Truth and Two Staples
October 2014
Binghamton Binghamton Review Review
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So, You didn’t make it into Cornell... Welcome to Binghamton!
Binghamton Review
P.O. Box 6000 BinghamTOn, NY 13902-6000
editor@binghamtonreview.com
Founded 1987 • March 2014
Editor-in-Chief Daniel D. Milyavsky Managing Editor Samuel P. Bondy
Contents
Layout Editor William Schneider Senior Editor Sean Glendon Webmaster Jordan Raitses Copy Desk Chief Robert Kozma Contributors Ross Marchand, Daniel Irmihaev, Christopher Medrano, Aditi Roy, Chris Gil, Jack Russo, Samson Audino Patriarchs of the Review Aaron Ricks Adam Shamah Binghamton Review is printed by Our Press in Chenango Bridge, NY.
We provide the truth; they provide the staples.
The ABCs of binghamton: You’ll laugh, and you’ll cry Page 4 9
The Heart of the Anti-Israel Protests by Dan Milyavsky
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Give us those Rocks, China! by Ross Marchand
12 Ebola Within Our Borders by Daniel Irmihaev 14 Economics Update by Sam Bondy 15 Reaction to Trey Songz Fall Concert by Sean Glendon
Departments 3 7 8
EDITORIAL CAMPUS PRESSWATCH What you missed
Tell us what you think! Direct letters to editor@binghamtonreview.com 2
Binghamton Review,
October 2014
EDITORIAL
From the Editor
Dear Readers, Many of you are probably picking up an issue of the Binghamton Review, and you’re probably wondering what we’re all about. The average attention span of someone my age is about as robust as the job market for Gender Studies majors, so I’ll probably lose a bunch of you before you’re even done with this paragraph. Such is life! Most college publications, including the ones on this campus, have liberal to leftist political views and feature writing that is not of a particular high quality. The humor is often times infantile and try-hard.
to the American economy and health care system. However, calling people names isn’t any way to conduct an argument, so that’s one temptation we’ll avoid falling into. I hope you enjoy this issue. If you ever want to join our team, please don’t hesitate to email me at editor@binghamtonreview.com. You’ll find it to be a meaningful and fun experience! Sincerely, Dan Milyavsky P.S. This is the welcome issue, and it’s already October. I know. My bad.
The Review is different. Our political views favor individual liberty, an open society, and a smaller government. Our writing is both humorous and informative. The tone of this editorial may strike you as pompous or abrasive. That’s okay! It’s our style. You’ll grow to love it. Or maybe you won’t. It’s hard to say! In the past, I would’ve spent a good portion of this editorial discussing my own views and my tenure at the helm of this fine publication. Well, I’ve grown up a bit, so instead of putting that stuff in the editorial, I’ll write an article about it for the next issue. Which will hopefulyl be released in a couple of weeks. If this was your standard right-wing publication, there would probably be some cheap insult directed at Barack Obama by now. Obama is an awful president, and a great number of his policies have been damaging
“Even though I was born in 1912, and the Binghamton Review was established in 1987, without it I would have never been conceived. You should read it!” -Milton Friedman, the world’s greatest economist, and greatest human being
It’s no fun being a minority publication if the majority doesn’t believe anything! Conservatives and libertarians, we need you to give us your support. Liberals, we need you to give us more ammo. (Just open your mouth. That’s all.)
editor@binghamtonreview.com
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THE ABCS OF BINGHAMTON
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The abcs of binghamton
A B C D
I J K
Assholes - Whether it’s the aspiring boxers in the bus line, your RA, or a Sodexo manager, you’re sure to encounter them during your time here. BU - Boston University
Chipotle - If you thought it was good before, wait until you try it after months of the “Sodexo and Ramen” diet! Downtown - Great in theory. Still great if you are drunk enough to ignore... well, everything.
E F G H
Education - A perfectly acceptable explanation for years of binge drinking and dipping into your parent’s retirement. Foodcourt - On top of Sodexo’s least shitty food, you’ll probably run into last weekend’s hookup... under excellent lighting. Girls - Whether it’s 80 degrees or 20 degrees, they’ll still be wearing the same miniskirt. Pray for them. Hawley (20) - Where the only thing that works is the fire alarm.
Intelligence - You’ll learn you DON’T need this to 1) get into Binghamton 2) be a Teaching Assistant 3) become active in Student Government 4) be an RA or, 5) be a Professor. *You will need it if you would like to be on staff at The Review. Jewish Holidays - We get out of school for these. Ironically the students who aren’t Jewish tend to celebrate the hardest.
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Kraft - Then on the third day, God said: “Let there be EZ-Mac.”
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THE ABCS OF BINGHAMTON
Lecture Hall - The best location to pick up a copy of the Binghamton Review. That’s the only good part of the Lecture Hall. It’s round, an eye sore, and full of asbestos. Oh and by the way the new paint didn’t
L M N O help…
Mascot - Our mascot is a slowly dying breed of Southeast Asian mammals that is not related to either component of its name. But it isn’t a racial slur, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice. Nature Preserve - A place for hippies to be “at one”
with the trees and for freshmen to smoke pot at night.
OCCT Buses - The number one location for angry and belligerent drunk assholes to congregate. Picture the media crowd on TV shows, then picture them shitfaced.
P Q
Parade Day - A day in which students and townies coexist peacefully to get wasted and pretend to be Irish.
Questions - “Why did I come here?” “Must it rain all the time?” “Am I going anywhere in life?” “Is Sodexo secretly poisoning me?” “Why doesn’t my Professor/TA speak English?” “Will it ever stop snowing?” “Does the sun still exist?” These are all questions you will ask yourself within the first month of school.
R
Res Life - They decided to REDUCE student stress by forcing them to pick who they will spend the entire next year living with in October. You now have exactly 1 month after arriving to meet prople, find friends, learn their habits, and decide which one you will be compatible to live with during the most volatile years of your life. What could possibly go wrong?
S
Sex - Unfortunately way less frequent here than in college movies. Guys: get a girlfriend, or pledge a frat. Girls: just ask literally anyone. Preferably me. Tinder - The biggest breakthrough in “getting laid”
editor@binghamtonreview.com
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THE ABCS OF BINGHAMTON
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technology since vodka. Perfect timing, because Vodka is rape now. University Plaza - You have to take a bus to get to campus, AND you have to take a bus to get downtown. With all the peace and seclusion of any shopping center.
U V W X
Vestal - A small town 30 minutes from the Pennsylvania border, also the location of Binghamton University. Wal-Mart - Thank God it exists. This greedy corporation will offer you good quality products at low prices, and will enable you to survive on a college budget. What evil profiteering!
Xenophobia - Yes, we are using it again this year. If anyone has a better X, there is a place for you on our staff. - As a freshmen you expect to be an openminded individual who will not allow any of your prejudices take over and force you to preemptively form an opinion about anyone or anything. But after that first semester of being taught by the non-English speaking TA, you are going to be throwing around some pretty fucked up things about foreigners. Seriously...you’ll deny it, but we all know at some point you will say something horrible about your TA while pointing out what country they are from. Shame on you.
Y Z
Yik Yak - Your one stop shop for frat bashing, horny weirdos, high thoughts and occasional
humor. No really, you should download it.
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Zombies vs. Humans - Perhaps it should be renamed “Humans vs. Sexual Maturity”
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CPampus resswatch Editor’s Note: Pipe Dream hasn’t published enough stupid articles for us to make fun of this semester, so I’m going to give you a glimpse of what was going on here in 2011. Our comments are in italics Quotes from the article are in normal text Pipe Dream December 5, 2011 “Chickenhawks have Invaded the GOP Coop” Taylor, we’ve waited a long time to take note of your absence as a Review contributor. After writing for us for two years, you’ve finally demoted yourself to writing for sub-standard “newspaper,” which is perhaps indicative of your skills as a writer.
Seriously? If there is one thing we can’t stand, it is double-standards. The decade-old adage of “Democrats love peace and Republicans love war” is perhaps the biggest fallacy in politics. It may be true that Democrats hate war, except for WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Bosnia, and now Libya. Please, get off your soapbox and take a dose of reality. Pipe Dream December 5, 2011 “Sticky economy? I’ve got a job for you” Diana, we can only imagine the number of Facebook friend requests you have received since this article was published. Anyways...
“Last week, the Republicans held their national security debate, in which these seemingly simple-minded simians tried with earnest to articulate a presidential-sounding foreign policy agenda, pizza-man-related sex scandals aside. On stage last week was not a coherent ideology of well-conceived positions, but an inchoate cacophony of saber-rattling and flag-waving by the GOP.”
“It’s those two words that can make a girl tremble in her undies. Blow job. The seemingly dreaded task of putting a penis in your mouth. “
We really have no idea what to say. If you tried harder to be more annoying and condescending in your writing, you probably couldn’t achieve the levels displayed here.
“We’ve all found ourselves in some pretty awkward situations. I’ve encountered the “Wow you have the girthiest penis ever” and while abroad the “Wait you’re not circumcised?” penis. And let’s not forget the “So you literally only lasted 30 seconds” penis. Each one has its own story, each one memorable. But, like with anything, if you slip off that horse, just saddle back on up.”
“The menagerie of GOP candidates today are a lot of old chickenhawks eager to send young doves to die. Republicans are not the party of peace and liberty that they claim themselves to be. The GOP is a party of torture and war.”
editor@binghamtonreview.com
This is quite literally the dumbest article we have ever seen. But, if your goal was to give a few guys those awkward dining hall boners, then you have finally done something with your life worth writing home about.
There really is nothing to be said, except that if Pipe Dream needs incredibly raunchy articles in order to attract readership, maybe they are weaker than
we thought. Anyways, we assume that giving blowjobs isn’t exactly the career choice you had in mind. But if that’s your life goal, we’re sure you have had many great accomplishments with many more to... “come.” Pipe Dream November 17, 2011 “Occupiers, let’s get physical” When the editors of the Review were told about this op-ed, we couldn’t believe what we were being told was in this. But here it is. “We are dealing with a ruling class that is completely unwilling to change from the grossly unjust status quo, and if they won’t heed the cries of logic, wisdom and reason, what else is there to do but forcibly remove these malignant individuals from society? Unfortunately, no amount of protesting is going to accomplish this and the only valid way to achieve such a feat may just be violent means.” The next time we hear a liberal pundit rant about how violent Tea Party supporters are, we can point to idiots like you and just throw it in their face. Resorting to violence in a democratic nation is just pathetic. There is nothing else that needs to be said about this. B 7
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WHAT you missed · Res Life thought it would be a good idea to push back the date when students sign up for housing from March to October. This is obviously crazy, since it takes freshmen a while to find out who they want to live with. You don’t have to make a $200 deposit anymore, but that deposit was always refundable anyway, and there will be a $200 cancellation fee if you cancel between October and March. The justification is that students begin signing leases for some housing downtown, like 20 Hawley and Twin River, in the fall. But one of the benefits of living on campus was that it’s a good fall back option. Oh well. At least neither I, nor any of my friends, will be affected by this!
is a terrible organization, and it would be in almost everyone’s best interest for the Iraqi army and the Kurds to put them down ASAP.
· The Mexican Army has taken over a town in Mexico after a mass grave containing 28 bodies was discovered. Awesome!
· There is a panic about Ebola spreading to the United States. All indications, however, are that health officials are doing a decent job of containing it. Ha, just kidding! One of the nurses who contracted Ebola from a patient in Texas
· Pro-democracy protests are raging in Hong Kong. Right now, the leader of Hong Kong is selected by a handful of business elites, with strong input from the Communist government in mainland China. Hong Kong was promised democratic elections in 2017, but now the Chinese government is sounding shakier on that commitment. The Binghamton Review wishes the protesters the best of luck!
· We’re at war again, although the professional obfuscators and spinners in the Obama administration prefer to call it “kinetic military action.” We’re bombing ISIS, an organization that seeks to establish a caliphate and basically murder everyone who isn’t Muslim (although, nevertheless, Obama insists that they are “not Islamic.”). I hope it goes better than our most recent wars have gone. ISIS
· Two Japanese scientists and a Japanese-born American won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for inventing blue light-emitting diodes, a breakthrough that has spurred the development of LED technology to light up homes, computer screens and smartphones worldwide.
· Gay marriage is coming to more and more U.S. states. Perhaps this is actually good for Republicans, considering gay marriage’s overwhelming acceptance by younger people.
· There will be a rally in New York City in favor of charter schools, and against failing New York City public schools. Representatives of the teachers union like to blame the dismal state of New York City schools on poverty, but charter schools have had a great deal of success teaching poor students. Liberals have a choice to make. Who do you support: poor, usually minority, students, or kleptocratic and shameless teachers’ unions?
Our Mission Binghamton Review is a non-partisan, student-run periodical of conservative thought 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. In that spirit, we seek to promote the free exchange of ideas and offer an alternative viewpoint not normally found on our predominately liberal campus. It is our duty to expose the warped ideology of political correctness that dominates this university. We stand against tyranny in all 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. Finally, we understand that a moral order is a necessary component of any civilized society. We strive to inform, engage, and perhaps even amuse our readers in carrying out this mission.
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AN ANCIENT DISEASE LIES BEHIND THE ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS binghamtonreview.com
An ancient disease lies behind the anti-Israel protests Written By Dan Milyavsky
Editors Note: This article was written in August. Where are the massive Free Kurdistan rallies? As the barbaric Islamist terror group ISIS overruns Iraq, the Kurdish population there, in addition to religious minorities, is being threatened. There have been numerous documented cases of ISIS thugs beheading children. Sometimes these heads are placed on pikes in the town square for all to see. This is so horrifying that it almost doesn’t sound real, and yet anyone can see the pictures with a quick Google search. But don’t expect any anti-ISIS rallies to be held anywhere, including the Western world. Instead, it is Israel, one of the few beacons of modern morality and civilization in the chaos of the Middle East, which receives all the bile and hate. Anti-Israel rallies in France, mostly composed of Muslim immigrants but not exclusively so, quickly degenerated into riots with attacks on Jewish businesses reminiscent of Kristallnacht. All over Europe, there were anti-Israel rallies, and many of these featured explicitly Jewhating rhetoric. A quick recap on the recent conflict in Gaza: Three Israeli teens were kidnapped and murdered in the West Bank, which is run by the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli government conducted a massive operation in which it arrested hundreds of suspects as a result of these gruesome murders, an operation that the Palestinian Authority cooperated with. To retaliate for this wave of arrests, Hamas started firing rockets into Israel. The rockets are fired from densely populated civilian areas. The foremost responsibility of a government is the protection of its citizens from violence, so Israel began an air campaign against Gaza to stop the rocket fire. Israel took extraordinary measures to minimize civilian casualties, but inevitably many innocents Gazans editor@binghamtonreview.com
“All around the world, by millions upon millions of people, Israel is labeled with this epithet.” were killed. There are a variety of reasonable views that one can take of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but any rational person comprehends that the behavior of the Israeli military cannot even be compared to the unbridled evil of the ISIS jihadists. And yet, all the malice is directed against Israel. The prime minister of Turkey, a country that is a member of NATO, recently said: “Just like Hitler, who sought to establish a race free of all faults, Israel is chasing after the same target. They kill women so that they will not give birth to Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won’t grow up; they kill men so they can’t defend their country…They will drown in the blood they shed.”
themselves. They reacted by demolishing the greenhouses and launching a rocket barrage against Israel. The Jews of Israel originate from all over Europe and the Middle East, and there are even Jews from Ethiopia as well. In addition, Israel is home to over a million Israeli Arabs, who are full citizens. Does this sound like a Nazi country? And yet, all around the world, by millions upon millions of people, Israel is labeled with this epithet. What could the reason be? The answer is unpleasant but readily apparent. Anti-Semitism, a disease that is over a thousand years old, is alive and healthy. And in the cause of anti-Zionism, it has found its most vocal and politically correct expression.
Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip in 2005. It left behind greenhouses that the Gazans could use to grow crops for export, and allowed the Gazans to govern 9
GIVE US THOSE ROCKS, CHINA
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Give us those rocks, China! Written By Ross Marchand With climate change looming out to the horizon and up to the atmosphere, clean energy is likely to proliferate. Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), generous subsidies, feed-in tariffs, and other mandates are the government’s way of catapulting wind, solar, and electric vehicle technologies to majority market shares. But are taking everything into account in our promotion of fossil fuel alternatives? We’re all too familiar with how fossil fuels are extracted and refined. But what about the alternatives? Here, rare earth elements (REEs) have a huge role to play. The US Department of Energy tells us that five such substances- dysprosium, neodymium, yttrium, terbium, and
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europium- are used extensively in creating our green products. Though lithium is not considered a part of the rare earth club, its supply is critical in making electric car batteries. The vast majority (~95%) of these goodies hail from the People’s Republic of China, and that’s where the trouble begins. Minerals such as neodymium and terbium are, well, finite mined resources, and working with them causes terrible environmental by-products. The British Geological Society, spooked by the scarcity and geo-political problems of rare earth minerals, gives them an alarming “9.5/10” score on their 2012 supply risk table.
So, why are these dear Englishmen losing so much sleep over these rocks? China’s geographical blessing gives it a near-monopoly on REM production, which allows their government to act anti-competitively. This problem reared its ugly head in 2010, when China slashed its REE export quota by 40%. Price levels shot through the roof, and depressed solar panel executives and weapons manufacturers drank away the pain at DC whisky bars. China’s rationale was that a) environmental degradation had to be reigned in; and b) resources levels had to be maintained. The real reason was way simpler. Monopolist China could slash exports, watch the price rise, and make more
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GIVE US THOSE ROCKS, CHINA Without a doubt, policymakers trying to pave the way for renewables will have a tough time. Elected officials hoping to bring down the cost of these technologies will have to partner with China to open up the rare earth market. If 95% of production stays under the virtual control of one government, distorted prices will mean a less green future. But if the Chinese government pursues a laissez-faire approach and allows new suppliers to enter the market, clean energy can prosper. This admittedly involves wishful thinking, as it would require a comprehensive energy agreement between the US and China. That matter, though, is another subject that merits a separate posting.
profit at a lower output level. And it didn’t have to deal with that pesky private sector- China’s production of REEs (along with most things) is heavily state-controlled and kept on a tight leash. But the price boom in minerals didn’t last long. The bubble burst circa 2012, as companies purchasing REEs (mainly tech firms) made do with substitutes, kept inventories down, and went to China. Additionally, investors began to think that product demand was seriously over-estimated. By the time the WTO invalidated the Chinese export quota in August 2014, REMX prices had fallen from $110/share in early 2011 to the mid $30s. This was nothing spectacular; China will doubledown by limiting exports in other ways. You may be asking how clean technology fits into this ugly business. Well, I’d suggest examining the implications of the initial price bubble. When investors looked down the rabbit hole of scarcity, Chinese tactics, and more scarcity, they saw a worthwhile investment. While this proved a bit premature, clean technologies will be a huge demand driver in the coming years. And if the masses shop for solar panels and wind turbines, prices will surely editor@binghamtonreview.com
skyrocket once again. But will they fall back down to Earth? Normally, high prices would induce companies to dig harder and deeper to get those minerals. But if geographical and political considerations keep China as the only viable player and China continues its grip on the industry, renewables could have a major cost problem on their hands. And, just as many have feared “peak oil” over the years, there will be a “peak rare” even without China’s monopoly. Consider that dysprosium demand is projected by MIT to soar 2,600 percent in the next quarter-century. The mineral, integral to wind turbines and electric cars, is extremely difficult to mine outside of China. Even if the prices eventually shoot high enough to justify mining in remote areas of Greenland and Canada, mine development may take up to ten years. Adding to this terrible inelasticity of supply, substitutes for REEs are hard to come by. A recent Yale study examining the substitution question found that the “big five” minerals for clean tech. have, “low to very low substitute potential.”
Our policymakers can make the most difference in ceasing subsidization of “pet” green projects that they prefer. Picking winners from losers distorts price signals by interfering with resource allocation decisions. In responding to rising REE prices, clean tech. companies can increase market share by a) using less minerals; b) exploring lowcost substitutes; or c) a combination. Price competition also has to take land, and other scarcities into account (*cough* wind farms). But why focus on these pivotal resource decisions if the government can artificially boost your market share for you? If we’re serious about curbing climate change, we need to halt our explicit and implicit subsidization of fossil fuels. The “fuel consumption bubble” touches everything from production to transportation to electricity generation. Only then will we be able to navigate the murky waters of rare earth markets. But with a free market in alternatives to our statist-quo of dirty fuels, our transition can be a smoother ride.
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EBOLA WITHIN OUR BORDERS
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Ebola within our borders Written By Daniel Irmihaev Ebola, the deadly virus that has killed thousands in various West African countries this year, has made its way into the United States. The first American diagnosed with the virus within our borders, confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services on September 30, is a man by the name of Thomas Eric Duncan. Mr. Duncan, who flew in from Liberia on September 21 to visit family in Dallas, developed symptoms of the deadly disease on September 24. He was admitted to an isolation unit at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on September 28 and is currently in critical condition. There have been several episodes of Ebola in Africa since 1976, but none match the current outbreak, which has infected over 7,000 people in several West African countries, namely Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The total death toll of the virus during this outbreak is close to 3,500, a number that easily surpasses any previous Ebola outbreak death toll. This epidemic started early December 2013, when a two-year-old child from the village of Meliandou, Guinea, contracted the disease. The virus then spread to the child’s immediate family members. In mid-February 2014, the virus was contracted by a hospital worker who then spread it to other villages. Due to the poor public health systems throughout these West African countries, the disease spread substantially within months of the first recorded case. Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia experienced the most cases and deaths from the disease to date. What is Ebola? Ebola hemorrhagic fever, now known as Ebola, 12
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“The total death toll of the virus during this outbreak is close to 3,500, a number that easily surpasses and previous Ebloa outbreak death toll.” is a rare and fatal disease caused by infection with one of the five Ebola virus strains. Four out of the five virus species are known to infect humans: Ebola virus, Sudan virus, Taï Forest virus, and Bundibugyo virus. The fifth species, Reston virus, has infected nonhuman primates such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Researchers believe that the original hosts of the Ebola virus are fruit bats. How easily does the virus spread? There are several stages that an individual infected with the virus experiences as it worsens. The earliest stage begins with an individual that is infected with Ebola, but doesn’t experience any symptoms of the disease yet. It can take up to 20 days for the disease to incubate, so someone in this early stage is very unlikely to infect others. Then there is the “Walking Sick”
stage, in which an infected individual experiences some of the virus’ symptoms, such as fever, stomach pain, severe headache, vomiting, sore throat, and diarrhea. According to experts, Ebola is not an airborne virus, meaning it can’t spread through coughs or sneezes. The virus is mainly spread through bodily fluids such as saliva and semen, and therefore casual contact with someone in the “Walking Sick” stage is most likely not contagious. The most severe stage of Ebola is when an infected individual experiences extreme symptoms of the virus, such as emitting blood, vomit, and diarrhea. It is at this point when the virus is highly contagious because even a drop of dried blood from the ill patient can remain infected with the virus for over a week. A healthy individual can be infected with the virus through cuts in the skin, or from touching ones mouth, nose, or eyes. The corpse of an individual that had the virus is extremely contagious. March 2014
binghamtonreview.com The first two Americans to test positive for the virus in West Africa were missionaries Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol. Both individuals contracted the disease in Liberia, were treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta in early August with the experimental drug ZMapp, and finally discharged on August 21. The third American was Dr. Rick Sacra, another missionary, who contracted the virus in Libera. Dr. Sacra was treated at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha on September 5 with the experimental drug TKM-Ebola, and was discharged on September 25. Thomas Eric Duncan was the fourth individual to come into contact with the virus in Liberia, but the first to be diagnosed with the virus within our borders. Approximately 48 people in Texas, all of which had some sort of encounter with Mr. Duncan, are at risk of exposure to Ebola. Ten of these individuals are considered at
EBOLA WITHIN OUR BORDERS
“A healthy individual can be infected with the virus through cuts in the skin, or from touching ones mouth, nose, or eyes.”
“higher risk” of contracting the virus and are being closely monitored. The fifth American, a freelance camera operator for NBC news by the name of Ashoka Mukpo, was flown into the United States, on October 6, after contracting the virus while working in Liberia. He is currently being treated at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Despite the increasing number of Ebola patients being treated within our borders, top federal health officials claim that the possibility of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. is slim.
“Despite the increasing number of Ebola patients being treated within our borders, top federal health officials claim that the possibility of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. is slim.” editor@binghamtonreview.com
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binghamtonreview.com ECONOMICS UPDATE
Economics Update Written By Sam Bondy This past Friday October 3rd, the Labor Department reported September nonfarm payrolls grew by 248,000. This was compared with median projections of 215,000 (Bloomberg). Thus, the United States unemployment rate ticked down .2% to 5.9% for September (it was around 10% at the height of the most recent recession). Despite this report, economists remain vigilant of other indicators of employment market health. This includes statistics such as the labor force participation rate, average hourly earnings and U6. All of these metrics are on Janet Yellen’s, the current Chair of the Federal Reserve, radar. According to one half of the Fed’s “dual mandate”: fostering maximum employment, Yellen remains wary of these figures and believes there may still be some “slack” in the labor market. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, right now the number of workers who are “Part-Time for Economic Reasons” (involuntarily part time) is over 7.1 million. On top of which, privatesector average hourly earnings actually fell by one penny to $24.53.
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The graph below shows both the “Civilian Unemployment Rate” as well as the “10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate” year to date. The Fed has been pushing down interest rates, which has resulted in both lines sloping downward. Theoretically, as the economy improves and the unemployment rate decreases past a certain threshold, the Fed will start to raise interest rates. When this happens, the red line will start to slope upward while the blue line will continue downward (and then probably flatten out). The 10-Year Treasury Note, a common benchmark security is currently yielding 2.45% (it rose by one basis point on Friday). They are expected to yield roughly 3.5% one year from now. With this revision in the unemployment rate, the figures may be falling in-line with the Fed’s “data dependent” decision on whether or not to raise rates. The other part of the dual mandate is to maintain stable prices, and so the Fed does not want the economy to get overheated. The Fed’s desired inflation rate is 2%, a number that hawks think accommodative policy is bringing on too quickly.
“The Labor Department reported September nonfarm payrolls grew by 248,000.” The Fed’s Quantitative Easing program, whereby they are buying trillions of dollars of longer-term Treasury securities as well as agency mortgage backed securities is coming to an end. The timeframe under which to raise short-term interest rates, namely the federal funds rate, is still up for debate. As outlined by Fed statements and the remarks of its Governors, rate increases will most likely occur during the first half of 2015. No matter what happens, all eyes are going to be on the statement given after the Federal Open Market Committee’s meeting at the end of this month.
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REACTION TO TREY SONGZ HEADLINING THE FALL CONCERT
Reaction to trey songz headlining the fall concert Written by By Sean Glendon
I don’t know how I feel. I don’t know what the SA was thinking. I don’t know what words are about to fill this page. Here goes nothing. This is my 3rd year in Binghamton and I’ve been to every on campus concert in that time period. I don’t listen to EDM on my own time, but I went into Afrojack with a positive attitude. The atmosphere was cool, everybody was on all the drugs, and good times were had… except for the fact that Afrojack didn’t really play that one song that everybody knows. Take Over Control? Yeah, that one. He briefly jumped into it and played some weird version. Not cool dude. Next up, was the Childish Gambino concert with Logic as the opener. Having two fall concerts was really cool, and I wish that it was an annual thing. Anyways, Logic was terrible. While others were singing along or whatever, I was actually laughing at him. There is an article on a music blog somewhere on the internet that cites me laughing at Logic. This is a fact. Donald Glover also known as Childish Gambino is one of the most talented individuals in the industries (all of them), so naturally I was excited about him. He put on a great show, with a freestyle that incorporated Binghamton into it, as well as an opportunity to let his unsuccessful rapper brother Steve has a shot on the mic. Steve G. Lover III was greater than or equal to Logic. The following spring semester was the infamous Yellowband concert. Well, the Yellowband poster at least. Those “Ocean Avenue” guys somehow managed to headline a show in 2013 and they lost their instruments and had to borrow an electric ukulele from somebody who happened to have editor@binghamtonreview.com
one and they also told the haters to fuck off. Let us take note that the spring concerts are free, which highly shifts expectations and opportunity cost. Fall 2013 there was only one concert :( … J. Cole :). I was a really big J. Cole fan during his mixtape rise to fame, and I purchased his debut album in store the day it came out, but for some reason I wasn’t listening to him much around the time he announced the concert. I hadn’t given Born Sinner the attention it deserved, which really impaired the concert for me since he only played Born Sinner era stuff essentially. The special effects and lighting and everything were sick. Finally, this spring featured Matt & Kim, Joey Bada$$, RDGLDGRN, and some EMD person I didn’t care about at all. I just looked. 3LAU. But the 3 is pronounced like a B? I don’t know. Matt & Kim surprised me, and put on one hell of a show. They even dropped into some Dr. Dre funky fresh beats. Joey Bada$$ was less boring than I anticipated him being, and RDGLDGRN sounds way better on Spotify than they did live. I found my direction after those flashbacks. SA does this thing where they send out a survey and ask you to rank artists. They’ll put your favorite artists on and toy with your emotions. Kendrick Lamar was on there a couple of years ago, Chance the Rapper was on there last year. I will print-screen the next survey the send out so it can be addressed at a later date. If you look at the survey and expect your favorite artist from the list to come, you’re gonna have a bad time. If you complain about Trey Songz, and walk into his concert with
“Should you go? What else are you going to be doing on a Wednesday night?” a negative attitude you’re just wasting your money. Should you go? What else are you going to be doing on a Wednesday night? Plus, Trey Songz is a very talented musician with a variety of hits covering different topics. They include “Say Ahh,” a song about Mr. Songz wanting a woman to open her mouth for multiple reasons, “Bottoms Up,” a song about Mr. Songz wanting a woman to raise multiple bottoms, and most recently “Late Night,” where Mr. Songz raps “if you ain’t the type of bitch talking ‘bout relationships… hit me up, hit me up on that light night shit.” Oops. I retract the “different topics” statement. I can’t tell you what to do regarding attendance, and I have no idea what I’ll be doing, but as you’re making your decision, remember the words of Modern Family character Phil Dunphy “The most amazing things that can happen to a human being will happen to you, if you just lower your expectations.”
15
The Freshman’s Guide to a Night Out GIRLS
Guys
BOTH
1. The more axe you wear, the more likely you are to hook up with someone, right?
1.
WEAR THE SHORTEST SKIRT YOU HAVE, REGARDLESS OF THE FREEZING TEMPERATURES.
2.
2. Pre-game in a friend’s suite with some Absolut your Dad gave you.
TAKE SOME GROUP PHOTOS WITH THE OTHER GIRLS ON YOUR FLOOR, POST THEM IN A FACEBOOK ALBUM TITLED “BEST NITE EVERRR!!!,” “I LOVE MY BITCHES!!!!,” OR “MY GURLS KEEPIN’ IT CLA$$Y!!!”
3. WAIT FOR A CAB IN FRONT OF
THE UNION, COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COLD EVEN THOUGH YOU CHOSE NOT TO BRING A COAT. 4. Argue with the guy collecting money at the frat’s door. After all, you are friends with literally everyone in the frat.
4. PURPOSELY HAVE A BRITNEY SPEARS
TYPE WARDROBE MALFUNCTION AS YOU EXIT THE CAB iN FRONT OF THE FRAT HOUSE.
5. Brag about how great you are at keg stands; vomit all over the wall after five seconds.
5.
DEMAND SHOTS FROM EVERYONE WITHIN FIVE FEET OF YOU; ALMOST GO BLIND AFTER HALF A SHOT OF TEQUILA.
6. Lose at beer pong; say something insightful like “these aren’t Long Island rules!”
6. START CRYING AFTER SOME GUY IN THE CORNER FEELS
YOU UP. GUY IN THE CORNER TURNS OUT TO BE A COAT RACK.
7. BECOME BORED; START SPREADING
7. Get into a fight with a coat rack; lose.
RUMOURS ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS.
8. HEAR THAT THE FRAT RAN
OUT OF ALCOHOL; IMMEDIATELY LEAVE FOR DOWNTOWN.
9.
GET INTO A BAR USING AN ID OF A GIRL WITH DIFFERENT HAIR AND SKIN COLOR FROM YOU.
9. Use your older brother’s ID; nearly have an axiety attack while the bouncer checks it.
10. STAND IN A CIRCLE WITH YOUR
FRIENDS IN THE MOST INCONVENIENT PLACE POSSIBLE FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
11b. HOOK UP.
11a. START SOBBING BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO DANCE WITH YOU.
12b. REGRET IT.
12a. CONTINUE SOBBING AS SOMEONE
10. Offer to buy everyone shots without knowing how much shots cost.
11a. Girl won’t dance with you, but you don’t care. You just want to have fun with your bros tonight anyway, right? 12a. Die a little inside.
SPILLS A DRINK ON YOUR FACE.
13. WANDER AROUND LOOKING FOR A 14. STUMBLE AROUND CRYING ABOUT HOW
CAB; HOW YOU GOT BACK TO CAMPUS REMAINS A MYSTERY.
14. Go to Hinman Night Owl, eat
everything you buy within five seconds.
MEAN EVERYONE IS ABOUT EVERYTHING.
15. ACCUSE RANDOM GIRLS OF BEING “SLUTS.”
15. Throw up everything on the 16. PASS OUT SOMEWHERE.
carpet of your building’s lounge.
17. WAKE UP NO EARLIER THAN 11:30AM. 18. WAIT HALF AN HOUR IN A LINE FOR DINING HALL PANCAKES. 19. PLAY DAMAGE CONTROL FOR ALL THE
GOSSIP YOU SPREAD/STARTED LAST NIGHT.
20. SAY SOMETHING LIKE “I WAS SOOOOOOOOO DRUNK LAST NIGHT!” TO NEARLY EVERYONE YOU ENCOUNTER.
19. Tell everyone about
all the girls you got with.