Courtesy of University at Buffalo A suspect was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting a UB student in Goodyear Hall early Sunday morning.
The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo WEDNESDAY EDITION v April 6, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 70 v ubspectrum.com
University Police Arrest UB Alumnus in Goodyear Assault LAUREN NOSTROSenior News Editor Investigators have arrested Michael E. Hicks, 22, of Rochester, for allegedly assaulting Michal Kociuba, a freshman exercise science major, early Sunday morning on South Campus, University Police announced Tuesday afternoon.
Perla Santos /// The Spectrum
A recent survey by U.S. News & World Report landed the UB Law School back in the top 100 law schools in the nation.
UB Law School’s Rankings Improve STEVEN WROBELStaff Writer The University at Buffalo Law School has rebounded after falling out of the top 100 law schools in the nation, according to U. S. News & World Report. The rankings were released on March 20 and placed UB as 84th in the nation. This ranking comes in 19 points higher than the previous year, which had classified UB as a “third-tier” school. While the law school administration is pleased with the increase in ranking, it feels that many ranking scales fail to capture the potential of the UB Law School. “One challenge of the US News rankings methodology is that it rewards schools that spend more,” said James R. Newton, vice dean of administration for the law school, in an email. “State institutions such as UB Law, that work very hard to provide ‘value,’ a quality education at a reasonable price, will fare worse here, but will generally fare much better in other ranking systems that take ‘value’ into consideration.” The recent ranking is the highest that the law school has placed since 2007, when it was ranked 77th. From there, rankings had fluctuated before hitting a low in 2009 at 103rd. The improvement in ranking over the past year has come as no surprise to administration and students in the law school.
lum to create a stronger program for students. All of the changes that have been made in recent years have come together to create a stronger program that was recognized by U.S. News & World Report. “The increase this year was due, in large part, to three things: the increasingly high median LSAT and GPAs of our entering class, our growing reputation with attorneys and judges, and our employment rates,” Newton said. However, for years, the law school has offered a strong and affordable law program for students. “I am very glad to see that UB is once again in the top 100 law schools. I always knew that the education I was receiving was first-class, whether the ranking systems reflect that or not,” said Caitlin English, a second-year law student. “All of the professors that I have encountered at UB Law have been extremely intelligent, focused, and driven to help students learn.” In addition to the U.S. News ranking, several other ranking systems have given accolades to the law school. Malcolm Gladwell of The New Yorker magazine ranked the law school as 40th based on his system, which took into account LSAT scores, faculty publishing, and ‘value’ of the dollar. Thomson Reuters, a large legal publisher, ranked the school as 48th nationwide. “I am extremely happy with my decision to come to UB, and if I had it to do all over again I would not change a thing,” Taylor said. “UB Law School is a close-knit community, and many of the students within my section have become like a second family.”
I believe that UB Law School’s faculty and staff has been working incredibly hard to push UB back into the top 100 where it belongs. - Katie Taylor, law student
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UB Law School has made some great changes that have strengthened the program and can be expected to continue improvement. g
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Many changes have been made at the law school, both to the physical appearance and within the administration in the past year, that improved the ranking of the school, according to Taylor. These changes included refinishing the lobby and updating classrooms, as well as creating a ranking system and changing the curricu-
“The legal job market is tough right now, and I was anxious to begin my 2011 summer job search,” English said. “Not only did the UB Law Career Services Office frequently update their website with various job postings throughout the summer, but members of the career services staff were willing to meet with me to discuss job prospects, look over my resume, or discuss interviewing.”
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“I believe that UB Law School’s faculty and staff has been working incredibly hard to push UB back into the top 100 where it belongs,” said Katie Taylor, a first-year law student.
That close-knit community is one aspect that the law school works hard to maintain on such a large campus.
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Kociuba was assaulted in the Goodyear Residence Hall lobby in an apparently unprovoked attack, according to UPD Chief of Police Gerald W. Schoenle.
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Hicks, a 2010 alumnus, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. In a 2008 article published in Generation, Hicks was profiled for a lack of interest in his job with the Anti-Rape Task Force, now referred to as SBI Safety Services. Hicks was serving community service hours assigned to him after he punched and broke glass at a bus stop on campus, according to the article. “I don’t like authority,” Hicks said in the article. “I will never ever volunteer for Anti-Rape [Task Force] unless there is cash money.” UPD confirmed that Hicks served community service hours for that incident.
The assault occurred at approximately 4:55 a.m. on Sunday, according to a UPD press release. UPD was contacted at 5:31 a.m. and arrived on the scene within a minute. A UB Alert was sent to the UB community at 8:42 a.m. on Sunday, stating that UPD was investigating the assault.
Two photographs of the assailant from surveillance cameras in the Goodyear Residence Hall lobby were released to media outlets and the UB police Facebook page shortly after the incident. The assailant was believed to be highly intoxicated at the time of the assault.
Kociuba was treated for minor injuries and released from Erie County Medical Center on Sunday
Schoenle was unsure of how the assailant entered the residence hall but stated that resident as-
Making Sense of Madness
tiple stages [in the tournament], the probability of an upset becomes larger.”
UB study shows 2011 Final Four teams statistically rare MADELEINE BURNSStaff Writer When the buzzer sounded and No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) defeated No. 1 seed University of Kansas to advance to the Final Four, it was a statistical anomaly. Alexander G. Nikolaev, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of industrial and systems engineering, has found that while it is unlikely for all four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament to advance to the Final Four, it is equally as rare for none to advance. Each has occurred only once before, in 2008 and 2006, respectively. This year’s Final Four included zero No. 1 seeded teams as University of Connecticut (No. 3), University of Kentucky (No. 4), Butler University (No. 8), and VCU (No. 11) advanced. Nikolaev’s paper is based solely on statistical analysis of the pattern of seed advancement in the tournament from 1985 to 2010. The study’s findings are not based on the characteristics of the involved teams. “It doesn’t matter how good a specific team is,” Nikolaev said. “When they have to survive mul-
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Although top-seeded teams typically win, the tendency for upsets throughout the tournament stems from the competition’s game-to-game setup, according to Nikolaev. “People love the Cinderella story of a [lower-ranked team] winning but that’s not rare,” said Mark H. Karwan, Ph.D., a professor in the department of industrial and systems engineering, and Nikolaev’s faculty mentor. “What is rare is for the No. 4 or the No. 8 or the No. 11 to keep winning to get to the Final Four.” Nikolaev indicated that the probability of a No. 1 seed defeating a team ranked second is the same as the probability of a No. 2 beating a No. 3 or a No. 3 beating a No. 4, and so on. The seed combinations most likely to advance are 1-1-1-2, 1-1-2-2, and 1-1-2-3, and it is most common for two No. 1 seeds to reach the finals, according to the analysis. Nikolaev and co-researchers found that a geometric distribution, defined as the number of failures necessary before a success occurs, best represented the pattern of seed advancement. “[The study] doesn’t tell us what to do other than to expect at least one lower-ranked team to get to the Final Four,” Karwan said. Despite this, however, the professors reached a bracket-related consensus based on the data: it is wise to include a No. 1 team in a Final Four bracket. However, Nikolaev pointed out that although data proves at least one No. 1 seed reaches the Final Four each year, it cannot predict
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morning. The victim claimed he did not know Hicks, according to Schoenle.
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sistants were not on duty at the time. According to the Goodyear residence office, resident assistants are on duty in the RA office in the lobby from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on weeknights and 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. on weekends. Swipe access cards are always necessary for entrance into the residence hall. Several students contacted UPD to identify the suspect, according to Schoenle. Hicks surrendered at UPD headquarters Tuesday afternoon and was arrested by Investigator Wayne Colton. Hicks was charged with assault in the third degree, harassment in the second degree, and trespassing. He was released after booking an appearance in Buffalo City Court on May 3. Additionally, Hicks is banned from UB property, according to the press release. Over the past year, UB has installed new lighting, 19 blue light phones, and 76 new security cameras – including the camera that photographed the suspect – on South Campus, according to Schoenle. There is currently a similar project to update security features on North Campus, as well. g
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which of the four No. 1 seeds will advance. If fans want to ensure that they pick the correct No. 1 seed, they don’t need to leave it to chance, they would need to pick all four, according to Karwan. Students looking merely to make a successful bracket are still likely to select teams based on a subjective basis, rather than following statistical data. “The only reason I’d ever pick all four No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four is if I actually believed that they were the four best teams in the tournament,” said David Fogel, a freshman communication major. “I pick my teams based on my gut feeling of who I think will perform well in the tournament.” A deciding factor for Fogel was player ability, a view that pure statistics does not allow for. “I picked UConn because I believe they have the best college basketball player in the country in Kemba Walker,” Fogel said. It is difficult to separate opinion about how teams are performing from the actual likelihood that they will succeed in the tournament, according to Karwan. Benjamin Veri, a freshman business administration major, also picked Connecticut to advance to the finals. “There’s always a possibility that all No. 1 seeds could make it,” Veri said. “But with all the upsets that occur in college basketball, it’s more likely [that] you’re going to view the tournament in a more out-of-the-box way.” Over the weekend, Connecticut emerged as the champion, defeating Butler , 53-41. g
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