How to Have a Successful Freshman Year

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Anthony Says "Welcome"

An Exclusive Interview with the Student Association President

Democrats Far Outnumber Independents and Republicans on B.U. Faculty

A Guide to the Greater Binghamton Area

BINGHAMTON REVIEW

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BINGHAMTON REVIEW Volume 10, Number I September, I 996

Departments Editorial: An introduction to the strange and wacky world of Binghamton University 's premier publication

Three-year-olds called for jury duty? A five-day erection?!?! Read about it in Quibbles & Bits

Features An exclusive interview with new Student Association president Anthony J. Benardello

Alex Galitsky shows that diversity on the basis of political affiliation is not prized at Binghamton University

Paul Torres gives some good advice on how to make the most of your (reslunan year at B.U.

Jlc{)) Nathan Wurtzel recounts the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in the 1995-'96 school year

Jl8 Amy Gardner and Teresa McGoff take you on a brief tour of Binghamton

Next Issue • Our second annual special investigative report on tex1book bias • A review of Laura Ingalls Wilder 's "Words from a Fearless Heart" • Complete coverage of the Student Assembly elections • An update on the deposed VPMA situation

Writers I CartoonistS! Ad Salespeople!

Available on October 7,1996

Artists I Photographers! The Politically Incorrect!

Join BINGHAMTON REVIEW

General Interest Meeting Thursday, September 5

8 P.M. UU-103

EDITORIAL SEl'TEMBER 1996 BINGHAMTON REVIEW 3 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••••••••••••••••••••••

The Review: What it Is, How it Got That Way and Why You Should Be

Part of It

Binghamton Review was founded in 1987 by a group of conserva­tive students who decided to

fight back against Binghamton University's growing tendency towards political correctness and politically bi­ased policy decisions. We are enter­ing our tenth year of publication and are currently a monthly news maga­zine consisting of investi­gative reporting, opinion pieces , and of course, a good deal of humor. Most of our funding comes from outside sources, such as the Collegiate Network and lo­cal advertising revenues .

There has been much re­cent confusion concerning the nature of our news magazine and the people who dedicate them­selves to producing it each month. We have been branded as fascist, rac- ________ ~

iSl, sexist, .~ and basi-cally anything else that has a negative conno­tation in present-day academia. Absolutely none of these adjectives describe us; they are blatantly false accusations perpetrated by the vocal leftists on campus. The individuals and groups who have gen­erated these lies feel the need to lash out at us because we are the only voice of reason on campus. Besides, how could our magazine be sexist when the

two current editors-in -chief are fe­male?

The truth about the Review is that the staff does maintain conservative ideals. yet we do not force them upon others. We are always willing to print any dissenting opinion sent to us ; in fact, those

who disagree are encouraged to re­spond. Though our magazine is con­servative, our staff is comprised of people with a multitude of ideologies, such as libertarians, moderates, and those who are generally fed up with the nonsense on campus . There is room for almost anyone on our maga-

zinc who respects the right for every­one to hold their own opinions .

For those not interested in writing, there are many other aspects of the production of our magazine that one could become involved with . We are always looking for people interested in layout, cartooning, photography, re­porting, editing, publicity and adver-

tising. There are many reasons

for those interested in jour­nalism to be a part of the Review. Although we do not publish as often as the mainstream campus news­paper, we are a smaller or­ganization , and therefore everyone on the staff of the Revi ew is able to playa more important role in each issue. There is also a great deal of opportunity for an individual to write on sub­jects of their own choosing. Due to the fact that we are an ideological news maga­zinc, writers have more lee­way to express their own opinions in print.

In conclusion , we en­courage anyone to stop by our meetings to find out

what we are all about. We are always fun , always informative, and always politically incorrect. Our first meeting this year will be on Thursday, Septem­ber 5, at 8:00 PM in the University Union, Room 103 .

Hope to see you there! - Amy Gardner and Teresa McGoff

"The Students

Show, Not Me" Run the

Interview and Photograph by

Nathan Wurtzel

An interview with the new Student Association president

Since he was elected in April, SA president Anthony J. Benardello has made headlines for his tough

rhetoric and no-nonsense approach to government. We caught up with Benardello on June 22 and had a talk about leadership, the removal of the VPMA and the future:

DR: Let's go back to the spring and the elections. You are an outspoken­well, you call yourself a libertarian­but you're known on campus as a con­servative. ••

AJB: Well, I wouldn't want to say liber­tarian or conservative---I think of my­self as more of an Objectivist See, I even have a copy of Atlas Shrugged here on my desk.

DR: Dut if I walked up to someone and asked them who the most prominent campus conservative is, your name is probably going to come up •••

AJB: Probably, but I disagree with the terminology. The name does not fit me.

DR: Given that fact and considering that most college students are either apathetic at best or tend to be quite left-wing at worst, are you surprised that you won? Are you surprised that a centrist to conservative E-Doard is DOW in power?

AJB: No, I'm not surprised. I knew I was going to win. I knew as early as the summer before that things were chang-

ing on this campus. I'd seen it time and time again: people said they liked what I wrote and liked that I was outspoken. Due to the fact that I'm a bit older, I wasn't afraid to take on issues. I am not surprised. As a matter of fact, I knew I was going to win. I was very confident.

DR: What do you think made the stu­dents vote for you?

AlB: I think it was a combination of things. I think it was a vote for'someone who believes in himself, someone who has shown leadership ability, someone who's willing to say the tough things that need to be said I think the fact that I have a lot of experience in the outside world-remember, I'm much older and I think that says a lot, that students are willing to trust someone who's not in their generation. I think they saw lead­ership and someone who's willing to take on the tough issues.

DR: How is the new E-Doard getting along so far? The SA has been para­lyzed the last few years, in part because members of the Executive Doard couldn't put their personal differences aside.

AJB: We're getting along great. This is a dream come true: we have four people who are really on the same sheet of music. There are some differences on how cer­tain things ought to be done, but we agree on 99 percent of the issues and it's won­derful to see four people working together as one for the betterment of all students.

DR: The first action of the Executive Board, which occurred just a few houn after the beginning of your terms, was the enforcement of the Judidal Board decision which in effect says that be­cause it is an Don-democratically elected office, the Vice President for Multicultural Affairs was not legiti­mate. What the E-Board did was imple­ment the J-Doard decision by remov­ing the SA Executive Doard privileges of the VPMA. Some have charged that the four of you made this decision your­selves without the input of other stu­dents. How do you respond to this?

AJB: First of all, you're wrong in say­ing that we took away the VPMA's Ex­ecutive Board privileges. There were none. The SA constitution states that the Executive Committee shall consist of four members: the president, the execu­tive vice president, the financial vice president and the academic vice presi­dent. That's all it says ...

DR: AU right, then you can say that they were de facto privileges. ••

AJB: Conferred to them, by whom I have no idea, but in the constitution or By­laws Four there is nothing that equates·! the VPMA as an Executive Board mem­ber. There is nothing that says the VPMA has SA office space, a seat on the As­sembly or a stipend equivalent to that of an E-Board member. The Judicial Board did the right thing-tbey interpreted the constitution correctly and like any ex­ecutive branch we have to enforce the

SEI'TII\IDER 1996 •••••••••••••••••••••••••

decisions of the judiciary, whether we like them or not. The new E-Board knew this was something that had to be ad­dressed. In our first official meeting on the 19th of May, we decided that the VPMA was unconstitutionaL It does not represent all students, it was a polariz­ing office and it was the right thing to do for the students. That office has done nothing good for the stu-dents-it promotes disunity and separatism. It does not promote unity in any way, shape or form and it was the right thing to remove it on those counts.

BR: In tbe past, tbe multiculturalists bave sbown themselves to be very vocal and willing to violate almost every written and unwritten rule of decency to get wbat they want. Tbe administra­tion has caved in to tbeir de­mands repeatedly, as bave past Executive Boards. Are we going to see sometbing different this year when the multiculturalists begin pro­testing tbe decision?

AlB: Well, I will teU you one thing : the Executive Board will not cave or compromise on this issue in any way. shape or form, either with the multiculturalists or the administration, We are charged with enforcing the con­stitution of the Student Association and it is a job we take very seriously. Do we e"-peet the usual multiculturalist antics? Sure, they'U take over a building or something and that 's fine, Let them. The students are tired of that. The multiculturalists don't want to play by the democratic process like the rest of us have to and when they don 't get their way, they tl)' intimidation tactics, But I think they know that they can' t intimi­date me. I do expect them to use the old multicultural playbook: take over build­ings; rant, rave and cry racism. If they truly cared about the democratic pro-

SA PRESIDENT

cess and 'one person. one vote,' which is what the civil rights movement of the '60 's and Martin Luther King were all about, they would let all the students vote for the VPMA The Student Asso­ciation is a government of the students, by the students and fqr the students. This means all students and we' re not going to compromise on that.

BR: What else has tbe E-Board worked on this summer and what can we expect next year in the SA?

AlB: Right now, we ' re working on a proposal to bring full-blown cable tele­vision to campus for just a few more dol­lars a year per student. We want to bring more sports channels. more music chan­nels and morc movie channels to cam­pus. I think this is something every stu­dent will appreciate and sometlling lhat they deserve. It will make life better for all the students and that's what this thing is all about, showing the students that the SA is here to make their lives bener. not to tell them what to do or to

BINGHAMTON REVIEW 5 • ••••••••••••••••••••••••

run their lives. There are other things that we are working on. Rules and Ex­pectations of the university is a major issue. We are working with the SA at­torney because we have reason to be­lieve that these rules and expectations violate the constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States as well as the constitution of the state of New

York ..

BR: All of them?

AlB: Well, quite a few. Most of the disciplinary hearings rely on preponderance of the evidence and the students have no legal advice. Basi­cally, it's a slam dunk for the administration, they control everything, A student doesn 't even have a right to counsel. which I believe is guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. I think that this process is un­constitutional. And many times students have their rights violated by Public Safety, They have come in and done things that violate the Fourth Amendment, like un­reasonable search and seizure without warrant or anything. We want to press the admin­istration to reform these rules and expectations, We don ' t want students' rights to be

abridged in any way, shape or form,

BR: Last year, a new SA constitution was soundly defeated by the students. Will there be another proposed con­stitution this year and, if so, will it contain some of your campaign prom­ises which devolve the SA and give power back to tbe communities?

AlB: I have every intention of writing another constitution that does exactly that. I've spoken to community leaders and students really seem to want to keep their hall representative-they don't want to see only two or three per com­munity like I had proposed. Like [said.

6 BINGHAMTON REVIEW

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it's the students who run the show, not me or the SA. So we're going to stay with one per hall, which I believe works out to about five for each community. Then we're going to have to talk to Off Campus College and see if they're will­ing to give up some of their represen­tatives. For one thing, they are a very apathetic community and for another, it's hard to see why they deserve more representation than College in the Woods or Dickinson or any other com­munity on this campus [aCe has 22 representatives]. So, like I said, it's up to the students, but I think it's a more fair distribution of power.

DR: Is there any chance the SA might cut its budget and let the students keep more of their money?

AJB: I would like to do that. One of the things I'm looking at is a plan pro­posed by Joseph Hury, a very, very in­telligent young man, called the SAYS system ...

SA PRESIDENT DR: As I recall, that was in a certain well-read campus magazine. ••

AJB (laughing): Yes, that was in Bing­hamton Review [April, 1996]. It's a very good plan and it allows students to basically decide where their student activity fee goes, which comports with my platform of giving more power back to the students. Another thing might be to have a referendum and try to reduce the student activity fee. I think it is way too high and I think a lot of the money is wasted. I am fis­cally conservative, if that's what you want to call it, and I don't believe in spending money unless it's absolutely necessary, so I would like to see fees reduced.

DR: Do you have any future politi­cal plans?

AJB: Within 25 years, I have every in­tention of being the president of the United States. In fact, I guarantee it.

SEPTEMBER 1996 ••••••••••••••••••••••••

DR: What would you want students, especially new students, reading this interview to know?

AJB: First, I'd like to welcome them to the university. They've done very well by choosing Binghamton Univer­sity-it is well respected and has a good reputation in the academic com­munity. Next, I'd like to let them know that, for the first time, they have a Stu­dent Association willing to work for them rather than against them. By for them, I mean including all students on this campus and being tolerant of all points of view. In years past, we have had very divisive people on the Execu­tive Board and on the Assembly. This year we have a unified Executive Board and I'm hoping for a unified Assem­bly, as well. I encourage them to get involved and stop by the Student As­sociation to voice their opinions when­ever they feel it necessary. That's my job, after all, to get.students involved and to listen to their concerns.

Have You Been Written Up By Your RA? If SOl call a Student Association Ombudsperson for free advice on universi1y legal proceedings

An Ombudsperson will ensure that your rights are respected

x2020

Binghamton University's faculty is not diverse when it comes to political affiliation

Students at BU have a variety of classes to choose from, taught by professors of diverse backgrounds,

races, and colors. It might be interest­ing to examine the political affiliations of some of these professors, in order to gage the level of ideological diversity which exists at our university. An analy­sis of public voter registration records for some of Binghamton University 's professors registered in Broome County clearly shows that the faculty is domi­nated by Democrats.

Of the nine departments surveyed, three had only one faculty member who was registered as a Republican, and four additional departments had no Repub­licans at all (refer to table for complete data). In total, the results for the nine departments show 91 Democrats (76%), 8 Republicans (7%), and 20 Other (17%). On the other hand, according to a survey conducted by u., the national college magazine with the highest cir­culation, (including on our own cam­pus), 55% of college students consider themselves conservative, while only 35% consider themselves liberal. Cer­tainly, merely the fact that the vast ma­jority of BU's faculty members are registered Democrats does not necessar­ily mean that they all indoctrinate only left-wing ideology and propagandize lib­eral ideas. Most ofBU's faculty are out­standing professors who teach their courses with as little bias as possible, and do not penalize students with op­posing views.

By Alex Galitsky

Department Democrat

History 11

Political Science 6

English 24

Economics 8

Philosophy 6

Anthropology 10

Psychology 13

Sociology 5

Geological Science 8

Republican Other

o 5

1 2

2 2

1 0

o 4

o 3

o 2

3

BINGHAMTON REVIEW

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Yet. we arc living in the subjective world. and there arc very few things that can be taught with no bias at aU. One can imagine this with the Following hy­pothetical situation: the class is 20th cen­tury American History. On the multiple­choice test the students arc asked the fol-100,;ng question : Which is true about the 1980 's? The choices arc a) the rich got poorer. Ihe poor got poorer; b) the rich got poorer. the poor got richer; c) the rich got richer. the poor got poorer: d) the rich got richer. the poor got richer. While nobody would question that the first two choices are wrong. the right answer, whether it is c) or d). might depend on professor's political perspective. If the professor is more liberal the correct an­swer would most probably be c). If the professor is more conservative the cor­rect answer would most probably be d). This might not be the resuit of a purpose­ful bias on the part of the professor, but instead a resuit of the evidence that the professor is mosl likely to show in class. These are dependent upon which publi-

No DIVERSITY cations the professor looks at, which in tum might depend upon the professor's ideology.

Many professors deliberately try to hide their ideology in order to appear more fair to everybody and facilitate dis­cussion. But the uncertainty can only hurt the students.

It seems that despite the apparent di­versity among Binghamton's facuity. the intellectual diversity of BU 's professors leaves much to be desired. The univer­sity is committed to ensure "equality of treatment and opporturtity on the cam­pus regardless of race, sex, color, mari­tal status, disability. or Vietnam-era sta­tus." What about political orientation?

Haven't we heard enough about di­versity on this campus? For years, BU's admirtistration has been trying to insti­tute yet another requirement, which is supposed to make all students multicuitural. Thomas Sowell , a promi­nent conservative spokesman in the Af­rican-American community, in his re­cent book Inside American /:."clucQlion:

SEl'1RllER 1996 ••••••••••••••••••••••••

The DeC/ine, the Deception. the Dog­mas writes. "Is there any evidence that colleges that have gone whole hog into multiculturalism have better relations among the various groups on campus? Or is it precisely on such campuses that separatism and hostility are worse than on campuses that have not gone in for the muiticultural craze?" This is some­thing to think about at Binghamton University. What if Harpur College Council consisted not ofa vast majority of liberals? What if it consisted of more conservative professors? Who knows. maybe we would not have a problem ,,;tlt diversity requirement at all. The imbalance of Democratic and Republi­can professors on this eampus, and many others, is a problem. The students do not get the full spectrum of ideas. The Democratic party is "of the many one"­the magnet of allegiance of the faculty on this campus. Where is the diversity?

Alex GalitsAy is a junior majoring in political science and history.

Visit the New SA Web Page http://www.sa.binghamton.edu

All groups can now obtain space on the SA Web Server, including a web page and e-mail accounts

For information on the SA Web Page, contact Mark Bloch at x6503 or email satech@server.sa.binghamton.edu

Good advice for your first year from someone who ~ just been there

It was the beginning of the college ex perience for me, in September 1995. :rhe long awaited, and often far-off

future, experience of college which was always looming "on the horizon", was suddenly here. As a freshman at Bing­hamton University, I embarked upon a path sometimes referred to as the "best years of your life." These years are what you make of them, or rather what you do with them.

By September, all freshman have ex­perienced that first move from home to the college dorm. You ' re starting to learn that college life is quite different from home. The food is certainly not the same. You can be the judge of whether it's better or worse. There is a lot of free­dom to be enjoyed. You have the ability to do more of what you want to do, pur­sue what you want to pursue, and morc often than not, when you wish to pursue it. Binghamton University has much to offer. especially to those who seek out the opportunities.

As far as classes go, don 't worry too much about your major, at least not yet. Simply search for, and then concentrate on, whatever strikes you. However, do not aimlessly take classes to simply ful­fill requirements. In fact, anything you do in an aimless manner is a \\'3stC of your time. Be sure you're always getting something out of what you' re studying, even if it's merely the knowledge that you'll never study it again. In reality, the earlier you know just what you wish to study the better off you 'll be. That is if you' re lucky enough to discover this early.

When it comes to relaxation and fun , it 's not the best, but there 's still plenty to do. Movies play on campus every week. They're not always worth seeing,

By Paul Torres

and the films could be better lit , but they ' re more often lhan not their worth the three dollars. Off campus movies are always playing at the local malls. Get­ting there that isn 't always convenient. In fact, some might find getting around a little inconvenient, but it 's not that bad.

On campus you'll find a billiards hall, video games, and a bowling alley. The bars are always worth a try for some fun. Ifbars aren't your thing don 't worry not everyone hangs out at the bars. Playing a sport can often give you something to do, whether you're on a team or involved with intramurals. One can take advan­tage of the two campus gyms ' facilities almost anytime.

Student organizations on campus are abound with opportunities to "get in­valved." We've been told all too many times to "get involved." My advice is never be too shy to do so. It 's very easy to join organizations. They' re always looking for new members. Most impor­tantly getting involved gives you the chance to network with people. You get

to meet others who share your interests. Your contribution to these organizations also improves upon the school commu­nit)' in general.

It 's probably also worth mentioning that the weather here is not always pic­ture postcard perfect. In fact, it hardly ever is, except perhaps for those long months in a "winter wonderland" that we will all share and enjoy so much. The cold weather and snow are notorious for simply hanging around. The storms that passed through last year were of a de­gree of severity you don't always see in places like New York City.

All in all, I'm sure most freshman will come to like Binghamton, or at least not despise it with a passion. It 's not a bad place at all , but its got it quirks, just like any other place. For city dwellers, at least enjoy the fact that you study at a school amongst the mountains, leaving all the plagues of urban living behind.

Palll Torres is a sophomore who has not yet decided on a major.

ThB YBat In RBViBW A look at the ups and downs of the '95-'96 school year

Por sure, life is never dull at Bing hamton University. Last year, in particular, highlighted a conserva­

tive revival, a diminished tolerance among students for multiculturalist ex­tremism, an increasingly hostile univer­sity administration and repeated ques­tions about the safety of the university community.

Politics, Politics, Politics. ••

With a rush and a push and the land that we stand on ;s ours. The haunting voice of

Morrissey from the mid-'80's foretold the school year that was 1995-'96 for campus moderates and conservatives. Emboldened by their partial victory in the long fight against an ideologically extreme "diversity" requirement, the "si­lent majority" emerged from their hid­ing places last year to assume the respon­sibility for driving campus political de­bate. By the end of the year, centrist/con­servative ideas were the ones under dis­cussion, not the extremist and racially divisive policies of the past. The coup de grace occurred in March and April, when moderate, conservative and liber­tarian candidates won all six major of­fices in the Student Association elec­tions. In addition, a most definitively non-democratic and extreme proposed constitution was rejected by a decisive margin. Clearly, last year was the begin­ning of Binghamton University's "Age of Reason."

When he declared his intention to run for Student Association president at the beginning of the school year, Anthony J. Benardello was given little chance to win. Even his friends and supporters in the conservative movement at Bingham-

By Nathan L. Wurtzel

ton University quietly asked him to step aside, lest his presence in the election allow an extremist to win. Fears of this increased in the spring, when the popu­lar Dave Siegel, who was then the ex­ecutive vice president of the SA, declared his candidacy, as did Jessica Flores, the intelligent and well-spoken, though po­litically extreme, president of the Latin American Student Union. A victory for Flores appeared almost certain, as the presence of both Benardello and Siegel in the race was thought to have the prob­able effect of splitting the crucial frater­nity-based off-campus vote, as well as moderate and conservative strongholds ofNewing and College in the Woods.

Benardello, however, paid little atten­tion to the pundits. Assembling an im­pressive campaign staff and blitzing the students with electoral information, Benardello surprisedjust about everyone but himself by winning a narrow plural­ity in the March elections. Flores, who ran an error-free but uninspired cam­paign, finished a close second and Siegel, who proved not to be as popular as ad­vertised, brought up the rear. In the April runoff, Benardello ran another impres­sive campaign and defeated Flores by a comfortable eight point margin.

The vice presidential elections fol­lowed the same theme. In the battle for executive vice president, Christopher Abdoo, a member of the SA Judicial Board and a relative newcomer to cam­pus politics, faced Brent Landau, a highly experienced Assembly represen­tative. Though Landau did not have the extremist reputation of his friends in the multiculturalist movement, his associa­tion with some of these personalities proved costly as Abdoo won the race by a seven point gap.

Incumbent financial vice president Erik Kopelman faced no serious opposi­tion in his reelection bid Off Campus College facilitator Nicole Johnson ran a belated write-in campaign, but only re­ceived a handful of votes as Kopelman was returned to office with an impres­sive mandate for continuity. He won by a 66 point landslide.

The most high-profile race next to that of the presidential election was the struggle for academic vice president. Incumbent Jeff Golant was weakened by a series of personal attacks at the hands of multicu1turalist extremists, the most notable ofwhich was an obviously forged memorandum linking Golant's name to a bigoted two-page document of attacks against ethnic groups (more about this later). Golant'sopponent, Asian Student Union academic vice president Aristotle Ngaseo, shamelessly took advantages of these unfair attacks, but his prowess on the stump was not as impressive as his ability to sling mud. Though many feared that the personal attacks on Golant would cost him the election, student vot­ers, many of whom tired quickly of Ngaseo's arrogant and often incompre­hensible platform, returned the belea­guered incumbent to office by a surpris­ingly wide fourteen point margin.

In other races, incumbent vice presi­dent for university programming Andy Hollander was reelected by an eighteen point landslide against his clearly over­matched opponent, Felipe Ayala. In a close race for student representative to the Binghamton University Council, Austin Graff vanquished his opponents Jeff Wiesel and Rob Levy by a small margin, though the proper designation of a "winning margin" was later unsuc­cessfully challenged by Wiesel. Graff,

SEI' IT"-'IIlER 1996 I •••••••••••••••••••••••••

whose own conduct in the election was never in question , was ultimately de­clared the official winner by the SA Ju­dicial Board.

Stlldents handily defeated a proposed constitution in the April runoff. If ap­proved, this constitution would have le­gitimized the office of vice president for multicultural affairs and granted it ex­ecutive powers without allowing for uni­versal suffrage. In addition, elements of the proposed constitution further drew power from students and granted it to the Student Association. Knowing ex­tremism when they saw it, student vot­ers ensured that the proposed constitu­tion fell hundreds of votes short of what was needed for approval.

The Memo

Panctcmonium erupted at the March 5 meeting of the Student Assem bly when then vice president for

multicultural affairs Yumeris Morel dis­tributed a three-page packet she claimed had appeared in her mailbox earlier that afternoon. The first page of the packet was a memorandum, presumably writ­ten by academic vice president Jeff Golant, which described the next two

YEAR IN REVIEW crazy to believe that he did it." Despite this opinion, the case is still open and the university administration ad.1mantly refuses to clear Golant's name.

As the scandal continued, multiculturalist leaders organized a poorly attended rally, which received immediate condemnation from both stu­dent groups and the Harpur College Council. Workshops organized by the administration to " fight hate speech" were held in empty rooms-typically only three or four people attended each. In the end, it became increasingly obvi­ous that the entire incident was a hoax, most likely perpetrated by a few multiculturalist leaders for the dual pur­pose of making themselves appear rel­evant and simultaneously scuttling Golant 's reelection bid. In the end, they failed at both: Golant won his race by a large margin and muiticulturalist lead­ers further isolated themselves fTom the mainstream.

Perhaps the defining summary of the incident was provided by Rossie, who called the hoax "a lame, amateurish dia­tribe, the work of an individual or indi­viduals devoid, equally, of principles and rudimentary writing skills. " The same

BINGHAMTON REVIEW 11

• ••••••••••••••••••••••••

might be said of multiculturalists, who may have unwittingly contributed to their own demise by perpetrating the myth of The Memo.

A March Most Foul

October saw the unthinkable im age of a busload of students from Binghamton University

headed to the Million Man March in Washington. Through money raised by the Black Student Union and the Carib­bean Student Union, about four dozen students attended the event hosted by Louis Farrakhan, who is noted for his racist , sexjst , homophobic and anti­Semitic beliefs. More than one student echoed then sophomore Adam Rosen's thought that it was "disgusting and abhorrent...for my fellow classmates to have participated in an event...which helped to legitimize an anti-Semite and bigot like Farrakhan."

Despite repeated protests from stu­dents and a well-publicized press con­ference held jointly by the Jewish Stu­dent Union and the Review, most student leaders and administrators refused to condemn the event or its student partici-

pages as "a little something for your next • r--:iiiiiiir;;:;;;:::=1;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;~~iiii~=:,orr====='--;:;-;;;;==j issue." The "little something" on the next .; two pages turned out to be strings of big- ~ oted invective attacking cultural and eth- i nic groups on campus. The presumed in- 7 tended recipient of the packet was ~ Nathan Wurtzel, then the editor of Bing- ~ ham/on Review, though the name on the ~

t

cover page was blacked out. ~

Though the predictable response of ~ outrage from muiticulturalistleaders was t:

o vocal and immediate, few on campus ~ believed that Galant had authored the ~ packet. The writing itself was a far cry U

from Golant's well-known style and the academic vice president '5 views on race and culture. though different from those of multicuituralists, had already been widely publicized. Don Chier, an inves­tigator for Public Safety, was immedi­ately satisfied that Galant was not the author, telling Press & Sun-Bulletin col­umnist David Rossie, "You 'd have to be

Former VPMA Yumeris Morel's role in the hoax undoubtedly played a part in the mainstream's increased hostility to muiticuituralil1s last year

12 BINGHAMTON REVlEW

••••••••••••••••••••••••

pants. Only academic vice president Jeff Golant and then presidential candidate Anthony 1. Benardello had the courage and decency to stand publicly against this odious scandal, a fact that students un­doubtedly remembered when they elected the two to office the next spring.

Ironically, an ofthand comment by then Black Student Union president Katrina Huffman overheard at the press conference by then sophomore Barry Hakim: "Those Jews need Jesus and they know it," signaled a controversy to come at the end of the school year.

The Speaker of the Louse

At the end of the school year, the Commencement Advisory Committee selected Katrina

Huffman to be the student speaker at graduation. A few weeks later, Huffman became the center of controversy when she assailed SA representative Dana Bulkenstein with the proposition that "putting a Jew in an oven" is rhetori­cally equivalent to the use of the word "lynching." Slowly, stories began to sur­face: Jewish Student Union member Adam Rosen recalled that Huffman had asked him if he was friendly with Yitzhak Rabin's assassin (imagine the controversy if Rosen had responded by ·asking Huffman if she was friendly with James Earl Ray)~ and School of Man­agement student Lee Markiewicz re­vealed that he had filed a report with Public Safety, complaining that he thought Huffman had referred to him as "Jew boy" during an exchange.

An observer might think that any of the above four incidents might lead the University administration to consider ap­pointing a different speaker, one with some character and sensitivity, to say the least. However, at Binghamton Univer­sity, the same achninistration that refused to clear the name of Jeff Golant, despite the total lack of evidence for his pur­ported bigotry, immediately declared Huffman innocent, despite the over­whelming evidence in support of her purported anti-Semitism. The most char­acteristic response, which would be

YEAR IN REVIEW amusing if it weren't so pathetic, came from university vice president for student affairs Rodger Summers, who character­ized Huffman as "the target of a smear job."

In an ironic twist, a Nexis search of Huffman's articles, written during her internship with The Amsterdam News, revealed that she had used "lynching" in her own writing.

Crime on Campus

AJroposal to upgrade the status of Public Safety from peace of

cers to police officers met with opposition from multiculturalists who feared that armed police officers would begin shooting minority studen~­spite the lack of any evidence of tension between students of color and armed di­visions at the other three SUNY centers. Faced with what appeared to be over­whelming student opposition, which was garnered primarily through the use of a questionably conducted ''public opinion" poll, university president Lois B. DeFleur came out against the proposal, though she told the Review in an exclusive in-

. terview that she saw "worrisome" changes in campus safety-changes which someday might require the pro­tection of armed police officers.

These worrisome changes would manifest themselves in February, when at least three people suffered deep wounds when they were slashed with a single-edged razor blade at a National Pan-Hellenic Council dance at Newing Dining Hall. Vice president Summers later told the press that the worst injury received was a cut "less than an inch long on someone's arm," though sources at Binghamton General Hospital told the Review that more than 1 00 stitches were required to close the deep incisions­many in the head area. Summers later claimed he never saw a Public Safety report on the incident, but Doug Bonawitz, chairman of New York State University Police Local 1792 told the Review that one was in preparation only hours after the incident. How Summers expected people to believe that he was

SEPI'EMBER 1996 ••••••••••••••••••••••••

disseminating information without an official report is a question remaining to be answered.

In rare agreement, Pipe Dream and the Review both condemned Summers and the administration for trying to sweep the incident under the rug. Though Summers denied being involved in a cover-up for the sake of the image of the university, saying "it really makes my blood boil when I hear that," it could be said that Summers was speaking from a distinct perspective from those who were put in harm's way. After all, he, unlike the victims of the slashing, at least had plenty of blood left to boil.

Figures released by Public Safety in February showed that the university had good reason to fear for its image--crime had increased 42% in one year, includ­ing an 81% increase in violent crime. lYPically, when contacted for comment by WBNG-TV after the Review publicized these crime figures, administrators would only repeat the mantra that Binghamton University is a "safe campus." However, the American Association of Public Col­leges and Universities reports that Bing­hamton University has attained a top ten position nationally in crimes per capita.

Rest assured, it will be a cold day in helL or a clear day in Binghamton, be­fore DeFleur, Summers and friends place this dubious honor alongside Bingham­ton University's top ten "Best Buy" posi­tions in Money and U.S. News & World Report.

Questions about safety will undoubt­edly persist into the coming year. One major issue is pending legislation in Congress which will force public univer­sities to be more open and honest about crime on campus. This is bad news for Summers and friends, but good news for students.

A nd that's the way it was.

Nathan L. JVurtzel is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology. He is a past editor-in-chief of Binghamton Review.

Y@ur Guide t@ Bingh®lmt@n A look at where to eat, drink and be merry in Parlor City

By AIllY L. Gardner and Teresa McGoff

By now you've heard the rumors about the Binghamton metropoli tan area-too hot in the summer.

too snowy in the winter, rain 250 days a year. and nothing fun to do. Here 's the bad news: the stuff about the weather is true. However, there are many ways to keep busy during your spare time. so close those te:l.1books and get going!

Shopping Binghamton may not be New York

City or Long Island, but there are plenty of places to shop. The Oakdale Mall, in Johnson City. hosts a variety of stores for all of your needs. Traditional depart­ment stores, such as JC Penney and Sears can be found in the Mall , along with other favorites like Structure and Express. The Town Square Mall in Vestal features Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Binghamton 's downtown is home to Boscov's, a major department store. You can also find several small shops in the Metrocenter.

The most convenient place to shop for campus dwellers is the Vestal P laza, lo­cated five minutes away from the uni­versity. Its highlights include K Mart and Grand Union.

Other places for food shopping include Wegmans, located near the Oakdale Mall , and several Giant Markets dis­persed around the town.

Restaurants The Town Square Mall has several

places to satisfy your appetite. Pizzeria Uno's for the !lalian lover, TGI Fridays is known for its variety of cuisines, and Old Country Buffet for those with a large appetite.

For those looking for some good ltal-

ian food, there is an array of places to chose from. The Olive Garden, located on the Vestal Parkway, is recognized for its delicious breadsticks and pasta. Two particular campus favorites, know for their affordable prices and good food, are Pino's and Tony's, located on Conklin Avenue in Binghamton and at Endicott Plaza, respectively. Less known to students but equally tasty are Cortese on Robinson Street in Bing­hamton, and Little Venice in downtown Binghamton.

Everyone loves a good pizza, and tilere are many places to choose from. There are the traditional favorites, Pizza Hut and Domino's. Both of these restaurants have several locations throughout the area. A short walk from campus there is a choice of Portobello's and Nirehi's. Also near campus, in the Vestal Plaza, one can find Mario's, which has not only .• pizza but a va- ~

riety of Italian ~ dishes. All of ~ these places de- ..[

. 0

lIver to campus. ~ Although it Jl

is impossible to ~ find a New ~ York City bagel ~ in Bingham- ~ ton, there are 8 some great at­tempts made by Bagel Factory in the Vestal Plaza and the

and Port-o-Bagel on Vestal Parkway. In and around Oakdale Mall, you can

select from several different places. Lo­cated inside the Mall is Ruby Tuesday 's and The Villa. Across from the Mall are Chi-Chi's and Carmella's.

For coffee lovers , there are two cof­feehouses to choose from. The Lost Dog Cafe, on Main Street in Binghamton, and Java Joe's, on State Street in Bing­hamton. Both these places also have de­licious dessert menus.

Entertainment Movie lovers will not go unsatisfied

in Binghamton; the Student Association offers cheap movies in the lecture hall every weekend. Both Town Square and Oakdale Mall house Sony movie the­atres. On Vestal Avenueyou will find the Art Theatre, which shows non<ommer-

F oundiy Plaza, Bagels Plus in the Town Square Mall ,

Wegmans is a mammoth one-stop supermarket located across from Oakdale Mall in Johnson City

14 BINGHAMTON REVIEW·

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

cial and foreign films, and monthly live performances of the Rocky Horror Pic­ture Show. For those of you who choose to stay in, there are three Blockbuster Video stores and a video store in the University Union. The Forum Theatre, in downtown Binghamton, hosts plays, orchestras, and other cultural events.

Bars If the bar scene is your thing, several

establishments occupy the area. If you like dancing, you can try the Eclipse on Front Street in Binghamton, The Rathskeller and The Shark located on State Street in Binghamton, and West Side Cheers on Main Street in Bing­hamton .

BINGHAMTON If you like to mix alcohol and sports,

go The Sports Bar on State Street in Binghamton, the Strike Zone on Court Street in Binghamton, or Edigan's in the Foundry Plaza in Binghamton.

For trivia wizards, Tom & Marty's, located on State Street in Binghamton, is the place to go. Located a few doors down is Uncle Tony's, another campus favorite.

Aifusi c Music lovers will find an array of

stores to shop at. The Oakdale Mall is home to two CD and tape stores, The Wall and Record Town. If you' re at the Town Square Mall, you should stop in Coconuts for your music needs.

If it 's used CD's and tape you ' re looking for

~ stop in at Music City

•...... II1II..., f on Main Street in Bing­

~ hamlon.

B-Metsfir>1 basemall Brian Daubach records a putout enroute to a victory over the Bowie Baysox

~. Live music is abun-dant in the area. The Broome County Arena occasionally brings in headliners. The Student Association also brings bands to campus. Last year we had stars such as Dave Matthews and Barcnaked Ladies come to campus. There is also a variety of local bands that play at The Cam­pus Pub. ManyofUlese bands can also be found at local bars, such as The Taz and West Side Cheers.

Books If you are looking for

a good book to read, Binghamton offers a multitude of shops to choose from. Barnes & Noble has a large vari­ety of books to browse through, while waiting for a movie or just shop­ping in the Town Square Mall . If you happen to

SEPTEMBER 1996 ••••••••••••••••••••••••

be in the Oakdale Mall , visit Walden books or Coles.

Used book stores can reveal a treasure trove of literature. Fat Cat Books on Main Street in Johnson City sells new and used science fiction as well as comic books. Keep an eye out for library book sales as well.

Recreation Binghamton has two professional

sports teams. The Mets, the AA affili­ate of baseball 's New York Mets, play at Binghamton Municipal Stadium on Henry Street. The Rangers, the minor league version of hockey 's New York Rangers, play at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena on the cor­ner of Stuart and State Streets. Seats are not expensive and generally available, especially for the Mets.

There are many opportunites to par­ticipate in winter sports, such as skiing and ice skating, through various clubs and organizations within the University. For those who enjoy outdoor activities, there are a plethora of parks to visit. Otsiningo Park is located off of Exit 72 on Route 17. There is a paved paUl\vay circling the perimeter of the park, providing an arena for rurmers and rollerbladers alike. Large fields provide a bounty of areas for sports and picnicking.

Rec Park is surrounded by Beethoven Street, Seminary Avenue, and Laurel Avenue on Binghamton's West Side. One of Binghamton 's famous carousels (free rides!) is located here, as are tennis courts, basketball courts, and atheletic fields.

Chenango Valley State Park is lo­cated on Route 369 in Chenango Forks. TItis is a good spot for fishing, biking, and hiking enthusiasts.

Of course, for those lacking transpor­tation and/or motivation, there is always the lovely N alure Preserve, located im­mediately to the south of campus.

Amy Gardner and Teresa McGoff are co­editors-iN-chief of the Review. Amy is a senior majoring in PPL, and Teresa is a graduate stlldent in the f)epartment of Political Science.

SurEMDER 1996 •••••••••••••••••••••••••

Stand for (Liberal) Children On June I, a coalition of groups held

something called the "Stand for Chil­dren" rally on the Mall in Washington D.C. Despite claims that the event was nonpartisan, observers felt that left-wing groups took every advantage of the op­portunity, making it a "Stand for End­less Government. "

One man attite rally held a sign that read: "All children are born liberal; only the blessed stay titat way." [Washing/on TIllles Weekly, June 16, 19961

Thanks, Dad A " lighthearted" g reeting card

yanked from the shelves of stores in Canada in June read: "Happy Father 's Day from your loving daughter ... and thanks for not drowning me at birth because I wasn ' t born male .. . they do that in some countries." [Ne wsweek, June 24, 1996]

BINGHAMTON REVIEW 15

QUIBBLES & BITS • ••••••••••••••••••••••••

From the Pakistan Womyn's Center The supreme court of justice of Paki­

stan bas ruled that male doctors may not perform autopsies on dead women. say­ing it shows disrespect for the deceased. In an interesting choice of words, the court wrote, "The dead body is laid on a table in a naked condition where male members of the medical stafT have free ingress." [Reason, July 19961

And Barney is ... Guilty! In PlymouUl, Massachusetts, Anthony

VaITasso, who is three years old, was called for jury duty. When his mother insisted that he was a bit young to be deciding cases, city officials made her bring little Tony to see them in person. In the past, Plymouth has called dead people, pets and even a building for jury duty because of incorrect census infor­mation. For the record, Anthony thought 0.1 . did it. [Reason. July 1996]

Il,CCORt>ING iO "ffi!; ATF, 1\-\e:Re: lolA\!£ SEEN \~'3 C\H~11 A'iZ.~ON.~ IN 114e:?Phi fN~ YE:A.R?! 1.'0 I?A'(

\'I!:.'C:J IWNNING. ~ L-liTL-S l.!:>:r~:

Give Him a Gold in Geography Wade Miller of Sante Fe, New

Mexico, called the office for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta to get tickets for the volleyball tournament. When Miller gave his address as New Mexico, the agent told him that they couldn 't sell tickets outside the United States. He then asked for the supervisor, who told him to try the Mexican Olympic Committee or the committee for wherever New Mexico was. For the record, it 's in the United States. [Reason, July 1996]

This is a Stick-Up! In Melbourne, Australia, burglars

broke into an impotence clinic and stole drugs that can cause a five-dayerection . The Melbourne police spokesman has confirmed that his department is look­ing for "someone who is very embar­rassed or very tired." [Newsweek, July I, 1996]

-l'O SA,( \.Ie: '€;,

~NII\lGFoR Re:·ae:c..TlON ~

.... ........ ' "

an.ATo". aTIoIOICATf. INC.

Thinks wearing a red ribbon is a cheap

way of expressing compassion

Culturally Incorrect Pursuit

Thinks "Waiting

to Exhale" sucks

Spells women correctly­

without the "y"

Is tired ofbcing told what to think

Believes the First Amendment

protects all points of view

Refers to themsclf as simply

"an American"

Thinks chicks and money

arc cool

BINGHAMTON !""

tJN IVERS ITY

Believes that they have contacted the spirit

of Eleanor Roosevelt

INSTRUCfIONS: Find another person who fits these descriptions . Then report them to your OA. He or she is culturally incorrect and has no place at our fine university. They are fit only to join the Review.

BINGHAMTON REVIEW Binghamton University

P.O. Box 6000 Binghamton, NY 13902-6000

Nonprofit Org. US. Postage

PAID Pennit 61

Binghamton, NY