Students create justice group in support of Sodexo workers
Binghamton University students rallied behind Sodexo workers this semester when bargaining came to a standstill in September over health care disputes. Workers said the company was calling for a contract that cut health care coverage by 25 percent, instead of including full coverage like the old contract. The workers’ previous contract was extended due to continued negotiation delays during the semester. A tentative agreement was reached Dec. 4, between the workers and Sodexo.
Gov. Paterson announces budget cuts in light of state deficit
In light of the economic crisis on Wall Street this year, Gov. David Paterson announced a series of budget cuts for the New York state budget, including the SUNY budget, which directly affects Binghamton University. The most recent announcement called for $4.2 million to be cut from BU’s budget as well as a $300 tuition increase in the spring, of which 90 percent would go to the New York state budget. The SUNY Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase of $310 for the spring semester, of which 80 percent will go towards the New York state budget. Paterson is expected to come out with another budget proposal this week.
Former BU basketball player arrested overseas five months after beating
Miladin “Minja” Kovacevic, a former Binghamton University student charged with second-degree assault in a Downtown beating of then-senior Bryan Steinhauer, fled the country for Serbia four days after he was released on bail. Igor Milosevic, a Serbian diplomat who provided Kovacevic with travel documents, spent 30 days in jail while the case was investigated. Though U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Hilary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) urged the Serbian government to send him back to the United States for trial, Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that Kovacevic will be tried in Serbia. Several witnesses, including Steinhauer, who was in a coma until recently as a result of the altercation, were invited to testify.
Debates over new housing complex
City of Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan said he hopes the new law school and the Campus Suites Downtown housing complex, which is set to open in the fall of 2010, will be placed in the actual city to bolster the local economy and bring more students Downtown. However, Ellie Farfaglia, president of the Landlords Association of Broome County, said that a new housing complex would only glut the housing market. The Housing Commission for the city, which saw major controversy from students over potential zoning changes in November, is expected to make a recommendation on whether to change zoning laws and limit the number of students who live Downtown.
Steinhauer opens up to public after hospitalization
Last month, almost a year after being attacked at a Downtown bar by former Binghamton University men’s basketball player Miladin Kovacevic, former BU student Bryan Steinhauer spoke to the public for the first time. Steinhauer suffered skull fractures and a severe brain injury from the beating and was put into a coma for three months. He spoke at a news conference at Mount Sinai Medical Center, advocating for others to receive the same level of health care he received during his treatment. Steinhauer also expressed his intent to find a new job, as he was previously lined up for an accounting job had he graduated last May.
BU anonymously gifted $6 million
At least 10 universities, including Binghamton University, received gifts that total over $50 million from an anonymous donor. This $6 million donation to BU was the largest received from an individual in BU’s history. Each recipient of these donations was a public college headed by a female president. Two-thirds of the gift is designated to financial aid and scholarships for women and minorities, while the other $2 million is unrestricted support.
BU holds memorials for the ACA shooting victims
On April 3, tragedy struck Binghamton when 41-year-old Jiverly Wong killed 13 people at the American Civic Association on Front Street. Reporters from CNN, Fox and MSNBC were at the scene, and University students were alerted of the shooting through B-Line messages and security alert text messages. Multiple memorial ceremonies and candlelight vigils were held in the Binghamton community and on campus. Two BU scholars and the mother of a recent graduate were among the victims of this shooting.
SA conflicts lead to Spring Fling rally
The executive board of the Student Association ended their second-to-last meeting of the semester with an argument, which the campus police were dispatched to investigate. After a dispute about breaking the meeting’s quorum, Assembly representative Mike Lombardi allegedly told Vice President for Finance Alice Liou, who is Asian-American, to “go eat a dog.” Liou was accused of calling Lombardi “whitey.” The previous day, representative and elected Student Assembly chair Elahd Bar-Shai was accused of asking Liou how she could see with her “squinty eyes.” Members of multiple student groups protested the actions of the SA during Spring Fling.