The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 56

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ONLINE Spectrum 360 Newscast Reports on Relay for Life, International Fiesta, Distinguished Speakers Series event and the men’s basketball team’s big win over Miami Ohio. THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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International Fiesta Photo Gallery See our photo staff's many snapshots.

monday, march 3, 2014

Volume 63 No. 56

A not-so sweet home?

Handful of students in off-campus complex have dealt with roaches since August SARA DINATALE

Managing Editor

Jennifer Ruffin set down her bag as she got ready for her human physiology class. A roach scurried out of the backpack’s opening. Ruffin inadvertently brought the problem from her off-campus apartment to class. She had seen roaches on the stove, in the oven, crawling in cupboards and on counters, navigating through air vents and into bedrooms – and, now, one scurrying across the floor in front of her classmates. Some students living in building three of the University Village at Sweethome have been dealing with roaches since they moved in during mid-August. The situation has improved since the start of the semester and management is “aggressively” addressing the pests, according to Dan Barry, the regional manager of American Campus Communities, which owns the Sweethome complex. But tenants are still disgruntled by the situation. “There’s no way in hell I would have lived here knowing it had a roach issue,” Ruffin said. “I just want people to know, Sweethome ain’t so sweet.” The apartment is not constantly crawling with insects, but Ruffin last saw “a few” on the stove Saturday morning. She and her three roommates – who are all at UB for one year in a pre-medical school program – are frustrated with the pests. They say the apartment has an ant problem, too. Ruffin described the number of roaches since August as going from “worse to bad.” Rent at the complex, which is located just outside North Campus, ranges from monthly installments of $634 to $994, depend-

Kelsang Rmetchuck, The Spectrum

Amanda Hoyte sits in her University Village at Sweethome apartment surrounded by the contents of her cupboards. She and her three roommates have have been dealing with roaches since mid-August and put sealed food in the open because they consistently found roaches in their cupboards.

Courtesy of Jennifer Ruffin

Jennifer Ruffin last saw roaches in her apartment on Saturday. This photo shows one of her roach traps filled in October. Ruffin and her roommates said the problem has persisted since August.

ing on floor plans, according to the Sweethome location’s website. About 800 residents live at Sweethome within nine buildings, and this issue is affecting less that 1 percent of residents, according to Barry. Barry, who described the situation as now “isolated to two units,” said exterminators were visiting the inflicted apartments weekly between mid-August and October and then switched to biweekly treatments when exterminators “were finding less or no activity.” But Ruffin and her roommates question the legitimacy, regularity and extent of the sprays. Ruffin said she put tape on the seal of the bedroom and bathroom doors on a day the apartment was notified via email exterminators were coming. When she came home after the treatment

Campus discusses e-cigs as cessation method As product is growing, differing opinions persist AMANDA LOW

ously the exterminator needs to do something different,” Boyle said. “But I have yet to see it.” He thinks the building needs to be evacuated and “bug bombed.” Ruffin’s roommate Kayla Lewis bought her own industrial-sized roach spray. “I can’t take it anymore; I don’t do bugs,” Lewis said, adding that people who pay less money for rent aren’t dealing with bug problems. The tenants have noticed the roaches generally come out at around 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. All the tenants said they’ve been spending their own money on traps, sprays and cleaners. Barry said the students were not notified about the problem prior to signing their leases because management wasn’t aware of it until mid-August, after lease signing. The problem originated from one unkempt room, and

that room no longer has roaches, he said. Boyle said a maintenance worker told him and his mother the roach problem existed for about a month before he moved in, which was around the time Ruffin and her roommates moved in. “From what the maintenance people said, the problem was noticed in July and I was never notified of the situation,” he said. “The fact I pay $619 a month to live here, I deserve to know and that’s what really makes me mad about the situation.” Amanda Hoyte, who lives with Lewis and Ruffin, woke up from a nap on her first day in the apartment to roaches on her headboard. The women notified management and have wanted to break their lease since September, but have been unable to.

SEE ROACHES, PAGE 2

A FIERY FIESTA ISA claims crown at entertaining 2014 International Fiesta JOE KONZE JR

News Editor

As a sophomore in high school, Alex TerBush picked up a cigarette for the first time. It started as a pack-and-a-half-day habit. As a sophomore in college, he picked up an electronic cigarette and eventually weaned himself off tobacco products completely. He hasn’t had a drag of a normal cigarette for two years. Though some people struggle with patches, gums and lozenges as a way to stop smoking, TerBush went straight for an electronic cigarette. E-cigarettes continue to be a topical conversation, as society ponders potential regulation and the question of the device’s effectiveness as a cessation method. TerBush is an example of one of the many students turning to e-cigs. But the debate about the product isn’t just happening nationally and internationally – it’s happening at UB, too. UB’s anti-smoking policy bans e-cig use. Though research is still being conducted on the effects and potential health risks of e-cigs, many see them as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.

was done, she said the tape was still intact. Exterminators are now treating, inspecting and logging information weekly, according to Barry. The bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas are all being treated “as we have in the past,” Barry said. Shane Boyle, a senior psychology major, lives on Ruffin’s floor. He first discovered roaches when his mother helped him move in during August. The roaches were in the closet, on the walls and “even on the couch,” Boyle said. He said last semester, he was seeing roaches every day – now, he’s seen “a few all together” since classes resumed. Boyle said exterminators have visited his apartment “only twice” this semester. “If cockroaches are still being seen – which they are throughout the building – well, then obvi-

Senior Arts Editor

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHAD COOPER, THE SPECTRUM

“They’re not pristine,” said Gary Giovino, professor and chair of the Department of Community Health and Health Behavior at UB. “They’re not brown rice and broccoli. But the point is, people who smoke regular cigarettes are getting nicotine … So if we got all the people who smoke cigarettes onto e-cigarettes and some of them even quit, that would be a great thing.” Almost 3.5 million Americans smoke electronic cigarettes, according to the Tobacco Vapor Electronic Association. Electronic cigarettes are not currently see e-cigs, page 2

Loud chanting reverberated throughout the Center For the Arts. The walls shook as the Indian Student Association (ISA) took over the stage. Using vivacious colors, flawless timing and exquisite dancing to convey the story of the Taj Mahal, ISA won the crowd’s approval and took home its second straight first-place award at the 2014 International Fiesta Friday night. The event included 14 clubs’ performances, which told tales of love and tragedy – creating an engaging atmosphere for the packed audience – in keeping with the theme of “myths, legends and folklore.” The Student Association brought back three alumni guest emcees for the evening – Andrea Ortiz, David Cobb and Harrison Nyguen – who, in the show’s introduction, appeared on stage as silhouettes against a red background, the aesthetics demanding the audience’s attention. The crowd began rising to its feet; the energy was palpable. But the room’s emotion reached its highpoint during

Yusong Shi, The Spectrum

Friday, the Indian Student Association earned its second first-place trophy in two years. The group told the love story of the Taj Mahal and incorporated various Indian-style dances of Bollywood, Garba/Raas, Bhangra and classical.

the performance from ISA, the most colorful group of the night. Combinations of Bollywood, Garba/Raas, Bhangra and classical dance styles told the story behind the creation of the Taj Mahal. “There’s a lot of myths and folklores in Indian culture,” said Priya Sasankan, the president of Indian SA. “The problem is, a lot of our stories are a long epic. Through traditional dancing, it takes about 15-20 minutes to tell those stories and do it justice.” The clubs were allowed a maximum of eight minutes. The use

of ‘the sapp’ – a Bhangra percussion instrument – and the dancers’ multi-colored clothing added a nice ambiance to the routine. ISA excited the crowd and captured the tale with its tightly choreographed and polished moves. The spectators chanted “ISA” in approval. “There was a lot of energy,” said Haider Tawakali, a freshman exercise science major. “Indian SA was definitely on top. They pulled the energy out of everybody. They went above and beyond.” see fiesta, page 2


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The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 56 by The Spectrum Student Periodical - Issuu