The Spectrum Volume 60 Issue 77

The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo WEEKEND EDITION v April 22, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 77 v ubspectrum.com

Greg Mortenson poses for Christmas card.

Dishonesty Strikes UB: Part 2

Dyng-Dong, Lent is Over Dyngus Day celebrated in Buffalo MICHAEL TYSON Managing Editor What the heck is Dyngus Day and why are people chasing each other with pussy willows; is a question that may run through the minds of many UB students come Monday.

Dyngus Day is a traditionally Polish holiday that falls on the Monday after Easter Sunday. It would be fair to say that this is similar to St. Patrick’s Day for Polish citizens of Buffalo. The day is a way to ring in spring, display Polish pride, jam out to some of the best polka bands in the U.S. and, most importantly, flirt with pussy willows.

The holiday came across the ocean with Polish settlers. Large, modernday celebrations can be found in Cleveland, Chicago and Pittsburg, but the largest one is right here in Buffalo.

Thousands of people flock to the Queen City in order to partake in the festivities each year. In 2008, Buffalo’s Dyngus Day celebration overtook Warsaw, Poland as the largest, organized Dyngus Day celebration in the world.

One of the epicenters of Dyngus Day in Buffalo is St. Stanislaus Church. Located on the East Side of Buffalo, and only down the street from Broadway Market, many people of all backgrounds

Features of the festival include traditional music and tons of food, but what most people enjoy, other than the alcohol, is the tradition of sprinkling water and tapping pussy willows.

Tradition holds that on Easter Monday, boys can sprinkle water on girls they have a romantic interest in and/or tap these girls with pussy willows.

On Tuesday, girls are allowed to return the favor. Modern celebrations tend to see both genders happily exchanging squirts and switches with each other on Monday.

“It doesn’t matter what background you come from, Dyngus Day is a wonderful sight,” St. Stanislaus Church said.

“If you are a young person you should go and experience this tradition.”

Many people ask where the tradition of the pussy willows came from. Especially in the climates of Poland, pussy wil-

Phishing Attempts Linked to Online Activity MADELEINE BURNS  Senior News Editor Phishers are using your nonstop Internet usage to reel you in.

Communication researchers at UB and three other major research universities have determined that the more visible your web persona, the more susceptible you are to email phishing scams. Those who receive a lot of email, actively respond to most of it, complete many online transactions, and are otherwise immersed in online communication culture, are most vulnerable.

“Phishing” is a scamming technique in which users receive urgent emails from an outside party claiming to be a trustworthy entity, such as a bank or

ARTS & LIFE :: 8 DAILY DELIGHTS :: 6 CLASSIFIEDS :: 6 SPORTS :: 5

lows are the first flower to bloom in spring. It is believed that this meant fertility, and a spring fertility festival is the heart of what Dyngus Day came from in ancient pagan Poland.

Mortenson, who has been accused of lying and misappropriating funds within the not-for-profit organization, Central Asia Institute (CAI), continues to grab headlines as the details of the story continue to surface.

The official celebration, Dyngus Day in Buffalo, was started in 1960 and quickly became a citywide hit.

In Wednesday’s issue of The Spectrum, Mortenson’s behavior and potential wrongdoing was explored, but all the details in connection to UB were not clear at press time.

“It’s a day where everybody is a little bit Polish” said the Dyngus Day in Buffalo website.

‘Lubie pivo,’ ‘Kocham Cie,’ and ‘Nie mam pieniedzy’ are some phrases celebrants of Dyngus Day should have handy on Monday. They mean, respectively, ‘I like beer,’ ‘I love you,’ and ‘I’m broke.’

For an official guide to Dyngus Day in Buffalo, would-be attendees can go to the website where information on the festival, prices, times, and more useful Polish phrases can be accessed. http://www.dyngusdaybuffalo.com/ Additional reporting by Akari Iburi. n

Email: features@ ubspectrum.com

The researchers used empirical data drawn from a sample of college students to determine what factors explain vulnerability. Results indicate that people respond to phishing emails emotionally because they are influenced by simple messages of urgency, fear, or excitement embedded in the email.

Vishwanath attributed most phishing success to preoccupation: it is often difficult for inattentive consumers to identify potentially dangerous emails because they do not take the time to verify the sources of their emails.

WEATHER FRI SAT

OPINION :: 3

The story of Greg Mortenson and his alleged missteps continue to unfold and UB continues to experience the impact of his alleged transgressions.

“The heart of any communication is trust and phishing erodes the trust of consumers in the system,” said Arun Vishwanath, associate professor in the department of communication and one of the study’s leading researchers.

SUN

NEWS :: 2

Editor

government institution, and are lured to outside websites that look and feel like the original. Phishing can lead to identity theft if recipients, in turn, surrender passwords, account numbers, and credit card information.

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Unfortunately for the people who selected “Pennies for Peace,” they may have found a sour apple.

MATTHEW PARRINO and JAMES TWIGG Editor in Chief and Senior Managing

gather at the church to celebrate Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and of course Dyngus Day. “[Dyngus Day] is a beautiful Buffalo tradition,” said a representative of St. Stanislaus Church.

“Water is pouring on people and [pussy willows] are everywhere.

There are thousands of people, it’s fun. It’s very hard to describe without seeing it.”

ple choose to give back and I think most people…should choose an organization or a charity group that they believe in and they feel passionate about.”

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Since then, The Spectrum has learned that Mortenson received $25,000 for his appearance to speak as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series last year. In addition, his charity, “Pennies for Peace,” was presented with a check for $15,208.62, which was raised by various entities.

Failed attempts to get in contact with the people that organized Stay-Up UB’s dance party last November left several unanswered questions in Wednesday’s article.

The Spectrum spoke with Community Engagement Coordinator of the Center for Student Leadership & Community Engagement Terri Budek, who was in charge of the event. She was unaware of Mortenson’s alleged wrong doings.

“This is the first I’m hearing of it so I’m kind of thrown off a bit,” Budek said. “I think people in general – when we ask [people] to give money – [they] have a lot of choices to where they give their money to.

It’s one of the ways that some peo-

“What we’re doing is not paying attention,” Vishwanath said. “We think we’re so much smarter and so much better because we grew up with [technology], but experience with technology does not protect you from phishing. It’s an equal opportunity attack.”

H. Raghav Rao, Ph.D., a professor in the department of management science and systems and participating researcher, said that consumers should be wary of errors in seemingly legitimate emails; most phishing messages contain factual or structural mistakes. “[The study] suggests that in the presence of a relevant email, individuals focus disproportionately on urgency cues, often ignoring other elements of the email such as its source and the grammar and spelling used in the email,” Rao said.

GREEN CORNER Here is a timeline of how UB has gone green over the years!

1990: Environmental Task Force (ETF) created for the development of campus environmental policies 1995: The Dandelion Liberation Brigade was organized to stop the use of harmful pesticides on campus. Now, the university only uses pesticides in a limited number of locations 1998: Students protested Staples and Home Depot's use of old-growth lumber in their products 1999: UB GREEN established to promote environmental awareness

Roughly $6,000 of the donation was raised at UB through Stay-Up UB’s Dance Party, UB 101 classes, and various penny jars and club fundraisers around campus, according to Assistant Vice President of Media Relations John Della Contrada. However, it wasn’t just the university who pitched in to lend support for school children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Local high schools and other charitable efforts throughout the community helped raise the additional $9,000, according to Della Contrada.

In a similar story, children at Le roy, N.Y.’s Wolcott St. School stretched their pennies for Mortenson’s charity to the amount of $1,600, according to an article by The Batavian published March 30.

The school’s kindergarten through sixth grade raised the money as part of the school’s honesty month.

No one at the school could have anticipated the circumstances surrounding Mortenson today.

UB Reads provides a speaker every year as part of the series and distributed free copies of Mortenson’s book, Three Cups of Tea, to students free of charge.

The meaning behind Mortenson’s speaking events is one of giving and charitable ways of thinking.

Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Barbara Ricotta thinks people should continue to decipher that message, to find the parts that attempt to help people.

“I think helping your fellow citizens is really important, whether it’s in this country or abroad,” Ricotta said. “I think those are important messages we want our students to hear about, reflect upon, and think about doing. You hope people don’t get disheartened by what they hear

Vishwanath recommends consumers become proactive to combat phishing.

If email users reduce inbox clutter by using spam blockers, they can be more focused on weeding out harmful messages, according to Vishwanath. Similarly, people should always maintain more than one email account and set up specific times to respond to emails rather than responding to them as they filter in.

“If you [receive] all emails in one account, you’re in trouble. It’s easy for a phisher to trap you,” Vishwanath said.

SOLARIASUN.COM

because there is a lot of people out there doing good work.”

Nobody seems to be questioning the good things Mortenson has done throughout his career with CAI, but it’s the gravity of the bad things now associated with his name that concerns many.

The altering job that Mortenson did on his memoirs, though alarming, seem to be right in line with a recent trend in the literary world.

Elayne Rapping, professor emerita of American studies and media studies at UB is appalled by this trend but isn’t surprised.

“There have been books that have been fraudulent,” Rapping said.

“There’s been a slew of those lately.

People write their memoirs and falsify theirs lives and make a lot of money doing it. But I have not heard of another charitable organization doing that.”

Rapping believes that the alleged actions of Mortenson shouldn’t have an affect on big organizations like Red Cross, but smaller nonprofits that aid third world countries could feel tremors for years to come.

Budek hopes people continue to help out philanthropic organizations and charities because, like Rapping, she believes the help is needed and good people still try and help those in need.

“I think in this economy people are really keeping track of where their money is going,” Budek said. “So I hope that if they chose to give their money to any charity…they believe in the cause that it stands for and that they should continue to [give].”

The Special Events office runs the Distinguished Speaker Series but has not returned phone calls as of press time for the third straight day. n

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

give away personal and private information unless you are really, really sure of who is at the other end,” Rao said.

Awareness and knowledge about how phishing works will protect consumers, according to the findings.

“The main things are managing your email correctly, watching your email habits, and most of all, paying attention,” Vishwanath said.

By linking online activity to separate accounts rather than only one, it is more difficult for phishers to determine usage patterns.

Vishwanath believes that everyone, not just college students, is susceptible to phishing. He notes, however, that the hectic lives of students often distract them from paying attention the content of their emails; they simply want to sort, organize, and respond as quickly as possible. n

“These days it is important to be on guard. And, fundamentally, never

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

2000: University at Buffalo Lawn Care Policy passed, eliminating the wide use of pesticides on the campus lawns 2002: Removal of coal burning plants from university possession 2005: First participation in the annual Recyclemania 2006: Solar panels installed onto roof of Norton Hall 2007: Former President John. B. Simpson signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), promising a climate neutral university by 2030 Al Gore, in all his environmental activism glory, was invited to the Distinguished Speaker Series

2008: First participation with the College Sustainability Report Card, receiving a B- for an overall grade.

Each year UB has been improving, and this year received a grade of B+ 2009: UB Climate Action Plan established, a 100-page description compiled by faculty, students, and staff on the achievement climate neutrality Bill Nye the Science Guy visited UB for the Distinguished Speaker Series *2011 (upcoming achievements): Stream Recycling System, anything recyclable can be placed in the same bin and is sorted later. Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) will be hosting the National Conference in October. n

From Parties to Playgrounds NEWS REBECCA BRATEK Asst. News Editor

That red cup from Friday night is going from the beer pong table to the playground as a result of a new initiative from Solo Cup Company.

Solo Cup has joined forces with TerraCycle, Inc., an international upcycling company that takes difficult-to-recycle items and turns them into affordable, eco-friendly products.

The “Solo Cup Brigade” is an initiative that takes the iconic red party cups and upcycles them into playground materials, park benches, and other outdoor furniture by converting the waste into new products of higher environmental value.

COURTESY OF FLICKR USER IDIOLECTOR

“The partnership started with TerraCycle to create a recycling program for our square cups,” said Kim Frankovich, vice president for sustainability for Solo Cup. “We wanted to find an avenue to actually get our cups recycled as well as create an incentive for those to do so.”

The idea for this project emerged when consumers asked Solo how they can go about recycling a product that most community curbside recycling programs do not accept, according to Frankovich.

The city of Buffalo, for example, does not accept plastic three items, which are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as these items are toxic, unsafe to break down in recycling plants, and are not biodegradable.

“Unless there is a recycling system in place for the number three plastic, the cups are thrown away after parties and events,” said Lauren Taylor, director of U.S. public relations for TerraCycle. “That means they are most likely taken to a local landfill where they will stay forever, which is a waste of resources because TerraCycle can recycle the cups into other items.”

Solo Cup and TerraCycle are asking community groups and individuals to sign up to be a part of the brigade and host their own events to collect the red and other polystyrene cups to be recycled.

Community groups can use these events as fundraisers. TerraCycle and Solo Cup will return 2 cents to the group or to the charity of its choice for every cup collected and recycled. Keep America Beautiful, a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to litter prevention and waste reduction, will receive funds that have not been donated to a specific charity.

“In the likely case that [the cups] can’t be recycled through your local options, you can mail them in with postage paid and no charge,” said Rob Wallace, vice president of communications for Keep America Beautiful. “You can know that they are being put

to better use and not just being put in a landfill. Whether it’s a red cup, or a beverage bottle or can, recycling is probably the easiest thing anyone can do to reduce their carbon footprint and conserve natural resources and energy.”

Solo Cup strives to increase community awareness and involvement through this initiative, especially on college campuses where students may use red cups frequently at parties and other events. Students should be aware of the options available for recycling and know what happens if they do not take the steps to dispose of waste properly, according to Frankovich.

“Most [cups] will get thrown out because most people don’t know that they’re recyclable. After they’re thrown out, they’re just going to sit in a landfill,” said Mike Alcazaren, a senior aerospace and mechanical engineering major and director of the SA Environmental Department. “If it’s a certain plant that uses an incinerator, then it could be turned into power, but it’s really highly polluted because when you break down plastic you release a lot of toxins into the air because it’s not supposed to be burned like that.”

Alcazaren also stressed that information about this and similar programs should reach UB’s campus and college campuses throughout the nation. He added that Solo cups are durable and can survive more than one use; students could rinse and reuse the cups after partying each weekend.

Solo and TerraCycle hopes that this project is just the first step in raising awareness and promoting environmentally friendly recycling programs. In addition to the Solo Cup Brigade, the company is working on making their line of items biodegradable and environmentally friendly by June. 

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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CHECK IN YOUR RENTALS Rented textbooks are due back May 19, 2011

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NEWS FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2011 ❖ THE SPECTRUM

OPINION EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF

Matthew Parrino

Tripathi Privately Wins Presidency Secrecy at UB should end

MANAGING EDITORS

James Twigg, senior Michael Tyson EDITORIAL EDITORS

James Bowe

NEWS EDITORS

Madeleine Burns, senior Steven Wrobel, asst.

Rebecca Bratek, asst.

ARTS EDITORS

Jameson Butler, senior Vanessa Frith Nicolas Pino, asst.

Edward Benoit, asst.

LIFE EDITORS

Akari Iburi, senior Hannah Barnes Veronica Ritter, asst.

Keren Baruch, asst.

SPORTS EDITORS

Aaron Mansfield, senior Brian Josephs Andreius Coleman, asst.

PHOTO EDITORS

Megan Kinsley, senior Troi Williams Nyeri Moulterie Satsuki Aoi Alexa Strudler PROFESSIONAL STAFF BUSINESS MANAGER

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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Adam Cole

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 e-mail address.

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For a public school, our university is getting awfully private.

After a dimly lit presidential search spearheaded by billionaire Jeremy Jacobs, we now have a new president and the same old problems. While it is good that Tripathi is experienced and from UB, there are many questions that have been continually unanswered about his capacity for leadership and his vision of the future of UB. Tripathi’s tenure as Provost was not without some controversy.

In 2008 he and former president Simpson were accused of gender bias in the hiring and tenure procedures. Tripathi’s leadership during this trying time left much to be desired. Rather than address the issue with compassion, his response was cold and statistics based. His response attempted to address the issue of tenure only, and ignored the issue of hiring bias.

ously silent during recent outrage over facts exposed in the Artvoice article, “The Great UB Heist.” It is obvious that he would not want to advocate for his own pay cut, but the allegations are serious, and a good leader should at least make some sort of statement to at least tell the student body that he understands its concerns.

Buck Quigley’s article in Artvoice exposed the amount of compensation that officials at UB receive, and Tripathi is set to receive $172,701 over what Simpson received according to Buffalo News. A raise like this should not be automatic just for getting hired, it should be merit-based. The president should also not be paid by a private foundation on the side. This kind of secrecy and shady dealings is the exact opposite of what a public university should stand for.

He has also remained conspicu-

An important aspect of the presidency is communication and public speaking, and Tripathi does not excel at this. Possibly due to his background in computer science, he seems awkward and is confusing in the way he speaks. Confidence is important in leadership, and he needs to work on gaining some.

Happy Birthday, BP Oil Spill

money has been paid out a year later, and many residents have complained that BP is dragging its feet in paying out.

It’s been a year since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana, and if you were to listen to BP things sound just peachy on the Gulf Coast.

In a recent effort to mitigate its monetary losses, BP started a suing spree. It has sued Transocean, the owner of the rig, Halliburton, the contractor for the rig, and Cameron, the builders of the failed blow-out preventer. While these companies do share part of the blame, BP is ultimately responsible for the devastation. It was its oversights that led to the explosion.

Its lax safety measures are most at fault.

Government inaction risks livelihoods

Like the soil of the Louisiana marshes, however, a little digging uncovers something very ugly.

BP has used clever advertising campaigns to make light of the situation, but officials in the area are not agreeing at all. BP claims that 99 percent of waters are open, but on the ground, 300 miles of coastline still has oil on it.

While BP spends a lot of money on massive advertising campaigns, it’s hard not to be reminded of the lives lost and destroyed by the spill. It has made plenty of promises following the disaster, but has lived up to few.

It has promised to replant oysters and build a saltwater hatchery; both have been unrealized.

BP uses the $20 billion fund set up to help the people they damaged as a shield to seem like it is doing right by the Gulf, but the reality is different. Only 25 percent of the

These safety measures came under intense scrutiny after the spill.

Many people called for congress to enact legislation to prevent further disasters like this, but as is typical of our political system, nothing got done. Legislation has been on the table since then, to the amount of 150 more bills, but each failed to pass. This legislation should be a top priority for our government. The atrophied congress is putting lives and livelihoods at risk each time it doesn’t pass a meaningful bill.

It may be astonishing to some that none of these bills got passed, but it’s a simple money issue. Oil and Gas companies spent over $100 million on lobbying in Congress, and it’s difficult to compete with money of that magnitude. It’s tempting to say that the bad

Some have touted the fact that UB has attracted a more talented student body as one of Tripathi’s accomplishments, yet it is entirely possible that the economic downturn has forced more of those students to look at public universities instead of more expensive private colleges.

While the secrecy of the presidential search was not directly Tripathi’s fault, he has stated his approval of the search process. This is somewhat unnerving because it indicates another commitment against transparency within the university.

Tripathi is, however, qualified to do the job. He has an understanding of the inner workings of UB and the executive system, and has been in a leadership position for some time. His extensive work with international student programs gives him a worldview for UB. He obviously wants to do good for UB, but his actions may be undermining some of the fundamental principles of public learning. 

economy has been the focus of the government, but in the last year legislation has passed that makes drilling contracts faster to attain.

Making it easier to drill offshore is an irresponsible decision when juxtaposed with the fact that there are no new protections against another disaster. It’s obvious that BP was, and still is not, prepared to deal with the ramifications of its blunder, and there needs to be some sort of mandate for it to update its equipment and safety procedures.

Drilling offshore wells are a necessary evil for the time being.

With gasoline prices so high and showing few signs of dropping, offshore oil becomes an important aspect of our oil industry.

What this whole debacle underscores most heavily is the need for alternative energies. You can enact all the safety legislation you want but it is only, in the end, a prevention of something inevitable. Alternatives like solar, wind and biodiesel not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but they also decrease our dependence on all oil. Only when we are completely independent of petroleum will the spills stop completely. 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Trust is not given. It is earned.

Undoubtedly Dr. Tripathi, Chancellor Zimpher, President Emeritus Simpson, SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Hayden, and the other dignitaries in the room during Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting felt uncomfortable at the presence of twelve students who stood in awkward silence, gagged with tape, observing the proceedings.

As well they should: neither President Emeritus Simpson nor Chancellor Zimpher have very good track records of including students in decision-making, a betrayal of the democratic legacy of student government and public service that this university should proudly carry.

We sat, and then stood, in the Center for the Arts gallery because we were dissatisfied with the closed nature of the search as well as the dismissive attitude of the administration. The lack of acknowledgment from the Trustees and the media seemed to be icing on the cake. The message to us was clear: student voices don’t matter. As we left the meeting, I overheard President Emeritus Simpson remark loudly to his neighbor that we did have representation: SA President Nischal Vasant and UB Council Student Representative Joshua Boston carried that responsibility.

I think Mr. Vasant and Mr. Boston have served the student body to the best of their ability, but we should challenge the assumption

that two elected officers’ presence means that student voices are heard. After all, they represent only two of over 30,000 students at this university, from freshmen to doctoral candidates polishing their dissertations to young doctors completing their residencies to tomorrow’s business leaders and lawyers. Our backgrounds are as various as our research interests and programs of study. Try as they might, two elected officials – one of whom is only elected by undergraduates – cannot possibly convey the ideals, aspirations, and possibilities this diverse and brilliant student body has to offer.

The last I heard from the search committee for the new president was during the listening sessions they held during the fall term, where I expressed concern about ensuring the new president would be an advocate for state funding, respect the collective bargaining process regarding all employees, and be willing to address the parts of UB2020 that are deeply problematic and have been part of the reason the plan has failed. I left the meeting feeling as though my thoughts and concerns were dismissed by the search committee, and despaired of being taken seriously by the people who had been chosen to speak for me.

Later during the search process, a group of friends and I did some of our own research in an attempt to propose a candidate we thought might embody

some of the values and ideals that I spoke about during the listening session. I thought we did an excellent job of finding a candidate who has served as the Provost of a public research university for the past several decades. I gave Ilene Nagel, the consultant from Russell Reynolds Associates who was assigned to UB’s Presidential Search, a phone call and my nomination was greeted as smart, interesting, and well-researched. Of course, since the search process was entirely closed, it’s not clear if this candidate was even looked at by the search committee.

The precedent of the closed search, of President Emeritus Simpson’s call for us to be “UB Believers,” of Chancellor Zimpher’s invocation of the economic clout of the SUNY system, of the advancement of UB2020 as the only alternative to a broken system of government involvement, doesn’t make me optimistic. The university’s attempts to evade the public eye and oversight concerns me deeply. There is a litany of problems with these and other things we’ve seen here at UB that make me skittish about trusting Dr. Tripathi going forward.

Trust is not given, it is earned. And in the past two years I have spent at this university, I haven’t seen much that is deserving of my trust. When the Chancellor and Search Committee Chairman Jeremy Jacobs asks me to trust them, Dr. Tripathi is the best choice, I don’t have much

reason to. Between Mr. Jacobs’ wholehearted support of UB2020, which poses problems for university employees and the neighborhoods surrounding our campuses, and Chancellor Zimpher’s advocacy for the university primarily as economic driver rather than place of service and inquiry, I’m not confident in these leaders’ willingness to advocate for my interests as a student, public employee, and concerned member of the community.

I hope that these reflections reach Dr. Tripathi’s desk, and that he takes seriously this call: include students and the community now, in meaningful ways, and earn our trust. Otherwise, expect resistance. I don’t write letters, organize protests, and speak out because I hate UB. I do it because I love UB, and public higher education in general.

Journalists Don’t Need to Die Madeleine Burns Senior News Editor

Reporters flood war-torn countries to do the job that few others are brave enough to do.

They cross borders, aware of the risk to their lives, in a selfless attempt to get the story so that the international community may read about the conflict over morning coffee.

On Wednesday, the crack of sniper fire and the hum of battle absorbed the sound of a rocketpropelled grenade fired on a Tripoli Street in Misrata, Libya.

When it struck the ground, two photojournalists died.

Oscar-nominated war photographer Tim Hetherington and New York-based photographer Chris Hondros were the first Western journalists to sacrifice their lives pursuing a story in Libya.

Reporters in unstable areas around the world take on the role of medium between chaos and civilization; they are often the only source of unbiased information from the region when oppressive leaders shut down social media and news organizations.

I do not question the importance of journalistic work. The story needs to be recorded. Voices need to be heard. Violence needs to be seen.

However, the price of information should never be paid with a life.

Readers and viewers are used to seeing news about the deaths of journalists light up the headlines. However, rather than becoming enraged, the public becomes apathetic as the death tally creeps upward. Many believe that it is simply a fact of war that journalists must die, but it is simply an avoidable outrage.

Recently, four New York Times journalists were taken hostage and held in Libya. They were beaten and groped. After their release, they authored an article about their capture and noted that no article was worth dying for.

“We were too blind to admit that,” they wrote.

Journalists, who work in these countries independently of their nation’s governments, must be afforded protection. It is irrational that reporters are subjected to airstrikes and gunfire, and face arrest, beatings, and detention by pro-Qaddafi forces, yet are not provided with simple protective equipment.

Currently, they are armed only with questions and cameras.

They need to be provided the flak jackets, helmets, and bulletproof vests that Libyan border customs restricts.

Neither of the journalists killed were wearing protective items.

In Misrata, the struggling Libyan medical system failed the injured journalists. They were rushed to a triage tent where doctors, equipped only with running water, powdered soap, and a generator, were unable to help them.

Hetherington died of trauma and blood loss. Hondros died after a piece of shrapnel passed through his brain from front to back.

But they got the photos. 

Email: madeleine.burns@ ubspectrum.com

We want the leaders of our public institutions to be beholden to the people, because many of the institutions, programs, and services we rely on as a society weren’t given: on the contrary, they were fought for, and won, by people. We can use this moment as an excuse to impoverish our cultural and intellectual heritage, or we can use it as a springboard to imagine an optimistic future of collaboration, innovation, and education for all.

my support, trust, and loyalty.

That’s contrary to the mission of higher education, which should be to foster inquiry into everything. Whether in computer science, medicine, media art, or the craft and process of governance, we have some big questions to answer. Don’t miss this chance.

Dr Tripathi: I’m here posing these problems because I think we can work together to fix them. The last thing I want from my administration is for them to expect

Letters to the Editor are not edited by The Spectrum.

Cayden Mak Teaching Assistant, MFA Candidate Media Study, University at Buffalo

OPINION FRIDAY, APRIL 22 ❖ THE SPECTRUM

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4

ADVERTISEMENT FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2011 â?– THE SPECTRUM

SPORTS

Wake Up,Buffalo: You’re Senseless Aaron Mansfiield Senior News Editor

The Buffalo Sabres are going to win the Stanley Cup this year. Just look at how they performed Wednesday night against one of the league’s most elite squads.

The Bills are going to the playoffs next year.

Once the NFL labor dispute is resolved, the Bills will be a completely different team— just like the Sabres were after the NHL lockout. The Bills will draft Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with their third pick in the draft and, after a year of learning from Ryan Fitzpatrick, the new quarterback will resurrect the franchise.

If you buy any of the above, you’re delusional.

I’m as avid a Buffalo sports fan as anyone you’re going to find. I skip meals so I can buy a ticket to watch the Bills lose. I go downtown to support the Sabres at the Party in the Plaza to freeze to death in the snow with a couple thousand of cup-crazed Buffalonians.

I’m still bitter about the “no goal” call, which eliminated the Sabres from the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals. Brett Hull’s skate was in the crease. It shouldn’t have been allowed. I was the kid bawling his eyes out when Kevin Dyson took the lateral deemed the “Music City Miracle” from Frank Wycheck 75 yards to the end zone, which eliminated the Bills from the playoffs in 2000. Hey, I was eight.

Cut me some slack.

I’m as biased as anyone, but I’ve had one too many depressed off-seasons. I’ve learned my lesson.

could be moving out of town. The Bills aren’t going to win nine or 10 games and get a Wild Card berth this year. Hell, I’ll be happy if the Bills win eight games. The fact of the matter is we know what we’re going to get from the Bills this year. Just look at the past five seasons: 2010: 4-12, 2009: 6-10, 2008: 7-9, 2007: 7-9, 2006: 7-9.

Keep in mind the 2008 team started 4-0 and appeared to be on its way to title contention – or so we convinced ourselves. You can expect to see a maximum of seven wins in 2011 (if they play at all).

The Sabres aren’t going far. It appears their next opponent would be Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals if they get by the Flyers.

The Caps took three out of four from Buffalo in the regular season and claimed the number one seed in the East.

Chan Gailey, the head coach of the Bills, and Terry Pegula, the new owner of the Sabres, are considered Buffalo’s redeemers. Gailey has been coaching since 1974. He has as much experience as any coach out there. Pegula has the deep pockets and the winning attitude the Sabres need. These men are admirable, but they aren’t the athletes competing.

I hope I’m wrong. I hope you can throw these words back in my face and tell me I’m a moron.

It won’t happen. You’ll continue to believe each year is Buffalo’s year, and each year you’ll end up disappointed.

Me? I’ll still be there supporting the teams. I can’t stop loving them. But I won’t be expecting them to win. 

Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com

Let’s be real—the Bills aren’t going anywhere. Well, in the standings that is. They

SPECIAL EVENT PARKING NOTICE J. Craig Venter DSS Lecture Wednesday April 27th, 2011

Beginning at 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday April 27th, 2011 the following North Campus parking lots will be closed and reserved (through 8 P.M.) for patrons of the DSS lecture: Baird B Lot, Slee B Lot, and Lake La Salle Lot At 8:00 P.M. the parking lots will reopen for the university community These arrangements conform with the Special Events Parking Plan approved by the Offices of the President, Provost, Vice Presidents, and the campus negotiating units.

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ARTS & LIFE FRIDAY, APRIL 22 ❖ THE SPECTRUM

5

DAILY

DELIGHTS

SPONSORED BY University Village at Sweethome and Villas at Chestnut Ridge

Visit ubspectrum.com/games for our online game of the week Also see the crossword and Sudoku answers from last issue

Crossword ACROSS 1 Make-well process 6 Autumn pear 10 Da Vinci’s “— Lisa” 14 Rochester’s ward 15 Game for (2 wds.)

16 Part of YSL 17 Old keepsake 18 Lysol target 19 Watered down 20 Win over 22 Consoles 24 Realty offering 26 — Vallarta, Mexico 27 Service piece 31 Turner or Koppel 32 Sponsorship 33 Hyundai model 36 Archeological site 39 Interpret tea leaves 40 Obscures 41 Aeneas’s city 42 Rural addr.

43 Bandleader Count 44 Conclusive 45 — au vin 46 Resumes business 48 Dined at the diner (2 wds.)

51 Kids’ cereal 52 Flashing lights 54 Vitamin B component 59 House wings 60 Tirade 62 Omit, in speech 63 Stead 64 Garfield’s victim 65 More feasible 66 Diminished by 67 Equinox mo.

68 Suit material

DOWN 1 Steakhouse order 2 Churchill successor 3 Embraced 4 I cannot tell — — 5 Deprives of wind 6 Listening device 7 Fuel cartel 8 Hone a razor 9 Goes to work 10 Good grief! (2 wds.)

11 In plain view 12 Peachy-keen 13 Questions 21 Beluga product 23 Sense 25 Fir and spruce 27 “It Must Be Him” singer 28 Coral formation 29 Old-time oath 30 Help out 34 Noon on a sundial 35 Cratchit’s job 36 Over with 37 Statuesque model 38 Thickens 40 Serape wearers

41 Pants problem 43 Reserve a flight 44 Most alluring 45 Population count 47 Half of zwei?

48 Kate’s sitcom friend 49 Shuttle covering 50 Line of work 52 Steeple feature

53 Barbershop noise 55 There oughta be — —!

56 Movie 57 — fixe 58 Dweeb 61 Lunar new year

Sudoku – Difficulty 2/5

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6

DAILY DELIGHTS FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2011 ❖ THE SPECTRUM

Session M (July 5-August 12, 2011) GEO 106 EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE II M – F 9:40 AM - 10:55 AM (Lecture) LAB – GEO 106 Lab T R 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Both components (lecture and lab) must be taken in the same semester GEO 231 U.S. CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS M – F 11:20 AM - 12:35 PM GEO 333 BASES OF WORLD COMMERCE M W 6:30 PM - 9:40 PM

GEOGRAPHICAL INFO SYSTEMS T R 6:30 PM - 9:40 PM (Lecture) GEO 481 [Undergrad] or GEO 506 [Graduate] For further details, please check the department LAB – GEO 481 Lab [Undergrad] website: http://www.geog.buffalo.edu, T R 5:00 PM - 6:20 PM http://www.geog.buffalo.edu/academic_programs/underg LAB – GEO 506 Lab [Graduate] raduate/courses.shtml.

T R 5:00 PM - 6:20 PM Or contact Betsy Abraham. Office: 105 Wilkeson Quad, Both components (lecture and lab) must Tel: 716-645-2722, Email: babraham@buffalo.edu. be taken in the same semester

CLASSIFIED ads may be placed at The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union, Amherst Campus. Office hours are from 9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Deadlines are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00 for display and 2:00 p.m. for classifieds for the next edition.

Weekly rates are $15.00 for the first ten words and 75¢ for each additional word. All ads must be paid in advance. The ad must be placed in person or send a legible copy of the ad with a check or money order for full payment. No ads will be taken over the phone. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit any copy. No refunds will be given on classified ads. Please make sure copy is legible. The Spectrum does not assume responsibility for any errors except to reproduce any ad (or equivalent), free of charge, that is rendered valueless due to typographical errors. Please call 645-2152 for any additional information.

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FANTASTIC LOCATION across the street from UB south at Main & NF Blvd. Rent for completely furnished room starts at $325.00/ mo including all utilities and Internet. 630-3004228. Immediate occupancy.

CITYA1drivingschool.com – Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5 hr class $30.00, 716-875-4662.

2-1 bdrm/1 bath apt for rent in newly renovated carriage house (1 upper/1 lower); quiet setting; off-street parking; located just minutes from UB’s South Campus. New features include all new finishes; new high-efficiency heating & cooling, windows and much more. Upper unit features vaulted ceilings. No pets/no smoking. $695 lower; $795 upper unit.

Call Jennifer at 716-743-7398 for more info.

1, 2, 3 OR 4 ROOMS available in a 4-bdrm house. Absolutely gorgeous w/w carpeting, 1 ½ baths, new windows, furnace, security system, stainless steel stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer/ dryer, off-street parking 4-cars. Must see!!! $335 person + utilities. Gino 830-1413.

SOUTH CAMPUS 4-bdrm apartment updated. Laundry, parking, walking distance. $250+/ person & security deposit.

Available June 1st, 716-830-3226.

PAINTERS WITH experience in house painting. Need reliable transportation, an eye for detail. Call 716-472-4910.

LANDSCAPE POSITIONS available. Must have transportation. Experienced or will train. 894-0099.

LIFEGUARDS NEEDED for Sturbridge Village Apts. May 30th thru season. Must be CPR/AED certified. Please call 6882757 to apply.

WANTED: SMART, SAVVY 2011 grads who want to build their UB network. Opportunity includes access to 215,000 successful established UB alumni around the world. Added incentive: new grad discount, but only for a limited time.

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AMHERST 2-BDRM 1050sqft. Walk to UB! Pool, tennis court, coin-op laundry, storage & parking included. 716-6916448 or www.colonieamherst.com.

CALLODINE – WALKING distance to MSC, washer/ dryer, dishwasher & parking, 716-668-7717.

NATURAL FOODS STORE. Part-time sales/ cashier help needed. Natural foods knowledge helpful. Apply in person.

Feel Rite Fresh Markets 3912 Maple Road, Amherst.

2, 3 & 4BR APTS. Five min. walk to south campus. Washer/ dryer available June 1st, off-street parking, 698-9979 utilities included, HaynesApts@yahoo.com.

HOUSE CLEANER NEEDED by professor part-time $13.00/ hr near N. Campus, 688-2461.

CANISIUS UB APARTMENTS available June 1st, 3 bdrm $750+ electric includes other utilities, 4 bdrm $880+ utilities. Please call Nicole at 716-438-7720.

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PART-TIME (EXPERIENCED?) handyman, $13.00 an hour, near North Campus, 716-688-2461.

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2-ROOMS AVAILABLE June 1st @ Heath & Main. Large bdrms, 1.5 baths, off-street parking, appliances & washer/ dryer, $275.00 @ 716-570-6062.

ROOMMATE WANTED AMHERST – SOUTH CAMPUS/ safe side of Main. Quiet Architect students looking for serious male roommate. Excellent condition, private bedroom, big closet, laundry, parking & dishwasher. Available now & May. 5 minute walk to Crosby Hall. $295+ share of utilities, 716-400-9663.

PSYCHIC READINGS BY Rita. Romance & careers. $30/ 30 min. Parties. 716-626-4335.

LEGAL SERVICES: Located just minutes from UB’s North Campus, HoganWillig focuses in personal injury, criminal & traffic, real estate, estate planning, matrimonial & family law, bankruptcy & more. Call 716-636-7600 or visit HoganWillig at 2410 N. Forest Rd., Amherst, NY.

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1-BDRM WINSPEAR $479. Nice size! Off-street parking & backyard. Available August 646-208-8574.

FULL TIME SUMMER position available for competitive & hard working students. Are you looking for a fun & challenging position that is ideal for college students who would like experience in completing group projects, budget management, effective marketing, and customer service? Then College Pro Painters is the place for you! We are looking to hire across the Buffalo area so here is your opportunity to work outdoors with other like-minded individuals while earning a good hourly wage! Requirements: your own transportation, manual labor, & a great attitude! Interested candidates should apply online to see if qualified. We look forward to hearing from you! http:/www1.collegepro.com/students/Painter_Application/sb.cn.

2-BDRM WINSPEAR $699 includes washer/ dryer, off-street parking & backyard. Available June 1st. Must see!!! 646208-8574.

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APARTMENT FOR RENT

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EXAMINE US! www.luxuryaptswny.com/UB. UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS. 3-4 bedroom apartments available. $645 - $800 a month. Call 716-884-8213 Today!

4,5,6 & 8 BEDROOM REMODELED apartments to choose from. Located at University at Buffalo Main Street Campus off Englewood. Beginning June 2011. 6 (of 32) apartments remain. $275/ bed plus utilities. Washers & dryers included.

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4 OR 5 BDRM, absolutely gorgeous, w/w carpeting, 1 ½ baths, new windows, furnace, security system, stainless steel stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer/ dryer, off-street parking 4-cars. Must see! $335 person + utilities, Gino 830-1413.

AMHERST, 3 BEDROOM apartments. Kitchen, 1 ½ baths, living room, dining room & finished basement. June 1st. Call: 688-6497.

SOUTH CAMPUS 4-bdrm house updated. Hardwood floors, new furnace, free laundry, parking, walking distance. $295+/ person & security deposit. Available June 1st, 716239-5244.

3 & 4 BEDROOM apartments near south campus. 1 bath, kitchen with dishwasher/ disposal, laundry & carpeting. June 1st or August 1st. Call: 688-6497.

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CLASSIFIEDS FRIDAY, APRIL 22 ❖ THE SPECTRUM

7

ARTS & LIFE

MO MOVIE VIE

A Reboot to the Face

Mortal Combat returns to its 2-D origins.

JAMES TWIGG Senior Managing Editor Grade: AWith the release of Mortal Kombat, a reboot of one of the most iconic franchises in the gaming world, the developers at Netherealm Studios have done the impossible; they’ve made d-pads useful again.

The game’s return-to-form approach is one that has been sorely needed in every installment post Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. It disembowels the 3-D style gameplay of the most recent installments and, instead, opts for the 2-D style of the originals. Between this and the numerous remastered stages – that’s right, you’ll be able to uppercut your vanquished opponents off of everyone’s favorite bridge onto the sharpened spikes below, yet again – players will feel

Courtesy of NetherRealm Studios

like they’re right back in the ’90s.

In terms of gameplay, Mortal Kombat has one of the most fluid combat systems around.

Anyone can pick up a controller and start beating their opposition to a bloody pulp with relative ease; mastering the controls to the point where you can take on the game’s more challenging difficulty settings, however, will take some time.

One of the greatest additions to the gameplay comes in the form of an “X-ray” attack, and the best part is, you don’t even have to wear a heavy lead apron to use them. With these, players will be able to deal out a serious amount of damage while witnessing all of the gruesome effects, such as bones breaking and organs rupturing.

Naturally, fatalities are back

Glee Fans’ Teenage Dream Fulfilled ABBY NIEKAMPStaff Writer Artist: Glee Cast Album: Glee: The Music Presents the Warblers Label: Columbia Release Date: April 19 Grade: A For Gleeks, life could not get any better than this. Having to YouTube favorite Glee performances just to hear the Warblers sing, or searching past episodes on the DVR to listen to a Blaine and Kurt duet is no longer necessary.

The Dalton Academy Warblers, a male a cappella group featured on Fox’s Glee, now has it’s own album. Soloists Blaine (Darren Criss) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) cover 13 well-known songs with the help of the rest of the Warblers creating the background music. All the songs were featured on episodes from the second season of Glee.

First on the album is Criss’ strong, smooth voice performing Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” It could have been a strange concept having a male lead on this upbeat love hit, but the change is surprisingly enjoyable.

and, thankfully, they’re better than ever. With a quick tap of the start button, anyone can look up the combo necessary to inflict an over-the-top demise for their beaten foe.

Whether it’s slicing your opponent in half with Kung Lao’s hat or ripping out someone’s spine as Sub-Zero, nothing else feels nearly as satisfying as pulling off a successful fatality.

What this all adds up to is a game that’s grotesque, brutal and graphic enough to potentially cause serious psychotic issues with even the most stable mind. In short, it’s everything gamers have ever wanted out of a MK game and more.

Believe it or not, the Mortal Kombat series has had a running narrative since its creation. This time around the developer’s decided to put the story front and center with a

a chart topper. Along with “Teenage Dream,” the Warblers also sing “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train, “Animal” by Neon Trees, and “Raise Your Glass” by Pink, among others.

The most unusual track that appears on this album is “Bills, Bills, Bills” by Destiny’s Child. As one of the female group’s most well-known songs, it’s about a girl who is fed up with her boyfriend taking advantage of her bank account. Sung by the all male a cappella group, the meaning becomes a bit jumbled.

The most amazing part of this album is that it allows the listener to get caught up in the music. Even the slower songs like “Somewhere Only We Know” and “Candles” have immense energy. Most of this comes from the background music; listeners can easily forget that this is an a cappella group due to how real and strong they make the beats sound.

Unfortunately, Colfer does not get his solo on the album until track eight. This hinders the album because after listening to Criss for seven songs, Colfer does not sound nearly as strong. It throws the album off until Criss returns to the lead for “Raise Your Glass,” two songs later.

Even though the album could have a more thought out track order, the Warblers present a cappella at its best on the album. There’s no way Sue Sylvester can throw a slushy at this Glee masterpiece. n

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

story mode.

The story opens with Shao Kahn, the big baddy of the MK universe, laying down a serious beating on the thunder god, Raiden, after having taken out everyone else. Right before Raiden takes a hammer blow to the head he’s able to send visions of the future back in time to his past self at the start of the tournament in the first game. From there the player takes on the role of several characters as they try to ultimately change the worldending outcome.

It’s one of the deepest and most coherent stories to ever be included in a fighting game, but it’s far from perfect. On more than one occasion, the dialogue comes off as unbearably cheesy and due to the attempt to craft a six-hour narrative, players will find themselves fighting the same enemies over and over. It gets

Hot Hits With Hugar: Volume 2 JOHN HUGARContributing Writer This feature will attempt to determine what’s hot and what’s not on the radio.

Rating System: 5 stars: Instant classic 4 stars: Really catchy 2 Stars: Tolerable 1 Star: Turn this off as quickly as possible Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – “On The Floor” When Paula Abdul began her career on American Idol, she did America a huge favor and decided to stop making music.

Sadly, J-Lo was not as kind. This by-the-numbers disco tune is decent to dance to, but the painfully-forced lyrics keep it from being anything special. J-Lo should stick to what she does best – being nice to everyone on Idol in a vain effort to convince us she hasn’t spent the past decade screaming at stagehands.

Rating: 2 stars As much as I love Cee Lo Green,

Dining Out For Life HANNAH BARNES and VERONICA RITTERlife Editor and asst. life Editor Come hungry, leave humanitarian. The month of April is Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month, and the city of Buffalo is spreading the word through its 9th Annual Dining Out For Life.

On Tuesday, April 26, 91 restaurants in the area will be participating in the event to raise money for the AIDS Community Services (ACS) of Western New York to help those suffering from the diseases.

Diners simply have to eat in a participating restaurant and 25 percent or more of their bill will be donated to ACS. With large appetites and large hearts, Buffalonians can enjoy a delicious meal while supporting a meaningful cause. n

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

8

ARTS & LIFE FRIday, apRIl 22, 2011 v THE SPECTRUM

If cinematics and drama isn’t your thing, Mortal Kombat still has a plethora of other game types to satisfy your bloodlust.

The multiplayer isn’t anything standout, but then again it doesn’t really need to be. Sure the inclusion of a tag team mode is a hell of a lot of fun and swapping out combatants to chain together devastating combos will have you laughing maniacally, but as long as you have a partner to wail on, and subsequently talk a whole lot of smack to, then you’ve got all the necessary ingredients for an incredibly fun time.

More than likely though, players will be donating an unhealthy chunk of their time to taking on the “Challenge Tower.” This is a ladder of 300 different challenges of varying levels of difficulty. The chal-

someone needs to call him out for the epidemic he started.

Ever since “F*** You” became a big hit, musicians are trying to slip the f-bomb into places where it doesn’t belong. It was bad enough when Enrique told us that he was having intercourse with us – what happened to being our “Hero,” Enrique? This schmaltzy power ballad has the most awkward usage of the word ever. Much like Pink’s attempt to be a feminist by insulting other famous women (2006’s “Stupid Girls”), it doesn’t really translate.

Rating: 2 stars

3 Stars: Take it or leave it

Pink – “F***in’ Perfect”

Each song found on the album has been

a bit monotonous, but it’s still a great time.

J. CRAIG VEnTER

Scientific Pioneer to Speak at UB HANNAH BARNESLife Editor Not many people can say they have sequenced the human genome, but J. Craig Venter can.

Venter, one of the world’s leading scientists in genomics, has made some groundbreaking studies, observing the sequences of DNA and genes in a cell.

Rihanna – “S&M” Ever since Rihanna developed a personality, she’s been the biggest thing in pop music. Every single off Loud has been killer, and this is no exception. After the depressing, post-Chris Brown darkness of Rated R, she’s gotten back to having fun, and no one is better at it. It’s odd – five years ago, Rihanna seemed like Beyonce without a personality, now it’s the other way around.

Rating: 4 Stars Jeremih ft. 50 Cent – “Down On Me” If anybody was a good candidate for one-hit wonder, it was the talentless R&B crooner who bludgeoned the phrase “birthday sex” into the American lexi-

lenges are difficult, but fun, and the randomness of a lot of them such as tipping stages, armless combat and fighting off zombies helps to break up the monotony of the rest of the game.

The biggest problem in Mortal Kombat is its lack of unlockable characters. They aren’t completely missing, but there are only a couple. Still, this is easy to forgive because alternate costumes, fatalities, concept art, and a lot more are still all up for grabs.

All together, Mortal Kombat is an amazing game. Its nostalgia-evoking visuals and addictive gameplay make it a must have, especially for anyone who hasn’t picked up a controller since the days of Sega.

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Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

con. Unfortunately, like life, pop music is not fair and people like Jeremih are allowed to continue playing on the radio. Unless you come from a family of Mennonites, the title should give away the songs subject matter fairly quickly. A lot of pointless autotune is around to spice things up, but to no avail. As for 50 Cent, he hasn’t been relevant since Curtis, and it seems like he isn’t even trying anymore.

Rating: 1 Star Lady Gaga – “Judas” In Lady Gaga’s last single, “Born This Way”, the pop star heavyhandily championed gay rights.

A fine message, but a little subtlety would’ve helped. Her new single has a similar problem – it uses religious imagery with the hope that homophobic religious nut jobs will call for a boycott. At this point, I’m pretty sure even Pat Robertson has figured out that nothing she does or says is as shocking as she wants it to be. Still, she’s considerably better than Ke$ha or Katy Perry, if only because she’s actually trying to write decent songs. As a result, her desperate attempts to grab attention can only bother me so much.

Rating: 3 Stars

Email: john.hugar@ ubspectrum.com

In his most recent accomplishment, achieved last summer, Venter and his team created synthetic bacteria using a computer and man-made DNA. Creating life in a lab is a phenomenon scientists have been trying to achieve for years, and Venter made it happen.

Listed as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2008. Venter has received many of science’s top honors as well. In 2001 he received the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaeder Prize, and in 2002 he won the Gairdner Foundation International Award.

Venter was a former professor at UB and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute after earning a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology from the University of California.

Venter’s most recent brainchild is the J. Craig Venter Institute, of which he currently oversees as the president. The organization has over 400 scientists and staff members, which conduct genomic research, explore social and ethical issues in genomics, and look for alternative energy solutions utilizing genomics.

In 1992, Venter founded The Institute for Genomic Research, a non-profit research institute stationed in Rockville, Md. There, Venter and his team successfully decoded the genome of the first free-living organism using their newly developed genome shotgun technique.

Venter also founded Celera Genomics in 1998, sequencing the human genome by using new methods and tools that he and his team developed. The research that was done at Celera was published in the journal Science in 2001.

As a member of National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Society for Microbiology, Venter has written more than 200 research articles and received many other honorary degrees, public honors, and scientific awards over his years in the field.

In 2010 Venter was one of the 25 finalists for the TIME Person of the Year Award. He currently runs a biotech company called Synthetic Genomics, which in 2009 was announced to be collaborating with Exxon Mobile to develop new biofuels.

This renowned scientist will be coming to speak at the UB as the final speaker in this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, April 27 at the Alumni Arena at 8 p.m. n

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