The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 68

Study abroad program embraces S. Africa, Rwanda

Daily Show’s Madrigal to perform in Buffalo THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

UB relies on unproven WRs to replace seniors

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WANTING THE BALL

ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Volume 63 No. 68

Speckman emerges as softball team’s ace, one of most dominant athletes on campus OWEN O’BRIEN Sports Editor

Khalil Mack. Javon McCrea.

Tori Speckman.

Tori Speckman?

Anybody who even remotely follows University at Buffalo Athletics has certainly heard of the first two names listed above.

Mack could be the No. 1 pick in May’s NFL Draft and McCrea is being scouted by teams throughout the NBA as a potential draft pick or at least a training camp invitee.

They are two of the greatest athletes in the history of this school. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are the two most dominant athletes at UB. Speckman, a senior, is the ace of the Buffalo softball team. She has started 21 of Buffalo’s 31 games and has posted an 11-9 record with a 2.24 ERA. Speckman has 143 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings and 16 complete games.

But even more than the numbers, it’s her position that demonstrates dominance. Looking to avoid Mack? Triple-team him and let your offense operate on the other side of the field. Looking to stop McCrea? Put three defenders on him every time he touches the ball in the paint and force other players to score.

How do you contain a pitcher in softball? You can’t.

The game doesn’t begin until the pitcher throws the ball.

Then the catcher throws it back and the at-bat doesn’t resume until the pitcher throws it again.

Speckman can’t be avoided – unless she’s in the dugout, which seldom occurs.

She has been one of the Bulls’ most feared pitchers since stepping on campus. Speckman started 58 of Buffalo’s 140 games (41 percent) over her first three seasons. Including this season, she has started 46 percent of the games since she’s been in a Buffalo uniform.

Yusong Shi, The Spectrum

Senior Tori Speckman has started over 46 percent of Buffalo’s games since her freshman year. She has 146 strikeouts in over 131 innings this season and has thrown complete games in 16 of her 21 starts.

She’s been pitching the majority of her games since before she was 10 years old. When her 10-and-under team won nationals, Speckman pitched the final two games – which took place at 3 and 5 a.m., respectively, after beginning at 10 a.m. the day before.

When describing herself in one word, she opted for “domineering” after about 30 seconds of pondering.

“I’m literally going to dominate each batter,” Speckman said. “It’s something I work really hard for.

Every game, I have the ball. And I plan to have the ball a lot.” *** Before you step into the batter’s box, Speckman has already struck you out. Maybe not on the scorecard, but in her mind.

She attempts to keep her head clear and thoughts simple while warming up in the pregame.

Once she steps on the mound, however, it’s a different story. “[I do] so much self talk, it’s crazy,” Speckman said. “I sound like a mental case.”

She visualizes the entire at-bat – pitch by pitch – and how she plans to attack the hitter.

Speckman has already recorded at least eight strikeouts in nine games this season – which is more than one per inning.

“She knows her skills,” said junior catcher Alexus Curtiss,

who’s caught for Speckman the majority of the past three seasons. “She knows that she’s basically going to head on out there and take everybody down. That’s her mindset.”

This “self talk” has helped Speckman tremendously throughout the season, but it wasn’t always this way. During her first few seasons, she referred to this process as “stress talk.”

Rather than thinking about how she would strike a batter out, she thought about avoiding failure.

Now, she visualizes success.

Speckman only operates at one speed on the mound – fast.

If her catcher doesn’t return the ball almost instantaneously, she will hold her glove out in anger and just wait.

“I am bossy and I’m very bossy on the mound, too, and it’s bad,” Speckman said. “They get so irritated with me when I do that.”

She loves the competitive nature of pitching. It’s like a constant one-on-one with a new batter throughout the game. It also allows her to remain in control.

“I love to be in control,” Speckman said. “I’m a control freak, and I always tell people that’s why I’m a pitcher – because I need to have the ball every pitch.”

In the second game of the team’s doubleheader against

Florida A&M this season, Speckman went up to head coach Trena Peel and asked for the ball.

Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal. But Speckman had just come off a nine-inning, 11-strikeout performance in a 3-2 victory. A regulation softball game is only seven innings.

She thought to herself, I could totally pitch again. And when she told Peel, the coach gave her the ball.

“From a coaching standpoint, I love her competitiveness because that’s something you can’t teach,” Peel said. “That’s just kind of something you have. I wish I had her for four years and not just one because I think now she’s just starting to peak in her career.”

Speckman pitched another complete game and recorded eight strikeouts while only surrendering two unearned runs in Buffalo’s 2-1 loss.

“I tell people I would rather pitch until my arm falls off than not be in the game,” Speckman said.

With Peel as the coach, Speckman said she doesn’t feel the need to ask for the ball often.

She knows the game is hers, unless she tells Peel otherwise. *** Speckman went into her game Saturday feeling “rusty” – she had a four-day break from games.

Yet she did something only two other pitchers in Buffalo softball history had ever done: She pitched a no-hitter.

Speckman wasn’t even aware she was flirting with a no-hitter until the game was over. It’s considered taboo to discuss a no-hitter on the bench, so none of her teammates mentioned anything.

The pitcher, however, didn’t find anything weird about the avoidance. She often keeps to herself between innings.

“To be honest, I kind of do that to myself in every game,” Speckman said. “I don’t like to

get too involved and too amped up when we are hitting because I’ll get too excited.”

Her mind was preoccupied with fixing her mechanics to throw stronger pitches. She credited her defense – especially senior infielder Tori Pettine – for the no-hitter.

“Everyone else said they were thinking about it during the game, but I had no idea,” Speckman said. “I was totally clueless.”

Speckman also has these lapses off the field. She described herself as “kind of spacey,” and Curtiss – who lives with Speckman – said she has plenty of stories about Speckman’s forgetfulness.

Just a few weeks ago, the two had to return to Chipotle because Speckman left her bag there.

Speckman leaves her bag and glove behind often and would “lose [her] head if it wasn’t on [her] shoulders.” Even when leaving an interview, Speckman had to run back because she forgot her wallet in the dugout.

Although this can create more stress for herself and others in her personal life, she believes it’s a strength on the mound.

“I’m not going to lie, I feel like sometimes that helps me with my pitching because I’m able to just forget and move on,” Speckman said. “I can forget anything, so I don’t hold onto the negative too much because it’s out of my mind – just like a lot of things are.” *** Young athletes often look to professionals for motivation. After all, their goal is to be like the pros one day. Another popular motivational selection is a parent or older sibling who introduced them to the game and drove them to succeed.

This isn’t the scenario for Speckman. She wants to be like her younger sister Rebekah, who has no interest in playing softball.

SEE Speckman, PAGE 10

UB offers new master’s degree, A life dictated by Autism Spectrum Disorder certificate program in historic UB students with siblings who have autism share their experiences and time had to be split amongst KEREN BARUCH preservation three children now, but the atSenior Features Editor Yusong Shi, The Spectrum

The School of Architecture and Planning is offering two new master-level programs, a Master of Science in Architecture in Urban Design and Historic Preservation and an 18-credit certificate program in historical preservation, starting next year.

Dr. Ashima Krishna (pictured), an assistant professor in historic preservation, will be teaching the new programs.

MADELAINE BRITT Asst. News Editor

You might see them touring the dark caverns of the grain elevators on the bank of the Buffalo River, or catch a glimpse of them in the halls of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex.

Historical preservationists, many of whom are also professors, can be found all across the Buffalo area working on conservation projects.

By next semester, with the introduction of the school’s newest historical preservation programs,

they will be directing classes in the architecture school.

Beginning in the fall, students can immerse themselves in historic preservation with the introduction of an advanced masterlevel certificate in historic preservation and a graduate program, titled “Master of Science in Architecture in Urban Design and Historic Preservation.”

The master’s degree is a 1.5year program that combines urban design and historic preservation, and the 18-credit certificate focuses on historical preservaSEE MASTER’S, PAGE 2

Two years ago, in the middle of January, Mikey Bargovsky went missing. His family searched for him, shouting his name through the streets of their neighborhood in Staten Island.

But they knew he would not respond to their cries.

Half an hour into the search, his family found him in their neighbor’s backyard. He let himself into their pool for an afternoon, mid-winter swim.

Bargovsky has autism. He falls high on the spectrum and is low functioning, so he has “no sense of fear or what is right and wrong,” according to Mai Bargovsky, a freshman intended nursing major and Bargovsky’s older sister.

April is National Autism Awareness Month. One in 88 American children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But few studies are devoted to ASD’s effects on siblings of autistic children. Of the 839 studies reported within the past four years in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, four

Courtesy of Mai Bargovsky

Mai Bargovsky (right) sits with her brother Mikey. Mikey has low functioning autism.

were devoted to siblings, but the focus of those studies was genetic risks and not life experience, according to a 2012 Time article.

Though there are no statistics, a number UB students have autistic siblings.

When Mai was 2 years old, her brother Guy was born. When she was 4, he was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. She had to share a lot of her parents’ attention with him, though he was not low functioning. But it wasn’t until she was 5 years old that her world was completely recreated.

When Mai was 5, Bargovsky was born. Her parents’ love

tention could not be split evenly. Rather, the demand of having two siblings with autism left Mai with little to no attention, she said.

Mai remembers attending her brother’s home instruction when she was 6 years old because she was so jealous of the attention he received.

“I never got to have a ‘normal’ family,” Mai said. “I have two autistic brothers. We can’t leave the house without stressing out about how Mikey will behave. He’s almost 12 and he still cannot speak, use the bathroom without assistance or be left anywhere unattended.”

Bargovsky needs a home aid seven days a week. This can be difficult for the rest of the family, Mai said. Everyone has to think twice before speaking, as well, as to not trigger any negative feelings in him because they do not know what he is actually thinking or feeling the majority of the time.

“Something will tick him off and because he can’t speak we don’t know what it is,” Mai said.

“This will lead him to biting himSEE AUTISM, PAGE 8

ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Continued from page 1: Master’s tion. They’re both a first for the university and for the SUNY system.

The programs will teach principles of historic preservation, planning and design of the built environment through site visits, guest speakers, tutorials and seminars. They will also offer students opportunities to work on international projects through internship opportunities abroad.

Dr. Ashima Krishna, an assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, believes UB sets itself apart from other state schools with its architecture program.

For her, the new historic preservation programs will serve as learning tools for students while positively reinforcing the methods of cultural and historical preservation in the region.

Krishna, who will teach in both programs next year, is confident the new programs will solidify the already active preservation work the UB architecture

community is doing. The new “formal program” will combine academics with historical activism.

“Students will also have the unique opportunity to engage with the city of Buffalo as a laboratory for their preservationrelated investigations throughout their study,” Krishna said in an email. “We hope that we can educate, train and encourage students, program participants and community members to engage with historic preservation more deeply, no matter what their educational background.”

The programs aim to meet the needs of modern-day cities while remembering their past, according to Krishna, who believes students will benefit from the opportunity to work with expert faculty on regional and global preservation projects.

The School of Architecture and Planning is accepting applications until June 1. Students who possess field knowledge of

historic preservation will stand out amongst their competitors when it comes to the job market, Krishna said, citing the importance of preservation in 21st century urban growth.

Taro Tsutsui, a freshman architectural student, has a few years before he could join the program. But he sees the new programs as a nice addition what the School of Architecture and Planning offers in terms of “variety and diversity.”

To be accepted into the programs, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree. No past experience with planning is necessary, but historical knowledge and a background in community outreach is an advantage.

Hirokaki Hata, an associate professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, believes the combined programs are especially relevant for the city. In his eyes, the programs not only serve as a way to preserve the historical integrity of

buildings and landscapes, but also the urban fabric of communities.

Students will come away from the program with a real understanding of how a single building relates to the street it is on and the community it is a member of, he said.

“We are in Buffalo; we are very proud of our building and citymaking history,” Hata said. “We wanted to create a program with a city.”

No matter how well the city is doing, Krishna says, there is always room for historic preservation when it comes to the development of a space. She believes this is a skill students from different fields could find useful.

“Cities are in a constant state of flux – whether it is an incline or a decline varies considerably.

In either case, the historic built environment if often threatened,” Krishna said. “Historic preservation therefore becomes

very important in engaging our present in a conversation about the future of our past.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 ubspectrum.com

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Aaron Mansfield MANAGING EDITORS Lisa Khoury Sara DiNatale

OPINION

3

Opting out of student achievement Standardized testing controversy in WNY makes students victims of debate

OPINION EDITOR Anthony Hilbert COPY EDITORS Tress Klassen, Chief Amanda Jowsey Samaya Abdus-Salaam NEWS EDITORS Sam Fernando, Senior Amanda Low Madelaine Britt, Asst.

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Emma Janicki, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS Joe Konze Jr., Senior Jordan Oscar Megan Weal, Asst.

SPORTS EDITORS Ben Tarhan, Senior Owen O’Brien Tom Dinki, Asst.

PHOTO EDITORS Aline Kobayashi, Senior Chad Cooper Juan David Pinzon, Asst.

Yusong Shi, Asst.

CARTOONIST Amber Sliter CREATIVE DIRECTORS Brian Keschinger Andres Santandreu, Asst.

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014 Volume 63 Number 68 Circulation 7,000

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A debate over standardized tests is reaching a fever pitch across Western New York as teachers and rally groups formally proclaim their opposition, all with students stuck in the middle, sitting and staring, caught between bureaucracy and ideology.

Discontent has grown over the past year toward state-mandated standardized tests administered to elementary and middle school students. The furor has been fueled as the more rigorous – and controversial – Common Core standards influence the exams.

Parents revile the tests as difficult and burdensome, with claims that they count too much toward teacher evaluations and fail to demonstrate real learning.

Beyond innocuous yard signs and some vitriolic emails, parental disapproval has gone the way of having children “opt out” of exams, a mechanism typically reserved for concerns more substantive than ideological disagreement. This allows students to sit out of tests while their classmates take them.

Opting out, however, costs these children, and students across the state, more than has been appreciated. Opting students out of exams also opts them out of an incentive to learn, opts the state out of invaluable data and opts future generations out of otherwise informed education reforms.

Across the region, irate parents are having children opt out, which wouldn’t be so much of a problem if it were an isolated incident. In West Seneca, as many as 37 percent of third to eighth graders opted out of last week’s English Language Arts exam, according to The Buffalo News. In East Aurora, the number was 15.5 percent.

As more parents jump on the anti-Common Core, anti-test bandwagon, irrespective of consequences, students are becoming pawns in the battle. Students are forced in some districts to stay in the room with only the test in front of them due to a policy known pejoratively as “sit and stare” and rationally as “what

every other student is doing.”

The tactic has been a flash point for the controversy.

Doubtlessly, the policy is unproductive for students, though it emblematically reveals the inability of administrators and parents to bridge differences with students left paying the price for incivility. Providing more attractive alternatives to taking a test, however, would only incentivize opting out and set a dangerous precedent for educational policy to be dictated by the loudest, angriest parents in a state, as opposed to careful consideration by trained educators.

Though standardized tests have problems, they have become an integral part of the education system that will not be removed by students opting out.

These state tests, particularly, provide metrics for how to shift education policy, improve teaching methods and ensure classes are taught by the highest quality of teachers.

Issues exist and must be addressed, but the testing room is

not the forum for dissent, and students – present and future – should not be the medium. Opting out is a dangerous method that causes more damage to protesters, who lose legitimacy, and children, most troublingly.

Tests themselves cause stress and anxiety (rigorous state tests, most of all) – this much is true.

But denying students the experience to familiarize themselves with tests and standards robs them of the experience necessary to make it through college admissions exams and university finals successfully.

What this debate requires is exactly what students are taught to exhibit – careful consideration of evidence, well-formed ideas and nuanced reasoning. So long as this remains a battle in which parents just pull students from any process they don’t like, the only ones who will suffer are those students. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Conflict and inconsistency set immigration policy Deportations over minor crimes increase, despite claims to the contrary President Obama has deported more immigrants than any other president in United States history, and despite claims to only deport “gangbangers [and] people who are hurting the community,” the vast majority are petty criminals or have no criminal record.

Two-thirds of the nearly 2 million people deported under the Obama administration committed minor traffic infractions or had no criminal record, with only 20 percent rising to the level of serious offenders, according to a recent report by The New York Times. The findings highlight a growing inconsistency between Obama’s messages and actions.

The trend is not unusual for Obama, who has set a precedent for contradictory policies.

In lieu of the comprehensive immigration reform touted throughout both campaigns, Obama has taken up mass deportations as a consolation prize all while attempting to placate supporters with small gestures and statements to the contrary. At-

tempting to pander to his core constituency with promises to make immigration enforcement less harsh, while seeking to look tough on crime to opponents, Obama has failed to impress either.

This is behavior unbecoming of our commander-in-chief and damaging to the legitimacy of the nation as a whole. Our citizenry deserves better than carnival tricks from a leader who has promised to usher in an administration held “to a new standard of openness.”

That, too, seems like a claim conflicting with reality.

The deporting of millions of illegal immigrants for minor or no offenses, taking up resources and manpower from other tasks, is itself controversial. Beyond this, the Obama administration has more actively filed more charges against deportees than the final years of the Bush administration, according to The Times. Charges prevent offenders from coming back to the United

States for five years at the risk of imprisonment.

Obama is even stricter on illegal immigrants than his predecessor, perhaps laudable to opponents of illegal immigration but to the chagrin of anyone valuing credibility and honesty within the Oval Office.

There is little doubt some of the increasing – and increasingly frivolous – deportations are due to the stubbornly unproductive Congress. The failure of immigration reform lies more than partially with obstructionist politics by Obama’s detractors. Pressure for stronger enforcement at borders has been a right-wing call for years, with those in the House of Representative leading the charge.

But the contradictions, banes to trustworthiness and authority of the office are solely the fault of the president.

Certainly, the time to reform the severely broken immigration system is now. The problem of illegal immigration itself is a re-

sult of failed policy at our borders, causing prohibitively long wait times and overly complex procedures to legally enter this country.

And though this is not an excuse to illegally enter the United States, it demands a prompt solution.

In the interim, the population must demand accountability on the part of our leaders. If, in fact, reform is impossible because of congressional inaction, make that a talking point in the hopes it will spur change. Promises to not deport due to minor offenses or split up families wantonly, only to do the opposite, are counterproductive if not simply wrong.

We need more than optimistic hope for those most simple traits in a president – consistency, congruency, honesty. We need a change to words that align with actions and rhetoric that rises to reality. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

4

LIFE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 ubspectrum.com

Ambassadors for Africa breaks stereotypes, changes lives Study abroad program embraces South African, Rwandan political history and culture GISELLE LAM

Staff Writer

UB alumna Erin Willis now understands that “Africa is not this unsafe, unorganized jungle.”

She attributes her new outlook to the African study abroad program at UB. “It allows students to become more aware of their privilege and also allows them to live in solidarity with populations that are depicted as backwards,” she said.

Since her trip to Africa, she has gone on to visit Turkey, Jordan, Palestine and other countries. She has worked in Bourj al Barajneh, a Palestinian refugee camp, made presentations about human rights issues in Africa and Lebanon while traveling in the Middle East and led a group of undergraduates to El Salvador to look at the role the United States played in the civil war there.

“My study abroad experience definitely infected me with the travel bug,” Willis said.

The South Africa & Rwanda: Political History & Contemporary Culture program helped ignite this “travel bug.” The study abroad program to South Africa has been offered since 2001.

Courtesy of Mara Deckard

UB’s South Africa & Rwanda: Political History & Contemporary Culture program has been offered since 2001. From left to right: Devon Ivey, Mara Deckard, Marisol Gomez, Erin Willis, David Noll and Sarah Mauro (all six of the students who participated in the program in 2011).

This summer, Shaun Irlam, the department chair of comparative literature, will instruct his annual study abroad program in South Africa and Rwanda in light of the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide and the inauguration of Nelson Mandela.

The 2014 program will run from May 16 through July 1, making stops in South Africa, Nairobi, Rwanda, Burundi and Johannesburg. The cost, which covers airfare, tuition, accommodations, transportation and field trips, is around $6,800 excluding meals and personal expenses.

Applications closed March 15.

The program pays tribute to Mandela and draws atten-

tion to his prisoner number 466; students visit four countries throughout the six-week trip and earn six academic credits. The two courses offered in the program are “Political History of South Africa” and “RWANDA: Rebirth of a Nation.”

Field trips include visits to local townships, a baby elephant orphanage and Mandela’s prison cell from his political incarceration.

“To some level, my [objective] is to be an ambassador for Africa and to turn students into ambassadors for Africa when they come home,” Irlam said.

He wants his students to be able to spread the word that Af-

rica is a wonderful continent and “not the scary place of civil war and disease you read about in the news.”

Irlam, who grew up in Cape Town, stated that many parents have concerns about the safety of traveling to Africa, specifically Rwanda, after its history with genocide. He addresses this misconception by saying it is actually the safest country of the four they visit, even though the other destinations are nothing to worry about.

“They’re no less safe than any major American city where you’ve got vast socio-economic differences,” Irlam said.

So far, the trips to Africa have had a perfect safety record, according to Irlam.

“Americans’ perception of what African countries are like is very skewed and very misguided,” said Ryan Latulipe, a UB alumnus and past participant.

Latulipe said each country he visited was extremely different from the others and Africa was not how he expected it would be.

“I do want to introduce students to the complexity of Africa to open their awareness to what a vast continent this actual-

ly is,” Irlam said.

Irlam said there are cities that resemble San Francisco and Miami and there are villages where residents live in mud huts. But what holds true throughout his visits is the extraordinary sense of hospitality and warmth from the people.

“The people are very friendly and very curious,” he said.

“They’re as interested in us as we are in them.”

Irlam said aside from the program’s ability to open students’ eyes to Africa in ways they wouldn’t have imagined, it has also resulted in career choices, shifts in majors and life changes.

A past student met her husband in Senegal. Another went back to South Africa to do two years with the Peace Corps, and one joined the American Foreign Service Association, moved to Egypt to learn Arabic and had his first posting in Yemen.

“They can expect to have their lives altered by this trip because they usually do,” Irlam said.

UB offers a total of 68 study abroad programs throughout the year. email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

5

Cheers to not conforming to society’s demands An open letter to Cyrus over the years

I stopped liking the girl behind your character for about a year and a half and I have to sincerely apologize for that. I thought when you cut off all of your hair and traded in “Nobody’s Perfect” for “Love, Money, Party,” you were being fake and seeking attention.

I was wrong.

KEREN BARUCH

Senior Features Editor

Dear Hannah Montana, I truly loved you circa 2007.

You were a role model to young girls all around the world.

Every episode of your show taught me a lesson – whether it was the importance of friendship, the value of family or the “bone dance,” which really did help me on my science test.

Your personality off screen matched your perky, good-girl personality on camera.

When Barbara Walters interviewed you for her “Most Fascinating People” segment, you said you would never curse because your parents would “kill you.”

My mom thinks “lazy” is a curse word, so I really connected with you on that one.

You taught fans everywhere about the importance of not using profanity. Your message said “be classy with your words” to millions of viewers.

I never thought the love affair I had with you would change. I thought you would forever be Hannah Montana and I would forever be 14-year-old Keren, holding large oak tag posters collaged with small magazine photos of your face on them at your brother’s Metro Station concert, hoping you would see me from backstage. I still resent the

boy behind me at the concert who ripped the poster out of my hands and shredded it into pieces.

The scar on my thigh is worth every second of almost meeting you, when I attempted to run through a fence because you were on the other side of it.

Though I was already in college and past my 14-year-old obsession phase, I remember crying during the final episode of Hannah Montana in 2011. An era had ended but I genuinely believed Hannah Montana would always be a part of my childhood.

But Hannah, things changed.

Dear Miley Cyrus, Thank you for breaking away from your goody-two-shoes character as Hannah Montana and becoming yourself. It must have been hard transitioning from child star and role model into a young adult who wants to live her life freely without the pressures of impressing society.

I remember when your bong hit went public. Any other teen would have been grounded or punished. But you faced so much more. You had to face parents, children and the media harassing you about why you’re not a good role model and how much your actions affect everybody else.

What kind of life is that to live? Other child stars may have fallen for the demands of society. But not you, Miley.

You didn’t let that bring you down. You thrived off it. You let that guide you through to the next phases in your life.

You don’t give a f*** about what anything or anybody says

to or about you. And no matter how many haters you have, you continue to do you and that’s what makes you more successful and makes your true fans love you even more.

You inspire me and everybody else who follows your fame to just do us.

You’re currently on your second sold-out tour. Can Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez or The Jonas Brothers say that about themselves?

No. Because you did you.

While they put on acts to the media and pretended they were the perfect role models, though we know it’s impossible for anyone to actually be perfect, you did not need an act.

So thank you. Because if you weren’t the Miley Cyrus you are today, I would not have experienced the greatest concert of my life this past weekend at Barclay’s Center.

I would not have seen the trippy images, which served as a backdrop to your singing. I would not have been a part of the extraordinary dances you and your crew presented on stage and I would not have been able to share the night with the crazy Miley you have become.

When you sang “Adore You” and impelled the audience to kiss for the kiss cam and get as “slutty as possible” because “the more tongue the better,” and then encouraged LGBT couples to suck face and “touch each other’s titties,” I didn’t feel uncomfortable like people warned me I might.

Rather, I felt like you were pushing a movement of openness and less judgment in our society your own twisted way.

You encourage people to be themselves. This world needs more Mileys.

SEE miley, Page 10

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Dangers of growth without progress Social Progress Index reveals more nuanced ranking of nations

ANTHONY HILBERT Opinion Editor

The economic diviners have cast their oracle bones into the flames, as their eager followers grit teeth and grip chairs anxiously awaiting the readings. The flurry of numbers leaves the uninitiated in a tizzy.

First quarter U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) predictions revised to 0.9 percent, down from 1.4 in light of a 7.6 percent trade deficit, are up from January despite a predicted 2 percent drop.

Pause – what does any of this say about the state of our nation, the wellbeing of its citizenry or justice and equality among them?

The prevailing orthodoxy for our modern age has remained rather simple: economic indicators – GDP primarily – are the route to understand the health of a nation and its people. Despite wide criticism of relying on such one-dimensional metrics, the practice has continued and the devotion of the faithful has swollen to dogma following the 2008 crisis.

But as markets shift, headlines soar and politicians swoon or decry the numbers, important questions and data become lost or unmeasured – awash in the

veritable sea of economic indices. Policy suffers; success and failure become beholden to economic numbers rather than reality; a wide swath of the population feels disconnected and disenfranchised.

Enter the Social Progress Index, a bold proposal that released its 2014 report last week to measure and rate nations with a holistic and robust methodology, assessing social indicators to understand boons and banes to society directly, as opposed to through economic indicators.

Following the lead of new alternatives, like the Gross National Happiness indicator, this index is amongst a growing pattern of attempts to understand the society behind economies.

Using 54 measures to assess social variables directly, the index gives an intimate look at problems plaguing particular countries, while appreciating successes. Despite having the highest GDP by a wide margin and ninth highest GDP per capita, according to the International Monetary Fund, the United States placed a dismal sixteenth on the Social Progress Index.

GDP, which measures final purchases by summing all recognized consumption and spending, has long been lauded as the preeminent indicator for the health and wealth of a nation.

The measure, created by Nobel laureate Simon Kuznets in 1934 to assess Depression recovery and widely spread following the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, has deficits often forgotten. Kuznets himself stated, “The welfare of a nation can scarcely be inferred from a measurement of national income.”

SEE RANKINGS, Page 8

7

Daily Show’s Madrigal to perform in Buffalo JOE KONZE JR

Senior Arts Editor

Comedy fans won’t have to turn on their televisions this weekend to see Al Madrigal deliver his signature commentary on politics.

Madrigal, a regular correspondent on the Emmy Award-winning TV show The Daily Show with Jon Stewart since 2011, is set to perform standup this weekend at the Helium Comedy Club on 30 Mississippi St. in downtown Buffalo.

Viewers will have five chances to see Madrigal perform at Helium Thursday-Saturday. His performance Thursday will start at 10 p.m., followed by shows Friday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. and one on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Madrigal has never been to Buffalo, though his wife has relatives from the area.

For 15 years, Madrigal has performed stand-up acts. His humor has earned him the opportunity to work alongside Stewart and a spot on the new NBC show About a Boy. On the Daily Show, Madrigal plays a field correspondent that covers the aspects of Latino Studies in the Arizona region.

His character calls into question the judgment of Puerto Ricans that want to be recognized as state in an economy that is dysfunctional.

Under the guidance of Stewart, his appearances on The Daily Show have helped him practice his standup and improvisation.

“I see [Stewart’s] work ethic, his commitment to putting on a great show, I’ve never had a better mentor in terms of comedy,” Madrigal said via telephone April 3. “He’s really cool and I

Courtesy of Cliff Cheney Al Madrigal, a field correspondent from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, is performing at the Helium Comedy Club Thursday to Saturday. The opening show starts Thursday at 8 p.m.

couldn’t have had a better experience there.”

Madrigal’s recent work on the set of About a Boy takes viewers through the life of Andy, a stayat-home dad on a tight leash held by his controlling wife.

The show is something that he says is a perfect opportunity.

“This is the most ideal situation for me in terms of as an actor,” Madrigal said. “It allows me to riff and improvise a lot of my lines, and once I get the written dialogue, I get to have fun.”

Fun is apparent when Madrigal performs.

Last April, Madrigal released an hour-long comedy skit that aired on Comedy Central titled Why is the Rabbit Crying? His small jokes and long tangents include stories of his daughter walking in on him in the bathroom during his “me time” and his collection of WiFi network names.

His ability to deliver jokes has earned him respect in the world of comedy. He has audience

members rallying behind him by the end of the show.

Madrigal said he learned this skill from studying Bill Cosby.

Madrigal tries to turn his little jokes into bigger, contextual tangents.

“In terms of being a storyteller, the voices and really acting out the bits, [there is] a lot in common,” Madrigal said. “I swear, but I’m not filthy when it comes to content. I try to do stuff that my kids can eventually listen to.” email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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8

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Continued from page 1: Autism self and hurting those around him.”

Her parents constantly remind her and Guy that Bargovsky did not choose to be the way that he is and to have patience with him.

Her family never had a sit-down meeting about autism and what it meant; rather, they dealt with their situation one day at a time, she said.

When Brittany Herbert, a sophomore legal studies major, was 8 years old, her brother Matthew was diagnosed with autism.

Matthew was 2 years old at the time. He was born three months premature, which negatively affected his brain growth and development, Herbert said.

Herbert had experience with knowing how children with ASD act because there were several students with the disorder at her elementary school.

“However, living with an autistic child, I learned, is much different than just seeing them sometimes in school,” Herbert said.

Herbert spent her childhood with therapists constantly at her house working with Matthew on his motor and social skills.

When he was old enough for pre-school, Matthew took a bus to a “special school tailored for kids like him,” Herbert said. It was located about 30 minutes from their home.

Matthew is 11 years old and is one of the most “lively, fun-loving and smart” kids Herbert knows, she said. He has an affinity for knowing random things about the world.

“You can ask him what the tall-

est mountain in a certain country is and he will know,” Herbert said.

“Often, when I look at what he’s doing on the computer, he’s researching such things.”

Herbert said Matthew is significantly better at math than she was when she was 11.

Despite these positives, he struggles socially, Herbert said. At times he can hide his autism well, but other times it’s clear he has a disorder.

He does not know physical boundaries and often touches people he does not know in class or in public.

Herbert remembers a specific incident when Matthew kissed his kindergarten teacher on the cheek.

This left Herbert feeling embarrassed for him, but as she grew older, she began to understand the scope of autism.

She enjoys volunteering at autism events like the Special Olympics. She said her brother has also taught her not to be judgmental of people who act improper in public because there may be an underlying reason for their actions.

Herbert believes autism is misunderstood. She said she would love to see initiatives on campus to help inform the public about autism.

Mai also said if she knew of an awareness group at UB, she would join it. She has three puzzle pieces, a symbol for autism, tattooed on her foot. She hopes some day the pieces can be stuck together, symbolizing a cure or ending to the disorder.

Shelby Yacovone, a freshman psychology and political science

major, also has a younger brother with autism but is not involved in anything related to ASD on campus.

Being at UB is the only time she has the ability to be herself without her brother’s disorder surrounding her life.

“Basically, my entire life has changed since my brother’s diagnosis,” Yacovone said. “At a young age, I had to realize it’s not always about me and I couldn’t compete with my brother for attention.”

Yacovone knows her adult life will be different from a lot of people’s. Andrew is low functioning autistic – he is verbal, but only communicates when he wants or needs something.

Because her brother is low functioning, she is going to become his primary caregiver when her parents no longer have the ability to be his guardian.

Andrew is 17 years old and Yacovone is 19 – the two are 16 months apart.

When Yacovone turned 18, her family went to court to add her as his third legal guardian in case anything were to happen to his parents. Otherwise, he would belong to the state because he’s incapable of taking care of himself, she said.

She will be in charge of his living situation, finances and future caregivers. This task is daunting and filled with pressure for a college student, Yacovone said.

When he’s not able to verbalize his feelings, he

grows frustrated and angry, which affects her entire family. Her parents have found positive outlets, though, for Andrew.

Every day, when Andrew gets home from school, Yacovone’s father takes him swimming or running. Unlike many children with ASD, Andrew loves to be active, Yacovone said.

She remembers telling her friends that her brother is different and he just can’t help it at a young age during play dates and at school.

Megan Weal, a junior American studies and literature major and assistant arts editor at The Spectrum, has three siblings with autism.

She has an older brother, who is turning 30 this year, and two younger sisters, who are 14 and 17 years old. Each sibling has a different level of autism. But Weal does not believe one can be labeled “more severe” than another.

Her brother can’t talk or make decisions for himself. He needs constant attention. At the age of 13, Weal took on a lot of responsibilities, including getting him up in the morning and assisting him

with normal day-to-day tasks.

Weal said on the outside, her brother’s case may seem the “worst.”

“But what is more prevalent in my younger sister, who is 17, is that she is aware of her autism and she constantly faces the torment of knowing that she is ‘different,’” Weal said. “So not only does she battle with the mental tribulations that autism comes with, she also has faced severe bullying and fully understands her disability.”

Weal finds this aspect of autism is often overlooked. From her experience living in a house dictated by the disability, more mental and emotional support needs to be given to people living closer to the outskirts of the autistic spectrum, like her sister.

Weal said autism is a disability with little attention paid to it, yet it is still stigmatized and mocked by a lot of people. Mai hopes someone starts a group at UB focusing on supporting the family members of those with the disorder. email: features@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 7: Rankings This is not to say GDP is all bad, but it and other economic indicators should certainly be more critically assessed and broadly understood; indices like the Social Progress Index open the door for those questions.

The United States faltered in regards to access to basic knowledge, information and communication, health and wellness and personal safety, dragging its score lower than nations like Canada, Ireland and Austria. The index and the failings it points to are important to consider as it directs attention to specific problems and deficits, as opposed to painting over societal failings with singular economic metrics like GDP.

The index claims to be a data source to work in conjunction with existing metrics. Being so bold as to measure inequality, sustainability and access to education, the Social Progress Index is a radical departure from usual first quarter reports.

This nation’s low placement in regards to social development stands in stark opposition to notions that economic growth should take precedent in assessing success. To understand how well a society is doing takes more than narrow indices and narrow thinking. email: anthony.hilbert@ubspectrum.com

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ubspectrum.com

9

ubspectrum.com

10

Continued from page 5: Miley You are shameless and I’m positive your spunk inspired your entire audience to leave Barclay’s feeling a little bit more brazen than they had two hours prior.

I lost faith in you for a period of time, but after this weekend, you have me again.

Foam fingers in hand, tongue out, pigtail buns and black nipple tape – you do it all with pride and I will never judge you again for it.

I hope every girl out there lets your message sink in: “Every single night and every single day / I’ma do my thang / And don’t you worry about me / I’ma be okay / I’ma do my thang.”

The message may seem silly. I may have chuckled a bit when I first read your lyrics. But seriously, why does everyone have to constantly worry about what others are doing? Everyone just wants to do their “thang,” and you make it clear how fulfilling it can be to actually do that.

I may not get on a stage in front of millions of people and grope myself through a thong body suit like you do, but you have taught your fans everywhere to not give a f*** and to be themselves without caring about what the rest of the world has to say.

So cheers, Miley, to not giving a f*** and to my newfound love for the real you. email: keren.baruch@ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Continued from page 1: Speckman Rebekah is four years younger than Speckman and suffers from a severe case of dyslexia. She had to change schools and deal with bullies and is currently being homeschooled. Speckman admires how Rebekah handles herself through the obstacles she experiences daily.

“She is so sweet and so loving to everyone, despite all the negative things she’s been through,” Speckman said. “And even though she is younger than me, I look up to her. I have to strive to be more like her.”

When most people think of dyslexia, they think of the obstacles of reading words off a page, but Speckman spoke about how Rebekah can be at an airport terminal and unsure if she’s reading the correct number.

Dyslexic people sometimes have lower self-esteem because they feel unintelligent, which isn’t the case for Rebekah. Speckman believes dyslexia is extremely misunderstood.

“I always tell her that you can do anything,” Speckman said. “It’s not going to be easy, but you can do anything. Anybody can do anything they really set their mind to and I truly, truly, truly believe that.” *** Speckman, a Texas native, originally had no interest in playing at Buffalo.

She had been receiving emails from schools all over the country about college softball. Whenever an offer came from a school she didn’t like, she would ignore it. She responded to Buffalo, however, saying the school was too far and too cold for her and didn’t want to

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waste the program’s time.

About a month later, she started to change her mind. She thought the idea of playing and living in New York would be cool and emailed the Bulls back without talking to her parents and set up a visit.

Speckman came for a visit during the first week of classes – before the weather dipped to freezing. Speckman instantly clicked with the girls on the team and knew she wanted to go to Buffalo.

Before this year, the pitcher had clashed with her previous coaches in Buffalo. Despite starting over 40 percent of games, she wanted the ball more often. She said she had even thought about leaving the team because she “wasn’t sure of [her] role.”

After at least 20 starts as both a freshman and sophomore, Speckman’s starts decreased to 18 last season under former head coach Jennifer Teague. Speckman felt like she “had to fight” the coaching staff to get the ball.

Then the Bulls hired Peel this summer, and her hiring was the change Speckman needed. Peel came in with no preset notions.

She offered everybody a shot, something Speckman said she and the team appreciated.

Speckman was motivated to have her best season – and one of the best in program history.

“I had so much experience and seen the good, the bad and the ugly, and I had kind of decided on what player I wanted to be, especially my senior year,” Speckman said. “And the chance to come in and really show these coaches what I was about, what I could bring to the team.”

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Peel changed the team’s attitude immediately. She brought in an aura of confidence. She preached “swagger,” which is currently on the back of their practice shirts.

She embraced Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson’s simple words before the big game: “Why not us?”

“They want you to show off,” Speckman said. “They want you to be that cocky player, and I am that kind of person who thinks that’s what makes it fun.”

When Peel was hired, Speckman knew it was a fresh start. She was playing for a coach who had a winning history, and Speckman could prove to Peel why she deserved the ball.

Speckman and the entire team are fighting for the same goal – a Mid-American Conference Championship.

The Bulls had more losses in MAC play alone (44) than total wins overall (42) from 2011-13.

Though they considered transferring during the first three seasons, Speckman and fellow seniors Sammi Gallardo, Holly Luciano, Heather Ryder and Tori Pettine never left.

They believed their class could do something special.

“Every year, I’m like, ‘We are one year closer, don’t any of you leave me now,’” Speckman said.

The Bulls already have 16 wins this season – equal to the team’s most since Speckman came to Buffalo.

“Once you have that bad taste, it makes everything so much sweeter now that it is good,” Speckman said. ***

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The team’s confidence in Speckman is just as strong as her confidence in herself. When she steps on the mound, the Bulls know they always have a good chance to win.

Speckman and Luciano wear 21 and 12, respectively. The two say the opposite numbers represent how they “have each other’s back.” If Speckman struggles, she will turn toward her centerfielder, who gives a look to remind her the team is behind her.

“The words can’t even explain the different Tori that’s out there this year compared to what it was freshman year,” Luciano said. “She is just on a roll and she’s going to lead this team to MACs.” Speckman’s personal goal for the season is to be an All-MAC first-team selection. Her no-hitter came in her first conference start of the season, but it’s not satisfying enough – she wants another and believes she can get one.

She wants the ball every game.

She’s determined to do all she can in her final college season.

“I think her wanting the ball all the time is her wanting to go out her senior year with a bang,” Peel said. “She doesn’t want to be the one on the sideline watching someone else. Whether we win or lose, she wants to be that one in the circle.”

It’s a safe bet that Speckman will be throwing the Bulls’ final pitch this season. It may not be at 5 a.m., but it could be later in the year than any Buffalo softball pitcher has experienced in a long time. email: sports@ubspectrum.com

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DAILY DELIGHTS sponsored by buffalostudenthousing.com Crossword of the Day Wednesday, April 9, 2014 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

HOROSCOPES

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You want things to be better than they are now -- as soon as tomorrow, perhaps. Efforts may take you away from home for a time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You can make your mark by setting down in writing something you have perhaps only been thinking about of late. A daring step is called for.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You're almost sure to be welcomed warmly into a new circle of associates, all of whom may soon be considered friends.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You will have very little to do to get the ball rolling. However, once it's on its way, you'll have to guide its path rather carefully.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Wherever you go, whatever you do, there's likely to be someone looking over your shoulder to make sure you follow the rules all day long.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You'll have an opportunity to put on a show of sorts. While this may not be entirely instinctive, you can do it with style.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- The ticking of the clock will remind you that you have only so much time to accomplish a rather lofty goal. Get moving!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Ease and relaxation will make the difference between your work and that of a close competitor.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You can watch things develop from a safe distance and face the consequences, or you can shape events by being directly involved. Choose!

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You've been hearing reports that have you wondering if you're really prepared to face what's coming. Don't let yourself be rattled.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- It may take additional money to do what you have set out to do. A working vacation of sorts could help.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- A collaboration is likely to begin that can bring you a good deal of attention and notoriety. Keep the competition to a minimum.

Edited by Timothy E. Parker April 9, 2014 T SERVING By Jill Pepper

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1 Daisylike fall flower 6 Antony of antiquity 10 Cookbook amt.

13 “___ on you!”

14 Musical medley 15 Guitar bar 16 Northern carnivore 18 Muslim leader 19 Slow the progress of 20 Christmas toymaker 21 Big brother of 10-Across 22 Floppy, compact and others 24 Figures of speech 26 Used a rocker 29 Place-kicker’s prop 30 Military mix-up 31 Swamp thing?

33 Aquarium organism 35 Feathered friends 38 Bullets, briefly 39 Bluish greens 41 Cork’s country 42 “Mea culpa,” in slang 44 Yawn-inducing 45 Fishline hangup 46 Accident mementos 48 Classic TV’s “The ___ Squad” 50 Psych 101 subject 51 Wheezing cause

53 Like some wars 55 Period of economic growth 56 An ideal, in Chinese philosophy 58 Gradually develop 62 Sicilian gusher 63 It may be blowin’ in the wind 65 What happened next 66 Showstopper for a diva 67 Pool table material 68 Ship emergency letters 69 Diplomatic necessity 70 Big name in chicken

DOWN 1 Piedmont wine city 2 It just fills up space 3 Use the flat part of the shovel 4 Fix firmly in place 5 Make additional revisions 6 Cut the grass 7 Succulents for lotions 8 Brooklet 9 Dracula’s bed 10 Percussion instrument 11 Involuntary muscle contraction

FALL SPACES ARE WHERE YOU SHOULD

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

12 Splendid displays 15 Urbanizes 17 Usher elsewhere 23 Famous peeps 25 Brylcreem amount 26 Cheat out of money 27 Their mascot is a mule 28 Cemetery fixtures 30 Deli meat 32 Carriage driver 34 Guy’s hoedown counterpart 36 Wind resistance 37 Showy lily 40 Digger’s tool 43 Certain water blocker 47 Snare drum sounds 49 Sell off stocks 51 Assists in a bad way 52 Bantu language group 53 One with gags 54 In a humble manner 57 Indefinable surrounding 59 Meadowlands 60 Governor’s nix 61 Biblical paradise 64 Flying mammal

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 ubspectrum.com

12

SPORTS

Bulls relying on unproven receivers to replace departed Neutz, Lee TOM DINKI

Asst. Sports Editor

Last season, Buffalo wide receivers combined for 147 catches, 2,090 yards and 19 touchdowns. One hundred nineteen catches, 1,716 yards and 17 touchdowns of that production came from departed wide receivers Alex Neutz and Fred Lee. “They’ll be missed,” said junior wide receiver Devon Hughes.

“But we’re gonna step it up and hopefully put more production this year than we did with those guys last year.”

With Neutz and Lee’s graduation, the Bulls will have to rely on an unproven group of receivers to help sophomore quarterback Joe Licata in the passing game this season. Licata has been unable to build a rapport on the field with the new group, however, as he is sitting out spring practices while he recovers from hip surgery.

Despite the turnover at wide receiver, Buffalo returns their top two tight ends from last season.

“I think this offense is sort of an uncovered rock,” said freshman tight end Mason Schreck.

“There is a lot under the rock that hasn’t been discovered yet.”

Hughes has most the game experience of any of the current

Chad Cooper, The Spectrum Senior wide receiver Devon Hughes is the most experienced wide out on UB’s roster.

wide receivers on the roster. He has career numbers of 48 catches, 442 yards and four touchdowns, though he caught just seven passes last season. But as the most experienced wide receiver on the team, Hughes feels he is ready to step into the role of the Bulls’ top target.

“I just want to have a great sea-

son,” Hughes said. “Of course I have big goals: All- [Mid-American Conference], first team AllMAC … but first and foremost, it’s to get a bowl game and win the bowl game … I do want to have a big season. I do want to step up and be that No. 1 guy.”

Neutz and Lee caught 61 and 58 passes, respectively, last sea-

Northwestern’s unionization may force NCAA to make adjustments

BEN TARHAN

Senior Sports Editor

There are two sides to the argument that student-athletes should be paid: those who think an education is enough, and those who think it isn’t.

The truth is that the argument is much more complex than that, which is why the Northwestern football players’ efforts to be unionized are so important.

Since the NCAA’s inception in 1910, it has been an organization ensuring college athletes are amateurs. Many things have changed in the 104 years since its creation, but the NCAA still strictly enforces the amateur athlete rule.

The problem with this is the world has changed since then.

Sports have always been deeply intertwined with American culture, but in the past century, professional athletes’ salaries have grown exponentially while the popularity of college sports have flourished.

While the ‘pay-to-play’ argument may be murky, one thing is clear: the NCAA needs to make changes.

The biggest problem with the way the NCAA operates now is the profits that schools are allowed to make at the expense of their student-athletes.

Just last year, former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard was sued for using a picture of himself in college on his website.

The photo in question was taken shortly after Howard returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown against Ohio State in 1991. Howard struck the pose held by the

sculpture of NYU running back Ed Smith on the Heisman Trophy after reaching the end zone for one of the most iconic moments in college football history.

Because Howard was an amateur athlete at the time, he held no rights to the photo. Recently, Howard reached an agreement with the photographer that allows him to use the picture as long as the photographer “benefits from the commercial use of the photo.”

Howard attempted to buy the rights to the photo last year, but the $200,000 was too steep for him.

There is something morally wrong with the situation when the NCAA gets between a player and his/her ability to use an image of his/herself from more than 20 years ago.

The other issue here revolves around the extreme stress student-athletes put on their body, particularly in the sport of football.

Across the country, universities are cashing in on the popularity of college athletics, but all the students get in return is an education. While the opportunity to attend college for free should not be undervalued, the cost of physical and mental injuries sustained on the college playing field can affect athletes for decades after the conclusion of their college careers.

With recent discoveries about the effect of traumatic hits to the head in football, these problems are now more prevalent than ever.

Particularly for student-athletes who don’t go pro, there is a large risk of experiencing physical and mental health complications down the road from injuries that took place while on the playing field in college.

Currently there is no system in place to help athletes after their careers have ended or protect them from consequences while on the field. How could studentathletes be expected to benefit

from their college degrees if they are suffering from CTE or physical maladies that are rooted in the hours they spent on the court or field representing their institution?

The best example of such an incident is Eric LeGrand. LeGrand was a player at Rutgers who was paralyzed in 2010 after being injured on the football field.

That seems like an awfully high price for an education.

That is why Northwestern’s efforts to unionize are so important. I don’t believe athletes should receive a stipend, but I do believe they should receive some sort of compensation for putting their bodies on the line for a good portion of their physical prime in the name of school spirit.

Though some athletes will have the opportunity to play professionally and capitalize on their physical skills, the vast majority won’t and will be going into careers based on their degrees, which the NCAA preaches as being an important part of their vision.

But if these athletes’ bodies and minds are injured beyond repair before they can even graduate, they won’t be able to take advantage of their degrees to the fullest extent.

At the end of the day, studentathletes are employees for their institutions. After all, college uniforms are among the most prevalent imagery associated with the biggest and most prestigious schools in the country.

The NCAA has needed to adjust its course for a while – some look at the SMU ‘death penalty’ incident in the 1980s as the beginning – but if more teams begin to unionize, that change will have to come sooner rather than later.

If the NCAA doesn’t change, it could be looking at the end of its existence. email: ben.tarhan@ubspectrum.com

son. The next closet wide receiver caught just 13 passes – freshman wide receiver Boise Ross.

“We all just value effort,” Ross said. “No matter if you’ve got the ball or it’s a blocking assignment, it’s all about going 110 percent.”

Buffalo has several other receivers who saw minimal playing time last year but are looking to have an impact this season.

At 6-foot-4, sophomore wide receiver Ron Willoughby is the tallest wide receiver on the roster. Willoughby caught only three passes last season, but he averaged 27.7 yards per catch. The Bulls also have juniors John Dunmore and Cordero Dixon returning from last season.

Buffalo tight ends caught 44 passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns last season. With the turnover at the wide receiver position, the Bulls may rely on their tight ends more in the passing game this season.

The Bulls have two large, 6-foot-5 targets returning at the tight end position in Schreck and sophomore Matt Weiser.

Schreck led all Buffalo tight ends in catches (17) as a freshman last season. He has confidence the tight ends can help make up the loss of production from Neutz and Lee, and believes the tight ends will be “very hard personnel to match

up with.”

“It’s really a weapon in a way,” Schreck said about the tight end position. “You look at guys like Vernon Davis in the NFL and Rob Gronkowski, those guys are just weapons and that’s what we would like to use in our offense.”

The tight end’s duty goes beyond just receiving, but also protecting the quarterback in the passing game and opening up holes in the running game.

“To be effective, you have to be well rounded,” Weiser said.

“You have to be able to run your routes, get off defenders … be big enough to block a defensive end.”

Replacing Neutz and Lee will be no small task. Neutz is the program’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns (31). The departed wide receivers made a lasting impact on the current receiving corps. “[Neutz and Lee] were great leaders,” Hughes said. “Each and every day they worked their butt off in practice, so I think the biggest thing is to just treat every practice like it’s a game.”

The Bulls will play their annual Blue-White Game at UB Stadium April 19. The game will start at 2 p.m. email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Spring Standouts The Spectrum’s sports staff hands out midseason awards Baseball (13-12, 4-4 MidAmerican Conference) MVP: Mike Burke, senior pitcher/ infielder Burke has made a major impact both on the mound and at the plate thus far this season. He is 4-2 with a 1.76 ERA and 44 strikeouts. When he’s not pitching, Burke starts in the infield, and he’s posted an equally impressive season at the plate. He is batting .319 with 15 RBIs and is tied for the team lead with three home runs.

Surprise Star: Anthony Magovney, junior pitcher After winning seven games all of last season, Magovney is 5-0 this season and has lowered his ERA nearly three whole runs from last season – from 4.26 to 1.65.

Softball (16-15, 1-1 MAC) MVP: Tori Speckman, senior pitcher Speckman is the Bulls’ ace, starting 21 of the team’s 31 games and pitching 16 complete games. The senior pitcher has a 2.24 ERA and 143 strikeouts this season. Speckman threw just the third no-hitter in program history Saturday against Ohio. She has 37 career victories, only six away from breaking the program record for most career wins.

Surprise Star: Holly Luciano, senior outfielder After batting .188 and hitting one home run with seven RBIs last year, Luciano has had a bounce-back season. The senior outfielder leads the team in RBIs (22) and is second on the team in batting average (.319).

Women’s Tennis (12-4, 3-2 MAC) MVP: Tanvi Shah, senior Shah is the Bulls’ No. 1 singles player and also plays on the No. 1 doubles team, posting im-

pressive records in both. She has gone 10-4 at No. 1 singles and 11-3 in doubles play with her partner, senior Miranda Podlas, this season.

Surprise Stars: Margarita Kotok and Laura Holterbosch, freshmen The freshman duo has gone an impressive 10-1 in doubles play.

They started 10-0 before falling at third doubles in the Bulls’ last match against Ball State Saturday.

In singles play, Kotok and Holterbosch have a combined record of 24-9.

Men’s Tennis (11-5, 1-1 MAC) MVP: Sebastian Ionescu, junior Ionescu is second on the Bulls in singles wins with 10, including a 6-2 record at No. 2 singles.

He has also gone 8-5 in doubles with partner sophomore Pablo Alvarez. Ionescu clinched the Bulls’ first MAC win of the season over Western Michigan Sunday with a third-set winner-takeall tiebreaker victory at second singles.

Surprise Star: Sergio Arevalillo, sophomore Arevalillo leads the team in singles (12) and doubles (nine) victories after going just 3-8 and 1-7 in singles and doubles, respectively, as a freshman.

Men’s Lacrosse (5-3, 0-1 Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League) MVP: Julian Kann, junior attack Kann leads the team in points (17) and is second on the team in goals (10). The junior has scored a goal in every game this season.

Surprise Star: Ben Ott, freshman midfielder In his first season, the freshman is tied for second on the team in points (15) and tied for fourth in goals (six). email: sports@ubspectrum.com