Fall 2022 Issue 5-6

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Monday, September 12, 2022 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

BU wins $113.7 million

OCCT and BC Transit lift mask mandate

The grant will be used to support lithium-ion battery production and clean energy manufacturing.

Mallory Braden News Intern

The Binghamton University New Energy New York (NENY) project was awarded $63.7 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) on Friday.

After being named a finalist for the grant in December, BU has been chosen as one of the 21 winners in the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. This challenge is a part of the EDA and U.S. President Joe Biden’s plan to improve regional economies and provide better jobs in clean energy, next-generation manufacturing and biotechnology industries across America, according to the White House website. In addition to the $63.7 million from the EDA, BU will also receive another $50 million from New York state to help fund the next steps in the NENY proposal.

Led by M. Stanley Whittingham, distinguished professor of chemistry and 2019 Nobel Prize winner, this proposal is a part of a plan that looks to establish upstate New York as a hub for lithium-Ion battery production, and in doing so, create thousands of jobs.

Broome County will be the home of the first factory where battery production will take place.

SEE GRANT PAGE 3

The change comes after NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end of the state-wide mask mandate for public transportation.

Jacob Knipes and Mallory Braden News Editor and News Intern Off Campus College Transport’s (OCCT) mask mandate is officially in the rearview.

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end of the statewide mask mandate for all public transportation. The mandate had been in place since April 2020 at the

Womens soccer snaps losing streak

Caspar Carson Photo Intern Prior to the optional mandate, OCCT sent multiple reminders for students to follow the old mandate.

beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, OCCT, alongside BC Transit, made their mask mandates optional the same day.

According to Daniel Croce, a junior majoring in business administration who serves as both the chief executive officer for OCCT and the vice president of finance for the Student Association, the OCCT’s decision was made like many others during the pandemic — in lockstep with public health guidance and regulations.

“Throughout this entire process we have continued to stick by the guidance that is provided by both the [Center for Disease Control] and the governor’s office,” Croce said. “We

continue to do that to the very end.

We kept masks and we made that clear through public announcements on the OCCT Instagram and the SA Instagram, as well as the website, that we would continue to abide by it while it was still in place. Now that it’s no longer in place, we are going to continue to abide by all the regulations and the suggestions.”

In the weeks leading up to the mandate becoming optional, OCCT sent out multiple announcements and reminders that the mask mandate was still in place in response to less students following the policy. Croce explained how such pushback had been anticipated.

“As we’re trying to follow all guidance, especially with the transition away from other campus requirements to wear masks, of course naturally there is going to be a little push back there, and a little bit of difficulty in enforcement,” Croce said. “It happens.

It was actually pretty straightforward after we made an official announcement and really got through those news lines especially through the SA and [Transportation and Parking Services] on campus announcements. It did alleviate a lot of students concerns about wearing masks.”

SEE MANDATE PAGE 3

Appeal filed over Broome County Jail visitation ruling The appeal follows a judgment against Broome County and Sheriff Harder, mandating that in-person visitation returns.

Hallie Milligan News Intern

The lawsuit over Broome County Jail’s visitation policy is continuing, as Broome County has filed an appeal.

In May, Joshua Cotter, an attorney at Legal Services of Central New York, filed a class action suit against Broome County and David Harder, the sheriff

of Broome County Jail, for prohibiting in-person visitation and overcharging for mobile communication. Cotter filed the suit on behalf of Justice and Unity for Southern Tier (JUST), a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for incarcerated persons, who claim the jail’s refusal is a human rights violation.

On Aug. 8, Judge Oliver N. Blaise III, a Supreme Court Justice of the Broome County Courthouse, mandated Broome County to reopen in-person visitation by Sept. 5. The defendants, Broome County and Harder, filed an appeal in response to the decree.

Bill Martin, founding member of JUST and Bartle professor of sociology at Binghamton University, said he

believes that the jail will have to reopen visitation, regardless of the appeal.

“Harder is resistant, and the county supports him,” Martin said. “It was the county lawyer that actually filed the appeal. It is clear he is going to lose this appeal. You may have noticed in the press that, when asked, the two persons running to replace him both said [that] as soon as they’re in power, they would open up visitation immediately. So Harder’s position is an extreme one by comparison to what’s happened in other prisons and state counties.”

SEE APPEAL PAGE 3

Students speak out against FitSpace dress code Maribela Dias Contributing Photographer Senior forward Maya Anand scored one goal from two shots in BU’s victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Sunday.

BU scores 4 first half goals.

Michael Carbone Asst. Sports Editor

After four straight matches without a win, the Binghamton women’s soccer team bounced back with its second win of the season against Fairleigh Dickinson on the road Sunday afternoon. The Bearcats scored four first-half goals as the Knights

were unable to recover, resulting in a 4-1 BU victory.

“We certainly played a very difficult recent stretch of opponents,” said Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee. “I thought today we saw a lot of things start to come together in our game. We got exposed in certain areas from some pretty high-class opposition.

But that gives us things to focus on and fix so we can improve and grow.”

SEE SOCCER PAGE 8

ARTS & CULTURE

The East Gym FitSpace has begun enforcing its dress code, prohibiting crop tops or short shorts.

Blessin Mcfarlane News Intern

In light of the East Gym FitSpace beginning to enforce its dress code, many students on campus have decided to speak out against it.

Binghamton University has had a dress code in place since 2013, but has started imposing it upon visitors of the

East Gym a few weeks ago, multiple students have noted. The dress code prohibits students from wearing any clothes that may expose large amounts of the body, which include ringers, sports bras, croptops and short shorts.

Students also cannot wear clothes that may feature a zipper or rivets, as well as clothes made from hard materials, like jeans.

According to Clyde Robinson, the Campus Recreation Services (CRS) director, the dress code has been in place since at least 2013, and was issued to aid in the reduction of the spread of bacteria, diseases and bodily fluids.

“The dress code was implemented to help reduce the potential exposure of our patrons to viruses and skin infections that can be transmitted through contact with equipment,” Robinson wrote in an email. “Best practices in mitigating these risks include implementing barriers between an individual’s skin and equipment. In addition to limiting the risk of skin infections, the policy also helps protect the equipment from degradation by sweat and body oils. Once upholstery has been damaged, it can become a breeding ground for bacteria.”

SEE DRESS PAGE 4

SPORTS

OPINIONS

The Public art project has a goal of 28 murals in 3 Broome County Districs.

Luma draws big crowds with surreal colorful pieces of storytelling.

Preference for playlists trap artists in a cycle of cultural capitalism.

Bearcats improve to 7-2, team’s best start since entering Division I

Binghamton unable to close out match, conceides two late goals.

See page 6

See page 6

See page 5

See page 8

See page 8

PAGE II Monday, September 12, 2022 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,2,5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

ADDRESS: University Union WB03 4400 Vestal Parkway E. Binghamton, N.Y. 13902 PHONE: 607-777-2515 FAX: 607-777-2600 WEB: bupipedream.com

FALL 2022 Editor-in-Chief* Hamza Khan editor@bupipedream.com

MANAGING EDITOR* Harry Karpen manager@bupipedream.com

NEWS EDITOR* Jacob Knipes news@bupipedream.com ASST. NEWS EDITORS Melissa Cosovic Celia Woodruff

OPINIONS EDITOR* Doris Turkel opinions@bupipedream.com ASST. OPINIONS EDITOR Desmond Keuper ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR* Sam Lillianthal arts@bupipedream.com ASST. ARTS & CULTURE EDITORS Jamie Nguyen Eli Engler

SPORTS EDITOR* Jack Oh sports@bupipedream.com ASST. SPORTS EDITORS Michael Carbone Ian Mills PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR* Michael Golann photo@bupipedream.com ASST. PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Mason Brody-Lewis FUN EDITOR* Peter Proscia fun@bupipedream.com

DESIGN MANAGER* Bella Daidone design@bupipedream.com DESIGN ASSISTANTS Brianna Crowther Sonia Leyvi Alexa Valadez COPY DESK CHIEF* Lia Richter copy@bupipedream.com ASST. COPY DESK CHIEF Allison Peteka TECHNOLOGY MANAGER* Steven Yeung tech@bupipedream.com ASST. TECHNOLOGY MANAGER Leora Dallas

BUSINESS MANAGER* Lukas Ladekarl business@bupipedream.com ASST. BUSINESS MANAGER Adam Perez businessassistant@bupipedream.com

Pipe Dream is published by the Pipe Dream Executive Board, which has sole and final discretion over the newspaper’s content and personnel. Positions seated on the executive board are denoted by an asterisk.

Pipe Dream is published online Mondays and Thursdays while classes are in session during the fall and spring semesters, except during finals weeks and academic breaks.

The content on the Opinions page with bylines represent the views of those authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Pipe Dream Executive Board.

The content of advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views of the Pipe Dream Executive Board.

We reserve the right to reject ads for any reason.

All letters submitted for publication must include the author's name, year and major. Please limit letters to the editor to 400 words and guest columns to 750 words. Pipe Dream reserves the right to edit submissions, and does not guarantee publication. All submissions become property of Pipe Dream. Guest column submissions may be emailed to the opinions editor at opinions@bupipedream.com, and all letters to the editor may be sent to editor@bupipedream.com.

stabilizing:pinochole

schedule:destabilizing

Harry Karpen Managing Editor STANDALONE: “Joy Boy” by The Fox, The Folks uses bright colors and cartoon imagery to evoke childlike feelings of excitement.

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS This fall semester, Pipe Dream will be experimenting with printing “weekly highlights” every few Mondays, featuring some content from our Thursday and Monday Issue. For a full list of print dates, see our advertising page.

Full content will continue to be uploaded on Mondays and Thursdays at bupipedream.com.

We look forward to continuing to serve our readership as we explore a balance between our print and digital offerings.

To support us and our operations, please continue to pick up our paper and engage with our content. To remain an entirely independent, student-run newspaper, we rely on your support.

Hamza Khan, Editor-in-Chief Harry Karpen, Managing Editor

bupipedream.com

September 12, 2022

NEWS

3

OCCT’s mask mandate lifted

Across the campus, several students responded positively to the new policy.

Toni Stefanakos, a senior majoring in business administration who serves as public relations coordinator and a driver for OCCT, expressed a belief that most student drivers will be glad to hear that the mask mandate has been lifted for public transit, since it has created some discomfort between drivers and passengers in the past.

“I think I speak on behalf of all of the drivers when I say that we are relieved that we no longer have to enforce the mask policy because it occasionally created some discord between drivers and passengers,” Stefanakos wrote in an email. “Now drivers are able to put [100 percent] focus on safely transporting our passengers rather than sharing that focus with maintaining mask compliance or the lack thereof.”

Others had a more neutral response. Juli Berman, a junior double-majoring in biology and

statistics, said she does not believe the mask-optional policy will change much in OCCT buses, since most passengers had already been abiding by those guidelines.

“It’s a little bit better for me that the mandate has been lifted since I forget to wear it a lot,” Berman said. “I don’t think that lifting the mask mandate is going to change much, since no one wore their masks on the bus anyways.

Maybe that is why everyone is getting or has gotten [COVID-19].”

While there is no longer a mask mandate, Croce emphasized

that OCCT riders should still follow the rules drivers tell them.

“Respect the drivers if they do ask you to do something,” Croce said. “They are not trying to be mean about it. They are just trying to enforce all applicable policies and keep everybody safe.

What I said in the beginning I will always stand by — the safety and happiness of drivers and of students on this campus, the ability of them to get from point A to point B successfully and safely is the most important factor to me personally.”

Sheriff Harder and BC appeal ruling

BU’s project awarded $113.7 million Build Back Better grant

Divya Gottiparthy Contributing Photographer Broome County Jail is accused of prohibiting in-person visitation and overcharging for text messages, phone calls and video calls.

Michael Golann Photo Editor U.S. President Joe Biden spoke at a conference on Friday, congratulating the grant winners.

Both Biden and Gina Raimondo, secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, spoke at a conference Friday, expressing trust in each of the regions that were chosen. Raimondo said the Build Back Better challenge was a product of the $3 billion American Rescue Plan, passed in March of 2021.

Raimondo explained that she was directed to use the money to make investments, helping revitalize communities and get ready for a transition in the economy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“People want to work where they live, and they want to be able to do that,” Raimondo said in the press conference. “So that’s what this is all about. We believe every single American, no matter where you live, ought to have an opportunity to have a high paying, family supporting job in that community.”

William Acker, executive

director of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, said the grant for the NENY project has good timing, especially after the recent passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, which included important clauses for battery manufacturing.

He explained what the NENY proposal means for the region. “[NENY] will allow for small companies to commercialize products here in the U.S.,” Acker said. “It will allow us to leapfrog the technology of existing technologies, scale manufacturing, create workforces and do the supply chain connections we need. It will have equity, justice, diversity and innovation built into it as well.”

BU President Harvey Stenger also acknowledged the help and dedication provided by New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer, which he believes ultimately led to the University’s final award of more than $113 million for NENY. Several students across

the campus expressed a positive reaction toward the award.

Connor Kanyuk, a senior majoring in chemistry, said he was excited to see this project “really take off,” and for BU to try and build prestige.

“This is huge for the University since this is where lithium-Ion batteries originated from,” Kanyuk wrote in an email.

“It’s amazing they’re getting national recognition for these achievements as well as funding to really take off with this project and solidify this identity and legacy for [BU].”

Manon Casali, an undeclared sophomore, was also optimistic about the future of NENY. Casali suggested that it is an opportune time for this project to be funded, so it might become easier to meet economic demands.

“It is fascinating that the University I go to and Broome County will be the hub for battery manufacturing in the state,” Casali wrote in an email.

“It’s nice that the University

is getting recognition for this project. I think it will be great for practicality since the batteries are in increasing demand, and for more people to find jobs in upstate New York.”

Whittingham expressed excitement for the future of NENY, a project that started out as an idea, which he has been working on for decades.

“I have been looking forward to this day for more than 50 years,” Whittingham said.

“Back to when we came up with lithium-Ion batteries but were not able to develop them because no American company had the investment dollars to do it. What we hope with this program is to turn that around and have batteries made in America, particularly made in New York state. We are going to build that infrastructure here. We are going to make a cleaner economy and at the same time we are going to rejuvenate this region.”

Harder is currently completing his sixth term as sheriff, and plans to retire in later this year.

Kathleen Newcomb, a candidate for Broome County sheriff and Harder’s colleague of 30 years, is running as a Democrat against Republican Fred Akshar.

Newcomb said that faculty and staff at the jail strive to maintain a COVID-19-free environment, which she plans to continue, along with reopening in-person visitation if she is elected.

“With respect to incarcerated persons and maintaining a healthy and well-balanced state, there is no doubt they need faceto-face, in-person interaction with their loved ones,” Newcomb wrote in an email. “The sheriff must give careful consideration to many important issues during these uncertain times. COVID-19 numbers are once again on the rise, and we know the virus is easily spread. With that in mind, I support the reopening of visitation, with restrictions, to safeguard the health and safety of all.”

James Lynch, an inmate at the Broome County Jail, claimed the facility has taken measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but does not require inmates to be vaccinated.

“The Broome County Jail does not make you get any shot you don’t want to, and that includes the COVID-19 vaccine,” Lynch wrote. “So the only thing they do to stop the spread of [COVID-19] is make us wear masks all day. I’ve never had [COVID-19] in the jail before, but all they do when you catch

[COVID-19] in here is shut down the dorm that tested positive for 10 days.”

The Broome County Jail charges about six times what the state prison charges for calls, texts and video calls. JUST claimed the jail has profited over one million dollars from overpriced fees.

According to Jackson Hengsterman, coordinator of JUST’s volunteer visitation program and a senior majoring in English, some of the money went toward purchasing an armored vehicle. Newcomb explained that the jail has a “BearCat” armored vehicle, but only for Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team purposes. Newcomb said she cannot confirm if the money was sourced from inmate communication fees.

“It has been disclosed in the sheriff’s office annual report as well as other media outlets,” Newcomb wrote in an email. “I am not aware of what funds were utilized to purchase the vehicle nor was I involved in the purchase in any way.”

Jacey Ruisi, a sophomore majoring in English, expressed disappointment in the jail’s decisions and believes the public should be included in facility matters.

“The budget of a prison system should be public, and the decisions made by those running [the jail] should be clear and ethical,” Ruisi said. “The fact that the sheriff’s motives are in question proves that these decisions aren’t as public as they should be and [reveals] a system that is vulnerable to corruption.”

Sheriff Harder did not respond to a request for comment.

4

NEWS

bupipedream.com

September 12, 2022

Students speak out against FitSpace dress code

Many students have reacted negatively to the recent enforcement. One such student is Jenna Leonardi, a member of the Girl Gains Lifting Club and a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, who said she feels the dress code is only being enforced now as a method of controlling students.

“It’s the same thing as last year,” Leonardi said. “They’re just trying to enforce stupid rules and they say it’s for health precautions, but it’s actually just a way to control students.

If they really cared about health precautions, they would’ve enforced the mask mandate when that was in place, and they just didn’t. They’re targeting students in general, so they can’t wear anything comfortable. If you’re going to a private gym, a dress code is understandable, but for a public gym that is many students’ only option, it’s unfair.”

Jaceka Aziz, another member of the Girl Gains Lifting Club a freshman majoring in chemistry, suggested that the gyms should not be restricting students from wearing clothes they wear for comfort around campus.

“I definitely don’t think this gym should be allowed to have a dress code, especially with the amount we have to pay,” Aziz said.

“I’m paying to go to a gym where I can’t even be comfortable. I think

the reasoning, the skin-to-skin stuff, is bullcrap because we’re adults, and we know how to not be on top of one another. Now, if you show an inch of your stomach, they throw you in a green vest and you look like you’re in jail.”

Acording to Robinson, the CRS is following the same dress code employed at many other schools around the country, in terms of what clothing is permissible in the gym.

“We are an active member of our national organization for collegiate recreation, [the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association], NIRSA,” Robinson wrote. “This past spring and summer, we consulted with a number of colleagues across the region regarding dress code policies in place at other universities. Our dress code policy is the same or very similar to facilities across the country, for the same purpose — maintaining patron health and safety. Currently, any student that comes to the fitness center and is not in dress code-approved attire has been offered a free t-shirt or pinnie to wear versus being sent away. We are trying to be as accommodating as possible.”

Regardless, several students wish to see the enforcement reach an end.

To resolve the matter, Aziz expressed a desire for the dress code to be removed or the gym

Michael Golann Photo Editor The dress code was implemented in 2013 to reduce the spread of bacteria, disease and bodily fluids between students in the East Gym.

expanded so there is less of a chance for students to come into close contact.

“If they’re really trying to enforce this dress code because

of ‘skin-to-skin contact,’ then expand your gym,” Aziz said. “The people who are usually on top of each other are the ones on the weightlifting side, because the

cardio side takes up more than half of the gym and it’s usually empty. People have certain routines they need to do and with the limited equipment, we have to

wait longer in the space. Instead of focusing on what we wear, they need to focus on improving their gym — which we pay for.”

Watson Junior named to MLH’s top 50 hackers MLH recognized Gabby Banaag for her work on her nonprofit, “Helloo World,” which fosters social impact through technology and coding.

Alexandra Itty

News Contributor

Sourced from Major League Hacking Aside from her work with Helloo World, Banaag is heavily involved in Dickinson’s CoRE learning community.

Binghamton University student Gabby Banaag was recently named as one of Major League Hacking’s (MLH) top 50 hackers of 2022.

According to its website, MLH is the “official student hackathon league,” and the driving force behind hundreds of weekend-long competitions aimed at improving computer science skills and cultivating a community within the field.

Banaag, a junior majoring in computer science, was chosen as one of MLH’s top 50 for her work with her nonprofit, Helloo World. The goal of Helloo World is to make a difference through technology and coding, according to Banaag. “[At] my nonprofit, called Helloo World — with two O’s — we kind of try to show people that, through technology and coding, you can make a difference,” Banaag said. “It doesn’t have to be a big thing. You don’t have to be the president of the United States. You don’t have to go out and try to spread yourself thin

— even coding a website has the power to enact change. So we kind of show ways how you can do that, by hosting events where people have the opportunity to make their own products that can foster social impact.”

Banaag said she was exposed to the tech industry at a young age, and that this played a pivotal role in her starting the nonprofit.

“I started this three years ago, which is crazy, but I started it because I went to a coding camp where I saw other people making projects that revolve around social impact,” Banaag said. “A lot of people presented on things like homelessness and sustainability and things like that, and I kind of realized that it’s really simple to make something that has the power to impact a lot of people and help a lot of people. All of these projects were made in a two-day span, so I was like, ‘If you can do that in two days, what can you do in a week or a month?’”

Beyond her work with her nonprofit, Banaag is involved in a number of organizations on campus, including Alpha Omega Epsilon, an engineering and technical science sorority.

Banaag is also the vice president of the Computer, Robotics and Engineering (CoRE) livinglearning community in the Dickinson Community on campus.

Nicholas Reyes, the president

of CoRE and a sophomore majoring in computer science, described how Banaag’s impact on CoRE is significant. “[Banaag] has shown an exceptional amount of resilience and creativity over the years, and I’d like to think she has learned much during her time at CoRE,” Reyes wrote. “Having her presence as a role model and vice president in our community is invaluable, and she will surely contribute to CoRE’s growth as an organization. Doubtless, CoRE is proud to house one of MLH’s Top 50 within our dorms.

As for what it means for me, I’m proud of [Banaag] for reaching this milestone in what will likely be a lengthy, prosperous career for her.”

Banaag said she is grateful to have been chosen as one of MLH’s top 50 hackers, given the wide array of talent present in the coding community.

“It’s a huge honor because there are so many people in the community that they could have picked, and I think it’s crazy that I was one of them,” Banaag said.

“50 people is a lot of people, but out of 500,000, I still think that it’s super cool that I was picked.

I’m very grateful. Everyone on the list is super accomplished, and they’ve all done so much for their communities, and for the tech space at large, and to be named as one of those people, it’s a great honor.”

OPINIONS Monday 2022 Thursday, Thursday, Monday, Monday, September October October April 3,12, 2,5, 2017 28, 2017 2017 2017

Playlists co-opt artists’ creative visions

Preference for playlists trap artists in a cycle of cultural capitalism.

Julie Ha Columnist

The playlist versus album debate has been a topic of discussion on online blogs and music forums since the digitization of music and the rise of music streaming platforms. Meanwhile, many fear the death of the album, which is not unwarranted. A 2020 study by music streaming platform Deezer found that only 9 percent of people preferred the album format compared to 40 percent that favored playlists. With Spotify, the biggest music streaming platform today — featuring over 4 billion playlists on its platform, 1 billion of which were added to its collection in 2020 alone — it’s clear that the way we consume music has drastically changed in conjunction with music streaming platforms. However, is it fair to say that Spotify’s playlist-driven model

is causing many people to abandon playlists and, subsequently, causing the death of the album, or is there something far more complicated occurring in the realm of music culture?

For one, questioning the rise of playlists — both personalized and Spotify-curated — reveals how our consumption of music has become increasingly individualistic, which is problematic in the context of cultural capitalism, which, at the very least, devalues art. The tendency to create new playlists for every function or mood, endlessly categorizing them by general sound, genre, etc., and carefully isolating songs out of the context of a complete work ultimately co-opts artists’ creative vision.

Back in 2021, Adele even successfully requested that Spotify get rid of its default shuffle button on albums. Upon the change, she tweeted, “Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended.” Alongside Adele’s sentiment, when music in playlist

format is increasingly personalized to optimize our everyday activities, such as studying, and is tailored to all types of emotional states, energy levels or seasons, music consumption is only further cemented as a functional tool as opposed to a means of engaging in others’ artistic expression. Emphasis is placed more on appreciating the service artists provide than the songs, aesthetics or content of their work, allowing us listeners to become passive in our engagement with our favorite songs.

This isn’t to say that music should never be used as a functional tool to, for example, improve mental well-being. There’s also a case to be made for playlist-crafting as a unique form of creative expression.

However, tailoring your listening experience for your own needs each time is not sustainable. While Spotify tracks users’ listening patterns, the demand for playlists as a new medium impairs artists’ ability to commit to their creative visions and produce cohesive albums. In this

way, Spotify is certainly not immune to critiques of today’s music culture.

Rather, listeners’ individualistic tendencies proliferate a cycle that renders musicians reliant on both their audiences and streaming platforms in an already profit-driven industry.

Spotify playlists exist for almost every occasion — even one that can only be described as “Beast Mode,” a Spotify playlist amassing over 9 million likes. As these playlists come to dominate streaming demands, artists turn to “playlist carpetbombing,” a strategy used to get on as many Spotify-curated playlists as possible in hopes of increasing streams or gaining any recognition at all. One of the most prominent examples is Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito,” which was released in several versions — including pop, salsa and “urban” — and added to its portfolio with a variety of remixes. For smaller artists, getting on a Spotify playlist is already an achievement, but for artists like Luis Fonsi, who already have big hits to their name, incessant

production of music appealing to a wider audience is necessary to consistently appear on playlists that are constantly refreshed.

In addition, investment in playlists has been criticized for encouraging “bland” and formulaic music, all while discouraging artistic freedom. The term “Spotify-core” describes a Spotify-branded genre characterized as “vaguely electronic, usually female vocals, [with] glitchy effects” and as “homogenous midtempo pop drawing from rap and EDM.” Ultimately, music that follows these guidelines does better on Spotify. This general sound has only been further solidified as being synonymous with its platform following the start of their Spotify Singles program in 2016. Under the program, Spotify releases two EPs with partnered artists — most often a “fresh” re-release of an original and a cover — and promises a spot on their New Releases playlist and another Spotify-curated playlist.

Most Spotify releases conform to the quintessential melancholy pop

sound of “Spotify-core,” and, given the rise of playlists as a functional tool, it’s no wonder that many artists have become subservient to producing “mood-enhancing background music” for every occasion. Still, as consumers who propel Spotify’s playlist-driven model, it’s up to listeners to break the cycle of reliance on Spotifycurated playlists artists have been subjected to.

There’s no denying that the album format has already been deemphasized with visual albums and mixtapes gaining popularity.

However, while Spotify continues to dominate and influence creative expression, rethinking our priorities for our listening experiences and engagement with musicians’ work is critical to restoring the dying integrity of the album format as a form of art and storytelling.

Julia Ha is a sophmore ajoring in English.

Democrats beat midterm odds

The Biden Administration’s progressive policies restore hope in Democratic voters.

Sean Reichbach

Columnist

It is a nearly impossible feat for the incumbent party to perform well during low-turnout special elections before midterms. But in a really bizarre twist, especially considering U.S. President Joe Biden’s low approval, it seems that the Democrats are doing just that. Just take a look at two recent elections in Alaska and New York.

In Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola just defeated Republican Sarah Palin by a margin of 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent. That is quite an impressive turnaround from 2020, when Donald Trump won the state of Alaska by a margin of 52.8 percent to 42.8 percent. In New York’s 19th Congressional District, which is

right next door to us, Democrat Pat Ryan somehow managed to beat the odds and hold the district from Republican Marc Molinaro by a vote of 51.1 percent to 48.9 percent. This is similar to how the district voted in 2020, when Biden won it by a similar margin of a low single digit percentage. Both these elections show not only that Democrats aren’t being decimated by Republicans in places where they should be, but that they are actually increasing their totals in battleground districts.

We all remember how the 2018 midterms went for Trump, and some remember how the 2010 midterms went for Obama — badly. This begs the question, what’s happening?

I would definitely agree that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision is playing a significant role in the uptick in Democratic performance, but it’s not the only factor. For me, the biggest dark horse factor is something

rarely said about this country — our government is actually doing something good for the people.

What is the Biden administration doing that’s causing a surge in support for a party that realistically and historically should be dead in the water when it comes to the elections in November? Well, they seem to have decided that they’re going to make up for a lack of progressive policy passage over the past two years by pushing forward a heap of legislation and executive orders this summer and fall. Biden recently signed an executive order mandating the federal government to forgive up to $20,000 of student loans for millions of eligible Americans, an executive order to protect as much reproductive health care access as federally and legally possible in response to the Dobbs decision, the Inflation Reduction Act into law to lower health care costs and support workers, the CHIPS and Science

Don’t date to marry

Dating can teach you about yourself and your relationship preferences.

Julia O’Reilly

Columnist

Why do we date? Why do we partake in the obligatory meal with a total stranger or the awkward movie appointment that is defined by whether one or two straws puncture the lid of that one large Coca-Cola?

Or rather, why should we? If dating to marry that perfect “one” who was captain of the football team and a future doctor with great hair whose future house you Zillowed at age 17 led to nothing but heartache, then the dating-to-marry routine doesn’t seem like all it’s chalked up to be.

People, especially college students, would be much better off dating to date. And I, a seemingly heartless writer behind this screen whose extent of being in relationships was a 24-day-long rendezvous that went up in flames, am not the only one who thinks so.

The beginning of another academic year here at Binghamton University always reminds me that for these first few weeks, this place is much less a college and much more a heartbreak hotel. It’s that time of year when optimistic summer lovers realize they’re not cut out for the grueling task of long-distance dating — when high school sweethearts enter worlds that are so much bigger than their two-square-mile hometown. Maybe it’s just the cynic in me, but it seems that as summer turns to autumn and leaves fall from their branches to their inevitable resting place on Binghamton grounds, so do relationships everywhere — the spine is our emotional graveyard and the C4 is where we go to drown our sorrows in mediocre coffee and friends.

According to Thought Catalog, “If you’re dating to marry, that means you’re either going to succeed or you’re going to fail.” (1) This outlook on romance is not healthy, as it often leads to disappointment when relationships don’t pan out. It is a perspective that leads to people compromising traits that they want in a partner and treatment they want for themselves, for the sake of trying to make that person fit a certain mold. Often it leads to people changing who they are for the sake of pleasing others. Additionally, with this kind of all-or-nothing mindset, “you might be so desperate to reach that milestone that you overlook red flags, that you pretend you’re feeling things you aren’t feeling, that you stay with someone who isn’t meant for you.” (1). This emphasis on marriage and reaching the wedding bells can lead individuals to excuse toxic behavior or fail to put themselves first, causing them to lose sight of who they are. Rather, they resign to being defined by their significant other and submit to being their idea of a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.”

Dating for the sake of dating not only presents several personal benefits but also is conducive to the probable idea that “the one” is often not found on the first try.

Modern Gentleman actually states that men, on average, have six relationships before marriage, while women have five. (2) And with this statistic, dating to marry five or six times before finding “the one” would just about make me lose my faith in humanity with every failed attempt — maybe even quit the practice altogether. But the mindset of dating to date opens one up to the

prospect of dating for themselves.

Elite Daily says that dating someone new teaches a person a lot about themselves, including “your deal breakers,” “what you like about yourself” and “sacrifices you’re willing and not willing to make,” as well as, “what matters for your future.” (3). These lessons not only help one grow as a person, but also manage their expectations for a marriage. If one focuses so hard on dating to marry, they can lose out on these vital lessons, personal growth and the idea that some people are meant to be in your life for a reason at a certain time, even if not forever.

The idea of finding love is a journey, and with every person, whether it be in a platonic or romantic context, one will make changes and rewrites within this idea of what love is and who they are.

I’m not here to argue that dating to date will not come with its own share of heartache. And while saying one might have to endure a few heartbreaks before finding the one is a hard pill to swallow, it highlights the journey that is finding the one they want to spend their life with.

And if dating were easy, it wouldn’t be worth much at all. It’s unique to every person that participates in the modern-day practice. And approaching it with a mindset that this person is not the be-all-endall, but rather another step in our story, makes the idea a little more tolerable. Maybe even a little more romantic.

Julia O’Reilly is a sophomore majoring in Biology.

Act into law to renew domestic manufacturing and the PACT act to provide an enormous boost in funding for veterans’ health care across the country. The economic news, which voters usually care about more than any other issue, is the cherry on top of all the policy news. The unemployment rate remains stable at 3.7 percent, just 0.2 percent higher than the historic low reached in July. Gas prices have been declining for 79 straight days going into Labor Day weekend, with no clear end to declining prices in sight.

Lastly, while the inflation rate is still near historic highs, it is showing signs of weakness as the Federal Reserve increases tough monetary policy. This paragraph contains a list of wins that many administrations prior haven’t enjoyed during entire years of their terms.

There’s a moment in a Simpsons episode that I always go back to when thinking about why

Democrats always get obliterated in the first midterm after winning the White House. There’s a comparison between these banners strewn across the stage of the Simpsons’ Democratic National Convention and the Simpsons’ Republican National Convention for the 1994 election year. At the Republican National Convention, it says, “We want what’s worst for everyone” and, “We’re just plain evil,” while at the Democratic National Convention, it says, “We hate life and ourselves” and, “We can’t govern!” To be honest, I really believe that this is a way to sum up the entire shortterm cycle of our politics. It might be the case, however, that the Biden administration has actually realized that governing when put in government is important. If so, maybe the cycle is coming to an end.

It’s entirely possible that the Democrats get destroyed at the ballot box in November. Indeed,

they may lose both their Senate and House majorities, effectively leaving Biden with no congressional power.

Inflation and other costs of living could just be too much to overcome.

In fact, young voters might just not turn out to vote in numbers high enough to see the Democrats through. Perhaps Republicans are way more energized than Democratic voters. Yes, it is not off the table that despite all the actual governing the Democrats have done recently, they lose the 2022 elections by a landslide. But this cycle would still be unlike many cycles before it. This time around, Democrats actually tried to help people without falling into bipartisan traps. And win or lose their majorities, they succeeded.

Sean Reichbach is a sophomore double-majoring in economics and philosophy, politics and law.

The left should push for medical debt relief

Biden’s student loan cancellation is a model for other types of debt cancellation.

Nathan Sommer

Columnist

After months of talk about student loan forgiveness floating around the West Wing, millions of current and former college attendees had their nervous anticipation come to a close on Aug. 24 when U.S. President Joe Biden announced details of the debt cancellation. The plan allows for up to $20,000 of student loan debt to be forgiven for any student who received a federal Pell Grant at any time in their academic career, and $10,000 for all other students with federally financed loans.

The right wing has painted Biden as a new Vladimir Lenin, while a more apt comparison is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Biden chose the strategy of canceling debt for one of his party’s most reliable voting blocs — the college-educated voter.

In 2020, Biden won nearly 5 percent more of their vote than Trump (51.3 percent vs. 46.8 percent, according to NBC). Similarly to FDR’s New Deal, Biden’s policy wasn’t intended to challenge the system that caused Americans to amass nearly $1.75 trillion in student debt but to help sustain it. Capitalism is decreasing in popularity among younger generations, giving the Democratic Party an opportunity to both save capitalism and also relieve the burdens of the poor and young people. Although the left does not have the same institutional power to challenge the Democrats as it did during the Roosevelt administration, Democrats still have to fear drops in

turnout and significant numbers of minorities fleeing the party.

Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan will help to relieve millions of people of an unnecessary burden.

The cancellation of only student debt, however, is piecemeal. By learning from the student debt issue, the left can mount public pressure to get other forms of public debt forgiven, such as medical or utility debt. In 2019, approximately 17 percent of American households owed medical debt, making the cancellation of medical debt a tangible issue for voters. In Los Angeles, between 25 to 30 percent of families are struggling to pay their utility bills or are in debt, with impoverished neighborhoods hit hardest. As the blue-collar vote continues to favor Republicans, the Democratic Party can win some of it back through delivering on material issues. The best way to get people to vote for you is to give them money — it just so happens that doing so is also the best way to work toward eliminating poverty. In helping the Democrats with the former, the left can make important steps in accomplishing the latter.c Victims of medical debt are more likely to be Black or Latino, two groups that are historically reliable Democratic voting blocs.

Black adults people are 2.6 times as likely as white adults to have medical debt in the U.S. Over the last couple election cycles, Latinos have increasingly been leaving the Democratic Party, giving Democrats an added reason to cancel debt that

disproportionately affects the Latino community.

As polling has repeatedly shown, many Americans believe health care ought to be a right. There is no path for the Democratic party to bulldoze universal health care into law, nor is there any political will among the Democratic establishment to do so. As a short-term alternative, we can cancel medical debt without congressional approval, making it a realistic path to relieve millions of Americans from the demonic health care industry. Here’s how — the president could immediately cancel all federal medical debt with the stroke of a pen.

The remaining non-federal medical debt is held by private companies, making it slightly trickier to cancel, but still doable.

The federal government would need to purchase medical debt from private credit agencies and cancel it.

Bernie Sanders proposed a similar plan during his 2020 presidential campaign.

As a socialist, it is hard to root for the Democrats as they take credit for the pressure instilled by the left.

Putting aside long-term opposition to the existence of the Democratic Party, it is possible for the left to deliver material results for families while still strategically organizing for the end goal of nationalization.

Nathan Sommer is a sophomore majoring in History.

ARTS & CULTURE

Murals add color to Broome County

Luma draws big crowds with surreal colorful pieces of storytelling

The Public art project has a goal of 28 murals in 3 Broome County Districs

Samantha Goldman Arts & Culture Contributor

Samra Ashe Arts & Culture Intern

Local residents may have noticed new murals colorfully splashing the walls of previously gray, unadorned buildings and businesses throughout Broome County.

The creation of the artwork is the product of the iDistricts Murals & Mosaics Public Art Program. Funded by a $240,000 grant from the New York State Department of State, the project is a collaboration between the Broome County Arts Council (BCAC) and the Broome County Planning Department (BCPD). Their aim is to vibrantly reimagine Broome County’s innovation districts — aka iDistricts — by hiring artists to create 28 murals and mosaics throughout Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott. Nancy Barno Reynolds, who has served as the executive director of the BCAC since 2018, spoke about the effort.

“The county was interested in changing and improving the perception of Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott, which were formerly industrial, corporate areas in the county,” Reynolds said. “In an effort to help these areas that were filled with families and industry before, there’s a great revitalization effort going on, and part of that revolves around the arts.”

Over the course of three weeks, a web page was created and marketing for the project began. However, hopes for a smooth launch were shortlived when a week after the call for artists was launched in early 2020, COVID-19 erupted and lockdown measures were put into place.

“We were like, ‘Oh my God, no one’s gonna apply!’” Reynolds said.

Yet in spite of the overwhelming hurdle the COVID-19 pandemic posed, 50 artists from across the world applied over three weeks, 35 of whom qualified under state requirements. From there, artists were assigned business owners, who had selected them using a blind viewbook and were matched with their top choices. The selected

Luma Amazes

Blake Owen Contributing Photographer Damien Mitchel painted his nature-themed mural on the wall of a rental snowboard business.

artists were given significant creative freedom when it came to their designs, and, in fact, they were told not to feel constrained to align their art with the business they were assigned to. Rather, Reynolds said they were instructed more broadly that the theme of their art should be “innovative, creative and to spark joy.”

Scott Walker, 34, from Norfolk, Virginia, is an artist who found a way to connect his art with the bridal boutique he was assigned to as well as the area on a broader level.

“Roses and flowers, in general, are strongly associated with weddings and celebrations, but the rose specifically is the flower of the state of New York,” Walker said. “And so I thought that that worked quite well and that there was a nice synergy there between the public art piece but also the nature of the industry that it was going inside of.”

The final mural, of gorgeous, blooming roses colored by contrasting black and red stripes, fulfills Walker’s goal of creating a beautiful yet “apolitical” visual that he hopes not only brightens a passerby’s stroll but also helps to

boost his client’s business.

Meanwhile, in Binghamton, Damien Mitchell, 36, focused his mural on the area’s gorgeous nature, and has transformed the wall of a rental snowboard business with a spectacular naturalistic display.

Mitchell is an Australian native, who now resides in Brooklyn, New York.

“I think the area around Binghamton is very beautiful,” Mitchell said. “I kinda just wanted to do something that reflects the nature of the area.”

Per the owner’s request for the piece to feature a character, a large portion of the mural is taken up by a white-bearded man gripping a ski board.

“I didn’t want to celebrate or ignore any particular part of the community, so I kinda kept it a bit ambiguous,” Mitchell said.

Decorating the figure’s ski board are stickers that also subtly pay tribute to the Binghamton area, like a green Bearcat sticker. But perhaps most eye-catching of all is the wintery, natural landscape that stretches across the entirety of the wall — white, snowy hills, surrounded by dark, leafy trees.

“More than anything else, I wanted the majority of the wall to be a love of nature,” Mitchell said.

When creating his Johnson City mural, 38-year-old J Muzacz of Austin, Texas turned to the area’s rich artistic history as his inspiration.

“Research on the area [and] discussions with locals in the know, helped to inform my design,” Muzacz said.

Muzacz’s mural depicts three of Binghamton’s iconic jazz legends — Slam Stewart, Al Hemme and Dena DeRose. His research also led him to discover the work of another Binghamton artist, abstract painter Renata Bernal. Her artistic style — and in particular her painting “Jazz” — inspired the color scheme and geometric shapes that take up the mural’s background.

Reynolds said she and the BCAC hope to continue to bring attention to public art, not just in Binghamton but the whole county.

“I know people are always like, ‘Ugh Binghamton what do you do here?’” Reynolds said. “But we’ve got so much art if you know where to find it.”

The first thing you notice when walking down the streets of LUMA is how packed they are. Families, groups of students, couples and artists crowd the streets, parking lots fill up fast and laughter and fun fills the air.

Across State Street and Hawley Street are the pieces closest to one another, making for an easy walk. “Gates of Eternity” by Maxin10sity, “Divided”

by Mindscape Studios, “Joy Boy”

by The Fox, The Folks and “4U”

by Julia Shamsheieva and Anima Lux are among the easiest projections to spot. Some other pieces are a bit harder to see as they are further from the central square of projections.

The pieces themselves vary greatly in terms of artistic style, subject matter and audio accompaniment. “Gates of Eternity” starts off underwater and goes through pieces of geographic and human life.

Volcanoes, stone, palm trees, butterflies, Egyptian ruins and the figure of a blue man cover the screen, with a soundtrack playing in the background. As you move down the street toward mural mapping, the crowd gets thinner as less people stand to watch the stills go by.

This is a new experience for LUMA, which sought to involve the youth of Binghamton by displaying their art.

The presentation had no music accompanying it and was more of a showcase for different art instead of the usual storylines LUMA presents.

“Joy Boy” has a unique style separate from the realistic and technical feel of Maxin10sity. Their artwork is bubbly, bright and vivid in a cartoon heavy style. It’s created to be watched like a retro arcade game as different characters come in and out of the screen, including a baby boy, a fox and a spider. Some of the artwork also appears reflects images from Subway Surfer, pinball machines and circus fun houses.

The sounds are what you would hear from an arcade — upbeat

sounds, “pings” and beeps, all according to the player’s actions.

At the end, the classic “whoops” that signal the character dying plays. When looking around at the crowd one could see many of smiling faces.

Nearby, the piece “Divided” plays. It’s about the “division” of humanity, with a nihilistic feel as blue and yellow circles divide and combine with one another. There are other dualities in texture and style as the piece goes from divisions in color to the division of man and woman. Instead of music, words accompany the piece — making statements and posing questions about humanities divisions. The crowd seemed to just be taking it in. Some looked distracted while others just stared with furrowed brows. The theme here is more obvious than in others, and the voiceover during the piece laid heavy emphasis on its themes.

The next piece was “4U,” with a large crowd standing in front of the piece.

Shamsheieva’s work started from the bottom-up to encompass the screen. Neon pink, yellow and blue were the main colors at work as a pattern of squares overtook the building.

They shifted by opening like a doorway and wavering, before turning over like tiles, also pulsating like the ripple effect of water. These transitions gave way to different images — yellow flowers against a pink background, the words “United, Unique, Unbelievable, Undaunted” appearing and stills of the building itself. The building went back to a clean smooth state of bright brick before slowly being infected by black venom. The music accompanying Shamsheieva’s piece was a Ukrainian lyrical song about suffering, hope and heart. The way shadows moved across her piece, and the illusions that went into the piece rather than out in the audience created a beautiful style that felt advanced in both technique and knowledge of the building’s architecture.

Overall, the pieces were extraordinary and different, owing to their art form being projection art. I would recommend attending LUMA, especially if you’ve never seen anything like this before.

Learn about No Strings Attached BU’s Disney/Broadway acapella group Eli Engler Asst. Arts & Culture Editor

Binghamton University has 10 different a cappella groups, but the most aca-mazing of them all might just be No Strings Attached.

Each a cappella group has its own unique theme that sets it apart from the other groups, with No Strings Attached specializing in Disney and Broadway songs. At their semester show last year, they performed songs from hit musicals like “Hadestown” and Disney films like “The Lion King.” No Strings Attached is no stranger to the a cappella world, having celebrated their 10th anniversary in the fall of 2020.

For those unfamiliar with how a cappella works at the University, each group puts on two shows for BU students per semester, in addition to performing or competing in outside events. The first performance is called Dollar Show, in which students pay one dollar to see every group perform two to three songs to get a taste of each group. Later in the semester, each group will have a semester show where they perform a full lineup of about 10 songs.

Being a part of an a cappella group requires a large time commitment, and many college students might wonder why students would get involved — and whether it is worth

it. Logan Rehberg, the treasurer for No Strings Attached and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, spoke about his journey into the world of a cappella.

“I did a fair bit of singing and theatre work in high school, but never really planned to do much beyond high school with that,” Rehberg said. “Last semester, a friend of mine took me along to Dollar Show, and all of the groups absolutely blew me away with their talent, so I decided to go out on a limb and audition. No Strings Attached in particular really stuck out to me as a unique group, and so when I auditioned and was accepted I was ecstatic.”

Rehberg’s experience with a cappella at Binghamton has been a positive one, but he is not the only member of the group to have found a home in No Strings Attached. Jenna Zipparo, the president of No Strings Attached and a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, also spoke highly of her time with the group.

“One of my favorite memories of being in No Strings Attached was before Dollar Show last semester,” Zipparo said. “I remember how excited we all were to perform for the big Dollar Show audience and how proud we were of all the hard work we put in leading up to this moment. I remember being so overjoyed that I get to do something I love with people that are not only so talented but who I [also] know will always be there for me.”

Similarly, Isabella Scarpati,

No Strings Attached’s semester show will be Nov. 19 and will feature a lineup of song performances.

the public relations manager for No Strings Attached and a senior majoring in psychology, found an instant sense of community.

“I love how close everyone in the group is,” Scarpati said. “It was like I walked in the room on my first day and made instant friends.”

Something that casual a cappella fans might not appreciate is just how much time and effort the dedicated members of each group put into their performances.

Rehberg

discussed the effort that members of No Strings Attached put into their shows and recordings.

“Performing in my first semester show last year was an incredible experience, between seeing how much work goes in behind the scenes to actually performing in front of a crowd again, it was an incredible experience,” Rehberg said. “Taking time over the summer to go down to Manhattan and record music for the group as well has to be

a favorite [memory] of mine.”

Students interested in seeing No Strings Attached perform live can see their next performance at Dollar Show on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1 and 8, along with every other Binghamton a cappella group. Going forward, No Strings Attached will be having their semester show later in the year.

“Other than Dollar Show, our semester show will be Nov. 19 at 8 p.m.,” Zipparo said. “This show is

Provided from No strings attached

just our group performing a bunch of songs along with a video skit we make throughout the semester!”

Furthermore, if students are interested in joining No Strings Attached or any other a cappella group, auditions will be held the day after Dollar Show on Sept. 18.

Follow No Strings Attached on Instagram (@nsabing) to stay updated on their most recent news and updates.

F UN

7Monday, 17071217001,280 22,25,2r,re3 rebeb lib m rooptetA ctcO pO ,ey,Say,yda,ayn d dao sndrM ou srM huThT September 12, 2022

Peter Proscia Fun Editor

STREAM

Pipe Dream Bearcast ON SPOTIFY

Monday, September 12, 2022

Volleyball 2-1 at Georgetown Invitational Bearcats improve to 7-2, team’s best start since entering Division I Jack Oh

Sports Editor

The Binghamton volleyball traveled to Washington, D.C. over the weekend to compete in the Georgetown Invitational. After shutting out George Washington, the Bearcats would go on to fall to the Hoyas in a five-set thriller. The next day, BU bounced back against Rider for its final game of the tournament, ending the weekend 2-1 and continuing its best start in the program’s Division I history.

“It was a really good test for us,” said Binghamton head coach Allie Yaeger. “All of these teams this weekend were good … they were better teams than what their record showed them to be.”

On Friday, Binghamton’s (7-2) first matchup was against the Generals (3-6). The Bearcats started their weekend with a win as they took all three sets 25-20, 25-16 and 25-14, respectively.

Freshman outside hitter Giulia Bonifacio led BU with 13 kills and an ace in the game.

Shortly after defeating George Washington, the Bearcats would go on to face Georgetown (2-7).

Despite going up 2-1 after an overtime nail-biter in set three, BU was unable to close the Hoyas out, losing the next two sets by two points each.

“Things just didn’t go our way and it wasn’t our night, but that is a match that I would love to play again,” Yaeger said. “We were very inconsistent, we looked tired … We just couldn’t put all the pieces together and really get the momentum going … I’m not overly mad with the loss, I think we learned a lot from it.”

Junior outside hitter Tsvetelina Ilieva was Binghamton’s go-to weapon on offense, as she led all Bearcats with 22 kills in the match.

Additionally, freshman libero Madison Konopka added 20 digs, and freshman setter Lottie Scully dished out 45 assists.

Ilieva and Yaeger, both recently coming from Seton Hall, are familiar with playing Georgetown.

Yaeger noted Ilieva’s excitement and comfort with facing the Big East school. “[Ilieva] was very excited to play Georgetown,” Yaeger said. “Me

and her both came from the Big East where we played Georgetown last year, and she’s used to playing that team and she’s used to playing in that gym, so I think she had a comfort level with playing them.”

To close out the weekend, BU took on Rider (2-7). The Bearcats rebounded in dominant fashion after losing to the Hoyas by sweeping the Broncs in three sets.

Binghamton held a comfortable lead for the vast majority of the game. The only time the Bearcats trailed was early in the third when Rider took a 3-2 lead. BU went on to dominate the rest of the set and won 25-16 to end the tournament on a victory.

“I didn’t know how this morning was going to go,” Yaeger said. “It was [a matter of] who was going to show up and who’s going to be ready to go, and we hands down were definitely that team.

From the start to the finish we took care of business … We were consistent, we were low-error — it was everything I could’ve asked coming off of a volleyball hangover.”

Junior outside hitter Stefana Stan traveled with the team this weekend after missing last

Junior outside hitter Stefana Stan earned 27 kills and 12 blocks over three matches for BU at the Georgetown Invitational.

week’s tournament. The Bearcat supported both the offense and defense, tallying 27 kills and 12 blocks during the weekend.

“You always know what you’re going to get with [Stan],” Yaeger said. “She brings a lot of experience

now that she’s a junior … With her, it’s a comfort level for me. When she comes subbing into the game, I always know what we’re gonna get from her. It’s consistency, it’s being smart and she blocks really well, so it was nice having her back.”

Binghamton is scheduled to face Delaware State this Thursday, Sept. 15 to compete in the West Virginia Tournament. First serve is scheduled for 10 a.m at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Women’s soccer downs Fairleigh Dickinson 4-1 SOCCER FROM PAGE 1 Binghamton (2-4-1) got started early on the offensive side, putting its first three goals of the game passed the FDU (1-7) goalkeeper before the 10-minute mark. BU distributed its scoring on Sunday as four different Bearcats netted a goal against the Knights’ goalkeeper. Sunday’s performance set program records for the fastest BU has ever scored both three goals and four goals, after Binghamton’s final goal went in during the 17th minute.

“We know that we can spread things around,” Bhattacharjee said. “So once you get to conference play we are scouted

and teams are gonna look to hone in on one or two attacking personalities. That just means it’s gonna open up somebody else within our attack. We’re able to spread the wealth a little bit and we are able to score goals in a few different ways. It’s not just gonna be the same one or two things that we’re trying to go to over and over again.”

Senior forward Maya Anand was on the board first for BU. The senior scored the first goal of the game just over two minutes into action, thanks to a pass from sophomore forward Peyton Gilmore who earned the assist. Six minutes later Gilmore added her own goal to grow the

BU advantage. Senior midfielder Olivia McKnight assisted on the play.

“We know [Anand] is a dangerous attacker, Bhattacharjee said. “She got her third goal today. Same thing with [Gilmore] in terms of what she could do out wide or centrally.

We also know that we can expect to get things happening with our attacking center mids. Whether that’s [Olivia McKnight] or [junior midfielder Victoria McKnight], who scored her second goal in two games.”

Binghamton wasted no time in earning its next score. Fifty seconds after Gilmore’s goal, freshman defender Allison Falvo

earned the first goal of her collegiate career. The freshman’s score gave BU a 3-0 lead over Fairleigh Dickinson in just nine minutes of action. The Bearcats added their fourth and final goal of the match during the 17th minute, when a shot from Victoria McKnight snuck past the FDU goalkeeper.

“We got off to a fantastic start,” Bhattacharjee said. “To be up 3-0 in the first nine minutes and 4-0 by the 17-minute mark is a tremendous start to our play.

We came out on fire and had good movement on the ball.”

The second half proved to be a different story than the first.

Although the Knights outscored

the Bearcats 1-0, BU did not allow a goal until the 87th minute, leaving too little time for any comeback. The Binghamton defense faced 23 shots all game with nine of them being on net.

“We weren’t good enough on the day to get the shutout which was really the only unfortunate piece,” Bhattacharjee said.

“We’re happy to come home with an away 4-1 victory.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams got the start in net for BU. The sophomore played 53 minutes, saved five shots and allowed only one goal.

Senior goalkeeper Nicole Scott relieved Williams for the middle portion of the match, and saved

three Fairleigh Dickinson shots herself.

“Defensively, for the most part, we were pretty stout,” Bhattacharjee said. “We did see FDU in the first half step up their game. When that happened, [Williams] was forced to make two pretty big saves … She made two high-quality saves without giving up a rebound, and because of that, we went into halftime with a shutout.”

The Bearcats will return home for their next match against Cornell on Wednesday, Sept. 14. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Men’s soccer earns first tie against Niagara Binghamton unable to close out match, conceides two late goals Aiden Jennings

Contributing Writer

On Friday, with 13 minutes left in regulation, the Binghamton men’s soccer team stood at home with a 2-0 lead and the season’s first win in sight. In the ensuing possessions, Niagara found the back of the net twice as BU recorded its first tie of the season, extending its winless streak to 13 games going back to last season.

“I feel disappointed,” said Binghamton head coach Paul Marco. “I thought the guys played really well, winning late in the second half to letting a goal kind of slip in. Give Niagara some credit, they kept coming after us, but I felt like we stopped doing the things we were very successful at early on in the game. But a lot of promising things happened today. We scored good goals, we got wide guys into the attack, and we had more balls in the box today. So a lot of things we’ve been working on in training we’re getting to see a little bit. I think that hopefully, this means we’re turning the corner, we do get some guys back from injury this week hopefully, so we’re looking forward to that as well.”

BU (0-4-1) came out of the gates ready for the Niagara (13-1) attack. The Purple Eagles pressured the home side early on, but attack after attack was halted by the Binghamton back line. The Bearcats were forced to handle

three early corner kicks, even making some goal line clearances to maintain their first half clean sheet. Marco opted to utilize three center backs, with two wingbacks putting in defensive and offensive shifts on either side.

“I don’t want to say we experimented with three [center backs], because we thought that we would be playing with three,” Marco said. “Sometimes when you play against two upfront it’s better to play with three center backs, and I thought the group played pretty well. We were a little more direct today than we’ve been in the past, so hopefully that continues to be a theme for the guys, to have vertical possession. But overall I’m pleased with the performance, just disappointed in the outcome.”

Junior back Joe Spires led the BU charge, pushing upfield high when the Bearcats had the ball, and coming back to help sweep up attacks on the other side of the pitch. He capped his performance off with a goal in the 52nd minute, running onto a cross from junior midfielder Shawn Coles and slotting it past the keeper. “[Spires] couldn’t play in the last game,” Marco said. “But I thought he played really well tonight, fitness needs to improve a little bit but we saw his productivity today, and what an absolute strike.”

Spires was one of two Binghamton defenders to score, as sophomore back Carlo Cavalar also found the back of the net with a close range header just four minutes later to make it 2-0. A three-man substitution at the end of the first half bled into the second period,

with Marco switching out his entire attacking line to balance out his side’s defensive performance.

However, the Bearcats were unable to hold on as two late goals from Niagara — within six minutes of each other — prevented the home side from obtaining its first win of the season.

Niagara broke the shutout in the 78th minute with a cross into the box that led to a shot right while redshirt senior goalkeeper P.J. Parker came out left. Niagara struck again in the 85th minute when the away side took advantage of a closerange rebound to make it 2-2. Parker was unable to corral the long-range shot from the Purple Eagles. A free kick in the final minute of the match by junior midfielder Markos Touroukis was Binghamton’s last chance at a winner, but the Niagara keeper guided the attempt over the bar with a fingertip save to maintain the draw.

“I think that all the guys that went in today worked really hard when we had the ball and when [Niagara] had the ball,” Marco said.

“I thought all of them worked really hard. It will be interesting to pick the team next week for sure … I like how we are getting better on our dead balls. Services were much better today than they were in previous games. So I think there’s a lot of promise to take away from today. [I] just feel disappointed and kind of let down that we couldn’t get a W.” The Bearcats will continue their stay at home on Saturday, Sept. 17 against Canisius College. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Bearcats Sports Complex in Vestal, New York.

Mason Brody-Lewis Assistant Photo Editor Sophomore back Carlo Cavalar scored one goal for BU during a draw against Niagara on Friday night.