The Spectrum Volume 62 Issue 64

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Profiles of all the SA candidates

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Our official endorsements

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THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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SA debate gets heated

Monday, March 25, 2013

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Volume 62 No. 64

Accusations of injustice shroud SA election Treasurer Neuwirt: President Nemmer unethically swaying voters AARON MANSFIELD Editor in Chief

Student Association Treasurer Justin Neuwirt almost sees this year’s election process as a bigger disgrace than last year’s $300,000 scandal. The source of the corruption, according to Neuwirt, is President Travis Nemmer.

“If someone gets elected because of [this year’s election procedure], it’s not $300,000; it’s now $3.8 million [the SA budget],” Neuwirt said.

Neuwirt’s reasons for frustration are many, and he said Nemmer has facilitated every sketchy modus operandi.

First, Elections and Credentials (E&C) Chair Raphew Fahm – Nemmer’s friend and former assistant – originally appointed Meghan McMonagle, the 2011-12 SA vice president and one of the two chief components of last year’s fraudulent application scandal (the other being former Treasurer Sikander Khan, who resigned), to this year’s E&C committee. Nemmer said she has since stepped down.

When Neuwirt discovered McMonagle was on the committee, he was furious. Neuwirt sent an email on the topic to Fahm. Nemmer confirmed that a confrontation ensued between Fahm and Neuwirt in Neuwirt’s office.

“It’s election season,” Nemmer said. “Tempers run high.”

But Neuwirt’s complaints expand beyond McMonagle, including: debate questions being leaked by Nemmer to candidates, conflicts of interest Nemmer has established with his role in proxied meetings and someone secretly recording finance meetings and giving the files to clubs to sway their votes.

“I’m not about to sit back and let this happen,” said Neuwirt, who said every member of the E&C commit-

Alexa Strudler, The Spectrum Student Association Treasurer Justin Neuwirt (left) and President Travis Nemmer campaign during the 2012 SA elections.

Though they ran in different parties, Neuwirt and Nemmer were both elected. Their relationship has gone downhill at the end of this school year.

tee has ties to Nick Johns, the Spirit presidential candidate. “I haven’t slept in four days as I’m dreaming of pictures of Travis and all this s**t waking me up every five minutes.

This is not for myself. This is for the students.”

After Nemmer and two other moderators came up with questions for Friday’s presidential debate, Nemmer called the Forward Party’s hotline and asked two of the questions.

“It was a lack of judgment on my part,” said Nemmer, who reached vice presidential candidate Christian Andzel on the hotline. “I asked to get a sense of whether to ask specific or general questions. I removed the

offending questions, and I apologize for my error.”

Nemmer said the moderators’ debate questions were also stolen off his desk. He then sent an email to the candidates with a list of general topics but no specific questions.

Neuwirt also said Nemmer is facilitating severe conflicts of interest. Nemmer acted as a proxy on two separate occasions – People of Color (POC) and SA Assembly – last week, and he broke the tie for POC’s endorsements by choosing candidates.

He chose Johns (Spirit), treasurer candidate Josh Fromm (Forward) and a Forward delegate (whose identity was not disclosed).

“[It is] neither illegal nor unprecedented nor, in the scope of SA history, uncommon,” Nemmer said.

“When I was asked to proxy and we did come up with the ties, I went out in the hall ... and called [POC Coordinator Anna Sheng, for whom he proxied] and asked who she would pick, and I respected that decision.”

Neuwirt said Nemmer routinely proxies for the SA Senate, too. Neuwirt believes a non-voting member of the Senate should not be proxying for a voting member, as the Senate makes decisions that affect the SA executive board.

“Everything I’ve done is within the scope of the rules,” Nemmer said.

Neuwirt said he knows Nemmer’s actions may not have been illegal, but he thinks they have been unethical.

The problems persist. Neuwirt, the chair of SA’s finance committee, decides who is allowed to enter the finance meetings, but they are not publicly accessible. He discovered last week that one of the attendees had been recording audio of the meetings and had taken the recordings to clubs, affecting whom they would support in the election.

For example, when Black Student Union (BSU) listened to the finance committee’s meeting regarding next year’s budget, BSU member and former Forward delegate candidate Robin Murray left his ticket and BSU withdrew its support from Forward.

Neuwirt was not willing to release the name of the person who secretly recorded the meeting, but during SA endorsements in The Spectrum’s office, Forward Party presidential candidate Carson Ciggia disclosed that he believes Alana Barricks – who was proxying for Johns – recorded the meeting and shared its contents.

“The students elected me for this year,” Neuwirt said. “It’s obvious that the election is being pushed to one side ... and both parties are at a disadvantage. The actions of Travis and his cronies are affecting their chances.”

Neuwirt said no matter what ends up happening when poll results are revealed, because of Nemmer’s tactics, this year’s election may be far from over.

“If [either presidential candidate] came to me Friday and said: ‘S**t, I can’t believe I just lost,’ I would say: ‘Buddy, go appeal it,’” Neuwirt said.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

The polls to elect the 2013-14 SA executive board and SUNY delegates will be open March 26-28. Students can vote on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the Student Union Theater.

To see videos of each candidate’s presentation to The Spectrum, check out the “Meet the candidates” profiles on our website.

Meet the candidates: President The president shall serve as the chief executive officer of the Student Association and has the ultimate responsibility for the enforcement of the constitution and bylaws of SA. He or she also serves as the official representative of SA, both inside and outside of the UB community.

Name: Nick Johns Year: Sophomore Major: Political science and business Party: Spirit Current SA position: Treasurer of mock trial and SA senator Extracurricular activities/relevant experience: Intern at Micro Automated Systems Group, legal researcher at Sub Board, Inc., pledging Delta Sigma Pi Fraternity, College Democrats member, Bangladeshi SA member

Name: Carson Ciggia Year: Junior Major: Business Party: Forward Current SA position: Academic coordinator Extracurricular activities/relevant experience: Founder of UBiz, teaching assistant for accounting, runs small mobile automotive detailing business, Singapore SA member, Circle K member, UB Conservatives member, campaigned for Chris Collins for Congress, UB Citizen’s Police Academy member

Nicks Johns walked in to speak to The Spectrum editorial board with dirt caked onto his flag-football uniform. He was fresh off a game with the fraternity he is pledging amidst election season.

“I get my hands dirty,” Johns said. “I’m ready to get down in the trenches and figure out what needs to be done. I’m not going to sit on a pedestal; I’m trying to live the college life.”

He said only someone immersed in “the college life” can understand the college experience. He thinks one of his greatest qualifications is that he lives on campus, which gives him “a better connection to students and what they want, what they need and what they’re interested in.”

Johns would give the present eboard a grade of “C,” citing his main concern with President Travis Nemmer is he isn’t in the office enough. If elected, Johns plans on establishing “coordinated office hours” so his e-board is in the office at the same time. This plays into the “efficiency” part of Spirit’s “TIE” plan (transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency).

Johns’ biggest plan for his possible office is re-hauling the SA website to improve transparency and communication with students.

He stressed the importance of his e-board running like a unit, something he doesn’t feel the current eboard manages well. Vice President Adam Zimnicki is never in the office, and Nemmer and Treasurer

Justin Neuwirt “clash all the time,” according to Johns. He emphasized “communication is key,” and that is something he will implement.

While some may point to Johns being a sophomore as a disadvantage, he said it serves as ammunition to prove them wrong. He said he is focused on college right now and that “senioritis is a real thing” and something he won’t have next year.

“I’m not going to be looking out the doors of the university into the ‘real world,’” Johns said. “I’m still looking at college and being in college.”

At the beginning of the year, Carson Ciggia went into President Travis Nemmer’s office and said, “One day, Travis, I’m going to have that chair.”

The Clarence native said he wasn’t trying to be cocky or condescending – he wants to impact more students than he currently does as academic club coordinator.

He wants to advance SA toward “the greater good.”

He would give the current eboard a “C” and said Nemmer’s relationship with the average student “isn’t that good.”

The presidential candidate said his experiences creating a club, being on its e-board and being on the other side of clubs as a coordinator let him see things from all angles.

Ciggia wants students to know he will fight for them, something he said is apparent by his involvement in last semester’s drama with Student Life and its pending involvement in clubs.

“I didn’t want Student life to reign down on us,” Ciggia said. “I want to stress I have a good relationship with administration, but I want to stress that relationship does not mean for them to take over the reins. It actually means for them to give us more control because they should see we’re mature adults.”

Ciggia stressed the connections he has forged with not only administration but community officials, as well.

He said in the past year, he has had meetings with Mayor Byron Brown and the Erie County sheriff.

He said he has put things into motion and hopes students give him the opportunity to continue with his efforts as president.

Ciggia’s platform emphasizes the importance of student safety on South Campus; he wants to see a decrease in crime.

He said his past in “community involvement and being involved in real-world politics is really important.” He plans to transition what he learned from working for Congressman Chris Collins into SA, if elected.

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Vice President The vice president both directs and assists the Student Association’s recognized clubs and student organizations. The vice president advises and oversees the needs of these organizations.

Name: Lyle Selsky Year: Senior Major: History; minors in economics and education Party: Spirit Current SA position: External affairs liaison Extracurricular activities: Mock trial member, UB Improv member, Sigma Chi Omega president Relevant experience: Captain for one semester of mock trial, events coordinator of UB Improv and secretary last year, direct supervisor of summer camp

Name: Christian Andzel Year: Junior Major: History and political science Party: Forward Current SA Position: Government relations coordinator Extracurricular activities: UB Students for Life, UB Conservatives, Latin American Student Association, PODER Latinos Unidos and BASIC Relevant experience: President and co-founder of UB Students for Life, founder and co-president of UB Conservatives, Erie County Republican Hispanic Coalition Young Adult Outreach

During Lyle Selsky’s winter break his freshman year, his father passed away. Seven days later, he had to go back to school. He said SA’s mock trial club helped him through the difficult time in his life and allowed him to excel as both a student and person.

Selsky calls mock trial his family, and the vice presidential candidate wants every student to have the opportunity he had at UB – to find a core group of people to depend upon during his or her time in college.

“These families and these clubs can really have such a huge and significant impact upon the students and really make them feel comfortable and feel at home and really help them excel here at the univer-

sity and get them through adversity as great as that or even more or even less,” Selsky said.

One of the biggest changes Selsky, a resident of the University Heights for three years and counting, wants to make from the current e-board is to assertively reach out to students who don’t know about SA. He called himself the “rare South Campus student” who “actually gets involved with the SA.” “Currently, in my opinion, it’s a travesty right now the amount of students involved in the Student Association,” Selsky said. “I can bring the Student Association to [outsiders] and really expand the Student Association to every single student because I’m the average student.”

Selsky stresses the wide range of experience he would bring to the table as vice president: a sevenweek summer camp leader of over 60 kids, president of his fraternity and active member of mock trial and UB Improv.

Selsky has gotten a full and wellrounded experience at UB, which is exactly what he wants to bring to his fellow students.

During his three years at UB, Christian Andzel has been all about one thing: advocacy.

He’s been a passionate advocate and member of over 10 clubs, two of which he founded. He’s seen clubs flourish and fought for student freedoms. He wants to continue that progression as vice president, who is in charge of SA’s 130-plus clubs.

He’s created a relationship with the University Police Chief, Gerald Schoenle, and Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard to improve South Campus safety.

As vice president, he plans to stay visible, attending club meetings and events and keeping his office hours open on weekends.

He founded UB Conservatives seven months ago, and now it’s the largest political force on campus, according to Andzel.

The first plan he’ll put into action in office is “Freshmen First.”

Andzel wants to recruit a group of 10 to 15 freshmen and sophomores to attend future SA meetings with him. He recently started a Facebook page called “Freshmen for Forward” to directly involve freshmen in the election.

“This position to me is more than a stipend or a power; this to me is about leading the next generation of leaders,” Andzel said.

“And because of that reason, I am the first candidate in many years to officially reach out to freshmen.”

He will bring his experience working with young adopted children from Colombia, coaching freshmen soccer and tutoring underclassmen in AP courses at Clarence High School to be a strong candidate to mentor young UB students.

Many question Andzel’s objectivity and whether he’s politically too far to the right. The anti-abortion activist said his UB Students for Life club was discriminated against during his time at UB, and it would be “hypocritical” to do the same to other clubs.

“As you’ve seen with my two clubs that I’ve specifically led, the only thing they’ve done is grow,” Andzel said. “And that’s what I want to bring to the Student Association and to other clubs. It doesn’t matter what their political affiliation is. It doesn’t matter what their members or leaders believe.”

Andzel believes in overall student and club progression, and he is enthusiastic to bring that to the role of vice president.

SPIRIT

FORWARD

Treasurer The treasurer is the chief controller of the Student Association’s multi-million dollar budget. He or she is in the president’s cabinet, is chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee and is a voting member of the Emergency Powers Council. The treasurer is responsible for the disbursement of the SA budget and revenue. The treasurer must also keep a strict inventory, as well as communicate with treasurers of all SA-funded groups to inform them of any changes.

Name: Siddhant Chhabria Year: Junior Major: Finance and economics Party: Spirit Current SA position: Former SA Finance Department bookkeeper (laid off from position) Extracurricular activities: Treasurer of the Indian Student Association (ISA), member of Delta Sigma Pi Fraternity Relevant experience: Treasurer of ISA – helped coordinate and run cultural shows like Muqabala and India Night; controlled the $4,000 budget for the club. Interned at First Investors over last summer. Worked under two SA eboards but never completed either year.

Siddhant Chhabria, an international student from India, emphasized his plan to improve efficiency if elected SA treasurer.

“Having that idea that every student should be aware of the transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency that an SA e-board brings on the table will definitely prove to be beneficial to the entire UB community,” Chhabria said.

Chhabria interned at First Investors, where he worked under a licensed representative to see where to invest client money. He said his private-sector experience would help him be an effective treasurer.

He also spent some time as a bookkeeper for two different e-boards – first resigning from the position be-

cause of the “unprofessionalism” of staff members, and this year, he was laid off by the current e-board.

The candidate said he would grade current Treasurer Justin Neuwirt’s job as a “B.” Chhabria said Neuwirt was very approachable this year and was always in good communication with clubs. He plans to emulate that.

He gave the e-board as a whole an “A.” He said they did a great job, especially considering the “mushy ground” SA was in after the previous administration. He was impressed by the way they were able to re-establish themselves.

Chhabria said one of his most important plans is to create an “emergency line” that would hold

$25,000 for clubs. He said the line would allow clubs that have sufficient funds but not direct access to their budget to temporarily borrow at the discretion of the e-board. It’s a measure that would have to be approved by this year’s SA Senate.

He emphasized the importance of many smaller goals. Chhabria said it would bring about more realistic opportunities for change than trying to focus on larger, unachievable goals.

“The finance department of the SA and financial processes need to be more efficient,” Chhabria said. “[Students] should know where that $94.75 is.”

Name: Joshua Fromm Year: Sophomore Major: Business finance Party: Forward Current SA position: Finance Department bookkeeper Extracurricular activities: Zeta Beta Tau fraternity Relevant experience: Bookkeeper – became familiar with the different financial processes between clubs, SA and Sub Board, Inc., over this past year. Handled $32,000 as assistant treasurer of Zeta Beta Tau.

Joshua Fromm plans to bring his experience as bookkeeper of SA’s Finance Department to the position of SA treasurer.

“Besides my work ethic, I really feel that being a bookkeeper and knowing the process in and out [makes me qualified],” Fromm said.

“When the clubs come to me for money, I am going to know exactly what issues they are going to have because I dealt with them all year.”

He stressed how important addressing the current $171,000 deficit is to his campaign. He plans to reduce the deficit by restructuring

the staff and moving the money that is saved back into the budget.

“We are trying to run a fiscal stability organization,” Fromm said.

This year, Fromm was the assistant treasurer of Zeta Beta Tau, where he handled a budget of $32,000.

Fromm said he would have to give Neuwirt, a brother in his fraternity, a “B+” for the job he has done this year as treasurer. Fromm said Neuwirt fixed a lot of the financial problems past administrations have had. He said Neuwirt was also very open and available in

the office for clubs. The most important thing he did was improve the communication between clubs and the Finance Department, according to Fromm.

He graded the present e-board as a whole with a “B-.” He said the communication between President Travis Nemmer and clubs could have been better. Fromm also said he barely sees Vice President Adam Zimnicki in the office.

Fromm plans to be more available for clubs if elected.

SPIRIT

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Opinion

Monday, March 25, 2013 ubspectrum.com

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief Aaron Mansfield Senior Managing Editor Brian Josephs Managing Editor Rebecca Bratek Editorial Editor Ashley Steves News EDItors Sara DiNatale, Co-Senior Lisa Khoury, Co-Senior Sam Fernando, Asst.

Rachel Raimondi, Asst.

LIFE EDITORS Rachel Kramer, Senior Lyzi White Lisa Epstein, Asst.

Sharon Kahn, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS Elva Aguilar, Senior Lisa de la Torre, Asst.

Max Crinnin, Asst.

SPORTS EDITORS Joseph Konze Jr., Senior Jon Gagnon Ben Tarhan Markus McCaine, Asst.

PHOTO EDITORS Alexa Strudler, Senior Adrien D’Angelo Nick Fischetti Satsuki Aoi, Asst.

Aminata Diallo, Asst.

CARTOONIST Jeanette Chwan PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Kurtz CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Keschinger Haider Alidina, Asst.

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Joseph Ramaglia Ryan Christopher, Asst.

Haley Sunkes, Asst.

March 25, 2013 Volume 62 Number 64 Circulation 7,000 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 news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.

The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by both Alloy Media and Marketing, and MediaMate.

For information on adverstising 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

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2013 SA Elections:

The Spectrum’s official endorsements President and vice president: We’re moving forward with Ciggia and Andzel.

The Forward Party ticket of presidential candidate Carson Ciggia and vice presidential candidate Christian Andzel is the perfect combination of experience, leadership and drive. Ciggia, a School of Management student and the founder of the Undergraduate Business Association, and Andzel, one of UB’s most prominent student leaders, are exactly what we see as the best match for student body leaders and with them in charge, we expect to see great changes in the transparency, accountability and professionalism of SA. We appreciate and respect the Spirit ticket of Nick Johns and Lyle Selsky, especially their mentality of giving a voice to the students and not telling them what they need. Johns played up the image by coming into The Spectrum office still dressed in what he wore to his pledge football game, meaning to show he is one of the common people (Selsky was away at a Mock Trial competition and Skyped in for his speech). Each talked about expanding student involvement, building on their website and creating more opportunities for clubs to market.

But at the same time, we felt their idea to have a database to track University Heights landlords shows a misunderstanding of the problems in the neighborhood and that the young ticket doesn’t quite have a grasp on how they are going to do what they need to do.

While our vote for the Forward party was, in the end, unanimous, the decision required much discussion. Did we want a party of experience that came off as too extreme or a party of ambition that, overall, came off too reserved?

Each party had its faults. Forward’s Ciggia and Andzel came off cocky and less relatable to the student body. We felt like they were a business trying to sell us something we didn’t really want.

Spirit’s Johns and Selsky, on the other hand, have

the problem of inexperience. Johns is currently a sophomore and Selsky is a senior with junior standing. Overall, their platform reads like there’s a lot more work cut out for them than they seem to think, and the impression we got from them is that they are going to just try and feel it out and hope for the best. Not exactly reassuring.

The professionalism and confidence of the Forward Party are not bad qualities. The passion the Spirit Party seems to have for UB’s students is an even better quality. Ideally, you should want somebody in office that you feel comfortable talking with on a one-on-one basis. But we don’t want that passion to be without a plan, and unfortunately, that is what we feel we’re getting from Spirit.

We have the advantage of knowing what the candidates are like outside of their speeches, however, and in their actual work. From what we’ve seen in Senate meetings, Johns is in the background, quiet and shy. Ciggia, on the other hand, is center stage, asking the big questions, speaking up and taking an active role. He is playing the part of a president, and he is exactly the kind of person to be leading SA. In our own self-interest, we’ve wondered what exactly we at The Spectrum would get with either ticket in charge. Throughout the course of the last few days, we’ve noticed how clear it is that Forward is much more in favor of us than Spirit is and will ever be. Johns and other Spirit members showed how uneducated they are regarding SA’s relationship with the paper, and that puts us in a bad spot. If you’re not prepared to talk with us, we feel the same could hold true when you talk to a club or company.

We, along with a good portion of the student body, also have a vested interest in student safety and the conditions of the Heights. While the constant name-dropping of safety officials and Buf-

falo politicians by the Forward Party was off-putting, safety in the Heights is part of the party’s platform, and both Ciggia and Andzel have shown interest in it, working with the community to get things done. While the delegates of the Spirit Party mentioned it as part of their goals, it felt like a last-minute effort, especially because the issue is ignored completely in the party platform.

It’s important for the SA president and vice president to continue a policy of absolute visibility. UB would get that with the Forward Party. Andzel is a frequent contributor to The Spectrum with his letters to the editor; he wants the student body to hear his voice. He’s willing to put his thoughts and opinions out there now, and there’s almost a guarantee that he will continue that in office.

Additionally, Andzel has also proven he’s passionate about clubs – both those that he is a part of and others around campus. The VP candidate is an active member of UB Students for Life and the founder of UB Conservatives, as well as a member of several other organizations. After a series of passive vice presidents, there is nothing wrong with a dominant VP; in fact, it’s something that should be acknowledged and appreciated.

Our only concern with Andzel is his reputation around campus, which many would describe as closed-minded. Based on presentation, though, we ideally would switch the Forward ticket to have Andzel running for president and Ciggia running for vice president. However, Ciggia’s own ambition and preparation for this puts him in a good spot with us. While Johns tried too hard to be relatable, it was evident how long Ciggia has been waiting for this opportunity and how hard he has worked to get this far.

Forward’s next move is, in fact, forward, and the Ciggia/Andzel ticket should go all the way.

Chhabria currently has a much higher ceiling from what we’ve seen and much more ambitious ideas, but that can be dangerous and that’s worrisome. If the choice is between the guy who’s departed his SA job twice and the guy who is less politically savvy to take over the treasurer position, the choice is clear.

We’re not looking for someone who can woo us with rhetoric; we’re looking for someone who is going to watch out for us and our money. While Chhabria has an impressive résumé and the capability to manage SA’s checkbook, we’re more confident with it in Fromm’s pocket. Both candidates were asked at the debate what the largest amount of money is they’ve ever had to manage. Chhabria (who refused to share private sector figures) answered $4,000 and Fromm answered $32,000.

Most importantly, Chhabria’s main goal for his tenure as treasurer is a waste of money. The Spirit Party candidate wants to implement an emergency line that clubs can borrow from while waiting for existing revenue to be added into their accounts.

The line would run $25,000.

A treasurer has to not only be somebody the student body can trust, but he or she also has to

be levelheaded. We agree with Fromm when he says 90 percent of the goals of the Spirit Party are already taken care of while the remaining 10 percent are infeasible. The emergency line falls into that 10 percent, with the additional problem of just being silly.

If you are going to make a campaign promise, it has to be something you can influence throughout your tenure. If put into place, the fund wouldn’t even go into effect for another year. Either way, Fromm said he can’t think of a situation where a club ever got denied its event because it didn’t have its money at the time. And neither have we.

Fromm is also by no means passive. While Chhabria talked during the debate, Fromm didn’t just stand there quietly; he fired back, making jabs at Chhabria’s employment woes and defending his own record. He is a safe choice, but he is a choice we are willing to stand behind confidently.

Muslim SA. We want someone who is a key part of the community, and Alwahaidy’s involvement both on and off campus and his not overly ambitious goals, such as easily accessible library outlets, cement our confidence in him to serve UB well.

Alexandra Schwartz – Forward Party: Schwartz is our fourth choice for SUNY delegate, but we choose her with great hesitation. She failed to deliver any tangible ideas because she doesn’t know yet what the students want or need.

But, at the same time, that could be a positive. Instead of offering frivolous or intangible plans like a couple of the other delegates, she is waiting for input before aggressively diving into anything. Because of this mentality, we feel Schwartz has the ability to bridge the gap between professionalism and approachability.

Treasurer: Sometimes the best choice is the safe choice.

And that choice is Forward Party Treasurer Joshua Fromm.

Fromm is admittedly a placeholder, in our opinion, but he’s not a throwaway. He has a background in finance, currently serves as a bookkeeper in SA’s finance department and has become familiar with Sub-Board, Inc., and club executive boards.

Spirit Party Treasurer candidate Siddhant Chhabria, on the other hand, was – without question – the better speaker of the two candidates.

While Fromm put on the political voice and delivered a short, anxious speech, Chhabria was calm and confident.

Too confident. While he can deliver a speech, his arrogance and his qualms communicating in the workplace throw up a red flag. Chhabria was fired twice from his position as a bookkeeper in SA, according to Fromm. However, Chhabria tells a different story, saying he resigned the first time due to unprofessionalism in the workplace and, the second time, was laid off without any proper documentation of the reasons. We still have no exact story on what happened, so with that, we hold great reserves.

Delegates: Delegates: Aminat Seriki – Spirit Party: SUNY Delegates are in the unique position where they work directly with both the students and officials in Albany to find and meet the needs of the people. This is a role for which we feel Seriki will be perfect. Between her involvement with the African Student Association – in which she was awarded Member of the Year – and an active presence around campus, Seriki’s experience will pave the way for her to market to and for the international community at UB – and UB as a whole.

Mohammad Alwahaidy – Spirit Party: If you recognize Alwahaidy’s name or picture, don’t be surprised. The delegate candidate is an incredibly active member of the UB community, most recently emceeing this year’s International Fiesta and participating in multiple clubs, such as Pakistani SA, Indian SA, Black Student Union and

James Lopez – Forward Party: Calm, cool and collected, Lopez stayed impressive by saying less and was our standout choice among the delegates of both parties. Lopez was voted vice president of PODER Latinos Unidos, but perhaps the most impressive accomplishment during his three years at UB is becoming the chapter founder and president of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, the largest national Latin fraternity. Lopez will be a great representative of UB, working inside and outside the campus, building up community relationships and making SA known and active among students.

Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

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Monday, March 25, 2013

SUNY Delegates Every year, UB undergraduates elect four SUNY delegates to act on the students’ behalf in Albany. The four delegates travel to the state capital to meet with members of the New York State Assembly and Senate, raising legislators’ awareness of issues that matter to UB students. It is their job to effectively communicate with the undergraduate student body so it is well represented at the state level.

Name: Aminat Seriki Year: Sophomore Major: Business administration Party: Spirit

Name: Hayley Ross Year: Sophomore Major: International studies and history Party: Spirit

Name: Alexandra Schwartz Year: Junior Major: Business Party: Forward

Name: Hui Kee Lee Year: Sophomore Major: Mathematics Party: Forward

Early this semester, Aminat Seriki was awarded “Member of the Year” for her work with the African SA. She has interned at Saipem Oil Company in the Communications Department and has participated in the Mercedes-Benz of Buffalo Fashion Week.

Her mission is to use her knowledge of diverse cultures and work environments to involve minorities in student life at UB.

Hayley Ross is currently the president of campus relations and Pan-Hellenic delegate in the international women’s fraternity Alpha Gamma Delta. As a member of Greek life, the high crime rate and poor housing conditions in the University Heights greatly concern her.

If elected, she plans to hold landlords accountable for derelict houses. She wants to create an online database that rates landlords on their attention and responsiveness to housing issues.

Schwartz is currently the president of the Communication Undergraduate SA, a resident advisor in Porter Quad, employee of Career Services and social media intern at Planning Events and Receptions.

Her goal is to create more student awareness of the delegates by conducting surveys, holding office hours and talking to students about what they want SA to do next year.

Schwartz also wants to create a website that allows students to submit anonymous suggestions for the SA’s agenda.

Hui Kee Lee is an International Student Orientation leader and founder and treasurer of Singapore SA. As an international student from Singapore, Lee has pledged to help other students realize UB is not just a school but also a place to live and grow.

Lee wants to give other students the same feeling of inclusion she felt when she came to the university. Next year, she hopes to organize more multi-cultural events on campus, like food festivals.

Name: Mohammad Alwaihaidy Year: Junior Major: Biology Party: Spirit

Name: James Lopez Year: Junior Major: Psychology; minor in philosophy Party: Forward

Mohammad Alwaihaidy is currently a receptionist for the Student Association and is involved in Pakistani SA, Indian SA, Black Student Union and Muslim SA, among many others. His goal, if elected, is to work with UB Libraries to make better places to study.

Specifically, he wants to make sure “Quiet Study” zones are used properly and libraries have enough electrical outlets to accommodate students. Additionally, he hopes to introduce more Halal food to campus eateries to further promote diversity at UB.

Lopez is the chapter founder and president of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc., vice president of PODER Latinos Unidos and a Wegmans employee.

As an “angry South Campus resident,” he wants to keep the pressure on bad landlords to improve the living conditions of the students. Lopez believes in greater transparency of SA and hopes to carry out his term fulfilling the wishes of the student body.

Name: Abby LaPlaca Year: Sophomore Major: Spanish; minors in Italian and education Party: Spirit Abby LaPlaca is a presidential scholar and a member of the Honors College. She is on the executive board and is the dance coordinator of the Latin American Student Association.

Next year, she hopes to make North Campus safer by having more streetlights installed through her proposed program “Light Up UB.” She also wants to turn the Special Events Field, between the Commons and Clemens Hall, into a campus quad with trees and picnic tables.

SPIRIT

FORWARD Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Monday, March 25, 2013 ubspectrum.com

5

Friday night fight

Treasurer candidates get heated in SA election debate SAM FERNANDO Asst. News Editor

On Friday night, the Student Association hosted two debates between the candidates for SA president and treasurer. Carson Ciggia and Joshua Fromm from the Forward Party and Nick Johns and Siddhant Chhabria from the Spirit Party squared off in room 215 of the Natural Science Complex.

The candidates took the opportunity to explain their party’s platforms and how they were going to improve SA. However, the answers to a simple question asked by Aaron Mansfield, editor in chief of The Spectrum, one of the four moderators of the debate, changed the nature of the night and caught the attention of an otherwise emotionless crowd. The exchange – which occurred near the end of the second debate between treasurer candidates Fromm and Chhabria – became the focal point of the evening.

The question: “How are you a better candidate than the guy standing next to you?”

Fromm said his finance experience stemmed from his current position as a bookkeeper in SA’s Finance Department.

Chhabria said he had experience as a bookkeeper in SA’s finance department under two separate executive boards and club experience as the current treasurer for the Indian Student Association (ISA).

Fromm, who worked with Chhabria this school year, responded to his opponent’s answer.

“You talk about working under the past two e-boards,” Fromm said. “From my understanding, I was told and know this from working with you this year, that you were fired not once, but twice. How can you expect to work at a higher office when you were fired from SA two times, especially as a bookkeeper?”

Chhabria quickly rebutted saying he wasn’t fired twice. He said he was laid off from his position this year and wasn’t provided any proper documentation or reasons for his termination. He then said he resigned the year before because of the “unprofessionalism maintained within the department” – a reference to former Treasurer Sikander Khan’s $300,000 scandal in which he and Vice President Meghan McMonagale signed a contract involving a fraudulent company in 2012.

Rebecca Bratek, The Spectrum SA treasurer candidates Siddhant Chhabria (far left) and Joshua Fromm (far right) revitalized an emotionless crowd at the SA debate Friday night when Fromm claimed his opponent was fired from his bookkeeper job in SA. Presidential candidates Nick Johns (second from left) and Carson Ciggia (second from right) also debated.

The audience gradually started to awaken, and whispers and quiet laughter slowly filled the room that had about 50 attendees.

“This has been built up throughout the whole election,” Fromm said after the debate. “People have come to me and asked: ‘Could you compare yourself to Sid?’ And my work ethic and leadership is something that cannot be comparable. The fact that he was fired is one thing, but the fact that he continues to say why he [wasn’t] fired was another. He was specifically given papers and he has been telling everyone that he wasn’t given these papers when he was fired.”

SA President Travis Nemmer, one of the moderators of the debate, allowed Fromm to respond. Fromm said he knew “for a fact” the e-board this year gave Chhabria the papers and a reason for his firing. Fromm then told Chhabria and the audience he would like to get the papers and show everyone.

Chhabria then claimed he was only given papers after forcing the chief of staff and treasurers for some kind of documentation.

The laughter and attentiveness of the crowd increased with each rebuttal.

Fromm repeated Chhabria was given papers and reasons for the firing. Fromm added when he worked with him, Chhabria would constantly be walking around the office and socializing instead of doing his job.

“I would always be doing all the work, and to my attention, you were fired,” Fromm said.

Nemmer was forced to intervene. The crowd was more alert than it had been throughout the night. He allowed both candidates one more rebuttal.

With a smile on his face, Chhabria grabbed his microphone and spoke louder than his previous responses.

“Josh, the initial question was to compare who is the better candidate,” Chhabria said.

“I can guarantee you that if we took a test of who knows more – or a simple Jeopardy game – I would dominate that game and overpower it way beyond your expectations.

You would not be able to beat [me].”

He said Fromm was wrong. Chhabria repeated he was never given a reason for his firing.

In Fromm’s response, he said Nemmer was the person who told Chhabria he was fired. Fromm then reiterated that Chhabria received papers of his dismissal.

Someone in the crowd asked Nemmer about SA’s policies about firing someone.

Nemmer responded, “There are administrative warnings that we hand out, but we retain the ability to fire anyone for any reason except an elected official.”

After the series of heated rebuttals, Chhabria and Fromm smiled at each other and laughed as they fist bumped.

Although Johns and Ciggia pointed out the crowd mainly consisted of supporters of each party instead of undecided student voters, Jason Katz, a sophomore business major, came to the debate not knowing for whom he was voting. “[The debate] wasn’t as professional as I would like to see a debate between presidential or financial candidates,” Katz said.

Chhabria sees the scuffle as nothing more than a political tactic. “[My dismissal] was an unfortunate incident,” Chhabria said. “They wanted to take advantage of that incident. I would have been doing the same thing if I were in their shoes – looking at the competitor’s weakness and trying to work with that. My thoughts, though, were leaving the weaknesses and concentrating on strengths … Whatever he did was in the best interest of his party and what I did was in the best interest of mine. ” Fromm said he wants the public to know the truth.

“I don’t want to lie [to the public],” Fromm said. “I am an honest gentleman. I’m not out there to get anyone. I am not using this against him. I am just stating the facts.”

The election is set to take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Additional reporting by Senior Sports Editor Joe Konze Jr.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Monday, March 25, 2013 ubspectrum.com

Life, Arts & Entertainment

SUCCESS THROUGH SUPPORT UB hosts annual Special Olympics swim meet at Alumni Arena LISA EPSTEIN Asst. Life Editor

Joe Malak, The Spectrum The annual Western Region Special Olympics swim meet was held on Saturday at Alumni Arena. Participants swam against one another in a friendly and competitive environment.

Kelly Haywood has been competitively swimming for 20 years.

The Kenmore/Tonawanda swimmer has been a part of her Special Olympics team since she was 28 years old.

Eighty-five athletes ages 8 and up – including Haywood – crowded Alumni Arena’s pool deck Saturday morning, ready to compete in the Western Region Special Olympics swim meet. Many of the athletes were prepared to compete in multiple races and had been preparing since October for their time in the pool. But the real mission of the meet was to demonstrate courage, experience joy and share in friendships and sportsmanship.

The New York Special Olympics was founded in 1969. It provides year-round training and competition in Olympic-style sports that fosters confidence and builds a positive self-image for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Haywood has participated in other Special Olympic sports but really enjoys swimming. “[I like the] freestyle, backstroke and relays – all of them,” Haywood said. “I used to do track and field, but I took a break from that. It was too much. I bowl. I just want to do my best and put my head in the water.”

Carol Hetzelt has been helping her husband, Erwin, coach his Kenmore/Tonawanda Special Olympics team for the last 29 years.

Her son, Eric, is an athlete on the team, but he was unable to participate this year due to a heart condition.

Carol said practices teach athletes skills like kicking in the water, holding their breath, strokes and how to use lane markers. She said many of the athletes have been working with their team for many years.

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The meet included events such as the 100-meter freestyle and backstroke, 50-meter breaststroke and relays like the 4x25 meter relay and 4x50 meter relay. There were also events for the adaptive and developmental athletes, such as the 10-meter assisted swim and the 15-meter walk.

“We want the kids to go and have fun, learn to work as a team and help each other,” Hetzelt said.

“They cheer on each other – that’s really what this is all about. You want them to succeed and you want them to feel really good about themselves. We never put them in anything that they’re not going to succeed in. So if we think that they’re not going to be able to do a 50-meter, we’ll put them in the 25 [meter race] so that they have a better chance of finishing and feeling good about themselves.”

Erwin said prior to coaching his Special Olympics team, he coached two of his daughters on an elementary school team. Erwin would bring his son to the school with him, and Eric swam with his sisters in the pool. Erwin and Carol worked with the town of Tonawanda during its handicapped recreational swim time to start a program for Special Olympics swimmers.

“The smiles on their faces – that’s more than any dollar amount that you could ever get,” Erwin said.

“Just seeing the satisfaction and the looks on their faces as they compete and how they finish. I’ve always been a big believer, even when I coached in a grammar school league, that if you’re not having fun doing this, then you shouldn’t be doing it. A lot of coaches don’t believe in that, but I do.”

As a nonprofit organization, Special Olympics New York serves over 61,000 athletes free of charge, according to its website. It is the largest Special Olympics program in the United States and the sixth largest program in the world. Dan

Kuberka, director of program for the western region, said athletes can compete in any events they choose and are divided into groups so athletes can compete against people of like abilities.

Kuberka said the meets are real competitions for athletes. He said the Special Olympics is a chance for athletes to train for physical fitness with different people and develop camaraderie with teammates, volunteers and coaches, while developing relationships throughout the community.

Volunteers from the Buffalo area coach the athletes at seven different training clubs. At least once a week for about an hour, the coaches teach different strokes, different races and different distances to the athletes.

The goal is to enjoy the sport and to see good competition, Kuberka said.

“We want to see sportsmanship,” Kuberka said. “The athletes have a code of conduct to be good sports.

We want them to have fun. Sports, at the end of the day, are supposed to be fun. Even though it’s training and competition, you want them to have a good time.”

Grand Island coach Vaughn Keller got involved with Special Olympics when his son Bill became an athlete. Keller believes the meets give the athletes a chance to participate with their peers. He believes it builds friendships, while athletes also have fun and work hard. “[I hope everyone is] having a good time and doing the best that they can,” Keller said. “It’s what we strive for, and [we] try to make sure they try hard … They don’t always win, so it’s them understanding that as long as they try hard, it’s good.”

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

Monday, March 25, 2013

7

Reimon Bhuyan, Student Assocation

Courtesy of Tedx Buffalo

Last Thursday, musician Michael King (far right) and his band won the opportunity at the Student Association’s Battle of the Bands to open Spring Fest 2013 for Steve Aoki and Kendrick Lamar.

Alan Friedman uses his telescope to take pictures of the sun out of his own backyard on Elmwood Avenue. Friedman is one of the many speakers who has participated in the idea conference TEDxBuffalo in the past two years.

Eighteen minutes to UB’s Battle of the Bands crowns opening act for Spring Fest change perspectives FELICIA HUNT Contributing Writer

As an unsigned artist, the struggle to make music while remaining financially stable is a tough feat.

Playing shows and making albums isn’t conducive to a cheap lifestyle, especially for college students in bands who worry about affording tuition and books in addition to new guitar strings and gas money for the next gig.

Breckenwood, CrashFuse, Turbulence, The Plastic Faction and Michael King know that feeling all too well.

The five diverse acts, each of which have a UB student or alumnus as a member, took part in the Student Association’s annual Battle of the Bands last Thursday in the Student Union Theater. The top three winners were awarded cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100, and a special surprise went to the top contender.

First place went to jazz musician Michael King and his band, which now has the honor of opening for Kendrick Lamar and Steve Aoki at this year’s Spring Fest.

Vocalist/keyboardist and former leader of the Buffalo Chips, Michael King, could barely con-

tain his excitement as he hugged his bandmates after the announcement.

“Buffalo usually supports the rock and punk scene, so we don’t receive much recognition,” King said. “I’m in shock that we won and we can’t wait to play Spring Fest.”

King and his band sealed the deal with their rendition of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” which they performed toward the conclusion of their set. King’s soulful “Timberlake” croon rang out into the Union, leading to a few curious students poking their heads into the theater.

King’s drummer “Teaspoon” packed a punch; his drum solo elicited whistles and loud cheers from the audience alongside the smooth tone of the saxophone.

“Michael King was my favorite of the night,” said junior psychology major Justina Garcia. “I didn’t think he would take first place, though, with his music being so different.”

“Teaspoon” is not the only drummer whose beats commanded attention. Matthew Mrugalski, drummer of alternative rock band Turbulence, was the focal point of the band’s set.

At only 15 years old, Mrugalski resembled “Animal” of the Muppets as he thrashed around on his drum kit. His performance garnered the appreciation of the crowd and three judges, earning Turbulence second place.

Third place winner, The Plastic Faction, exceeded expectations with its sound. When the band came on stage, some of the audience snickered, but all the naysayers were silenced when the band kicked into high-energy rock music. The Plastic Faction’s youthful vibe captured the attention of the audience, winning it over with its Weezer-influenced sound.

Both Breckenwood and CrashFuse put on hard-hitting punk performances, but it was not enough to place the bands in the top three.

It’s safe to say that Spring Fest will bring the diversity the student body has craved for the past few semesters and will provide a platform for local Buffalo music.

“It’s going to be huge exposure for us to play Spring Fest,” King said. “I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

TEDxBuffalo gives everyday people a chance to spread ideas ANDREA SAADAN Staff Writer

Kevin Purdy is looking for normal people – average, everyday people – who are passionate about what they do to speak in front of hundreds of people for 18 minutes.

Purdy, a freelance writer, is the founder and license holder of TEDxBuffalo. TEDx is a national nonprofit organization devoted to spreading ideas. It started in 1984 as a way to bring people together from three academic worlds – technology, entertainment and design.

TEDx is the version of the conference “designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level,” according ted.com.

Purdy was responsible for the first two conferences held in the Queen City.

Each speaker gets 18 minutes to talk about “an idea worth spreading.” Videos are then uploaded to the Internet for the public to view.

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about stuff, and then it grew into a much bigger event where it has a much broader focus,” Purdy said.

Chaz Adams, a business analyst at AIX Group, a local insurance agency, will take over for Purdy this year and will be the head organizer of the conference. Adams anticipates a larger turnout this year compared to previous years because when the organization first got its license to host a TEDx conference, there were restrictions on attendance and fundraising.

In previous years, the event has been limited to 100 people. In order to “unlock a bigger license” the coordinators fundraised at an event in California, Adams said.

The goal is to have 300 people in attendance this year on Oct. 15 and the organizing team is hoping the theme of “Renaissance People” will bring those attendees.

The coordinators also hope to have UB students and faculty members involved in the thinking conference.

Jessica Seabury, senior assistant director of the University Honors College, has been helping to plan this year’s event. She is hoping UB students will be motivated to present their ideas.

“We’re looking for somebody who has a great idea and can tell it in a really compelling way,” Seabury said. “We’d love to have someone from the refugee community in Buffalo this year … I think they have a lot of good stories to tell and a lot of great experiences they can share.”

Purdy said students can show academic transcripts to future employers, but it is a whole other level to be able to point them to a “professionally recorded video where you’re talking to 200 people about your topic.”

“We’re letting you step outside of just presenting to your peers on campus,” Adams said. “You’re speaking to a group that you’re pitching an idea to. You have an engaged audience who will embrace what you’re speaking about,” He looks forward to showcasing the “diverse and intelligent community,” which he believes exists at UB.

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Monday, March 25, 2013

Purdy From page 7

Seabury agrees. She thinks there are so many diverse people at UB who are “doing really cool things” who could contribute valuable ideas to the conference. However, the selection process is important. While they don’t want to limit the speakers to topics related only to Buffalo, there is a need to embrace the fact that this is TEDxBuffalo.

“You need a combination of somebody who is really smart but can also convey that in a way that’s accessible to an audience and can relate to the audience,” Seabury said. “As you know with teachers, you can have someone smart who can’t really get that across to students.”

Purdy said the biggest success has been a local astro-photographer named Alan Friedman.

Friedman’s TEDxBuffalo video has 35,000 views and the number is still rising.

Friedman runs a graphic company in Buffalo and, in his spare time, shoots photos of the sun with a telescope in his backyard.

Purdy says someone like Friedman is what TEDxBuffalo is all about – normal people doing amazing things. He said TEDx programs are all about trying to find these people.

“Every town has people like Alan Friedman,” Purdy said. “It’s [the job of TEDx] to find those folks and just give them 18 minutes, which is not enough time to teach a Ph.D.-level class, but it’s enough time that they can tell you why they’re so enthusiastic.”

For Purdy, TEDxBuffalo’s goal is to “give these people with smaller ideas a chance to shine.”

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Tennis From page 10

“I feel like once you get the first one out of the way that it’s easy to get back to business and working on things,” Ortman said.

“I think there were a lot of things that [coach Smaranda Stan] and I noticed that we have to work on this week and prepare for next weekend just like any other week, focus on our strengths and what we do best. And we’ll be ready and be rested for next weekend.”

The Bulls will continue MAC play next weekend as they head out to Oxford, Ohio, to take on Miami Ohio at 1 p.m. on Friday and Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

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Crossword of the Day

HOROSCOPES Monday, March 25, 2013 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

ACROSS 1 Way to go 5 Accumulate 10 "The Swedish Nightingale" Jenny 14 Tommie of Mets history 15 Row in a bar, perhaps 16 Pelvic bones 17 Blacken, in a way 18 Lazybones 19 Burgundy et Bordeaux 20 Pre-baptism instruction?

23 Recant 24 Like some trigger fingers 25 Former German chancellor Willy 28 Lovelorn sound 30 Em, to Dorothy 31 Antique shop item 33 Frat-row letter, say 36 Loosen up 40 ___ Butterworth's 41 "Did ___ something?"

42 Persia, now 43 "The Simpsons" disco guy et al.

44 Three ___ to the wind (plastered)

46 More mellow, as wine 49 Flowing cravat 51 Stay calm 57 Blather wildly 58 Practice public speaking 59 Greek letter after theta 60 Recessed section of a church 61 Muslim's religion 62 Cradle alternative 63 "Leave unchanged" 64 Farm equipment name 65 Sound from a snake

DOWN 1 Treaty of Versailles, e.g.

2 Ottoman official (Var.) 3 Hard wood 4 Legalese adverb 5 Among 6 Sorceress who aided Jason 7 Bowling site 8 Leak slowly 9 Certain Balkan 10 Dwells in the past?

11 Region of 16-Across 12 Final Beethoven symphony 13 Elegantly showy

Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 25, 2013 CHILLAX By Potter Stern

21 Common conjunction 22 Severity 25 Healing ointment 26 Regretful one 27 Workers in a column 28 Mmes. of Mexico City 29 One of the "Rocky" films 31 A couple CBS spinoffs 32 Pause fillers 33 A sweater utilizes it 34 Attack, as a gnat 35 Places to stay when away 37 "Glycerine" opener 38 Bird in the bush?

39 "The Blue Angel" star 43 Seven-piece band 44 Nefarious plan 45 ___ polloi 46 They might get into stews 47 Jumped forward 48 Like pea-soup fog 49 "We're having ___! Everything must go!"

50 Relatively cool red giant 52 Villain to "avoid" in vintage Domino's Pizza ads (with "the"

53 Gaelic language 54 Spelling or Amos 55 Elisha of elevator fame 56 Collars

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Choose wisely today, or you may find yourself not with too little, but too much!

Yes, you can have too much of a good thing!

TAURUS (April 20May 20) -- No matter where you stand today, you're sure to appreciate another's point of view -though it may cause others to react unkindly.

GEMINI (May 21June 20) -- You'll start the day on a note of high expectation, though your performance may leave some wanting more when all is said and done.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You may discover that you've been expected to do things that you never agreed to do -- though by day's end you can come through.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You're likely to get a lot of varied reactions today to what you do at the spur of the moment. Not everyone is ready for what you have to offer!

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) -- Take care that you don't rub someone else the wrong way, especially since all you're really trying to do is get along.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 22) -- You may be considering a few big changes today after experiencing something entirely new yesterday or the day before.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23Nov. 21) -- You must be sure to do what is required of you -not just according to schedule, but in the right order. Don't get distracted.

FALL SPACES ARE

GOING FAST RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -You'll be inspired by what someone else does in your stead.

Now, when your turn rolls around again, you'll know what to do!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -The more stubborn a problem is, the more likely it is that a delicate, sensitive approach will be the answer.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You're tempted to explore one of your old, familiar methods today when facing a new problem. It is likely to prove only moderately effective.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -There's no reason for you to deny what everyone knows is your responsibility. It's time for you to take the blame -- or the credit.

10

Sports

Monday, March 25, 2013 ubspectrum.com

After 18 seasons, Beichner fired as wrestling coach UB community responds to long-time coach’s termination

A faded memory, a blurred future

JOE KONZE JR Senior Sports Editor

On Friday, veteran wrestling head coach Jim Beichner was fired, according to The Buffalo News.

Beichner, who was awarded MidAmerican Conference coach of the year in 2011, is the second long-time Bulls head coach to be fired in the past two weeks, following former men’s basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon.

Beichner could not be reached for comment.

The news came on Friday after four wrestlers had qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

In a much-anticipated season with the return of redshirt senior John-Martin Cannon, the Bulls experienced a setback due to many unexpected injuries. Buffalo underperformed, posting an overall record of 1-11 and a 1-4 MAC dual-meet record.

“It’s extremely sad, with all he’s done for not only our sport here at UB but for the guys on the team and their lives, it’s just immeasurable,” said former UB wrestler and student-assistant coach Chris Conti. “Our sport doesn’t just make great athletes; it makes great people. That’s what he stood for.”

Beichner took over a Bulls team in the 1995-96 season that had only compiled six dual-meet victories in the previous four seasons.

In his second season as coach (1996-97), he led the Bulls to a 12-2-2 record, amassing the most wins for the program in over a decade at the time.

Beichner went on to accumulate 50 wins in his first five seasons and 144 in dual meets, which ranks second (behind Ed Michael’s 213 career wins) in UB history.

“He’s a good coach and a good guy,” said former wrestler Danny Gormley, who transferred and now wrestles at Cortland State.

“UB has real good wrestlers coming up through right now that he recruited and he won’t even get to coach them all the way through

JOE KONZE JR Senior Sports Editor

Nick Fischetti, The Spectrum Senior Mark Lewandowski wrestles an opponent this season. After 18 seasons of coaching the wrestling team, head coach Jim Beichner was relieved of his duties on Friday. Beichner, who won Mid-American Conference coach of the year in 2011, accumulated 144 dual-meet wins, ranking him second in UB history behind Ed Michael’s 213 career wins. Beichner also helped raise over $98,000 for cancer research.

… It’s probably a sad day in the UB wrestling room. The program seemed like his life. He ate, slept and breathed UB Bulls wrestling.”

In his 18 seasons, Beichner compiled a 151-120-4 record in dual meets while coaching 43 Bulls to NCAA championships, including redshirt sophomore Max Soria, sophomore Blake Roulo, senior Mark Lewandowski and MartinCannon, who qualified this season.

Under the Beichner regime, the Bulls saw seven wrestlers eclipse the 100-win mark. Former wrestlers Desi Green, Jimmy Hamel and Kevin Smith are among the grapplers to accomplish this feat.

“I think it can clearly be said Danny White is wasting no time in his efforts of bringing what he thinks will bring UB Athletics to next level,” said Vincent Buttimer, a senior mechanical engineering major and the president of

True Blue. “His decisions are definitely bold with his plans for the development of the athletic complexes on campus, the decision of coaches on campus and his overall drive for the athletic department. Any time you take a new direction with anything, you have to make tough decisions to change what you came to always know. I trust Danny White in his efforts to bring the Buffalo program to a national level.”

Beichner was also an organizer for the Takedown Cancer event that was held in honor of the late former UB wrestler Jeff Parker, who lost his battle with cancer in May 2010.

“He went even further than his job description and reached out to help people in need,” Conti said. “The wrestling team, driven

by Beichner, raised over $98,000 for cancer research and set aside

$5,000 a year to give to a single family in need. He showed the entire team what it felt like to change [another person’s] life and that’s something that can’t be replaced.

And no other team in this country can say they’ve given that much.”

Despite the Bulls’ recent record, the legacy Beichner has left on the program was not only his winning prowess but also his ability to give back to the community. According to Conti, that attitude will remain the same.

“This is not the last we will hear of Jim Beichner,” Conti said. “He will continue to be the giving and caring man he has been his entire life. He has blessed a lot of lives and will continue to.”

Stay with The Spectrum for updates as the search for a new wrestling coach commences.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

10-love

Women’s tennis stays undefeated, extends winning streak to 10 in a row MEG LEACH Staff Writer

Nick Fischetti, The Spectrum Junior Marta Stoyanova (above) and the Bulls continued their hot hand and extended their winning streak to 10 games as they downed NIU in MAC play on Saturday afternoon. Stoyanova and doubles counterpart Laura Fernandez won their doubles match, 8-6.

When the anxiety of losing all the time goes away, sometimes the pressure of winning constantly becomes its own problem.

For the women’s tennis team, that’s a good problem to have.

The Bulls (10-0, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) are one of only two programs in the NCAA that is undefeated thus far in the season. The other is Ivy League powerhouse Cornell (11-0). Buffalo extended the winning streak with a 6-1 victory over Northern Illinois (14-4, 0-2 MAC) on Saturday.

The match had an almost routine-like air about it, as the girls came to the Miller Tennis Center prepared to compete. Despite their prominence on the court, Bulls head coach Kristen Ortman said there were nerves coming into the game.

“There’s always some nerves,” Ortman said. “This was our first MAC match. It’s great being at the top but there’s always a little more pressure there. So, we were working through those nerves of: ‘Hey, this is what we’re practicing for, and this is why we’re here.’ They did a great job of working through those and being disciplined.”

Buffalo shook the nerves early and took advantage of a Huskies team that suffered a harsh blow of defeat just the day before, being swept by Akron.

Junior Anamaria Candanoza and freshman Gopika Kapoor finished first in doubles, defeating their opponents 8-1. Juniors Tanvi Shah and Miranda Podlas followed, taking the second doubles match to clinch the point with an 8-3 win.

Laura Fernandez and Marta Stoyanova finished the doubles sweep with an 8-6 finish.

“I think we’re just playing great doubles,” Ortman said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with who we’re playing against. The girls know what they need to do to win and they’re doing what they need to do to execute that.”

The transition from doubles to singles came smoothly, and the Buffalo dominance continued.

Wins in straight sets through the first four singles matches clinched the win.

Podlas was first to leave the court, limiting her opponent to just three points in her 6-1 and 6-2 finishes. The Bulls limited the Huskies to 40 of a possible 74 points in the six singles matches, including two matches that went into extra sets.

Candanoza’s match was the final of the evening, a tightly locked battle that started with a split in the first two games. The match came to an unexpected stop when Candanoza felt tightness in her hamstring from a lingering case of tendonitis. The tiebreaking set took a long pause as the trainer rushed to the court to work on the leg.

“At the end of this match, I felt like my hamstring was very tight,” Candanoza said. “What he did was try to release the muscles, so when I got onto the court, I felt totally different. I felt lighter and I felt like I was a new person.”

Candanoza came out strong and scored 11 times in the tiebreaker to take the sixth point for the Bulls.

With the first MAC game out of the way, Ortman is only looking forward and looking to return to business as usual on the courts.

SEE TENNIS, PAGE 8

On a crisp October afternoon, I strapped up my football helmet and lined up for tackling drills on my high school football field.

It was my least favorite part of practice because some of the players on my team did not exemplify the proper tackling technique and would lead with the crown of their helmets. This caused the other players on the team to experience getting their “bell rung.”

As part of a tackling drill, I was running with the ball when my teammate went for the big hit and led with the crown of his helmet.

I had done everything in my power to lower my pads to absorb the blow, but because he had led with his helmet, he caught me under my chin. And the only thing I remembered through my blurred vision was the faint sound of my assistant coach uttering the words: “Joe! Joe! Are you all right?”

I had been knocked out.

It had only been 3-5 minutes, but it felt like eternity. The first thing that came to mind was: Am I alive?

I had thought for a second I was paralyzed because it felt like 15 tons of force were holding my body down on the football field.

With the help of my teammates, I was carried off the field to the trainer’s office.

As I lay in the office, I started to realize where I was. I covered my eyes. I was irritated by the bright lights. It felt like I had just stared into 1,000 camera flashbulbs and I couldn’t shake the spots I was seeing.

I was then put through multiple tests for about half an hour. I had been asked to remember dates and numbers. After hesitating to respond to some of the questions, it was clear that I had a concussion.

My football season was over. I was never going play another level of football again in my life.

Why? Because this was the fifth concussion I had suffered in two years.

I was the worst I had ever been, according to my mom. I had multiple headaches and was completely out of it as if I was on autopilot.

When I was asked at the dinner table to talk, I just gave one-word responses that had no depth or substance.

I remember struggling to follow the conversation and flow of class.

I could not complete a reading or writing assignment without experiencing some type of headache.

These were symptoms and side effects I had experienced before, but these just kept lingering on.

They have finally started to wear off recently, but I worry sometimes when I struggle to find my car in the parking lot.

Today, when I read reports of football players and athletes who have developed post-concussion effects that involve depression and players like Junior Seau killing himself, it raises my anxiety level. Who knows what the future brings for me? All I know is that each and every day, I will try to increase my cognitive skills so they are back to normal.

When you hear of concussions from now on, I hope you consider what former and current players experience. Everyone is different, but I feel our stories – the stories of lives blurred by concussions – should be told.

Email: joseph.konze@ubspectrum.com