We may have been away all summer, but (despite popular belief) life at Binghamton University continues while we’re gone. Here are a few things Pipe Dream is thinking about before we begin our fall semester. WILLIAMS’ LAWSUIT Recently, Binghamton University settled a sexual harassment claim with Elizabeth Williams (see Page 1) — a major gifts officer for the athletic department — who filed the suit over a year ago against the school and four other co-defendants, including two alumni. Williams was awarded $280,000 — which, after hefty legal fees, amounts to about two years’ worth of her previous salary. As…

Dearly beloved: We have gathered here today to mourn the loss of a dear friend. We will bid our final adieus and commence a period of grievance. The grievance may last anywhere from weeks to years — that’s an issue you’ll have to deal with individually. Alas, summer vacation, it is time for you to leave this eternal world, for at least I will never see you again. I’m not just talking about, “oh, no, back to school time,” and last-minute voyages across the Caribbean to insert-luxurious-island-of-your-choice. I’m talking about the fact that as a senior in college, I will…

Whether you live around the corner or 1,000 miles away, the first drive up to school as a freshman seems endless. Anxiety sets in as soon as the Binghamton University sign comes into view. Your heart starts pounding as your parents pull up to your dorm, as you see the faces that will become all too familiar over the next four years. Finally, after all of the frustrations of unpacking, your parents say goodbye. You’re alone, but we’ve all been there. Here’s a few things I learned my first year at Binghamton. First things first: your living situation. Hopefully the…

This week marks the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Hard to believe, no? With so many other natural and man-made disasters captivating public attention in recent years (months, even), it’s difficult to remember and acknowledge the devastation New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region suffered from the storm. Five years later, though, the responsibility still lies with us to be aware of the effect Katrina had on the people and land it ravaged, and to be supportive of the citizens of New Orleans as much now as we ever were. But how could I, or any of you, bring yourself…

Just because you go to school in Binghamton, it doesn’t mean you have to actually like it. A note to all incoming students out there: you may be bummed out because your friends poke fun at you for going to “the middle of nowhere” to spend the next four years of your life. But before you give in to their teasing, take it from me: don’t be fooled by the school’s location. If you try hard enough, you will find ways to entertain yourself. Despite what those friends at home think, Binghamton does in fact have an active nightlife scene.…