December 4, 2009
Binghamton University
Science I.

Retired faculty member Richard T. Antoun was stabbed on the Binghamton University campus at 1:41 PM on Friday, December 4th. Antoun, 77 years old,an Emeritus Proffesor of the Anthropolgy department, specialized in Middle Eastern and Fundamentalist studies. Reports from the Press and Sun Bulletin and police radio transmissions state that the professor was stabbed four times by a grad student wielding a six inch kitchen knife. The grad student, according to eyewitness reports, confessed to the police at the scene and according to Police Reports is currently in custody.

BREAKING NEWS: Binghamton University has confirmed that Professor Richard Antoun died from wounds sustained as a result of the stabbing in hospital today. President Lois B. Defleur released a statement expressing condolences and said that "we will provide them with as much assistance as we can in this time of sorrow."

At approximately 10:30 this morning a shooting spree occurred at the American Civic Association building in Binghamton, New York where immigrants are educated on the citizenship process. There are 14 confirmed dead, including the gunman, identified as 41-year-old Jiverly Wong.

Wong entered the building at approximately 10:30 AM Friday morning, with two handguns, a 9 millimeter with extended clip and a .45 caliber, and a satchel of ammunition and what appeared to be survival gear. He had previously blocked the back door of the ACA building with a borrowed car. Upon entering the building, Wong fired upon the two receptionists, killing one and severely wounding the other. According to Zikuski, “Shooter just came in and shot her” and that the gunman was “no stranger to the Civil Association.” The wounded receptionist managed to crawl under a desk where she proceeded to call the authorities, according to Police Chief Joseph Zikuski. Police arrived within two minutes of the call, with Zikuski arriving just a minute afterwards.

The gunman who went on a shooting spree at the American Civil Association building in Binghamton, New York is dead, according to police reports.

The man was 42-year-old Jiverly Voong, a Johnson City resident who had recently been laid off from IBM. Armed, not with the assault rifle of Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan's description, but with two handguns, and blocking the back door with his car, he walked into the ACA's front door and began shooting at around 10:30 am today, taking more than 40 people in the building hostage. After a long standoff with police, the gunman reportedly took his own life. The event brought a massive force of police from the Binghamton area, including a SWAT team of sharpshooters, a bomb squad, and an FBI hostage negotiator.

State officials are currently saying that there are a total of fourteen people dead, including the gunman, with at least six to twelve people taken to area hospitals. Gov. Paterson himself will be in Binghamton for a press conference at 5:00.

For the first time in the program's history, the Binghamton University Men's Basketball team is going to the National Tournament. Saturday's 61-51 victory over University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus sent a capacity crowd streaming on to the court to celebrate and gave coach Kevin Broadus' squad the first America East Conference championship in school history.

Senior Reggie Fuller led the way for the Bearcats, recording a double double with 19 points and ten rebounds. The 6 foot 6 inch Texan was 7 for 7 from the floor, while Binghamton as a whole shot 42 percent overall while smothering the Retrievers on defense.

DJ Rivera contributed 16 points and 5 rebounds.

Binghamton received a 15 seed in the East region, which sets up a first round match with Duke University on Thursday at 9:40 pm. Duke won the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 79-69 win over Florida State, spoiling the Seminoles' debut in the Conference title game.

Duke finished the season 28 and 6, ranked 9^th nationally in the AP polls. Binghamton finished its first ever 20 win season, currently 23 and 8.

Binghamton University has once again dropped the ball on securing the private information of students and parents. In a titanic breach of security, Binghamton University kept payment information for every student, possibly dating back at least ten years in a storage area next to one of the most trafficked lecture halls on campus, behind a door that was not only unlocked but taped open. The information itself contained social security numbers, credit card numbers, scans of tax forms, business information (including social security numbers and salary information for employees of students' parents), asylum records and more, all kept in a haphazard and disorganized fashion, sprawled out in boxes, in unlocked (yet lockable) filing cabinets and shelving units. And, to seemingly add insult to injury, the university left dollies and a shopping cart in the room, apparently to aid in any attempted theft. (Pictures of the room are beneath the story.)

Bed Bugs have become a nation-wide problem in the past forty years, with the bed bug population exploding across the United States, along with the number of lawsuits related to infestations. The most recent bed bug settlement was a lawsuit against a hotel in Florida, which was forced to pay out over seventy thousand dollars to a patron who was bitten during her stay. Now, this growing problem has spread to a local Binghamton area laundromat.

I am a snob when it comes to most things related to food, and I proudly blame my upbringing. I grew up in downtown Manhattan, where there were three Chinese food places within two-minutes walking distance from my house, I was on a first-name basis with the staff of two different Indian food restaurants and I could go to Little Italy anytime I wanted and gorge myself on first-rate fine Italian cuisine. In light of this, I’ve never really been satisfied with Binghamton’s Italian food. It always feels like a poor imitation of the real thing. But, finally, I have found the real thing.

Sorry, Grandma, but we’re going to have to let you go. We’ve found someone else, and his name is Phil. Phil’s Chicken House, located on Route 26 in Endicott, is a king of comfort food. Whether it be mashed potatoes, hot chicken noodle soup, or their centerpiece fried chicken, Phil’s has what you want on those cold Binghamton nights (well, what you want to eat anyway).

Our review staff walked into Phil’s at around 9pm, after a long and fruitless search for a quality eating establishment. We were greeted by a friendly staff and a warm atmosphere which really did remind me of my grandmother’s house. Even though the place was empty at that time of night, there was still fresh salad, bread and soup at the bar (unlimited with the purchase of many of their meals) and we were quickly served. Don’t think that the vacancy during our visit was a sign, though. Phil’s is usually a busy place, going through over 8,000 chickens on some weekends and often catering for large groups. They’re willing to come out to campus too, so student groups pay mind – this is far more original than Nirchi’s and comfort food is always a big hit.

New York's 22nd Congressional District encompasses parts of eight counties and includes in it most of the tri-cities area. This year newcomer Republican George K. Phillips has challenged longtime incumbent Democrat Maurice Hinchey for the seat.

George Phillips grew up, and still lives in, Endwell, NY. He has worked as a Catholic High School teacher for most of his life, in both Louisiana and Washington D.C. as well as the local Seton Catholic Central High School. Between 2001 and 2005 Phillips worked for New Jersey Republican Congressman Chris Smith, who was then the Vice Chairman of the House International Relations Committee and the Chairman for the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Phillips worked very closely with Congressman Smith (and is very animated when talking about the joy that he had in the post) and also very closely with a number of important politicians to help get legislation passed as one of Congressman Smith's chief aides. Currently Phillips teaches at Seton Catholic Central High School and Broome Community College.

I find myself at odds with you, my beloved Binghamton. Oh you, the keeper of my future. I entrust unto you the seemingly endless responsibility of safeguarding my life in the interim period during which I attend your classes, gain your knowledge, and seek to better myself for the real world.

Yet it has come to pass that I find that very future in question. Over the last year, oh Binghamton, you have endangered the very well-being of hundreds of your past and current students. Piles of papers have been found, containing very personal information, in wastepaper baskets it seems across campus. The trust I have put in you to safeguard that information is ever more shaky.