After two days of poll sitting, four hours of ballot counting and six pizza pies, the 12 members of the elections committee announced the future leaders of the Student Association. The four referenda regarding the student activity fee and constitutional amendments were all approved with an overwhelming majority ranging from 82 to 92 percent. The Binghamton University student body elected Jared Kirschenbaum as its new president. He was overjoyed and teary-eyed as he called family members and friends. “I overall want to thank the students for making this happen,” Kirschenbaum said. “I promise I’m not going to let them down.”…

The East Gym will close at the end of this semester until fall 2011 while Binghamton University continues its ongoing construction projects. According to Janice Bennett, associate director of Campus Recreation, the $13.5 million renovation project, which is slated to begin after commencement in May 2010, will include many additions to the East Gym facility. “The long-awaited renovation project will better serve the recreational needs of our University community,” said Clyde Robinson, director of Campus Recreation. “It gives students a vibrant, well-equipped facility to get fit, meet others and have fun.” FitSpace, the campus fitness center, which is currently a…

SAPB brings improv group to campus The Student Association Programming Board is bringing members of Upright Citizens Brigade to Binghamton, according to Aaron Cohn, vice president for programming. The show will be held April 16 in the Mandela Room at 8 p.m. UCB is regarded as one of New York City’s best improv theaters, with past members including Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Demetri Martin and Sarah Silverman. The current touring cast includes Brandon Gardner, a Binghamton University alumnus who graduated in 2005, and a former Pappy Parker. PAWS informational session to be held There will be an informational session for…

Residential Life has made two major changes in housing availability to the 2010-11 housing priorities list and online registration instructions, which are now accessible to students. For the on-campus apartments, registration will run from March 9 to 12, and all other campus sign-ups will take place between March 15 and 25. According to Grace Hoefner, senior associate director of Residential Life, there are two changes that will be enacted for the upcoming registration. First, Chenango Hall of Newing College will only house returning students and will contain all paid singles. Hoefner said this option was made so that “students who…

Binghamton University is taking initiative to combat budget cuts by offering full-time employees a percentage of their annual salary if they resign or retire early. “The Voluntary Separation Program (VSP) focuses on one of the University’s largest operating costs: its personnel,” said BU spokeswoman Gail Glover. “We expect that this program will minimize the need for more aggressive actions.” According to Glover, many faculty members expressed interest in the program, which was first announced Feb. 8. She could not comment on how many faculty members will be participating in the program, since a commitment is not necessary until April. The…

Bhangra dancers from around the country and from Canada will compete at Binghamton University this weekend in “Bhangra Fever II.” According to Prerna Soni, the president of Binghamton Bhangra, Bhangra is a traditional folk dance from northern India. Binghamton Bhangra was established in 2006 and currently has 18 active dancers and two additional members. Eight teams will vie for $2,300 on Saturday in the Osterhout Concert Theater in the Anderson Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m. This is the second annual “Bhangra Fever” event that Binghamton Bhangra has hosted. Last year’s event brought…

A Greek Life Committee was recently formed to promote the fraternities and sororities of Binghamton University by giving back to the local community and hosting events such as tonight’s “Dance Your Heart Out,” which aims to get the entire campus involved. Last summer, Remy Beitscher, a junior member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and Student Association President Adam Amit discussed creating a Greek Life Committee. In September, Beitscher started looking for a diverse group of people from greek life to help plan events for the committee. There are currently six members of the committee, including greek life members Remy Beitscher…

The newly constructed classrooms in the Old University Union have increased technological ability, but are not without acoustic difficulties that often leave faculty and students asking, “Can you repeat that?” “The acoustics weren’t really made for a classroom-type setting,” Jeff Sagor, a senior majoring in economics, said. “It seems to be set up more as a conference room rather than a classroom and that really inhibits the ability of the instructor to teach there.” According to Karen Fennie, the spokeswoman for Physical Facilities, a committee of students involved in the Old University Union renovations said that programming space was extremely…

The Binghamton University housing license, which requires dorming students to live on campus for a full school year, with few exceptions, is causing confusion and controversy for students who had other housing plans for the spring semester. The license, which has been established for at least 14 years, states that “the only permissible reason for a resident to cancel the license is if he or she will not be a student at the University.” According to Grace Hoefner, senior associate director of Residential Life, BU’s Residential Life made an exception to this license last year and allowed anyone to move…

Binghamton University’s political organizations held an informal debate Thursday, during which they discussed current national and world issues. Representatives from the College Democrats, College Republicans and College Libertarians participated in the forum, which lasted approximately two hours. “I just want to get people talking and lay a groundwork for next semester, because if you want to be involved with politics, you have to be able to work with different groups,” said Alex Paolano, chairman of the College Republicans. Throughout the debate, which was moderated by Paolano, participants answered seven questions, ranging from health care to cap-and-trade policy to firearms to…

The license that students sign when registering for on-campus housing requires them to stay on campus for a full school year, but many students are not aware of the rule. The University Housing License for 2009-10, which is similar to ones for previous years, states, “The only permissible reason for a resident to cancel the license is if he or she will not be a student at the University.” According to Grace Hoefner, senior associate director of Residential Life, students who are withdrawing, graduating, transferring, studying abroad or participating in the National Student Exchange Program have to fill out an…

The board of trustees of the State University of New York met Tuesday and approved a 2 percent tuition increase for the 2010-11 school year. The hike, which still needs to be approved by New York State Gov. David Paterson and the state legislature before going into effect, would raise tuition from $4,970 a year for state residents at most of the 64 SUNY campuses to $5,070. SUNY campuses would retain 100 percent of the revenue that is created. If the tuition hike is approved, this would be the second consecutive year of increases in the SUNY system. The 2010-11…

Researchers at Binghamton University and the University of Arizona have been recognized for their work regarding an insect species and its relationship with aggression. The main researchers include Omar Tonsi Eldakar, 2008 Ph.D. graduate of Binghamton University and current postdoctoral fellow at the University of Arizona; Michael J. Dlugos, a 2009 BU alumnus and Ph.D. adviser; and David Sloan Wilson, a BU professor in the department of biological sciences. John W. Pepper of the University of Arizona was also involved, as well as two BU undergraduate students, junior Allison Whelan and Grace Huang. The research was compiled into a paper…

For many of the Binghamton University students who celebrated President Barack Obama’s victory in the presidential election, the hope for change is still alive, but for others this optimism has burnt out. According to Patrick Regan, a political science professor at BU, peoples’ reactions toward President Obama lowered from their pre-election state because “it’s not an election anymore, it’s just the grind of politics.” Regan explained that it is harder for students to get “swept up into the euphoria of a policy.” “The ideals of ‘hope’ and ‘change’ are still alive,” said Laura Chaath, senior political science and history major…

Members of Binghamton University’s Student Association have been working to obtain signatures for two budget-related petitions, both a part of the “Many SUNYs, One Voice” program initiated at the State University of New York SA conference last month. Since the Oct. 24 conference, there have been two rallies, one held Wednesday and the other the week before, held at BU in response to the New York state and SUNY budget cuts. The mission of these rallies, led by members of the SA’s Research and Planning Committee, was to speak to as many students as possible on the “spine” and “brain”…

Dickinson Town Council voted Tuesday to withdraw proposals to impeach two student leaders, including the Student Association president, but still stand behind one calling for Assembly chair Elahd Bar-Shai’s impeachment. Dickinson representative Ian Swan plans to withdraw the resolutions regarding the impeachment of Adam Amit, SA president, and Lawrence Faulstich, chair of the Research and Planning Committee, because his constituents respected Amit and Faulstich’s efforts to defend themselves at the DTC meeting. The behavior of the three student leaders at the Oct. 24 State University of New York SA conference, which included each drinking a beer at the meeting and…

Residential Life is offering residents of Newing College’s Chenango Hall priority housing for the spring 2010 semester because of the impact of the East Campus construction project. On Oct. 22, Chenango residents received a letter via e-mail from Suzanne E. Howell, director of ResLife and University housing, regarding their housing options for the semester. According to Howell, Chenango residents who stay in Chenango for the entire fall semester will receive a $500 credit to their accounts, which will be added on Dec. 1, 2009. The letter added that residents can now move to another community by contacting the Newing College…

The Student Association of the State University of New York met for their semi-annual conference Saturday at the Holiday Inn in Binghamton, where representatives from the Binghamton University SA presented a resolution and a constitutional amendment. Delegates of student governments from the 64 SUNY campuses attended the conference. The resolution presented by BU representatives focused on the mid-year budget cuts and tuition increases that are affecting the SUNY system. Earlier this month, New York Gov. David Paterson ordered a $500 million cut in current-year spending for state agencies — $90 million of which will be cut directly from the State…

CAMPUS Fans request “White Out” for game The Bearcat Hooligans want fans to “white out” the field at the nationally televised men’s soccer game this Friday at 8 p.m. against Boston University. The game will take place in the Bearcats Sports Complex and will be broadcast on Binghamton University’s channel 56, the Fox Soccer Channel. Journalist to lecture on fair media coverage Khaled Abu Toameh, an independent Israeli-Arab journalist, will be speaking about the lack of free speech and press within the Palestinian territories on Monday, Oct. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Old University Union’s Mandela Room. The event…

Binghamton University officials are leery to believe statistics that suggest the city of Binghamton has seen a drop in crime over the past few months and are warning students to be aware of their surroundings Downtown. Last month, data from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services showed violent crime to be down by 9.7 percent. Earlier this month, 20-year-old Binghamton resident Tyler Loop was allegedly assaulted by three men behind the Holiday Inn Arena, leaving him in a coma for more than five days. In late August, BU student George Hamelos was allegedly assaulted on State Street…

A student-friendly guidebook, providing information on anything and everything a Binghamton University student would need to know about the University and the surrounding area, will soon be available across campus. The guidebook was compiled by Student Association President Adam Amit and written by Jeremy Gundel, president of the Pappy Parker Players, an improv and sketch comedy group on campus. It is currently in its last stages of production, awaiting feedback from students before its final publication. The purpose of the guide is to create an all-inclusive list of anything a student could be interested in, according to Amit. “Freshmen and…

The Interfraternal Council brought lawyer and Binghamton mayoral candidate Douglas Walter Drazen to campus Tuesday to discuss legal rights in terms of off-campus housing and Greek life. The event started in Old University Union at 7:15 p.m. and lasted until 8:45 p.m. According to Paul Liggieri, an IFC representative and Philanthropy Chairman from Theta Delta Chi fraternity, 50 to 60 people attended the event, and most were fraternity members. The IFC brought Drazen to campus because council members kept questioning their legal rights and wanted to know how to deal with landlords, Liggieri said. “I thought it was best to…

Through the joint efforts of the Career Development Center (CDC) and pre-law advising, Binghamton University will host its annual Law Day this Wednesday in the Events Center. Starting at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 2:45 p.m., Law Day will feature approximately 80 American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools that will share information and answer students’ questions about their institutions. To help students get to the event, an Off Campus College Transport Blue Bus shuttle will be running from the University Union to the West Gym between 11:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pre-law adviser John Appelbaum said that Law Day…

The Sierra Club held a rally at Binghamton University on Wednesday to deliver a new report to University officials regarding coal usage on college campuses. The Sierra Club, a grassroots campaign group, is encouraging colleges to use energy sources other than coal. According to Lucy Midelfort, the Green Corps organizer of the Sierra Club, which released the report, BU is among Ohio University, Penn State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Universities of North Dakota and North Carolina as highlighted schools. Many schools who have been recognized for their “green efforts” are still using coal for energy…

Mayor Matt Ryan and challenger City Clerk Joe Merrill, both Democrats, brought Binghamton’s Democratic primary mayoral race to campus last Wednesday. Binghamton University’s College Democrats and the Broome County Young Democrats worked together to organize the event in hopes of introducing students, faculty and community residents to their candidates before the primary election voting today between noon and 9 p.m. According to Jenni Royer, former president of the Broome County Young Democrats, the organization was approached by representatives from BU’s College Democrats, who proposed the event. “We felt it was important not only to the community as a whole, but…

Aside from the construction of new buildings on campus, Binghamton University officials are also rearranging existing spaces to make the campus’ layout more accommodating to students. The Office of Student Affairs, located in the New University Union behind M&T Bank, has now become a “hub” of student services and organizations on campus. In previous years the space was home to the Office of Student Affairs alone. But by the end of September, offices dealing with student life, including the XCEL Center, Off-Campus College and the Office of Student Conduct (formerly known as Judicial Affairs), among others, will be moved into…

Because of internal problems among the previous Student Association’s executive board, this year’s governing body has decided to create a Code of Conduct to prevent future conflicts. This Code of Conduct was written by SA President Adam Amit and was signed by all executive board members of the SA on Sept. 2. “In previous years, office decorum hasn’t been as friendly or welcoming as we’d like, so we’ve taken steps this year to make our office extremely friendly and welcoming,” Amit said. Jared Kirschenbaum, executive vice president of the SA, also believes that the Code of Conduct is a good…

A Binghamton University faculty member has received a prestigious award that no other BU faculty member has ever received: the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). According to a SUNY press release, the PECASE is the most honorable award given by the federal government to scientists and engineers early in their research careers. BU’s Scott Craver, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, was one of 100 scientists and engineers across America to win the award. “This honor places Professor Craver in the company of the best scientists and engineers in the nation,” said Binghamton University President…

Freshman year of college means no longer having the same group of friends since elementary school, the teachers who know your parents or, of course, the homemade food. As freshmen finish their first year at Binghamton University, they can look back on their accomplishments and the obstacles they had to overcome while adjusting to college life. For a lot of students, their first year was just as good as, or even better than, what they thought it would be. “I knew it would be a lot of work and I was right and I knew it would be totally weird…

The Student Assembly had its request for the release of the Student Opinion of Teaching (SOOT) forms approved by the Faculty Senate’s Educational Policy and Priorities Committee in late January and by their executive committee in April, but now remains deadlocked, with the final approval of the full Faculty Senate postponed. Binghamton University students currently rely on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com to tell them what classes to take and what professors to avoid, but with the release of the SOOT surveys they can get a better idea of what classes to take and which professors to avoid based on the…

Even though it’s halfway across the world, Israel’s 61st year of independence was celebrated by hundreds of Binghamton University students in the Dickinson Amphitheater on Wednesday. The celebration was headed by Hillel and sponsored by numerous student organizations, as well as BU organizations. “We’re celebrating Israel’s 61st birthday,” said Arielle Sokoloff, the co-chair of the event and a sophomore political science major. “We want to raise awareness between non-Jewish and Jewish students about what Israel is really about.” For many, this event hit close to home because of how passionately some feel about Israel. “The state of Israel has been…

Members of the Binghamton University English department are up in arms at the recent class size and teaching assistant switch-up. The department has been forced to reduce class sizes and eliminate almost 1,000 seats from some key classes. As English TAs take on WRIT 111, which isn’t required, hundreds of undergrads are getting closed out of required courses such as Shakespeare and British Literature I and II. According to an English professor who wished to remain anonymous because the professor feared for his or her job security, the English department did not want to do this; rather, BU’s administration told…

Club Sports put Binghamton Unviersity’s club Frisbee team on probation this week because of complaints about the team name: BBC, or unofficially, Big Black Cocks. The name “BBC” was created in fall 2004. While some say that it stands for the “Binghamton Bearcats,” many say the acronym stands for “Big Black Cocks.” Only a few members are still around from when the name was created, but otherwise, the team name was inherited, team captain Jason Bunk explained. The team believes they are being treated unfairly because they did not create the name. “We inherited it and now, almost five years…

The past few weeks have been filled with campaign promises, debates, and 20 people fighting for six spots on the Student Association executive board. In Old University Union, room 252, emotions were high as candidates and supporters awaited the results of this year’s election. Candidates were excited, nervous, scared, and a mixture of all three. “I feel nervous because I’ve worked so hard and it all comes down to tonight,” said executive vice president candidate Jared Kirschenbaum. Some candidates were over their “nervous phase” and were just ready to find out the results. “I’m just really excited, but I have…

Elections, elections, elections! With an astounding 2,280 ballots over the last two days, Binghamton University students showed how important Student Association elections are to them. According to elections chair Mary Leonardo, there were approximately 1,000 more votes this year compared to last year’s numbers. Voters came to the polls for all different reasons. Senior James Meehan, an industrial engineering major, said he voted to support his friend. Vice president for Academic Affairs candidate Shaun Hiller and presidential candidates Ah-Hil Kim and Jonathan LaSala brought their campaigns into Lecture Hall yesterday and Wednesday in an effort to reach as many students…

Efforts have been made to improve the office of vice president of multicultural affairs, a position which, in recent memory, has been under constant fire in the Student Association. SA President Matt Landau proposed several changes to the SA constitution this semester. Some of these changes are specifically meant to strengthen the VPMA position, and to add more duties and responsibilities to it. There will be a total of six duties added to the position if the amendments are passed. “The recent constitutional amendments passed by the Assembly go a long way toward strengthening the role of the position on…

Students voting in the upcoming Student Association election may notice one thing missing from the ballot: a female name. Alice Liou, current vice president for finance, has been involved in the SA for four years. She said she is upset by the way the SA is being run. “I think females don’t want to deal with the bullshit,” Liou said. SA Vice President for Multicultural Affairs Maryam Belly said she thinks it’s sad there are no females running for the SA executive board. “There are many strong and intelligent women on this campus who would’ve done great jobs with any…

This year, six students are running for the office of Student Association president. They include Adam Amit, Aaron Butler, Joshua Berk, Jonathan LaSala, Ah Hil Kim and Jasen Pascal. While all of them are promoting their campaigns on Facebook to reach a broad range of people, they all have different tactics and agendas in mind. “I’ve seen how poorly our SA leaders have done their jobs, and I believe that I have the experience, leadership skills and vision to improve our SA more so than anyone else,” Amit said. He said he believes that past and current executive boards have…

Alpha Epsilon Phi is starting a new tradition this year: PHI HOOPS. PHI HOOPS is a charitable 5-on-5 basketball tournament. The tournament will take place at the Jewish Community Center located at 500 Clubhouse Rd. in Vestal on Saturday, March 14 at noon. The event will occur in honor of Stefanie Rieger, a sister of the sorority who graduated from BU in May 2008. Rieger was diagnosed with colon cancer this past summer and passed away on Friday, February 27. “We really hope that the event is a success, and that many people participate so this tournament will become a…

After a year and a half of negotiations, all eight professional fraternities/sororities have been officially chartered under greek life. Both administrators and Professional Fraternity Council members were involved in the chartering process. The eight organizations that make up the PFC are: Delta Sigma Pi (business), Delta Epsilon Mu (pre-health), Theta Tau (engineering), Alpha Omega Epsilon (engineering sorority), Phi Delta Epsilon (pre-med), Alpha Phi Omega (community service), Alpha Kappa Psi (business) and Phi Alpha Delta (pre-law). Not all of these organizations were chartered at the same time. The charters were finalized starting in October 2008 and ending in February 2009. Gabriel…

A Binghamton University professor said people only attend events like the Israeli-Palestinian panel discussion, which occurred last week, for two reasons: either to get their beliefs confirmed by the speaker, or to say how biased the discussion is. “Do people’s minds get changed through this?” asked panelist Jonathan Karp, associate professor of history and Judaic studies at BU. “Understanding the Conflict: Israel’s War on Gaza,” packed Science I, room 149 on Thursday night. Sparks flew as four panelists discussed their opinions on the Gaza war for 15 minutes each, followed by a question-and-answer session. “Three well-renowned speakers are telling the…

The stock market is down, stores are closing their doors, funding for state programs like SUNY is disappearing and students are being left to wonder what this economic recession means for their futures. According to Binghamton University economics professor Christopher Hanes, there were two main reasons for the current financial crisis. The first was the breakdown in the financial markets, which made it harder for people and companies to borrow. The second was that people’s consumption spending fell dramatically, even for products and services for which they didn’t need to borrow. This happened before more people began to get laid…

Each semester Binghamton University students register for courses, hoping to find at least one class among the dredges of requirements that excites and inspires. This spring, at least 45 BU students have found that excitement in SOC 380E: Obama in Socio-Historic Perspective: Legacies of the Civil Rights Struggle. Jeff Howison, a graduate student in the sociology department and the course’s instructor, said that while the course is not a “biography on Obama,” it will touch on how Obama’s election has shown unprecedented gains in the Civil Rights Movement and demonstrated how political parties have evolved throughout history. “I certainly hope…

Not all Binghamton University students will be heading home for a full month and a half after finals next week. While most students will return home for the holiday season, there are some who choose to stay on campus or in the Binghamton area during winter break. International students and athletes make up the majority of students who stay on campus, although students who live in the Hillside or Susquehanna Communities, or off campus, tend to stay as well. Will Childress, a senior majoring in biology, said he is going home for a few days to celebrate Christmas, but is…

After a successful first semester, WRIT 111 was approved Wednesday by Harpur College Council to become a permanent course at Binghamton University — and some hope it becomes a requirement in the near future. WRIT 111, which was offered for the first time this semester as an experimental course, was popular among freshmen, according to Peter Spaet, vice president of academic affairs for the Student Association who sits on the Council. Of the 900 available seats, 851 were filled. “WRIT 111 is a course focused on writing and is designed to help students develop skills that will enable them to…

Children of local Binghamton residents have recently been given the opportunity to enjoy a new type of day care and after-school program. The Lee Barta Community Center is offering a program called Fresh Cycles that has elementary-age children working on bicycle repairs during the day and doing other activities in the after-school program, including homework, arts and crafts, creative writing, martial arts and different types of dancing. Due to a limited amount of space, only five to six children can work in the bike garage with the instructor at a time. Although the program has just begun, participants in the…

Thursday was a jazz-filled day for Binghamton University, with a jazz clinic, a mid-day concert and an evening performance. The Harpur Jazz Ensemble ended the day with their annual jazz concert at the Osterhout Concert Theater in the Anderson Center at 8 p.m. According to Mike Carbone, director of the Harpur Jazz Ensemble, the Ensemble has seen audiences ranging from 750 to 1,200 people. Last night’s performance filled the theater with about 900 guests. The Ensemble, a group since 1969, has, according to Carbone, always been “a high-standard, hard-working, dedicated and fun group to be involved with on campus.” “I…

Political and activist groups at Binghamton University worked to get students involved in the political arena in preparation for yesterday’s election, but in somewhat untraditional ways. Students have a history of being unreliable voters, and specific organizations on campus such as the College Libertarians, have tried to change that, according to a member from the group. According to the preamble of its constitution, College Libertarians, a non-partisan political group, aims to “diversify the current political circumstance in our nation,” as well as to provide a space for libertarians at BU to deliberate over different ideas. President of the College Libertarians…

The approval process for Binghamton University’s proposed law school is moving along at a steady pace, according to BU officials. University spokeswoman Gail Glover said the administration hopes all compulsory approvals for the school will be completed by the end of the academic year, though administrators want to ensure that the process is done in the proper manner. “This is a significant undertaking and we continue to move ahead with the curricular and financial plans for submission to the appropriate approving bodies, including SUNY and the New York State Department of Education,” Glover said. She also confirmed that the University…

Once a wealthy frat boy at Duke University, now a peace activist in the running for a Nobel Peace Prize, the Rev. John Dear has made a name for himself over the years. St. James Church, located on 147 Main St. in Johnson City, will host a forum featuring Dear on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Dear, a Jesuit priest, will speak about his book, “A Persistent Peace: One Man’s Struggle for a Nonviolent World,” which focuses on his own life. Besides discussing his years as a young adult and his history with law enforcement — which includes 75…

Lecture Hall 1 should be filled with laughter this evening as the Pappy Parker Players work their improv skills in their first show of the semester. The show is set to begin at 8 p.m. Admission is $3, and everyone who attends the show will be given free admission to an after-party, which will be limited to those who attended the performance. The Pappy Parkers are a small improvisational group made up of both undergraduate and graduate students at Binghamton University. The Pappys have been active on campus for 16 years and currently have eight members, two of which are…

Last night’s “Great Porn Debate” drew a long line of students to their feet with questions for the featured panelists, Ron Jeremy and Michael Leahy. Jeremy, 55, one of the best known American porn stars, was defending his industry’s right to produce pornographic films. His opponent, Leahy, 50, is a recovering sex addict who argued that the business needs to up their game in regulating porn to ensure that underage children cannot view it as easily. Aaron Cohn, the vice president of academic affairs for the Student Association, moderated the event. It was held at Binghamton University’s Anderson Center. The…

The increase in women at the front line of politics in the upcoming election has sparked debate throughout the nation, and tonight members of the Binghamton community will examine the topic in a forum. Beginning at 7 p.m., the panel discussion, which will be hosted by the Graduate Student Organization in conjunction with the Office of the Graduate Vice President for Multicultural Affairs, will cover women’s roles in the 2008 election. The event, which will be held in room 212 of the Science Library, is set to last approximately an hour and a half and feature four panelists. “The theme…

Binghamton University’s theater department is kicking off their 2008-09 main stage season with a performance of Wendy MacLeod’s “The House of Yes.” The play focuses on a family’s Thanksgiving meal interrupted by a hurricane that causes a blackout in the Washington, D.C. area. Jill Tominosky, the marketing and promotions director for the theater department, stated in an e-mail that, according to MacLeod, its author, the play is a story about “people that have never been said ‘no’ to.” According to Thomas Kremer, director of the play and a professor in the theater department, he chose the show because he felt…

Approximately 20 student groups that have lost their Student Association charters are facing the challenge of regaining their memberships and funding. The SA requires each student group to re-register annually, according to SA Executive Vice President Boris Tadchiev. Last year’s deadline of May 15 was extended at least three times. When registering, student organizations are required to provide the SA with three sections of information, including their account number, constitution and the names of at least 10 members. If any of these sections are missing or incomplete, the group cannot be considered registered. According to Tadchiev, many groups failed to…

Student Association officials are working with a new program coordinator this semester who will help them plan events and programs, and keep the lines of communication between faculty and students open throughout campus. Kristen Carr, 26, has been named the SA program coordinator, replacing predecessor Stephanie Kaponya. Carr said she aspires to keep former traditions and programs, as well as making new additions to the Association. “I want to see where they are at and grow from there,” she said. SA President Matt Landau said that he is enthusiastic about Carr’s ideas and the input she brings to student groups…