Women’s rugby recieves over $6,700 from SA Four freshmen lead math translation project THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
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Former UB basketball star Mulkey at Buffalo Bills camp again
Friday, April 19, 2013
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Volume 62 No. 74
REBECCA BRATEK Managing Editor
Courtesy of Joe Cascio
President Satish Tripathi (left) returned to Western New York on Sept. 6, after completing the first half of his "20 Cities in 20 Months" tour to engage UB alumni. He spoke at the historic Lafayette Hotel in downtown Buffalo, which was packed with over 400 guests, about his visions for UB 2020 and the university as it moves into the future.
Over the past two years, UB has invested $400,000 in an alumni engagement and fundraising tour. The tour has raised over $8.9 million – over 22 times more than the investment. And it’s not over. UB President Satish Tripathi has traveled to nine states and four countries on the tour. Tripathi, who was inaugurated as UB’s 15th president in Sept. 2011, has completed 19 stops of his “UB Presidential Tour for UB Alumni: 20 Cities in 20 Months” expedition to date. Though Alumni Relations considers this tour to be a “huge success,” some UB community members wonder if Tripathi’s time is best spent reaching out to alumni away from campus. “Why is President Tripathi going around the world soliciting money from wealthy potential donors, rather than teaming up with other SUNY presidents, with faculty and professional and staff unions and with the citizens and owners of SUNY to lobby Albany for a decent level of public support for the university?” said James Holstun, an English professor, in an email. “Doesn’t this move UB even further away from a public university and toward something that the wealthy feel they own?” The tour, which is organized and funded by the Office of Alumni Relations and sponsored by the Alumni Association, serves as Tripathi’s welcome to the UB community and his first greeting to the almost 220,000 UB alumni worldwide – the largest constituency of UB stakeholders. Tripathi aims to share what’s happening on campus – namely the progress of UB 2020 and UB’s plans for the future of the university. SEE TRIPATHI, PAGE 4
Petition Abortion debate draws passionate crowd in Knox created in Tempers flare as abortion-rights advocates leave debate early support of arrested professor SHARON KAHN
Asst. Features Editor
SARA DINATALE
Senior News Editor
About 600 people have signed a petition calling for the dismissal of charges against Laura Curry, the adjunct media study instructor who was arrested at Monday’s anti-abortion display outside the Student Union. Curry was charged with disorderly conduct. She received an appearance ticket for the Amherst Town Court on May 9. Curry is declining to make public comments until after her court date. She was arrested after vocalizing her distaste for the display, which UB Students for Life brought to campus on Monday and Tuesday. Monday’s display showcased graphic images comparing abortion to genocide and the Holocaust. Curry used the word “f**k” to express her feelings on the display. Curry’s arrest was filmed on a student’s phone, shared on the Internet and Fox News and The Huffington Post picked up the story. Cayden Mak, a media study instructor who is involved in Curry’s support committee, said the amount of signatures on the online petition “was approaching 600” as of Thursday morning. The petition and statement were a response to “a lot of the decontextualized coverage of the story in the mainstream media,” according to Mak. “We are ashamed that a strong emotional response to hate on campus is considered disorderly, while the hate itself is sanctioned,” a statement produced by Curry’s supporters said. “We are alarmed that the University Police used unilateral power in deciding which types of speech are and are not acceptable.” UPD said it doesn’t make statements and referred comment to UB’s communication department. SEE Curry, PAGE 2
On Monday and Tuesday, members of the UB community protested outside the Student Union because UB Students for Life President Christian Andzel invited the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform to campus, and the group set up graphic images of aborted fetuses. On Thursday evening, tensions between anti-abortion and abortions-rights advocates carried into Knox 20. Andzel and Anna Franzonello, a lawyer and staff counsel for Americans United For Life, debated Rachel Stern, a TA for global studies, and Christian Malloy, a freshman undecided major, on whether abortion should be considered legal or illegal. The event got so heated that Stern and Malloy immediately left the lecture hall following cross-examinations. An abortion-rights student stood up after the anti-abortion side’s cross-examination and asked students to take a stance. “I ask you students of UB to stand up and leave with dignity with me,” he proclaimed. Stern and Malloy followed the student, upset and flustered. During Andzel’s cross-examination, members of the audience repeatedly screamed out at the abortion-rights party for being “incompetent” and “unprepared.” Anti-abortion audience members shouted that the abortionrights party had to “face the facts.” Student Association President Travis Nemmer, who moderated the debate, boisterously quieted the audience and urged people to hold their opinions until the appropriate question-and-answer period. The anti-abortion debaters continued to insist they did not have enough time to prepare. Malloy insisted that the abortion-rights party was invited to debate 72 hours before the event, while the anti-abortion party had been preparing for at least four months. “If you believe in something, you don’t need more than 72 hours to prepare for it,” said Latoya Kimberly Stew, a history graduate student.
Alexa Strudler, The Spectrum
Christian Andzel (standing), the UB Students For Life president, cross-examines the abortion-rights side of global studies TA Rachel Stern (sitting, left) and freshman undecided major Christian Malloy.
Andzel took the stage again to explain how be believed the debate was fairly planned, explaining that his opposition canceled last week and left him scrambling to find new debaters. Andzel told the audience the abortion-rights members not only walked out on the debate but “walked out on the students.” Andzel said the “debate of the year” was all about getting the discussion rolling and he wanted to “really hone the argument of today’s social issues.” After Nemmer told Malloy told his opening statement “violated the rules,” Malloy announced that he had “nothing left to say” and took his seat. Malloy addressed Andzel’s opening statement in his own opening words, which Nemmer said was a violation. Malloy’s opening speech lasted less than a minute.
Each party took turns crossexamining the opposite side after each presented its case. Stern questioned Andzel and Franzonello. Andzel followed by questioning Stern and Malloy. While Andzel shared his personal story of his mother putting him up for adoption due to her inability to support a child, Stern emphasized that it was Andzel’s mother’s choice to do so. Hostility continued to grow, and audience members didn’t make the event any more peaceful. Constant outbursts often led the debaters off topic. Like last year’s debate, there was a major focus on whether a fetus can be considered a human. Stern and Malloy both argued that while a fetus is reliant on the mother, the fetus is a parasite and not considered a human.
Stew yelled out and argued with Nemmer to allow her to speak and address the abortion-rights party’s concern with the Center For BioEthical Reform’s signs that compared abortion to the Holocaust and other genocides. “Jews were not wanted in Germany, African Americans were not wanted in America and what is a fetus – not wanted,” Stew shouted. The debate concluded with closing words from Andzel and Franzonella. Within the last few minutes, Malloy returned to the lecture hall with his closing words. “We live in a country where we have our morals … and no one has the right to infringe them on other people,” Malloy said. Phil Tucciarone, a junior chemical engineering major, walked to the front of the room to explain why the abortion-rights debaters walked out. SEE DEBATE, PAGE 2
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Continued from page 1: Debate “I’m not telling you what either team is trying to say,” Tucciarone said. He said that many people were unhappy with how the debate was planned and that many supporters of the abortion-rights party boycotted the debate, which is why there was a lack of support. “Without any preparation, they jumped into the lion’s den,” Tucciarone said. “They stepped up and wanted to do something.” After the past two years, it can be expected there will be another abortion debate in April 2014.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Women’s rugby receives over $6,700 from SA
Email: features@ubspectrum.com
Continued from page 1: Curry “As a public university, it is a fundamental value of UB that all members of the campus community and their invited guests have a right to peacefully express their views and opinions, regardless of whether others may disagree with those expressions,” according to UB’s statement. “This includes the right of protesters to oppose the views or opinions of others, but not in such a way as to limit or prevent the speaker’s freedom of expression or interfere with university operations.” Those who are signing the petition, titled “Stand With Laura Curry,” are also calling for UB to “take seriously its job of creating a safe and healthy space for learning, work, and play for all members of the community.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com
HAIDER ALIDINA, THE SPECTRUM
SAM FERNANDO
Asst. News Editor
At Wednesday’s Student Association Senate meeting, the UB women’s rugby club team received $6,700 and a $7,000 loan to attend a national tournament. Typically, clubs don’t receive this much funding through Senate grants. The club asked the Senate on Wednesday night to help fund an estimated $20,469.65 trip to USA Rugby Final Four in Stanford, Calif. The team had $2,948 left in its budget and was able to raise
$5,580.80 through various fundraisers, including a clothing sale, Delta Sonic sale and banquet dinner. All 21 players are also paying $200 out of pocket, which brings in an additional $4,200. After all of the adjustments, the team came to the Senate meeting with a deficit of $7,740.81. The Senate decided to finance the rugby team by gathering money from other clubs. Specifics can be seen in The Spectrum’s graphic. The Senate moved into a discussion period and debated how to finance the club. The Senators were
adamant about the importance of finding a way to fund the trip. After discussion and determining the total figures of money coming from other locations – SISH council, funds from Korean Student Association, which was derecognized at the Senate meeting, and UB NORML – the Senate funded the remaining $3,100 from its New and Innovative line. The women’s rugby club is continuing to fundraise through a SubBoard, Inc. (SBI), fundraiser. Robert Golightly, the Senate sports coordinator, said the club currently has collected $700 from the fund-
raiser, and he estimated it will total $1,000 by April 30. Because the team needs to book flights for the event and some of the club’s funds are tied up in SBI, Golightly used two lines to fund $7,000 – with $6,000 from the Competition line and $1,000 from the Co-sponsorship line – to use temporarily until the funds from SBI come through. Once the funds come through, the money he invested will be moved back into those lines. Email: news@ubspectrum.com
Short a few creditS?
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Opinion
Friday, April 19, 2013 ubspectrum.com
EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief Aaron Mansfield Senior Managing Editor Brian Josephs Managing Editor Rebecca Bratek Editorial Editor Eric Cortellessa News EDItors Sara DiNatale, Co-Senior Lisa Khoury, Co-Senior Sam Fernando, Asst. Rachel Raimondi, Asst. LIFE EDITORS Rachel Kramer, Senior Lyzi White Lisa Epstein, Asst. Sharon Kahn, Asst. ARTS EDITORS Elva Aguilar, Senior Lisa de la Torre, Asst. Max Crinnin, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS Joseph Konze Jr., Senior Jon Gagnon Ben Tarhan Markus McCaine, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS Alexa Strudler, Senior Nick Fischetti Satsuki Aoi, Asst. Aminata Diallo, Asst. CARTOONIST Jeanette Chwan CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Keschinger Haider Alidina, Asst. PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Kurtz Danielle Abrams, Asst. Luke Nuttle, Asst. ADVERTISING DESIGNER Joseph Ramaglia Ryan Christopher, Asst. Haley Sunkes, Asst.
March 27, 2013 Volume 62 Number 74 Circulation 7,000 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 news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at (716) 645-2452. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100
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Can you take me higher?
Recent statistics show people should focus on getting higher ed degree When the recession hit, many high school graduates became convinced that going to college was a better option than trying their luck at entering a lackluster job market. Recent college enrollment rates released by the Department of Labor, however, suggest this tendency has been shifting. In 2012, the rates of high school graduates enrolling in college lowered for men from 64.6 to 61.3 percent, and for women from 72.3 to 71.3 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal. While these numbers seem to indicate high school graduates are becoming more confident in their ability to find work straight out of high school, the unemployment rates do not suggest it has become much easier – 7.7 percent of the United States remains unemployed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The hope would be that as more recent grads are choosing not to go to college, they would be entering the workforce – helping employment. The percentage of 16-24-year-olds unemployed, however, has increased by 9 percent.
These numbers signify that it is becoming more difficult for people without college degrees to find work. A college education is designed to provide many things beyond mere profession training, and as these rates suggest, the value of a degree is increasing. The availability of jobs for people with just a high school degree is diminishing, and the trope inserted into the modern American social understanding has become increasingly true – that a college education is not just beneficiary but practically necessary. We all know people who have not completed college for whatever reason. But what we need to be aware of is our own level of cognizance over how treating our education affects us. We need to become engaged in our own journey in a way that recognizes our education is what we choose to make of it. It is about more than just feeding the statistics. The numbers reflect what is going on in the world outside the university campus. But the statistics don’t
address one thing. They don’t address the skills and virtues you must develop in the course of earning an undergraduate education. Columbia University Professor of English Andrew Delbanco wrote a book titled College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be, in which he extols the advantages of going to college. He references Thomas Jefferson’s proclamation that an educated citizenry is best to govern itself. He points out the average college-educated individual is likely to make a million dollars more over the course of his or her lifetime than the average noncollege-educated individual. Perhaps most importantly, he discusses the importance of how the college experience leaves you well practiced in dealing with options. It is the experience you gain from having to travel through a bureaucratic web a time or two, having to plan out your schedule and decide what classes you want to take and seeking out clubs and organizations on campus you want to get involved with. Each of these examples and more can develop an understanding
of how to deal with options when presented, but also, how to seek out options when they seem elusive. It is the attitude you develop over the course of a college experience, in which you must make countless midcourse corrections, that helps you learn how to face challenges over the course of your life. As you go on and reflect upon the ways you maneuvered around the college system, you will figure out that the ways you did it can be applied just about anywhere else. These are the skills college can give you, and they may help you figure out how to find and keep work in the long run because you will be better equipped to handle all the possible options. The opportunities increase greatly with the qualifications that come with that piece of paper some refer to as a degree. Make sure to get one, and if you do, think about the process of how you’re getting it along the way. Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
‘I can’t change, even if I tried’
California law is justified in banning gay conversion therapy On Wednesday, a federal appeals court in San Francisco listened to arguments about whether the California law banning “gay conversion therapy” for minors is a violation of the First Amendment. The law was adopted a year ago and is an effort to regulate a form of talk therapy. It prevents licensed therapists from trying to change the sexual orientation of people under the age of 18. The absurdity of such a practice is beyond comprehension to the majority of mental health organizations and specialists. Kamala D. Harris, attorney general of California, wrote in the brief submitted to the court: “For more than 40 years, every mainstream mental health organization has agreed that same sex attraction is not a disease in need of a cure.” By now, it should be understood that there are limitations and restrictions to First Amendment rights. You can’t scream the word ‘bomb’ on an airplane. You can’t broadcast pornography on local televi-
sion. You can’t yell ‘fire’ in a crowded building. The methodology to which freedom of speech can be controlled has historically constituted the time, manner and place of speech. For instance, any city in the United States can deny a musician a permit for a concert if the city has previously had problems with noise or crowd control. The city cannot deny the artist a permit if it disagrees with the content or the message of the music. Generally speaking, freedom of speech cannot be denied due to any type of indifference or disagreement with the content of some specific form of speech. Gay conversion therapy, however, falls into a separate category that renders its prohibition well within legal grounds. The court should see the law as a well-founded and justifiable effort to thwart medical and therapeutic malpractice. The licensed therapists who practice this form of therapy are way out of the mainstream. They are radicals practicing outside the realm of what
decades of medical and psychological research has established; sexual orientation is inborn and not a choice. Typically, it is not the choice of child patients to be treated with this type of therapy. They are minors under the age of 18 and are likely there under the coercion of their parents. As highly inappropriate and wounding as it is for parents to make children feel defective for their sexual orientation, it is highly appropriate for a state to step in and prevent a practice harmful to individuals. If someone yells ‘bomb’ on an airplane, it induces panic. If someone yells ‘fire’ in a crowded building, it causes chaos. The speech brought forth in those examples is prohibited because it causes forms of psychological and emotional injury to those subjected to the speech. The same applies to gay conversion therapy. The small group of therapists who advocate this kind of treatment are under the belief that homosexuality is a result of gender confusion
and comes from experiencing childhood trauma. This is nonsense and many gay men in particular have recounted experiencing conversion therapy as afflicting them with deeper feelings of anguish and guilt, according to The New York Times. It is already well understood that LGBTQ youth are more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to attempt suicide – which inspired Dan Savage and his husband, Terry Miller, to establish the It Gets Better Project. Conversion therapy adds more hardship to the already difficult position of being an adolescent homosexual. It is injurious and against the norm of accepted medical standards. The state has the right to ban its practice for the sake of the people it will harm; it can detonate a bomb in a young person’s life. Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
Letters to the Editor Dear Spectrum: We are writing to condemn the message of the anti-abortion protest that took place outside the Commons this week. In particular, we are disturbed by the equation of those who support women’s reproductive rights with those who lynched thousands of African American men and women in the 19th and 20th centuries. We do not condemn the protest itself; in fact, we believe that the right to peaceably assemble is one of the foundational rights of American citizenship. However, as historians, we feel it is imperative to speak out against this crass, uninformed and dangerous misuse of history. From the end of the Civil War through the mid-20th century, white lynch mobs throughout the United States, although mostly in the South, deliberately and with extraordinary malice, terrorized and murdered African Americans under the pretense of “protecting” white womanhood from the supposed threat of rape by black men. Of course, this mock chivalry was just a ruse. Lynchers could not imagine a world in which a white woman might choose to love a black man, and no doubt some of those lynched were guilty only of crossing the South’s prohibition against consensual interracial sex. Others were simply guilty of owning their own land or trying to make a way for their families. Regardless, all of them paid the price for the white South’s brutal effort to control not only black bodies but white female ones, as well.
The inability to see women as capable of making decisions about their own sexuality. The use of violent, inaccurate, and misleading imagery. The pretense of protection. Anti-abortion protesters appear to have a lot in common with those who supported lynching. We applaud vigorous, thoughtful debate and protest. It is the lifeblood of democracy. However, this kind of political action requires much deliberation, which unfortunately was missing from yesterday’s anti-abortion protest. If students wish to learn more about the history of racial and sexual violence, including lynching, we welcome them to take any of our classes. Sincerely,
Susan Cahn, Professor of History
Carole Emberton, Assistant Professor of History
Theresa Runstedtler, Assistant Professor of American Studies
Lakisha Simmons, Assistant Professor of Global Gender Studies
Victoria Wolcott, Professor of History
Jason Young, Associate Professor of History
AMANDA JANTZI What should have been a beautiful Monday was marred by many things – tracking down friends in Boston, watching news coverage and having my morning framed by an offensive form of free speech. Anti-abortion protestors set up large billboards outside the Student Union on Monday and Tuesday featuring graphic medical images, suggestions that abortion is genocide and numbers where one can call to have a disingenuous conversation with an anti-abortion advocate about your abortion or unplanned pregnancy. That they were there on Tuesday is particularly galling given the situation in Boston, as they attempt to juxtapose their message against real terror, destruction and heartache. At this point in the debate, we all know each other’s arguments and straw men quite well, so I will endeavor to stay away from these when I discuss two points I took offense to. I can make no guarantees that my contempt won’t seethe through. First, as a lawyer, I am an ardent advocate of the First Amendment and free speech. Yet I had to wonder if there was some way to classify what was placed on our campus as hate speech. There’s a long list of people this could apply to – how hateful was it to women on campus who have suffered miscarriages and have to look at those images? How hateful to the men who supported them? To women who exercised the right to have an abortion, and the men who supported them? More broadly, to anyone who experienced a trauma and who was triggered by the sight of blood and gore? And how hateful was it to victims of geno-
cide, or those affected by it, to make such a rank comparison? What was their day like, after seeing those images? To post them, in that size, in that location, certainly shows contempt – to those of us who are pro-choice, to women, to the campus community as a whole and the various members who might be affected by those images. Second, and also as a lawyer, I value precision in language. This is why I find the comparisons of abortion to genocide offensive. Legally – and because it is a recognized international crime, the legal definition is certainly relevant – genocide is “the deliberate and systematic destruction of, in whole or in part, an ethnic, racial, religious or national group.” None of the groups mentioned in the definition – ethnic, racial, religious or national – are being targeted by abortion. There are no defining characteristics present, nor are any particular groups being targeted in whole or in part. Any argument to the contrary is not only ideological and distorted but also offensive to those who are victims of, or experienced the effects of, genocide. And this comes before we get to another qualification for genocide – the act must be systemic. That is, it must be organized, system wide and affecting a group or system as a whole. Systemic means the Holocaust or the Rwandan genocide, in which whole societies participated, with mechanisms in place, in the wholesale destruction of a particular group. Anti-abortion advocates will claim that the dwindling network of abortion providers in our country is systemic, but again, they are distorting facts to fit their arguments. Abortions are not being forced on all pregnant women.
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Friday, April 19, 2013
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1:
AROUND THE WORLD
IN 20 MONTHS Second, the tour serves an engine for fundraising, something that the university feels is imperative to its success. The tour began on Sept. 30, 2011, just 15 days after Tripathi’s official presidential investiture. He has traveled everywhere from the other side of New York State to the West Coast in California and across borders and seas to China, Malaysia and South Korea. He will have traveled to 22 cities in 20 months by the “grand finale,” which will be held in New York City on May 15. *** The Spectrum asked 700 students about their views of the president. Forty-one percent didn’t know his name, and 56 percent felt they were not informed enough to know if Tripathi has done his job well since he’s been in office. Twenty-five percent said he was not doing a good job during his tenure. Almost 82 percent said they don’t feel Tripathi’s presence on UB’s campus, and 77 percent believed they should.
STUDENT SURVEY: No
287
Do you know who the University President is? 700 polled
Yes 413
No 174
Yes 137
Is our President doing his job well? 701 polled
Not informed 390
No 571
Do you feel his presence on campus? 699 polled
Yes 128
No
153
Do you think you should? 694 polled
Yes
541
Student Association President Travis Nemmer gives Tripathi a “solid B” rating of Tripathi’s presidency thus far. “Overall, the university’s been running pretty smoothly, and we haven’t had any major crises like the financial aid screw up last year,” Nemmer said. “His job is to manage the big picture, not the nitty details of each department on campus. I’d like to see more direction in UB 2020.We haven’t seen that comprehensive of a plan yet or a timeline, and some of the pro-
posed ideas don’t have their homework adequately done. “God knows we’ve seen worse. Don’t let perfect become the enemy of good.” Other students think Tripathi is around more than they notice, and he does a good job of getting out into the campus community. “Personally, I think Tripathi really does make an effort to be around for students,” said Daniel Ovadia, the student representative for the UB Council. “I just went to the Academies’ entrepreneurship talk and he was there. Last week, he was interacting with students at the Celebration of Academic Excellence quite a bit before the program, and it’s not uncommon to see him walking around the Spine – and even eating in the Union.” Martha McCluskey, a law professor, agrees with Holstun, and she worries expansive fundraising tours take away from a president’s first concern – his performance on campus and within the community surrounding the university. She added many UB faculty members and students must pay for work-related travel with their own money. “Many UB faculty and students must pay out of their own pocket without reimbursement for workrelated travel that is essentially a requirement for scholarship and teaching careers today, and that arguably similarly leverages funds for UB (research grants, books and especially reputation),” McCluskey said. “Shouldn’t that academic travel get support if we are to be a top research university?” Nancy Wells, the vice president for Development and Alumni Relations, disagrees with the faculty concern. “I think it would be a mistake to think that President Tripathi has spent time on this tour at the exclusion of spending time interacting with stakeholders in Western New York,” Wells said. “I believe he’s done both very effectively.” Jim Militello, a UB alum from ’79 and leader for the Washington, D.C., Alumni Association chapter, attended the D.C. tour stop on April 18, 2012. Militello was a commuter student during his time at UB and never felt connected to the campus. About 15 years ago, he was invited to an alumni event and it “rejuvenated” his relationship with his alma mater. He’s since made an effort to be involved in what goes on in Western New York, even though he moved away after graduation. “I think [presidential tours are] imperative,” he said. “You have to go to the pockets around the country and seize what is a significant alumni base. If this university is going to go forward with this vision of 2020, if it’s going to be significant, you have to get out of Western New York. I think UB’s role, particularly in the revitalization of Western New York economics, is significant and people have to know it. I think even if the cost isn’t worth it, I think there is an obligation for the president to get out there and engage the alumni.” *** The university planned the UB 2020 tour soon after Tripathi was confirmed as president in April 2011, according to Wells. Tripathi, who made a goal to expand UB on a global level, is interested in engaging alumni and reconnecting with those who may have lost touch with Western New York, she said. And because UB has such a large alumni base – the largest of the four SUNY University Centers (Albany, Stony Brook and Binghamton are the others) – Tripathi’s first order of business as president was to get out and connect with the university’s largest investor group and spread the message of UB 2020 set by his predecessor, John Simpson, who retired in Jan. 2011. His plan includes traveling internationally. UB has ties to institutions across Asia, and most international alumni live in cities throughout the continent, Wells said. Because of the desire for alumni engagement and the desire to attract more international students, Tripathi traveled to Asia five times during the tour.
“You only get to be new once,” Wells said. “And it’s special for alums – you want to meet your president. You want people to come out. I think [the 2020 tour name] was because it was kind of clever. It made sense. If you look at where our alums are and said, ‘pick X number of cities,’ and you’re going to go where the most alums are, we found that it kind of worked out.”
Albany plans on sending him on a broader cultivation and fundraising tour after he’s settled into his tenure. The university’s alumni base is made up of 158,000 people across the globe. “Fundraising is all about relationship building and these are very successful in relationship building,” Herman said. “The fact that you take a delegation of the university
Gifts – which are simply donations – are monetary funds usually collected during a fiscal year, Brown added. The gifts and pledges can benefit different facets of the university – from athletics and student scholarships to professorships and university facilities. “Most alums aren’t giving tons of money,” Wells said. “Most alums are going to give what they
DONATIONS TO UB SINCE SEPTEMBER 2011:
PURPOSE
GIFTS
PLEDGES
Athletics
$28,450
$111,466
Chairs/Professorships
$18,000
$20,000
Equipment
$44,485
$0
Facilities & Improvements
$65,646
$105,000
Fellowships
$16,950
$0
Lectures
$23,185
$0
Libraries
$1,069
$0
Programs
$2,453,311
$1,930,769
$86,908
$4,000,000
$2,738,005
$6,167,235
Scholarships TOTALS TOTALS These types of tours, however, are not unique to UB – especially when presidents are new to campus, according to Rae Goldsmith, the vice president for Advancement Resources for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE is a professional association that helps universities and other educational institutions build stronger connections with their alumni and donors. Some reasons Goldsmith helps institutions set up visits include: a new president, a new fundraising campaign, when there’s a particular message or program alumni should be aware of and circuits that are scheduled every year as a part of an institution’s outreach plan. “For the university, it means that you’re reinforcing or building engagement with people who are very important to your future success,” Goldsmith said. “And all of that kind of visibility sets the tone for future support, whether it’s advocacy or financial. “Often fundraising is an underlying goal, but it’s not the tour itself that leads to the fundraising. The tour leads to engagement and engagement leads to fundraising.” When planning the 2020 tour, UB also looked at Boston College in Massachusetts, which has been running its current fundraising campaign, “Light the World,” since 2006. The tour, which attempts to engage BC’s 170,000 alums, aims to raise $1.5 billion, according to John Freudo, the associate vice president for Alumni Relations at BC. To date, BC has raised over $1 billion and has engaged more volunteers than ever before, according to Freudo. Alumni Relations considers it a success so far and expects the tour to last another three to four years, he said. The University at Albany recently appointed its president, Dr. Robert Jones, in September and he took office this past January. Because Jones transferred to SUNY from the University of Minnesota, Albany has planned a smaller regional trek to get him acquainted with the area and alums, according to Catharine Herman, the associate vice president of media and marketing at Albany.
and constituents across the board – students, faculty, staff, alumni – and you put them on a bus and people are committed to going and interested in the regions and communities that we serve and where we have connections, people are always really happy to host us, and it’s just really good, high-touch effort to connect with people.” *** One thousand four hundred fifty-three people attended the first 17 tour events, which were held between Oct. 1, 2011, and March 11, 2013. Just over 1,000 alumni came to the events, according to documents provided by Alumni Relations. The 17 receptions have cost UB approximately $400,000, according to Wells. Four hundred forty-two of the 1,453 people who attended the tour events within the first 17 stops gave or pledged monetary donations – all of which added to just over $8.9 million, according to Wells. The
can. Whether it’s a $50 gift or a $25 gift, those gifts come in the aggregate and really add up for the university.” One alum, after attending the reception in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 24, 2012, pledged $4 million to be used for student scholarships, according to Wells. The donor, who wished to remain anonymous, had lost touch with the university since graduation, and the tour stop made a difference, Wells said. She attributes that difference to the chance to meet Tripathi – he serves as almost a “welcome home” symbol for alumni, she added. Two years ago, before the tour, 398 of the 452 people who donated during this tour gave $3.7 million in gifts and pledges for the university – almost a 42 percent increase since the tour started. The Spectrum requested data concerning monetary funds given the past five years, but Alumni Relations said it strongly feels comparing donors activity before and after the tour is the “most fair and balanced” evalu-
$39,255.65 Airfare for President & Mrs. Tripathi
$15,838.14 Other Expenses gifts will be allocated per the donors’ request. “It’s a pretty wide range [of uses], and some of them are undesignated or unrestricted by the donors,” Wells said. “But it comes back for all of our key priorities … these are very useful gifts for [UB]. The less restricted a gift is, the more the university is happy.” Pledges are “promised” gifts, ones to be disbursed over a period of time, according to Ann Brown, the senior director for the Office of Development Communication. For example, a donor could make a pledge of $25,000 payable over five years, she said.
ation, according to UB Spokesman John Della Contrada. “Alumni often need to meet their presidents in order to determine what direction their institution is going in, especially if the president is different than the president they remember when they were students,” Wells said. “And if they’re engaged with that president, they are typically more inclined to engage with their alma mater.”
SEE THE REST OF THIS STORY ON THE NEXT PAGE
ubspectrum.com
Oct.1, 2011
Apr. 18, 2012
Cost: $6,262 Attendance: 67
Cost: $16,720 Attendance: 103
Knoxville, TN
Washington, D.C.
Sept. 6, 2012
Sept. 30, 2012
Cost: $28,310 Attendance: 443
Cost: $13,575 Attendance: 46
Buffalo, NY
Finger Lakes, NY
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Oct. 18, 2012
Mar.26 & Apr.2, 2012
Cost: $22,580 Attendance: 68
Cost: $62,796 Attendance: 133 & 54
Boston, MA
Beijing & Hong Kong, China
Feb. 28, 2013
OTHER TOURS
Friday, April 19, 2013
Sarasota, FL Mar. 11, 2013
Seoul, South Korea
Mar. 16,2013
Taipei, Taiwan Apr. 25, 2013
Philadelphia, PA May 2, 2013
Chicago, IL
May 15, 2013
New York, NY
Nov.14, 2011
San Francisco, CA Cost: $25,199 Attendance: 54
Total Attendance
1,453
Jan. 24, 2012
Phoenix, AZ Cost: $22,610 Attendance: 44
Feb. 18, 2013
Dallas, TX
Alumni Attendance
1,095
Attendance: 44
May 31, 2012
Los Angeles, CA Cost: $21,555 Attendance: 51
Jan.24, 2013
San Diego, CA Attendance: 38
Mar. 20, 2012
Bonita Springs, FL Cost: $14,528 Attendance: 75
Feb. 23, 2012
May 22, 2012
Jul. 10, 2012
Cost: $21,008 Attendance: 94
Cost: $13,867 Attendance: 31
Cost: $41,675 Attendance: 90
Palm Beach, FL
Mendham, NJ
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
President Tripathi will make 22 stops around the world by May 15, spanning the continental United States and Asia. Alumni Relations picked these 22 cities because of their large alumni bases. The map (above) shows Tripathi’s stops, how much was spent in each individual city and how many people attended each event.
The exact cost of the tour until Oct. 18, 2012, the last date included within the parameters of a Freedom of Information Law request The Spectrum filed in October, adds up to $314,668. The total includes the cost of the event receptions, which includes the venue, catering and all event logistics; planning materials, which include invitations, printing and banners; and travel for all university officials who participate in the events, including Tripathi, his wife, representatives from Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association and various faculty members. “Each city is different and I think we are averaging about $23,000 per city,” Wells said. “Each of the cities [have] different venues, different expenses, because sometimes we get the alums or donors to sponsor and host the event.” The budget for the tours – which is unrestricted and loosely planned
– is embedded within Alumni Relations’ annual $1.7 million allowance, according to Wells. The budget for the tour is part of the office’s normal operating expenses, and no student funds (tuition or fees) are used to pay for the events, according to Della Contrada. The tour has cost about 24 percent of the $1.7 million Alumni Relations is able to spend each academic year, which is derived from Alumni Association dues and other money generated by the Office of Alumni Relations, according to Della Contrada. The most expensive stops to date were the Beijing and Hong Kong events on March 26, 2012, and April 2, 2012; together, the expenses added up to $62,796, according to FOIL documents. The least expensive stop was Knoxville, Tenn., which cost $6,262. The event ran Sept. 30 until Oct. 1, 2011, and it took place in
Atlanta, Ga.; the alumni reception was held at an alum’s home. A pregame tailgate party was held the following day at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville for the UB Bulls/Tennessee Knoxville Volunteers football game. The president, though, has his own travel budget and his travel expenses are paid from those funds. Through the first 17 events, UB spent $20,003.85 on Tripathi’s airfare, and spent $19,251.80 on Mrs. Tripathi’s airfare. Additionally, the university spent almost $16,000 on other travel expenses, which includes meals, car rentals and accommodations – just over $55,000 total for Tripathi and his wife. By organizing the tour around Tripathi’s normal travel and outreach schedule, expenses were kept low and efficiency was maximized, according to Della Contrada. For example, Tripathi’s first stop in Tennessee coincided with the foot-
ball game, a big draw for current students and alumni alike. The Washington, D.C., stop was planned around the Association of American University’s meeting in April 2012, which the president attended. The tour stopped in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 10, 2012, and on July 13, the delegation went to commencement at the Singapore Institute of Management – UB has a 17-year partnership and joint degree program with the institution. Before that, in March and April 2012, Tripathi led a group of faculty to Beijing and Hong Kong and signed a new agreement for a comprehensive MBA program with Renmin University in Beijing. *** Once the 20 Cities in 20 Months tour has completed, Wells and her staff will analyze all data collected – the total spent, the total raised, what happened at the events, how
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many people attended and what the impacts and implications of these findings mean for the university, its students, alumni and the broader community. They’ll also analyze what was done well and what can be planned better for future events and tours. All information will be released to the public, Wells said. “The president should be getting out on a regular basis as a part of his job,” Wells said. “All presidents do. That’s standard practice. If presidents aren’t getting out there, they’re not doing their job.” Tripathi has three more stops before the tour comes to a close on May 15 – Philadelphia, Pa., Chicago, Ill., and the finale in New York, N.Y. *All graphics were designed by Asst. Creative Director Haider Alidina. Email: news@ubspectrum.com
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Friday, April 19, 2013 ubspectrum.com
Life, Arts & Entertainment
Primed for success Four freshmen lead translation project ALYSSA MCCLURE
Staff Writer
An idea came to Nigel Michki in the form of “divine inspiration” – completely out of the blue. After discussing the idea with some friends, “that would be neat” became “we should really do that.” The Primer Project began. Michki, a freshman computational physics major, and three other freshmen hope to change the face of bilingualism through the use of a primer. The four freshmen have already begun creating one for New York’s high school math curriculum and plan on distributing it to public schools in Buffalo. A primer is a short guide or overview to a subject or field, according to Michki, who is the project’s coordinator. The group plans to create three separate primers – one for each of the three mandatory mathematics subjects in New York: Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II/Trigonometry. The group hopes its primer will aid students whose native language is not English and increase the number of students who pass the New York State Regents exams. “It’s a shame that not only are students failing English exams, they’re also failing math exams because they can’t understand the math, and then they’re failing the science exams because they can’t understand the math or the English,” Michki said. “The goal [of] this [project] is to offer students a way around that.” The primer will serve as a resource for students to use while completing their homework. Modeled like a set of notes, each section will include the introduction to a topic, relevant equations and variables, dos and don’ts and a fully solved example problem. The book will contain parallel languages so English is on one page while the same information is translated into the target language on the
Joyce Adiges, The Spectrum
Freshmen Dante Iozzo, Andrew Harris, Nigel Michki and Kelly Coughlin (left to right) have been working to create three different short books, called primers, for the three mandatory math subjects in New York State. The students hope these books will assist those who don’t speak English as their native language.
page next to it. Kelly Coughlin, a freshman undecided major and The Primer Project’s co-creator, said this layout will help facilitate a smoother transition into English for students. According to Dr. Tamara Alsace, director of multilingual education for Buffalo Public Schools, there were over 1,400 students in her system who couldn’t read English but could read Spanish during the 201112 school year. The first primer produced will have Spanish translations. The group hopes to have the first primer implemented by fall 2013. Dante Iozzo, a freshman mathematics and physics major, is another co-creator of the project and is in charge of translation. He plans
to translate into Karen, Somali, Arabic, Burmese, Nepali, Kirundi, Swahili, Vietnamese, Persian and Bengali, as those languages represent the English as a Second Language (ESL) population of Buffalo. Students who speak those languages have the highest needs, after Spanish speakers, because there is a high number of refugees in Buffalo, according to Iozzo. The group also has the support of three international organizations in Buffalo – the International Institute, Jericho Road and Journey’s End – that have agreed to help with translation services. The students hope to bring refugees into the project by involving them in the translation process.
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The volunteer base working on the project is comprised of approximately 45 UB students who have agreed to write a section of the English base or translate into a target language. Anyone who knows another language or who is interested in writing is welcome to become a part of the project, Michki said. Michki also stressed the mathematical concepts will not be lost in translation and, to ensure accuracy, he plans on incorporating a glossary of terms provided by New York into the translation process. He plans on ensuring consistent formatting and creating a uniform voice between the writers, translators and editors through frequent meetings and con-
stant communication. “[The primer] has to be written in a way that is both understandable by anyone who can read it and it also has to be very easy to translate into different languages,” said Andrew Harris, a freshman mechanical engineering major and co-creator. While Harris is heading the style and editing of the primer, Coughlin is focused on acquiring funding for the project. She has researched grant applications directly from UB through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA) and the Honors College, and she also found a Google grant that could fit the project. But securing money has proved difficult because a lot of funding from corporations is only available to not-for-profit organizations. The group did not anticipate how expensive the project would be. Both translation and printing costs are “exorbitant,” so the students are looking for all the financial support they can get, Coughlin said. They are considering forming a not-for-profit if they need to secure more funding. The four Honors College freshmen are using the support of UB faculty and community members to guide them through the overwhelming process of heading such a large project. “It didn’t seem too hard at the time,” Michki said. “[Now] we’re discovering it’s a little more difficult. But we have a lot of support, so that helps push us on. Most of the people that we talk to about this project [with] think it’s fantastic.” The group hopes its primer project will extend beyond the Buffalo Public Schools system and serve as an example for others to expand upon. The students ultimately hope to be the basis for an open-source math primer that can be available to everyone, according to Harris. Email: features@ubspectrum.com
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ubspectrum.com
Friday, April 19, 2013
7
Stargazing with the Heavens New exhibit opens at Burchfield Penney Art Center: Oh My Heavens NICHOLAS C. TURTON Staff Writer
For countless years, artists have been fascinated with the heavens, the stars, the moon and other celestial bodies. The vast and boundless sky above has been a continual source of mystery, awe and inspiration in the artistic mind. Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967) – a prominent American watercolor painter of the 20th century – knew this all too well. Burchfield’s accolades are as vast as the heavens he studied. He sat on juries for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art, was the first artist to receive a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in 1930 and was recognized as an “artist for America” by President Lyndon B. Johnson. On Friday, the Burchfield Penney Art Center – named in honor of Burchfield’s artistic contributions – opened an exhibit featuring a collection of Burchfield’s celestial-inspired works entitled Oh My Heavens. The exhibit opening began with an introduction by Anthony Bannon, executive director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Bannon praised Burchfield for his artistic vision. “[It’s] good that we have [Burchfield’s] bright marks upon paper,” Bannon said. “That we might understand what it means to be inspired; what it is like to have seen the light.” Burchfield’s deep fascination with otherworldly bodies translated into works of art that truly captured the sentiment of his stargazing experiences. He observed astronomical phenomena with the dreaming eye of a visionary and painted them with the deft hand of a skilled artist.
Yan Gong, The Spectrum
The above image of Charles E. Burchfield is on display at the Burchfield Penny Art Center along with the exhibit Oh My Heavens, which features a collection of Burchfield’s celestial-inspired works.
One of Burchfield’s paintings that embodied this vision is the first painting he made of the heavens. Entitled “Orion and the Moon” (1917), the watercolor painting came out of a period known as Burchfield’s “Golden Year,” a time in his artistic career where he created some of his most notable works. “Orion and the Moon” depicts a simple rooftop surrounded by a deep silvery stretch of sky above. The crescent moon and the bright supergiant stars that make up the Orion constellation light up the canvas with striking scientific accuracy. The red supergiant Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), sits in scar-
let hues near the top of the canvas, high in the sky. The silvery gradient that fills the sky is a beautifully warm rendition of a star-lit night. The painting is not entirely realistic in its execution, but Burchfield managed to truly capture the essence of what he saw and bring it to life to the viewer. Alana Ryder, the Curator for Public & Academic Programs at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, is interested in Burchfield’s unique vision of the astronomical objects in the sky. “It’s a really difficult thing to be able to paint the sky,” Ryder said. “There’s some finesse in [Burch-
field’s] work ... to have something that has accuracy [and] also convey how breathtaking a scene might look.” Tullis Johnson, one of the curators of the exhibition and manager of archives at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, feels that Burchfield’s focus on astronomical objects brings out questions of our deepest humanity and significance. The human fascination with the world beyond our own is evoked with Burchfield’s artwork – the same fascination that Burchfield had himself as a stargazer. “We’ve been looking for profound meaning and inspiration for
thousands of years,” Johnson said. “There’s something deep, deep within us that we’re still fascinated by the overpowering, overarching vastness of what’s in the sky above us.” This search for meaning in the night sky is nothing new. Burchfield’s exploration of this endless sea of mystery is far-reaching, deep and visionary. His lifelong study of the stars made such a profound connection with the celestial possible. In one of his observational journals, Burchfield writes about his closeness with the world that he paints. “I will never travel to ‘outer’ space,” Burchfield wrote. “But I have brought the stars and constellations to me. To me, they are not remote or forbidding, but something to love.” Burchfield’s works representing the heavens are considered a call for us to look beyond the world we live in. “For what sense matters art if not to encourage our gaze toward ideas far larger than the surface, to direct our vision upward, to see if we can soar?” Bannon said in his introductory speech on opening night. On Sunday, April 28, Tullis Johnson, Alana Ryder and Kevin Williams will tour guests through the two new Burchfield exhibitions: Oh My Heavens in the Anthony J. Sisti Gallery and the John R. Oishei Foundation Gallery and The Studio in the Charles E. Burchfield Rotunda. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
ubspectrum.com
8
Friday, April 19, 2013
Biting the hand that feeds you JAKE KNOTT
Staff Writer
Film: The Place Beyond the Pines Release Date: April 12 Studio: Focus Features Grade: A Oh, how those tall pines crowd the landscape. They stand firm, glowing with a mixture of menace and tranquility. There’s something about them that evokes uneasiness, acting on the audience without moving a morsel. The pine trees of Schenectady, N.Y., – where The Place Beyond the Pines was shot on location – serve as background characters throughout key moments. A riveting chase scene will ensue or someone is forced to drive to a secluded place at gunpoint, and they always lead back to those daunting pines. Director Derek Cianfrance – who made the spellbinding Blue Valentine three years back – manages to one up himself with this daring, overpowering, simply great film. It is a nearly flawless character study of desperate, workingclass people clawing for survival in a dead-end society. Think of it as a non-cultural version of Crash, which also dealt with intertwining stories about everyday citizens forced to do the unthinkable in order to make ends meet. Pines weaves its separate stories into three acts. The first opens to a spectacular long take following motorcycle daredevil Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling, Gangster Squad) around a festive carnival and into a small circus tent with a giant, metal sphere. Glanton mounts his cycle, clicks on his helmet and enters the sphere with two fellow riders looping around the inside of the metal deathtrap. Glanton is a swell guy, but he’s complicated. He wears tattoos shamelessly along his arms, torso and neck. He constantly pacifies his mouth with a cigarette because he likes to keep quiet and observe his surroundings. His clothes are tattered with holes. Glanton has baggage – baggage that’s about to change his life instantaneously.
Courtesy of Focus Features
Enter Romina (Eva Mendes, Holy Motors), an old fling of Glanton’s, who revisits him at his work. He, in turn, makes a surprise visit to her house the following day, only to discover his infant son, Jason. Fatherly instincts kick in, and soon Glanton tries to do right by his son and Romina by providing money at any cost – robbing banks, working on cars and so on. The second storyline – also set in Schenectady – centers on rookie cop Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook). After a mishap, Cross is wrongly recognized as a public hero, and he tries to right his wrongs by involving himself with an investigation conducted by District Attorney Bill Killcullen (Bruce Greenwood, Flight). The third act is a beautiful portrait that ties everything together, involving an older Jason (Dane DeHaan, Lincoln) and Cross’ son, AJ (Emory Cohen, Four). Both suffer consequences of having imperfect fathers. They smoke pot, abuse pills and throw wild parties, basically not meshing well with the cards they’ve been dealt. The horrifying truths brought to attention are impossible to overlook. The media labels Glanton a criminal, who violently acts out of
confused kindness for his son. He only acts on instinct by robbing bank after bank, never harming anybody he doesn’t have to. Cross portrays the other side of that coin, showing the hardships from the justice angle. He aims to eradicate the corruptness within his unit, probably inspired by his father, Al Cross (Harris Yulin), a retired judge. The acting is flawless all around. Gosling hits notes as an awkward, calculating hotshot the viewers automatically root for. One almost thinks it’s a continuation of his character from Drive. Cooper truly masters his craft here, never overplaying his boundaries as he does in his overrated performance in Silver Linings Playbook. His acting skill flows naturally through his eyes and his delivery of meaningful dialogue. Cooper’s performance is the best of the film and should be restudied come Oscar time. DeHaan crushes his challenging role after hitting a home run as the lead in the astonishing Chronicle. Newcomer Cohen is especially effective as a ruined adolescent lost in his father’s footsteps. Greenwood is reliable as always, and Mendes supplies one of the best performances
of her career as a helpless mother. If The Place Beyond the Pines teaches anything, it’s that everyone’s actions eventually cause a reaction. In a deadbeat, working-class society, families aren’t necessarily given time to think over their decisions, and instead they react compulsively. Parents are forced to think in the here and now, doing any deed to provide for their family without pondering the consequences down the road. The very first and last shots say it all. The juxtaposition between the swinging switchblade in the beginning and the calm pines at the end is heart wrenching. Cianfrance effortlessly creates beauty from every shot to provide one of the most original, humane tales in recent cinema. This is one of the best films of the year.
Continued from page 10: Leave me be I almost hope someone takes a swing, connects and knocks me back. I need an awful encounter to make me realize I don’t want to become a Buffalo sports fan. This type of encounter would beat some sense into me. Every Buffalo sports fan I know is just waiting for the next disaster. The other scenario I envision is the City of Buffalo extending a welcoming hand to me after a Sabres victory. I don’t know how much more losing I can take, but I know by looking at Buffalo sports history, the happiness will not last. As evidenced by my other loves, I have endured enough anguish. Please, to any Buffalo sports fan who sees me at this game: yell at me. Call me names or make fun of my accent, I beg you. Let me keep this one quality team in my life. Otherwise, I have nothing. Misery loves company, but allow my happiness to remain for one postseason out of the year, while I suffer in solitude the other 11 months. Email: owenobri@buffalo.edu
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Friday, April 19, 2013 ubspectrum.com
HELP HELP WANTED WANTED COLLEGE PRO IS NOW HIRING PAINTERS all across the state to work outdoors w/ other students. Earn $3K – 5K. Advancement opportunities + internships. 1-888-277-9787 or www.collegepro.com. PART-TIME & MANAGER POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Lasertron Family Entertainment Center is currently hiring for Go-Kart operators and general customer service. Working at a fast, detail-oriented pace and having excellent customer skills is a must. Starting at approximately $11/hr, must be available nights and weekends. Management-in-training positions are also available. Stop in and complete an application at Lasertron, 5101 North Baily Avenue, Amherst, NY. BERT’S BIKES AND FITNESS IS HIRING part-time and full-time sales associates. Come work in a fun and healthy retail environment. Apply online at Bertsbikes.com or in person at 1550 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Tonawanda, 716-837-4882. SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION. Dependable help wanted, full time seasonal (April/May startup steady through August), construction/landscaping experience and tool knowledge
always a plus. Great pay, work outside. Call or e-mail for additional information. 716.510.8740 slivan@verizon. net. TRAIL HORSE RIDING IN EXCHANGE FOR GROOMING. Beginner OK. Near North Campus, 716-6882461. APARTMENT FOR APARTMENT ORRENT RENT 4,5,6 & 8 BEDROOM remodeled apartment houses. 14 of 33 apartments remain. University Buffalo Main Street Campus- off Englewood. Beginning June 2013: UB South Campus for $300/ bed plus utilities. Washers & dryers included. Contact BRADENGEL37@gmail. com or Shawn at 716-984-7813 Check out our website www. BUFAPT.com. LISBON/BAILEY: 2-3 BDRM, furnished, carpeting, appliances & parking. $240/p+, dryan91660@aol.com, 716440-5133. MERRIMAC 3 & 4 BEDROOM. Updated kitchen, bath, dishwasher, laundry & offstreet parking. $295 per person. Available June 1st. 716-308-5215.
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TOTALLY RENOVATED 5 & 6 Master Bedrooms. 2- Full baths, stove, fridge, washer/ dryer/ dishwasher & off-street parking. Available June 1st. Call 716-570-6062. TIRED OF LOOKING AT THE SAME OLD DUMP??? Our nicest houses rent now! Newly remodeled 3-8 person homes on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac. Amenities include O/S parking, whirlpool bathtubs, w/w carpeting, new ss appliances, free laundry, snow removal & Valet garbage! Live the Sweethome life on South! Visit www.ubrents.com or call: 716-775-7057. ROOM FOR FOR RENTRENT ROOM FANTASTIC LOCATION across the street from UB South at Main & N.F. Blvd. Rent for completely furnished room starts at $450.00/mo including all utilities and internet. 630-3004228. Immediate occupancy.
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ROOMMATE WANTED ROOMMATE WANTED AMHERST-SOUTH CAMPUS/UNIVERSITY PLAZA side of main. Looking for 1 serious male roommate. Excellent condition, furnished, private-bedroom, big closet, laundry, dishwasher + parking available. 4 minute walk to campus. $315.00 + share of utilities. 716-400-9663, if no answer 716-400-9661. SERVICES SERVICES BUFFALO DRIVINGSCHOOLS.COM Learn to drive with our warrantee driving instruction package. NYS 5hr course, points& insurance reduction class in our classroom or on-line. Call for free shuttle service to our classroom from north& south campus. 716-8344300. CITY A1 DRIVINGSCHOOL. COM Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5hr class $30.00 716-875-4662. UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PREGNANT NEED HELP? Call 716-694-8623.
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Crossword of the Day
HOROSCOPES Friday, April 19, 2013 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK
ACROSS 1 Anchorman’s summary 6 Beginning at 10 Band boxes? 14 Parting of the Pacific? 15 Black in Burgundy 16 In ___ of (replacing) 17 Mount Fuji’s locale 18 Bee Gees birthplace 20 Took something in 21 To say nothing of 23 Anticipates 24 Lecherous one’s target 26 Barely manage (with “out”) 27 The Wallendas won’t work with one 28 Bacon cookers 33 On the ocean blue 36 Trials and tribulations 37 Part of a roof ’s border 38 Entree choice 41 Seals’ meals 42 Cry like an owl 43 “... with ___ in sight” 44 Procrastinator, essentially 46 Unusual 47 Always, to an old poet 48 Hayes’ veep 52 Orbital high point 56 Poetic foot
57 “Boola Boola” collegian 58 JFK’s problem of April 1961 60 Not bold 62 Witch’s ___ 63 Diving bird 64 Eat into 65 Acquire justifiably 66 Nomad’s tent 67 Claire of “Homeland”
DOWN 1 Indian princes 2 Delight 3 Made do, somehow 4 “Well, whaddya know!” 5 Cure-alls 6 Licoricelike flavor 7 Nothing to write home about (Hyph.) 8 Kuwaiti export 9 Bizarre 10 Cryptographer’s A 11 “La Boheme” soprano 12 Bog material 13 Some stars 19 Didn’t pay yet 22 It requires an improved service? 25 Anxious concern 26 Not hunched 28 Be attracted to 29 Translate, as a secret message
Edited by Timothy E. Parker April 19, 2013 STUFF OF LEGENDS By Paul D. Vance
30 View from many a cabin 31 With neither indebted to the other 32 Transmit 33 Not yet up 34 Kilmer subject 35 “Note to ___ …” 36 One a’courting 39 Like some facial tissue 40 Beholden 45 Popular snorkeling destination 46 Measure of resistance 48 “... Fuzzy Wuzzy ___ fuzzy...” 49 Dud on wheels 50 Drop in pronunciation 51 Bumper cars and such 52 Monastery resident 53 Beginning for “normal” 54 ___ and terminer (hearing or trial) 55 Graduate’s garment 56 Frankenstein flunky 59 Chit letters 61 Bit of financial planning, for short
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Quality versus quantity: That's the name of the game today. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't maximize both at this time. TAURUS (April 20May 20) -- You're going to have to scramble a bit today in order to accommodate a change of schedule that did not begin with you. GEMINI (May 21June 20) -- An early start allows you to get it all done today -- though a certain amount of ingenuity will come in handy as well. CANCER (June 21July 22) -- You want to give someone else precisely what he or she has asked for, and yet you may encounter one or two unexpected difficulties.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You can work very quickly today, provided you know precisely what it is you are working for and how you have to go about it. VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) -- You'll want to leave very little to chance today. Focus on something that increases your level of motivation. LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 22) -- You may be contacted by someone who is trying to influence you in a way that is not, perhaps, completely legitimate -- or legal. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- While others are enjoying some downtime today, you can get something done that has been preying on your mind for quite a while.
FALL SPACES ARE
GOING FAST RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -Once you start, you're not likely to stop until you have done what you have come to do. Don't neglect certain basic needs, however. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -You may have trouble saying what needs to be said today -- at first. When your back is against the wall, it'll all come out, surely! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You can give someone else a nice surprise today -- but he or she may not understand your true motives at first. Explain yourself! PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- It's time for you to quit resisting that which is, in fact, inevitable. Someone is going to have to give you the benefit of the doubt today.
10
Sports
Leave me be
My first RangersSabres game has the potential to be life altering
OWEN O’BRIEN Staff Writer
This Friday, I will be dressed in Rangers attire in the First Niagara Center to watch the blue shirts take on the Buffalo Sabres. While both teams fight for postseason berths, I am terrified – not of physical harm, but conversion. I have been to one Sabres game before and in doing so, I embodied a Buffalo supporter for the evening. The environment was pandemonium and I had a great time hanging out in one of the last rows of the arena. This game, however, will not be the same. I am the enemy. I am determined to not have my beliefs coerced by Buffalonians. If I don’t stay alert, I may be trading in my pizza and bagels for beef on weck. The Rangers have qualified for the playoffs six of the last seven seasons. This model of consistency is not one I am accustomed to from the teams I watch on my Long Island couch. As a Jets fan, reliability is a foreign concept to me. One year, the quarterback is an old man who redefines the concept of “second thoughts,” followed by a new coach and a turn to the draft – only until we question the decisions of a three-year starter who played in two AFC Championship games. So New York turned to a higher power and confided in a wannabe pastor. However, the choirboy hardly even stepped on the field. Now let’s look at the Mets – a franchise with a certain level of consistency because I know they will break my heart year after year. Whether it’s through on-field performances, such as playing great for months only to collapse at the very end, or one stupid offseason decision after the next, I can always rely on them to leave me questioning my life decisions. And, of course, there’s the Knicks. They have been successful this season, but they have recorded only one playoff victory in the past 11 seasons. And this postseason hasn’t started yet, so how can I be sure this will be different? Bottom line is: I need my Rangers. I am sort of ashamed to admit I already have shown some vulnerability toward embracing Buffalo sports. My closet contains a Buffalo Bills sweatshirt, one of the warmest things I own. I wore it daily this past winter, as I battled the frigid weather, but I never felt any attachment to it aside from a snug fit. What if this mentality all changes Friday? I can’t help but fear I will experience something in the arena to alter my life forever. What if I walk out engrossed by what the Bills do with their eighth pick, and not because of the impact it will have on the Jets’ decision one pick later? Another confession: I own a Sabres jersey. It was a Christmas gift last year from my father, probably to use as a defense mechanism and protection. I can count on one hand the times I have worn it, but it’s there if I ever need it. The crowd will be electric during this game. The Sabres have won six of 10 and are within shouting distance of the final playoff spot, currently being occupied by none other than my Rangers. The rowdiness of the crowd is something expected, which may be in my best longterm interest. SEE LEAVE ME BE, PAGE 8
Friday, April 19, 2013 ubspectrum.com
THE FRONT LINE Defensive line features plethora of new faces JON GAGNON
Sports Editor
The defensive line was one of the strongest units on the team last season, but after graduating two of the team’s top defenders, it has become one of the biggest question marks for the Bulls this year. Senior Colby Way, who started all 12 games and was fifth on the team in tackles, second in sacks and third in tackles for loss, will anchor the Bulls’ defensive front. “I expect to see the same things I’ve been seeing from him since he came here,” said head coach Jeff Quinn. “[Way] provides great locker room leadership and he’s a very durable player. He makes plays on Saturday and that’s what you love about [Way].” Way broke out in his sophomore year as a Bull and played his way into the starting lineup, leading all defensive linemen in tackles. As a junior, he played next to the departed Steven Means and Wyatt Cahill and was second in the group in tackles. Replacing Means and Cahill will be a difficult task, as they combined for 104 tackles (Means, 77, Cahill, 27) and Means, who will likely be picked up in the upcoming NFL Draft, had 11 tackles for loss. This season, the Bulls will look to some key reserves from last year’s team to make an impact. “We’re moving guys around a little bit so we can evaluate those younger guys,” Quinn said. “Way, [junior Kristjan Sokoli and senior Beau Bachtelle], those three guys have really stepped up.” Sokoli and Bachtelle are imposing, towering linemen, each measuring in at 6-foot-5 and totaling 559 pounds between the two of them. Sokoli played in all 12 games as a sophomore and was a dynamic player who saw time at nose guard and defensive end. He finished the season with the third-most tackles for loss by defensive linemen, and he is excited about the group who will try to penetrate past opposing offensive linemen this year. “We take pride in defensively stopping the run; that’s our key objective,” Sokoli said. “I’ve also been happy with how we have progressed in getting better at pass rushing and how we blitz as a defense.”
Rebecca Bratek, The Spectrum
Kristjan Sokoli (left) played in all 12 games as a sophomore and was a dynamic player who saw time at nose guard and defensive end.
Bachtelle rounds out the ‘Big Three’ on the line. Bachtelle was a transfer from Madesto Junior College and played in every game in his first year at Buffalo last season. “[Bachtelle] has really been a great addition to our program and we needed to bring him in,” Quinn said. “He’s a tremendous young man and provides leadership. He’s a really hard worker. He’s a relentless guy and an effort guy.” Junior Dalton Barksdale, coming in at 6-foot-3 and 297 pounds, will be another candidate to help replace Cahill at nose guard. Barksdale played in 11 games last season
and recorded 12 tackles. Redshirt freshman Max Perisse, sophomore Kendall Patterson and junior Kendall Roberson (who’s making the transition from linebacker) will provide depth behind the new starters. Last season was defensive coordinator Lou Tepper’s first year with the program, and he turned the Bulls’ defense into the second-best in the conference. Quinn expects the linemen to learn from last season’s schemes and become more consistent this season in Tepper’s second year.
“I think our defense is really starting to gel, hitting their calls and communicating out there together,” Quinn said. “Now they’re more comfortable with the consistency of the plays after being under Tepper for over a year now.” The Bulls finished last season with the fifth-best rush defense in the Mid-American Conference, a mark they hope to improve upon with the overall depth among the front seven. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Former walk on tries beating the odds again One-time UB basketball star Mulkey back at One Bills Drive JOE KONZE JR
Senior Sports Editor
A local athlete’s dream of playing in the National Football League is in the hands of the Buffalo Bills. Former UB point guard Byron Mulkey has another chance to pursue his lifelong dream of playing professional football. The 5-foot11, 186-pound defensive back was invited to try out for the Bills this week as part of team’s voluntary mini-camp. After not being awarded a contract at the conclusion of voluntary mini-camp last season, Mulkey pursued one again this week. “Being able to get that call back it did a lot for my confidence and it showed me that there is something that they see there,” Mulkey said. “I continued to train and felt that an opportunity would come up once again. “I left with the feedback that they were pleased with what I put out on the field and the meeting room and the entire experience.” The transition from basketball to football has not been difficult, as his quick feet have allowed him to keep up on the field. “Just being able to break down the schemes in the meeting rooms is probably the most difficult,” Mulkey said. “Once I was able to
At the age of 24, former UB point guard Byron Mulkey (above) is still pursuing his dream of playing for the Buffalo Bills. Mulkey, who was a high school football standout, was invited to voluntary mini-camp this past week.
sit down and see what we were trying to get out of it, then the game became slower once I got on the field.” This week, he backpedaled and guarded receivers just like he
did on the field at local Niagara Wheatfield High School in hopes of earning a spot on the Bills’ preseason roster. In 2005, Mulkey was an AllWestern New York standout in
football and he received interest from Ivy League schools Princeton, Brown and Harvard. After playing basketball at UB for five years (redshirting one year), Mulkey has been trying to bulk up to compete with the athletes on the football field. Mulkey will have to wait and see if the Bills offer him a shot. Until then, he will keep visualizing his dream of walking out of the tunnel at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sundays. “It would be exciting,” Mulkey said. “It would be kind of surreal, being a hometown kid and growing up and watching [the Bills] every Sunday … Just being able to wear the jersey and do things in that nature would be very surreal and something that would be one of the biggest moments of my life.” At the age of 24, he sees no reason to stop trying. “My mindset is as long as you can, keep playing,” Mulkey said. “As long as my body can continue to do it and I feel confident with it, you know I will try and continue to keep it alive. Mulkey is also interested in the Canadian Football League and the Arena Football League. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com