dessert flavors. Finally, I asked them what they would do if Cuomo gets his way and flavored e-cigarettes are banned. “Be very upset,” Joe responded, “I don’t use e-cigarettes often so it’s fine.” “It wouldn’t hurt me since I don’t do it anymore,” Nick said, “But I wouldn’t want it to be like that as people rely on e-cigs as a de-stressor and a way to help quit smoking.” Other Joe’s response was quite different. “If all flavors [are banned] I’d just start smoking menthol cigarettes.” “There’s always ways around everything.” Allison said. “I mean, there are so many drugs that are illegal and people still find a way to get them. Anyone could ban anything and people still find a way.” Underage vaping has become a problem in New York, and in the United States as a whole. Something needs to be done about it, but Cuomo’s plan to ban flavored e-cigarettes is problematic, lazy, and just flat-out stupid. Adults have the right to vape whatever flavors they want, and kids breaking the law is no reason to take that freedom away from them. Frankly, if your solution to a problem is to ban things until the problem goes away, you have no understanding of freedom and shouldn’t hold any political power in America.
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A BASIC GUIDE TO FIREARMS
A Basic Guide to Firearms
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By Mason Carteri
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uns have been a part of American culture and political discourse since the revolution, and the gun control debate is among the key issues in many national and state elections today. Although firearms remain at least somewhat present in the majority of political campaigns and modern political discourse, it’s not hard to find an elected official or voter discussing guns with seemingly no knowledge whatsoever on the subject. No matter your stance on firearms, it is important to be informed to properly debate the issue. For that purpose, this rudimentary guide to firearms should help you better understand the basic jargon, mechanics, and classifications most firearms operate under. Long Guns vs Handguns Most handheld guns can be roughly classified into two groups: long guns and handguns – but the world of firearms is complex and extremely diverse, so some exceptions and overlap between these categories exist. Long guns are usually considered weapons that are meant to be held in both hands and can be braced against the shoulder when firing. Most long guns are either classified as rifles, carbines, or shotguns; a rifle is a long gun with a rifled barrel that spins the projectile as it is fired, while a carbine is a shorter rifle often meant to be mobile and lightweight. Some long guns, like the weapons used in the revolutionary war, have no rifling, and are thus usually called muskets. Shotguns use a different type of ammunition than the traditional round, called a shell, and are named so because of the multiple projectiles of “shot” traditionally loaded in each shotgun shell. In general, rifles and carbines are meant to provide the user precise and longer-range shooting, while shotguns are less precise weapons meant for use at shorter range. Handguns are firearms meant to be held in one or both hands, without any other brace. Most handguns today are either revolvers like the classic weapons of Dirty Harry and the gunslingers of the wild west, or semi-automatic pistols. These weapons generally fire similar rounds of varying caliber, with their largest difference being the action by which they fire multiple rounds. Revolvers have a revolving cylinder which cycles the next round to be fired after the previous shot, with some “single action” revolvers requiring the users to do this manually, while other “double action” models automatically move the cylinder following a trigger-pull. Semi-automatic pistols automatically load the next round to be fired after a shot. Most handguns are meant to be less precise weapons used at close or medium range with easy mobility. Actions In firearm lingo, the action is the system by which a new round is chambered and readied to be fired. Almost all guns not loaded like old muskets (through the muzzle) or semi/fully automatically are considered to have an action of some sort. Lever action rifles and shotguns user a lever mechanism to chamber the next round, while pump and bolt action guns
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operate similarly with different mechanisms. Most weapons using these three actions are rifles or shotguns, although some pistols like the 1800’s Volcanic Arms pistol (which used a lever action) do as well. The break action is also popular across both handguns and long guns, often used with weapons that only hold one or two rounds/shells. In this mechanism, weapons like the classic double-barrel coach gun are “broken” at the back of their barrel to load new ammunition. Automatics Automatic firearms have a complex mechanism that loads and chambers new rounds for the user automatically. Semi-automatic firearms load the next round at the firing of the last, but only fire one round per trigger pull, while fully automatic firearms will fire new rounds as long as the trigger is depressed, until they run out of ammunition. Fully-automatic weapons are broadly unavailable to civilians in the US without special permits and are used most often by military forces. Fully-automatic weapons like the AK-47 are also sometimes called machineguns, while those fully-automatic guns that fire smaller pistol rounds may be called submachineguns. Ammo Traditional rounds of ammunition are made up of a casing, a bullet, and an explosive charge of gunpowder. The casing contains the bullet itself and the gunpowder, while only the bullet is actually “fired” from the gun. These rounds are most commonly measured in caliber, which is a measure of the diameter of the projectile and the barrel from which it is fired (for example a .45 caliber round is .45 inches in diameter), in addition to other metrics like the length of the total round or the amount of black pounder loaded into it. On the other hand, shotgun shells are made up of a wax casing with a metal end, an explosive charge, and a load. Most shotgun loads are either shot or slugs – shot is usually made up of many small spherical pellets meant to spread out when fired, while slugs are single large projectiles meant to impart heavier damage on the target. Many guns are loaded either by placing each round individually into the weapon, or through a detachable clip or magazine. Clips are simple pieces of metal used to anchor several rounds together to be loaded at once, while magazines are fully or partially enclosed “boxes” around the ammunition that both hold the ammo and help load it into the gun (usually with a spring or by gravity). With this simple guide to firearm functionality and terminology, you should be better equipped to engage in discussions about guns, although remember, there are many more unique and rare terms, systems, and classifications of firearms not discussed here. And should you choose to exercise your Second Amendment rights, remember: firearms are lethal instruments, and proper safety should be practiced at all times when shooting or handling guns!
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5 THINGS I WISH I HAD DONE IN COLLEGE
5 Things I Wish I Had Done in College By Jonathon Mecomber
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s I have been preparing for graduation within the next month, I have had some time to reflect on my time in college. Without a doubt, college has introduced a range of experiences which will be with me for the rest of my life. Above all, I am most grateful for the friendships that I have made and the opportunities that I have encountered and I am sure that many other students feel the same was that I do. But this article isn’t about that. Instead, I thought that I would review some of the things that I wish that I had done in college. By no means is this list exhaustive and I am not claiming to have a great deal of life experience. This is simply an informal list of things that I just about any student attending this university can do which may be of some use. So, without further ado, here are my top five things that I wish I had done in college. 5. Utilize the Fleishman Center I know that it has been mentioned in other articles published here in Binghamton Review, but seriously, the Fleishman Center is perhaps one of the most underrated resources on campus. They have all sorts of incredibly helpful professional advice ranging from networking to résumé development. Making appointments can be done easily online and you can also walk in anytime for help Monday through Friday from 11am to 4pm. I only started utilizing the resource this semester as I started to apply for jobs and my only regret is not walking through their doors sooner. 4. Apply for More Scholarships Who doesn’t love free money? I doubt that this question even needs a response, yet there are constantly scholarships that go unclaimed. Though I have been fortunate as to finish out college without any debt, I would have definitely applied for more scholarships if I were to do it all again. More money is never a bad thing. 3. Study Abroad As someone who is majoring in Political Science with an interest in international relations, geography, and cultures, I really wish that I had taken the chance to study abroad. Though there is still plenty of time to explore the world and to see different places after college, this is perhaps the easiest time for most people to do so. With plenty of scholarships specifically tailored to students looking to travel, there’s really no excuse for taking a trip to another country whether it be for a few weeks or
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even for a year or more. No matter how long you spend there, it’ll probably be an amazing experience that you will remember for a lifetime. You might even be able to pick up a new language. And since we attend a SUNY school, you can take advantage of any of the study abroad opportunities offered by other SUNY schools as well. Don’t let this one pass you by without at least some consideration. 2. Get Involved There are two ways in which I wish that I had gotten more involved while in college. One way is more obvious than the other. The first, more obvious one is on-campus involvement. The number of clubs and organizations here at Binghamton is staggering and there is almost certainly a club for every niche. Do you like learning Italian? There’s a club for that. Want to play Pokémon Go with a bunch of other enthusiasts? There’s a club for that too. Want a break from the seemingly endless stream of left-wing speech? In fact, there are several clubs for that. Not only are these clubs fun, but they can also offer great opportunities and friendships for your future career or for your personal life. Every student should join at least one club that sounds interesting to him or herself. The second (and probably less obvious) way to get involved is off-campus. Since I have transferred to this school, I have always been living in apartments in the city. As a commuter, it’s far too easy to simply go to class each day and then to come straight back to the comfort and safety of the couch. However, as students, we not only go to school here, but we also do live here. As such, we should remember that we are members of this community. You don’t have to run for the municipal elections, but you can at least dispose of your trash properly. In all seriousness, even going for a walk around the block and exploring the area is a perfect way to get more involved. Check out some new restaurants in your area (besides Denny’s) and get into a conversation with the locals. When it snows, offer to shovel the driveway for your neighbor. Though it sometimes may seem like Binghamton is nothing more than a small city, there really is a lot more under the surface and I really wish that I had taken more time to explore. 1. Take It Slow Unlike the traditional college student, I finished my degree within two and a half years by attending a community college before transferring here and by taking summer and winter courses. Though I am proud of my achievement, looking back, I do wish that I had taken more time to appreciate the present moment rather than solely focusing on the next stage. As someone who always feels the need to meticulously plan things out, this can be difficult. However, every once in a while, remove yourself from the hustle and bustle and the competitive environment of a top-tier university and examine the events unfolding around you. Try to live in the moment. You can’t enjoy the garden if you don’t stop to smell the flowers.
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