Generation Magazine Vol. 28 Issue 5

Generation Magazine - November 2, 2010 - Did anyone ever find out what The Rock was cooking?

CONTENTS

Featured Also 05 | Editor’s Letter

The more things stay the same, the more people get jumped at Uni Heights.

Comedy, Characters, and Canucks.

Some stuff that is good. Some stuff that is bad.

Your perennial favorites: “bluts” and Lady Gaga. It never gets old.

07 | Agenda

12

| Hit or Bulls***

08 | He Says, She Says

Where’s the spirit?

09

Bulls need to start winning so that UB can sell more tacky, overpriced sweatshirts and stadium seats.

09 | Beef With Pistachios

It sounds like a Moroccan dish but it’s actually a cheese sandwich.

Still digging Dublin

10 | The 4-Leaf Journal

11 | Top 10 Campus

Study Locations Finally an article that might be of some use to your future well-being.

15 | Worst Party Ever

You heard us.

17 | Mealplans?

Are they confusing or what?

18 | Google TV

18 18

16

It’s a noun, it’s a verb, it’s the new TV.

19 | Literary Section Kidnapping, poetry, reviews.

22 | Parting Shots

(716)2010-GEN Exceptional Alumni

They look up to the sky, and now the world is theirs, they’ve known it all their life, they made it, they made it!

Text or call our anonymous tipline with suggestions or questions for our advice columns. Forward us your texts from last night.

If you’re still spinning away at a rotary phone, just call us at 201-0436.

Photo credits: Cover design by Dino Husejnovic. Campus photos by Allison Wasneechak. All Flickr photos are under Creative Commons Some Rights Reserved license, non-commerical, free to build upon license. Agenda Photos: Dave Matthews band courtesy of Flickr User macangelamy. Dane Cook photo courtesy of Dane Cook Facebook Fan page. Megamind poster courtesy of Dreamworks Pictures. Unstoppable poster courtesy of unstoppablemovie.com and Fox Pictures. Sabres vs Canucks photo courtesy of Flcikr user iwona_kellie. Clock picture in Top 10 Places to Study courtesy of Flickr User Martin Kingsley

EDITOR’S LETTER Issue #1: University Heights

Many of you have probably heard about the most recent incident in the University Heights. If you have not, here is a synopsis: Alpha Epsilon Pi, our favorite Jewish fraternity, has a party on Lisbon Ave. House is ‘full’, they reject two black males, and shit hits the fan. Party is broken up, cops arrive late, and on their way home, partygoers get attacked. For a more in-depth story, The Spectrum did a wonderful job. As far as I’m concerned, the details don’t matter. The bigger issue is that nothing is changing. This is an all too familiar scene, and the university likes to pretend like there are no students living past one block from South Campus, and that everything is just dandy.

Being from Syracuse, during my freshman year, I had to live in dorms on South Campus, in Goodyear Hall.

They were decent dorms and getting to the Heights and back to the dorm was easy, unlike the Stampeding northerners. After doing some thinking and calculations, I realized I was getting ripped off by the university and decided to move to the University Heights.

This is usually the reason why students decide to move to the Heights, unless all one wants to do is drink in peace.

This brings me to my point: While living on South Campus for a year, and

while living in the University Heights for two and a half years, I have observed very little change in the area.

Fortunately for me, I have never experienced any of the negative connotations that University Heights is known for, unless you count shitty landlords. The worst it ever got for me was when I was being followed by a homeless man who really wanted my McDonalds double cheeseburger, which I gladly forfeited. But I keep hearing these horror stories about the violence and theft that occurs. Even though it has not happened to me yet, in the back of my mind, I know that it could happen every time I walk down Main Street or whenever I want to walk to Wilson Farms to satisfy my Dr. Pepper craving. The university tells me to walk as a group, but just because I want Dr. Pepper does not mean my housemate will end his game of Halo Reach. For many of us, University Heights is our home, and many of us cannot afford paying extra thousands of dollars for a small room and overpriced food. It is our only option. So it is enough for the university and Buffalo Police to just plaster a couple of blinking cameras on the corners of the streets and call it a day, or do the University at Buffalo and the City of Buffalo need to do much, much more?

We all know that it is all about the money. Security in the heights is supposed to be a team effort between the university and the city, but the University has not been doing their part because they want to make sure that their ass is covered. University Police is worried that if one of their men were attacked on Lisbon Ave by a bunch of minors, they would not be covered since it is not on campus property. On the other hand, Mayor Brown has been cutting taxes and the funding for the police department, so there are less cops to go around. And of course, there is the shitty Buffalo 911 system that took 20 minutes and three priority escalations to get a cop to the Heights.

A reported issue in a volatile area of the city populated by students started off as a low-priority call. Glad we have our priorities straight.

The reality is, at the end of the

day, the students involved could have avoided all of this with some logical thinking. The Jewish fraternity picked the absolute worst place to have a fraternity house – the 200-block of Lisbon Avenue, one of the furthest avenues from the university. When they forced to look for a new house yet again, I am sure that student safety was not their top criteria for a house.

And yet, here they were, attracting students from the university to a dangerous area, probably collecting cover charges and serving alcohol to minors, and you are surprised that an incident occurred when you rejected two black males at the door, and let the students lose when shit got intense. Smart.

The fraternity is suggesting that the university provide on-campus fraternity housing. Yes, that would be a decent solution to their dilemma, but UB has so much more to worry about, such as how to provide classes for students in a crappy economy. I do agree that the police departments that are supposed to be keeping the students and the city safe should get their heads out of their asses and get their priorities straight.

At the same time, as students, we should make wise decisions on how far we stray from the university to get alcohol, who we trust as hosts and be aware of what is going on with our community.

Generation Magazine 2010 - 2011 Staff Editor in Chief Dino Husejnovic

Managing Editor Kathryn Przybyla

Creative Director Elizabeth Flyntz

Copy Editor

Catherine Prendergast

Associate Editors Seon McDonald Steve Neilans Allison Balcerzak

Photo Editor

Allison Wasneechack

Circulation Director Rashid Dakhil-Rivera

Contributing Staff Josh Q. Newman Nathan Grygier Jessica Brant Allison Ruiz

Business Manager Ariella Goro

Ad Manager Tommy Zhao

Dino Husejnovic Editor in Chief

Submit your letters and articles at ubgeneration.com, or e-mail us at ubgeneration@gmail.com

Asst. Ad Manager Ted DiRienzo

Cover design by Dino Husejnovic.

Generation Magazine is owned by Sub-Board I, Inc., the student service corporationat the State University of New York at Buffalo. The Sub-Board I, Inc. Board of Directors grants editorial autonomy to the editorial board of Generation.

Sub-Board I, Inc. (the publisher) provides funding through mandatory student activity fees and is in no way responsible for the editorial content, editorial structure or editorial policy of the magazine.

Editorial and business offices for Generation are located in Suite 315 in the Student Union on North Campus. The telephone numbers are (716) 645-6131 or (716) 645-2674 (FAX). Address mail c/o Room 315 Student Union University at Buffalo, Amherst, NY 14260 Submissions to Generation Magazine should be e- mailed to ubgeneration@gmail.com by 1 p.m. Tuesday, a week before each issue’s publication. This publication and its contents are the property of the students of the State University of New York at Buffalo 2010 by Generation Magazine, all rights reserved. The first 10 copies of Generation Magazine are free.

Each additional copy must be approved by the editor in chief.

Requests for reprints should be directed to the editor in chief.

Generation Magazine neither endorses nor takes responsibility for any claims made by our advertisers. Press run 5,000.

ubgeneration.com | 5

AGENDA CONCERT | DAVE MATTHEWS BAND | NOVEMBER 2

The Grammy award winning band popular for their fusion of rock, jazz, bluegrass and pop will play their jams tunes at the HSBC Arena. Their music sounds way better live than studio recorded. Really, you’ve got to hear them live! Tickets start at $49.

-

COMEDY | DANCE COOK LIVE | NOVEMBER 4

Stand-up comedian and budding movie star, Dane Cook whose casual comedic style and observational humor has made millions laugh will be in Buffalo to do a show. Tickets are about $37 -$72. Venue: HSBC Arena

MOVIE | MEGAMIND | NOVEMBER 5

Presenting a fresh new twist on the role of super-villains in movies, Megamind voiced by Will Ferrel attempts to use his powers for –gasp- good! That is all nice, but a movie still needs a villain. Luckily or not, Megamind unintentionally creates his own archenemy. Coming from Dreamworks studios, one can expect a high quality animated film that’s sure to entertain.

MOVIE | UNSTOPPABLE | NOVEMBER 12

This action and adrenaline packed thriller starring Denzel Washington will keep you at the edge of the seat as a runway train carrying tons of explosives and toxic chemicals threaten to derail and wipe out an entire town. Will Washington save the day? I wager $100.l

SPORTS| SABRES VS. CANUCKS | NOVEMBER 15

The Buffalo Sabres face off the Vancouver Canucks on the ice as the professional Ice Hockey teams vie to reach playoffs and claim the elusive Stanley Cup. Buffalo fans gather and support your team! Venue: HSBC Arena. Tickets start at $23.

TEXT US YOUR QUESTIONS! 716-201-0436 8 | ubgeneration.com

He Says, She Says An advice column divided by the sexes, starring Catherine Prendergast and Nathan Grygier

Whenever I’m in the flagroom minding my own business, the break dance club comes out of no where busting their music and showcasing their skills. What can I do to combat this?

CP: Break dancing started off being totally legit, circa the hip-hop artists and city kids in the 1970’s.

But today, it is extremely rare to find someone who is actually hood or from the streets, that formed a dancing team to get away from a life of crime. Break dancing has become an outlet for wanna-be-citysmart-and-urban-savvy losers to get together and attempt to do something “cool.” Especially in a college.

Are you really feeling threatened by the UB Dance Club? Please. I’m sure they can move well, and I bet they can twist their body in ways that never seemed possible. But don’t feel the need to “combat” the team by any means. Just sit back, continue to mind your own business, and be happy that you are not trying to be someone you’re not, and that you don’t feel the need to be part of a team that thrives on annoying innocent students in the flagroom.

NG : Well because it is the break dance club, the option always remains to serve them. You know how it goes. You have to dance at them, bust a move or two and see what happens. Be warned though, if they dance back, then it’s on. You have to rent out the convention center and assemble a crew to dance against them. If you lose then you just lost your bragging rights and they will continue their real life game of Dance Dance Revolution as much as they want.

Do you guys miss Marshawn Lynch?

CP: I think you mean Marshawn INCH!!! Hahaha. I didn’t come up with that joke myself to be honest.

I didn’t even know who this chump was, I googled his name. So to answer your question, I guess I don’t miss him.

NG : As a player, no I don’t. As a man with a fucked up face who loves to go to Dave & Busters and hit people with his car, you bet your ass I do. It’s really just adding insult to injury when you have a mug like Marshawn’s and you love Dave & Busters. It just kind of screams pedophile if you ask me. Now you may be asking yourself “Nathan, how do you know he loves Dave & Busters?” The answer is simple you uneducated reader! In one of the best interviews I’ve ever seen Marshawn declares his love for the establishment. Another reason to miss him is because I’ve actually seen people in the past wearing shirts that say “Marshawn can hit whoever the fuck he wants”, actually supporting him running people over in his car just because he’s a beast.

Why do fat girls wear clothes that they shouldn’t?

CP: Oh come on, everyone has their mishap. Skinny girls think they’re smart, frat guys think they’re cool, art majors think they’re the shit, and fat girls wear things they shouldn’t.

We all have to do something wrong so it’s clear to others what’s right.

NG : Wait a second, you’re telling me you don’t love that gorgeous FUPA when large ladies wear tight clothes? If you’re unaware of what FUPA means, Google it. You definitely won’t be disappointed or dis-

gusted in any way, definitely not.

Now I can commiserate with you to a certain degree on this, I mean nothing is wrong with a girl if she’s not a stick because I personally find girls with the build of 12 year old boys very unattractive. However, when a girl who’s about 1.5 times my weight is wearing skin tight clothes showcasing their gorgeous display of rolls, we have a problem.

Does jesus partake in premarital sex? Do you think he keeps it all trimmed down there? Does he also smoke mad bluts?!1?

CP: Again with the “bluts” and the exclamation points and number ones. Are you the same person who asked about the bluts last issue? I swear I am going to hunt you down and force the proper “n” into your vocabulary. While I’m down your throat I’m also going to remove the numbers from your punctuation. Bluts?!1? means nothing, but blunts?! means everything. I’m not really sure what jesus, with a lowercase j, is into, but I know that Jesus, the Jesus, the Jesus with a capital J, does all of that.

NG : I honestly have no idea how to respond to this question without offending numerous people. First of all, I assume you meant to say mad blunts, not bluts. I think you’re the one whose smoking something there chief. However, as we all know Jesus and the Romans didn’t get along too well. As we all may not know, the Romans hated body hair.

They even had slaves pluck out each hair individually, so maybe their beef with Jesus was a pubic debate? Perhaps they wanted to burn his bush in the most literal sense (lol bible humor!), and when he wanted to keep his penis beard of glory, they were

like bam! Crucified!

Would you bang Lady Gaga?

CP: Without a doubt. I would totally go lesbian for her. She is so, so hot. She is flawless. Everything she does is epic and hilarious and kind of fucked up and creative and not that creative, all wrapped into one crazy catchy song. She is a walking controversy; pretty/not pretty, innovative/generic, talented/untalented, smart/stupid. Whether you like her or not, you have to admit that you’ve gotten into a heated discussion about her at some point. Imagine the sex! It would be so fun and surprising. You would hate her at one point and then be amazed. And then when it was over you would be all confused again about what you really think of her. Okay, I’m going to stop before I have a legit fantasy.

NG : Who wouldn’t bang Lady Gaga? After the Telephone video came out, which proved that she didn’t have a penis, I find no problem in letting her wear my meat on her face. Honestly I think I would just because it would probably be one of the most memorable nights of my life. Have you ever seen her videos? It’d be some of the kinkiest shit ever. Despite the fact that she now kind of looks like Jeffree Star, she would still completely rock my world. I’d probably leave the Gaga mansion bruised and drained, both of pride and seminal fluids. So to answer your question, yes I would bang Lady Gaga, and try my best to get her pregnant and make a shit ton of money off of it.

GENERATION November 2,2010

I Got Some

Beef

with Pistachios,

Maybe

by Catherine Prendergast

Pistachios is an excellent place to get some close to decent meals on campus, specifically in the always busy Student Union. Sushi is good when you are in the mood, and Moe’s, let’s be honest, does not even come close to being as mouth watering as Chipotle’s. Tim Horton’s is great for bagels and muffins, but that wont do the trick when you have been in the library all day and need a substantial meal. Jamba Juice, like sushi, is mostly a once in a while type treat. Finally there’s Putnam’s, but I rarely venture in there anymore.

They have great variety – pizza, chicken fingers, subs, grilled cheeses, turkey burgers, even salads, but I am never really fully satisfied with my food. The pizza can be way too greasy, the subs too filling, too long of a wait for a flimsy turkey burger. The place where I have always been happy with my meal, while also feeling like I am enjoying something somewhat healthy, has been Pistachios.

First off I like the fact that Pistachios is it’s own little secluded area. Even during busy times it feels like a cozy place to grab a bite with your friends, or review your notes while you eat. It isn’t awkwardly silent, like some places in the commons, but not as noisy as the Union atrium either. A nice balance, if you will. Pistachios employs students like the other food courts, but they are good workers here. They have never messed up my order.

Some people complain about the wait for pasta, which is understandable, considering the fact that everyday at a meal exchange time frame, the line will stretch out the door. However, I do not mind waiting for food that I know will be good. I would rather do that than grab some ready-made chicken fingers from Putnams and regret it later.

This all being said, I have not had a pleasant experience the last two times I was at Pistachios.

I have a bone to pick with them, pun intended.

It all started about a couple weeks ago. I walked into Pistachios on a day like any other. I was stressed about upcoming projects and I was absolutely starving. I went over to the sandwich line and reviewed my options. California Club…

BLT’s…Italiano…nothing seemed quite right. My eye wandered over to the “Build Your Own Sandwich” poster and it occurred to me that I never actually tried that. All the things you could get sounded really good, so I decided to go for it.

When it was my turn I first ordered the twelvegrain bread, toasted. The next step was the cheeses/meats. I haven’t been eating a lot of beef, and was not really in the mood for turkey or chicken either. So I decided to just stick with cheese and veggies. “I’ll have that with cheddar, and lett—” “What meat?” The woman who was preparing my sandwich interrupted.

“No meat,” I replied.

“NO MEAT?” she practically bellowed.

“Uh…no thanks…” I stammered. I was stunned.

“Not even chicken?” She appeared to be even more shocked than I was.

“Um…no thank you…”

The woman stood still, horrified. She looked at me like I had just broke some “You-must-getmeat-on-your-sandwich” Pistachios Law. I was practically dying of the awkwardness of the situation when she resumed her composure and began putting on the cheese.

“I’ll give you extra cheddar then,” she retorted,

and proceeded to give me four extra slices. She passed my sandwich to the next person who is in charge of the veggies, and I can only imagine how happy she must have been to start helping a new costumer, one who probably was a die-hard bacon lover.

Needless to say, my meat free multi-grain sandwich of honey mustard, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, red peppers and cheese was absolutely delicious. But was all that fuss necessary?

I decided not to hold a grudge and went to Pistachios for lunch a few days later. I wanted to get the exact same sandwich because I knew I would be satisfied. As I waited on line I thought how funny it would be if the same woman was working there.

But it wasn’t funny, because she was.

This time, the woman was in charge of the final ingredients of the sandwich and there was a different person in charge of the bread/meat/cheeses. She appeared to be a student. I ordered the same thing: twelve-grain bread, honey mustard, and cheddar cheese. No meat questions, no extra slices of cheese. This girl even smiled as she was spreading the mustard. She passed the sandwich down to the woman, who stared at it for a good few seconds. Oh no, I thought, not again.

“So what are we gonna do with this one?” She asked me.

Like, really? What kind of a question is that?

Why can’t I order my sandwich without the attitude? Is there really something wrong with getting a meatless sandwich? There is not! Some people are strictly vegetarians, some people just don’t eat meat, and some people, like me, enjoy meat but don’t necessarily want it on their sandwich. I was thoroughly annoyed at this point. I told her what I wanted quickly, I could not wait to get out of there.

She asked me what side I wanted, and I told her pasta salad. And here is the interesting thing. She gave me an enormous amount of pasta salad. I’m talking spoonful after spoonful after spoonful…my plate was covered when she finished, not an inch spared. The side looked more like the entrée.

Now, I realize this can be seen as a blessing in disguise. Get a meatless sandwich and in turn you’ll receive extra portions, with no extra charge.

But I’m not sure I want to deal with the backtalk every time. It bothers me because there is nothing wrong with a vegetarian sandwich. Even if this woman is an extreme carnivore, or has to eat meat three times day for religious purposes, there is no reason why she has to question my personal choices. I am entitled to my own sandwich, thank you very much, or there should be no “make-yourown-sandwich” option.

The extra cheddar and pasta salad was great, but if I get some major attitude again, I may just call PETA on this joint.

ubgeneration.com | 9

The Four-Leaf Journal

Trinity College Dublin: The Guinness of Schools JOSH Q. NEWMAN Trinity College Dublin is literally in the middle of the city. South of the River Liffey, Trinity is located on College Green, which leads directly to Dame Street and beyond. To its left is Grafton Street, one of the more fashionable parts of town and right in front of it are the Bank of Ireland (formally the House of Parliament) and many shops and businesses, including two tobacco and whiskey emporiums and a costume store, perfect for Halloween.

To its left corner is a statue of poor Molly Malone, the beautiful fishmonger who died of a fever in the streets of Dublin.

There’s usually someone singing the song named after her, the unofficial anthem of the city. Walking along the front you’ll find people of all kinds hustling about, some amazed with the gated college while others barely cognizant of it. I, for one, never take for granted what a great opportunity it is to study at such a fine school.

To say that Trinity is just a fine school is an understatement. Trinity in considered the best school in Ireland and one of the best universities in Europe. According to “U.S. News & World Report”, it ranks 52 worldwide. (UB on the other hand…) With approximately 16,000 students, it’s one of the larger schools of Ireland. And at the very least, it’s certainly the oldest. It was founded in 1592 under letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I back when Ireland

10 | ubgeneration.com

was a kingdom of greater England. It has since then flourished as Ireland’s leading academic institution, with a legal depository and a library that rivals the Library of Congress. Two Nobel laureates and a lieu of Irish writers, scientists, and nationals studied there, including Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, and Mary Robinson, the current president of Ireland.

It has over 90,000 alumni around the world, and counting.

That’s swell, you might say, but what are the main differences between Trinity and UB? Education-wise, there isn’t much of a difference. Though I’ve only been at Trinity for two months, I believe that the quality of education at Trinity can be found in UB. UB, believe it or not, is a great school. It’s not perfect (or well-funded) but it provides a good education with competent faculty.

The English department at UB, where I take most of my classes, is outstanding.

Trinity’s English department is roughly the same size and covers the same materials, with the exception of Irish and Medieval literature, which UB unfortunately doesn’t cover enough. Besides that, however, I haven’t made a distinction regarding quality. It’s not downgrading Trinity; it’s merely putting UB at the level it should be.

Structurally, Trinity is more rigid. Trinity students must declare their major early on and stick to it. Although it’s possible to switch majors, it’s exceedingly rare.

Students also don’t have to take crossspectrum prerequisites. In other words, a philosophy major would not have to take a science or history course his freshman (or Junior Fresher) year. For those that know what they want to do, this is a great advantage. For those that don’t, it can be hard to get accustomed to. Like at UB, it’s possible to concentrate in two subjects, like English and history or philosophy and political science. Most programs are fouryears and can lead to graduate school.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two schools is the campus. UB’s campus, aesthetically speaking, is nothing to brag about. Trinity’s is the total opposite.

The mammoth front gates lead to the Regent House – basically a security checkpoint. Beyond the house lays the main campus. Parliament Square is what you first see. The ground is laid with smooth stones and the more historic buildings of Trinity, including the dining hall, chapel, and the Pubic Theater, surround the square. In front of the square is the Campanile, a gorgeous gray bell tower that is built upon the church of the original 17th century campus. Four stone angels surround the bell, overlooking the students below.

If you walk right of the Campanile you will find the Old Library, a collection of books dating back 300 years. The library holds the Book of Kells, thousand year-old copies of the Bible made by Irish monks. It is

a major tourist attraction year round. Facing the Old Library is the Fellows’ Square.

It’s always crowded with tourists and students, many of whom decide to eat or enjoy a smoke. To the right of the square is the Douglas Hyde Gallery, which holds a collection of modern art, and the main student libraries.

Further down the campus is the College Park. Large and scenic, the park is home to many sports teams and general nature lovers. The benches are usually packed with people who want to enjoy the view.

In the far end of the park is the Pavilion, the only bar on campus. Though rather small, the Pavilion is always crowded with students who want to enjoy Guinness or, more typically, imported beers. Behind it are most of the science buildings and laboratories, and next to it is Trinity’s official sports stadium, a simple field with bars surrounding it. (College sports are nowhere near as big there.) Finally, behind the main campus are the student dorms, where I live. It’s right next to the train station, so it gets quite noisy!

There’s more to the campus but it would be futile to try to describe every detail.

It’s just way too big and too historic of a school. This issue focuses on UB’s campus, so I hope that this has given you some insight of the different kinds of places around the world and how lucky we all are in attending a university.

GENERATION November 2, 2010

10. Center for the 5. Baldy walkway Arts Atrium

Only when the dancers or theatre kids are in class, otherwise there’s a lot of singing and random bursts into choreography, making it hard to concentrate.

By Kathryn Przybyla

TOP 10

9. Second Floor of Alfiero

Those business students have got it going with a few desks chilling above a Timmy Ho’s.

I can smell the caffeine from here.

8. Baird Point Places to Study on Campus

While not the best choice for long term studying, this walkway is perfect for cramming an hour before your exam, just make sure to take up all 4 seats at a table to annoy others away.

4. The Clocktower Nestled at the edge of the commons, when it’s not snowing and warmer that 60 degrees, take your books outside for some reading, and close distance to delicious Asian food.

3. Generation Office Because we always do our homework.

Relaxing by the water can be cool when the weathers nice, but be weary of sneaky lovebirds looking to do the nasty. Rumor has it.

7. Student Union Theatre

Comfy seats and stadium seating make it the ideal location for a group study session, preferably where there is not a movie showing, otherwise you may get distracted.

6. Club Offices The 3rd floor of the student union is crawling with empty offices that clubs use during the day, sneak in after hours for a less awkward encounter with the President of Dungeons & Dragons club.

2.

The Wellness Center Hidden in a random back corner of the left staircase in the student union, this is the only place you can study while getting a back massage, free tea, and healthy snacks. WIN!

1.Anywhere but Capen

No one who is serious about passing they organic chemistry final is there. It’s just a bunch of kids pretending to cram while they stalk people on Facebook.

Where’s the Spirit?

By Steve Neilans The clock is ticking down, and the crowd that remains at UB Stadium is growing anxious. Even the annoying jerk in the first row who usually screams “TRUE FANS STAY FOR THE WHOLE GAME!” is growing tired. The Bulls are down 42-0 at their own homecoming game, and nobody really cares.

Homecoming week was a couple weeks ago, and I’m guessing a lot of you didn’t even notice. Perhaps if you are able to differentiate between the themed weeks that seem to go on in the Student Union every day then you did, but I’m seriously guessing you didn’t.

Basically, it went a little something like this: Lots of stands which were set up by clubs, followed by a couple games with prizes, followed by pizza, followed by a total disappointment of a football game.

Photos by Allison Wasneechak

Ho-hum.

Whether it’s the random dude in Knox decked out in Syracuse gear or the girl from Long Island who will not stop talking about how much of a shithole Buffalo is, nobody seems to care about anything happening at UB (or Buffalo in that case). Unless there is pizza involved of course. I can’t begin to count to number of events I’ve gone to just because of free pizza from Santoras.

Students don’t care because there’s really only one way that UB will have any sort of sustained school spirit.

Winning.

UB is one of the top research institutions in the East, and it’s the largest employer in the city of Buffalo, but what have we won this year? Nada.

The intellectual side of my brain is telling me how school spirit is arbitrary and not important, but the cro-magnon side is telling me otherwise. As a guy,

I’m going to probably side with the cromagnon side 9 times out of 10.

It’s almost laughable how depressing this school year has been. The death of UB2020, people getting stabbed/ mugged, Fallfest being lame, and the fact that not a single sports team in Buffalo is doing well: all ingredients for a horrible start to a year. And losing a football game 42-0 is just a cherry on the pie.

“When we are winning, everyone is into it,” said Anthony Samoraj, a senior aerospace engineering major. “The main thing is [the football team is] not winning.”

And it isn’t just the football team.

“A lot of the teams are struggling, not just football,” said John Hugar, a junior undecided major. “When the 2008 season happened and we won the MAC, I think people thought that would happen every year. Now that [we have] a medio-

cre team, people are underwhelmed.”

The 2008-2009 Buffalo Bulls football season truly raised expectations, as well as school spirit, to an almost unfair level. I actually remember watching games that year without being lured in by free pizza!

The regular season alone for that team seemed like it was better than the entire history of Buffalo sports for the previous 50 years combined. The never-say-die mentality of that team made them very easy to cheer for. They were basically the Mighty Ducks in my eyes.

Students felt school spirit back then, and that wasn’t like some sort of distant galaxy far, far away. That was here, at the same school that had about 40 people in the stands at the end of the Temple game.

Some of the games that year were truly incredible. I will never forget watching the game against Bowling Green where

we came back to win in double overtime. I was in Fredonia for the night with some friends, and when UB won that game to clinch the division, I actually felt a pride for athletics at UB that I had never felt before. I felt like my friends from Fredonia were sad they didn’t go to a badass school which actually won football games.

I don’t really remember how the rest of that night went however, but I do remember chanting “Turner Gill, You are Ill,” as I drunkenly stumbled into a snow bank after a night of toasting to Drew Willy and James Starks.

If you are getting teary eyed reading about the good ol’ days of Turner Gill, don’t worry, I am too.

Of course everyone knows how the rest of the season went. Earning our first ever MAC Championship and first bowl bid in 50 years.

No one wanted to see the season end in a loss at the International Bowl, but even when they did lose; it felt OK considering it had felt like they left everything on the field.

I’m allowed to have spirit for a team that loses big games once in a while; I cheer for the Bills and Sabres every year.

UB had experienced something real over the course of those few months. People were proud to be from UB for something other than their degree. For a few months, the University at Buffalo was nationally recognized both academically and athletically, and it brought a certain amount of school spirit that is completely indescribable if you weren’t a part of it.

It makes me quite sad that I will probably never get to experience that same feeling as a student.

“The players themselves should do more to market and [make students] get involved,” Samoraj said. “Football players should do more to get people to go to the other sports.”

“I think a lot of people would probably rather go to a school with good academic programs than good sports programs,” Hugar said. “I just think athletics are on a downswing right now, and that’s killing people’s passion.”

School spirit is at an all-time low right now.

I don’t have any hard facts, but I would guess that more UB alumni are returning to UB for DC++ rather than any actual events.

There are too many people at UB trying to force school spirit by throwing events which end up feeling contrived and desperate. If the awkward guy who tries too hard were a college, he’d be the University at Buffalo. It’s not that he’s a douche; it’s just that he’s creepy.

Table displays in the Union lobby just don’t do it for me. I feel like there is a cookie-cutter strategy to how SA and athletics are trying to sell excitement to students, any neither really work well. Sure, we’ll wear a blue shirt on “blue day” or a tie-dyed shirt on “tie-dye day”, but that isn’t “real” school spirit.

Is there a way to change this fact without having a winning team at UB which students are proud of? Probably not. Are there ways that UB can promote school spirit in a better way?

Definitely. We need less table displays in the Student Union lobby, and more flash raves.

Less free pizza, and more… nevermind, keep the pizza.

I know that it feels like every team at UB is constantly losing (because they are), but I’m confident that someday soon there will be another great team for students to follow. Or maybe something positive will happen at UB to make students proud. Whatever goes down must come up.

In 2005 it was the basketball team that brought school spirit at UB, and in 2008 it was the football team. If UB stays on that pace, we’re due for a good team fairly soon (which is being completely scientific).

And if not, you’ll always have that ‘Cuse hoodie in the closet for a couple more years.

Budget Cuts Mean Fewer Classes For Us

By Ally Balcerzak The point of the SUNY system is to give average students a good education at a decent price. But what even qualifies as a good education? As New York State screws itself over even more, SUNY schools find their budgets getting cut left and right. Less money means something has to give. Deciding what to cut is where everyone starts to disagree.

As a student, the possibility of classes and even entire departments being cut to make up for budget issues is highly frustrating. Undergrad is supposed to take four years to complete, but with the way SUNY is cutting classes across the board, that is becoming more and more difficult.

Thankfully, those of us at UB that have a language requirement, still have plenty of options to complete it. Students at SUNY Albany don’t have that luxury anymore.

A few weeks ago SUNY Albany announced that it would be eliminating its French, Russian, Italian and Classics de-

partments; leaving only Spanish as a possibility for anyone wanting to major in foreign language. Now, I’m sure many of you are sitting there thinking, “Why does that matter to me?” Well, here’s how. SUNY Albany is the other big research university in the SUNY system. If they’re cutting languages due to budget issues, what makes you think UB won’t consider it in the near future? I heard a rumor in my one English class that the Classics department is already being cut. But I couldn’t find proof of that so we’ll still keep it in the rumor category for now.

As an English major, the possibility of seeing liberal arts classes being cut is kind of an insult. To my Nursing major best friend, who has no language requirement, cutting languages and other liberal arts courses is no big deal. He doesn’t see it as an issue because it doesn’t directly affect his world… or does it? For all you science and engineering majors out there who are quick to take Spanish 101 and be done, consider this. Spanish is becoming more widely used throughout the United

States, half of Canada speaks at least basic French, and Europeans grow up learning their native tongues along with two or three more languages to go with it. With the majority of the world fluent in at least two languages, it is only a matter of time before speaking only English won’t cut it at research conferences, in hospital emergency rooms, or in a lab itself.

With registration going on for next semester, course cuts are probably staring a few of you in the face. I have yet to talk spring classes with a single person who isn’t having some sort of scheduling issue. Either the course they need isn’t being offered, there aren’t enough sections, or what they want to take and what their actual options seem to be are two entirely different planets.

This is a direct result from courses being cut at UB. Fewer sections means, “Hey, as a department we don’t have the budget to give you more time options.” While courses not being offered means, “Well we have every intention of teaching you these things one day, but right now it’s not pos-

sible because not enough of you will sign up to justify the cost.” For anyone who gets to pick courses based on their content, like those of us in the English department, good luck finding the fun courses on the schedule. Hell, even if you do, chances are they’re all going to be at the same time, or across campus from one another. (I’m currently trying to decide if I can make it from Talbert to Clemens in ten minutes… the general consensus is looking like a big N.O.) Tuition may go up every year, but that isn’t going to save our courses. If New York State doesn’t start putting money back into higher education, there goes our decent and cheap college experience. As students, we have to speak up for ourselves if we want certain things for our education.

Next time you see a petition to keep the state from cutting funding, sign it. When you see rallies outside the union to keep UB from taking things away from us, stop by a show your support. This is our campus and these are our futures, it’s time we stand up and fight for what we deserve.

Krudmart on Campus

By Catherine Prendergast Anyone who doesn’t only look at their feet the whole time they walk through campus will have noticed all the peculiar stickers with the word “Krudmart” on them.

They have been pasted on doors, water fountains, bathroom stalls, windows, bus stops, even on a lucky UB Stampede.

These red and white stickers are everywhere, so I decided to solve the mystery once and for all. I started by asking what other people thought of them.

“I find these stickers really annoying,” said one student. “I can’t walk to class without seeing one. It’s like, really distracting.”

“I think it’s cool,” said another.

“It’s fucking awesome,” a third said.

Whether students think the stickers are funny, lame, weird, or simply amusing, there’s no doubt that Krudmart has caused somewhat of a stir. Part of the reason this new addition to North Campus property is so intriguing is because no one seemed to 14 | ubgeneration.com

know what Krudmart actually means.

“I’m guessing it’s a band, and they’re trying to build some sort of underground fan base,” said one student, pretty confident in his answer.

“No, I don’t think so,” said his friend next to him. “I never heard of the band Krudmart, and I know music. It’s probably like, a new art gallery on Elmwood. There’s mad art galleries there.”

“It sounds like a name of a supermarket,” said another student.

“Krudmart? Is it part of Walmart maybe?” one student asked, perplexed.

None of the answers I received sounded right, so I took matters into my own hands.

I went to Krudmart.com. Alas, Krudmart is not a band, nor a supermarket, nor an art gallery. And first things first, the company is properly called The Krudmart.

“The Krudmart was started in early summer 2002 by two guys looking to dump overstocked inventory on E-bay but eventually it grew into something more.

It became an online retailer with it’s own identity, a creative outlet and a way to get

cheap clothes for themselves by carrying more and more of the brands they liked,” the website states.

The Krudmart store now holds a nice variety of shirts, jeans, sweatshirts, backpacks, wallets, sunglasses, even women’s apparel, like skirts and dresses. The brands they carry include A.P.C., Hellz Bellz, Married To The Mob, Rocksmith, Undrcrwn, and many more. The prices are really reasonable too, for example, a tight Piko dress, once twenty-five dollars, now marked down to twelve.

“With a regular following, a budding online scene and new accounts with up and coming companies, the Krudmart is set to charge ahead and continue bringing the newest and freshest gear to people all around the world... an e-tailer embodiment of Mike Tyson’s face tattoo. Now in 2010…Krudmart cannot be stopped!”

I believe them. I was walking back to class the other day and there’s one on a stop sign on Englewood Avenue. As I’m walking by my house I notice a sticker in the window. Then I get to my kitchen and

there’s one on the fridge. And finally, Krudmart has been pasted on my coffee maker.

I feel like I’m part of some obscure, quasisecret fashion movement, and every sticker I see is now just a reminder of this “club” I’m a member of.

Now that I’ve let you in on the meaning behind the Krudmart stickers, be prepared of their power. Once you learn about the company, the stickers will find you. And if you really get involved in the Krudmart progression, you may just meet the very special person who started putting the stickers on campus in the first place.

GENERATION November 2, 2010

Worst. Party. Ever.

By Nathan Grygier

We have all been to our fair share of shitty parties. Either the guy to girl ratio is 6:1, the cops come, or a British kid relentlessly tries to get you to wear his coat all night and calls you “Irish lad”. Ok, maybe the last one has only happened to me. Regardless, this is a story about the worst party I’ve ever experienced. I’ve changed some of the names in this, as you read on you’ll discover why.

It was the summer after my high school graduation, and people were constantly looking for reasons to celebrate. Either it was the inordinate amount of graduation parties that were crammed into a single week, or just a party for the sake of having a party; things were constantly going on.

At the time, one of my good friends Zach and I were going to go to a party at a girls house we didn’t know personally, but we had mutual friends there.

Zach’s step-brother, Brian, had been released from prison a few months prior to this, and for the most part he was pretty decent so we thought “Hey, what could go

wrong?” The answer? A ton of shit.

What was he in jail for you ask? Oh nothing major, just possible child molestation, or perhaps shooting someone? We were kind of unclear on the conviction, and for the obvious reasons we did not want to inquire further. But wait, it gets even more ridiculous. At the time, Brian was hanging out with his 23 year old professional boxer/ rapper friend Vic who had children. No, I did not mistype, we were actually accompanied by a boxer who raps on the side.

You’re probably thinking to yourself “Oh I’m sure he raps about clean things, such as boxing and his kids.” No, not quite. One song verse I distinctly remember went “I’m bloodthristy. I’m gonna straight up drink your blood fucker, drink drink, like slurpee slurpee!” So that is the kind of crew we were rolling with.

We stopped to get some beer, and for some reason we also got Zebra Cakes. Being the gullible bastard that Brian was, we told him that they were made of real zebra.

He then spit them out and was appalled.

After the long drive, we had finally arrived at the party. At that point Brian exclaimed “I can smell those drinks in the back, they makin’ me hoooorrrrnnyyyy!” I shit you not.

We enter the party, and for a while things are going surprisingly pretty well.

They were mingling well and talking to people, The only problem was that we were not monitoring the amount and speed of alcohol Brian was consuming. In roughly an hour, he thought it was a good idea to have drank eight beers and three shots of Jose Cuervo. That is when everything started to go downhill, and quite quickly.

One girl at the party had a body shot prepared for her boyfriend, and obviously, it was not intended for Brian. Did that stop him? Of course not! Before the guy went to drink the shot, he shoved him to the floor and mouth raped her stomach. At this point we’re on pretty thin ice with the hosts, and it just got worse. Brian and Vic get into some sort of dispute over something that I’m sure was trivial, and Brian suddenly wants to beat Vic’s ass. Only

problem is that Vic is a professional boxer.

That doesn’t phase Brian at all. They proceed to get into a fist fight which only lasts a few minutes, but that does not mean that Brians head did not dent the wall and create a few holes. Along the way, a lamp and a glass table were broken.

At this point, the party was effectively over. Nothing scarier than two random people in their twenties getting into a fist fight and breaking shit when you’re 17. Everyone rushed out, and since we couldn’t find the host, we did the same while carrying Brians drunk ass back to the car. We get back to the house, and as we go to help Brian in, we realize that he had pissed his pants. When we finally got him into the house, he told us about all of the surfaces that he had banged his large girlfriend on in the house. We obviously wanted to hear this. Although it was memorable, it was possibly the worst party I’ve ever been to.

Exceptional Alumni

By Kathryn Przybyla

Rosalind Jarrett

Laurie Viera Rigler

Rosalind Jarrett, B.A. ’69 (English & Theatre) After completing her Bachelor of Arts in English and Theatre, Rosalind Jarrett left Western New York to begin her television career at KCET/28, a Los Angeles PBS station. After working with some major media companies including ABC Television Network Group, E! Entertainment Television, and Jeff Margolis Productions, Jarrett is currently the Executive in Charge of Publicity for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has expanded the audience and awareness of this awards show for telecasts on TNT and TBS since 1999. More recently, Jarrett has been the co-producer for the UB Coast to Coast Entertainment & Media Symposium which offers communication, theatre, music, visual studies, and media studies students a chance to participate in specific workshops and meet alumni in their field.

Besides being a Hollywood publicist, Jarrett is an avid tri-athlete who has competed as a member of Team USA in the 2009 International Triathlon Union Age Group World Championships in Australia.

Laurie Viera Rigler, B.A. ’79 (Classics) After graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics, Laurie Viera Rigler started her career working in film and television and even produced two short films that were commissioned by Showtime. A third short film entitled Blind Curve was chosen for the Cannes Film Festival’s Semaine de la Critique. Today, Rigler is a bestselling author of two novels, “Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict” and “Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict”. Combined, these books have been published throughout North America, the UK, the Netherlands and Italy. In addition to novels, Rigler feeds her Austen addiction with a popular “Sex and the Austen Girl”, as well as her own 16 | ubgeneration.com

At orientation for my summer internship in New York City, our supervisors had us go around the room and give a short bio about ourselves. Being towards the middle of the room, I had plenty of time to come up with something off the top of my head. After a while I became aware of something that I never had really thought of before. I was one of only a handful of the 80 new interns who was not studying at an Ivy League University. A feeling of self consciousness came over

Alan Zweibel

Jeremy Jacobs

website for which she blogs frequently janeaustenaddict.com. Currently residing in Pasadena, California, Rigler occasionally teaches classes and writing workshops in the area. She is also a huge fan of Twitter, after recently completing a twitter version of Austen’s “Persuasion.”

Alan Zweibel B.A ‘72 Born in Brooklyn, NY, Alan Zweibel was a young comedian who got his start as one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live in 1975, only three years after graduating from UB. On SNL, two of Zweibel’s most memorable characters he helped create were “Roseanne Roseannadanna” and “Emily Litella” both performed by good friend and SNL cast member, Gilda Radner. In SNL’s fifth season, he was a feature player and performed a pretty good Marlon Brando impersonation. Since his SNL days, Zweibel has also been a writer for Curb Your Enthusiasm, Monk, the Late Show with David Letterman, and the Emmy Awards. In addition to writing for television, he has also written for Esquire magazine, the New Yorker, and the Atlantic Monthly, as well as a few novels.

For his work, Zweibel has been won five Emmies, six Ace awards, and two Writer’s Guild of America awards. In February of 2010, Zweibel received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Writer’s Guild of America.

Jeremy Jacobs (School of Management) Born and raised here in Buffalo, NY, Jeremy Jacobs may be best known by UB students as the name behind the Jacobs Center where school of management students study. But the world knows him as #746 on Forbes list of the World’s millionaires.

Besides being UB’s most generous donor in history, Jacobs is the current owner of the

Wolf Blitzer

me at first, until it soon turned into pride. I was the exception. I was living proof that you do not need Harvard or Princeton on your resume to get somewhere fantastic in life. When it comes to success after graduation, students may not realize that a SUNY Buffalo degree can take you major places. Here we have found some of the most interesting alumni of the University at Buffalo who have always been the exception, and have the resumes to prove it.

Abbe Raven

Boston Bruins of the NHL since 1975. He represents the Bruins on the NHL’s Board of Governors and also serves on the executive committee. In addition to the NHL, Jacobs is also CEO of Delaware North Companies which is a global hospitality and food service business headquartered here in Buffalo. In 2000, Jacobs donated the landmark Butler mansion to UB, which is now known as the Jacobs Executive Development Center. In addition to UB’s School of Management, Jacobs is an alumnus of the Harvard School of Business Advanced Management Program and he resides with his family in East Aurora.

Wolf Blitzer B.A. ’72 (History) Born in Germany and raised in Buffalo, NY, Wolf Blitzer attended UB where he received a Bachelor of Arts in history.

Although journalism was not originally a lifelong goal of his, it is his show “The Situation Room” on CNN where most of the world recognizes him from. He started his career working for Reuters in the Tel Aviv bureau in the 1970’s and only excelled from there. Blitzer has been all over the world interviewing world leaders and reporting on current events throughout his entire career. In January of 2010, Blitzer endowed UB with the David Blitzer lecture series which provided seven free public talks by Jewish philosophy Scholars. The series is named after his late father David, a Jewish Polish refugee. In addition to his UB support, Blitzer is also the author of two books, “Between Washington and Jerusalem: A Reporter’s Notebook” and “Territory of Lies” and currently resides in Maryland.

Abbe Raven B. A. ’74 (Theater) Known today as one of the most influential women in the television industry, Abbe Raven got her start here at UB study-

Mohamed A. Mohamed

ing in the Theater department. A former teacher, Raven spent 23 years working in the industry and was part of the creative team that launched the History Channel in 1995. Currently, Raven has the great honor of working as the President and CEO of A&E Television Networks, which includes dramatic shows like Intervention, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Hoarders, and the First 48. The $1 billion company she runs has become extremely successful since Raven jumped on board. Starting as a production assistant in the early 80’s, there is no doubt that she has become an amazing success.

Today, she is still leading the way for great television for the 300 million viewers he networks reach.

Mohamed A. Mohamed B.A. ’93 (History) Born in Somalia, Mohamed A. Mohamed studied at UB earning a Bachelor of Arts in History after working in the Somali Embassy in Washington, DC. A respected and well known leader in the Somali community, Mohamed kept up to date with politics from back home, leading to his appointment by the Somali President.

The country on the East African Coast has been through a lot of turmoil since its last organized government was overthrown in 1991. Mohamed has been described as a peacemaker by many neighbors and local Western New York Community members, which may be exactly what the country of Somalia needs. In 2009, Mohamed completed his Master’s degree in American Studies and would regularly bring up restructuring options for Somalia in class discussion. He is a smart man who will face some intense obstacles on this new path as Prime Minister of Somalia, as he is added to the long list of incredible alumni this University has produced.

GENERATION November 2, 2010

Confused About Meal Plans

By Vincent Chia The University at Buffalo Campus Dining & Shops has been providing students, faculty members, and the community with various dining options. Their primary purpose is to offer high quality, high value, and innovative dining choices designed to fit student’s lifestyles and nutritional needs.

But recently, there have been complaints by a handful of students, who allegedly mentioned that dining outlets in Ellicott Food Court have stopped accepting meal plan exchanges for dinner during the weekends.

Needless to say, my initial response, after I heard of the new change was: What the hell just happened here? It seriously felt kind of strange for the change to be implemented midway through the semester. My housemate even commented

that, who has been studying at UB for the past year, and never has he encountered such crap before!

To be honest, I was curious (and a little irritated) at the sudden change as well.

Thus, I decided to find out the reason, if any, for the change. Mr. Orcutt, representative from the UB Campus Dining & Shops office was gracious enough to explain and elaborate more.

When the question was raised about the meal plan exchange problems mentioned by some students, Orcutt explained that, “It appears that there must have been a miscommunication. At no time have we (CDS) disallowed meal exchanges at the Ellicott Food Court during the normal meal exchange time periods.”

This left me feeling even more baffled.

Hence, I decided to go down and try if I could exchange my meal plans at one of the dining outlets in Ellicott Food Court.

To my surprise (and dismay), I was told that meal exchange for dinner starts only at 9pm on weekdays. In my opinion, that’s kind of a late timing for dinner. But fret not my fellow students’ who are currently on meal plans, because other dining outlets, such as those in Putnam’s or Red Jacket, offer dinner earlier.

Despite all the setbacks, Campus Dining & Shops have in fact implemented additional timing for students to use their meal exchanges. Starting in the Spring 2010 semester, the Ellicott Food Court began accepting breakfast meal exchanges during the week. And at the beginning of the Fall 2010 semester, they added an additional late night meal exchange period to cater to the various demands.

Mr. Orcutt from the Campus Dining & Shops has provided us with a breakdown of the current meal exchange periods at Ellicott Food Court: Breakfast (Weekdays) AM -10:30 AM Brunch (Weekends) 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM Lunch (Weekdays) 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Dinner (Weekends) PM – 8:00 PM Late Night (Every Day) 9:00 2:00 AM

8:00

5:30 PM

–

a new era dawns in the living dorm room it is free to use, as long as you purchase the hardware and have a suitable high-speed broadband connection.

How does it work?

Remember the good old days when Google was known chiefly for being a search engine? The search giant became a household name and the word “google” became so synonymous with searching and it has now been recognized as a verb in the English dictionary. After edging out the competition in web search, Google began to spread itself out into various markets including cloud based Gmail, Picasa for photo editing, YouTube, Google Maps and navigation. Perhaps the most adventurous was Googles foray into the smartphone business, creating the android operating system that has sold millions of phones worldwide with future sales projected to increase. It has become a sort of joke that Google is hell-bent on world domination and would soon become self-aware ala “Skynet” in the Terminator movie series, and bring about judgment day. While that might make for a great movie, Google’s chief goal probably is not so diabolical.

They are a corporation in the business to make money and the main chunk of Google’s revenue is made through advertising. Therefore, where’s a better place to position yourself to sell ads than a living room?

Google recently announced its new Google TV platform that serves to enhance the TV experience by bringing in the web, apps and search right on your TV. The software aspect of it is built on Android but features the Google chrome web browser complete with flash 10.1 allowing for a full web browsing experience on your HDTV. The software can then be deployed into a setup box , blue ray player or integrated directly into the TV, and sold by manufacturers. As the case with most Google services,

18 | ubgeneration.com

Basically the web is a channel. You tune in and the main underlying feature is search. The main interface naturally features a search box as well as a place to pin your favorite apps and channels for easy access. You can search across a whole variety of content including TV channels, apps and the entire web. This is neat idea that allows you to quickly locate a show you want to watch, look up its description, show times, and if you have a DVR, set it to record, all from your comfortable couch.

Since you have the full web at your disposal, you can enjoy YouTube in the full glory of your expansive HDTV, as well as stream content from various sites. Content providers are expected to provide actual apps, such as Hulu Plus and Netflix OnDemand with premium shows which may require subscription fees. Some people will no doubt balk at paying for cable as well as other services such as Hulu-Plus.

The promising aspect of this arrangement is that you can ditch your cable service and stream the shows you want to watch instead.

Sadly, this might not be a reality in the near future, as television broadcasters have been blocking their shows left right and center. As far as they’re concerned, if there is no way for them to monetize their products through this adventure, then it is not allowed. It is a pity for consumers, and of course Google, who stands to exponentially increase their advertising opportunities through this new platform.

The Google TV also allows you to stream music, videos and photos from computers on your wireless network to your living room. You can install compat-

ible apps from the Android market, including apps like NBA sports to keep track of your favorite teams, Amazon for quick easy shopping, and even Facebook to chat and keep up with friends.

A unique feature of the Google TV platform is the ability to use your Android cellphone or the iPhone as a remote to control the TV. You simply launch the app from your phone you can pause, skip content, type as you chat online and more. The possibilities of this are endless, such as being able to ring the remote if it goes missing between the creases of the couch.

The question is, can a Google TV box replace your cable box, and if not, do you need another box and remote to join your already cluttered entertainment center?

The short answer is no. Google TV does not come with a tuner built in or the ability to tune into network and cable channels.

You’re still going to need to subscribe to cable service, however as a complimentary addition, the Google box can be a tempting thing to own.

New Hardware Manufacturers such as Sony and Logitech have signed on to provide the hardware that runs the Google TV platform.

The basic hardware requirements include an Atom processor capable of outputting 1080p high definition video through

HDMI, Bluetooth and WiFi. Logitech took the approach of making the set-top box called the “Revue”, bundled with a keyboard that connects to your cable box, TV and internet connection, allowing you to get the full Google TV experience. The box is hassle-free to setup and once connected, you can start surfing and enjoying the content across your big screen TV. Logitech also introduced the TV Cam that will allow you to make HD video calls right from your sofa.

Perhaps most unique is Sony’s approach, incorporating the box into the TV itself, so that it just works out the box.

The interface is the same across all the devices, thus it is up to the manufacturers to differentiate their products in terms of hardware design and pricing. If you already have a HDTV, you can simply purchase the Logitech Revue for $300 or Sony’s Internet Blu-ray player for $399, both with the Google TV platform built in. If you’re shopping for a brand new TV, then the Sony Internet TV starts at $599 for 24 inches, a great deal for the built in functionality.

Think about it. Cable is free in the dorms and UB Apartments. This device can supplement your entertainment needs as you are almost always too busy to watch TV shows live when they air anyways. However since most of us college students are on a limited budget, Why not just connect a laptop to the HDTV and browse the web at your heart’s content? This naturally renders Google TV pointless. Nonetheless, this could change the living room if adopted by the general public. In theory, it makes a lot of sense to integrate traditional cable with web content, and if done right, it can be indispensible. The all-seeing eye of Google knows best, as they position their ads to penetrate the living room and laugh their way to a more fat bank account.

By Seon McDonald

GENERATION November 2, 2010

REVIEWS

On the

Road Josh Q. Newman When a work of fiction is considered “experimental”, some readers will automatically see it as outstanding. Think of “Ulysses”, the most experimental novel of its time, or “The Crying of Lot 49”, a book that defies definition. Experimental is classy; the less periods, the better.

Convention is bunk. As long as something is complex and hard to read, it meets the criteria of the work of art. It doesn’t just apply to books, either. Take “Inception”.

Its convoluted plot and a hot potato of an ending has been a hot topic for six months now, and overnight almost everyone is a psychologist. But experimental fiction is just that: an experiment. Some experiments result in success, while others (and I’d say even more) fail miserably. Within that spectrum, I’d have to place Damon Galgut’s latest novel “In a Strange Room” towards the better end.

It’s not the next “As I Lay Dying”, which is where Galgut extracts his title from, but it is an earnest travel narrative full of exotic locations and enigmatic characters. Galgut, who is an avid traveler himself and

probably based some of the book on his experiences, chooses a rather tricky style of narrative. Though it would be naïve to suggest that he stumbled on something new here, Galgut does break away from tradition with often satisfying results.

The book, which was shortlisted for the 2010 Man Booker Prize, is divided into three short sections, each title based on the protagonist’s relationship with the other characters. Damon (no, another Damon) is a derelict South African that travels the world. What he does or what he wants is unknown. He seems to be one of the many young, white backpackers that think they can find themselves by trekking across mountains or camping outside Lake Victoria. In some ways, there’s not much more to him than that. He constantly yearns for a sense of meaning in this world and he doesn’t know what to do with himself besides move. Yet unlike a lot of travel buffs, Damon is sincerely committed to not staying in one place forever. He can’t stand the notion of being defined by your environment. His defeatist sentiments keep him on his feet but that doesn’t stop him from looking back.

Indeed, that’s all he does.

In the first section, “The Follower”, Damon meets a mysterious young German named Reiner who, like him, just wants to travel. They meet in Greece and later travel across Lesotho. Reiner considers himself a “philosopher”. He is a Socratic figure, always challenging Damon without really providing an answer. Their relationship spans for a few years, and it reaches its inevitable highs and lows. The chapter is probably the most excruciatingly tender part to read. Damon, who’s hinted at being gay, develops a platonic crush on Reiner, who doesn’t reciprocate in kind. It boils down to a rather unpleasant climax and forces Damon to pursue the next journey of his life.

In “The Lover”, Damon befriends a group of European tourists in southern Africa, including a pair of Swiss twins, Jerome and Alice. They develop a weird relationship that continues even after they leave. The section is a very D.H. Lawrence-like tale of love and denial.

Jerome and Damon become increasingly uncomfortable with each other; the tension is thick but tacit. Like most of the issues in the book, their relationship cuts off in the most horrendous of ways. This leads to a journey of redemption, which is called “The Guardian”.

In “The Guardian”, Damon volunteers to look after a mentally disturbed friend of his named Anna. Beautiful, smart but hopeless, Anna is on a plethora of medications and tranquilizers that don’t seem to help. They go to India to sort out her problems . Tragedy ensues when she for-

gets he medications and, once they’re retrieved, takes them all at once. Her suicide attempt brings Damon to the brink.

What ensues is a final, irrevocable examination of what his travels have been all about.

The travel narrative is a two-edged sword. One the one hand, people naturally want to hear about exotic places of the world. On the other hand, it has to be done for the reader and not for the writer. In other words, no one wants to here about your petty problems. If your notion of self-discovery is intrinsically tied to your travels, fine. But it has to be expressed in such a way that doesn’t seem self-serving. Galgut has done this very well. His protagonist truly does want to find himself, not because he desires to or because he’s watched a lot of movies about it but rather because he needs to. It’s part of his very existence to move around. His relationships with people become strengthened or strained because of it, which is the irony. Only when he’s with other people does he have a sense of who he is. It’s an existential novel but it’s surprisingly social. In his criticism of the conventional world Galgut expresses a genuine interest in the people that live in it. The narrative is about his travels but rarely focuses on them. They’re in the background, not in the center, which totally flips the travel narrative on its head.

Galgut’s writing, if you couldn’t tell from my introduction, is experimental.

His paragraphs are short and separated by spaces. He doesn’t use quotation marks and barely separates the dialogue and thoughts from the narrative. His thirdperson narrative occasionally but annoyingly breaks into first-person, which for a time lead me to believe that I was reading Galgut’s memoirs. But besides the technical aspects, what really makes the novel experimental is its lack of catharsis or even a point. That’s not to say that every journey should be feel-good but the story isn’t feel-bad, either. It’s just there.

Though Galgut does muse from time to time about the meaning of life and of relationships, he does so as a painful afterthought. Damon’s struggles with his life are similar to the reader’s struggles with the book. We’re not quite sure what’s there and no matter how entertaining it is, we must move forward to make any sense of it.

So “In a Strange Room” is a well-written yet ultimately strange novel about a man’s attempt to discover the possibilities of existence. If you think that sounds cryptic, I’m sorry but that’s the best explanation I can give. Just ask Damon.

Forest

by A.B. It was an uphill climb from the moment we met.

Her life had more highs and lows than the Rockies, while mine flowed like a stream through quiet woods.

It wasn’t long before that stream became full of rapids.

One night I fell asleep a squirrel, and woke up a mountain lion.

She was a mountain lion.

She taught me to hunt by the light of the moon, to be light on my feet, to attack with purpose.

Squirrel memories faded as my instincts morphed species.

My peaceful forest life had become a predator-prey survival game.

After losing myself in the dark of night, I watched the sun rise over snow-topped mountains.

That sunrise struck a chord in me, resonating to my core.

I looked down at my paws, taking in what I had become – I looked at my fellow mountain lion, questioning all I had done – I looked into the river, watching my reflection in the rippling water.

I didn’t like what I saw.

I didn’t recognize myself.

I wanted my tiny paws, my delicate nose, my less complicated life.

Slowly – Painfully – I began to stalk away – shifting back – into my old squirrel self.

ubgeneration.com | 19

LITERARY

Snow Snow SNOW

A car door slammed in the distance, causing Mary to jump. Jeremy was back.

His Nikes made a soft crunching sound against the snow, but the sound rang inside Mary’s head like church bells on Easter Sunday. She rubbed her arms, attempting to rub out the bumps that had appeared at the sound of the car door. It seemed as though Jeremy was taking longer then necessary to get to the cabin, causing Mary to wonder if he suspected anything.

“Come on you asshole.

Just walk through the door,” she whispered to herself. As if on cue the doorknob turned and in walked Jeremy. He smiled his gorgeous smile, and turned to lock the door behind him. Mary hated that she was attracted to him; she kept reminding herself that he was a pompous jerk who had kidnapped her because she wouldn’t date him.

It seemed that shutting her eyes would be the only way to avoid falling for his trap.

Jeremy took off his expensive North Face ski jacket and hung it by the door. After shaking the last few bits of snow out of his hair he turned and walked towards where Mary was standing in the middle of the cozy living room. “Well, nice to see you can keep a fire going.” The words came out jokingly, Mary tried to add an evil voice to them. “What do you say we make some s’mores?” He flashed his pearly whites again and stepped closer, leaving only a few inches between them.

Looking down Mary replied, “I’m not hungry. But you go ahead.” She had meant for the words to come out sarcastic and angry, instead they came out quiet and flirtatious. What was going on with her?

Had she not spent all night trying to think of a way out? Now was not the time to fall under his spell. She looked up at him again and smiled. So much for avoiding his charm.

“Aw come on baby,” Jeremy cooed, wrapping his arms around her. “There’s no harm in a marshmallow with chocolate and graham crackers.”

Mary tensed in his grasp and held her 20 | ubgeneration.com

breath. She refused to smell his cologne.

“No thanks.”

“Well then...” Jeremy suddenly lifted her off the ground and carried her over to the couch. He threw her down and jumped on top of her. “You should have said yes to the s’more.” A pain shot through Mary’s arms and legs where he had her pinned down. Tears began to form in her eyes as it dawned on her what was happening.

She willed herself to fight back but couldn’t find the strength. “That’s right, don’t fight it. You know you want this too.” Jeremy breathed into her neck and began moving his hands.

Those six little words had triggered something in Mary’s mind. With one swift motion she slammed her knee into his groin, causing Jeremy to cry out in pain. In the split second he had let go she managed to get out from under him and run for the door. Ignoring the pain Jeremy chased after her and caught up before she could get the door unlocked. “Big mistake,” he growled. There was a vicious glint in his eye as he reached out to turn Mary around.

She didn’t fight his grasp this time.

Jeremy thought he had won as she turned without hesitation. Mary smiled sweetly at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Smirking, Jeremy pushed her against the wall and began kissing her neck again. As far as he was concerned, she was under his control now. But Mary had different plans. He snaked his arms around her waist and pressed himself closer. Mary let her one hand drop from his neck and slid her fingertips down his arm.

Quietly she flicked open what was inside her hand.

She paused for a moment, keeping the game up. Then she jerked her arm towards his stomach, letting his warm blood fall into her hand. Jeremy was in shock. He pulled away and watched as blood drenched the front of his clothes. Screaming in pain he ripped the knife out and leapt towards Mary. He landed right where she had been standing a moment before. As he regained

his footing, Jeremy saw Mary sprinting down the path he had made to the car. He reached for his jacket and found the hook empty. She had his car keys.

Breathing heavily, Mary got to car and wrenched the door open. She slammed it shut harder than necessary and fumbled as she tried to get the key into the ignition.

After her third try she succeeded. Jeremy was running for the car as she turned it on.

He reached for the passenger door, Mary threw the car into drive, and slammed on the accelerator. She whipped the car around so that she was facing Jeremy. He stood in the center of the snow covered driveway smiling psychotically as his blood stained the white snow around him. Mary hit the accelerator again and drove straight for him, thinking he would move. He didn’t. She made contact and kept driving.

As she sped down the semi-cleared road she checked the rearview mirror; Jeremy was lying on the ground, face down in the snow. Mary didn’t stop; instead she kept driving until she got home. She spent the next week feigning sick in her room, ignoring texts and calls from everyone.

The following Saturday Emily walked into Mary’s room and threw the newspaper on her bed. The headline read, “Twenty-One year old man found stabbed and dead in Ellicottville.” Without saying a word Emily climbed into the bed and wrapped her arms around Mary, who had begun to cry.

She started therapy that Monday.

By Allison Ruiz GENERATION November 2, 2010

LITERARY Static Colors

by Kayla Maxwell I’m formulating speculations that I’ve had for far too long and justifying what I hold to outline, and to fill.

bonds, static colors and leafy skies thick and bold and hard to touch

take it.

loose and wild and I cannot see through all the walls. which one do I walk into?

where is the door?

question, answer. twenty-first, I don’t remember. someday in July, December? second, last.

I never had the answer.

if I could write a sentence that had a nice gold trim. crimson heart to fill and I’ll keep it on a whim.

if we stopped remembering, we would die. die, tie, tie together this.

And;

if you have a bad feeling and you’ve been missing the meaning, and the rain doesn’t bother you, what is wrong with jumping in the puddles?

just the thought of a burning passion that excites you, the words you spoke ignite you, and all the time that twists around wrists, and hug around your neck.

don’t repeat the past. but that is all I do. but it’s different each time.

I am different, I promise. you are the same, I tell myself they are all the same. are any of us really different? do we all just want to be content because in the end we all end up with the same bead we lost from the necklace that spilled on the church floor when we were five years old.

sometimes its something so big, I can’t see past its corners and edges,

and then I can’t find it because it’s lost in the air dissolving, condensing, and solidifying my fears. nothing but senses and broken fingertips

because strings of simple meanings get tangled so well and love stories and singing songs, are things I can’t tell.

offended by these actions, play the script over in my mind.

I hear the words from all the chapters remembering, surrendering.. but you can say it all.

never a circumstance you’ve waited for.

I’d just hate to leave it all.

only eight years later. and it’s writing in my notepad. scribbled down, crossed out and read aloud in my head. recite it when...

where did my flower go? the one I picked the petals from. why do you lock me out? where is it I am going?

who are you, who is this. addressing everyone as one.

and ruffled in the pathway under the bridge. whisper to me all the wonderful things you have a fleeting thought.

Yeah we drink and we party, And we hang out all the time.

So don’t tell us we can’t be friends, This shouldn’t blow your mind.

So if you don’t believe me, Then you need some damn maturity.

Cuz my best friends a girl, that’s not screwed up.

it would mean something if it would mean anything, at all.

I would know the answer. if only I knew the question. and who was asking it.

but I have no answer.

I have these speculations that I formulate in my mind. equations, of bonds held together by static colors, transparent and yet you cannot see through them, only break them.

these are the static moments. this is a formulation. what is the answer? if that is the question.

Just Friends

by Corey O’Brien She’s a best friend, Not a lover.

She’s a confidant, Nothing other.

So why is that such a damn problem?

Yeah we hang out, Does it matter?

Yeah we’re just friends, I don’t fuck her.

Yeah I’m a guy who’s best friend’s a woman.

Yeah we drink and we party, And we hang out all the time.

So don’t tell us we can’t be friends, This shouldn’t blow your mind.

Yeah my best friend she’s girl, She knows my whole world.

But we couldn’t ever date, It’s definitely not fate.

We’re just friends so shut the fuck up.

So if you don’t believe me, Then you need some damn maturity.

Cuz my best friends a girl, That’s not screwed up.

So they tell me We’d be so cute.

But we won’t be, We might puke If we ever tried to hang out in that way.

Still they bug us Since high school.

When on the bus I thought ‘She’s cool.’

They thought we would date no matter what we’d say.

Yeah my best friend she’s girl, She knows my whole world.

But we couldn’t ever date, Its definitely not fate.

We’re just friends so shut the fuck up.

So if you don’t believe me, Then you need some damn maturity.

Cuz my best friends a girl, that’s not screwed up.

Yeah my best friend she’s girl, She knows my whole world.

But we couldn’t ever date, Its definitely not fate.

We’re just friends so shut the fuck up.

ubgeneration.com | 21

parting SHOTS

When Friends Come to Visit

by Catherine Prendergast

This past weekend my friend from home came to visit me. It was going to be only the second time one of my friends ventured up to Buffalo for a weekend “getaway.”

The first time occurred my sophomore year when I was still living at the Ellicott dorms. I knew we were going to have fun, for several reasons. The first was that it was my birthday weekend. Secondly, it was getting close to finals week, and everyone was so burnt out by that point that they were more than ready to ditch the books for a few hours to party hard. Thirdly, my friend was getting restless at her barely a-thousand-undergraduate-population liberal arts school. She needed a change; a

What do you want to do before you die?

by Kathryn Przybyla

So many things flood my mind as soon as I begin to collect my thoughts on the adventures and experiences I want to accomplish in my lifetime. How can one even begin to answer that? Four guys from British Columbia, Canada asked themselves that very same question in 2006 when they created a list of the 100 things they wanted to accomplish before they die. That list + a video camera + a contract with MTV turned

22 | ubgeneration.com

chance to meet new people. The weekend was just destined to be fun. I didn’t even plan on taking her anywhere beyond south campus house parties and the Villas, since she was only going to be here for two days.

Fortunately for us, the parties that weekend were some of the best I had been to all year. My friend left Buffalo with a massive hangover and an even bigger set of joyous and hilarious memories.

So when another friend from home announced she was coming to visit me, I was ecstatic. I thought of my birthday weekend and how this time was going to be even more fun, since I was living with my best friends off campus. But then I realized that this weekend was not going to be smooth sailing of spontaneous events, where I didn’t have to plan anything, things just kind of happened. This time was going to be different. It was only October, so people were not burnt out yet, on the contrary, people were in the midst of studying and keeping up with their work no matter what. My friend last time came on a Friday and left Sunday. This time, my friend was arriving on a Wednesday evening. I have class Thursday and Friday, and I could not afford to skip a single one. Not to mention I was going to have a test for English the day after she arrived. Knowing I would have to study on the first night she got here was disheartening.

Schoolwork aside, I realized this time would also be different because of where my friend was coming from. As I said before, my friend last year came from a tiny college where she was getting tired of the

same place and routine. But my friend this year was coming from none other than Tulane University in Louisiana. Tulane is normal sized for one thing. More importantly, she was coming from New Orleans – a city bursting with interesting people and events. A place that allows you to drink on the street. A place that is always warm. A place that is somewhat of a vacation in itself.

I began to panic just a little. How could I make this trip unforgettable? How could I present Buffalo in the most favorable light?

What are we going to do??

My friend arrived right on time on Wednesday. We made dinner, she met my roommates, she even helped me study for my English exam. Nothing had to be big that first night, since we were just happy to see each other. However, for the next four days, I planned one activity right after another. I was determined to be constantly busy because I honestly did not know what Buffalo had to offer someone coming from The Big Easy.

Thursday I showed her around campus, north and south. I gave her a tour of the CFA, the Student Union, the Library. We walked around main street and then got Buffalo’s finest wings, and then went to one of our friends houses later that night.

The next day, I went to class and she slept in. In the afternoon we watched a movie, and then went to the Burchfield Penney art museum. We got Thai for dinner, and the rest of the night was spent in downtown Buffalo, which was, for lack of a better word, hilarious. The streets were packed,

and everyone seemed to be having a good time, despite the cold. On our way back we stopped at UHots so she could experience the infamous garbage plate.

On Saturday we went to Niagara Falls and got tickets for Maid of the Mist. The water and scenery were incredible, of course, but we got the most amusement from the oversized plastic ponchos we were required to wear on the boat. Later we went out to dinner, and eventually to a party on Elmwood Avenue.

On Sunday morning we got brunch on Main street. We talked about the weekend.

I had been so set on making plans I didn’t even know what she thought of the trip. I am happy to report that she had an incredible time. She said the cold weather was actually refreshing, and the lack of humidity in the air kept her allergies in check. The Buffalo wings were better than expected, and she liked everyone she met. She loved the community-like atmosphere of the Heights, as well as crowded and often tacky Chippewa, and artsy Elmwood. Food and drinks were cheap, and her grilled cheese at UHots was “one of the best grilled cheeses” she ever had. She was so happy she had finally been to Niagara Falls, it was one of the places she always wanted to visit.

I realized at the end of the trip that Buffalo had actually impressed her. For one of the first times I felt proud my college town.

If she had a great time coming from New Orleans, I truly believe that anyone who comes and explores the various places in Buffalo will not be disappointed.

into one of my favorite shows on television.

“The Buried Life” follows Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, Duncan Penn, and Jonnie Penn as they check things off their list, traveling all across North America doing something most of us are just too scared to do. What’s cool about the show though, is that for every item they try to complete on their list, they help a stranger achieve one of their own dreams. Can you say good Samaritans?

Some of my favorite episodes include “#33 Compete in a krump competition”, “#59 Ask out the girl of your dreams”, and “#48 Accept a dare: Steal a lock of Robert Pattinson’s hair”. Some are outrageous and some are as simple as riding a rollercoaster for the first time, but regardless they are doing something big.

Tuning in every Monday night, I began to wonder what I would put on my list. What in the world do I want to do before I die?

Although I could probably make a list of hundreds of things, I’m going to share 10 that I think would be incredibly worthwhile.

Play a match on the grass courts at Wimbledon – every tennis player’s dream is to make it to a grand slam tournament where all the pros play. Having only been to London for a lay-over flight, getting a chance to hit a few balls around on the famous grass courts would be incredible, not to mention incredibly classy.

Visit my uncle in Brisbane, Australia – Ever since I was a little girl, I have always

wanted to visit my family who lives in Australia, having never been that far around the world before. Spending some time waking up every morning to go surfing and see some of the world’s most beautiful sunsets would be such an experience.

Make the best selling list after writing a book – Obviously I love to write, otherwise I wouldn’t be spending my nights coming up with astonishingly good material to fill this magazine with. It’s always been a dream of mine to spend the time to write a great book that people will love to read… and love to buy.

Learn how to play golf really well – Golf maybe one of the only sports I have little skill at, frankly because I have never played a real round of golf that didn’t include puttputt. All the important men in my life are pretty good with a club and I’d love to show them how fantastic I am at the game, if I ever learn how to play.

Kiss the Stanley Cup – Born and raised here in Buffalo (with cousins who live in Canada) there is no doubt that my true love lies with hockey. One of the greatest sports in the world, I would love to cross this off my list, preferably after the Buffalo Sabres win the damn thing and bring it home.

Be in a feature film – After retiring from acting in my senior year of high school as “ensemble dancer”, I really do miss the stage and the spotlight. It would be incredible to get chance for a walk-on role in some film or show, no matter how unlikely that

may be. Is that Hollywood calling darling?

Watch my sister win 1st place – Being an Irish dancer for the last 16 years, I have had my share of trophies. But watching my younger sister excel at it as she moves up the ranks on her own has been so amazing to me. Kind of like the “Olympics of dance”, being there to watch her win at a competition would be priceless Get an article published in Vogue – magazines are my vice. With subscriptions to Vogue and all sorts of publications I should just read at the library, getting an article published in the Bible of fashion would just blow my mind. They did take a couple of my letters to the editor, so I’m halfway there.

Take my Grandma out dancing – When I was little, I used to polka with my Polish grandmother since she loved to dance.

Now, while I don’t spend as much time with her as I should, taking her out on the town to go dancing would just be a wonderful experience for both of us.

Help the Buried life boys cross something off their list – Since Ben, Dave, Duncan, and Jonnie still have yet to make a stop in Buffalo on “The Buried Life”, consider this an open invitation for us to help you with your crazy adventures. Give me a holla and I’m positive we can check a few off.

GENERATION November 2, 2010

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