The 2024-2025 academic year produced a vigorous news cycle, marked by developments that deeply affected the personal lives of students — many without recent precedent. Pipe Dream’s News Desk compiled a list of last year’s top stories, ranging from organized protests and memorials to increased pressure from the federal government on higher education.
Amid retention rate dip, University to launch ‘Baxter chatbot’ for new students
Following a drop in first-year retention rates, Binghamton University unveiled an artificial intelligence chatbot to connect new students to campus resources. Named after Baxter the Bearcat, the chatbot was created in partnership with the Dean of Students Office and EdSights, an educational technology corporation. Launched in October, the chatbot “fielded over 15k text messages” to first-year students in its first six months, according to Amanda Finch, the dean of students.
Months after its release, Pipe Dream interviewed three students to gauge their experience using the chatbot. All three students said it prompted them to answer general questions on topics like their experience at the University so far and their mental health. The chatbot is not anonymous, as University personnel can read messages students send.
SJP leads walkout and rally by Engineering Building in solidarity with Palestinians
One year after Oct. 7, 2023, Students for Justice in Palestine held an afternoon walkout and rally in front of the Engineering Building to demonstrate their continued solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The rally began at 1 p.m. amid a heavy police presence. Several other student organizations, including the Black Student Union, Dissenters, the Graduate Students for Justice in Palestine and the Latin American Student Union, condemned Israel’s attacks in Gaza.
Speakers called for divestment and criticized collaboration between the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science and weapons manufacturing companies like Lockheed Martin. Several counterprotesters approached the rally goers, with some stepping onto a brick ledge in front of the building before University police officers asked them to step down. Other organized protests were held throughout the year.
On the same day, members of the University’s Jewish community held a vigil to remember the lives lost in the Hamas attack, which killed an estimated 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, with around 250 taken hostage. Leaders from the Binghamton University Zionist Organization gave opening remarks, followed by former Rep. Marc Molinaro.
Twelve memorial candles were lit by students in remembrance of the kibbutzim immediately affected in the attack, the victims, the Israeli Defense Forces and Omer Neutra, an admitted student who was killed on Oct. 7 and whose body is believed to be held in Gaza. A memorial exhibition was also held in the Mandela Room during the day, remembering the lives lost at the Nova music festival and to raise awareness of the captured hostages.
University President Harvey Stenger to step down
During what began as an ordinary BU Council meeting, President Harvey Stenger announced his intent to step down from his post, marking the end of a 13-year tenure. In 2011, Stenger was chosen as the University’s seventh president following a 17-month search. In a B-line message, Stenger said the University is a “wonderful place with tremendous potential” and he would work toward ensuring a “seamless leadership transition.” Stenger is expected to remain in his post until a successor has been appointed.
SA Congress rescinds BDS resolution
Six months after the Student Association Congress passed a resolution expressing support for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions, the same body reversed course and repealed the action. Authored by Saul Hakim ‘25, the repeal claimed that calling for divestment from Israel undermined “the integrity of the Student Association” and alienated “Jewish students and supporters of Israel from the campus community.”
At the same meeting, the SA Congress passed a resolution prohibiting SA recognized organizations from collaborating with Binghamton Solidarity for Palestine, BinghamtonBDS and SUNY BDS and another resolution expressing support for new laws prohibiting the use of “hoods, masks, and other facial coverings to conceal identity during lawful and unlawful assemblies or riots.” Both of these measures were vetoed by the SA Executive Board, while the Judicial Board later struck down parts of the resolution rescinding support for BDS.
Judge finds Hamail Waddell guilty of two misdemeanors
About one month after a two-day trial was held, a judge found Hamail Waddell guilty of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. On New Year’s Day in 2023, Waddell was apprehended by police. Video showed Brad Kaczynski, a Binghamton police officer, kneeling on Waddell’s neck and back, sparking outrage in the community.
Last May, the New York attorney general’s office released a report concluding excessive force was used in the arrest, a finding rejected by the City of Binghamton. In December, the judge sentenced Waddell to a one-year conditional discharge. Waddell’s attorney told Pipe Dream after the sentencing that he would file a lawsuit against Kaczynski in federal court.
Local Democrats notch several Election Day victories
Amid an otherwise disappoiting Election Day for the Democratic Party nationwide, several local Democrats clinched victory in Broome County. Josh Riley, an Endicott native, defeated Rep. Marc Molinaro for New York’s 19th congressional district. State Senator Lea Webb ‘04 won reelection against Republican Mike Sigler with 57 percent of the vote.
These local victories came four days after a local get-out-the-vote rally was held in Downtown Binghamton featuring Rep. Hakeem Jeffries ‘92, the House minority leader, New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and other local elected officials.
Voters across New York also passed Proposal One, adding to the state constitution protections against discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, national origin, age, disability and sex — including pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
Community mourns accepted student Omer Neutra
In December, community members gathered in the Mandela Room for a memorial service honoring Omer Neutra, a Plainview, New York native who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Neutra deferred his admission to BU to serve in the Israeli military. The service was led by BUZO in collaboration with Chabad, Hillel and the Jewish Learning Initiative On Campus. Candles were arranged in a Star of David as mourners sat in a large circle, reciting prayers and comforting songs.
Faculty Senate passes three resolutions affirming commitment to academic freedom, student protest
In February, the University’s Faculty Senate passed three resolutions supporting academic freedom and student protest. The first resolution reaffirmed a commitment to freedom of speech, academic freedom and student assembly, particularly regarding “matters of domestic and global significance, including but not limited to Palestine-Israel.”
The second resolution expressed concern with how the University handled the Peace Quad encampment, set up on May 1, 2024, by students to demonstrate solidarity with Palestinians and protest the University’s ties with military-industrial companies. The final measure called on the University to “refrain from threatening heavy-handed punitive action in response to peaceful student protests” going forward. During discussion, several faculty members said students were threatened with harsh penalties like having grades withheld and courses not being counted.
After weeks of debate, City Council unanimously passes Good Cause Eviction law
On Feb. 12, the Binghamton City Council unanimously voted to pass New York’s Good Cause Eviction law. Introduced by Democrat Nate Hotchkiss ‘12, who represents the fourth district, the law protects tenants from retaliatory or unjustified evictions, prevents rent increases of over 10 percent and allows for lease renewals if renters are not in violation of their contracts or missing payments. Various community members and constituencies voiced their opinions on the proposed legislation over the previous weeks.
In March, Mayor Jared Kraham vetoed the bill, arguing in a letter that “Binghamton is not New York City” and the city should study the impact of these regulations in other upstate municipalities where they have been adopted. The council later overturned Kraham’s veto, ensuring that Good Cause remains on the books.
The search for a new University president officially begins
The hunt for University President Harvey Stenger’s successor began in February when the presidential search committee first met. The committee consists of 21 members, including students, faculty, University Council members and the president of SUNY Broome.
WittKieffer, an executive search and leadership advisory firm, was selected to aid in the search. Over the past few months, the firm has conducted listening sessions with student representatives and other constituencies. In a June 16 announcement, the committee announced that it will soon begin interviews with 12 candidates, with the goal being to narrow this pool to “no fewer than 5 semi-finalists.”
University one of 60 colleges warned of ‘potential enforcement action’ by Education Department over antisemitism concerns
As the Trump administration sought to influence policies adopted by colleges and universities, the U.S. Department of Education in March sent a letter to the University and 59 other higher education institutions warning of “potential enforcement actions” if their obligations to protect Jewish students under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act are not met. In 2024, the department launched an investigation into the University over an alleged failure to respond to antisemitism concerns on campus.
On Feb. 3, the Office for Civil Rights began investigations into five universities over reports of antisemitic harassment, including Columbia University, which lost $400 million in federal grants and contracts due to “the school’s continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
18-year-old arrested on campus last month had an assault weapon in his trunk
In March, Pipe Dream learned that University police arrested an out-of-state 18-year-old on Feb. 22 in Lot B by Old Rafuse Hall. Gregory E. Mincher Jr. of Virginia was charged with a litany of alleged offenses, including possessing an assault weapon and a large-capacity feeding device and resisting arrest. Court filings indicated the arrest took place at approximately 1:44 a.m., at which point Mincher allegedly resisted and injured a police officer, who had his left leg immobilized in a brace.
Before this reporting, University administrators did not publicly release information about the incident.
The Trump administration revoked hundreds of student visas in April, impacting five students here at the University. They were among 46 students across the SUNY system who experienced a change of visa status. It is unclear why these students were specifically affected — however, the administration has increased scrutiny over visa and green card holders with pro-Palestinian sympathies. Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who led negotiations on behalf of pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia University, was detained by the government on March 8.
On April 25, the administration abruptly reversed course and restored the legal statuses of the students. A New York Times report indicated that a Department of Justice lawyer revealed the change in federal court, characterizing it as a temporary measure while the administration develops a new system to review and terminate records for international students.
Ginsberg wins EVP special election, according to preliminary results
This past year’s SA elections were especially turbulent. In the race for executive vice president, Batia Rabin, then-incumbent and a senior double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and women, gender and sexuality studies, received 47 percent of votes cast in the March election. Their opponent, Nicholas Ginsberg, now a senior double-majoring in political science and sociology, received 45.5 percent of the vote. After the Elections and Judiciary Committee moved to certify the results, Ginsberg filed a grievance in front of the SA Judicial Board, leading the SA Congress on April 1 to table certification.
After a grievance hearing, the Judicial Board ruled in favor of Ginsberg. In an over 4,000-word opinion, the Judicial Board determined the Elections Committee “grievously erred” in its decision to certify the results when no candidate received more than half of counted votes and, among other things, ordered a special election. In a reversal, Ginsberg won the April 24 special election with 747 votes against Rabin, who received 654 votes. The special election capped off one of the most contentious SA races in recent memory.
Caravan of protesters calls for divestment from Israel
Binghamton Solidarity for Palestine hosted a traveling caravan on Tax Day to protest weapons manufacturers and defense companies “receiving billions of taxpayer dollars in weapons contracts each year,” wrote an organization representative at the time.
Protestors lined up in Owego, New York near the Lockheed Martin facility before approaching the property to deliver a letter addressed to both the CEO of Lockheed Martin and the Owego plant manager, calling for the company to demilitarize. A police officer collected and offered to give the letter to the facility manager. The caravan then traveled to the BAE Systems facility in Endicott, where they walked to the building’s main entrance to deliver another letter.
Protestors then made their way to the University. They marched to the Couper Administration Building, where they gave speeches and attempted to deliver a letter to Stenger, calling for complete divestment from Israel and banning military partnerships with defense companies. JoAnn Navarro, the vice president for operations, said she would bring the letter to Stenger’s office. Protestors then entered the Engineering Building to deliver another letter at the Watson Career and Alumni Connections office.
Stenger signs statement against ‘undue government intrusion’ in higher education
Hundreds of college and university leaders signed a statement in April criticizing the Trump administration’s recent actions that have affected higher education. Framing the purpose of higher education as “essential to American prosperity,” the statement opposes “undue government intrusion” in education.
When the statement was first released on April 22, Stenger was not among those who had signed. A University spokesperson told Pipe Dream the University is not part of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, a body that held national meetings to develop the statement. A few days later, the spokesperson said the University received an invitation to join and “did so immediately.”
When the statement was first released on April 22, Stenger was not among those who had signed. A University spokesperson told Pipe Dream the University is not part of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, a body that held national meetings to develop the statement. A few days later, the spokesperson said the University received an invitation to join and “did so immediately.”