“Please” isn’t the only magic word there is — “compromise” is an important one, too. Mayor Matthew Ryan gave a State of the City address Monday, and compromise was his most fundamental recommendation for the national recession, Binghamton’s economic well-being, town-gown relations and more (see Page 1). Judging by the standing ovation, his ideas were well-received, and for good reason. Compromise is a useful tool, and plenty of the problems we’re currently struggling with could be solved with a good dose of it. The conflict between Caribbean Student Association and the administration is a good example (see Page 5). The…

It has been the bane of every man’s existence for the better part of recorded history, and has caused distress and heavy drinking for single people for nearly as long. It is the inevitable topic of a column devoted to sex and relationships, published in mid-February. Its name is Valentine’s Day, and you should all be very, very frightened. Well, maybe not frightened, but at the very least vigilant and aware. This is a holiday that is devoted to relationships and the love/like that is shared between two (or more, I’m not one to judge) individuals. At least that is…

Binghamton University’s campus is both distinctive and functional. Our labyrinth of an Engineering Building, for instance, is recognized for its uniqueness, and there is something very different about our Clock Tower made of green, metallic, cubic scaffolding. I doubt anyone would dispute the functionality of the Mountainview College dormitory buildings. The suites are generously spacious and generously equipped. They are well lit, with well-kept public rooms. However, I would probably not use the words homey or cozy to describe a stock Mountainview dorm room unless there was a serious effort on the part of the owner to make it that…

Here’s another fad for mothers of teenage daughters to add to their list of no-nos. Although I thought I had been over my cybersex stage since the sixth grade, it has re-entered my life in a whole new way — via text messaging. At least this time it doesn’t involve creepy child predators and online chat rooms (or am I the only one who went through the chat room phase?). Luckily for me, there are always new discoveries to be made. I was actually pretty skeptical about going into my most recent sexting engagement. In fact, I was quite turned…

The Rathskeller Pub is a filthy place and its typical denizens are of an undeniably absurd breed. But more frequently than I like to admit, I pay $3 to spend a few hours in that concrete basement. Why do I debase myself? Now I don’t mean to pick on the Rat in particular. I don’t think any bar on State Street is well known for its cleanliness, and the people that pile into the Rat are often the same people that pile into all the other bars. The Rat just happens to be Binghamton’s paragon of the sleazy, college dive-bar.…

Facebook has unquestionably revolutionized the way we communicate. It has expanded exponentially in the almost six years of its existence, and now has over 350 million users. Unlike the days when Facebook’s fan base was predominantly confined to the United States, according to its statistics page, 70 percent of its current users actually reside outside of America. The potential that social networks, such as Facebook, have is tremendous. Just think back to the days of Xanga and MySpace, when it was unthinkable that our own parents would ever enter into the realm of social networking. Clearly, the situation has changed.…