The Spectrum Volume 60 Issue 72

Amanda Jonas /// The Spectrum

A staircase in Knox violates ADA code with uneven treads and no marking strips.

A Shameful Low in Higher Education The University at Buffalo is inaccessible to disabled students

The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo MONDAY EDITION v April 11, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 72 v ubspectrum.com

AMANDA JONASInvestigative Reporter If there was a fire in the University at Buffalo’s disability testing center, freshman Mark Shaw would not be able to get out.

Sophomore Raymond Matuszak can’t fit into a regular classroom desk, so he often has to stand or sit in a chair without a desk during class.

The Defend Our Education Coalition held a meeting in Harriman Hall to discuss higher education issues.

Alex McCrossen /// The Spectrum

On Wednesday, the Defend Our Education Coalition called a town hall meeting to discuss issues facing public higher education in the City of Buffalo. The meeting was held in Harriman Hall on South Campus and was open for public forum.

The coalition is a group of undergraduate and graduate student groups, faculty, staff, and community members that disapprove of the “increasing privatization” of the SUNY system. The coalition argues that as tuition levels rise and the administration becomes inaccessible, students are denied their basic human right to education, according to the group’s website.

“One of the important definitions of public is that it belongs to the people and it comes from the people and members of the community which it serves.” said Cayden Mak, an organizer with the Defend Our Education Coalition and an M.F.A. candidate in media study. “One of the important roles that our university can take is creating a space for discourse and a space for conversation about the most pressing issues of our day.”

The coalition outlines four major tenets that it believes should characterize a public institution of higher learning, aspects that Mak said new legislation proposed by UB and Governor Andrew Cuomo neglect.

“The SUNY system should strive for [affordability, accessibility, accountability, and quality] rather than looking for ways to sell off our resources to private companies and use students as a part of the revenue,” Mak said.

With the potential passage of UB 2020, the university will hold the right to bypass New York State budget oversights and will hold more freedom to determine how funding is dispersed. If the plan passes, the university would be allowed to raise tuition by 6 to 8 percent per year without approval by state legislature.

UB 2020 is more than just a plan for the university; it is a plan to rejuvenate the economy of the Buffalo-Niagara region. On March 2, the bill supporting UB 2020 passed through the State Senate, 55-1.

“SUNY’s job is to provide affordable education for all who want it,” said Jordan Dalton, an M.F.A. candidate in media study. “[Its purpose is] not to rejuvenate a region, not to provide cheap resources to private companies, but to provide affordable education for all.”

UB would also be able to lease or sell property that is a part of its campuses to private, outside companies. Private entities would control parts of the campus, which in turn will silence taxpayers’ voices in university affairs.

“State regulations are there for a reason,” said Chris Buckman, an organizer with the Graduate Student Employees Union and a graduate student in philosophy. “They’re there so that taxpayers’ money doesn’t get wasted, that it’s not just handed off to the pockets of business people who are not going to reinvest in the university.”

Those involved in the coalition are con-

cerned that if UB is granted the authority to independently manage the tuition and economic resources, students who rely on the relative low expense of public institutions will be unable to continue with higher education.

“With education, you really have power,” said Clifford Cawthon, a senior political science major at Buffalo State College and a member of the coalition. “It is your birthright to be able to advance yourself without being burdened by debt and without being economically subjugated.”

UB students and other members of the Western New York community took this opportunity to voice their concerns with the UB 2020 plan and other SUNY budget cuts.

Many expressed concern that the university’s expansion downtown will eliminate affordable residential space for community members in need.

Recently, the UB Foundation, a private group that supports developing and managing real property on behalf of the university, purchased the McCarley Gardens, a subsidized housing community, for $15 million from St. John the Baptist Church. This recent installment in the UB 2020 plan will help expand the university’s downtown medical campus.

Michael Pietkiewicz, assistant vice president for government and community relations, was in attendance and provided the university’s perspective on the coalition’s grievances.

Pietkiewicz stressed that communication between community members and university officials is lacking, which leads to speculation and accusation. He also stressed that the reason the UB Foundation seems to be “closed off” to communication about funding is because foundations, essentially, are private entities.

Major donors to the university who provide scholarships to students may want to remain anonymous or do not want the public to know how much was donated. The UB Foundation is not required to provide the names of donors, according to the Freedom of Information Law in New York State.

The majority of funds provided through the UB Foundation are also held-over from when UB was a private institution before being purchased by the SUNY system in the 1960s, according to Pietkiewicz.

This public forum was only the first step in the coalition’s attempt to raise awareness and begin dialogue between the community, university officials, and state legislators.

Although the coalition has no set plans for future actions, it believes student and community activism can pay off.

The coalition also staged a mock New Orleans-style jazz funeral for public higher education that paraded through North Campus on Wednesday afternoon.

“The parade was so much fun,” Dalton said.

“We were at serious risk and maybe already lost public education. We’re mourning, but we’re also celebrating what it was. There’s no reason this sort of political interaction can’t be fun.” g

WEATHER MON

OPINION :: 4

TUES

ARTS & LIFE :: 5–7 MAIN STORY :: 1, 10–11

SPORTS :: 12–10

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DAILY DELIGHTS :: 8 CLASSIFIEDS :: 9

UB is responsible for much of these students’ struggles.

Eight years ago, the University at Buffalo agreed to make this campus accessible to the roughly 500 disabled students who attend every year. Today, almost a decade later, UB has failed to follow through on that promise.

“I have made it known to my friends and family that UB is inaccessible but no one knows a solution,” Scharf said. “Looking over the American Disability Act [ADA] regulations, I would argue that most of what is required of UB is not being followed.”

60%

Even the Disability Services Office is inaccessible to students in wheelchairs. And the testing center is a life-threatening hazard. If there was a fire, students in wheelchairs would have no safe way out.

Stairs and signs in the Academic Spine violate ADA rules. Bathrooms are non-compliant, and services intended for disabled students fail to adequately meet their needs.

And there is no sign that this will change.

A thorough review of UB 2020, a plan that the administration claims will enhance virtually every aspect of student life, doesn’t mention disability services.

Graduate Student Association Elections

University Council Student Representative Elections

Elections for the Graduate Student Association E- board will take place Monday through Thursday.

Elections for University Council Student Representative will run online beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday and closing at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Official results will be announced next Monday.

GSA Vice-President Grace Mukupa, an adjunct instructor and graduate student in global gender studies, will be running for president. Rehab (Rubie) Ghazal, the first International Razik Fellow in the department of educational leadership and policy, and Joseph Steet, a first year Ph.D. student in the chemistry department, are running for vice president. Jonathan Knights, current treasurer of the GSA, co-chair of the referendum committee, and a graduate student in pharmaceutical sciences, is running for re-election as treasurer.

Additionally, there will be a referendum vote on the Mandatory Student Activity Fee for the GSA. For a full list of election sites, visit www.gsa.buffalo.edu. g

Joshua Boston, the current student representative to the council and a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in political science, and Mia M. Jorgensen, a graduate anthropology student, are running for the position.

All students, whether undergraduate, graduate, or professional, are eligible to run. The UB Council serves as an advisory body to UB, its president, and senior officers.

For voting information visit http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/vote. g

Read Our Lips: No More Violence

terviews that Ensler conducted with women and is meant to be a provocative and conversation-promoting foray into challenges facing modern women. The play addresses issues including sexuality and rape.

MADELEINE BURNSStaff Writer

“Rape, sexual assault, and gender violence are real, and everyone knows that, but this offers an opportunity to learn how real,” Fischer said.

UB participates in V-Day

On Thursday and Friday night, the public was encouraged to sample several of the best-tasting edible vaginas at UB. Chocolate “vagina pops” were sold at both productions of the university’s fourth-annual showing of The Vagina Monologues, an awarenessbased play by Eve Ensler that infuses humor, poignancy, and harsh realities in an attempt to reduce the stigma associated with the reproductive organ. The show is a part of UB’s V-Day campaign, an international effort to raise awareness about violence committed against females. “[V-Day] is an opportunity to speak about issues that sometimes are hidden in our society,” said Jane Fischer, director of SBI Health Education and producer of V-Day SUNY Buffalo 2011, in an email. “We tell stories that need to be told and need to be heard.”

In 1998, four years after The Vagina Monologues premiered off Broadway, V-Day was created on Valentine’s Day; the “V” stands for victory, Valentine, and vagina. The UB production is one of 5,400 events held worldwide to commemorate V-Day and support women affected by violence.

At UB, approximately 45 students of various majors and departments participated in V-Day events.

The Vagina Monologues is a compilation of skits based on dozens of in-

Since 2001, the movement’s annual Spotlight Campaign has focused on a specific group of underprivileged women who are experiencing violence. This year, the women and girls of Haiti will benefit from at least 10 percent of the funds raised worldwide through V-Day programs such as The Vagina Monologues.

It is crucial to support and give voices to women who do not have the ability to speak against their abuses, according to Fischer.

“Most mainstream media will not cover what [the women included in the V-Day Spotlight] face on a daily basis, or the history of violence against them,” Fischer said. “We’re telling their stories half a world away. Hopefully, one person will be inspired to take one step to help.”

The ongoing popularity of the show can be attributed, in part, to the fact that real women are speaking about real situations, according to Fischer.

The show’s liberal use of the word “vagina” and frank discussion of feminine matters gives the production an “edgy” appeal that draws viewers, Fischer said.

“The word ‘vagina’ is almost taboo,” said Shannon Gawel, one of the show’s directors and a junior media studies major. “If we can get people to just say it, they can become more empowered and learn to protect their own bodies.”

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

INSIDE NEWS :: 2–3

Senior Catherine Scharf, who is visually impaired, clings to the walls of UB’s staircases, because the signs and staircases are hazardous for those with limited vision.

Disabled students across campus are urging the administration to bring UB up to code and are suffering because UB remains non-compliant.

Full Expose on Pages 10 and 11

Town Hall Meeting Spurs Community Activism in UB 2020 Plans REBECCA BRATEK and MADELEINE BURNS Staff Writers

Junior Alec Frazier often gets shuffled into back rooms and offices to

take exams because he needs voiceautomated software to help him.

i B B

0 H: 66 L: 40 H: 52 L: 35 H: 61 L: 38

Nyeri Moulterie /// The Spectrum

UB’s fourth-annual showing of The Vagina Monologues was part of the international V-Day campaign.

When students have knowledge of and access to health resources such as those provided by SBI Health Education, they will be more inclined to take charge against violence, according to Gawel.

Similarly, the campaign emphasizes the importance of communities of women, of understanding and support, and of those standing against violence, Gawel said.

“Other girls need to know that they’re not alone,” said Kaitesi Munroe, a sophomore political science major.

Although the campaign focuses on violence against women, men are not excluded from its message.

Earlier this year, UB’s Men’s Group and the Student Wellness team held V-Men, a workshop to help engage men in dialogue about ending violence against women.

Continued on Page 2

ARTS

BUFFALO CHIPS IN ICCA FINALS

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LIFE FINKELSTEIN LECTURE PAGE 6

LIFE BOOKS FOR A CAUSE PAGE 6

NEWS Read Our Lips Continued from Page 1 “Men can do so much,” Fischer said. “Set positive examples, serve as allies, educate others, stand up to jokes and comments, and be non-violent in their own lives.”

Jonathan Feliciano, a sophomore psychology major, attended the show to support the campaign as well as a friend who was involved.

“The whole thing was great,” Feliciano said. “It’s for a good cause and important because it’s something a lot [of people] might not be comfortable speaking about.”

Brian Krauss, who received his M.B.A. from the School of Management in 1991, was in attendance with his girlfriend and was celebrating their anniversary.

“I came because I love vaginas,” Krauss said, laughing. “I came because I wanted to learn how to use a vagina as a means to laugh, cry, be angry, and be sad. This is a celebration of women.”

Auditions for The Vagina Monologues are open to UB students and are typically in the fall. g

News Briefs 4/11

Mubarak Denies NYC at Risk if Sea Corruption Allegations Levels Rise Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced in a speech that all accusations of corruption against him and his family are unfounded. The speech was Mubarak’s first public statement since resigning from office two months ago.

Protestors have been pushing for an investigation into the assets of the Mubarak family.

Anti-corruption campaigners have said the family may have between $1 billion and $70 billion hidden in overseas bank accounts.

Mubarak has stated his willingness to participate in any investigation.

The Mubarak family has been banned from leaving the country and their assets in Egypt have been frozen.

Mubarak says that the campaigns against him are trying to discredit his integrity and ruin his family’s good name.

Protestors are upset that the new regime is not pursuing the Mubarak corruption charges quickly enough. Some believe that the former president is being protected by the military figures overseeing Egypt’s political transition. g

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Spend a bright summer in Buffalo.

Get ahead in your studies by choosing from a huge schedule of credit-bearing courses, lectures and workshops at UBThisSummer. UB graduate and PharmD students register March 29 and undergraduates March 30.

Find a course or two that’s right for you at www.ubthissummer.buffalo.edu.

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UB_04017_ThisSummer_UB_Ad_MECH2.indd 1 NEWS MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

3/22/11 1:20:58 PM

In 2007, a study was conducted that predicted that sea levels would rise at least a foot by the year 2100. Now a Dutch team of researchers has found that different regions may be more or less susceptible to the changes in water level.

The researchers from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands found that several variables may play a significant role in the regional differences. Ocean currents, temperature changes, and salinity could result in 20 percent higher levels than originally predicted.

The team is presenting their regional projections at the European Geosciences Union in Vienna. The findings will be part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment due out in 2013.

Of the 13 regions where the researchers made specific projections, New York City sees the biggest potential increase. The Icelandic capital of Reykjavik may get less than half of the projected global increase in sea level.

The melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are a major factor in the study. The team found that the more ice melts, the less gravitational pull the ice sheets have. This may cause some regions to actually witness decreased sea levels while other areas will be significantly affected. g

Second Camera Installed to View Falcons The installation of a second falcon-cam will allow bird watchers to better see the peregrine falcon chicks once they hatch.

The peregrine falcons are currently nested in the top of the Mackay Heating Plant Tower on South Campus. The live video of the falcons is watched by roughly 500 people at any given time on the UB falcon-cam website.

Last year after the chicks hatched, bird watchers became concerned when the young falcons were not seen on camera. People thought the chicks had fallen or were abandoned by their parents.

The second camera was installed before this year’s breeding season and will allow viewers to get a glimpse of the perch that extends from the nest.

The adult peregrine falcons will still be at the university for another decade but each year’s chicks leave the nest by late fall.

The new installation was made possible by the efforts of staff in University Facilities and Enterprise Infrastructure Services. There was also collaboration between these UB services and a local company, Digital Surveillance Solutions Inc., that donated equipment for UB’s falcon-cam. g

OPINION Editorial Board Editor in Chief

Andrew Wiktor

Managing Editors

The Spectrum Endorses Boston for Student Representative a Ph.D. in political science), serving as the elections and credentials chairperson for the Undergraduate Student Association, and interning at Independent Health, among others, we feel he is more than qualified for the position.

Editorial EditorS

Andrew Wiktor James Bowe

Still, our endorsement does not come without warning. By giving Boston our nod, we expect him – or whoever wins – to better vocalize students’ opinions, however controversial or upsetting to the nine other members of the council.

News Editors

Lauren Nostro, senior David Weidenborner Dannielle O’Toole, asst.

Investigative Reporter

Amanda Jonas

Source: facebook.com

James Twigg, senior Jameson Butler Vanessa Frith, asst.

Students don’t have much control over the UB Council, but, from Tuesday through Thursday, they can help elect one member: the student representative.

Life Editors

This year, two candidates are running for the position that is responsible for updating the council – which is usually far-removed from the affairs of undergraduates and graduates – about the different sentiments felt throughout the student body.

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

JOHN HUGAR Contributing Writer

Council rep must advocate more for students

Luke Hammill, senior Amanda Woods

Arts Editors

The Grey Areas of Welfare Drug Testing

For this important position, The Spectrum endorses Joshua K. Boston, the incumbent student representative.

Through Boston’s prior experience on the council and his on- and offcampus accomplishments, which include graduating summa cum laude from UB with a B.A. in interdisciplinary sciences (Boston is now pursuing

As discussed in our endorsement, the student representative is just that, a representative. We hope that, if elected, Boston won’t be shy in advocating the thoughts of all students, including content from publications that question the administration, no matter how much the other members either won’t want to hear it or how apathetic they may be toward student concerns.

Boston preached three goals for next year: representation, communication and transparency. By communicating with different entities on campus, such as student governments, clubs, and the press, Boston feels he will better be able to represent the array of wants and needs of students across campus. He also plans to establish a student advisory board to help him gather information and opinions.

In terms of transparency, Boston hopes to get more information

across to students; however, he mentioned that he is often restricted by confidential clauses.

For this, The Spectrum urges next year’s student representative not to conform. Although the majority of the members of the council would like to keep much of what they do secret, that is unacceptable. We urge the student representative to push for transparency.

There is nothing in the Education Law of New York §356, which governs the UB Council, that stipulates confidentiality. In fact, to the contrary, the law mentions that the council is to be public in nature.

Even when calling executive meetings – as it did two weeks ago – the council is required to vote in order to hold such a meeting – as it did not do two weeks ago – and said meetings are to be open to the public, as stipulated in the second section, titled Conduct of Executive Sessions of the Public Officers Law of New York.

The Spectrum is confident in Boston’s abilities to fairly and articulately represent UB’s student body, and we endorse him for the position of student representative. As we demand more from him, however, we hope he will demand more for us. g Full disclosure: Joshua Boston sits on The Spectrum’s Board of Directors as a mutually agreed-upon (by The Spectrum and the Undergraduate Student Association) member.

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Government Shutdown Deal is Government Blackmail

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Compromises on Spending are One-sided

Helene Polley

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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 email address.

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APRIL 11, 2011 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 72 CIRCULATION: 7,000

With an overdramatic flourish, Congressional Republicans and Democrats struck a last-minute deal on Friday after a long battle. With only an hour remaining before a shutdown of the federal government, Democrats agreed to $39 billion in spending cuts, while Republicans agreed to end calls to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood.

Republicans have objected to federal funding of the group based on the fact that it provides abortion services, but this battle is a diversion of attention from the facts. Planned Parenthood is not a national chain of abortion clinics. It provides numerous services for women’s health, like breast cancer screening, STD testing, and contraception.

This issue is a moot point, however, when one considers the fact that no federal money goes to administering abortions.

It’s times like this that we see the true colors that politics have taken now, where one side has a win-atall-costs attitude and one side is willing to compromise. Republicans held the government and Planned Parenthood hostage while the Democrats had already offered a deal of

$32 billion in cuts, but Republicans refused.

This is reminiscent of the battle earlier this fiscal year over the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, where Republicans held hostage extending unemployment benefits for the families that have been devastated by the recession. Not only is this offensive to the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, it is in conflict with the idea of fiscal responsibility that is so central to their message.

The tax revenue lost from these temporary cuts was huge, but in particular, the tax on those making over $250,000 would cost roughly $32 billion alone. This amount easily covers a majority of what politicians are bickering over.

Is this going to be the story for the rest of the year? Are we to expect Republicans to play every card while Democrats fold every hand?

John Boehner likes to muse about how his party controls only onehalf of one-third of the government, yet the Democrats they face have proven themselves to be innocuous.

Democrats had every opportunity to

pass a budget when they essentially controlled Washington with both houses of Congress and the presidency. They let it slip away because of constant infighting and a total lack of unity among their party.

Even if the worst occurred and there was a shutdown, Republicans had been running the spin machine early on and were ready to blame President Obama’s leadership for the debacle. Ever since the last election cycle, it seems that this has been the ultimate goal of the new, Tea Party-influenced Republicans.

They seek to undermine President Obama at all costs, no matter who gets hurt.

The Republican Party has sent the country a clear message in fighting so hard over what amounts to so little in the end. It is willing to throw the unemployed, federal workers, U.S. soldiers, and anyone else it can into the fire so as long as it can look as if it is making an ideological stand. Many families of service members depend on the government each month to pay the bills, and the issue of abortion and miniscule differences in spending are not worth their livelihoods. g

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The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

Spring into Fashion

Telephone: (716) 645-2468 Fax: (716) 645-2766

VERONICA RITTERStaff Writer

Copyright 2010 Buffalo, N.Y. The Spectrum is printed by The Buffalo News 1 News Plaza Buffalo, NY 14240

Spring has officially arrived, and that means one very important thing: spring fashion. Sorry guys, this one is just for the girls.

Although it will still be jacket and boot weather for a few more weeks, the warmer weather is approaching and will be here soon enough. In the meantime, taking a look at your closet and preparing for the spring season’s wardrobe is a good idea.

After a long and harsh winter, no one wants spring and summer to arrive more than Buffalo’s residents and students of the University at Buffalo.

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“I’m really excited to get out of my winter clothes and start wearing my spring dresses,” said Caroline Philbin, a freshman business major at UB. “Urban Outfitters looks like they have some really cute dresses for this spring, and I can’t wait for it to be nice out already!”

Clothing stores and their websites tease customers with their spring and summer collections as early as February. Almost every shopper looking through racks in stores or searching for clothing on the Internet wishes that the spring weather would finally arrive.

Since the weather is still chilly in Buffalo and we’re still deal-

ing with snow in April, getting ahead of the rest and investing in a few items is a smart move. Who knows? Maybe buying clothes for spring and summer might even bring on the warm weather faster.

“I’m excited to finally be able to wear dresses and skirts out and to class without freezing,” said Alison Bates, a freshman undecided major.

“Also, I’ll be happy to wear flip flops and sandals instead of Uggs all the time.”

From the many clothing options we have to choose from, where is a good place to start and what are the key items you want to look for this season?

New York’s fashion week kicked off back in February and left the world with the newest trends and the latest must-haves for spring. Designers are more creative and innovative than ever this year and have gifted the rest of the world with some pretty great looks to follow after.

While the designers had many trends and creations to show the world, a few really stuck out that are both easy to accomplish and easily accessible.

The runways were adorned with extremely bright colors that scream spring, summer and warmer days.

Color blocking is huge now; matching has finally met its match. Don’t be afraid to mix daring colors together, in fact, embrace it because it’s trending and has been a hit amongst celebrities.

“Two is swell, three is better—and make sure the shade closest to your

A few weeks ago, I opened my mailbox and received a pamphlet from a local politician asking the people in my house how we felt about several key issues. Later that night, I read it over with my mother.

Because both of us are loyal Democrats, it didn’t take us long to come up with opinions on most of the issues. We didn’t have to think a great deal to figure out how we felt about topics like health care, abortion, and same-sex marriage.

Then, we reached the last question, and that’s where we were a bit perplexed. It asked whether or not welfare recipients should be drug tested. At this point, we gave each other a blank stare. This was something we hadn’t heard much about before.

After looking into it more, however, I realized that in recent months, this has been a hot-button issue in several states, such as Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Florida. These states have proposed legislation that would force welfare recipients to take mandatory drug tests in order to keep their benefits.

After pondering the topic for a while, there were a few things that kept me from being able to support this bill. For one thing, the bill seems to be a rather blatant act of class warfare. The bill assumes that the simple fact that someone is on welfare means that he or she is likely to use drugs.

This is hardly the case. While there are certainly some recipients who have drug problems, there are also many others who simply need financial help at a given time and would never touch drugs.

To make someone who has never been arrested for drug possession in his life take tests on a regular basis simply because he is part of a segment of the population that is associated with drug use is simply unfair. It assumes the worst of the poor.

But what about welfare recipients who do have a history of drug use? Testing them might make more sense, but what would we do if they tested positive? Take away their benefits and leave them likely to become homeless? Throw them in jail? Either of these choices would simply expand the problem.

The only way this could work would be if the serious drug users were placed into a rehab facility following their positive tests.

If this legislation worked to help welfare recipients who had drug problems, rather than simply punish them, I’d be far more likely to support it.

What’s interesting about this bill is the spirit in which it is being proposed. Kentucky State Representative Lonnie Napier said he supported the bill because “it would save millions and millions.”

That says a lot about why this is really being done. It’s not about helping impoverished people with drug problems; it’s simply about cutting money from the budget and causing the poor to suffer in the process.

I understand the economy is still struggling, and many states need to save money, but this classist, presumptive piece of legislation is the wrong way to do it. If the bill was about helping drug users, I would support it, but that is clearly not the case. It is simply about finding a new way to throw the poor under the bus and to make sure they pay for the economy’s problems while the wealthiest citizens stay unscathed. g Email: John.Hugar@ubspectrum.com

Source: fashionologie.com

Reed Krakoff bag from New York 2011 Fashion Week. face is flattering. Keep bags and shoes neutral, your lips either bare or brilliant, and hair minimal. It all adds up to a very colorful new you,” according to Instyle.com.

Also, bold animal prints are growing to be a hit. From flats, to dresses, to handbags, the prints are inescapable and encouraged to wear, as is menswear. From blazers, to the classic white button up and loose pants, any woman can look the part in menswear if done just the right way.

Another new trend and a Spring must-have that comes as no surprise since people are wearing it more and more lately, is lace. While it once may have been deemed old fashioned or even outdated, lace is back with a vengeance. It adds glam and class to any outfit and it doesn’t age the clothes either; instead it maintains a girlie feel.

I’m really glad lace is trending because it really is so classy and pretty and [it] can either make an outfit dressy and elegant or casual and fashionable depending on how you wear it,” said Natalie Spinola, a sophomore environmental design major.

Instyle.com has eight new ways to update one’s spring wardrobe that are helpful to keep in mind in the hopes of standing out amongst the crowd and making a statement through clothing this season.

It suggests that every girl must have a ballet-inspired dress, ‘70s singlesleeve tops, lace skirts, color block dresses, denim shirts, striped tunics, boldly printed pieces, and embellished leather jackets. g

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

OPINION MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

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ARTS & LIFE

Gamers from all over Western New York gathered this weekend at UBCON.

The Eternal Struggle NICOLAS PINOVideo Game Correspondent Once a year, the Student Union becomes home to nearly 1,000 animeclad icons, wannabe Pokémon trainers, and foam-wielding warriors. This event that engulfs the gaming and anime community is held under the banner of UBCON. This year’s event, the 22nd of the annual gathering, brought talent from all over the U.S., featuring a famous celebrity in each of the convention’s popular aspects.

Activities kicked off Friday evening with the convention’s usual long line, but after quick rearranging work by UBCON staff, the event went into full swing. Friday offered plenty of opportunities for players to jump into the world of the d20 or play a few hands of their favorite trading card games.

This year saw the revival of a longstanding tradition of the “Artist Alley,” an art-dealing collaboration by vendors and students in the UB community. Much of the art was steeped in gaming and anime culture, producing many incredible commodities.

“The people are wonderful,” said Nigel Sade, UBCON’s guest artist. “The way I describe most of the people at these shows is that you have people who have saved up and have been looking forward to this one weekend

Hyucksoo Kwon /// The Spectrum

for the entire year. They’re saving up all their money, and they come here and they’re going to have a great time; they’re going to hang out with all their friends, and it’s sort of like being able to see the best of humanity in a lot of ways.”

room stocked everything from the latest Japanese soda to a full library of popular manga. Beyond the oddities, SU 145 offered many of the most popular board, trading card and miniature games, letting attendees indulge in the lap of gaming luxury.

Guest speakers Eric Vale, best known for voicing Trunks in Dragon Ball Z, and acclaimed paranormal investigators Beyond Ghosts gave compelling views on their works, pleasing many.

The event also provided a chance to listen to a panel of voice actors of the cult-classic cartoon Invader Zim.

“It’s my first time coming to an event like this, so I’m trying to take the whole thing in,” said Stephen Stewart, 24, of Amherst.

The return of the ever-popular band ARMCANNON, an astonishing mashup of 8-bit music and the roaring sounds of hard rock, serenaded the crowd. Covering songs from Metroid, Super Mario, and Final Fantasy, the band certainly catered to the audience’s atypical taste in music.

UBCON has always believed in starting off on the right foot, and Friday night’s gigantic Nerf conflict certainly proved that point. Attendees put their best plastic guns forward as they played capture the flag across the multileveled Student Union floors.

Those seeking asylum from the foam havoc or looking to get a few hours of sleep could watch their favorite anime in one of the many viewing rooms UB Anime set up.

Attendees weren’t out of luck if they missed the standard capture the flag on Friday, as Saturday promised a second round of the infamous foam war. What will surprise many is that this event, only held here at UB, is one of the largest Nerf wars in North America.

UBCON staff and attendees alike left happy, feeling fulfilled after leaving the peaceful environment of the local gaming community.

The whole weekend only cost a mere $25 to attend, and those who preregistered were given an extra $5 discount.

Even more action was slated for Saturday, as the afternoon became a day that will live in infamy. Dozens stepped out onto the field of battle to compete in Dagorhir, the full-contact medieval battle game. While some adorned full authentic armor, others felt more comfortable in their everyday attire.

UBCON offers an ideal area for many to gather, reminisce and collaborate in the vast gaming and anime community of Western New York. While this year’s event has just ended, many look forward to the future and the excitement of UBCON XXIII. g

For those who came unsupplied to this year’s event, the massive dealer

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Expires 5/12/11

Bingo’s Dim Sum House Bringing New York City to Buffalo

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April 13 - 16 at 8pm April 17 at 2pm Tickets: Center Box Office (M-F, 10-6) & Ticketmaster.com

We accept Campus Cash

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ARTS & LIFE MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

Alex McCrossen /// The Spectrum

Keepin’ It Kosher KEREN BARUCHStaff Writer Surprisingly, few students realize that the basement of Talbert Hall not only houses Bert’s, but also offers up a deli that serves kosher meals right next door.

Every Monday and Wednesday, the Kosher Deli receives a week’s worth of meat and poultry. The food comes from The Will Poultry Company (WPC), located at 1075 William St. in Buffalo. The WPC is state and federally inspected and has been serving the Buffalo area for 85 years.

The reason why the deli is different from all of the other eateries on campus is because all of the food is kosher. Kosher foods are foods that follow certain rules and regulations of the Jewish religion. For fish to be kosher, it must have fins and scales. For meat and poultry to be kosher, the animal must be slaughtered properly and then blessed by a rabbi. In addition, meat and dairy cannot be eaten together, so the deli has parve cheese, which contains no meat or dairy.

The Kosher Deli has been on UB’s campus for around 20 years, and each year the business rises and more students discover the small door near Berts. The deli serves Israeli-style meals, and sometimes the cooks prepare special theme meals, such as Sushi night, Stir Fry night, and Monday Night Football Specials.

Customers can call ahead and pick up orders. Orders are accepted up until one hour before closing.

The deli is open for the breakfast meal exchange Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The

lunch meal exchange from Monday to Thursday is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., on Friday lunch ends at 2 p.m., and the dinner exchange is from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday through Thursday.

According to Willy Haddath, a cook at the Kosher Deli, there are approximately 200 customers per day. There are 19,395 undergraduate students who attend UB, which shows that one percent of the UB population attends the deli per day.

“Our most popular orders are wraps, chili, and matzo ball soup,” Haddath said.

The kosher deli has three types of chili: meat, turkey, and vegan. Usually it has matzo ball soup and another soup of the day, which varies each week. There are three wrap choices as well: the Maui chicken wrap, the vegetable wrap, or the sweet and spicy wrap. In addition, students have the ability to create their own wraps, on either a whole wheat or regular wrap.

“Even though I grew up in an Italian household eating macaroni and sauce every day, I love going to the kosher deli and getting a knish.

They’re actually delicious,” said Lauren Orlando, a freshman nutrition major. “The food there tastes real, unlike a lot of [the] other on-campus food.”

The deli also prepares grab-and-go meals, such as turkey deli sandwiches, pastrami on rye, bagels with cream cheese, salads and chicken salad pita; all are served at Sizzles in the Ellicott Food Court every day.

“Not only is the food so good, but the workers there are really nice, too. I was sick once and they gave me free matzo ball soup. I can basically call Kosher [Deli] my second home for the amount of time I spent in there,” said Alexandra DeFeo a freshman undecided major. g

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Buffalo Chips Advance to ICCA Finals AKARI IBURIStaff Writer Thirteen chips, schools, one stage.

seven

After being named the champions of the MidAtlantic Semifinals in the International Competition for Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA), the Buffalo Chips are taking their talents down to New York City to shake up the competition in the ICCA Finals.

On Saturday, the University at Buffalo’s all-male a cappella group will go head to head against six other colleges at the prestigious Lincoln Center to battle for the honorable title of Grand Champion.

With their chilling harmonies, incredible energy, and impeccable chemistry, the Chips blew competitors away at the semifinals held at Rutgers University in late March, advancing themselves to the international competition for the second year in a row.

But the success of achieving a ticket to the finals was no easy task, especially with the obstacles the group was forced to face at the beginning of the fall 2010 semester. Crucial members had moved beyond the group, leaving the Chips with five very empty and impressive shoes to fill.

With the addition of three promising new members in the fall semester and

three more in the spring, little did the Buffalo Chips know of the exciting singing season that was quickly approaching. They expanded to 13 voices strong, Hyucksoo Kwon /// The Spectrum each member contributing a unique element to the a The UB Chips take their talents to nationals later this month. cappella family.

“It’s hard work some- with the group, he realized “[We have] so many dif- times,” said Dan Stafford, that one of the most valued ferent personalities,” said a junior psychology major elements was teamwork.

Matt Gibb, a senior geog- and music director of the raphy major and business Buffalo Chips. “Sometimes “There’s the importance of manager of the Buffalo you get fed up working on being a cohesive group,” Chips. “But we’re all best three songs. But you come Mikida said. “[The semififriends and more like back with success, and it nals were] a collective experience. It’s not ‘I won,’ brothers by this point.” feels amazing.” but it’s ‘We won.’”

With different personali- Stafford and Gibb were ties comes a variety of ma- active in the Buffalo Chips The Buffalo Chips are all jors. All the members ex- last year ,when they were thrilled to have advanced ercise an array of interests crowned semifinal cham- into the finals, as the acranging from the arts to pions for the first time. complishment reflects the the sciences. None of their Though there was some hard work each member majors, however, is music. concern at the beginning has devoted to the group. of the fall semester per- The Chips will compete The element of broth- taining to the absence of against The Acabelles from erhood is prominent past members, the new Florida State University throughout the Chips’ per- additions to the Buffalo (last year’s second-place formances, as the chemis- Chips have made incred- finishers), Pitch Slapped try between them ignites ible contributions to the from Berklee College of impressive compatibil- group. Some would even Music, Vocal Point from ity. With all the time they argue that the chemistry Brigham Young Universpend together, a brotherly between this year’s Chips sity, The Stereotypes from bond is near inevitable.

Washington University in is more potent than last.

St. Louis, The Melodores In preparation for the “It felt really sweet [to win from Vanderbilt UniverICCA competitions, the semifinals] last year, but sity, and Cadenza (the group used the space of this year it was amazing United Kingdom’s winners dance studios to practice because of all that we had of the Vocal Festival) from three times a week for gone through in the begin- Cambridge University. two- to three-hour ses- ning of the year,” Stafford sions. Though the Chips said.

In the week following the polished their perforICCA Finals, the group will mance for hours, blend- Cory Mikida, a freshman be hosting its spring coning the elements of singing aerospace engineering ma- cert on Friday, April 22 in talents with choreography, jor, was one of the three Slee Hall. g the time they are given for new members to join the the competition is a mere Buffalo Chips in the fall. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com 12 minutes.

Soon after collaborating

UB Department of Music and The Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music present...

The Slee Sinfonietta

Charles Wuorinen will conduct a program of his own music, including... “Metagong” for 2 pianists and 2 percussionists

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011 7:30pm Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall For tickets and info: (716) 645-2921 or www.slee.buffalo.edu

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ARTS & LIFE MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

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Fifth Buffalo Niagara Film Festival to Entertain and Engage Western New York is also co-director of the Canisius College Video Institute.

MO MOVIE VIE

Courtesy of Comedy Central Press

A new rude and crude trio spice up Comedy Centralin the new show Workaholics.

Workaholics Unanimous AKARI IBURIStaff Writer When the worlds of illegal drugs, poop dollars, and freshoutta-college troublemakers collide with corporate cubicles, the universe gives birth to Workaholics, a new Comedy Central show that airs Wednesday nights at 10:30 p.m.

Spawning from the corruptively creative minds of Mail Order Comedy’s Blake Anderson, Adam Devine, Anders “Ders” Holm, and Kyle Newacheck, Workaholics is a scripted comedy series about three friends living together, working hard, and, more importantly, playing hard in the cruel realm of telemarketing.

The show features characters named Blake, Adam and Ders, each played by themselves, and is directed by Newacheck and Chris Koch (Modern Family). Though the friends struggle with their drab jobs to put beer on the dinner table, they still manage to spread chaos and wreak havoc among those around them and have a blast while doing so.

The chemistry between the cast members is impeccable, and, after being friends and comedic accomplices for over seven years, their calculated understanding of one another’s humor is obvious.

On a conference call, the jokesters described their inspiration for the show, what it took to get on TV, and what viewers can expect. Devine explained how his and Holm’s experiences in the kingdom of telemarketing influenced Workaholics.

“The desperation was true,” Holm said. “When we were making phone calls, we wanted to do stuff we’re actually doing on the show now.”

And who wouldn’t want to?

From late-night camping trips inside their office to bribing a middle schooler for his drugfree urine, these guys never live a dull moment.

The four are no strangers to the culture of comedy, either.

Devine performs as a stand-up comedian, and the group toured with the National Lampoon Lemmings Comedy Troupe in 2008. The foursome also created

hilarious sketch comedy videos for its Mail Order Comedy website. From there, they were spotted by Comedy Central and were offered their own show.

When asked about expectations of one day having a television comedy series, the group agreed that confidence was a necessary drive.

“You have to be naïve and dumb enough to think it’ll happen,” Holm said.

With creations like poop dollar, a chunk of excrement neatly wrapped in a dollar bill for someone to pick up, in their first episode, their ideas for the show are a smooth concoction of life experiences and imagination.

“We all have eclectic taste in comedy,” Holm said.

The variety of influence is a perfect blend of humor, as the group named a few favorites such as Tim and Eric, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and South Park.

Workaholics is expected to be splashed in colorful comedy as the season progresses. Without giving too much away, the guys suggested potential material including keg-nog, rapping wizards, not getting laid, body building, and childhood heroes.

To upcoming graduates and future workaholics, the crew had many words of wisdom regarding graduation and being immersed into the real life.

“Give up,” Devine said. “Get a s****y job, buy a house with your best friends, and be a kid forever!”

“Take full advantage of the Internet,” Anderson said.

“Pick up another major and stay in school,” Holm said. “F*** Kanye, be a student forever.”

Anderson, Devine, and Holm on screen together are as crude as they are perfect. The three erupt with energy, and the intensity of their laughs only escalates as they egg each other on.

Newacheck was asked what his experiences are like working with the explosive trio.

“It’s a nightmare; I wake up screaming every day,” Newacheck said. “But in all seriousness, it’s a dream come true.

The way that these three improve together is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. They’re my best friends.” g

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

ERN TECK CHUAStaff Writer With the summer blockbuster season still weeks away, movie buffs and aspiring filmmakers in Buffalo rejoiced as the glitz and glamour of the fifth annual Buffalo Niagara Film Festival rolled into town on Friday.

The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival is a 10-day event celebrating all aspects of film.

It fashions itself as a marketplace to facilitate conversations between industry professionals and up-andcoming artists, as well as providing a platform for filmmakers, buyers, and distributors to network and conduct business.

The film festival will run until Sunday, and movie screenings will take place all over the Western New York region. Starting in downtown Buffalo at the Market Arcade Film & Arts Center, the festival then moves on to the historic Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda and culminates on the final day with an awards presentation and after-party celebration at the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls.

Themes and subject matters of the entering films are diverse and eclectic. A vibrant list of submissions in categories spanning student films, documentaries, features, shorts, and music videos offers both serious and lighthearted fares that will entertain and educate the audience in equal measures.

Buffalo is represented in this year’s festival by Barbara J. Irwin, Ph.D., chair of Canisius’ communication studies department. Irwin’s film, On That Road: Reliving the Civil Rights Movement, is her third directorial effort to be included in the festival’s lineup.

On That Road follows a group of Canisius college students on their journey down to the deep South, visiting landmarks and talking to activists associated with the civil rights movement. The film is co-produced by communication studies/digital media arts majors, Emily Marciniak, and recent grad Sarah Zamer.

“We hope to educate and enlighten viewers about the civil rights movement through this film, and to have viewers leave with the idea that they can make a difference in the world,” said Irwin, who

Aside from movies championing social causes, there is plenty of sex appeal at the festival, too. Among them is Canadian director Charles Wahl’s feature Webdultery, a film about the increasing popularity of online dating websites created specifically for people looking to cheat on their partners.

“After checking out how staggering the numbers were, I thought there might be a very interesting story there,” Wahl said. “Taking a married couple who both go onto these websites, without each other knowing, had the makings of a great story.”

This year’s festival is truly an international affair that will cater to the wide-ranging interests of the general public. American directors are joined by their Canadian, European, Asian, and Australian counterparts.

“Just being accepted into a festival is a great achievement; it is very competitive.

I’m hoping the festival lineup we’re embarking on now will help the film find its audience,” said Wahl, who was born in London, England, but raised in Toronto, Canada.

The prestige of Buffalo Niagara Film Festival might scare off most first-time directors, but there are some who seize the opportunity to expose their work to a wider audience.

“I hope to meet other filmmakers and exchange thoughts on improving ourselves,” said director Ray Pang in an email interview from Singapore. “Also, because of my Asian background, it will be interesting to have a cross-cultural experience, which might result in an East-meets-West collaborative effort in the near future.”

Pang’s submission, BREAK, a semi-autobiographical tale about the meaning of love, is entered in the student films category. It was completed while Pang was still an undergraduate student in Australia one year ago.

Books for a Cause HANNAH BARNESStaff Writer When most college students hear the word “books,” their first thought is how much they will have to spend to buy their course materials. But with the S.A.G.E. book drive, students don’t have to spend a dime, making their books priceless.

This event is a chance for UB’s students and faculty to donate books to other students who are in need of new reading material.

The materials that are donated to the book drive will be given to two low-income schools that need new books for their students. The first is Kilby Elementary in Woodbridge, Va., and the second is Escuela Segunda Unidad Adelaida Vega in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.

The book drive is presented by the Intercultural and Diversity Center’s (IDC) S.A.G.E. interns as part of their community service. S.A.G.E., Success through Access to Guidance and Experience, is a program where students who have overcome adversity can participate in paid internships and gain valuable experience in the career paths that they are interested in. The interns are holding the book drive on behalf of the “Get Used to Read” program centered in Virginia, which works to increase reading in schools that need it around the world.

“Our coordinator was contacted by a friend who is involved in ‘Get Used to Read,’” said Elizabeth Smith, a second-year graduate student and the graduate assistant for student programming in the Intercultural and Diversity Center. “So we were contacted directly by the program.”

Books in both English and Spanish are being accepted, in new or gently used condition. The English books should be elementary school-appropriate and will be sent to Kilby Elementary. Books in Spanish are needed that are suitable for students at the middle or high school level, and those books will go to the school in Puerto Rico.

“We would really appreciate books, because we haven’t really had many so far,” Smith said. “Any donations would be welcome.”

Students can donate by dropping their books off at the front desk of the IDC, which is located at 240 Student Union. The book drive began on April 3 and will be running until Friday.

Another way that people can help out is by purchasing raffle tickets at the IDC for a chance to win some prizes while donating to a good cause. There are several prizes for participants to win, including a GMAT book, a basket stocked with goodies like candy and chocolate, and $50 in campus cash. Three raffle tickets cost $1. g

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Finkelstein Strikes Again Controversial scholar brought views to UB JAMES BOWEStaff Writer

Interested parties wanting to attend the festival have a selection of an individual film pass, a day pass, a week pass, or a VIP pass.

Ticket prices range from $5 a piece for senior citizens and students to $250 a pop for the all-inclusive VIP package, which allows unrestricted access to every event on the program book, from screenings and seminars to panel discussions and VIP receptions.

All proceeds from ticket sales will go toward autism-related projects. Visit www.buffaloniagarafilmfestival.com for more information. g

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

NORMAN FINKELSTEIN

Norman Finkelstein , a political scientist, author, and former college professor, spoke to a diverse crowd of students, professors and community members last Wednesday evening on an invitation from UB Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Student Association, and other off-campus organizations. The event took place in room 225 of the Natural Sciences Complex.

Finkelstein’s highly critical views on Israeli treatment of Palestine have garnered outrage among Jewish communities across the nation. His controversial stance even got him denied tenure at DePaul University in 2007, after a very public debate with Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

His views have brought charges of anti-Semitism, even though he is Jewish himself and his parents were both Holocaust survivors. Some students also worried about being branded as anti-Semites for disagreeing with Israeli policies.

“I’m criticizing the government,” said Sikander Khan, president of the Muslim Student Association, a junior computer engineering major, and next year’s Undergraduate Student Association treasurer. “I’m not against Israel or Jews.”

While Hillel of Buffalo, the Jewish campus ministry at UB, did not make a public statement against Finkelstein, it did offer two alternative speakers, Asaf Romirowsky and Ernest Sternberg, on similar topics. According to Khan, the Muslim SA had received pressure to cancel the talk as well.

“In my opinion, the UB administration is not trying to protect academic freedom, but is intimidated by the Muslim student organization and its affiliated Islamistic institutions,” said Michael Anbar, a professor emeritus of physiology and biophysics, in an article on the website Israpundit.

This is not the first time Finkelstein has been in this position.

In 2004, he spoke about the same topic at UB amid a similar uproar. Officials at UB allowed him to speak as a protection of free speech, but some dissenters called it hate speech.

Although Finkelstein is a very controversial figure in the public forum, event organizers see him in a different light.

“I don’t see him as a controversial figure,” Khan said. “I see him as someone who is very knowledgeable of events in the Middle East.”

The crowd at Finkelstein’s lecture was not nearly as divided.

The group of over 200 people mostly applauded him during his over two-hour talk and accepted flyers critical of Israel.

The focus of his talk was on the three-week conflict between Israel and Palestine in 2008-2009 called the Gaza War, which is also the focus of his new book.

This comes only days after former judge Richard Goldstone’s op-editorial in The Washington Post about the battle, in which he said that the fact–finding report that he led for the United Nations, titled the Goldstone Report, had incorrect information about war crimes allegedly committed by Israel against Palestinians. The pro-Palestinian Finkelstein said this made him very upset – he stayed up for days over it.

President Obama’s agreement with this editorial angered him even more, pushing the very left-leaning professor to say that he would prefer the Bush administration to the Obama administration because Obama is “for sale.”

Before ending and signing copies of this book, he was askedabout what he thought an appropriate solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine would look like. He posed an unconventional response.

“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Finkelstein said. “What matters is what kind of settlement can reach the most people.” g

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ARTS & LIFE MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Hyucksoo Kwon /// The Spectrum

The second annual Nick Orrange 5k Run boasted a 29 percent runner increase from last year.

Second Annual Nick Orrange 5K Run a Chilling Success AKARI IBURIStaff Writer A cold and clouded morning did not discourage supporters of the Second Annual Nick Orrange 5K Run from gathering at Baird Point to embark on their journey around the University at Buffalo’s chilly North Campus.

Family, friends, and strangers united this past Sunday to commemorate the life and spirit of the late Nicholas Orrange. The event was started last year to raise funds for a memorial scholarship under Orrange’s name on behalf of his unexpected death in January 2010.

The 22-year-old UB senior was involved in a one-car accident that left loved ones, as well as the university, at a great loss of an inspirational force. Orrange was recognized for his active involvement within the UB community through his leadership as the special interest service and hobbies coordinator for the Undergraduate Student Association. He was also president of the College Democrats.

Sunday’s race was attended by approximately 225 participants, a significant 29 percent increase from the 175 runners who attended the year before. The route began at 9:30 a.m. on St. Rita’s lane between the Child Care Center and the South Lake Village, stretched across the perimeter, and twisted through North Campus, finally ending at the sidewalk sandwiched between Baird Point and Alumni Arena. Runners started collecting themselves around Baird Point as early as 8 a.m. to gather their race information and mingle with the other participants.

There were a variety of race attendees. Some were running in the Nick Orrange Run for their first time, and others returned for their second year; the participants widely differed from age to level of running skill.

Orrange’s father and mother, David Orrange and Cheryl Beamer, participated as runners in the race last year but were volunteers for this year’s event. Beamer was extremely thankful and appreciative of all the support she saw from the UB community. “[I] thank all of these students for turning out and supporting,” Beamer said. “[Nick] would be humbled by everybody doing this for him, and he would be the first one here to do it for anyone else.”

It was a bittersweet moment to see all of the support from the participants of the race; their presence was immensely appreciated, but it was for circumstances that one only

hopes could have been avoided. Beamer explained that this year’s funds would remain at UB for a scholarship rather than go to the St. Joseph Collegiate Institute, which was the recipient in the previous year.

“I am very honored that there is a run in his name,” Beamer said.

Shervin Stoney, a senior political science major and vice president of the Student Association, was a close friend of Orrange and had arranged the races for the past two years.

He spoke of Orrange’s love and loyalty for UB, explaining how it was the only college to which he had ever applied.

“Nick was heavily involved in the student government,” Stoney said. “He was really passionate about UB.” Stoney expressed his desire for word of the Nick Orrange 5K Run to gain more attention next year and attract more attendees.

He hopes for the race to remain a part of UB tradition, just as the Linda Yalem Safety Run has grown to become so. “[We] hope to keep Nick’s legacy going,” Stoney said.

The race was commenced by an elegant singing of the national anthem, and a gunshot in the air ignited the kick forward of the participants’ legs.

Fifteen minutes and 59 seconds after the fire of the pistol, Jon French, 27, of North Tonawanda zoomed past the finish line, being the first male to cross and beating the second male by 37 seconds. First place for females was 45-year-old Carol Bartto from Buffalo.

Volunteers were exceptionally helpful during the race, as they encouraged runners from the sidelines and provided them with Dixie cups of water after they completed the race. Some runners huddled around the finish line after completing the race themselves to support other participants approaching the designated area.

Though the weather was significantly cooler than the forecasted 67 degrees, participants remained in positively warm and encouraging spirits as they all gathered to commemorate the celebrated life of Orrange. g

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Courtesy of Elvert Barnes

UB students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Healing Through Light BRIDGETT GIRDLESTONEStaff Writer A month has passed since the catastrophic 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan. Many thousands of people have lost their homes, their families, and their friends, and are trying to piece their lives back together for a better tomorrow.

During spring break, many were hard at work collaborating across campus to bring students and faculty together to assist the people of Japan. Many students were affected by this natural disaster, but some found that it hit especially close to home.

Grace Mukupa, the Graduate Student Association vice president and a second year Ph.D. student studying global gender, has come together with many other students and organizations across UB to set up “Healing through Light.”

Mukupa grew up in Japan and has many family members and friends who survived the disaster. According to Mukupa, reality hit when her cousin was missing and her family had to resort to Facebook to learn that he was unharmed. She remembers the many earthquakes she experienced while growing up in Japan.

“I would be lying in bed at night and see pictures moving on the walls,” Mukupa said. “Instead of fire drills, we had earthquake drills in school.”

These types of events were normal for Mukupa, her family, and many other people in Japan.

However, the volume of the earthquake on March 11 was unlike any other.

“After all of this happened, I saw that President Simpson had sent a message to UB to pray for Japan, and I realized if you want to do something, than you’ve got to do it yourself,” Mukupa said.

Sometimes it is the people with the least power who can do the most powerful things for the world.

- Grace Mukupa This event will mark one-month since the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan. On Monday at 4 p.m., a candlelight vigil will be held at Baird Point for students to wish the victims well and pray for their safety.

“I realized when things happen, you can’t just sit back and let them happen,” Mukupa said.

“Sometimes it is the people with the least power who can do the most powerful things for the world.”

Weeks later, she created the “Healing through Light” event for UB to come together and unite as a family during these hard times. The event will be a way for students and faculty to join as one for a great cause. There will be a live band along with a spiritual candlelight remembrance ceremony. All proceeds will go to the Japanese earthquake victims through the American Red Cross.

Students and faculty can donate anything from blankets to clothing. For those students who cannot make it to the ceremony but still want to help out, GSA will have a donation box available on the third floor of the Student Union this week.

“I really want to reach out to students affectedby all of this,” Mukupa said. “I want to take care of them and create a home for [all international students at UB].” g

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23 Envelope abbr.

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57 Slalom runs 58 WWW addresses 59 Alcove 60 Buffalo Bill — 61 Dele canceler 64 Tpk.

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9

A Shameful Low in Higher Education The University at Buffalo is inaccessible to disabled students Continued from Page 1

Numerous attempts were made to get the University at Buffalo to settle the case out of court, said Ron Hager, a senior staff attorney with the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), who was one of the lawyers who represented Milillo and her coplaintiffs in the lawsuit.

But all attempts led nowhere. According to Hager, it was only after he and his cocouncil walked the campus and pointed how inaccessible bathrooms, dorms and signage were to attorneys representing UB that the university acknowledged there were ADA violations across campus.

The court case was settled in the Fall of 2004 and UB was ordered to complete an audit of the accessibility of all three campuses and make a comprehensive plan to bring the campuses up to code.

Raymond Matuszak demonstrates how inaccessible classroom desks are to him.

Where it all Began On May 12, 2000 three wheelchair-bound UB students sued the university and the State University of New York in federal court for violations of the American Disability Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The lawsuit, filed by Jason Bowman, Rudy Denmeade, and Tammy Milillo, contended that UB failed to “provide persons with physical disabilities legally required access to facilities, services, activities, and programs owned, operated, controlled and/or maintained by the State University of New York, a governmental and public entity.”

Because UB is a public institution that receives federal funding, it must be fully compliant with ADA code and the stipulations outlined in Section 504.

“When I first went to the campus, they only had one dorm that was remotely ADA accessible,” said Milillo, who has cerebral palsy and was a chemistry student.

“The only bathroom I could use was back in my dorm. The bathrooms [on campus] were not ADA compliant. For someone like myself in a power wheelchair I could not use them because they weren’t deep enough. If I could even manage to get into the bathroom, I had to leave the door open. It was very embarrassing. But those were the best of bathrooms; most of them I couldn’t even enter.”

Milillo recalls not being able to visit the student health center in Michael Hall because she couldn’t navigate the stairs that led inside.

When I started as a freshman, Michael Hall was completely inaccessible,” Milillo said. “I wasn’t even able to get into the waiting room; I had to be seen in the doorway. I was told by staff that for routine check-ups, I should just go to the emergency room.”

The Audit The 2004 audit reviewed every building, bathroom, classroom and walkway on campus and listed compliance issues in all buildings along with a rating scale that determined how inaccessible a particular building was and how high a level of priority it was to make it compliant.

Some of the most inaccessible buildings – and the ones on the top of the “to do” list – were: Capen Hall, Alumni Arena, Center for the Arts, Lockwood Memorial Library, Knox Lecture Hall, Abbott Hall, Harriman Hall, the Student Union, the Natural Sciences Complex, Kimball Tower, Squire Hall, Education Building and Diefendorf Hall.

UB’s office of Facilities Planning and Design, the office responsible for all new construction on campus, created a “priority project list” for these buildings, separating the renovation into two phases.

The first phase of changes was a fiveyear plan spanning from 2005 to 2009, in which buildings across campus, including the Student Union, were renovated in an attempt to make them compliant at a cost of $7,792,300. According to Facilities, implementation of phase one projects is complete, with the exception of areas impacted by “larger holistic projects.” The second phase of proposed renovations is set to be complete by August of 2013 with an estimated cost of $7,535,300.

Kevin Thompson, the director of Facilities Planning and Design, says steps are being taken, but bringing UB up to code is a long process.

“What we have done is a systematic approach to bring the university into compliance,” Thompson said. “Now, as you might expect with a campus this large – we have almost 10.5 million square feet of buildings – it is quite an undertaking so we have decided to do it in a phased sequential approach. We decided to start with large places of assembly, like the Student Union, and we started working on a priority order to other spaces…what is not done are older and existing buildings, which we are taking a phased sequential process. We have a certain amount of time to develop a plan to make the campus compliant. It is not possible to do all spaces in such a short amount of time.”

Academic Excellence.

Professional Success.

The Law Much of the construction on North Campus was built in violation of state and federal accessibility codes dating back to 1973, Hager said.

“There are two different laws that apply [to the University at Buffalo]: the American Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 applies to all institutions that receive federal funds,” Hager said. “Since UB receives federal funds, as a public university, it is covered under Section 504.

[According to Section 504] anything that was designed after 1973 is new construction and must meet accessibility codes.

The irony in this is that most of the campus should have been accessible when it was built.”

According to Section 504 all new construction designed after 1973 must meet the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) to prevent discrimination or exclusion based on disabilities.

According to the audit, 53 buildings on North and South Campus were built after the enactment of Section 504 in 1973. Of those 53 buildings, 49 were listed as having up to as many as 58 specific accessibility violations each. Twelve buildings on North and South Campus were built after the enactment of the ADA in 1990, and 10 buildings had as many as 38 specific noncompliance issues each.

We do make things ADA compliant,” Thompson said. “I would agree with you that we are not 100 percent compliant… we certainly tried to remain sensitive to the needs of disabled students, however, we also have 28,000 other students who need access to updated facilities also.”

is legally blind and uses the DS office. “I think it’s actually embarrassing, to compare what they are expected to do to what they are given, for how many students they help. The university does not give them what they need.”

Mark Shaw, a transfer health and human services major, who uses a wheelchair due to complications from a Brain Arteriovenous Malformations (AVM), relies on others to open doors for him.

“Some doors don’t have automatic openers,” Shaw said. “Most of the time here, students will hold doors open doors for me and ask if I am going that way and wait so they can help me.”

Shaw uses a manual wheelchair to navigate campus, but said that if he were in a power wheelchair, like several UB students, he feels he would not even be able to enter the office.

Although his office has been working on the comprehensive plan to make the campus more accessible, Kevin Thompson said he’s never noticed that the DS office is inaccessible to disabled students.

“I have never had complaints and I never had a request from the DS office to make any changes,” Thompson said. “There is a university process for renovation request.

Anyone in DS office could make that request and it would be brought to capital facilities group, put in queue and then be reviewed and possibly added to a future project list.”

“Nothing is near to what they need. It’s really sad,” said Scharf, a senior health and human services and sociology major, who

“Space is the biggest problem for UB’s disability department,” Frazier said. “I am most concerned about the minuscule working conditions they have in their main office. The main reception area is the size of a walk-in closet…to me it is completely unacceptable how small the office space is. I want to bring to the administration’s attention that these people need more space to work in.”

According to Borst the annual budget for the DS office is around $80,000 a year.

Notes from the Faculty Senate Meeting from Nov. 28, 2007 record Borst telling the Senate that compared to most institutions of its size, UB’s budget for the DS office is “very low” and that most universities of UB’s caliber are able to provide a “wider range of and more in-depth services.”

“In total, the square feet of our other holdings throughout the ground floor of Capen sum to just over 650 square feet. That includes offices for three professionals, a graduate assistant, our satellite testingcenter office, and the testing rooms themselves,” Borst said. “Thus in all we have just under 1,400 square feet for the entire operation, including workplaces for seven FTE [full-time equivalent] staff, some eight student workers, and numerous items of equipment and furniture.”

“The DS testing rooms are on the bottom floor of Capen and I always think about what am I going to do if there is a fire or something down here because you can’t use elevator if there is a fire,” said Mark Shaw, a freshman in a wheelchair. “I just think about how am I ever going to get out?”

Located in 25 Capen Hall, the Disability Services office serves over 500 disabled students each semester, but it is not handicapped accessible.

Instead, it makes them feel frustrated and acutely aware of their disabilities.

Alec Frazier, a junior political science major, insists the 700 square foot office is too small for the five workers and up to two students who use it, not to mention the 500 students it serves. Its tight spaces make students in wheelchairs feel cramped and aware of their disability in a way a spacier office would not.

The Disability Services Testing Center does more than violate ADA code; the building is a safety risk.

The Disability Services Office

The office provides counseling for disabled students and is supposed to help them feel more comfortable on campus by arranging extra test-taking time for them, note-taking assistance and other services.

“I am assured that Student Affairs and EDAAA have communicated my concerns and requests in those regards to all affected authorities of the university external to Student Affairs,” Thompson said.

The Disability Services Testing Center

For Shaw, Matuszak, Frazier, and Scharf, that answer is not good enough. UB may be making progress, they say. But not enough. And not fast enough.

Students in wheelchairs struggle to get inside the non-automatic doors and once inside cannot move their wheelchairs well between the numerous desks that fill the 700 square-foot space.

which is the ADA coordinator for UB.

Mark Shaw agrees that the DS office should be handicapped-accessible.

Randall Borst said he has been trying to get the university to accept the danger for years.

Making the door to the DS office handicapped accessible has apparently not “been a priority,” Thompson said.

“This is one of the things that I have talked about and the university knows about it because I’ve talked to any leader that I can get in to see,” Borst said. “They just need to prioritize that and get that fixed.”

Disability Services Director Randall Borst says he has complained “repeatedly” over the years, but that his complaints never get far. The UB hierarchy does not allow him to complain to Thompson’s office directly, he said, but he has complained to Student Affairs and to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Affirmative Action (EDAAA),

The underground testing center has an emergency exit that leads to a sub-level outdoor terrace from which the only exits are non-handicapped accessible doors and a staircase. There are two other emergency exits from the basement of Capen, both fixed with crash bars that would prevent a wheelchair-bound person from

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MAIN STORY MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

someone’s office and people are running in and out, that’s not really appropriate,” Hager said. “[UB] can use alternate locations but they have to be sure that those locations are proper and meet all the [student’s individual] requirements.”

Borst acknowledges the inadequacies of the testing center and states that he has made numerous attempts to get the UB administration to make improvements.

Those complaints – and others like them – would, according to the UB hierarchy, go to Sean Sullivan, associate vice president for academic planning and budget, whose office handles space requests.

Sullivan said he has never been told about issues involving the testing center and that he is unaware of any compliance violations.

Alec Frazier meets with a Disability Services staff member. opening them. One emergency exit opens to a high step into a utility room and the second leads out into the first floor of Capen.

Kevin Thompson believes that not having an emergency exit doesn’t mean students are at risk.

“In the point of a fire emergency no one should be using an elevator,” Thompson said. “When the fire department arrives they have an override key that allows first responders to access the situation and understand whether or not it’s safe and firemen could get disabled people out of a particular area. I am not sure how that testing center got set up; that doesn’t sound like a project we worked on anytime in the recent past. That issue may fall under the auspices of another office.

I was not aware of testing center; luckily I haven’t had to take a test there.”

The testing center only holds 16 students, Thompson said, so it doesn’t merit a second emergency exit. ADA regulations make no mention of exceptions for lowcapacity rooms.

According to Ron Hager, even if the ADA were to make exceptions it should not matter to UB administration.

“It’s possible that UB is exempt from code, but so what?” Hager said. “Why would you put somebody down there in that situation? It may be a tech issue in the spirit of the law, why use that space if it was unsafe? UB should have a safety plan not just because they are legally responsible, but how would you feel if someone burned to death because you didn’t have a plan to evacuate them?”

In addition to being unsafe, the space is also too small for the number of students it serves.

Last year, the center administered over 3,792 tests. At peak times, such as finals week, the center administers 83 exams a day, said coordinator Kristie Kohl.

Yet the space will only hold 16 students at a time.

So, inevitably, some students get bumped and that leaves Kohl scurrying for space.

“The number of exams we administer is growing every year. I have to put overflow

wherever I can find space,” Kohl said. “I often rely on the kindness of departments who lend us the use of their learning labs and conference rooms. But I have to be picky to ensure the space [is adequate for the students’] needs.”

Those who do manage to get a coveted spot say conditions are not ideal.

The testing center is always crowded,” Catherine Scharf said.

“I usually have to schedule months in advance just to get a spot to take the exam.”

Students with disabilities are legally entitled to reasonable accommodations for exams, which can include extra test time, help with writing or the availability of software, magnification or other tools they need.

Andrew Olgin, a junior physics major who uses the DS testing center, thinks it’s inadequate.

Alex, a senior member of the UB administration, who chose not to use a real name for fear of being fired, claims Sullivan is not only aware of the problems with the testing center, but actively ignores them.

“When there are problems in Capen Hall Sean Sullivan is in charge of fixing it,” Alex said. “When Randy [the director of DS] came to him about the fact that students with disabilities are having a real hard time using Disability Services, Sean said nothing is going to be done that is not in the UB 2020 plan.”

Another issue that students have with the DS testing center is its location.

“The DS office [where students must first stop to check in, prior to taking an exam] is on one level of Capen and then you have to go up the stairs or take an elevator to get into the library and go back down another flight of stairs [to get to the testing center],” Scharf, who is visually impaired, said. “There are no signs.

When I first took an exam I was walking aimlessly around not knowing where to go. Even students with sight don’t know where it is.”

“I believe that as for being a large institution they should have more space available for test taking,” Olgin said. “Students using Disability Services need to be assured that they will have a place to take a test.”

According to Hager, if students are forced to take exams in locations other than the DS testing center, the students need proper testing places.

“If [the student is taking an exam] in

despite taking up to 28 pills a day.

Scharf suffers from Stargardts disease, a genetic disease that progressively takes away her center vision. Because of this, seeing things such as room numbers or even the stairs in a lecture hall is almost impossible for her in certain buildings at UB.

While many classrooms across campus have separate desks intended for the use of wheelchair-bound students, Matuszak finds that they are not designed with a heavier-set individual in mind.

According to American Disability Act regulations, all signs that indicate room numbers need to written in a light color on a dark background, include raised lettering and Braille, and be attached 60 inches from the ground on the latch side of the door.

Much of the room numbers, even in new buildings like the NSC, have room numbers that violate ADA code, appearing without raised letters or Braille at the top of the door frame.

For students like Scharf, this creates a difficult and sometimes embarrassing situation.

“After eight semesters here I still have to have someone help me find my classrooms. I am 22 years old. It would be nice to know where I am going once in a while without having to hold a hand.”

While Scharf finds the classroom signs to be inaccessible and bothersome, stairs in many of the classroom across campus are extremely dangerous for someone with her level of visual impairment.

According to ADA regulations, stairs are supposed to be of an even tread width, meaning that all stairs in a particular stairway must be of uniform size and shape. In addition to uniformity in size, the ADA recommends that stairs have a distinct “mark stripe” or a band of color that is different from the rest of the staircase to signify where a particular tread is ending.

According to Scharf, many of the staircases in her classrooms have stairs of varying tread widths and have zero mark stripes, making it almost impossible for her to reach the lower levels of a classroom.

Even students with sight don’t know where it is.

Students like Alec Frazier, who needs voice-activated software during his exams, are forced to take exams in personal offices because the testing center cannot accommodate them properly.

“Sometimes people like me use voiceactivated software and that means we need a private, individual quiet test-taking place,” Frazier said. “I am stuck using Tina Oddo’s [the director of client services for the Center for Assistive Technology] office. There is voice-activated software in key locations [other than her office] but it is located in classrooms. Because the software [in Oddo’s office] is the only one [for testing use] you have to schedule carefully and it can be difficult if there are other people that have to use the software.”

campus is dangerous.

- a student talking about the Disability Services office Furthermore, in the basement of Capen, there is one set of men’s and women’s restrooms and although the interiors of the bathrooms have been retrofitted to make them handicapped accessible, the doors to the bathrooms themselves have no automatic openers that would allow wheelchair users to access them.

Signs and Stairs

While some classrooms have lights built in the steps to illuminate different stairs or the change in tread width, Scharf states that the lights are so dim that she cannot even see them.

“In certain lecture halls, I wanted to go to the bottom of the class and I couldn’t because there are no contrast to the stairs,” Scharf said. “All stairs were different sized steps. If I have to go to the bottom level, I have to hold onto the wall and feel for the next step with my foot.”

Many freshmen may find the University at Buffalo’s campus to be overwhelming and confusing to navigate when they first come to UB.

Raymond Matuszak, a sophomore mathematics major, was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 16. The removal of the tumor also involved the removal of Matuszak’s pituitary glad.

For students like Catherine Scharf, who is currently in her fourth year at UB, the

Because of this surgery, Matuszak has been unable to control his weight gain,

“I weighed 195 pounds before surgery. I currently weigh 398 pounds. I am slowly staring to lose weight but it is hard because your pituitary controls everything,” Matuszak said. “It’s hard in some classrooms for me to fit into desks. Most of the time I can only use a chair. I have to bring a clipboard with me to class so I can have something to write on.”

The Future Susan Mann Dolce, assistant director for consultation and research for the DS office, acknowledges the issues on accessibility on campus, but has hope that UB administration, faculty and staff can work together toward a more accessible university.

There is a schedule of accessibility things that we are supposed to be taking care of,” Mann Dolce said.

“We have made a lot of gains, but things such as automatic doors, signage, elevators and stairways are still problematic.

We have to remember that accessibility benefits everyone. Why aren’t we focusing on that? Making our campus universally accessible. That is the 20year solution.”

While the university is making steps toward making its campus universally accessible to all students with complexes like the new sophomore dorm, Greiner Hall, which was built with universal accessibility in mind, it’s unclear if accessibility is in UB’s future.

UB 2020, the bold plan to inject economic life into UB and Western New York, addresses a wide-range of aspects of life on campus, but not Disability Services.

Sources in the DS office and community say they fought for inclusion in the UB 2020 legislation, but a search of the UB 2020 website for “disability services” yields no results in the master plan.

According to Tammy Milillo, it is up to students to stand up for their rights, just as she and two others did in 2000.

“Students need to know if you don’t speak up and you don’t advocate, nothing will ever change, it’s that simple. I think that if something is not being done, students need to speak up and start advocating for change – look into what the settlement was and start going into the process,” Milillo said. “It’s impossible for one lawsuit to cover every disability group for every possible scenario. The lawsuit is a springboard. The reason why I finished [the lawsuit] was because even though I realized that I wouldn’t be able to see many of the changes take effect, I wanted to do it for other students, to help people in general.” g

Email: features@ubspectrum.com ALL PHOTOS: Alex McCrossen /// The Spectrum

Daemen College Presents Keynote Speaker for the 2011 Academic Festival:

Chris Matthews A Political Insider’s View From Washington

Snyder/Amherst/Tonawanda 1924 Eggert Rd

835-7100

Host of MSNBC’s Hardball

Tuesday, April 19, 2011 7:30 P.M. Free and open to the public

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

Wick Center at Daemen College 4380 Main Street, Amherst NY Event Information: (716) 839-8253

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

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

MAIN STORY MONday, APRIL 11, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

11

Gone, But Certainly Not Forgotten

SPORTS

Scott Resnick Staff Writer

NHL Playoffs Preview

No. 4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 5 Tampa Bay Lightning

EASTERN CONFERENCE Source: csnphilly.com

CAREY BEYERSports Editor The NHL’s regular season has come to a close. There will be no more hockey until the fall for an unlucky 14 teams, but the real challenge is only beginning for the other 53 percent of the league. It’s time to grow out those beards and stop doing laundry, because the NHL playoffs are here.

No. 1 Washington Capitals vs. No. 8 New York Rangers The Capitals offense, once known as the most dangerous in the league, is not as explosive as it has been in the last few seasons. The team ranks in the bottom half of the league in goals for, with 219.

That being said, Alex Ovechkin is still an offensive force to be reckoned with. The 25-year-old Russian is ranked third in the conference in points.

The biggest concern for the Caps going forward is injuries, especially to the defense. The team has already lost two of its top defenders (Mike Green and Tom Poti) for the season, and a third, Dennis Wideman, is expected to miss at least the first round of the playoffs with a lower-body injury.

The Rangers, like every low seed in the history of sports, don’t appear to have much of a chance in the first round. The team is not very intimidating on the offensive side of the ice, sitting at No. 15 in goals for and No. 18 in power play percentage.

The team’s strength is the play of its goaltender Henrick Lundqvist. As mediocre as the offense has been, the Rangers have been able to stay in contention because of a starting goalie that ranks third in the conference in goals against average and saves, even though he has faced the fifth most shots.

The depleted Washington defense and struggling offense will prove to be too much of a detriment going up against a Ranger squad that is all but at full strength. Get ready for a major upset in the first round of the playoffs.

The Buffalo Sabres and the Philadelphia Flyers will be two of the teams to face off in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

No. 2 Philadelphia Flyers vs. No. 7 Buffalo Sabres

No. 3 Boston Bruins vs. No. 6 Montreal Canadiens

The Flyers have not disappointed after going to the Stanley Cup Finals last season.

The team was edged out of the No. 1 spot by one point after spending the majority of the season as the conference’s top team.

The Northeast champion Bruins have secured their place as a major power in the conference because of their ability to all but shut down their opponent’s offense.

Tim Thomas leads the league in both goals against and save percentage. Their defense is all but impregnable. Thomas has only faced 1,811 shots, 10th lowest in the league. Zdeno Chara leads the league in plus/minus with 33.

Philadelphia has the most potent offense in the conference. The team is No. 1 in the conference and No. 2 in the league in goals for. This is mostly because the team is led by Claude Giroux, ranked third in the conference for assists, and Jeff Carter, ranked second in the conference for goals.

The team is amazing while at full strength, but the same cannot be said about special teams. The Flyers are No. 19 in the league in power play percentage and No. 15 in penalty kill. This may turn out to be a huge handicap going into the most physical hockey any of these teams will play all season.

Despite losing the team’s points leader, Derek Roy, in December, the Sabres have been able to regroup and finish out the season still ranked fourth in the conference in offensive production. This is even more impressive when you take into account that the current points leader, Thomas Vanek, is only ranked No. 17 in the league in points. This means that the entire team finds a way to contribute to its success. On top of that, the team has finally found a viable backup for starting goalie Ryan Miller in Jhonas Enroth, something that the team has been in desperate need of for years.

The most glaring problem for the Sabres is their defensive play. Miller’s stats for the year are all over the place. He ranks 18th among starting goalies in goals against average and 14th in save percentage. At the same time, he is sixth in the league in total saves. This is because last year’s Vezina trophy winner has faced the sixth most shots of any goalie. If the Sabres’ defense cannot find a way to stop opponents from firing on the net, the team will not be able to win in the playoffs.

Prediction: Flyers in five

Boston’s biggest problem is its special teams. Its power play is 20th in the league with 16.1 percent efficiency. The team’s penalty kill is a bit better, 15th best, but is still not very impressive for a team that prides itself on defense.

On top of the lack of performance with uneven lines, the Bruins are still without offensive leader Marc Savard, who was lost to a concussion earlier in the year.

The team has been successful without him in since his injury, but you can never discount a loss that large.

Montreal owes all of its success to goaltender Carey Price. Price is ranked in the top five in the conference in both goals against average and save percentage even though he has faced the second-most shots in the league.

Even though Price is the only major individual player on the squad, the Habs’ special teams have been very successful. They have the second-best power play in the conference, and the team’s penalty kill is fourth.

For the most part, the Canadiens have not had much production throughout the year.

The Habs are ranked 23rd in the league for goals for. Their scoring leader, Tomas Plekanec, is ranked 61st in the league with 57 points and a plus/minus of 8.

Montreal is not without good players. Michael Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez should not be taken lightly. If they can find their stride in the playoffs, the team can surprise everyone.

Prediction: Bruins in five

Prediction: Rangers in seven

Bulls Show Hometown Crowd Some Love

On Friday, poor field conditions forced the Bulls to switch venues to Niagara University’s Niagara Field to open up a doubleheader against Northern Illinois.

The Bulls fell short in both games of the doubleheader.

In the softball team’s first game on familiar ground this season, it snagged a big win against a conference rival over the weekend.

In the opener of the weekend, the Bulls forced the Huskies into extra innings. The effort from the bullpen gave the Bulls a chance to win. Junior pitcher Holly Johnson came in for Speckman in the top of the third inning, shutting out the Huskies for seven of the 11 innings she pitched.

The Bulls (8-20, 3-1 Mid-American Conference) earned their first win at home on Saturday against Western Michigan (720, 2-2 MAC). The series was the second doubleheader of the weekend for Buffalo, which lost two games against Northern Illinois (13-15, 3-1 MAC) on Friday.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a strong bullpen,” Teague said. “But we’re making it work with what we have. Sometimes we’re pitching by committee, one girl will pitch a couple of innings and then we’ll make a change. We’re working with what we have and it’s going a bit better.”

Freshman pitcher Tori Speckman earned her fifth win of the season in the 5-4 victory over the Broncos. She pitched a combined 11 2/3 innings of relief in the series.

The final run was scored in the 13th inning to give Northern Illinois a 10-9 victory over the Bulls.

MEG LEACHStaff Writer

Speckman entered the game after the Broncos tied the score at 3-3 in the third inning. She allowed only one run in the six remaining frames, allowing the Bulls to pick up the win in extra innings.

Last week, Speckman earned MAC East Softball Pitcher of the Week honors. Despite the success of the young pitcher, head coach Jennifer Teague thinks that there’s more that Speckman can offer.

“She’s been solid for us,” Teague said.

“For a freshman, she’s pitched in some tough situations for us, and given up very few runs, and that’s kind of what we’ve expected. It’s been a long haul for her, she came in hot earlier in the season, and she’s close to where we need her, but I think there’s a little bit more that she can give us.”

The win would be the only victory of the weekend for the Bulls. In game one against the Broncos, the Bulls got shut out, 2-0. Buffalo managed only four hits against Western Michigan pitcher Meredith Whitney, who earned the win for WMU.

After facing tough competition in the early parts of the season, Teague voiced hopes that the team would finally get into a rhythm of being able to score runs in high-pressure situations.

“We played a lot of tough competition in the preseason and faced a lot of good pitchers,” Teague said. “So we knew that our batting average was not going to be great at the start of the season. We knew once we got to conference that our averages would level out. We’ve made adjustments now and are starting to see improvement and there will be some things we continue to work on, like [players’] technique and hitting the ball where they need to be.”

In game two against the Huskies, the Bulls struggled to put up runs and were shut out, 7-0.

The Bulls will be home in their next series, playing against Cleveland State (1913, 4-4 Horizon League) in a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is at 3 p.m. with the next game following immediately after. g

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Golabek Places First at Texas Relays ERIN McCORMACKStaff Writer The men and women’s track and field team battled through the sweltering Texas heat over the weekend to compete against some of the best teams in the country.

The Bulls traveled to the Lone Star State to compete in the 84th Annual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The remainder of the squad participated at the Robert Morris Bennie Benson Memorial Invitational.

Buffalo had a huge weekend at the throws. Junior thrower Rob Golabek continued to shine for the Bulls, as he placed first in the men’s shot put. His throw of 62-7.75 (19.09m) broke his own school record and put him more than a foot over the second-place finisher from Arizona, Bozidar Antunovic.

The men’s head coach, Perry Jenkins, was more than impressed with Golabek’s performance.

“Today, Rob Golabek won the shot put,” Jenkins said. “That was huge.

The young man was eighth indoors at NCAA. To come out here and win the shot put at Texas Relays says a lot about [Golabek] and his performance.

The thrower’s circle proved to be successful for junior thrower Becky O’Brien, as well. She threw a season best 53-9 (16.38m) to finish fifth in the women’s shot put, surpassing her record by four feet.

Senior Russell Cameron finished in fourth place in the 400-meter run and eighth place in the 110-meter hurdles.

Freshman hurdler Donna Jeanty ran a season-best in the 400-meter hurdles at 1:01.11, finishing in 18th place.

Jenkins felt this meet was important to the track and field program at UB and that it means a lot for its student ath-

Bulls Remain Winless in MAC

doubles point hindered the team’s effort in both matches. The Bulls have yet to earn the doubles point against a MAC opponent this season, and they’re 2-10 overall when dropping the doubles point.

BRIAN JOSEPHS Asst. Sports Editor

Head coach Kathy Twist thought the point was easily obtainable for the Bulls over the weekend.

After suffering a shutout loss in its last match, the women’s tennis team tried to find a rhythm against its Mid-American Conference opponents over the weekend.

“We did see some improvement [in doubles competition] but it just wasn’t enough,” Twist said. “[The Bulls] have all the skills and physical ability to compete at a high level with these teams. We just need to execute on the point.”

The team still seems to be rhythmically challenged.

The Bulls (4-11, 0-5 MAC) lost 4-3 to Toledo (11-6, 2-1 MAC) on Friday and then against Eastern Michigan (9-8, 2-1 MAC) on Saturday by the same score. The pair of losses extends Buffalo’s losing streak to five matches and keeps it winless

Courtesy of Hyucksoo Kwon

The women’s tennis team dropped close matches to conference rivals Toledo and Eastern Michigan over the weekend. against MAC competition this season.

Buffalo’s inability to capture the

The Bulls were in position to win both contests despite their early struggles. Sophomore Kira Golenko had an opportunity to end Buffalo’s losing streak in her match against Toledo’s Kelsey Anonsen.

Golenko tried to come back after an early deficit, but failed to clinch the meet for the Bulls as Anonsen

The Penguins have been battling injuries all season long. They have been without their biggest stars, Sidney Crosby and Evengi Malkin, since January. The team has seen a decrease in offensive production and finished the season ranked 14th in goals for. The defense picked up the slack from the slumping offense and the Pens were able to hold a 2.40 goals against average, which is fourth best in the East.

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been good in goal for Pittsburgh this year, but his production is nothing fantastic. He is ranked in the top half of starting goalies for goals against and save percentage, but he has not faced the amount of shots that many of the other playoff goalies have.

Injuries will be the biggest concern for the Penguins as they go into the postseason.

Malkin will not return, and head coach Dan Bylsma is not convinced that he will have team captain Crosby back at the beginning. Even if the Penguins do hold out until Crosby’s return, there is no guarantee that he will be able to come right in and produce at the level they will need him to after being out for so long.

The Lightning have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this season. After years of being on the low end of the conference, the team’s young talent has finally started to develop into major contributors.

Steven Stamkos has challenged the league’s top talent in almost every category. He is second in the league in goals with 45, he is 19th in assists with 43, and his 91 total points is fifth in the league.

This would be amazing enough on its own, except that Tampa Bay is also the home of Martin St. Louis, whose 31 goals, 68 assists, and 99 total points have made him the one of the top two offensive players in the league.

Tampa Bay’s biggest hole is right in front of the net, however. Starting goalie Dwayne Roloson is one of the worst goalies in the playoffs. His 2.59 goals against average and .914 save percentage puts him in the bottom of the league for starting goalie production. The 41-year-old Canadian will have to severely improve his game if the Lightning are going to be successful.

Prediction: Lightning in six See Wednesday’s paper for the preview for the Western Conference. g

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

letes to be competing at this level.

“It’s a big plus,” Jenkins said. “It’ll get us ready for our next big meet – the Penn Relays [are] in a month and after that we get ready for conference. I think [the meet] was a learning process that they had a chance to get out here to compete at a high-caliber level and to learn from it.”

The rest of the team was doing work in Western Pennsylvania and won 11 events at the Robert Morris Invitational.

Sophomore throwers Evan Palmer and Erin Miller came out on top in the hammer throw and discus.

Palmer won both the hammer throw at 58.15m and the discus at 48.07m.

Miller placed first in the women’s discus with 42.62m and finished second in the hammer throw with 49.15m.

The Bulls didn’t turn in any particularly fast times due to the slight breeze on the track, but still managed to pull out first-place finishes in several events.

Weather has been a factor in both the team’s training and competition.

Women’s head coach Vicki Mitchell looks optimistic about future performances now that spring has finally arrived.

“This is the first day that it has been warm,” Mitchell said. “We were outside in workouts with snow on Tuesday. Once our sprinters, throwers, and jumpers can start to get outside and get onto the 400-meter track and get used to running on that – really the only opportunity they’ve had is at Wakefield Forest [N.C.] and at Ohio. From this point forward, it’s going to have a big impact on our performances.”

The competition continues next weekend for both squads as they will be heading to Lewisburg, Pa. to compete at the Bucknell Bison Outdoor Classic. Events kick off at 11 a.m. on both days. g

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took the match 6-2, 7-6(4).

In the match against EMU, Buffalo led the Eagles going into the final two matches, but the Bulls couldn’t finish their opponents off for a second consecutive day.

EMU’s Mariya Toncheva swung the momentum to the Eagles’ favor with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Golenko. The Eagles’ Xu Chang then clinched the match for EMU with a thrilling 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over freshman Marta Stoyanova.

Freshman Miranda Podlas provided one of Buffalo’s only highlights by going undefeated on the weekend. Podlas teamed up with senior Diana Popescu to take both of their doubles matches. They beat Toledo’s Polina Guimaraes and Kelsey Anonsen, 8-4, and Eastern Michigan’s Miriam Westerink and Nino Mebuke, 8-7(5).

Podlas followed up her two victories with commanding perfor-

mances in singles competition.

She defeated Toledo’s Silvia Carvajal 6-4, 6-2. Podlas then dominated Eastern Michigan’s Georgia de’Lisle-Tarr to earn a 6-1, 6-2 win.

Twist felt that Podlas’ intensity was the key factor to her weekend success.

“She had a lot of will to bring the points her way,” Twist said. “I like the fact that Miranda went out there with the intention of just winning… I think that’s impressive coming from a freshman.”

Sophomore Tamara Markovic had some success on the weekend as well. She recovered from losses in doubles play in both matches to earn victories in both of her singles matches. She beat Toledo’s Amanda Border, 6-3, 6-2, and Eastern Michigan’s Marcela Rivero, 6-3, 6-3. “[Tamara] is such a hard worker,”

Almost nothing that Manny Ramirez did over his 18-year major league career was done with elegance. Whether he was misplaying fly balls off of Fenway Park’s Green Monster, getting in the way of cutoff throws in left field, or taking extended bathroom breaks during pitching changes, Manny simply lived in his own world.

His dreads were long, and the list of reasons to hate him were even longer, especially after his second positive test for performance enhancing drugs pushed him into early retirement last Friday. Instead of facing a 100-game suspension, Manny will ride off into the sunset, leaving behind him a cloud of confusion and a country of divided loyalties.

Whether you’re a fan of Manny or not, it’s difficult to argue that the slugger isn’t leaving a legacy of greatness as he leaves the game. There are two Manny trademarks that I’ll always remember.

One of course, is his swing.

This was Ramirez’s bread and butter – his art form, if you will, for the better part of two decades. Anyone who’s seen Manny’s swing has, in fact, seen perfection.

Despite his 555 career home runs, his swing wasn’t an aggressive one.

His swing was pure poetry, starting with a slight wiggle of the bat, progressing to a short and compact stroke through the strike zone, and finally concluding with a long and sweet one-handed finish. He was so quiet and nonchalant at the plate that once he’d hit the ball out of the park, you’d sit there and think to yourself, “How did he just do that?”

Then he’d trot around the bases, at a pace just slow enough to admire his feat, but just fast enough as to not rub it in the opposing team’s face.

Then you’d see it.

Coming from underneath his pine-tar-covered helmet, his unkempt and hairy face gave way to a set of tobacco-stained teeth and a smile that will forever hold a place in the history of America’s pastime.

That smile was more than just a gimmick. It was a reminder to his teammates, his opponents, and fans all across the world about how great baseball is and can be. It’s more than just a job or a hobby. It’s a passion, a way of life, and for Manny Ramirez, it was fun.

I’ll never forget the images of Manny Ramirez smiling and pointing at Pedro Martinez after a big hit during the legendary Red Sox World Series run in 2004, or his euphoric celebrations with David Ortiz after a clutch hit that brought 40,000 screaming fans to their feet.

People may resent him because he wasn’t the typical baseball superstar. He wasn’t clean cut, his uniform was baggy, and at times it appeared he didn’t care. But that was just “Manny being Manny,” and don’t think for a second that winning wasn’t constantly at the forefront of his mind.

As his former Red Sox teammate Nomar Garciaparra mentioned Friday on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, Manny was always the first one to the ballpark, and the last one to leave.

Hall of Fame or no Hall of Fame, performance enhancing drugs or not, Manny’s time in a major league uniform was more than just about the numbers he put up.

Manny was a boy in a grown man’s body, cherishing every moment of his job, a kid’s game. He reminded us all how beautiful baseball is in its purest form, and for that, I’ll never forget him. g Email: scottres@buffalo.edu

Twist said. “She wasn’t satisfied with her performance in her previous matches, so she came back and worked hard… [her victories] are a credit to her hard work and her perseverance.”

Twist believes that work ethic and tenacity are what’s going to help her team end its losing streak.

“You have to have the will to put everything into the match to come out as the victor,” Twist said.

“When it comes time on game day, you have to put everything in.”

The Bulls will look for their first conference win when they host Northern Illinois (2-10, 0-2 MAC) on Friday. The meet is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. g

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