CLIMATE CHANGE The Editorial Board responds to the Campus Climate Survey, which measured discrimination on campus See page 13
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015 | Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 22 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com
University names Dean of Libraries
Admin. breaks down Campus Climate Survey
Curtis Kendrick, CUNY Library dean, to take position on July 15
Chief Diversity Officer Valerie Hampton talks inclusivity, future plans
Emilie Leroy
Pipe Dream News
Alexandra Mackof Assistant News Editor
Monday night’s Student Congress meeting focused on the results of the Campus Climate Survey that were released last week. Valerie Hampton, the chief diversity officer for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI), said she was impressed by the responses received in the 117-question survey, and that participants were comfortable being honest about incidents they have faced. “What was positive was people’s candor about it,” Hampton said. “This is difficult to talk about. And if you’ve had experiences that were negative in relation to your identity, that’s hard to talk about it.” According to University President Harvey Stenger, the survey results provided a platform for BU to improve. “[The goal of the survey] was to provide metrics and data for students,
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According to interns from 20:1, a sexual violence prevention program, consent must always be verbal. Lauren Kaufman, one of the interns who spoke, said that other cues, such as body language, can be misinterpreted, and don’t provide adequate consent. “People say that asking for consent is awkward, but it doesn’t have to be,” said Kaufman, a junior majoring in psychology. “All you need is a ‘Yes.’” Kaufman recommended asking “Are you comfortable with this?” or “Is this OK?” to students who don’t want to ask “Do I have consent to have sexual intercourse with you?” Adopted in October of this year, SUNY’s system-wide uniform definition of consent requires that consent is “unambiguous, knowing, informed and voluntary.” It also goes on to say that “Silence or lack of resistance cannot be interpreted as consent.” After the march Downtown, the crowd gathered at Uncorked Creations to have a “survivor speak out” where men and
Curtis Kendrick has been named the new dean of libraries at Binghamton University, effective July 15, 2015. Kendrick, who has been the University Dean for Libraries and Information Resources at the City University of New York (CUNY) since 2004, is replacing former BU Dean of Libraries John Meador, who stepped down this past summer to become the dean of libraries at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after 11 years at BU. Susannah Gal, a biology professor at BU, was interim dean while the committee searched for Meador’s replacement. According to Anne McCall, dean of Harpur College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the search committee, Kendrick’s responsibilities will include managing the library budget, acquiring items for special collections, overseeing library staff and integrating technology, such as digital databases, that can ease access of information for students and faculty. A recent focus of the library has been digitizing the special collections, as most of them are only available in hard copy. “The dean of libraries is the academic, financial and personal visionary at the heart of the University,” McCall said. “Everyone at the University benefits from the wealth of knowledge that the library provides.” Prior to his position at CUNY, Kendrick was the director of the Access Services Division at Columbia University Libraries, the assistant director of Harvard University Libraries, the head of circulation and reserves departments at Stony Brook University and the assistant to the director of libraries at Oberlin College. According to Caryl Ward, a librarian and member of the committee, Kendrick’s long career in library and information services and management experience made him stand out from the other candidates. “Curtis Kendrick’s leadership experience with CUNY and other research institutions will be valuable as the University focuses on its strategic priorities of path-breaking graduate education, research, scholarship and creative activities,” Ward wrote in an email. The search committee included McCall, Provost Donald Nieman, faculty from within and outside of the library, an undergraduate, graduate student and
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Klara Rusinko/Assistant Photo Editor Kieran Bretz, a senior majoring in industrial and systems engineering, and Stephanie Meena, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience, celebrate their mock marriage in the Mandela Room. An audience of over 200 attended the shaadi, or traditional South Asian wedding ceremony, hosted by the Pakistani Students Association. See page 2 for coverage of the event.
WSU spearheads Downtown rally to protest against sexual violence After march from Peacemakers Stage to State Street, activists hear survivors' stories of harrasment, assault Rachel Bluth Editor-in-Chief
Duncan McInnes/Pipe Dream Staff Photographer
Over 70 students walked together Saturday morning to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The walk, titled “Out of the Darkness,” was coordinated by three Hinman RAs and raised $1,235 for AFSP.
Mental health advocates walk campus to shine light on suicide
Hinman RAs raise $1,325 for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention with "Out of the Darkness" event Alana Epstein Staff Writer
Over 70 students gathered Saturday morning to raise awareness about suicide by participating in the Out of the Darkness walk. The walk was coordinated by three Hinman resident assistants in conjunction with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), an organization that speaks about mental health issues and suicide at colleges across the country. The event raised $1,235 to be donated to the AFSP to help extend its research and education. Among the students who participated in the walk were organized teams from Lehman Hall, Phi Sigma Sigma, the Zombie Student Association and Circle K, a collegiate community service organization. Students began walking at 10 a.m. by the Hinman Quad and circled around the Brain three times. In addition, the AFSP had a table with representatives from its Broome County chapter who supplied pamphlets about how those struggling with mental illness can get help. According to Kristen Mulvena, one of the coordinators of the walk and a junior majoring in psychology, the AFSP is the only nonprofit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy. She said that the purpose of the walk was to create a conversation about mental illness. “Students here are willing to begin a dialogue about this very important issue,” Mulvena said. “Often mental health isn’t talked about until it’s too late. Fighting
the stigma against mental illness begins with open and understanding dialogue.” Attendees such as Kayla Basedow, a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma team and a freshman majoring in nursing, said they participated in the walk for those who have committed or contemplated suicide, as well as for friends who are currently suffering from mental illness. “Even if you don’t know someone who has committed suicide, you might know someone who was depressed or has a mental illness,” Basedow said. “It’s important for people to realize that it’s more common than you’d think.” Others like Henry Avery, a senior majoring in accounting, said he hoped that events like these will show students the support that is available to them on campus. “I think suicide prevention and awareness are extremely important on college campuses,” Avery said. “I’ve personally lost two friends to suicide so I’m really thankful there are resources here for students to take advantage of and that students are talking about this issue.” Stephanie Giatas, a coordinator of the walk and a junior double-majoring in psychology and chemistry, said she hoped that the walk helped create a more comfortable environment at BU for those who suffer from mental illness. “I think that we need to have events like this to create a more open conversation,” Giatas said. “I just hope that the people here can become more aware about how serious mental illnesses are, and can become more accepting of them so people suffering can feel more comfortable and seek help.”
Marchers took to the street to rally and show support for victims of sexual violence. “Take Back the Night,” organized by the Women’s Student Union (WSU), was meant to be an avenue for support for victims and empowerment for allies. A major theme of the march, which included speeches from students and campus organizers, was combating sexual violence through effective consent. Jessica Dunn, a sophomore triple-majoring in sociology, Latin American studies and Caribbean Area studies and Africana studies, led supporters holding signs and chanting slogans from the Peacemaker’s Stage on Court Street to Uncorked Creations on State Street. “We are trying to promote on our campus and in our local community knowledge about what it means to consent to sex, what it means to be unable to consent and basically we want our campus to be a safe place,” Dunn said.
Sex toys, HIV testing spark intimate discussion SHADES raises thousands for STD/HIV education at "Let's Talk About Sex" Kanchi Chandwani Contributing Writer
Students gathered in the Old University Union Saturday for a judgment-free discussion of sexuality and sexual education. “Let’s Talk About Sex” was hosted by SHADES, a BU student group that works to create a LGBTQ-friendly environment on campus, in conjunction with the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP). Lambda Phi Epsilon, the Multicultural Resource Center and the Binghamton branch of Family Planning also tabled throughout the day. Entertainment at Saturday’s event included lip syncing performances by two drag queens and numerous educational games such as a blindfolded “put the condom on the dildo,” a trivia game and “genderbread,” a game in which students put a pin on a spectrum of categories highlighting different terms of gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. These activities, along with speakers, provided information on sex toy usage, understanding individual sexuality and
ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Stephen Gleason and Noah Cooper, representatives from STAP, helped organize the event and offered free, confidential HIV and AIDS testing to students who attended. “Getting people to talk about sex is difficult to do, there’s no secret about that,” Gleason said. “But students need to know that this stuff is okay to talk about, and besides being okay to talk about, it’s important to talk about.” Cooper said the event also aimed to educate students on risks that are not always obvious. “We want to help students realize that there are a lot of other options besides condoms and the medications that students can use, by knowing what fluids can transmit diseases like HIV and the different behaviors that can spread gonorrhea and chlamydia,” he said. According to event organizer Jonathan Salas, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, initiating the conversation is necessary in order to
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Raquel Panitz/Pipe Dream Photographer
Binghamton University student group SHADES hosted “Let’s Talk about Sex,” a discussion about safe practices. In addition to various trivia games and lip syncing performances by two drag queens, students were offered free, confidential HIV and AIDS testing.