The Confucius Institute at UB will be hosting its first Chinese Culture Contest and Scholarship Competition
Chinese Culture Contest Helps Students Interested in Studying Abroad
The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo WEEKEND EDITION v April 15, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 74 v ubspectrum.com
LESLIE TUNMOREStaff Writer Students interested in studying abroad in China should start brushing up on their knowledge of Chinese culture. The Confucius Institute at UB (UBCI) is hosting its first Chinese Culture Contest and Scholarship Competition. This contest will be held on April 20 in the Natural Sciences Complex and will pit contestants against one another, testing their knowledge of Chinese culture. The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship, which can be used toward travel expenses for studying abroad in China.
Courtesy of Tom Godber
An RIA study on gambling found that young males should be targeted for prevention of problem drinking as well as problem gambling.
Gambling Addiction More Prevalent than Alcoholism in Adults FLOYD SWEETStaff Writer Losing money and the support of family and friends are common consequences of alcoholism. Studies show, however, that gambling addiction is more prevalent in adults compared with alcoholism, and can have the same consequences. After the age of 21, gambling is more of a problem behavior than drinking, according to a study conducted by the UB Research Institute on Addictions published in the Journal of Gambling Studies. Co-investigators in the study are Dr. John W. Welte, senior research scientist; Dr. Grace M. Barnes, senior research scientist; Dr. William Wieczorek of Buffalo State College; MarieCecile O. Tidwell, project manager; and Joseph H. Hoffman, statistician. The study was funded by a grant of $3,001,078 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Welte states that most gambling habits are developed in one’s teenage years and go on to reach their peaks around the 20s and 30s. “The financial difficulties of casinos and state lotteries in the last couple of years suggest that gambling has declined,” Welte said. “Over the longer haul, no one knows because the studies haven’t been done. We are working on a new national survey, but the results won’t be published for a couple of years.” Welte’s research has shown that American adults who live in lowerclass neighborhoods or close to casinos are more likely to be problem gamblers. The results of another study done by the RIA on college student gambling concluded that being in school was not a predictor of gambling, frequent gambling, or problem gambling after gender, age, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status was taken into account. However, being a college student was associated with higher levels of alcohol use and problem drinking. The study showed that students in college are twice as likely to consume
alcohol and are one and a half times more likely to have a drinking problem in comparison to individuals not attending school. Being male was the strongest predictor of both problem gambling and problem drinking. Blacks were less likely than whites to drink heavily, yet they were more likely than whites to gamble more frequently. Welte’s study concluded that young males should be targeted for prevention and intervention efforts for both problem gambling and problem drinking regardless of college student status. The study was published in the Journal of American College Health. “The results of this study are pretty evident on our campus,” said Julius Peterson, a sophomore exercise science major. “Every weekend, it is evident that college students are abusing alcohol because it is hard to keep that quiet due to alcohol’s effects on an individual. I believe it’s much harder to detect problem gambling because you don’t see the kid playing online poker 24/7 or the person betting on [sports] games, especially since it’s illegal in most instances.” There has always been public concern over high-risk, addictive behaviors among college students, especially binge drinking and, to a lesser extent, gambling. One can still ask the question if rates of problem behaviors among college students are high because of the increased freedom of the college experience itself, or if these behaviors are age-related. Welte’s study was the first of its kind that compared alcohol and gambling in this demographic. “I have lost probably over a thousand dollars in online poker games,” said a UB undergraduate student, who wished to remain anonymous. “Initially this seems hard to grasp, but it’s hard to keep track of adding 50 dollars here and 25 dollars there to your account. You never actually lose money in your head [because] it’s just a number changing on the screen, until your bank statement comes.” For more information on the study, visit www.niaaa.nih.gov. g
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Contestants will be quizzed on a wide variety of Chinese topics, which will include anything from history, philosophy and geography to current events in sports, the arts, and contemporary culture. Undergraduate students from all majors are encouraged to participate. Students are already preparing for the event.
The contest will be broken down into three segments with 10 questions in each. Questions will be displayed simultaneously on a screen via PowerPoint to allow audience members to test their knowledge. Contestants will work individually to try and answer questions. At the end, a panel of judges will tally each group’s scores and announce the winner. Students with the top five scores will be eligible for the $1,000 scholarship. Competition winners who are accepted into any SUNY abroad program in China will automatically be awarded the scholarship. Winners planning an alternative course of study must submit a brief proposal explaining how their time in China will further their academic goals, and will be awarded the scholarship upon approval by a UBCI committee. “I have already applied and been accepted to the Chinese Language and Culture Program in Beijing to be taught at the Capital Normal University this summer so the money from
the scholarship would help toward that,” said Alexandra Lawson, a sophomore business marketing and interdisciplinary social sciences major with a focus in international relations and Asian studies. The UBCI has played an active role in the community since its opening in April 2010. Earlier this year, the UBCI, along with the Chinese Club of Western New York, held a Chinese New Year celebration in the Center for the Arts. Along with the Chinese culture contest and other events, UBCI hopes to make its presence on campus better known to students. “I think that this is a great opportunity that will hopefully lead to me becoming more involved in the Institute,” Turner said. Promoting the teaching of the Chinese language and culture across the entire Buffalo community is very important to the UBCI. Its ultimate goal is to encourage Chinese language and culture to be taught in local schools in grades K through 12, according to Yang. Students interested in registering for the Chinese Culture Contest can visit the UBCI website at www.confuciusinstitute.buffalo.edu or email Eric Yang at wenzhong@buffalo.edu. g
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Bicycles Invade Campus to Promote Environmental Sustainability GRACE CLARKEStaff Writer On Tuesday, around 60 students and community members lined up and joined the UB Cycling Team and Student Association on a campus-to-campus bicycle ride from North Campus to South Campus, a distance of approximately 4.1 miles. Recreation Intramurals Services had bikes available for students who wished to participate in the event. “The goal is to raise public awareness about the many public transportation options in Buffalo,” said Zach Zweifler, a representative for the environmental stewardship committee and the transportation subcommittee. “There are many ways to get around Buffalo without using a car. Cycling in Buffalo is a great example, and there are many bicycle shops in the area that make it easy to get started.” The journey began outside the Student Union at the Special Events Field. Riders began at 11 a.m. and made their way to South Campus, where food and refreshments were available for all participants. Each cyclist also received a “swag bag” containing coupons, water bottles, and snacks, according to Zweifler. Different community groups had tables set up at the event to help advertise the multitude of public transportation options located throughout Buffalo. Gladys Gifford, president of the Citizens for Regional Transit group, braved the windy weather to promote the NFTA Metro Rail and its availability to UB students. UB students who live within three-quarters of a mile to a metro rail station are eligible to receive a free Metro Rail voucher, which will allow them to ride the subway at no fee. Gifford believes that as UB 2020 prospers, so will the NFTA Metro by eventually connecting North and South Campus by train and additionally creating a line that reaches the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Mike Vaughn, a junior history major, participated in the event and hopes it will inspire other students to use alternate means of transportation. “I bike to class when it is warm out, so I figured why not join in on a bike parade,” Vaughn said. “If other students see a big crowd of bikers going from campus to campus, they may feel like they can do it too.”
Alex McCrossen /// The Spectrum
The UB Cycling Team and Student Association held a campus-to-campus ride to raise awareness about alternative transportation options. UB Cycling Team President Annie Parodi and members Ted Olsen-Tank, a senior chemical engineering major, and Corey Knowles, an exercise science major, participated in the event as well. The cycling team competes within the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference and also rides casually throughout the Buffalo area. “Cycling is such an easy way to get around, and [the cycling team] is hopeful that this event will help gain awareness about our club and what we do here on campus,” Parodi said. The cycling team is open to competitive members as well as casual cyclists who are looking to gain more experience. Wellness Education Services was present at the event to provide riders and students with information about the health benefits of bike riding. “A 30-minute bike ride burns approximately 200 calories,” said Eileen Maher, a senior exercise science major and intern at Wellness Education Services. “If you rode your bike to school three times a week, it is equivalent to almost nine pounds of fat burned over the year. [The campus-to-campus bike ride] is a great way to increase physical activity and physiological health.” North Campus has the capacity to hold over 600 bikes at the bike racks located outside buildings on campus, according to Parking and Transportation Services. The Stampede buses are also equipped with bike racks, which students can use to easily transport their bikes between campuses. Parking and Transportation Services has information on its website about using bicycle bus racks, locations around Buffalo for biking, and links to different community resources. For more information, visit www.ubparking.buffalo.edu. g
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“The ultimate goal is to promote the interest and motivation to learn Chinese and to learn about the Chinese culture,” said Eric Yang, executive director of UBCI. “We also work to enhance the exchange between the universities in China and the United States, especially here at UB.”
“[To help prepare] my teacher gave an information packet with some facts about China that might help on the quiz,” said Julianna Turner, a freshman undecided major, in an email. “My friend from class and I went over it to outline which facts were most important. We then divided up the topics and have emailed each other brief study guides.”
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