Summer issue 2018

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Summer 2018 | Vol. XCIII | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

Welcome to Binghamton

Ariel Kachuro Assistant Photo Editor

Construction projects to revamp dorms, C4 BU selects executive director of Foundation Most renovations will be complete by fall 2018 Yuri Lee

Assistant News Editor

With most students away for the summer, Binghamton University is doubling down on construction work on campus. Currently, the University’s website lists 19 construction projects set to be implemented this summer, ranging from walkway replacements, dorm renovations and sign installations to a 4,600-square-foot addition to the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center (C4), finishing work on the new School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SOPPS) building and renovating the former EndicottJohnson Corporation, previously a shoe and carton factory, which will house the future location of BU’s Decker School of Nursing. The majority of these projects will be completed by the time students return for the fall semester, including the SOPPS building, which started construction in 2016, and Seneca Hall of College-in-the-Woods (CIW), which began renovations last year. According to James “JJ” Brice, the associate director of operations

Andrew Watkins was also named vice president for advancement Gillian Kenah

Assistant News Editor

undergraduate admissions, the class is also one of the University’s most academically inclined. “The incoming freshmen cohort is very strong academically and we anticipate that they will have similar or slightly higher GPA and standardized test scores when compared to last year’s freshmen,” Medionte-Phillips wrote in an email. Medionte-Phillips said there are various reasons for the increases. “The increase in applications is most likely due to a variety of factors and is difficult to pin down at this point,” Medionte-Phillips wrote. “Nationwide, applications were up at many selective universities. In New York, applications were up at virtually every [bachelor-granting] SUNY institution.”

After months of searching, Binghamton University has chosen its next vice president for advancement and executive director of the BU Foundation. The University search committee has selected Andrew Watkins, who will begin his new role on July 16. In a press release on May 25, University President Harvey Stenger welcomed Watkins to BU. “I am thrilled to welcome Andrew to Binghamton to lead the way on the fundraising and alumni-relations efforts on campus,” the release states. “This is an integral part of the core of our University. Andrew and I have already begun talks about the next phase of growth and are optimistic about what’s to come.” The positions were opened after Jim Broschart, the former vice president of advancement, left his role on Jan. 5 to become the associate vice chancellor for university development at North Carolina State University, leading BU to conduct a national search for a new hire. According to the press release, the search committee was headed by Donald Nieman, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, and Sheldon Goldfarb, ‘73, chair of the BU Foundation Board of Directors. The team was composed of campus community members, the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the BU Foundation Board of Directors. According to Nieman, Watkins’ past experiences at various colleges and universities made him stand out in a highly competitive pool of applicants. “Andrew’s résumé rose to the top from a highly talented national pool; his credentials in academic fundraising are impressive,” Nieman wrote in the press release. “His history of performance in fundraising gives him the insights necessary to enhance Binghamton in both alumni engagement and development success.” Goldfarb wrote that he was impressed with Watkins’ developed understanding

SEE CLASS PAGE 4

SEE VP PAGE 4

Kojo Senoo Pipe Dream Photographer The University is currently undergoing 19 construction projects set to be implemented this summer. These projects range from walkway renovations to finishing the work on the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

and crisis for Residential Life, his department and Physical Facilities are currently working together to renovate one CIW building per year. “We are working our way through the ‘Upper CIW’ buildings as they are all over 40 years old and due for

maintenance and updating,” Brice wrote in an email. “The current, tentative plan is to continue with Oneida [after Onondaga], beginning renovation next August or September to be re-opened [in] August 2020. Mohawk is not in the plans for renovation, as it was built in

2000, and has modern infrastructure.” Renovations for the residence halls include new overhead lighting in student rooms, upgraded electrical systems and refurbished bathrooms.

SEE PROJECTS PAGE 4

Fall applications Admission Statistics increase 16 percent Number of freshmen

Applicants

Enrolled

38,700

30k 20k 10k

2,720

2,641

2016-17

2017-18

Amy Donovan

Assistant News Editor

33,418

32,119

University enrolls largest freshman class to date

2,840*

2018-19

*The number of freshmen enrolled in the class of 2022 has yet to be finalized. This number is an approximation obtained from the Admissions Center. Cory Bremer Design Manager

ARTS & CULTURE

Around 2,840 new freshmen are expected to arrive on campus this fall, making Binghamton University’s class of 2022 its largest to date. The class is more than 100 students larger than the class of 2021, and represents a 200-student increase from the class of 2020. The growing class sizes at the University were underscored by a 16 percent increase in applications, with the Admissions Center receiving 38,700 applications for the 2018-19 academic school year. According to Krista MediontePhillips, the director of

OPINIONS

Explore the hidden gems of the Binghamton area,

Create these easy decor DIYs to transform your dorm room,

Contributing columnist Elizabeth Short offers guidance on joining clubs and dorming,

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Former BU standout Nick Wegmann drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 34th round,

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SPORTS

Women’s basketball program to hire Bethann Shapiro Ord as new head coach,

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