Pipe Dream is celebrating its 60th year as Binghamton University’s independent student newspaper. It started as the Colonial News in fall 1946 and has been going strong twice a week ever since. So we’re taking a look back into the paper’s archives, at the people and events that have made the news over BU’s past 60 years.

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1997

‘Impeachment rumored for tonight’

Three Student Association officers were being charged with embezzlement and threatened with impeachment after it was discovered that they spent SA money on hotel rooms and summer stipends.

The officers ‘ SA President Chris Abdoo, Financial Vice President Erik Kopelman and Academic Vice President Jeff Golant ‘ were all accused of misappropriating funds for personal use and accepting stipends for work they did over the summer even though they were not on campus.

Geillan Aly, one of the candidates for SA president, authored the resolution charging the students and demanding they be impeached. Aly said that Kopelman approved reserving a penthouse suite at the Residence Inn for Golant; the total bill was $2,412.03. Golant claimed he had to move out of his home when he complained of harassment after being falsely accused of writing a racist memorandum. If this was in fact necessary, Aly’s attorney, Douglas Drazen said, ‘less expensive alternatives were available.’

‘[Golant] stole my money,’ said Aly. ‘The SA shouldn’t pay because [Golant] is in danger.’

Kopelman, Golant and Abdoo were also accused of collecting summer stipends even though they were not in Binghamton over the summer. They claimed they did in fact conduct SA business during that time.

‘Aly would have no knowledge of what we did over the summer,’ Abdoo said.

Aly said the vouchers that form the basis for the charges were given to her by SA Hillside representative Barry Hakim. However Kopelman said, ‘There’s no way Hakim could have gotten his hands on those vouchers.’

Hakim was not available for comment.

Aly requested Kopelman and Golan be impeached and asked that they return the money to the SA, or they will face legal action. Golant and Abdoo said they won’t be returning any money and Kopelman didn’t make an indication that he planned on returning it, either.

The Voucher Review Board eventually ruled that Golant and Kopelman had misused funds. University President Lois B. DeFleur said that she planned to implement all of the board’s recommendations.