Fall 2016 Issue 27

Page 1

Celebrating 70 Years as the Free Word on Campus

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 | Vol. XC, Issue 27 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

BU junior Stefani Lineva found dead early Saturday morning

From left: Kevin Sussy/Photography Editor Faculty, staff and students attend the October Stonewall Mixer, hosted by the LGBTQ Center at Binghamton University in the basement of Glenn G. Bartle Library.

President Stenger announces $10K reward for information BPD says incident is consistent with a Gabriella Weick Assistant News Editor

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger delivered a press conference in the Couper Administration Building on Monday afternoon to offer a reward for information about the death of BU junior Stefani Lineva on early Saturday morning. “A $10,000 reward is being offered by Binghamton University and the city of Binghamton to anyone who has information that leads to the apprehension of the driver of the vehicle that hit and killed 20-year-old Stefani Lineva, a spirited

and vibrant Binghamton University student and member of the University’s tennis team,” Stenger said. Stenger said the University and the city are offering $5,000 each, and the University’s contribution comes from an endowment allocated for student emergency services from gifts and donations. A Binghamton business owner, Mark Yonaty, offered an additional $1,000 in funding to bring the reward to a total of $11,000. Stenger discussed off-campus safety, using caution when crossing large roads and abiding by all traffic laws. He also urged students not to walk late at night

Sophomore creates lighting display at Downtown eatery Jesse Pelzar designs, installs holiday light and music show at the Colonial restaurant Stacey Schimmel Pipe Dream News

Classes may still be in session, but if you’re walking past The Colonial on Court Street, it looks like the holidays came early this year. The popular Downtown Binghamton spot will feature bright lights on the exterior of its building and Christmas music playing from now until mid-tolate January, designed by Binghamton University student Jesse Pelzar. Pelzar, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering, is a co-founder of two apps called Pulse, which shows local events, and LoomVR, which is a virtual reality language-learning

startup, as well as a phone-fixing business called Phonofix BU. After being recommended by the owner of The Colonial’s friend, he designed the light display, coordinated the music and installed many of the lights along with the electrician The Colonial provided. The Colonial paid for all the supplies, and Pelzar received payment for his work. With only blueprints to work with, Pelzar began designing the display around Halloween and completed the designs and LED counts by Nov. 5. The lights were officially up and ready by Nov. 25.

SEE LIGHTS PAGE 2

along the parkway. “When you’re new to the area, and you’re not familiar with the avenues and the highways you certainly could make a mistake,” he said. “We encourage to never travel alone, and to make sure you’re with a friend so situations like this never happen.” Members of the BU tennis team, Stenger said, were Lineva’s closest friends during her time at BU. The University is working with the team for counseling services and class accommodations. “No, we didn’t [cancel class],” he said.

hit-and-run, case still under investigation

SEE REWARD PAGE 2

SEE BPD PAGE 2

A memorial service was held on Sunday afternoon in honor of Hinman Dining Hall cashier Tina Gaetani. Stories about Gaetani were shared by her family, coworkers and students, and almost all of them mentioned her sense of humor and ability to make a person’s day just a little bit brighter. Gaetani passed away on Nov. 26 at the age of 48 after a long struggle with diabetes. She worked for Sodexo Dining Services at Binghamton University for 19 years, starting in the Old Dickinson Dining Hall, before moving to Hinman College in 2003. Gaetani had taken this

semester off because of her health, but had been hoping to return in March. The service was planned by Gaetani’s co-workers, who publicized the event by hanging up flyers and telling students to attend while they were checking out at the dining hall. Al Vos, an English professor and faculty master of Hinman College, spoke about the joy Gaetani always brought to work and what the loss meant for the residential community. “Hinman is a close-knit community,” Vos said. “Sometimes we even talk about the Hinman family. Tina was definitely part of the Hinman family.” Kristen Deacon, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience,

ARTS & CULTURE

Binghamton University junior Stefani Lineva died early Saturday around 2 a.m. The Binghamton Police Department (BPD) is investigating the incident. According to BPD, Lineva was found lying against the concrete median in the middle of the highway and had sustained severe injuries that were consistent with being struck by a motor vehicle. The victim was taken to United Health Services Wilson

Medical Center in Johnson City where she was pronounced dead. According to WBNG, Bulgarian news outlets have stated that Lineva’s family believes she was killed in a different location, and her body was then moved to the roadway where she was found. BPD has not yet made a statement about this. The coroner’s report states that Lineva’s injuries were consistent with being hit by a car, but cannot confirm whether the injuries were

Talk examines thin layers of bacteria and real world methods of removal Sarah Rahman Contributing Writer

Students and faculty attended the Binghamton University Center for Biofilm Research’s workshop on Friday afternoon in the Innovative Technologies Complex to hear keynote speaker Paul Stoodley explain more about the world of biofilms. Stoodley, a professor from Ohio State University (OSU) who works in the department of microbial infection and immunity, said that biofilms are thin, often slimy layers of bacteria that stick to a variety of surfaces. Biofilms are part of every human’s everyday experience — they are the plaque that forms on teeth and causes tooth decay and the slippery coating on rocks by streams or rivers. Stoodley began researching biofilms

Tina Gaetani, 48, worked for Sodexo Dining Services for 19 years Contributing Writer

News Editor

Ohio State prof. discusses biofilm research

Beloved Hinman Dining Hall cashier remembered at community celebration Hannah Walter

Alexandra Mackof

said that she will be deeply missed by the students she served. “Tina was a staple in Hinman,” Deacon said. “Hinman is a really tight community so when something like this happens, we really care. We care about the workers we see and talk to every day.” Gaetani’s register often had long lines, as students sought to check out with her in particular. “I always liked going to her line because she always had some type of witty comment and could just always make you smile,” said Sean Finnegan, a junior majoring in industrial and

SEE TG PAGE 2

at Montana State University in 1987, and now works as a professor at OSU and a consultant for Philips Oral Healthcare. He has published 239 papers and is one of the most highly cited biofilm researchers, with more than 18,000 academic citations. Biofilms have a number of characteristics, one of which is the ability to stick stubbornly to surfaces. Since they are bacteria, they often cause infections, especially when they form on skin. A problem with biofilms is that experts have yet to discover a way to remove biofilms from surfaces permanently. “Biofilms are known to cause many chronic infections, particularly of foreign bodies,” Stoodley said. “That’s where they’ve sort of been, sort of known, but also epithelial surfaces and then host surfaces. One of the issues

in medicine or actually industry with biofilms is that when bacteria form biofilms, regardless of their sensitivity to antibiotics or antimicrobials, when they’re biofilms, they become almost inherently tolerant of antibiotics and antimicrobials.” One way that Stoodley and his team are looking to remove biofilms is through hydrodynamics — using moving water as a means to get rid of biofilms. They looked at the ways biofilms reacted to different flows at the cellular level. More recently, Philips, the electric appliance brand, came up with a product that sprays water between teeth in order to remove dental plaque, a kind of biofilm. Stoodley was interested in how high-velocity water sprays may affect a layer of biofilm

SEE BIOFILM PAGE 2

Professor explores role of fake news in U.S. history Robert Parkinson featured in The Washington Post for research on falsified information Peter Brockwell Pipe Dream News

On Nov. 25, an opinion piece published in The Washington Post — written by a Binghamton University professor — discussed the role of fake news in the recent election and the way in which falsehoods have helped shape the history of the United States. Robert Parkinson, an assistant professor of history at BU, has published pieces in other national papers and many of the examples in his Washington Post piece came from his book, “The Common Cause: Creating Race and Nation in the American Revolution,”

OPINIONS

published by the University of North Carolina Press in June. In the article, Parkinson mentioned purposeful falsehoods put forth by revolutionaries in Boston designed to undermine English authority, but most of his piece focused on the non-governmental work of Benjamin Franklin while he was living in Paris acting as the U.S. ambassador to France. According to the article, Franklin created an entirely false version of a real newspaper that included a gruesome article about the U.S.

SEE FAKE PAGE 2

SPORTS

Childish Gambino’s latest album doesn’t dissapoint,

Creativity+ hosted its “Nowhere” fundraiser for the Broome County Urban League on Friday,

The Pipe Dream Editorial Board shares a message about the loss of a BU student,

Maine basketball furthers America East goal of inclusion,

Men’s and women’s basketball overcome late deficits,

See page 4

See page 5

See page 8

See page 11

See page 12


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.