The Spectrum Volume 60 Issue 50

The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo WEDNESDAY EDITION v February 9, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 50 v ubspectrum.com COURTESy Of DOUGLAS LEvERE

UB chemistry professor Diana Aga was part of a study that found a high number of pollutants in Lake Erie’s fish.

Two Candidates to Run for Faculty Senate Chair

Something’s Fishy in Lake Erie STEvEN WROBELstaff writer When the warm months come around in Buffalo, many students take to the outdoors to enjoy the temperate weather while it lasts.

For some, the thawing of lake ice offers an opportunity to break out their rods and tackle boxes to go fishing.

Zubrow

This year’s election will be extremely significant, as the Faculty Senate will be presented with a number of changes and pressing issues. It will have to select UB’s 15th president, work with the relatively new SUNY chancellor and the recently elected Governor Andrew Cuomo, and deal with the budget crisis for both the state and the SUNY system.

Zubrow currently stands as the Faculty Senate executive representative for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Nickerson is currently a SUNY Sena-

Tobacco-Free Policies Based on Respect and a Balance of Rights JENNIfER HARBsenior Life editor A highly contested topic and often ignored policy on campus was discussed Monday morning and afternoon in the Center for Tomorrow, where the New York State TobaccoFree Initiative met for its first of four conferences across the state.

The conference focused on the implementation and maintenance of a tobacco-free policy on campuses, included panel discussions from experts in the field, and spoke of various resources offered on campuses.

The resounding message regarding a tobacco-free initiative was that it must be based on respect.

INSIDE NEWS :: 2 OPINION :: 3 ARTS & LIFE :: 4–5 DAILY DELIGHTS :: 6 CLASSIFIEDS :: 6 SPORTS :: 8–7

“I believe in the public research university,” Zubrow said. “I fear that what is happening in higher education in the U.S. is that public universities are being relegated to being simply teaching universities and that the research university will be left to the privates…and I don’t want that to happen.”

Zubrow hopes to reexamine whether the capital and operative expenditures are as fixed as they seem to be, and clarify private and public joint operations. If elected as chair of the

Continued on Page 7

“It’s a public health issue; we want to make sure the air is clean for everybody,” said Jennifer Sullivan, director of strategic health alliances for the ACS (American Cancer Society) and organizer of the conferences. “We’re not saying people don’t have a right to smoke… they’re more than welcome to, and they can do it in a place where it’s not affecting others.”

However, a recently released study may cause some anglers to think twice before taking home their stringer of caught fish for a meal.

In a report published in September 2010 in Chemosphere, an international peer-review scientific journal, University at Buffalo chemistry professor Diana Aga, along with several colleagues from both Western New York and Canada, released the results of a study she conducted in Lake Erie.

The team tested a sample of carp caught along the eastern shore of Lake Erie against a control sample of carp taken from two nearby lakes. The report showed that the carp from Lake Erie contained high levels of two organic compounds – polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) – while the carp from the other lakes contained no trace of the chemicals at all.

PCBs were common chemicals used in many adhesives, paints, plastics, and flame retardants until their banning in the late 1970s.

PBDEs were then introduced, and while some varieties have working on implementation. The conference served to educate attendees on the importance of such a policy.

“A lot of people ask if their [enrollment] numbers will decline if they implement a policy. There’s no data that says it does or it doesn’t. We don’t have that data captured yet,” Sullivan said. “But as far as we’ve seen with the campuses that we have spoken We’re not saying people don’t with and surhave a right to smoke… they’re veyed, they have more than welcome to, and they not seen any drops. It’s actucan do it in a place where it’s not ally welcomed; affecting others. a lot of parents…

– Jennifer Sullivan (American Cancer Society) really want their children to be in an atmosphere Sullivan was originally looking to that is healthy and promotes good hold the conferences at the SUNY health.” campuses, but expanded her focus when she realized that many cam- The partners in the Tobacco-Free puses across the state were also Initiative are the ACS Colleges Against Cancer, the NYS Depart-

WEATHER WED

The two candidates for the position are Ezra B. Zubrow, professor in anthropology and adjunct professor in geography, and Peter A. Nickerson, director of the pathology graduate program.

In Zubrow’s platform, he promises to lead “a truly democratic Faculty Senate that will listen to all opinions and will appreciate the diversity of the faculty with respect and understanding.” Zubrow encourages the role of faculty in institutional governance at UB and lists the Senate as the “faculty’s most important agent for creating the university’s value and identity.”

THURS

Elections are in progress for the next Chair of the Faculty Senate, who will serve a term beginning July 1 and running through June 30, 2013. The Faculty Senate is elected as UB’s official representative body for the Voting Faculty.

tor on the Faculty Senate and was chair from 2004 to 2006.

FRI

LAUREN NOSTROsenior news editor

Nickerson

k k c

50%

50%

30%

H: 16 L: 8 H: 14 L: 10 H: 25 L: 18

7

e-mail ajwiktor@buffalo.edu

RUN FOR EDITOR IN CHIEF OF THE SPECTRUM

been outlawed, many are still in use in personal computers due to their ability to last a long time.

Alicia Perez-Fuentetaja, biology professor, member of the Great Lakes Center at Buffalo State College, and project director for the study, discusses the detrimental effects of PCB and PBDE on humans if absorbed from eating contaminated species.

“It is a serious health hazard and it can develop issues in the nervous and endocrine systems for… all children and adults.” PerezFuentetaja said, With the published results of this study of carp, Perez-Fuentetaja, Aga, and their colleagues recently launched a second and more expansive study, looking at the Lake Erie food web to see how the concentrations of these chemicals become more and more toxic as one travels up the food chain.

Perez-Fuentetaja explained that this new study will examine various kinds of fish, from plankton to the sportfish of Lake Erie, such as bass, trout, steel head, and walleye – which are often consumed by humans. Aga pointed out that although the study is still underway, preliminary testing and results reveal a directly proportional relationship in the chemical concentration as one travels up the food web.

The procedure for testing these animals took the research team nearly two years of development to create. Aga explains that the process involves grinding the species down into chunks and then using a process called accelerated solvent extraction to create a concentrated solution of the animal contents.

into a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS), which provides a readout that breaks down the contents of the sample into different chemicals. From this readout, Aga and her colleagues are able to determine how much of the hazardous chemical the fish contains.

Bruce McCombe, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, helped to speed up these studies by issuing a grant in April 2010 that allowed for the purchase of a state-of-the-art GCMS that is sensitive enough to detect even the smallest concentrations of these chemicals in some samples. Prior to this grant, samples had to be sent to the Environment Canada labs in Burlington, Ontario in order to be analyzed. With this endowment, specimens can be collected and analyzed in a timelier manner.

Perez-Fuentetaja concluded that the results of these studies can be instrumental to future legislation. “[We] cannot change policies until there is evidence,” Perez-Fuentetaja said.

She explained that for the time being, alerting the public to this issue, which greatly affects many individuals, is the first step to a resolution.

Aga believes that “providing historical data” of the chemical levels in the lake would allow future studies to show how successful alternative chemicals would be in cutting down on the harmful pollutants in Lake Erie. g

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

This solution is then concentrated once again before being placed

ment of Health’s Colleges for Change program (C4C), and the National Center for Tobacco Policy, codirected by the keynote speaker, Ty Patterson.

Lung and bronchial cancers account for more cancer deaths than all others combined, and there’s a direct correlation between tobacco use and cancer incidence, according to Sullivan. A point later mentioned by Patterson announced a similar sentiment: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 10 percent of the population suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or COPD-related breathing disorders that are exacerbated by exposure to smoke.

“The reality is there is still a substantial amount of students and employees on your campus that are already compromised in terms of a diagnosis of COPD or another related ailments, which is adversely related to second-hand smoke and

HOUSING SURVEY FILL IT OUT AND WIN SOME FREE STUFF PAGE 2

third-hand smoke,” Patterson said.

Patterson mentioned the problem with tobacco public policy – the laws restricting tobacco in the U.S. are based on purchasing and possession, but there is no law establishing that a person can’t use tobacco. He describes this as the reason why tobacco-restriction policies have been scrutinized in court. He believes that tobacco use is not only open to restriction, but has also been clearly restricted in the past.

“When [students] tell us they disagree with our policies, and they think they’re stupid, and they think it’s appropriate to be non-compliant, and we’re allowing them to get away with this behavior, are we acting in their interests?” Patterson asked. “The world of work that we’re preparing our students to go out and be successful in operates in a whole different kind of way about

Continued on Page 7

A WEEK IN INK PAGE 6

UB Hosts Housing Info Sessions

NEWS 2/2 — Marijuana odor and use was reported on Goodyear Rd. 2/2 — A subject was charged with assault on Main St. 2/2 — Disorderly conduct was reported on Goodyear Rd.

Police Blotter 2/1 — A vehicle was repossessed at 3600 Bailey Ave. 2/1 — A subject was charged with driving while intoxicated near Flint Loop.

2/2 — Larceny was reported at 2 Frontier Rd. 2/2 — A student conduct violation occurred at 5 Webster Rd. 2/2 — Subjects reported being trapped in an elevator at 130 Core Rd.

2/1 — A subject required first aid on Core Rd.

2/2 — A suspicious person and vehicle were seen on Lee Entrance St.

2/1 — Disorderly conduct was reported at 170 Putnam Way.

2/2 — Criminal mischief was reported at 207 Saint Rita’s Lane.

2/1 — Larceny was reported at 160 Putnam Way.

2/2 — Reckless operation of a vehicle was reported at 1 Winridge Rd.

2/1 — Harassment was reported at 130 Core Rd. 2/1 — Larceny was reported at 1 Coventry Loop.

2/2 — Marijuana odor and use was reported at 520 Core Rd.

ANDREW WIkTOReditor in Chief 2/3 — A subject required first aid at 50 Hayes Rd. 2/3 — An intrusion alarm was set off at 23 Hayes Rd. 2/3 — Harassment was reported at 13 Rotary Rd. 2/3 — A subject was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle at Diefendorf Loop.

2/3 — A suspicious person and vehicle were seen at 7 White Rd. 2/3 — An intrusion alarm was set off at 270 Putnam Way. 2/4 — Marijuana odor and use were reported at 140 Core Rd. 2/4 — A suspicious person and vehicle were reported at 1 Diefendorf Loop.

2/4 — An intrusion alarm was set off at 300 Putnam Way. 2/4 — Disorderly conduct was reported at Flint Loop.

Continued Online

It’s relatively easy for UB to set standards on campus, especially when it comes to housing. Taming the beast of off-campus renting, however, is often far more complicated.

To provide information and general guidelines, Off-Campus Student Services is conducting meetings this week to raise awareness about some of the issues students may face while renting off campus in Buffalo.

“These sessions are important for students who are considering renting an apartment,” said Dan Ryan, director of off-campus student services, in an e-mail. “Unfortunately, most students are not educated consumers of housing. Most of our students who live off campus are living without sprinklers, with insufficient electrical service, and many have no working smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. In fact, many of the apartments rented by our students in the City of Buffalo, do not even have a Certificate of Occupancy.”

By providing tips and guidelines to renters off campus, UB hopes to educate its students to make wise decisions when renting houses and apartments.

Ryan also mentioned other issues that may arise between landlords and student tenants.

“Many students are taken advantage of by landlords who refuse to make repairs or return security deposits,” Ryan said. “The purpose of these workshops is to make sure that students are better informed before they sign a lease, or in the event that they have already signed a lease, that they know what their rights are and that they know where to turn for help.”

A session titled Basics of Leasing will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. to help students learn how to negotiate leases and give pointers on what to look for before signing an unfavorable lease. On Friday, there will be a session on off-campus living geared toward international students.

Both sessions will take place at 145A Student Union and are open to all students.

Although there are only two sessions left this week, this isn’t the only opportunity to learn useful tips regarding off campus living.

Today in UB History Pictured above is a Valentine’s Day advertisement placed by The Steer in 1988. Be sure to check out our Sex Issue set to hit stands Monday; we’ll be taking a look at Valentine’s Day articles decade-by-decade.

spaces going fast for fall 2011 private shuttle to campus resortstyle amenities

private bedrooms & bathrooms

UV Sweethome: 716.689.5800 | Villas at Chestnut Ridge: 716.691.9600

apply online @ buffalostudenthousing.com

2

NEWS wednesday, FeBRuaRy 9, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

If you’ve either had a really good landlord or a really bad one, we want to hear your story.

E-mail andrew.wiktor@ubspectrum.com with what happened or fill out the survey below to be entered to win a Spectrum prize. Put this page in Andrew Wiktor’s mailbox in 132 Student Union.

CIRCLE ALL THAT APPLY Why do you live in the University Heights?

It’s cheap It’s fun It’s close to campus Great Housing Other _______________ When you first rented, which steps, if any, did you take?

Walked through the house Spoke to past tenants Had the building inspector check the house Negotiated the lease Checked windows Checked smoke detectors Other _______________ Which problems, if any, have you experienced living off campus?

Broken appliances Broken windows Broken smoke detectors Loss of security deposit Poor electricity Other _______________ Which pieces of UB literature, if any, have you seen?

Living off campus pamphlet On vs. Off Campus pamphlet UB Guide to Living Off Campus Renter’s Insurance Would-be-tenants Inventory Condition Report Other _______________

“If students cannot attend the workshops, they should contact off-campus student services before they sign a lease. They should also sit down with an attorney to review the lease; Sub Board-I Legal Service provides that service in the Student Union,” Ryan said. “If [students] have already signed a lease, they should contact off-campus student services to arrange for an internal inspection of the apartment by a certified building inspector.” g

What, if any, are your fears living off campus?

Housing safety Safety from violence/burglary Bad relationship with landlord Other _______________ Who is your landlord? _______________

E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

Rate your landlord on a scale of 1-5, 5 being superb, 1 being terrible. 1 2 3 4 5

OPINION EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tuition Increase Won’t Help Budget Cuts

Star-Spangled Disaster

Most money wouldn’t go to uB

Andrew Wiktor

MANAGING EDITORS

Luke Hammill, senior Amanda Woods EDITORIAL EDITOR

John Hugar

NEWS EDITORS

Lauren Nostro, senior David Weidenborner Dannielle O’Toole, asst.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER

Amanda Jonas ARTS EDITORS

James Twigg, senior Jameson Butler Vanessa Frith, asst.

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently unveiled his budget proposal for the next year, and it contained some surprising news for SUNY students. After years of tuition increases, many of which were protested by UB students, Cuomo announced that he would not increase tuition for state schools.

While many students were excited about this, the Student Assembly, which said that it wished to see tuition increase at a fixed rate each year so students can plan ahead, met it with disapproval.

One of the main concerns was the 10 percent cut to the SUNY budget, which would likely lead to several key programs losing funding, and many disappearing.

This was an issue of major concern, since several academic departments are already struggling, and cutting millions of dollars from the SUNY budget would only drive them further into extinction.

LIFE EDITORS

Many people believe that the best way to keep these programs from suffering this fate would be to increase tuition so that the budget cuts won’t be necessary, and SUNY won’t have to make such drastic cuts.

SPORTS EDITORS

While The Spectrum understands the desire to eliminate budget cuts, and is certainly sympathetic toward the plight of endangered programs, we do not entirely agree with this logic.

PHOTO EDITORS

For one thing, the money from last year’s tuition increase did not all actually go to UB. It went to Albany, and then a percentage of it was given back to schools.Considering the state that the economy is in, it is unlikely that a large tuition increase

Jennifer Harb, senior Mike Tyson, asst.

Matt Parrino, senior Carey Beyer Brian Josephs, asst.

would give that much money to SUNY schools.

The state as a whole is in poor condition, and as a result, there are other areas that would receive the funding.

Because of the poor state of the economy, and lack of employment across the board, it is likely that other programs would receive higher priority than SUNY. Budget cuts are necessary. The problem isn’t that they are being made, but where they are being made. Instead of dismantling academic programs and leaving several departments in shambles, there are other more cost-effective ways of shortening the budgets.

For example, some buildings on campus leave lights on all summer long. If no one’s using the buildings, why spend that much on electricity?

Simply turning off the lights would probably trim the budget, however substantially, and help the environment.

Additionally, consider the high salaries and benefits that some people at UB receive. Many highranking officials receive salaries well into sixfigure territory. Making cuts in this area would certainly soften the budget cuts.

With the economy the way it is, budget cuts are necessary and understandable. However, The Spectrum doesn’t see why the academic departments should have to pay so much of the price.

Cutting from other areas could save money, and keep important programs running. g

Clinton Hodnett, senior Megan Kinsley Alex McCrossen

PROFESSIONAL STAFF BUSINESS MANAGER

Debbie Smith Helene Polley

Marissa Giarraputo

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Jeannette Wiley

FEBRUARY 9 , 2011 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 50 CIRCULATION: 7,000

The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by both Alloy Media and Marketing, and MediaMate For information on advertising with the Spectrum visit www.ubspectrum.com/ads or call us directly.

The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100 Telephone: (716) 645-2468 Fax: (716) 645-2766 Copyright 2010 Buffalo, N.Y.

Suspicion Justified On Both Sides In Iran Espionage Case Iran’s desire to protect itself is understandable In July of 2009, three Americans were arrested after crossing into Iran through an unmarked border while traveling.

pose of hiking. Due to the high amount of danger, especially for Americans, it is not a popular tourist destination.

After they were arrested, they were charged with espionage. One of the travelers, Sarah Shourd, was released for medical reasons. Her bail was $500,000.

This, of course, begs the question of what they were doing there. While it is possible that they were just vacationers with offbeat tastes in travel destination, it is not unreasonable to believe they had ulterior motives for being there.

The other two, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, have been in prison ever since. After 19 months, their trial is finally beginning this week.

Naturally, this series of events has sparked lots of controversy.

Many people believe the two travelers are simply political prisoners, and they are only being held due to the rough relationship between the United States and Iran.

Others, however, have pointed out that there may be reason to believe the accused are guilty. For one thing, very few American tourists travel to Iraq (where they were before they crossed the border) for the pur-

The Spectrum is printed by The Buffalo News 1 News Plaza Buffalo, NY 14240

CONTESTS POETRY CONTEST: Submit your love-themed poem for our Valentine’s issue.

Quite simply, both sides have reason to be suspicious.

It is reasonable for Americans to think this is occurring for political reasons, and that the hikers were simply tourists. Considering that no evidence has come out showing that they were spies, that may well be the case.

At the same time, Iran cannot be blamed for defending itself. If two Iranian tourists crossed the U.S. border, they would likely face the same amount of scrutiny. If nothing else, the hikers were suspicious, and Iran had reason to believe they may be a dangerous presence.

HOW DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP BEGIN?

With one brain fart, the pop star – and I use the term “star” loosely – ruined the song, pre-game festivities, and possibly even her career (not that she had much of one left anyway).

When it happened, I immediately called my father – a guy who holds his right hand over his overlylarge patriotic heart and sings the words proudly, loudly and, unfortunately, very off-pitch every time he hears the national anthem – who, to my surprise, had no idea what had just occurred.

Hopefully, after the trial, this situation will look a lot clearer.

In the meantime, however, The Spectrum believes neither side can be judged.

It may be proven that they were simply tourists who crossed a border by accident, or we may find out that they actually were there for espionage purposes.

Until we know for sure, however, we cannot make rash judgments about either side. Due to the volatile relations between the U.S. and Iran, this is a situation where it is easy to jump to conclusions.

We believe it is important to avoid that. Even if the accusations against the hikers are false, the suspicion on the part of Iran was understandable. At the same time, it’s fairly reasonable to question if anti-American sentiment played a factor in the charges, or in the delayed trial. Only when the facts come out will we know for sure. g

America’s delayed response, however, raised a question in my mind: why did it take only 30 seconds to see the infamous Janet Jackson nipple slip on the Internet back in 2004, but over five minutes to confirm that our country’s national anthem was just defaced?

Believe it or not, it gets worse.

From the pre-game affairs to the array of vehicular commercials, this Super Bowl had a greater feel of nationalism than any in years past (minus the debacle of our national anthem).

The pre-game contained a montage that showed our troops overseas; U.S. Army staff sergeant Salvatore Giunta, who was the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, was a special guest of honor and got a massive standing ovation.

(Ironically, the broadcast cut to a video of soldiers overseas right after Aguilera repeated the second line of our anthem in place of the fourth line – “O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?” – that was omitted.)

Even the car commercials boasted American pride.

The two-minute long, $12 million Chrysler 200 commercial featuring Eminem was the most invigorating commercial I have ever seen during the Super Bowl. And who else knew that every BMW X3 ever made came from South Carolina?

I sure didn’t. Even Toyota claimed to use more American parts than Ford, although I’d go out on a limb and call the company’s bluff.

Submit your story for a chance to get printed here on Valentine’s Day and receive a Salvatore’s gift card.

(What a nice extra present...)

Nationalism aside, I, for one, still have a sour taste left in my mouth after watching the big game, despite my 1,5 box hitting in the fourth quarter, earning me a healthy payout. For a Super Bowl that was filled with nationalism, pinpoint throws, and football catches, Christina Aguilera and we, the American people, really dropped the ball when it came to our National Anthem. g

E-mail: amanda.jonas@ubspectrum.com

E-mail: kimbarow@buffalo.edu

contest ends 2/9

ILLUSTRATIONS! Love to draw? Calling for all doodlers and serious artists to enter their creations. your artwork could make the front page! contest ends 2/31

My Super Bowl “party” knew something was wrong, but we still had to rewind the anthem – God bless DVR – twice and pull up the lyrics to see exactly how badly she butchered it. Safe to say, Christina Aguilera invented a remix that even P. Diddy couldn’t help.

My party and I kept refreshing Google News and scouring blogs to see if more people noticed the slipup and to check our sanity. We had to wait over five minutes before we found another source that confirmed we were not crazy.

ADVERTISING MANAGER

The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee

But how many of you actually heard her screw up when she did?

Initially, my anger was toward Aguilera, but now I was getting frustrated with the American people as a whole.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

The views expressed — both written and graphic — in the Feedback, Opinion, and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or spectrum-editorial@buffalo.edu.

The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style or length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it clearly as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number and e-mail address.

After watching the news, SportsCenter, or YouTube, you must already know that Christina Aguilera botched our national anthem on our country’s biggest stage, Super Bowl XLV.

I decided to check the next-mostreliable source, Facebook, for status updates, assuming that everyone would jump at the opportunity to tear Ms. Aguilera a new one. But, again to my disbelief, only one of my friends attacked her with a snide remark.

Adam Cole

Aline Kobayashi

“O’er the ramparts we watch’d, were so gallantly streaming?”

Did anyone else catch the mistake?

WEB EDITOR

ADVERTISING DESIGNER

MAX kIMBAROW  special to The spectrum

Corrections:

OSCARS PREDICTIONS Tweet your prediction for Best Picture and get printed! | contest ends 2/25

e-mail any submissions to info@ubspectrum.com

In issue 48, the men’s basketball photo credit should’ve read: Troi Williams /// The Spectrum In issue No. 49, we printed that former Bulls running back James Starks was the first ever UB football player to be a part of a Super Bowl-winning team. He was actually the second player.

OPINION wednesday, FeBRuaRy 9, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

3

ARTS & LIFE Indie Games’ Robotic Future NICOLAS PINO Video Game Correspondent Angry winged rats and audiosurfing have occupied the indie gaming scene for far too long, but students and faculty here at UB have seen the future: robotic manservants.

Take into account this backstory from a new online flash game called Robot Butler: in the grim darkness that is the future of human existence, humanity has become frail-minded and weak due to its mechanical minions. The machine overlords have decided it’s high time to revolt against the humans and take over what’s theirs.

As one robot who hasn’t forgotten the importance of serving, the player will sacrifice it all to protect the home of his fleshy masters.

The premise of this indie title will shatter the boundaries of philosophical ideas in gaming, all while doing it with a beautiful background done by the team of RUST Ltd. RUST is a small arts collective composed of graduates, undergraduates, and a former adjunct professor of the media studies department right here at UB. This academically coherent group of individuals has banded together to develop a game that has a shot of winning Kongregate.com’s Unity3D Contest. The contest pits teams of developers against one another using the Unity3D engine, one that the team from Buffalo has a lot of experience with.

“With the Unity build of Robot Butler, the graphics are much richer. [The graphics] will be comparable to that of a AAA game title, far more than that of a standard flash game,” said Adam Liszkiewicz, a recent graduate of the media studies department.

RUST has developed a game that is really in the crossroads of popular indie games.

By combining two successful genres, the team has created an entirely new way to look at a tired concept.

“Robot Butler is definitely a unique game, somewhere in between a tower defense game and GameLab’s Diner Dash,” Liszkiewicz said.

The team’s limited budget and strenuous time constraints haven’t stopped it from meeting its own expectations. The team

COURTESy Of RUST LTD.

COURTESy Of TOM HOPPA

members, while mostly in the Buffalo area, are scattered throughout the U.S., and therefore a higher level of coordination is required to keep moving the game forward.

Lemmy of Motörhead rocks out to the band’s headbang-inducing metal.

Anton Hand, the game’s lead designer, balances the figurative spinning plate of the game development cycle while still teaching classes in the virtual classrooms of Second Life. Previously, Hand taught both graduate students and undergrads in the DMS department until leaving to pursue other interests in game design.

Hand has since then founded RUST Ltd. with Liszkiewicz and former classmate Luke Noonan. This collaborative effort between the UB grads has led to titles such as Asterisk and m!ndsweeper, a creative spin on the classic Windows staple.

Robot Butler represents the group’s most ambitious project yet, and if successful, it will net the team a $10,000 cash prize. Before the game could go live, the team had to pull out all the nuts and bolts to make Robot Butler as polished as possible. The whole game was completed in less than two months, a task that only a group of indie game developers is capable of accomplishing.

“You don’t have a $15 million budget,” Hand said. “You have to utilize your resources better than most other companies.”

When asked about what the winnings would go toward, Hand jokingly responded that the company could use a ball pit.

“But seriously, $10,000 would definitely help cement us as a company and we could purchase the software we need to continue to put out these artistic titles,” Hand said.

To vote for Robot Butler or check out other entries in Kongregate’s Unity3D contest, visit the website at www.kongregate.com/unity_game_ contest. *Full disclosure: RUST Ltd. intern John Connelly was a former asst. editor for The Spectrum. g

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

Möre of the Same EDWARD BENOITstaff writer Artist: Motörhead Album: The Wörld is Yours Label: Future PLC/Motörhead Music Release Date: Feb. 8 Grade: C+ English heavy metal outfit Motörhead has returned with its 20th — that’s right, 20th — studio album, The Wörld is Yours, a release that marks the umlaut enthusiasts’ fifth album in the past 10 years.

Fans of the band will be glad to know that almost 40 years of sex, drugs and heavy metal have left the sound of the band virtually unchanged since the days of Overkill and Ace of Spades. This may or may not be a good thing.

“Born to Lose” begins the album with a fast and simple riff before Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister belts in with all his fugly glory, before the song culminates in a frantic guitar solo.

The third track, “Get Back in Line,” continues in this vein, and boasts even more gravelly vocals from Lemmy, eventually punctuated by yet another guitar solo.

It’s around this point that the listener is hit with the album’s most glaring and obvious shortcoming: every song is virtually identical. Motörhead has seriously stagnated over the years, and has become so self-derivative and uninspired that it puts Metallica to shame.

Even worse than this, the two songs that attempt to change things up — “Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” and “Brotherhood of Man” — completely miss the mark.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll Music” begins with a classic ’50srock feel, something which is almost instantly ruined by Lemmy’s gruff singing and the band’s seeming inability to take its instruments out of the minor key.

“Brotherhood of Man” attempts something decidedly slower and darker than typical Motörhead, but is marred by laughably bad lyrics and boring instrumentation.

Reservations aside, there are a few good tracks.

“Bye Bye Bitch Bye Bye” is funny, fast, aggressive, a tad bit misogynistic, and reminiscent of the edge of the old Motörhead. The first two tracks are also generally solid, despite being repetitious.

Student Health 101 Be well.

Read How!

Free online health magazine.

Hot topics for college students. Try it today:

readsh101.com/buffalo

4

ARTS & LIFE wednesday, FeBRuaRy 9, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

All in all, though, The Wörld is Yours is an uninspired effort from a tired band. Think twice before you make this album yours. g

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

Designs and Dreams to Prevent Suicide MICHAEL TySONasst. Life editor This Friday, students, faculty and staff have the opportunity to battle teenage suicide by attending a fashion show.

UB’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance (UB LGBTA) is partnering up with designers to put on a fashion show Friday night called Designs and Dreams.

The show will take place in the Center for the Arts’ Atrium, and doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Featured are nine different designers, most of which are local, and 50 models. The fashion show will end at 10 p.m.

“Last year, [a portion of the proceeds went toward] Relay for Life, and this year, it is for the Trevor Foundation,” said Judy Mai, a sophomore occupational therapy major and president of the UB LGBTA. “The Trevor Foundation is a charity dedicated to suicide prevention of LGBTQ teenagers and young adults. The money helps them get counseling and therapy. We chose Trevor Foundation because of last semester, with all the suicides there were in the LGBTQ society.”

Tickets cost $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and $15 for VIP access, which must be purchased in advance.

All ticket purchases can be made through the CFA’s box office or online at ubcfa.org.

“The VIP ticket gets you front row seating and entrance to the green room in the CFA,” Mai said. “For the reception hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., you get food and drinks, and you get to meet and greet with the designers and the photographers and the models, too.”

Everyone is welcome to attend. g

E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

A Week in Ink: Issue No. 15

Thor: For Asgard No. 6 The Norse god’s quest from zero to hero concludes in an entrancing Disney fashion as Thor triumphantly climbs out of the depths of the underworld, bringing balance to the force. While this has all the signs of a Disney movie in the making, artists Simone Bianchi and Andrea Silvestri make sure some mature artwork stands in the way of any animated film ideas.

NICOLAS PINOComic Book Correspondent

The story thus far has taken a few strange twists, as the lord of thunder has proven to be the worst leader in Asgard’s long and illustrious history. In Thor’s brief, horrific reign, a riot has torn Asgard apart, while the halls of Valhalla have been emptied and its inhabitants forced into the Norse underworld of Niflheim. On top of everything else, he’s lost the ability to wield his hammer of unimaginable power, leaving him useless in the tide of the growing battle.

Courtesy of Marvel

The world, engulfed in flames, has entered Ragnarok – for those unfamiliar with classical Norse mythos, the end of days – leaving Thor with little choice but to travel to the underworld himself and bring back the champions long dead to restore his city to its former glory. In a montage worthy of a ’70s boxing movie, the leader of Asgard literally climbs the tree of life with his cohort of heroes in order to restore balance to his kingdom.

The Thor: For Asgard series conclusion wraps nearly every unresolved plot point up in a muscle-bound, supercharged package, putting the reader in a mindset worthy of a god.

Hellboy: The Sleeping and The Dead No. 2 Hellboy creator Mike Mignola can write a story so bone-chilling that it would give Mary Shelley the creeps, and with his latest addition to the Hellboy series, he does just that. Including a multitude of monsters from the horror genre, Hellboy fights the undead in all their grotesque forms as he uncovers an age-old grudge of a young child and her vampiric killer.

Courtesy of DC Comics

Conversely, artist Scott Hampton draws Big Red doing what he does best: smashing spirits through the nearest wall and inflicting as much structural integrity damage as he can. What makes Hampton so talented is that as an artist, he can change his style on the fly, moving from far-away, landscape panels to in-your-face horror shots in an instant.

DC Universe Online Legends No. 1 Comics and games often go together like peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, but other times, not so much. Thankfully, this DC Universe Online-inspired issue is more of the former than the latter.

Writers Marvin “Marv” Wolfman and Tony Bedard begin this digitally inspired comic with the epitome of human greed, Lex Luthor, selling out the planet for the death of his nemesis, the Man of Steel. Brainiac, an extraterrestrial cybernetic supercomputer, is all too happy to oblige to Lex’s nefarious plot. The duo teams up, and the fate of the world rests in the palm of Earth’s mightiest champion.

This comic scores a lot of points in a few areas, the first being its exceptional artwork. The mash-up of artists assigned to the DCU Online comics does a great job illustrating a multitude of heroes and villains across DC’s vast spectrum of characters, a feat not easily achieved. Secondly, the plot feels dynamic. The story rapidly shifts, putting Luthor somewhere in between Earth’s worst humanitarian and one of the world’s last heroes.

While the MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online)-based game has received mixed reviews from sites like IGN, 1up and Gamespot, the comic book interpretation has potential. Universes collide in the DC Universe, as Luthor and his group of ragtag heroes must now save the planet they often intend to destroy.

As a rule of thumb, anything written by Mignola is worth a look; anything written and drawn by the man is worth the buy. “Hellboy: The Sleeping and The Dead No. 2” is a great addition to the Hellboy narrative, but sadly, its impact in the comic book world is more misunderstood than the latest Guillermo del Toro movie.

Courtesy of Dark Horse

For now, Big Red is near the top of the ugly totem pole of “best comic-adapted movies,” but perhaps one day Mignola’s work will get another chance at the silver screen. g

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

Interested in studying abroad?

Come to a general info session!

Group Advising Session with

Olga Crombie, Study Abroad Advisor

Thursday, February 10th 212 Talbert Hall 2:00-3:00pm UB Study Abroad 210 Talbert Hall  645-3912  studyabroad@buffalo.edu www.buffalo.edu/studyabroad

COUPON

COUPON

COUPON

Malibu Sutter Coconut Yellowtail Home White Zinfandel Rum

$1599

Liter

$999 1.5L

$699 1.5L

All Types Expires 5/12/11

Expires 5/12/11

COUPON

COUPON

COUPON

Burnett’s Vodka

Bellows Vodka

$899

$1099

Baileys Irish Cream

Expires 5/12/11

Liter

1.75L

All Flavors Expires 5/12/11

Expires 5/12/11

$20

99

750mL

Expires 5/12/11

COUPON

COUPON

Jack Daniels

Barton’s Gin

$1899

$1199

750mL

Expires 5/12/11

1.75L

Expires 5/12/11

COUPON

COUPON

Arbor Mist

Jagermeister

3/$799 $2199 750mL

Liter

All Types Expires 5/12/11

Expires 5/12/11

ARTS & LIFE wednesday, FEBRuary 9, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

5

CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED LASERTRON INTERACTIVE Entertainment Center has immediate part-time openings. Candidates should be able to work at a fast; detail oriented pace and have excellent customer service skills.

Starting at approximately $10.25/ hr., must be available weekends. Stop in and complete at application at LASERTRON, 5101 North Bailey Avenue, Amherst, NY. SPONSORSHIP SALES REP wanted for 2011 Buffalo Dance Festival (UB). Professional/ graduate students preferred. Marketing/ Communications skills a plus. kkf3@buffalo.edu for interview by 2/18/2011.

APARTMENT FOR RENT EVERYTHING YOU NEED for the 2011 academic year. Great 1 to 8 bedroom houses & apartments.

Near south campus. Off-street parking, laundry, dishwashers & much more! Please call: Andy to schedule a showing. 716-308-4881.

IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY 3 & 4 bedroom semifurnished apts. at reduced rentals. June 1st rentals available, 691-5710.

WE NEVER FORGET who we’re working for! www.luxuryaptswny.com/UB. 3-BDRM MAIN ST. South Campus. Appliances, carpet $575 month + utilities & security deposit.

Call 884-7900.

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS. 3-4 bedroom apartments available. $645 - $800 a month. Call 716-884-8213 Today!

4,5,6 & 8 BEDROOM REMODELED apartments to choose from. Located at University at Buffalo Main Street Campus off Englewood. Beginning June 2011. 32 apts. to choose from $275/ bed plus utilities. Washers & dryers included. Contact Bradengel37@gmail.com 301-785-3773, or Shawn 716-984-7813. Check out our web-site: www.bufapt.com.

2-BDRM NEWLY remodeled minutes from UB/ North. Includes: Heat, water, appliances, balcony, new carpet, off-street parking, dumpster pick-up.

Laundry in basement, $795, 716-691-7600.

MERRIMAC 3 & 4 BEDROOM updated kitchen, bath, dishwasher, laundry & off-street parking, $275 per person. Available June 1st, 716-308-5215.

2 TO 8 BEDROOM APARTMENTS and houses now showing for next academic year. Northrup, Winspear, Merrimac, Englewood, Tyler, Highgate and more! Hardwood floors, laundry, off-street parking, so much more! Call, Text, or email Jeremy Dunn to take a tour. (585) 261-6609, jgdunn2@msn.com.

5-BDRM, 2 LEVEL upper apartment! Walk to south campus/ bus, appliances, laundry, security, parking. June 1st, (716) 568-1600.

4-BDRM, WALK to south campus/ bus. Large rooms, new carpet, appliances, laundry, security,

CLASSIFIED ads may be placed at The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union, Amherst Campus. Office hours are from 9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Deadlines are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00 for display and 2:00 p.m. for classifieds for the next edition.

Weekly rates are $10.00 for the first ten words and 75¢ for each additional word. All ads must be paid in advance. The ad must be placed in person or send a legible copy of the ad with a check or money order for full payment. No ads will be taken over the phone. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit any copy. No refunds will be given on classified ads. Please make sure copy is legible. The Spectrum does not assume responsibility for any errors except to reproduce any ad (or equivalent), free of charge, that is rendered valueless due to typographical errors. Please call 645-2152 for any additional information.

parking. June 1st, (716) 568-1600.

3-BDRM, WALK to south campus/ bus, appliances, laundry, security, parking. June 1st, (716) 568-1600.

LISBON/ BAILEY: 2-3 bedroom upper. Newer carpeting, living room, dining room, kitchen, appliances, laundry, off-street parking, furnished, $180+, 440-5133 or 636-1656. Available June 1st.

HOUSE FOR RENT EVERYTHING YOU NEED for the 2011 academic year. Great 1 to 8 bedroom houses & apartments.

Near south campus. Off-street parking, laundry, dishwashers & much more! Please call: Andy to schedule a showing. 716-308-4881.

SOUTH CAMPUS housing 14 properties to choose from. 1,3,4,5,6,7 & 8 bedroom homes. Available June 1st 2011. Call Dave 716-445-2514 or go to daveburnette.net to view all properties.

HEATH, WINSPEAR 3,4,5,6,8 bedroom houses and apartments $275/ pp, ubrentals@hotmail.com.

15 HEATH STREET!!!!! 5 wonderful bedroom house – avail June 1, $320/ shared reasonable utilities, call 716-432-7125.

To see what events are happening at CV, visit

www.CVwny.com 716-833-3700

student apartments

DAILY

SPONSORED BY

Crossword

6

CLASSIFIEDS + DAILY DELIGHTS wednesday, FeBRuaRy 9, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

AMHERST – SOUTH CAMPUS/ safe side of Main.

Quiet Junior Architect students looking for serious male roommate. Excellent condition, private bedrooms, big closets, laundry, parking & dishwasher.

Available now & May. 5 minute walk to Crosby Hall. $295.00+ share of utilities.

716-400-9663.

2 BEDROOMS AVAIL in 5 bedroom house – June 1, 2011. Main/ Heath, 716-432-7125.

SERVICES OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS – Make peace with food, no fees, Tuesdays 7pm, Thursdays 9am.

Hope Center – 781 Maple Rd. – 14221.

CITY A1 drivingschool.com. Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5 hr. class $30.00, 716-875-4662.

UNCLASSIFIED (misc.) www.QualityThingsForLess.com, save 10%. Enter code: UB11.

DO YOU HAVE FACE PAIN?

39 Laugh syllable 41 First-aid devices 42 Your, old-style 43 Reassuring phrase (2 wds.)

44 Narrow inlet 47 Type of surgeon 48 Witch’s home 49 Sgt.’s superior

Participants who qualify will be compensated for their time and travel.

Do You Qualify?

Contact 716-829-2984

The Undergraduate Student Association

Visit ubspectrum.com/games for our online game of the week

DOWN 1 HS course 2 About, in memos (2 wds.)

FANTASTIC LOCATION across the street from UB south at Main & NF Blvd. Rent for completely furnished room starts at $325.00/ mo including all utilities and Internet. 630-300-4228. Immediate occupancy.

ROOMMATE WANTED

UB School of Dental Medicine is seeking adults ages 18-44 who have facial pain to participate in a research study.

DELIGHTS

3 WriterChomsky 4 Epidemiologist HQ 5 Cartoon shriek 6 Rap music fans (hyph.)

7 Rob of “West Wing” 8 Ecru and beige 9 Spat 10 Excessive 11 Click-on items 12 Roman household gods 13 Med. staffers 18 Apportioned 23 — Kea volcano 24 Storage place 25 Cable channel 26 Pro Bowl letters 27 Untidy person 28 Mentally fit 29 Hills and — 30 Forty-niner’s quest 33 Calculus pioneer 34 Lost fur 35 Panasonic rival 37 Support

ROOM FOR RENT

movie nights

Crossword

ACROSS 1 Chop finely 6 Quick lunch 9 Porcupine feature 14 Battery’s “+” end 15 Glamorous wrap 16 Open 17 Find, finally (2 wds.)

19 Beautify 20 Skirt border 21 Potato buds 22 Occult figures 23 Exec degrees 25 Ringlet 26 Fall upon 29 Ready to eat 31 Show off 32 Unaffected 36 NE state 37 Malt beverage 38 Oops! (hyph.)

40 Burns’s mouse 43 A Mandrell sister 45 Advanced degs.

46 Wild tee shirt (hyph.)

47 Nice — (prig) 50 Emperor 51 Bottled spirits?

52 Ersatz butter 54 Channel-surf 57 Poet W.H. — 58 Informal stroll 61 Mortar 62 Mae West role 63 Sri — 64 Categorizes 65 Almost grads 66 Nylons shade

2 TO 8 BEDROOM APARTMENTS and houses now showing for next academic year. Northrup, Winspear, Merrimac, Englewood, Tyler, Highgate and more! Hardwood floors, laundry, off-street parking, so much more! Call, Text, or email Jeremy Dunn to take a tour. (585) 261-6609, jgdunn2@msn.com.

5-6 BEDROOMS – Big and beautiful, free laundry, energy star windows, furnace and water heater, updated kitchen & bath, stainless steel appliances, internet & cable connection in every room, offstreet parking, huge yard, 3 ½ blocks to UB, Minnesota Ave., $200 - $220/ per, (716) 446-1213.

7, 8, 9 BEDROOM houses. Walk to south campus/ bus, appliances, laundry, security, parking.

June 1st, (716) 568-1600.

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 59 60

Divulges a secret One-liners They fly by night Bear’s pad Region Puffin cousins Nile god Sitcom ET Checkbook amt.

Sudoku – Difficulty 5/5

Two Candidates to Run for Faculty Senate Chair Continued from Page 1 Faculty Senate, Zubrow hopes to create a more “pro-active Senate.” Additionally, Zubrow stressed the need for transparency between the Research Foundation and the UB Foundation.

In terms of the election of the university’s next president, Zubrow is looking for somebody who is similarly committed to doing a thorough reexamination of the university’s budget.

“I hope the new president will be pro-active with solutions to the budget crisis and will think about going outside of the usual budget boxes,” Zubrow said.

Zubrow indicated that the Faculty Senate is involved with anything that is related to academic curriculum or academic quality.

“Most things that have to do with students are under the egis of the Faculty Senate,” Zubrow said. “The Senate worries about what programs will be taught and [whether] faculty members will be full-time teachers versus parttime teachers. [The Senate] will worry about the fact that journalism is not accredited. All of this is highly relevant to students.”

Students should be concerned about what’s happening with the Faculty Senate, according to Zubrow.

“As head of the Faculty Senate, I would want, very much, to interact much more with students than we already are,” Zubrow said. “I think the university, given the budget, is going to have a serious crisis. I think it is really important that the faculty and the students work together to save this university.”

Zubrow has taught at both the graduate and undergraduate level, researched and written 11 books and over 100 articles, and received $17 million in grant money. Additionally, he

Tobacco-Free Policies Based on Respect and a Balance of Rights Continued from Page 1 policy, rules and regulations. You go to work and there’s a policy you don’t agree with… that you should be able to be non-compliant with the policy, what happens? Is that a key to success in that corporate environment? Of course not; so why would we allow that with our students?”

Patterson acknowledges that many perceive such a policy as taking away a right, as he has endured criticism in the past for being a student affairs administrator and restricting his students from using tobacco. However, he maintains that the policy is simply out of respect for others and the environment.

“I do not believe that the most effective rationale for a policy is to get an adult to quit doing something that the person chooses to do, because I’m more interested in their wellbeing than they are,” Patterson said. “First of all, if we’re talking about doing something out of respect for others and the environment, the first thing we have to do is stop dehumanizing tobacco users, stop vilifying them, stop treating them as if they’re bad people and start trying to understand them better.… If they choose to smoke or chew tobacco and they’re of age, that’s their right.

We have the question of asking: ‘what’s in the best interest for our campus?’”

Peer pressure was also an important topic addressed at the conference. Patterson asserted that students consistently over-report and overestimate the percentage of their peers that use tobacco or smoke. Patterson believes that taking smoking away from the campus environment altogether would begin to mitigate the peer pressure problem.

Sharlynn Daun-Barnett, an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug prevention specialist in Wellness Education Services, further explained this misperception of smoking on campus.

The National College Health Assessment, done every three years and administered at UB in 2007 and 2010, found some striking misconceptions regarding tobacco use.

“We found that students at UB really grossly misperceive smoking on our campus. Seventy-two percent of UB students have never used cigarettes, but the UB students think

has served twice on the Faculty Senate and both chaired and participated in various Faculty Senate committees. Zubrow also served as president of the Buffalo Center Chapter of the United University Professions and spent nine years as vice president for academics.

In Nickerson’s platform, he stresses his belief that the “Faculty Senate provides the mechanism for open discussion with opportunity to offer solutions to the problems [the University] faces.” Nickerson stresses the importance of the vision of the Faculty to the administration, and the future of UB. “The voice of the faculty needs to be heard clearly during the interactions with the new president to articulate the needs of the UB faculty,” Nickerson said in his platform. “The quality of university life must be improved.”

Nickerson was unavailable for comment as of press time.

According to the Bylaws of the Voting Faculty, the faculty of UB “affirms its commitment to collegiality as the most effective basis upon which to manage the affairs of and maintain excellence in this university.”

The Faculty Senate is consultative to the university president and provost and also works with the senior administration in “recommending, drafting, revising, and implementing all academic policies” considered appropriate to the faculty’s interests and comparative activities.

This includes promotion and tenure criteria and the improvement of standards for nearly all aspects of undergraduate education, according to a letter on the Senate’s website by Robert Hoeing, current chair of the Faculty Senate.

Hoeing was also unavailable for comment as of press time.

The election is currently ongoing with a deadline date of Feb. 22. The next Faculty Senate meeting is Tuesday, March 1 at the Center For Tomorrow on North Campus.

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

that only seven percent have never used cigarettes. What’s more is that four percent of students smoke daily, and students think that 24 percent of students smoke daily,” DaunBarnett said. “I don’t know if this is just an element of our culture, that people overestimate negative behavior and underestimate healthy habits, or perhaps because we are smoke-free, that you notice a smoker more and you might think there are more of them.

Now that you’re expecting to see no one [smoke], perhaps they’re more striking than they were before.”

Additionally, student opinion regarding tobacco use on campus seems to point toward smoke-free environments. Every year, AlcoholEdu administers a survey to freshmen and transfer students that must be completed. In the 2009 and 2010 surveys, the tobacco questions revealed some telling trends.

Students seem to be growing up in a different social culture than students of the last decade, and having regulations like smokefree campuses, restaurants, and theaters (in addition to increased taxes on cigarettes) is helpful to these new students, according to Daun-Barnett.

“Ninety-seven percent of them say that second-hand smoke is an important issue in their lives. Ninety-five percent of them say that knowing the tobacco industry heavily targets college students is an important issue for them,” Daun-Barnett said. “Ninety-eight percent say that the environmental impact of cigarettes is important in that cigarette butts are the world’s greatest litter problem; 4.3 trillion butts are littered annually and they take 25 years to decompose. Ninety-six percent of freshmen students say that tobacco use regulations, which are proven to reduce tobacco use rates, are important.”

Wellness Education Services will be providing a smoke-free supporter workshop Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. in 235 Student Union. Additionally, quit smoking walk-in clinics are offered every Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. in Wellness Education Services at 114 Student Union. Individual quit smoking consultations are available for students at Wellness Education Services, and faculty and staff can get help at the Employee Assistance Program, located at 156 Parker Hall.

“We continually must evaluate balancing individual rights against the rights of the rest of the institution,” Patterson said. g

E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

Fairway Apartments Two bedrooms one bath apartments.

5 miles from UB North campus. Wall to wall carpet, appliances, central air, laundry facilities, and free parking. Free heat, water &Cable TV. One year leases.

Forest Village Two and three bedroom apartments. Wall to wall carpeting, appliance, central air, laundry facilities, and free parking. 1.5 miles from UB NorthCampus.

Free heat and water.

Thoughts From a Steelers Fan BRIAN JOSEPHS  asst. sports editor Last Sunday, I was right there with Steelers Nation when Ben Roethlisberger attempted to lead a potential game-winning drive with under two minutes remaining in the game. I was also right there grimacing at that last incomplete pass which effectively sent the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay. Profuse cursing, trash talking, and a bitter night’s sleep followed immediately after. When I woke up the next morning and sipped some green tea, I thought to myself that the loss was probably for the best.

In fact, the world is probably a little better of a place since Pittsburgh lost.

First and foremost, the loss means that Wiz Khalifa’s infinitely annoying song, “Black and Yellow,” will finally fade away. That song has to be one of the most annoying team anthems in recent memory, and, frankly, it may be one of the reasons why the Steelers lost.

What’s more? The song is simply about a car.

Annoying trends aside, the Packers’ victory is a good thing because it gives us a chance to shift our focus.

We have an opportunity to evaluate some players without the influence of the absurd hype that surrounded them during the buildup to the game.

We could question Troy Polamalu’s lack of presence in his Super Bowl appearances or how the cornerbacks’ soft play may have compromised the Steel Curtain.

However, the main evaluation has to be given to none other than Ben Roethlisberger. The loss forces the public to really examine the quarterback.

When you look at his performance from when he first joined the league, you have to ask yourself if he is really Hall-of-Fame material.

plished the achievements.

You can’t attribute things like championships to just one man because that one man can’t single-handedly win the game without the 10 other men around him. Just ask Peyton Manning. One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time couldn’t make it past the Wild Card round this year because he lacked the offensive personnel he needed to make the plays he became known for.

The thing I respect about the Steelers is that they win as a team and, as you saw Sunday, go down as one. Green Bay didn’t win solely because of Aaron Rodgers’ excellent performance, but because they were the better team on that given Sunday.

Roethlisberger is an adequate component of the Pittsburgh machine and not much more. With the unimpressive statistics and the amount of mistakes he made, I can’t legitimately deem him an elite quarterback.

Well, I wouldn’t say so just yet, anyways. Big Ben is only 28 years old and has a huge chunk of his career ahead of him. It will be interesting to see how far he can go after the loss and to see if he can make it to the next tier.

And, as a sports journalist, I love seeing stuff like this. g

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

I agree that winning two Super Bowls by the age of 28, along with going against Ray Lewis and the Ravens twice a year and surviving, is quite an accomplishment.

But it is a severe overstatement to consider him an elite quarterback based on those accomplishments.

Roethlisberger does his job well, but it is the team as a whole that accom-

STUDENT DISCOUNT! Show your student ID at participating Jackson Hewitt Tax Service locations, and receive a discounted price for your individual tax return – pay only

$ 89!!!

Northtown Plaza - 3071 Sheridan Dr., Amherst 832-7628 3329 Bailey Ave. (near Minnesota) 833-1040 446 Main St. (Lafayette Sq) – 848-2980 **Call 832-7268 for more locations**

UB STAFF AND FACULTY SAVE $25 ON TAX PREPARATION!!

Present Coupon at time of tax preparation. Good only at participating locations and may not be combined with any other offer. Restrictions apply. Not valid on fees associated with bank products or loans. Most offices are independently owned and operated. Expires 4/30/11 Student Coupon Code RGMFD; UB Staff Discount coupon code GWC4F

Triad Apartments Large two bedroom two bath apartments available. Located directly outside UB Norht Flint entrance. Secure building with appliances, wall to wall carpet, air conditioning, laundry facilities, and free parking. Leases include heat, water, & cable TV.

Williamsville Commons 3 bedrooms 1 1/2 bath town houses. Located 3 miles from UB North Campus. Hardwood floors, wall to wall carpeting, appliances, central air, garages and free parking & free water.

University Court One bedroom & studio apartments available.

Secure building with Hardwood floors, carpeting, appliances, laundry facilities and free parking.

Located directly across from UB South Campus.

Free heat, water & electric. One year leases.

SPORTS wednesday, FeBRuaRy 9, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

7

SPORTS SWEET TWEET your tweet here if you correctly predict a game outcome Follow us @UBSpecSports

NyERI MOULTERI /// THE SPECTRUM

Jessica Fortman’s 19 points led the Bulls past Western Michigan, increasing the team’s winning streak to four games.

Broncos Can’t Buck With the Bulls ANDREIUS COLEMAN staff writer Fans that showed up on Tuesday afternoon at Alumni Arena were treated to the women basketball team’s best defensive performance of the season.

Shooting woes were the story of the game and Western Michigan (6-17, 2-8 Mid-American Conference) shot 22 percent from the field, including 0-for-15 from 3-point territory. The Bulls (13-10, 6-4 MAC) forced the Broncos’ lowest scoring game of the season, defeating them 53 – 39.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Bulls, giving the team its longest win streak since the 2005-06 season.

Buffalo allowed WMU just 39 points, surpassing their previous season-best of 42 points allowed in its win against Niagara (1-22, 0-12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) in December.

The Bulls haven’t been very successful at stopping teams from 3-point range this season, so head coach Linda Hill-MacDonald could not have been more satisfied with the outcome.

“It feels really good [forcing WMU to shoot 0 percent from 3-point range],” Hill-MacDonald said. “We haven’t defended the three all that well this year, so I feel really good about that. That might be a first for the season that we’ve held a team scoreless from beyond the arc.”

Coming into the game, WMU averaged 26 points per half but scored only half of that against the Bulls and recorded a deplorable 16 percent from the field, including 0-for-7 from behind the arc in the first half.

Despite a slow start, the Bulls managed to break away and close out the half leading by seven points; thanks, in the most part, to a solid team rebounding effort which included eight boards from Buffalo’s all-time leading rebounder, senior forward Kourtney Brown.

Hill-MacDonald admitted that even though the Bulls had the lead at the half, there were some things that the team needed to make adjustments on to secure the victory.

“We really talked about how to attack what they were doing,” Hill-MacDonald said. “We were forcing some shots against double and triple teams in the first half and the whole weak side was open, so what we focused on [in the second half] was how to get the ball to the weak side into the hands of open shooters.”

The Broncos would rebound early in the second half, cutting the Bulls’ lead to only four, but could not maintain their momentum to finish off the game.

Hill-MacDonald said that the team was able to pull off such a dominating win due to the scouting of Western Michigan’s players.

“We also talked about being familiar with the tendencies of each of the players,” Hill-MacDonald said. “[We needed to know] who the drivers were, know who the 3-point shooters were. So really our focus was personnel. Individually we knew what they [brought] to the table and what we needed to do to stop them.”

The Bulls held WMU leading scorer Taylor Manley scoreless, and Hill-MacDonald was very pleased with her team’s defensive output as well as its offensive contributions amidst an eight-point game from Brown.

“We knew how they were going to defend her in the block because we had seen it in previous games,” HillMacDonald said. “I think this team is beginning to understand that people other than Kourtney can contribute and we can win as a team. We don’t need to put the pressure on her to be the high scorer every game.”

The game’s leading scorers, senior forward Jessica Fortman and junior guard Brittany Hedderson, stepped up to alleviate that pressure. The duo was responsible for 5-of-6 long-range baskets in the game for the Bulls, finishing with 19 and 15 points, respectively. They also combined for 13 rebounds to compliment Brown’s game-high of 15.

Fortman credited her performance to the team’s preparation going into the contest.

“I got a lot of good passes from teammates,” Fortman said. “I was getting open looks with Kourtney getting so much pressure inside. It definitely opened up my game a lot. I was just ready to shoot.”

The Bulls look to extend their win streak against Northern Illinois (9-14, 3-7 MAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Alumni Arena. g

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

SWEET TWEET @JIM Bulls 25, Owls 34 (loss; again) Follow us @UBSpectrum

Byron Mulkey and the Bulls blew out Central Michigan by a score of 72-43 on Tuesday.

Bulls Crush Chippewas To Get Back To Winning Ways MATTHEW PARRINO senior sports editor True Blue nation has come to know junior forward Mitchell Watt as Mitchell “Swatt.”

On Tuesday night, Mr. “Swatt” was in strong form, helping the men’s basketball team turn in one of its most dominant performances of the season.

The Bulls (14-7, 7-3 Mid-American Conference) dismantled Central Michigan (6-16, 3-7 MAC) in every phase of the game and disposed of them 72-43. It was Buffalo’s fifth straight win at home and seventh out of its last eight.

Watt finished the game with nine rebounds and six blocked shots to help the Bulls hold Central Michigan to only 27 percent shooting for the game. The Chippewas only shot 1-for-12 from behind the arc in the game.

After the game, Watt attributed his success to the success of the team. He thought his teammates did a great job of cutting off dribble penetration by Central Michigan, and the physical play by the guards really helped deter the Chippewas from having success close to the basket.

“As a team, we had really good help defense today, especially compared to how we played at Ball State,” Watt said. “We

like to set a tone and let teams know that inside shots aren’t going to be an option.

We want to force them to take longer shots and put things in the hands of our perimeter defenders.”

Head coach Reggie Witherspoon thought his team responded well after struggling defensively against Ball State (14-8, 6-3 MAC). He knows that scoring becomes difficult for teams when the Bulls play the type of defense they played against Central Michigan.

“We pushed them to spots on the floor that were good for us, and our defensive pressure [was good] from start to finish [in the game],” Witherspoon said. “Mitch, as well as the other guys, really did a good job of making it difficult for them to go right to the basket and finish.”

Senior point guard Byron Mulkey recorded a career-high 29 points in the win. The fifth-year senior responded after one of his worst performances of the season in the Bulls’ loss against Ball State in their last outing.

From the very beginning of the game, Mulkey looked like a rejuvenated player and more like the guy Bulls fans have come accustomed to seeing. He added three more steals to his MAC-leading total and was time and time again the best player on the floor.

Mulkey really put his focus on defense and felt that it led to the strong offensive performance by he and his teammates.

“It’s important for me to set the tone as far as communication, enthusiasm, and energy, especially on the defensive end,” Mulkey said. “We take a lot of pride in our defense and one of the things we want

ALEXA STRUDLER /// THE SPECTRUM

to do is get stops. When we get stops that leads to us being effective on the offensive end.”

Junior forward Zach Filzen had somewhat of an off shooting night but still finished with 15 points for the Bulls. His effort on the defensive end, however, was evident, and he was able to contribute in other ways to help his team.

The defensive improvement in Filzen’s game has been crucial because it allows Witherspoon to leave the offensive sharpshooter on the floor in all situations. He really focused on the defensive end of the floor against CMU. “The big focus for us tonight was to pick it up on defense because we weren’t happy with the way we played on Saturday night,” Filzen said. “I was trying to bring energy and trying to talk, and we were trying to get stops. Hopefully, we can continue doing that.”

The Bulls outrebounded the Chippewas 3934 and extended their record this season to 13-1 when they win the battle on the boards. Freshman forward Javon McCrea was a big part of the effort on the glass as he finished with eight rebounds. He also had two blocked shots and scored four points.

CMU guard Jalin Thomas led the Chippewas in scoring with 18 points and was the only CMU player to score in double digits.

He went 10-for-11 from the free throw line.

The Bulls’ next game is on Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. when they travel to Eastern Michigan (6-16, 3-6 MAC) to battle the Eagles. g

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

Bulls Drop Second Straight MAC Meet SCOTT RESNICk staff writer In the blink of an eye, a day that started with so much hope ended in disappointment and heartbreak for the wrestling team.

After the Bulls (7-7, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) jumped out to an early 9-0 lead over Kent State (12-5, 2-0 MAC), they dropped six of their last seven matches en route to a 19-13 defeat in front of a raucous home crowd at Alumni Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Jim Beichner felt the Bulls failed to take advantage of several key opportunities throughout the meet. In spite of a couple of great performances, he felt the team should have performed better as a whole.

The meet started out on a high note for the Bulls when sophomores Chris Conti and Mark Lewandowski and junior Desi Green all won their matches in convincing fashion.

The Bulls got a strong effort out of Conti in the 141-pound weight class to start the meet as he defeated Kent State’s Chase Skonieczky by a score of 5-2 for his first career MAC dual meet victory.

Beichner couldn’t say enough about Conti’s effort after the meet but didn’t understand why more guys didn’t step up and follow his lead.

“It wasn’t our start and it wasn’t our ending [that was the problem],” Beichner said.

“Chris Conti did a phenomenal job. The bookends weren’t a problem. We lost at least three matches we could’ve won. I’m extremely disappointed we weren’t able to

BRANDON fREELAND /// THE SPECTRUM

Jimmy Hamel and the Bulls lost their second straight MAC meet in a heartbreaker against Kent State. secure three matches in the middle to win this meet.”

The Bulls led 9-6 with five matches remaining and looked to senior Jimmy Hamel to win a crucial match against Kent State’s unranked Casey Newburg. After three tightly contested periods, the match required an overtime session to decide a winner.

Smith gave up a point in overtime and lost the match. Kent State tied the meet at nine points each and didn’t look back.

The Golden Flashes won the next five matches to run away with the win. Beichner thought his team didn’t excel where he expected it would.

“You have to win where you’re supposed to win,” Beichner said. “We lost where we were favored.”

Green’s win in the second match of the day was the 40th of his career, moving him into fifth on the Bulls’ all-time wins list. He rode an early takedown to a 4-2 victory over Kent State’s Marcel Clopton.

The final match of the day came in the

BASKETBALL PAGE 10

133-pound weight class and provided the most lopsided victory of the day for the Bulls. Junior Kevin Smith scored three takedowns and disposed of Kent State’s Tyler Small, 12-1.

Lewandowski was involved in the most controversial match of the meet in the 157-pound weight class. He squeaked out a 6-5 win but lost his lead in the final moments of the match. He utilized the riding time to get his second MAC win this season.

Beichner knows there is no more room for error as the Bulls close out their conference schedule and continue to move toward the MAC tournament. He expects his team to come out motivated in its next meet.

“Right now, Wednesday feels like a long ways away,” Beichner said. “We need to come back with a fresh attitude and some confidence.”

The Bulls will host Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Alumni Arena. g

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

FOOTBALL TEMPLE PREVIEW PAGE 10