Frankie Cosmos brought its Brooklyn sound to The Undergrounds on Friday,
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Tuesday, November 15, 2016 | Vol. XC, Issue 22 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
Celebrating 70 Years as the Free Word on Campus
SA vice president for academic affairs resigns
Student Congress to confirm interim VPAA, finalize special election schedule on Thursday Alexandra Mackof News Editor
Adam Wilkes, the Binghamton University Student Association (SA) vice president for academic affairs (VPAA), resigned from his position on Monday night. Wilkes, a junior double-majoring in economics and sociology, was elected in March for the 2016-17 academic year. In his letter of resignation, Wilkes said that he is stepping down in order to prioritize his well-being.
“It would not be fair to myself to continue to be the VPAA if I don’t tend to my own wellness,” Wilkes wrote in his letter of resignation. “It’s also not fair to the student body. Right now, I need to discover new things in my life to find happiness.” Nicholas Ferrara, the SA president and a senior majoring in political science, said that Wilkes will be missed. “Adam [Wilkes] has been an incredible addition to the executive board, and we
SEE WILKES PAGE 2
NY state senator speaks at Veteran's Ceremony Fred Akshar among those honoring former military members, asking for appreciation Allison Detzel Contributing Writer
Students and faculty gathered in Binghamton University’s Chamber Hall in the Anderson Center on Friday afternoon to honor those who have served in the armed forces, raise awareness for veterans and discuss ways to foster healthy relationships between them and the rest of the student body. BU’s Office of Veteran Services and the Veterans Student Organization (VSO) hosted the 2nd Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. Speakers included
various faculty and alumni, as well as newly re-elected New York state Sen. Fred Akshar. In 1944, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the G.I. Bill, which included funding for universities to serve the educational needs of veterans returning home from combat. Many veterans returned to the Binghamton area and needed access to affordable education and in 1946, BU, then Triple Cities College, was constructed to serve
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Kevin Sussy/Photography Editor Hundreds of students gather outside of Glenn G. Bartle Library in a peaceful protest in response to Donald Trump’s presidential election win. Chants of “My body, my choice,” “Not my president” and “Black lives matter” were heard during the demonstration.
Campus responds to election outcome Students and faculty protest, hold meetings following Donald Trump's win Alexandra Mackof News Editor
Many students were surprised by the results of the presidential election, and in the days that followed, members of the Binghamton University community responded to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. On Wednesday night, the day after the election, students participated in a State of Emergency town hall-style event hosted by multicultural organizations on campus. Over 200 students attended the event, which was aimed at providing a safe space for students to speak out, decompress and open up a dialogue following the results of the election. Friday afternoon, hundreds of students and faculty participated in a
Businesses connect to discuss global trade Forum explores ways in which companies in the U.S. can utilize globalization Alexandra Hupka Contributing Writer
The age of the internet has changed international business by connecting individuals across the world but turning a local business into a global one is a challenge that requires collaboration. On Nov. 14, Binghamton University and members of the local community came together in the the Engineering and Science Building of the Innovative Technologies Complex to address global entrepreneurship at the Second Annual Global Trade and Investment Forum of the Southern Tier. The event, hosted by the Center for International Business Advancement, focused on discussing globalization, its impact on businesses and providing companies with resources for going global. The forum provided time for questions from
the audience, as well as for conversation and debate between attendees regarding the global economy, the impact of the recent presidential election and the steps that the federal government should be taking to support business ventures overseas. A lunch and networking session followed which allowed speakers and attendees to interact and ask each other additional questions regarding globalization and the growth of international business. Numerous representatives from Southern Tier businesses were in attendance, hoping to gain information about the resources and opportunities available to them when exploring globalization opportunities. Speakers included several prominent New York businessmen, such as Alex Deyhim. Deyhim is the president of Advanced Design Consulting, a global company based in Lansing, New York, and his company designs and supplies complex scientific
instruments and technologically advanced laboratory systems for clients in over 26 different countries. “The beauty of globalization is the diversity,” Deyhim said. “For our company, going global provided stability, because we weren’t putting all of our eggs in one basket.” Mitchell Ferguson, acting director of the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, also spoke at the event. Ferguson works in the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs, which plays a key role in global trade relations and helps develop and negotiate trade agreements. He discussed the global economy, current trade partnerships and gave an overview of U.S. trade policy, which under President Barack Obama’s administration has emphasized opening export opportunities through trade agreements.
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Differences set aside at annual banquet Representatives from six religions explore similarities, common goals Jillian Forstadt Contributing Writer
In a time where much of the nation is divided over differences in thought, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Binghamton University brought over 200 students of different religions together on Saturday evening for a “coexistence banquet.” The event, which was called “Erasing the Lines” and was held in Old Union Hall, was a new take on the club’s banquet, which happens every semester, previously directed only toward the Muslim community. Students across religious groups were invited, including Hillel at Binghamton and the Arab Students Organization, to promote unity and peace. Habeeb Sheikh, the president of MSA and a senior doublemajoring in political science and cinema, said that he wanted to use this semester’s banquet to promote solidarity.
“One thing I’ve always wanted to do is unite the campus among religions,” Sheikh said. “You have a lot of people talking about how America is breaking apart. This is a small step in showing that we’re not dividing, we’re unifying. Everyone here saw each other as a human being regardless of their religion.” The banquet opened with a speech from Omer Bajwa, director of Muslim life in the Yale University Chaplain’s Office, who graduated from BU in 1998 with a degree in English. Bajwa, a Muslim, spoke about the importance of an open dialogue among people of different cultures and creeds in light of the recent election. “We have to fortify each other in the same way that the bricks of a wall form an impenetrable surface,” Bajwa said. “That needs to be the work of coexistence.” Bajwa was then joined by the six other panelists: Rabbi Akiva Weiss, who
SEE MSA PAGE 2
ARTS & CULTURE
WHRW hosted its annual Cafe O’Spacis event on Saturday night,
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Rebecca Kiss/Pipe Dream Photographer Dave Mayner speaks at the Muslim Student Association’s banquet, which takes place every semester, in Old Union Hall. Six other panelists were invited to speak on the importance of coexistence between religions.
#NotMyPresident protest, which was meant to align with protests occurring nationwide. Organizers expressed their upset following the election results and Ebony Derr, a sophomore majoring in accounting and the treasurer of SHADES, gave a call to action. “Many of us were bewildered by the unimaginable,” Derr said. “However surreal this election was, this is our reality. The question is: What will we do?” Nick Terepka, a sophomore majoring in sociology, organized the event. Before leading the march, participants highlighted what they believed was most immediately problematic about Trump’s candidacy. “We feel our existence is threatened because his rhetoric has the possibility of becoming policy,” Terepka said. “Our right to exist should be guarded and protected more carefully than someone else’s opinion
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Panelists look at election in historical perspective
Faculty members encourage dialogue among students, administrators following 2016 race Peter Brockwell Staff Writer
On Friday afternoon, Binghamton University students, faculty and staff gathered to hear a panel of speakers attempt to provide context for the U.S. presidential election. The event, titled “Election of 2016 in Historical Perspective,” was held in the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities conference room in Glenn G. Bartle Library. The panel was put together by Dael Norwood, an assistant professor of history at BU whose primary focus is 19th century U.S. politics. The panel was composed of four BU faculty members from a variety of academic backgrounds: Adam Laats, an associate professor in the BU Graduate School of Education and an expert on the history of conservatism; Provost Donald Nieman, who is an expert on race in post-Civil War American politics; Wendy Wall, an associate professor of history at BU who has written extensively on the idea of U.S. identity; and Leigh Ann Wheeler, a professor of history at BU and a specialist on women’s history in the U.S. Together, the group attempted to help rationalize and quantify the importance of the election of President-elect Donald Trump over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “It was pretty clear that the election season, no matter how it turned out, was historic,” Norwood said. “On the Republican side, there was a lot of changing of rules and appeals to different rhetoric the United States has not seen in quite some time,” Norwood said. “But also on the Democratic side, the first major party candidate who’s a woman.” The panelists noted that while Trump may appear to be a unique candidate, there is a history of seemingly radical
OPINIONS
Binghamton eatery features a unique atmosphere and a locally sourced menu,
on whether we should be able to exist or not.” On Saturday, Lily Shoulberg, a senior majoring in English, held an event in the University Downtown Center called “Binghamton Moving Forward.” According to her, the event was geared toward actionbased efforts and organization. “It was an incredibly productive conversation fueled by a shared desire to protect and support the most vulnerable communities on our campus and in the greater Binghamton area at this unprecedentedly frightening time,” Shoulberg said. “The meeting on Saturday was just the first step in what will be a sustained, united force for justice and equity.”
candidates pursuing office in the U.S. by campaigning during times of uncertainty. They cited the presidential campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders as an example of a movement like Trump’s. “A lot of historians have used status anxiety to explain populists,” Wheeler said. “Status anxiety to explain reform movements. And I’m always skeptical of those explanations, but I’ll tell you what: It’s feeling like that’s explaining a lot of what’s going on here. I think there’s a lot of status anxiety that drove people to vote for that man.” BU student Oli Nwobbi, a sophomore majoring in economics who voted for Clinton, asked the panel to further expand on this comparison between Trump and Sanders and questioned the nomination of Clinton. “I feel the election is a failure of the Democratic establishment and the Democratic Party,” Nwobbi said. “They put up a candidate who was bought by Wall Street, that was corrupt, that was corporatist at a time when people wanted nothing like that.” The panel agreed with Nwobbi that Trump struck a chord with a disgruntled voter base that Clinton could not connect with. They also added that left-leaning populism tends to fall apart over the subject of race, as the party leadership struggles to get white, specifically male, voters to work to support the social justice causes that define progressivism in the United States today. Johanna Boyes, a junior majoring in art history who supported Clinton, left the panel early to attend a protest on campus to express her displeasure with the president-elect’s stated plans for the direction of the country. She said she agreed with Nwobbi’s statements, reiterating that she believed Clinton’s message failed to connect with many
SEE ELECTION PAGE 2
SPORTS
Columnist Kristen DiPietra defends those who aspire to be teachers,
Women’s basketball starts season with two losses,
Men’s basketball beats Cornell, falls to St. John’s,
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