The Spectrum Volume 60 Issue 69

The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo MONDAY EDITION v April 4, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 69 v ubspectrum.com

Alex McCrossen /// The Spectrum

The VOICE Party rejoices over its landslide victory.

VOICE Party Sweeps SA Elections

Datz named president

AMANDA WOODSManaging Editor A cheer rose in 350 Student Union on Thursday evening when the Student Association elections ended in a decisive victory for the VOICE Party, with all of its candidates dominating student ballots.

Courtesy of Flickr user epicmoments

The Central Terminal, a Buffalo monument, is one step closer to being restored to its former glory.

On March 10, the Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Corp. (CTRC) released a $75 million master plan to the public, which is comprised of four projects that can be completed independently of each other and in any order.

“There are many reasons for restoring the Terminal,” said Paul Lang, chairman of the Architectural Advisory committee for CTRC. “From a moral or ethical viewpoint, it’s an architectural jewel, a Buffalo landmark listed on the National Register [of Historic Places], and most importantly, a place where all Buffalonians have passed through or had some association with.”

The plan is focused on returning the Central Terminal to its 1929 status, while bringing it into the future to create a central hub of activity.

The first phase of the plan is to restore and stabilize the building to preserve the historic nature of the remaining features. Recent studies have estimated that $2.6 million will be needed to stabilize and repoint the 17-story masonry tower. An additional $1 million will be needed to replace the vaulted roof of the concourse.

Once the building is stabilized and restored, projects within the master plan can be launched.

“As you look through the plan, we’ve broken down the building into various parts,” said Marty Biniasz, media relations coordinator and marketing committee chair of CTRC. “So when funds become available and when development opportunities arise, we don’t have to wait for the one big ‘silver bullet’ project to rescue the entire building, but we can develop it in pieces.”

The tower of the Terminal is set to be designed as a residential space, with space allotment determined by market-rate analysis. Units could include large work or living spaces on the lower floors, mediumsize lofts on the middle floors, and large penthouse suites on the upper floors. The plan also allows for consideration of more affordable living spaces, as well.

The historic elevators and lobbies that connect to the parking garage will be refurbished to allow direct access to the tower.

INSIDE NEWS :: 2 OPINION :: 3 ARTS & LIFE :: 4–7 DAILY DELIGHTS :: 8 CLASSIFIEDS :: 9 SPORTS :: 12–11

The baggage building would become a “green business incubator facility,” or a place for small business and light industrial operations. Adjacent to this facility will be the Urban Habitat Classroom, a project in conjunction with the Curtis Urban Farm Foundation that will promote green development principles while building a habitat and learning lab.

The plan also hopes to restore existing rail lines to be used with Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s light rail system and to incorporate lines into New York State’s plans for a high-speed rail system.

“This [plan] pays homage to [the Terminal’s] historic pragmatic roots, while creating a self-sufficient and interesting environment demanded by today’s market,” Lang said.

Sikander M. Khan became treasurer with 1,653 votes, dominating Blue Party candidate Jonathan Steffen by 929 votes.

VOICE Party candidates Kayla Williams (1534 votes), Juan E. Pereyra (1518 votes), Justin Neuwirt (1505 votes), and Joseph Belfon (1305 votes) were elected as the new SUNY delegates.

“I’m really, really excited,” Datz said, as her supporters flocked around her. “I just want to thank so many people: thank our supporters, thank my party members, thank my wonderful boyfriend John, who has been there for our whole party. It’s been incredible.

I’m fairly speechless right now. This has just been a great year. And to have won so victoriously, I’m so excited….Thank you to everyone who came out and voted.”

The CTRC has begun work on this master plan by meeting with developers and trying to secure grants on the national and state level, while also searching for private investors to fund the $75 million needed to complete the project’s goals.

A tearful McMonagle shared the same sentiments, and she is thrilled that her entire party will remain together next year.

The Central Terminal opened for business in June 1929 and was built to accommodate 3,200 passengers per hour, or 200 trains per day. Built by the New York Central Railroad and designed by architects Alfred Felheimer and Steward Wagner, the Terminal is a part of the iconic art deco movement of the 1920s.

UB Graduate Programs Receive High Marks from U.S. News and World Report

The last train departed from the station in October of 1979, as Amtrak abandoned the East Side property to use a new station in Cheektowaga and reopen the Exchange Street terminal.

Khan is already looking ahead, and he plans to immediately begin following through on his campaign promises.

It’s definitely time to deliver,” Khan said. “Everything that we’ve promised, we’ll start working on it by tomorrow. We’ve already started so many things; it’s time to focus on what we have [promised] and to stand up for what we have told [the students].”

Nischal Vasant, the current SA president, is excited about the increased election turnout this year – 2,680 students showed up to the polls from Tuesday through Thursday, 480 more than last year’s turnout.

Datz and McMonagle will be shadowing Vasant and current SA Vice President Shervin Stoney over the next month to get a taste of the responsibilities they will have to undertake next year.

“They’ve got their work cut out for them, but I think they have the experience to step up in the game,” Vasant said. “I’m very confident in their abilities.”

Blue Party presidential candidate Daniel Ovadia was composed despite his party’s overwhelming

FLOYD SWEETStaff Writer A number of UB graduate programs – including the medicine, engineering, law, nursing, and business schools – are among the best in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”

loss, and he plans to remain involved in student government.

“We’re really happy that we worked really hard,” Ovadia said.

“We’re really happy [about] all those people who came out and supported us. We congratulate the VOICE Party and their candidates, and we hope that in the future, we can all talk about different ideas for SA, because that’s what we were here for during the campaign, and that’s what we want to be here for after the campaign.”

Darwinson Valdez, the only independent candidate in this year’s election, received 787 votes – slightly beating the Blue Party SUNY delegate candidates – but still trailing far behind the VOICE Party winners.

Despite his loss, Valdez asserted that his voice on campus will not be silenced.

“Even though I lost, I still feel proud of myself for my hard work during this election,” Valdez said.

“You know, things happen when you run independent, and at the end of the day, I’ve just got to move forward. I’ve still got to work hard to get the student voice out there, and just because they didn’t choose me as a delegate doesn’t mean I’m going to [keep] my voice quiet….

Look out for me. I’m still going to be around.” g

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

“The rankings merely provide a confirmation of what we at UB have already known about our graduate programs,” said Satish K. Tripathi, officer in charge.

“We are quite proud that our programs across our university continue to rise in rank among the most lauded national programs.”

Continued on Page 10

The CTRC purchased the 17-acre property in 1997 from the city for the price of $1 with the plans to restore and reopen the property to the public.

Give the Gift of Life

“[The Central Terminal] is a structure that is monumental and is uniquely Buffalo,” Biniasz said. “It’s a structure that you’re not going to find in any other city in the world, and it’s an architectural treasure that we’re all looking to preserve and reuse.”

Over 100 people in Western New York will need blood today, and 800 people in the Buffalo community are waiting for a life-saving transplant.

Each year, more than 6,500 people die while waiting for an organ transplant. A single organ donor has the ability to save up to eight lives.

This Tuesday, students can do their part to help save a life by attending the “Help The Beat Go On” event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union.

“It is so important for people to gather the facts about organ and tissue donation and have a conversation with their family members about their wishes to be a donor,” said Danielle Keller, manager of education for UNYTS.

For more information on the CTRC’s master plan or ways to get involved in the project, visit http://http://buffalocentralterminal.org/ or email any questions to questions@buffalocentralterminal.org. g

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

WEATHER MON

The Central Terminal on Buffalo’s East Side is one step closer to being restored to its original grandeur, as leaders released a master plan last month.

TUES

REBECCA BRATEKStaff Writer

Plans also include the complete restoration of the main concourse. This would create a public-access space that could support museum exhibits, festivals, rentals, and other community uses. The plan also calls for restoration of the restaurant and allows for other seasonal commercial venues.

WED

Central Terminal Releases Master Plan

JoAnna Datz, the newly elected president, along with her vice president, Meghan McMonagle, earned 1,622 votes, beating the Blue Party candidates, Daniel Ovadia and Teresa Sprow, by 780 votes.

“We’ve spent the last three months working toward this, and it’s a really scary thing to not only not get it, but to not be with your team,” McMonagle said. “The whole team got it, and I couldn’t be any happier right now.”

h g g

90%

40%

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H: 59 L: 35 H: 41 L: 31 H: 45 L: 37

DANNIELLE O’TOOLEAsst. News Editor

This event is held as a result of Karen Swierski’s Advanced Public Relations and Marketing Class (COM 453) and its campus-wide awareness campaign on the urgent need for organ, eye, tissue, and blood donation.

OPINION WAL-MART LAWSUIT WON’T WORK PAGE 3

ARTS BJ NOVAK PAGE 4

In conjunction with Upstate New York Transplant Services (UNYTS), the event not only strives to spread knowledge about these topics; it also encourages people to sign donation cards to become registered as organ and tissue donors.

Continued on Page 2

ARTS SPRING AWAKENING PAGE 7

News Briefs 4/4

NEWS

Spain’s Prime Minister Won’t Seek Re-election

Give the Gift of Life Continued from Page 1 Blood donation is equally important, as just a single donation can save up to three lives. “[Giving blood] does not hurt, as people often think,” Keller said. “It might pinch for a second, but then it is fine. You are saving lives with your donation, so I always think that the little pinch is well worth it.”

The COM 453 class planned the entire event after receiving a budget from UNYTS. The class then split into teams, which were assigned specific tasks, such as creating a social networking site, working on advertising, sending out press releases to the media, going into classrooms and encouraging students to attend, and organizing a blood drive.

The event will feature musical performances

by UB’s only all-male a cappella group, The Buffalo Chips; the UB Step Troupe; and former UB Idol Danny Stafford.

There will also be pizza, cotton candy, cookie decorating, and a variety of games, prizes, and raffles throughout the day.

“If students have even five minutes in their day, they should really stop by and eat some pizza and enjoy the entertainment,” said Adrian Finch, a senior communication major. “My [public relations] class has worked really hard to organize this event, and I think it’s going to be really fun and an eye-opening experience for many students.”

The event will feature testimonials from people who have been saved by organ donation, which Finch hopes will touch students on an emotional level and prove just how important signing an organ donor card can be.

Next Monday, there will be a Bloodmobile in room 210 of the Student Union from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Donation cards will be available at both events and via the Facebook and Twitter pages. Students can sign up for the events and find more information online. The Twitter page is at “RhythmOfLife453” and the Facebook page is entitled “Keep The Beat Going.”

“Students should really take time to attend the event and consider signing up to be an organ donor,” Finch said. “It can be a scary thing to sign the organ donor card, but in doing so, you’re pledging to save a life, and that’s a pretty amazing thing.” g

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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NEWS MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has announced he will not seek a third term in office.

He made his decision public to end the speculation about who will be the Socialist party candidate in next year’s parliamentary elections.

Zapatero said that this is the right decision for the Socialist party, his family, and Spain. He said that he will step down as party leader after a successor is named. The search for a successor will begin with a series of primaries later this year.

The Socialists are 15 percent behind the Popular Party in recent polls. The announcement of the future change in leadership may help the Socialists in the polls and in the upcoming local elections.

Zapatero became Prime Minister in 2004 after the Madrid train bombings. Since then, Spain’s economy has suffered a recession and unemployment is close to 20 percent. He intended this announcement to keep the government focused on its tasks but some officials have said there is more uncertainty in his party than ever. g

Precautions Taken After Hole Found in Plane After a hole opened up in one plane, Southwest Airlines has grounded 80 of its planes, which will undergo tight inspection. The incident took place during Friday’s Flight 812 traveling from Phoenix to Sacramento.

The plane was forced to make an emergency landing after pressure was lost due to the hole that formed in the plane’s roof. One flight attendant was injured and the 118 passengers were reported fine.

Passengers originally thought that the sound of the hole forming was a gun being fired. Everyone began to panic and scramble for oxygen masks. The hole was roughly threefeet-wide and passengers said that the sky could be seen.

An FBI spokesman said that terrorism has been ruled out as a cause of the incident. Investigators are still looking into what could have caused the hole to appear mid-flight. g

Rising Concern Over Bath Salts Officials in Western New York have witnessed increased usage of bath salts as a method of getting high.

Local police have seen several incidents involving users of bath salts, which can be legally bought in convenience stores and smoke shops.

In February, Olean police dealt with two people who were acting suicidal and paranoid after snorting bath salts.

The salts function as a stimulant, giving the user a high similar to using methamphetamine. They can be sold legally because labels state that they are not to be ingested.

State Sen. Catharine Young of Olean has expressed her concern over how dangerous these products can be if abused. She has also co-sponsored legislation that would make it illegal to sell bath salts.

The National Poison Data System has reported an increase in salt-related cases in the past six months. Since the beginning of the year, 11 cases have been reported to the Upstate New York Poison Center. g

OPINION Editorial Board Editor in Chief

Andrew Wiktor

Managing Editors

Luke Hammill, senior Amanda Woods Editorial Editors

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.

Life Editors

Jennifer Harb, senior Mike Tyson, asst.

Sports Editors

Matt Parrino, senior Carey Beyer Brian Josephs, asst.

Photo Editors

Clinton Hodnett, senior Megan Kinsley Alex McCrossen

It’s A Popularity Contest

This Really Burns Me Up

Name recognition, SA support affects elections The results of the Student Association election are in, and it wasn’t even close. The VOICE Party defeated the Blue Party in a landslide, winning all seven positions that were up for grabs.

the VOICE Party isn’t qualified, or that we think it will do a poor job.

It’s just with all the support VOICE received from SA, it seems unlikely that the Blue Party was ever going to win.

While The Spectrum endorsed the Blue Party candidates for president and vice president, the VOICE Party was heavily favored to win and received every club endorsement.

This becomes especially problematic when looking at the election of SUNY delegates. Every delegate running with the VOICE Party was elected, making it seem as though delegates were elected on party name alone.

After seeing the manner in which the VOICE Party dominated the elections, it’s understandable to wonder how much of a role popularity plays in the results. VOICE received far more support from SA than the Blue Party, and had more campaigners in the Student Union during the elections.

Furthermore, the VOICE Party’s ticket was politically crafty, encompassing students from an array of sectors at UB. On it was the president of the Muslim Student Association (Sikander Khan), the president of the Black Student Union (Kayla Williams), the president of Zeta Beta Tau (Justin Neuwirt), a member of the Latin American Student Association and UB’s LGBTA club (Juan Pereyra), and two SA members (JoAnna Datz and Meghan McMonagle).

Looking at this, it’s hard not to view the elections as somewhat of a popularity contest; each of the aforementioned candidates guaranteed a substantial amount of votes for the party because of the organizations they belong to. It’s not that

This is a very serious problem, because it leaves delegates from lesspopular parties, as well as independent delegates, without much of a chance. Darwinson Valdez, who didn’t run with a party, was a hardworking, dedicated candidate who lost because of his lack of party affiliation. That was truly a shame.

What’s really pressing about this issue is that when people vote for delegates along party lines, unqualified candidates get elected. Last Sunday, before making endorsements, The Spectrum held a meeting in which every candidate running for office answered questions from the editorial board and made a case for why he or she should receive our endorsement.

During this meeting, one VOICE delegate went the whole time without, ironically, ever speaking. When it was time to decide on endorsements, his name was immediately crossed off the list. He was so unimpressive that we didn’t even consider him, but he is now a delegate.

His party affiliation is the main reason why he won. If he had run an independent campaign like Valdez, he, too, would have had no real shot of winning.

All of this indicates that there are some serious problems with the election process. For one thing, holding elections in the Student Union means that the party who can get the most campaigners and recruit the most voters has a huge advantage.

If elections were held over the Internet, people roaming the halls would not influence the elections, and parties with fewer campaigners would have a better chance.

Additionally, voter apathy is a major issue. There are roughly 19,400 undergraduate students at UB, but only 2,680 of them decided to vote.

From this, we can tell that many students are apathetic; they don’t feel like the elections matter.

This is likely due to a lack of education about the SA and what it does.

To fix this problem, when students are admitted to UB, they should be given information about the role SA plays at UB. This would include information about the decisions it makes, as well as the Mandatory Student Activity Fee. If students knew how important these things were, and how important SA is to what goes on at UB, voter turnout would skyrocket. This is a necessary change for the future. g

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APRIL 4, 2011 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 69 CIRCULATION: 7,000

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Suit Against Wal-Mart Won’t Work Widespread discrimination too difficult to prove When someone mentions the phrase “evil corporation,” Wal-Mart is probably the first name that comes to mind.

Let’s face it; it doesn’t have a very good track record.

Due to the Court’s tendency to rule in favor of business interests in recent cases, it is widely suspected that it will rule in favor Wal-Mart, denying the suit’s class-action status.

It is known for questionable hiring practices, eliminating small businesses, and generally being a very unscrupulous group. That’s why when a class-action lawsuit was brought against Wal-Mart alleging gender discrimination, it wasn’t much of a shock.

We believe this is the right decision, but it is unfortunate for the women who Wal-Mart may have discriminated against. While we cannot say for sure if Dukes has a legitimate claim of sex discrimination, we do know that it will be very difficult to prove that Wal-Mart, as a whole, is sexist.

The case began when one woman, Betty Dukes of California, filed a sex discrimination claim against Wal-Mart, claiming that she has been passed up for raises and promotions, despite being a quality worker. She believed her gender was the reason for this.

The case wasn’t just about her, however. Dukes sought to represent 1.6 million women, including every woman who has worked for Wal-Mart since late 1998. Her intention was to show that the corporation as a whole was engaging in sexist practices.

What began as a personal issue had grown much larger, largely because pooling together funds from women across America will afford Dukes, and others who claim to have faced gender discrimination, a better team of lawyers. It’s the only realistic way to approach a lawsuit against a giant corporation; however, it may not be allowed, pending a Supreme Court decision.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether or not the case should even proceed in court, which could create a precedent for future class-action lawsuits.

The case of Dukes relates to how the employers at her WalMart behaved, not how the entire company as a whole runs its operation. Even if other women working at other Wal-Marts faced similar discrimination, it still wouldn’t prove that the entire organization discriminates against women.

It would merely prove that there is sexism in a number of branches of a very large chain. The same could probably be said about many large companies. It is difficult to control what goes on at every store of a conglomerate like WalMart. Unfortunately, individual employees usually don’t have the financial resources to afford a lawsuit by themselves, so filing a class-action suit is oftentimes the only option.

Wal-Mart has its share of problems, and they have been made very public. In this case, however, we don’t think the entire corporation should be on trial for things that are not dealt with at the top level of the business.

That decision would be a tough one, however, because it would leave women like Dukes in a catch-22. g

LETTER TO THE EDITOR On the UB Council, look at the bigger picture

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Book burning has become synonymous with reactionary zealots who want to destroy any information that does not agree with their own beliefs. This action, however repugnant to people who thrive on gathering information, is protected by the First Amendment, and this column is not addressing that issue.

Last year, Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center church in Gainesville, Fla. made headlines when he planned to hold a burning of the Koran, the holy book of Islam. Jones cancelled the book barbecue after receiving several international pleas for him to not kick the hornet’s nest that is Christian-Muslim relationship.

On March 20, Jones went ahead and burned a kerosene-soaked copy of the Koran after all. Jones held a “trial” of it beforehand where he presided as judge, 12 members of Jones’ church filled the jury box, and a Muslim convert to Christianity acted as the prosecutor. The jury found the Koran guilty of five “crimes against humanity,” including the “death, rape and torture of people worldwide whose only crime is not being of the Islamic faith.”

First, while I think that Jones’ actions are deplorable and worthy of scorn, the copy of the Koran that was burned was really just a book. Yes, the act was meant to symbolize Jones’ rejection of Islam in totality, and he should be criticized for that, but in the end, the burning of a book is not worth dying or killing over.

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I realize that hatred and stupidity usually go hand-in-hand and are a permanent reality in this world.

But there are some examples that go so over-the-top that I feel compelled to speak out against them.

Predictably, there was trouble from this act. In Afghanistan, a large group of Muslims went to protest Jones’ church’s actions outside the United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif. The protest turned ugly, and several protesters and UN workers wound up dead.

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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.

MICHAEL TYSON Asst. Life Editor

Editor in Chief Andrew Wiktor’s March 30 column on the UB Council’s last meeting, “Meeting Skepticism,” hits on an important point: Students at UB should know more about the decisions made to shape the present and future of their university. His myopic perspective of the Council, however, is beyond skeptical—it is cynical and misguided.

Andrew is correct in his citing that the Council must meet four times a year. And he is correct that, generally speaking, the meetings tend to run smoothly. To judge the Council’s work purely by this microcosm, however, is to take its role and actions out of context.

The UB Council is an advisory body—a kitchen cabinet of community leaders and a student represen-

tative available to assist the university and its leaders that is always on call. In my year as the Council’s student representative, a week did not pass when I was not e-mailing, calling or meeting with administration or student leaders to discuss pressing matters. The meetings are a chance to usher in new topics, get general updates on the state of the university, and update the Council as well as the community on the issues facing UB. Consider it on par with a U.S. Cabinet meeting.

Attending a UB Council meeting is the first step toward sharing more information with the student body.

(They are open, and broadcast online live.) After that, seek out more information by talking to the student representative and the other Council members; much like their service, this doesn’t have to wait for one of the sanctioned meetings.

There is a lot of information to be found and shared. It’s not hiding.

As for taking an executive session, not only are these procedures common for all types of boards, they are sanctioned from the same body of state laws that govern the Council itself—and they’re all posted with a link right off the UB Council’s website. (buffalo.edu/ubcouncil/law_executive_sessions.htm) The rules for why one can be called are pretty strict.

Robert Pape Spectrum Editor in Chief, 2006-2007 Student Representative to the UB Council, 2008-2009 Letters to the Editor are not edited by The Spectrum.

This is all I’m going to say over the reaction to the burning because I also realize that the mob involved in the UN riot was certainly egged on by people with ulterior motives. I think it was foolish for the imams to simply lay out the news like they did and let peoples’ passions take over, but I don’t hold them responsible.

Jones, in a stupefying display of hypocrisy, has demanded that the UN now take action for the riots.

He takes no responsibility himself, of course, but holds the entire religion of Islam responsible for the tragedy in Afghanistan.

Jones demanded that the UN and the U.S. take “immediate action” against Muslim nations in general for the deaths.

“The time has come to hold Islam accountable,” Jones said.

This type of blatant stupidity is the most dangerous. Not only does Jones fail to see how he was complicit in the riots, but also, he holds all of Islam accountable. I don’t even hold all of his church accountable for Jones’ actions, but he is ready to blame an entire religion for the results of a protest gone wrong that was sparked by his own prejudices and glory seeking.

How would Jones feel if an imam somewhere decided to burn the Bible for the same reasons as Jones listed for the Koran? I get the feeling that he wouldn’t be too happy about it and would fail to see any comparison.

I take some solace in the fact that Jones’ church is relatively small, about 50 members, and I am thankful that the reactions to his book burning were not more widespread and destructive.

Another religious leader named Jones comes to mind as I write this article. That particular church ended rather badly with an unfortunate endorsement for Kool-Aid. I hope that the ironically-misnamed Dove World Outreach Center does not allow its leader that amount of control and can find a way to steer away from the hate. g

Email: michael.tyson@ ubspectrum.com

Correction: In the Photo Issue, one cutline should have read “Black Explosion fashion show” and was taken by Nyero Moulterie /// THE SPECTRUM. NEWS MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

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ARTS & LIFE

Clinton Hodnett /// The Spectrum

Novak should keep his day job, but his stand-up was refreshing at times.

Taking a Step Out of The Office JAMESON BUTLERArts Editor Saturday night marked the 10th annual Student Association Comedy Series. From Patton Oswalt to Louis C.K., SA usually attracts talented comedians for the Comedy Series.

SA continued this tradition by inviting B.J. Novak. To give a change of pace, SA held the show at Alumni Arena rather than at the Center for the Arts, where it usually takes place.

While some people might have seen Novak’s stand-up before, he is best known as Ryan from The Office. Not only is he one of the stars of the show, but he is also a writer. His quick wit and great wordplay has propelled The Office into the hearts of Americans.

The show garnered its fame and success from the connections between its cast members. This is not a random occurrence, according to Novak.

“People do gravitate toward the same sense of humor; it’s an immediate way to connect with a person,” Novak said. “Certainly, on our show, we can learn if someone will be a good match for us as much from a conversation as from an audition or a writing sample. We are looking for a kinship, a similar sense of humor.”

Novak has even had his hand in directing a few episodes of the show, but out of acting, directing, and writing, he prefers the latter.

“I love them all for different reasons, which is the lamest possible answer to any question. I am most myself when I’m writing,” Novak said. “Acting is a better gig. You get much more attention, and you get many more laughs without all the work.

“Directing, I would compare it to going to a video arcade when you’re a kid and you don’t have quarters and the game is kind of playing itself, so you jump on the joystick and pretend you’re playing. That’s what directing is like on our show, in a way, because all the actors are so talented, they know what they are doing, and they have been doing it for years. Writing is the hardest and the most rewarding of those three things.”

While it was Novak’s first trip to Buffalo, he understood that winter doesn’t get out of Buffalo’s system until May. As he took to the stage Saturday night, Novak was layered in a big puffy coat and thick gloves.

Novak’s clever wordplay blossomed while he was attending Harvard. As he describes it, his experience at Harvard was the polar opposite of UB. “I read a lot of books, few of them I remember. It was really about reading. It wasn’t a social life experience so much as I think a lot of other schools are, although I did have great friends,” Novak said. “It was a lot of reading and dreaming of what I would try to do one day as a writer.”

While he was on stage, Novak tried out new material, giving the audience a chance to tell him what jokes to save and what jokes to toss. While the thought was ingenious, the lack of crowd participation hindered its effectiveness.

ARTS & LIFE MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

Many students are already suffering from senioritis and beginning to celebrate the end of the semester. However, it’s not quite over yet, and UB needs everyone’s help to meet its end-of-semester goals.

Since 2009, UB has competed in a nationwide competition called RecycleMania. Many other colleges and universities across the country have also entered in the competition to encourage students to recycle.

Novak accredits Quentin Tarantino as one of his biggest influence when it comes to his writing. That made being on set for Inglorious Basterds a dream come true.

With one week left in the competition, UB must up the effort. Students and faculty can help by clarifying if trash can actually be recycled.

“That was the most exciting experience of my life, quite simply.

It’s why I always wanted to be a writer, really, was seeing his movies. I have never been so intimidated, excited, [or] entertained than being on set of a Quentin Tarantino movie, that I was somehow a part of,” Novak said. “It was unbelievable. It felt to me that I had climbed into a history book, and yet, while that sounds like the most boring experience in the world, it was the most exciting.”

“If you aren’t sure about what you’re throwing away, you can visit the website [buffalo.edu/recycling] and see what’s recyclable and what’s not,” said Emily Gibson, a junior communication and economics major and student representative for the communications and outreach environmental stewardship committee.

Also, if a student is caught recycling, or “green-handed,” prizes are available and the individual’s picture is printed on the website.

Opening for Novak was UB Improv. Their rambunctious shenanigans garnered a few well-deserved laughs, but their faulty equipment made them hard to hear and left the audience confused about what was happening in the sketches.

There are a plethora of environmental events occurring before the conclusion of the semester, including the Sustainability Bazaar on April 8, a campus-to-campus bike ride, and Earth week events.

Earth week, April 18 to 22, will bring a treasure hunt, speaker series, movie nights, and a pong tournament. g

If you missed B.J. Novak, you’ll have to wait until next year and see who SA brings to follow up this year’s event. g

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Beginning on March 28th, the Student Wellness team is asking the UB community to vote for their favorite essay!

4

BRIDGETT GIRDLESTONEStaff Writer

Despite numerous incentives for students to participate in the 10week competition, UB is far below its standards from last year.

As of week nine, UB has recycled 41,878.50 pounds of waste. Last year, UB had recycled 50,928 pounds of waste by week nine, which is a 9,049.50-pound decrease from last year.

People’s Choice Voting

What are the regulations: Voting is only for people part of the UB campus community. You need a UB email address to make your vote. Also, individuals are only allowed to make one vote for their favorite essay. Multiple votes will not be counted.

RecycleMania Struggles to Match Last Year’s Numbers

It was apparent on stage that Novak is more suited for comedy writing than stand-up. While his wordplay caused people to chuckle, his delivery of the jokes was flat, resulting in nothing more than a few quick laughs.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

“Hope and Healing: It Gets Better” Writing Contest Info: UB students were asked to write essays addressing any or all of the following themes: • What messages of hope do you have for people struggling with adversity?

• What gives you hope during difficult times?

• What has helped you overcome adversity in your life?

Courtesy of flickr user kino-eye

With one week left in the competition, UB needs help to reach recycling goals.

Where can I make my vote?

Please go to the website below and follow the online voting directions. http://wellness.buffalo.edu/essay How are the winners chosen?

All the submissions were anonymously judged by a panel of UB faculty and staff.

The top 10 entries are posted on the student wellness team website where the campus community can read and vote on their favorite essay or poem. The top three essays with the most votes win.

Voting Deadline: April 8, 2011 Winners announced: April 18, 2011

Distinguished Speaker Continues King’s Dream

took him down to the street and told him to look around and tell her what he saw. He described to her all the urban decay around him; abandoned buildings, graffiti, and drug dealers, and she told him that he couldn’t help her.

JAMES BOWEStaff Writer

She was trying to tell him to look for the good in where he was, rather than focus on the bad.

The spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was in full force on Wednesday as the mayor of Newark, N.J., Cory Booker, took the stage as part of the 24th annual University at Buffalo Distinguished Speakers Series and the 35th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Event.

“We get so caught up in what other people are doing or not doing,” Booker said. “Yet we leave the next day and walk past reality.”

Stories that interested Booker

visive politics had to stop, especially the “win at all costs” attitude, he argued.

He challenged the country to stop focusing on left versus right politics, and to overcome the cynicism that dominates discussion. Rather than badmouth his biggest opponent, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, he chose to talk about issues that they came together and found solutions on.

“I really liked his view on politics,” said Philip Mathew, senior exercise science major.

“Especially that we should take into consideration what other people have to say.”

Booker’s credentials preceded him even before taking the stage. In an introduction, Mary H. Gresham, dean of the UB Graduate School of Education, gave an overview of his accomplishments that garnered audible gasps from the audience. Since his election in 2006, his innovative programs and policies have drastically reduced crime in Newark, and the city has undergone an urban renewal that has become the envy of many other cities in the U.S.

He described how his parents instilled a sense of responsibility in him, telling him that he was not born to be the same, but to be different.

“You should strive for greatness,” Booker said. “This is a country where exceptionalism is critical.”

His unique sense of responsibility led him to take action in a way that many would fear after he graduated from Yale Law School in 1997. He moved into a troubled housing project called Brick Towers, where he believed he could be in the middle of urban struggle.

It was there that he befriended the old tenant president, the late Virginia Jones. When they first met, Booker told her that he was there to help her. She

ing up to $3 million per job and all these other incentives at large companies to come here. Do you support throwing all that money at the possibility of job creation?

MICHAEL TYSON Asst. Life Editor

be very strategic, and the bottom line has to work out.

If you’re throwing money at jobs, I think it has to work out on another end – either the economic benefit or other benefits to your quality of life that are going to be the same. That’s why we in Newark just pull together and strategize; we don’t want to race to the bottom in terms of expending our public treasury in trying to attract jobs. We want to work together in trying to identify the three or four or five things that make us a unique city in terms of doing business, and that’s some of the things I’ve mentioned before.

Cory Booker – the mayor of Newark, N.J. – sat down for a press conference before he spoke at the Center for the Arts as a Distinguished Speaker.

In attendance were reporters from WNED, WBFO and The Spectrum.

WNED: Buffalo and Newark are similar in some ways: both industrial cities that have gone through decades of decline. A lot has been made of Buffalo’s inability to attract large companies here; Verizon flirted with coming here but didn’t.

What’s your approach to attracting a big company or an innovative company to a city that doesn’t have the best reputation?

Cory Booker: Well, I think

“He is accessible, genuine and inclusive in his leadership,” Gresham said.

The welcome speech was a crescendo to the moment when Booker burst onto the stage, loud and excited to speak. He described the dilemma that he and other blacks face from their relationship with the civil rights generation through a joke that his father told him as a child: that he was born on third base, but he didn’t hit a triple.

A Few Words with the Mayor of Newark

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

Cory Booker, the major of Newark, N.J., spoke at UB this Wednesday as part of the Distinguished Speakers Series. most were not of big singular acts, but of small hopeful acts of generosity and determination. One was of a man who lived near an empty lot that had become overgrown and dilapidated.

The lot had become a haven for drug dealers and other criminal activity, and rather than ignore the situation, he decided to do something about it. With his federal stimulus check, he bought a lawnmower. Each day he mowed, gardened and took care of the lot until the drug dealers left the area.

“Courage is every day getting up and doing what is required then doing the small acts of generosity and love,” Booker said.

His views on current politics drew cheers and applause from the audience, especially when he said that the worst thing a politician could do is to constantly think about the next office. The toxic and di-

Booker’s most poignant story turned out to be one about the state of the nation as a whole.

Running late, one of his aides foolishly told him it was impossible to make a flight. Booker took this as a challenge, and rushed to the airport. Arriving at the airport with only minutes to spare, a ticket agent told him he had no way to make the flight on time, but he did not give up.

He rushed to the gate where another airport worker told him he couldn’t get on the flight, but he convinced her to let him on anyway, and since the only seat left was on first class, he was seated there.

Once onboard, he learned that he was actually on the wrong flight. His example served as a warning not for air travel, but for national activism.

“We are a first class nation,” Booker said. “But are we headed in the right direction?” g Email: features@ubspectrum.com

for us, it’s a multifold answer. Number one, you have to make the economics work for the company. I’ve seen everybody from Oracle.com to Manischewitz come to the city of Newark, number one because the financials work.

And then number two, I think the perception of the city can be a problem. I think both Buffalo and Newark get a bad rap, and for [Newark] at least we have a lot of new things going on.

We have a new arena, a new arts center, arts and cultural buildings going up, and in addition to all that, both cities have seen crime go down. A lot of these companies understand that for us, we have a lot of competitive advantage. Buffalo has its own things, but I know that for [Newark], we have the best transportation infrastructure on the Eastern Seaboard. It’s a big college town in the State of New Jersey, and there are plenty of things to help us make our case.

WNED: The State of New York and Buffalo were offer-

private shuttle Scan & Learn

fall 2011

spaces going fast

CB: Look, I feel you have to

So for us, we have a lot of great experience attracting new jobs, new investors and even new housing in this bad market. I believe every city has something great to offer; it can reinvent itself, whether it’s Detroit flirting with the movie industry or Newark becoming a hub of transportation and logistics.

I’m a big believer in cities, and there was a logic to why they started, and as you said, maybe the big industrial days have gone, but Buffalo existed before the Industrial Revolution.

There’s always something about a city, with its infrastructure, with its history, with its aggregation or arts culture and education that can make it an attractive place to bring businesses.

The Spectrum: You obviously have a sense of humor, as evidenced in your “feud” with Conan O’Brien.

CB: He’s a bastard. I just want to say that for the record. He, too, has an obnoxious amount of hair, and I feel that he, too, should liberate that scalp.

TS: How vital do you think that sense of humor is in running a city like Newark?

CB: You know, in this job it is rough-and-tumble being the mayor of a big city.

It really is, and you can’t take yourself too seriously.

I believe that you have to be yourself in what you do, and my friends that know me know that I have a really horribly corny sense of humor. They know that I’m a sucker for inspiration.

You just have to put your heart into what you do and not worry about popularity but rather stick to your purpose. That’s really what I try to be about. Have fun with the job as best you can, because there are days that are going to be so rough that a real definition of courage is just going to be getting out of bed and getting your shoes on and getting out there and doing another day. And if you can’t laugh at yourself, most importantly, or find joy, then you’re not going to last long in a position like this.

WNED: The economic-development crowd around here likes to talk about home-run projects on job creation and creating jobs that require a minimum of a bachelor’s or master’s degree. In the city, there’s a high rate of poverty, and the education level in those neighborhoods is not very good, and therefore, those jobs wouldn’t appeal to the people in those neighborhoods. So how do you reconcile that?

CB: Well, again, you’re going to have to find strategies that work for your cities.

We have a problem on both ends. You are a university town like we are and, like you I’m sure, we were tired of seeing students come out of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgers University Law, Continued on Page 10

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ARTS & LIFE MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

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Breaking the Rules of Gender and Sexuality “Reteaching Gender and Sexuality” discusses queer youth action and resilience LESLIE TUNMOREStaff Writer Queer youths are out there and ready to be heard.

Last Monday, “Reteaching Gender and Sexuality,” a national educational campaign that promotes the discussion of issues that queer youths face in today’s society, came to the Center for the Arts.

The event, which was organized by Wellness Education Services and the School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo, intended to spread awareness of LGBTQ issues to as many people as possible.

Organizers of the event also wanted to include members of the Buffalo community, like high school teachers and social workers, who wanted to learn and participate in conversations dealing with gender and sexuality issues.

“We wanted to offer new conversation around the issues of gender sexuality,” said Jon Hurst, a first-year master’s student in the higher education administration program. “So often we assume that everyone is male or female, gay or straight, and what we have come to know through advancements in science and research around this issue is that gender and sexuality is not so black and white.”

Over 175 people, ranging from faculty and administrators to students and community groups, were in attendance. Community outreach organizations, such as the Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of Western N.Y. and the Pride Center of Western N.Y. had tables with information about their services and volunteer opportunities for people who were interested.

The highlight of the event was the screening of Put This on the Map, a 34-minute documentary made by a group of queer youths from Seattle’s east side in 2010. The film was made with the aim of spreading awareness about pressures and stigmatizations that queer youths face in their daily lives from family, school and other peers.

Clinton Hodnett /// The Spectrum

Over 175 people attended "Reteaching Gender and Sexuality" last week to show their support for LGBTAQ issues.

The purpose of this film was to look differently at ideas and standards that society has deemed “normal” when it comes to a person’s gender, sexuality or both. It’s about liberating everyone; gay, straight, bi, queer, transsexual and pansexual from the current limiting view around gender and sexuality.

The goal is to promote the allowance of everyone to live an authentic life where they can be and express all of who they are, according to Hurst.

The film can also be used for educational and training purposes for teachers and social workers that want to be an ally for LGBTQ youths. Since schools are more reluctant to talk about queer and transgender issues for fear of saying the wrong thing or because taking a stand on this issue could be seen as a liability, most of the issues and questions asked by queer youth have been ignored.

“Our group is about 20 people in Seattle, young media-makers working together alternatively,” said Sid Jordan, one of the filmmakers in the group. “We are not a non-profit, we are not a program, but more like people who just love each other, are working together on these campaigns and growing as we go.”

The film also clarified much of terminology that surrounds the discussion of LGBTQ issues. Words like genderqueer, a term that refers to individuals who possess identities that fall outside of the widely accepted sexual binary, and transphobia, the fear or hatred of transgender people or gender nonconforming behavior, were explained to the audience.

avoiding the dark and gritty feel that other graphic juggernauts like Gears of War and Killzone rely upon.

From the action-packed firefights to the continuously crumbling vista of New York City, every single explosion, toppling building, and alien gunship will make gamers sit up and take notice. Mostly because each one of these things is constantly trying to take the player out.

Courtesy of EA Games

Groundbreaking graphics made up for the lackluster plotline in Crysis 2.

Crysis 2 Lacks the Originality, But Not the Fun JAMES TWIGGSenior Arts Editor Grade: AKilling has never looked so beautiful.

Few games are able to build the hype that Crysis 2 was able to achieve.

Guarantees of groundbreaking

graphics and a deep and involved gameplay experience left the developers at Crytek Studios with a lot to live up to.

Thankfully, in most regards, they succeeded.

With in-game graphics progressing at an exponential rate across the industry, any game that still manages to drop jaws the way that Crysis 2 does is truly noteworthy. But the fact that the game looks great isn’t the impressive part; it’s that Crytek Studios managed to make a gorgeous game while

The game takes place in 2023, in a quarantined and besieged New York City. Between a recent viral outbreak and an alien invasion, the city has definitely seen better days. Luckily, though, a Marine named Alcatraz, who the player controls, is given a superpowered Nanosuit capable of making the wearer stronger, faster, and deadlier than a nuclear bomb.

In a nutshell, the narrative is about a supersuit-wearing solider who is the only hope for the human race. In other words, it’s nothing the gaming world hasn’t seen 100 times before.

Despite the unoriginal premise, the game is still able to draw the player in and make him care about his mission. This is thanks to the firstperson perspective that the game never leaves, which gives players the impression they’ve actually stepped

“We want to inspire and encourage you all to use your voices and your stories to change the views of others and just to include others in what’s going on and to start a movement about queer teachings and queer youth,” said Charisse Bersamina, one of the group’s members who introduced the film.

“We recognized the importance that young people really need to be educators and advocates for themselves. And in order to do that we need to start somewhere, and hopefully we do that here.”

Students, staff, faculty, and administrators at UB have made tremendous strides in creating a comfortable atmosphere for LGBTQ students. Workshops are offered by Wellness Education Services on topics such as being an effective LGBTQ ally and LGBTQ Health and Wellness. There are also counseling and support services offered for students who simply need to talk, according to Samantha Janosick, a first year graduate student in the School of Social Work and graduate assistant for Wellness Education Services.

For more information on how to get involved with LGBTQ issues, email well-lgbtq@vpsa.buffalo.edu for more information or visit facebook.com/allyUB. g

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

into the heavily armored boots of the Nanosuit. Even the upgrade menus for your armor and weapons are viewed through the eyes of Alcatraz.

Players are able to swap out attachments, such as various sights and suppressors, for their weapons and upgrade their powers by absorbing alien DNA. It may sound weird, but it’s vital to survival.

In terms of gameplay, Crysis 2’s addictive factor is about on par with that of heroin. The suit provides the player with two power-ups that can be utilized at any point in the game.

These are “armor” and “invisibility.”

Mastering which power-up suits a scenario best is half of the fun in Crysis 2. Players will constantly be questioning whether it’s best to cloak themselves and go in for the upclose-and-personal neck snap, or toss on the damage-absorbing armor and charge Rambo-style, with guns blazing.

By leaving the choice up to the players, Crysis 2 is able to ensure that a firefight will never play out the same way twice. As a result, when the final cutscene ends and the credits roll, players will be left with a craving to play through again and try tackling the same battles in different ways.

Even with its highly addictive campaign mode, multiplayer is definitely worth a try in Crysis 2. Any seasoned first-person shooter (FPS) fan will be able to jump into a match and feel right at home. After all, the fast-paced shooter plays more like a lovechild of Modern Warfare and Halo than its own brand of carnage.

Much like Modern Warfare, players are given the opportunity to customize their weapon loadouts, and the “perks” their character has, such as faster reload times and steadier aiming. In addition, they are also given rewards based on the amount of enemies they’re able to take down.

The game also feels strikingly similar to a Halo title due to the advanced armor the players wear. While playing, you’re able to jump several stories, take more damage than an armored tank, and outrun a Ferrari.

In essence, Crysis 2 takes everything that’s great about today’s FPS games and absorbs it all like a fresh batch of dead alien. The result is an explosive sequel that will keep players coming back time and time again in an effort to save humanity from the latest iteration of space invaders. g

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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An Awakening of Spring and Spirit The musical Spring Awakening impresses with its energetic take on the difficult issues of sex, gender, and identity.

VANESSA FRITH and VILONA TRACHTENBERG Asst. Arts Editor and Staff Writer Spring Awakening is truly an awakening for its characters and for the audience, adding a modern-day twist to a strict German society in the 1890s.

Originally written as a play in 1891 by Frank Wedekind, Spring Awakening was revived as a musical by Duncan Sheik (music) and Steven Sater (book and lyrics) when it hit Broadway in 2006. After winning eight Tony Awards and having over 800 Broadway performances, the show closed its doors, now only to be seen on a national tour, which visited the Center for the Arts Thursday night.

The musical shows the results of a society that put issues such as sexuality, homosexuality, suicide, and religion to the wayside while pursuing Victorian-era morality. Following the lives of Melchior (Christopher Wood), Wendla (Elizabeth Judd), and Moritz (Coby Getzug), the majority of the plot centers on adolescent con-

fusion about sex and gender, and how a lack of truth can mar lives.

The focal point in Spring Awakening is the relationship between Melchior and Wendla. Throwing Victorian values out the window, Melchior helps Wendla to feel things in life she has never experienced. With fervent acting and flawless harmonies, the duo produces the song “The World of Your Body,” during which Melchior shows Wendla what it is like to feel.

of the musical’s lessons.

Strong vocals combine with modern rock beats to make this musical the breakthrough segue between Rent and American Idiot. The harmonies produced between the leads and background vocalists give an energy and power unparalleled by solos.

While Melchior is well-versed in the female anatomy, he tries to help his confused and befuddled friend, Moritz, unscramble the jumble of feelings and attractions he has toward both genders.

With a simplistic set, the staging is unconventional; audience members line the wings and the band, creating a backdrop against the dichotomy of modern neon lights and faded relics of a bygone era. Since the music is more rockbased than orchestral, the conventional multipiece ensemble is dropped, leaving the bare necessities: guitars, drums, and piano.

As teenage hormone-fueled emotions explode into songs such as “The Bitch of Living” and “Totally F*cked,” the cast allows the music to take over as energetic chaos ensues on stage.

The cast presents these taboo topics in a mature way, fulfilling roles admirably using body language and vocal tones to persuade the audience

As spoken words begin to fail the characters, hand microphones are produced from the folds of their clothing and they burst into song, creating a greater separation between leads and ensemble. Songs are often the internal monologues of the characters, letting them control the stage and the audience’s attention, as all

Perla Santos /// The Spectrum

other actors freeze throughout the number, much like a soliloquy.

As the upbeat tone of discovery and adventure merges into the depression and reality of consequences, the music diverges from the rock tempo into more traditional Broadway pianobased ballads, tempering the audience’s mood into catharsis and letting the actors leave nothing unexpressed.

“I loved the atmosphere set. [The musical showed] physical empathy [through] the music, lighting, acting and beautiful language,” said Sam Robbins, a senior dance major. “It was a good presentation of what good theater is.”

After watching this unconventional musical, audience members experience more than just an innovative and musically genius performance, but also an exploration of the everlasting taboos that are present through life and not only in an adolescent’s awakening. g

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

WOULD YOU TO BE THE FIRST TO KNOW? ARTS & LIFE MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

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DAILY

DELIGHTS

Crossword

SPONSORED BY University Sweethome Apartments

Visit ubspectrum.com/games for our online game of the week Also see the crossword and Sudoku answers from last issue

Crossword ACROSS 1 Treacherous person 6 Surrealist painter 10 California’s — Woods 14 Toughen up 15 Id companions 16 Urn homophone 17 Heron 18 Machine teeth 19 Matures, as wine 20 Witness 21 Campaign issue 23 Skilled 24 Dull and ordinary 26 Wintry coating 27 Runway 29 Fling 31 Hydrox rival 32 Warrant officer 33 Tainted 36 It’s visible to the naked eye (2 wds.)

40 — Moines 41 Type of eclipse 42 Nefertiti’s god 43 Basso Simon 44 Perfume holder 46 So far (2 wds.)

48 Brainy group 49 In many cases 50 Heard too much 52 Actor Herbert 55 Lab container 56 Backpack contents 57 Common phrase 59 Old barge canal 60 Feed the kitty 61 “Lorna —” 62 Monthly expense 63 Fateful day 64 Sewell and Miller

DOWN 1 Strives to win 2 He wrote “Picnic” 3 They have pedigrees 4 Sooner than 5 Blind spot’s location 6 Stick-on design 7 Beside oneself 8 Theater box 9 NASA destination 10 Wildflower habitat 11 Eggs on 12 Clumsy 13 Do nothing 22 Big burger 23 Sports venue 25 Love, to Pablo 26 1960s dance 27 Garden hopper 28 “Rule Britannia” composer 29 Malt-shop orders 30 Romanov title 32 Part of N.B. 33 Troops 34 Eddie Murphy’s Foley

35 Unit of force 37 Novelist Tillie 38 Stray dog 39 Back muscles 43 Grommet 44 Casino action 45 Iroquois tribe 46 Ignited 47 Laundry problem

48 Marshes 49 Done with 50 Take care of 51 Loan figure 53 Mrs. Chaplin 54 Fr. ladies 56 Moo goo — pan 58 Grandee’s title

Sudoku – Difficulty 4/5

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DAILY DELIGHTS MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

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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.

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APARTMENT FOR RENT OHH WHAT A feeling! www.luxuryaptswny.com/UB. 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.

6 & 7 BEDROOM APARTMENTS. 2 houses from south campus. 2 baths, kitchen, living room, dining room, new furnaces, dishwasher, laundry facilities & wall-to-wall carpeting. June 1st or Aug. 1st. Call: 688-6497.

AMHERST, 3 BEDROOM apartments. Kitchen, 1 ½ baths, living room, dining room & finished basement. June 1st. Call: 688-6497.

3 & 4 BEDROOM apartments near south campus. 1 bath, kitchen with dishwasher/ disposal, laundry & carpeting. June 1st or August 1st. Call: 688-6497.

CLASSIFIEDS

4 OR 5 BDRM, absolutely gorgeous, w/w carpeting, 1 ½ baths, new windows, furnace, security system, stainless steel stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer/ dryer, off-street parking 4-cars. Must see! $335 person + utilities, Gino 830-1413.

2.3.4 BDRM SPRINGVILLE, Englewood, close to Main St. quality, furnished, laundry, parking, June 1st, Aug 1st lease, $300/ $270+ per, 440-3251, Sam Lam.

5 BEDROOM HOUSE fro rent. Prestigious Highgate. One block from Main Street campus. Nice quiet family neighborhood. Excellent condition. Updated electric and heating. Offstreet parking, 2 full baths, living room & family room, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer & dryer. $1300 per month, $260 per tenant, water included. June 1st – May 31st lease. Must have references. Call for appointment at 716-491-9105. Showings begin February 27th.

2-BDRM MAIN St. South Campus. Appliances, carpet $500 month + utilities & security deposit. Call 884-7900.

7 BEDROOM houses. Walking distance to south campus, appliances, laundry, security, parking. June 1st (716) 568-1600.

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

SOUTH CAMPUS 4-bdrm house updated.

Hardwood floors, new furnace, free laundry, parking, walking distance. $295+/ person & security deposit. Available June 1st, 716-239-5244.

1, 2, 3 & 4 BEDROOM semi-furnished with washer/ dryer. Walking distance to Main St. Campus. Immediate occupancy. 1 yr lease plus security. 716-691-5710.

4-BDRM - WALKING distance to south campus, large rooms, new carpet, appliances, laundry, security, parking, June 1st, (716) 568-1600.

SOUTH CAMPUS 4-bdrm apartment updated.

Laundry, parking, walking distance. $250+/ person & security deposit. Available June 1st, 716-830-3226.

STUDENTS WELCOME. 3bdrm lower, E. Morris off Main Street Buffalo. $400.00 per room, per month. Utilities are not included. No parties in this nice quiet neighborhood. Sec. deposit references and lease required. Available now.

Please call: (716) 208-9069.

HOUSE FOR RENT 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.

NORTH CAMPUS 3-bdrm 2 ½ baths. Appliances including washer/ dryer, central air & family room. Terrace & beautiful backyard.

Includes 2-car garage w/ additional parking. $1500.00 w/ 1 yr lease plus security.

716-691-5710, 9am – 5pm.

CLEAN 3-BEDROOM house, laundry, off-street parking. No pets, $325 per room + utilities & security, 830-3226.

ROOM FOR RENT 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.

fully furnished

ROOMMATE WANTED AMHERST – SOUTH CAMPUS/ safe side of Main. Quiet Architect students looking for serious male roommate. Excellent condition, private bedroom, big closet, laundry, parking & dishwasher. Available now & May. 5 minute walk to Crosby Hall. $295+ share of utilities, 716-400-9663.

To see what else is included at CV, visit

www.CVwny.com

SERVICES CITYA1drivingschool.com – Beginners & brushup driving lessons. 5 hr class $30.00, 716-875-4662.

UNCLASSIFIED (misc.) www.QualityThingsForLess.com, save 10%.

Enter code: UB11.

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student apartments

Contact 716-688-2526, wyseprop@roadrunner.com or visit our Website at www.wyseproperties.com

Available 3 bdrms at Holly’s Vineyard and 4 bdrms at Alexander Estates

Snyder/Amherst/Tonawanda 1924 Eggert Rd

835-7100

Sweet Home Road North Campus

Includes water, cable and garage. Central air, tile floors.

Not Valid with any other discounts. Expires 5/30/11 UB

Not Valid with any other discounts. Expires 5/30/11 UB

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.

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.

Not Valid with any other discounts. Expires 5/30/11 UB

Not Valid with any other discounts. Expires 5/30/11 UB

Not Valid with any other discounts. Expires 5/30/11 UB

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.

CLASSIFIEDS MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

9

A Few Words with the Mayor of Newark

UB Graduate Programs Receive High Marks from U.S. News and World Report

Continued from Page 5

Continued from Page 1 The School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences has moved up four spots from last year, ranking 55th in comparison to other national medical schools.

“Our students and faculty are beginning to benefit from the implementation of the school’s transforming strategic plan to enrich the educational, research, and clinical programs,” said Michael E. Cain, MD, dean of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Approximately 150 other medical schools were considered for the ranking. Cain attributes UB’s graduate programs’ success to their “continued efforts to achieve excellence.”

Many other medical programs were ranked highly in the magazine. Among them was the School of Nursing, which was ranked 79th.

“First and foremost, we have excellent programs because we have excellent faculty,” said Jean K. Brown, Ph.D., dean of the School of Nursing. “In addition, our newly renovated facility gives us state of the art clinical laboratories that have technology to simulate patient care such as high fidelity patient mannequins, electronic health records, and an operating room simulation suite that is among the best in the U.S.” The speech-language pathology program earned a ranking of 25th, and the audiology program ranked 16th in the nation. The clinical psychology program earned a ranking of 43rd. And, after only nine years of existence, the department of biostatistics in the School of Public Health and Health Professions was ranked 64th.

“It is our world-renowned faculty and our dedicated staff, who bring curriculum to life and provide our students with a transformative education. They share credit for our continued success and our considerable interna-

tional prominence,” Tripathi said.

Over 200 engineering schools were considered by the magazine, and UB’s graduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences earned a ranking of 52nd. In addition to the rating as a whole, individual programs within the school have been recognized for specific disciplines.

UB ranked 26th in industrial engineering, 27th in civil engineering, 41st in chemical engineering, 67th in mechanical engineering, and 75th in electrical engineering.

The School of Business Management’s fulltime MBA program earned a ranking of 75th amidst 437 business schools examined by U.S. News. The school’s part-time MBA program received a ranking of 73rd. In addition to this U.S. News and World ranking, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal have acclaimed UB’s School of Management as one of the best business schools in the country.

“Through these and other rankings, the business world has given the School of Management a ringing endorsement,” said Arjang A. Assad, Ph.D., dean of the School of Management. “Today, our graduates are seen as extremely bright, eager to succeed, and good investments; an irresistible combination for corporate recruiters seeking top business talent.”

Assad believes that UB’s emphasis on realworld learning, community and economic impact, and the global perspective of the school’s programs are recurring themes of excellence that contribute to these programs’ reputations. g

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Email: features@ubspectum.com

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Buffalo is really an amazing city and you all have a lot of the infrastructure that Newark did. You are a major college town like Newark is. you have compelling reasons to continue the growth of your city economically. I have a lot of faith in America’s cities. Pericles had this great noble vision that cities would be places where all things could come together and manifest the divine. And I still believe in that – 80 percent of Americans live in cities or in their direct suburbs.

I got a chance to meet with the mayor [of Buffalo, Byron Brown] earlier today and he has a vision for every day: blocking and tackling, singles and doubles. Occasionally you’re going to hit a home run, but I think the momentum of the game is going to shift more toward the cities, and I feel that Buffalo will benefit from that. g

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The other thing you have to understand, though, is that right now, in the current economy, we have to provide opportunities for the people who didn’t wind up going to college. They are the people that need jobs right now. So, we just have to use our transportation logistics to lure companies like Pitney Bowes to move their biggest facility in the region into our city – hundreds of jobs. We’ve got Mimeo.com, which is one of those document producers where you just send an electronic document and they print and produce it for you – hundreds of jobs. We just got (and this is perfect for me because of my caffeine addiction) Starbucks has a major distribution place for their dairy production called Bartlett’s Dairy, which will

So we’re playing hard to those strengths because we know that, like this area, we have lots of vacant land, lots of brownsfields [abandoned industrial and commercial facilities available for reuse] especially around the largest airport in the region, the largest port in the region, [and] we’re surrounded by major highways. You can get to a third of the nation’s population from Newark in under three hours. So, these are jobs that are well-paying and don’t require that college degree for people to apply…

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One way was to turn these campuses from commuter campuses and building dorms, which we’ve done since I’ve been mayor. We’re planning others for Rutgers to really try to create that quality of life.

We are trying to do home-run projects; we’ve got one going right now where we’re going to turn a whole area between downtown and some of our campuses – a street called Halsey Street – where we are turning the whole area into affordable space for teachers, charter schools, nightlife, and other things.

create 400 jobs.

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business school, all these students get their degrees, and then we have a brain drain. All these students go elsewhere to do their work. So, we had to solve the question of how do we keep those people engaged and living and working in Newark.

Bryce to Meet You ANDREIUS COLEMANStaff Writer Most students probably can’t spell Saskatchewan, let alone find the province on a map, but luckily for the baseball team, Eric Bryce was able to find his way over the border and into a Bulls uniform.

Bryce grew up in Canada, more specifically in the city of Regina. From early childhood he was destined to play baseball.

“Eric was a natural baller from day one,” said Pat Bryce, Eric’s father. “When he was three years old, I saw him line up a ball and hit it. He had a natural swing and a pretty good throw. He also played basketball, a lot of hockey, and football, which helped with his physical development, but baseball is just where he fit in naturally.”

Being a natural has helped Bryce in his transition from pitcher to hitter. With only his senior season left, Bryce went to head coach Ron Torgalski hoping to try a move to the plate.

hometown. He earned the Golden Glove award in the Canadian Championships as a youngster and experienced the glamour of the Little League World Series, which his father claims was the biggest turning point in his son’s life and career.

Bryce appreciates his time in Williamsport at the Little League World Series and the memories he made.

“That whole experience was just surreal,” Bryce said. “Being down there we got treated like kings, where the only thing you had to worry about was baseball. [As a student athlete] sometimes you have school hanging over your head, but you have to battle one pitch at a time and focus on what’s ahead of you.”

Bryce is thankful for the strong relationship he has with his parents. He admires both of them for their continued support, even if it’s from 2,000 miles away.

“My dad was a boxer and [now is] a farm-

“[Bryce] has made huge progress,” Torgalski said.

“A year ago, he was pitching. We talked about it this summer and he wanted to try hitting, and has come a long way. For a guy that has never faced this level of pitching, to be doing what he is doing right now is unbelievable.”

In 15 games this season as a designated hitter, Bryce is batting .267, is second on the team with six home runs, and leads Buffalo with a .733 slugging percentage.

Bryce started out the season on a tear, and for his efforts was named one of Louisville Slugger’s National Players of the Week in late March. He also received Mid-American Conference East player of the week honors earlier this season.

Bryce explained that it took a great deal of hard work and dedication to make the transition.

Jessica Lin /// The Spectrum

After his transition from pitcher to hitter, Eric Bryce’s impressive efforts have UB fans cheering.

“I had to work hard,” Bryce said.

“I took extra hitting in the cage. I came in with very little proper mechanics and [assistant coach] Jim Koerner helped me out quite a bit.”

Bryce made a name for himself as a baseball player in his

er,” Bryce said. “He chose to stay at home with his family and work on the farm instead of pursuing his career. I admire my mom because she works hard, and puts up with my dad, and me and my younger brother.”

One thing about being a student athlete that Bryce, a geology major, acknowledges is the demanding time commitment. Yet, when deciding on UB, he and his family were confident in the program. Bryce has demonstrated the utmost discipline and diligence on the field and at the desk.

When his tenure at UB comes to an end, Bryce is considering going into mining with his degree in geology but plans to play baseball for as long as possible. Back home in Saskatchewan, his parents are proud of what their son has accomplished. g

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

myubcard.com SPORTS MONday, APRIL 4, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

11

SPORTS lead the Bulls with her .292 batting average this season.

Buffalo bounced back in the nightcap by outlasting Toledo, 5-4. With the game tied at two runs apiece heading to the final inning, the Bulls put together a three-run seventh inning to secure the victory.

Sophomore first baseman Jessica Griffin went 2-for-4 in the win and recorded two RBIs. Senior shortstop Alex Bejarano, junior third baseman Kristin Waldron, and Luciano all went 2-for-3 in the game with one RBI each.

Game one against the Falcons on Saturday featured a pitchers’ duel. Freshman pitcher Tori Speckman was locked in from the start of the game, according to head coach Jennifer Teague.

Spectrum File Photo

Senior shortstop Alex Bejarano and her clutch hitting helped the Bulls go 3-1 against Toledo and Bowling Green.

Hot Start to MAC Play

Mid-American) on Friday, the Bulls (8-20, 3-1 MAC) traveled to Bowling Green for a doubleheader against the Falcons (4-17, 0-4 MAC).

Speckman pitches gems

By the time the Bulls finally got on the diamond for game one against the Rockets, it had been 12 days since their last game. The layoff showed in game one when Buffalo fell 6-2 against Toledo pitcher Jenn Solanics who threw a complete game.

SCOTT RESNICKStaff Writer After stumbling out of the gate in nonconference play, the softball team feasted on its Mid-American Conference counterparts as league play began this past week.

After a series split at Toledo (5-22, 1-3

Bulls Hang Tough in Toledo BRIAN JOSEPHS Asst. Sports Editor With the outdoor season underway, the track and field team wanted to make a statement. The team’s success at the sixth annual Toledo Collegiate Challenge was made

Freshman right fielder Holly Luciano didn’t suffer any effects from the time off, as she recorded three of the Bulls’ 10 hits in the loss. She continues to

all the more sweeter with its Mid-American Conference opponents in the mix.

On Saturday, Buffalo’s standout performances against its MAC rivals resulted in second-place finishes for both the men’s and women’s teams.

Junior Becky O’Brien continued to be a threat on the field. O’Brien threw 52.82m in the women’s discus, breaking a school record she shattered only two weeks ago. Junior Shante’ White

“Everything was clicking for her,” Teague said. “It’s something that we’ve been waiting a long time for.

As a freshman, you come in here and you’re used to striking everyone out in high school. But this is a completely different game, and adjustments need to be made. I think she finally did that [on Saturday].”

The Bulls’ offense finally broke through in the fifth inning when sophomore second baseman Andi Saucier doubled to plate Bejarano and sophomore catcher Alyssa Ward.

Saucier later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman shortstop Sammi Gallardo to give the Bulls a 3-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

That would be all the support Speckman would need, as she hurled a complete game gem, holding the Falcons scoreless while recording seven strikeouts.

followed suit by throwing 58.18m to come in first place in the women’s hammer throw.

Freshman Rachel Roberts also contributed to the women’s dominance in the throws, finishing first place in the shot put with a 15.36m toss.

The men’s team paralleled the women’s success with its dominance at the hurdles.

Senior Andrew Omoregie took the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.48 sec-

However, she wasn’t finished just yet.

The freshman started game two and clearly carried over the momentum she had built from her previous effort. She went the distance yet again, striking out three Falcons while surrendering just one run in the complete game masterpiece.

The Bulls made sure not to waste Speckman’s stellar outing, as they pounded out nine runs on eight hits en route to a 9-1 thrashing of the Falcons in game two, to complete the sweep.

Highlighted by freshman designated hitter Tori Pettine’s double in the second that scored Saucier and Gallardo, the Bulls built a 5-0 lead. They would later add on to that in the fourth inning when Bejarano singled home both freshman outfielder Kelli Gleiser and Pettine.

Teague thinks the Bulls are finally starting to hit their stride at the right time.

“It’s always good to sweep a team, especially [one] like Bowling Green,” Teague said. “I think it’s a good start to our conference play and we need to continue to believe in the process we’ve put in place. Conference is what matters, and we’re building for the conference season. We went through a lot of adversity during our non-conference play, but I think we’re better for it and we’re starting to turn a corner.”

Up next for the Bulls is a trip to local rival Niagara (7-9) on Wednesday before they return to Amherst for their home opener this Friday. First pitch against Niagara is scheduled for 4 p.m. g

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

onds, while sophomore Will Cole ran a 54.26 to take the 400-meter hurdles.

Senior Brian Smith came through with another Bulls victory, running a 21.72 in the 200-meter dash.

Junior John Inzina and senior Peter Bligh rounded out Buffalo’s victories. Inzina jumped 2.02m in the pole vault, while Bligh ran an 8:33.74 in the 3,000-meter run.

men’s meet by a margin of 85 points over Buffalo. The women’s Eastern Michigan team scored 164 points over the Bulls’ 150.5.

The Bulls will run at the Texas Relays on Friday starting at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. They will compete in the Robert Morris Invitational later on in the day. g Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Central Michigan won the

NCAA Championship Game Preview MATTHEW PARRINO and CAREY BEYER Senior Sports Editor and Sports Editor

Keys to the Game

Predictions:

For Butler:

Everything has come down to one night and one game. For college basketball fans across the country who have followed the action since late October, Monday night is the culmination of not only another college basketball season, but a historic NCAA Tournament that saw two Cinderella stories unfold.

Kemba can’t be stopped but Butler has to find a way to contain him on the offensive end.

I am excited to watch this game. I think both stories provide such a great backdrop to the game, and watching it unfold is going to be special.

The runs by Butler (28-9) and Virginia Commmonwealth (28-12) to the Final Four will be the defining stories the 2011 season for years to come. The final game matches youth against wisdom in the coaching department.

Brad Stevens, 34 years old, and Jim Calhoun, 68 years old, will play the ultimate chess match on Monday night.

However the game plays out, an amazing story will be told to future generations. Either the Bulldogs will claim the national title that barely eluded them one year ago or Connecticut (31-9) will win its 11th straight game to mark one of the greatest postseason runs in college basketball history.

The Bulldogs have to win the battle on the boards or, at the very least, limit the Huskies’ second chance points.

Continue to play with the heart and determination that has pushed them through the tournament.

For Connecticut: KEMBA! KEMBA! And more KEMBA! Freshman guard Jeremy Lamb has to continue providing the additional scoring that the Huskies have counted on during their run.

Be big inside. The Huskies have to defend for 40 minutes and try and utilize their size in the paint and on the boards.

Team Profiles

The most important matchup in this game will be Walker going against Butler guard Ronald Nored. If he is able to frustrate the Connecticut superstar and force him to take a bunch of shots, the Bulldogs have a better chance in the game.

I don’t like the size disadvantage for Butler, but it has proven to be a nonissue as the team keeps advancing in the tournament.

I think Brad Stevens is going to outcoach the cagey veteran, and I don’t think the Bulldogs are going to let the Huskies take another opportunity away from them to bring a national championship back to Indianapolis, Ind.

It looks like the entire nation is going to find out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object on Monday night. Both of these teams have come charging into this game with ridiculous momentum.

As hard as the Bulldogs are going to fight to claim the championship that they missed out on last season, I do not believe their defense will be able to overcome the offensive assault that Kemba Walker is going to fire at them.

The Huskies haven’t been showing any signs of slowing down throughout their 10-game win streak. They will continue to fall in line behind Walker and punish the Bulldogs for even stepping off the plane.

As Butler is all too aware of, not every fairytale has a happy ending, and I believe that we will see history repeat itself at the close of this year’s tournament. The Huskies will come out on top of this dogfight.

I expect Shelvin Mack to put on an offensive performance for the ages and help Butler win the game.

Huskies – 73

Bulldogs – 76

– Carey Beyer

Huskies – 73

g

– Matthew Parrino

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Bulldogs – 68

Player Profiles

Butler

UConn

Matt Howard

Kemba Walker

Record – 28-9 Points Per Game – 72.1 Rebounds Per Game – 35.0 Offensive Rebounds Per Game – 11.1 Assists Per Game – 12.1 Steals Per Game – 5.9 Field Goal Percentage – .441 3-Point Percentage – .355 Blocks Per Game – 1.6 Highest Point Total – 91 points vs Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 11 Lowest Points Allowed – 44 to Milwaukee on March 8 Biggest win margin in Tournament – 8 points against VCU Conference – Horizon League

Record – 31-9 Points Per Game – 72.8 Rebounds Per Game – 39.3 Offensive Rebounds Per Game – 13.8 Assists Per Game – 13.2 Steals Per Game – 6.4 Field Goal Percentage – .436 3-Point Percentage – .333 Blocks Per Game – 5.5 Highest Point Total – 97 points vs Depaul on March 8 Lowest Points Allowed – 52 to Bucknell on March 17 Biggest win margin in Tournament – 29 points against Bucknell Conference – Big East

Tournament Numbers: Points Per Game – 16.4 Rebounds Per Game – 7.2 Offensive Rebounds Per Game – 1.8 Field Goal Percentage – 42 Minutes Per Game – 35.8

Tournament Numbers: Points Per Game – 25 Assists Per game – 6.8 Rebounds Per Game – 5.4 Field Goal Percentage – 43 Minutes Per Game – 38.8

Who’s Howard?

Who’s Kemba?

If there is a loose ball in a Butler game, expect to see the No. 54 jersey somewhere on the floor diving for it. Howard is the definition of Butler basketball. He plays the game with a Bulldog mentality and forces his opponent to always keep tabs on him on the boards. His shooting range keeps teams off balance and allows his teammates to get to their spots on the floor. His senior leadership has been so important for Butler during this run and he’ll look to cap off an amazing career on Monday night.

Standing 6 –foot –1, Walker doesn’t really strike fear into the heart of his opponent at first glance. It isn’t until he drains his patented step-back jumper right in eye of the defender that the realization of how talented he is becomes apparent. He can take his man off the dribble or pull from anywhere on the court. His will to win is second to none and he has been the catalyst for UConn’s run to the title game.

His 12 assists against Bucknell was a career-high, and his passing ability seems to get better with each game.

Chicago’s Awesome Blossom MATTHEW PARRINO Senior Sports Editor The NBA Playoffs are quickly approaching and the annual Most Valuable Player debate is heating up. I’ve been watching individual players closely this season, and I have narrowed it down to three possible candidates.

Before we get started, it’s important to understand what an MVP is. It isn’t necessarily the best player in the NBA. Kobe Bryant is arguably the best player in the league, but if you took him off the Lakers, they’d still make the playoffs. So because of that, his statistics and overall performance must greatly outshine the seasons of players on lesser teams.

The same issue plagues teams like the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. Rajon Rondo has been sensational at times this season, and Paul Pierce and Ray Allen seem to always make the big shot. The problem is finding that one person who is most essential to his team’s success.

The best example of this phenomenon is my first candidate for MVP, LeBron James. In his seven years in Cleveland, I could make an argument for him for MVP at least four times. The meltdown of the Cavaliers this season clearly demonstrates how vital he was to that team.

The same thing can’t be said about James in Miami. His 26.6 points per game are the lowest of his career, but teaming up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh was expected to diminish some of his scoring. My concern is the drop in assists and rebounds.

James’ seven assists per game is the lowest for “The King” since his rookie season. Playing alongside Wade, one of the elite scorers in the league, should have James averaging almost a double-double this season.

LeBron is 12 turnovers away from setting a new career-high.

Out of my three finalists for MVP, James is the worst from the free throw line with a 76 percent average this season. I need to have confidence in my MVP from the charity stripe late in games.

There are just too many factors working against LeBron, and if he didn’t play for the Heat, the team would still be playing in the postseason. With James eliminated from contention, my final two MVP hopefuls are Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Chicago’s Derrick Rose.

Durant is leading the league in scoring and is on the verge of repeating as the league’s scoring champion. He is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NBA and is leading a Thunder team that is one of the favorites in the Western Conference. He is the best of the MVP candidates in 3-point percentage (36), free throw percentage (88) and minutes per game (39.2), and his 2.7 turnovers per game is the lowest of his career.

With that said, Durant plays alongside one of the most talented young players in the league in Russell Westbrook; and with the development of Serge Ibaka and James Harden, the Thunder would be competitive without “Durantula.”

Derrick Rose is my 2010-11 MVP. There isn’t another player in the NBA this season that means more to his team than Rose. He’s missed only one game this year and it was in the midst of a bout with ulcers that would have sidelined most normal human beings for a few weeks.

The Bulls brought in Carlos Boozer in the offseason to help Rose take the next step, but the big man missed almost half the season. Boozer has played in only 53 games this year, and Joakim Noah has only suited up for 42. Rose has had to play most of the season with a bunch of secondary players, but he never complains and just finds a way to get the job done.

Rose is averaging 25.1 points, 7.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game, all of which are careerhighs. He worked on his shooting in the offseason and it has shown all year long. In his first two seasons, Rose made only 32 3-pointers; this year he has drained 120 from downtown.

Did I mention that the Bulls are the top team in the Eastern Conference and only one game out of the top spot in the entire NBA? The job Rose has done this year makes him the clear-cut MVP in my book, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the playoffs. g

Email: matthew.parrino@ ubspectrum.com