The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 1 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

Last year’s headlines: A year in review New e-board committed to TIE plan THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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Volume 63 No. 1

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Opinion

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EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Aaron Mansfield MANAGING EDITORS Lisa Khoury Sara DiNatale EDITORIAL EDITOR Eric Cortellessa NEWS EDITORS Rachel Raimondi, Senior Sam Fernando, Senior Tong Meng, Asst. LIFE EDITORS Joe Konze Jr., Senior Keren Baruch Sharon Kahn, Asst. Alyssa McClure, Asst. ARTS EDITORS Max Crinnin, Senior Rachel Kramer, Asst. Kiera Medved, Asst. Felicia Hunt, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS Jon Gagnon, Senior Ben Tarhan, Senior Owen O’Brien PHOTO EDITORS Aline Kobayashi, Senior Aminata Diallo Nick Fischetti, Asst. Joe Malak, Asst. Juan David Pinzon, Asst. CARTOONIST Jeanette Chwan CREATIVE DIRECTORS Brian Keschinger Haider Alidina, Asst. PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Emma Callinan Drew Gaczewski, Asst. Chris Mirandi, Asst. ADVERTISING DESIGNER Haley Sunkes Haley Chapman, Asst. Ashlee foster, Asst.

July 1, 2013 Volume 63 Number 1 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.

Additional rules of the road

Federal proposal to lower DWI limit is mixed bag in need of support Getting behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated by alcohol is more than just stupid – it’s morally irresponsible. When people drive drunk, they aren’t just putting themselves in danger – they are putting other human beings in danger. In 2011, 9,878 people died in drunk driving crashes, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving – a nonprofit organization in the United States; that’s equivalent to one death every 53 minutes. In 2010, 211 children were killed in accidents that were the result of drunk driving; that’s at least four a week. It will never cease to mystify us why someone would do something as foolish as driving drunk – especially when the statistics are so staggering and the possible consequences are so immense. Regardless of all the warnings, however, many people still decidedly take a chance whenever it suits their pleasing, their impulses or their invariable habit of relying on poor judgment under the spell of inebriation. Thomas Nochajski, a research professor in UB’s School of Social Work,

has vocalized support of a current federal proposal to lower the DWI blood-alcohol-content level from .08 to .05 as a way to save lives. He cites that when the limit was dropped from .10 to .08, there was a decrease in fatalities that coincided with it. Anything that saves lives is a good thing and getting drunk drivers off the road is enormously important. We support any type of practical legislation with the intention of removing those who pose a danger to everyone. While we like the idea behind this proposal, we recognize gaps in its effectiveness. The biggest impact this change is likely to have is it would increase the amount of people who get arrested for DWIs more than it would decrease the amount who choose to avoid the risk. Plus, how many people can really judge themselves to be .05 as opposed to .08? How many people will get arrested for blowing .06 and then face the same penalties as the person who blew .16? We would hope that with lowering the limit, people would become too

afraid to gamble. The majority of the time, however, the people who drive drunk are the people who are in a habit of driving drunk already. The responsible people who limit themselves to one or two drinks each occasion (and who have made that decision before they started drinking) are the ones who would be affected by this change the most. The amount of drinks it takes to reach a BAC level of .08 varies for each person – but for many, the amount of time it takes to reach a .08 is pretty quick and takes few alcoholic beverages. Consider the responsible adult male who slugs a few back with his buddies on the links every Saturday. Should he have to go through the legal process that entails receiving a DWI for drinking three or four beers in a span of a few hours before driving? Is his decision dangerous enough to merit legal ramifications? Nachajski notes that approximately 900 of those fatal car accidents in 2011 were the result of drivers with a BAC in between .05 and .07. That’s a lot of human lives whose premature deaths could have (and should have)

been averted. So the answer boils down to yes. The problem remains that this won’t change many people’s habits and it will be hard to uphold. Even Candace Lightner, founder of MADD, has said she doesn’t support the proposal – citing that it wasn’t realistic and wouldn’t be enforced. It is time people fully comprehend the severity of this issue, however, and process the possibility that it could someday be them who loses a friend or loved one to drunk driving. Or perhaps you could kill someone from driving after drinking “just a few.” It happens all the time. While the chance this proposal has to be passed into law is slim at this point, it needs more consideration. If a law has a chance at saving 900 lives a year, it should be given its day in court – along with the driver who might be sent there by it. Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

A solicitude for solitude…

The problem of solitary confinement in federal prisons George Orwell once wrote: “The object of torture is torture.” In February, the Federal Bureau of Prisons began conducting an examination of solitary confinement in all federal prisons in the United States. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) requested the review upon statistics revealing more than 50 percent of all prison suicides are committed by individuals kept in isolation. America has the most prisoners in the world. The same nation that holds 5 percent of the world’s population holds 25 percent of the world’s prisoners; the federal prison system includes approximately 215,000 inmates, and in 2010, over 11,000 of them were held in “special housing.” That’s not including state prisons. There is estimated to be more than 105,000 inmates held in isolation in all types of prisons throughout the United States, according to The Washington Post. In a syndicated op-ed column, George Will pointed out that when Charles Dickens visited the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia – more than 170 years ago – where a stringent system of solitude was administered, his observation was:

“I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain, to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body: and because its ghastly signs and tokens are not so palpable to the eye and sense of touch as scars upon the flesh; because its wounds are not upon the surface, and it extorts few cries that human ears can hear; therefore I the more denounce it, as a secret punishment which slumbering humanity is not roused up to stay.” Prisoners in isolation are kept in small cells without access to windows and natural light for 23 hours a day – every day. The amount of these people who eventually decide that not living is better than living like that reflects the severe and corrosive psychological impact the institution of solitary confinement has on an individual. Yet it is the current ruling of the Supreme Court that holds this form of treatment does not violate the Eighth Amendment – inflicting “cruel and unusual punishment.” Another term for prisons – in our modern (politically correct) vernacular – is “correctional facilities.” There seems to be something ironic about depriving human contact to individuals the government is attempting to re-

assimilate back into society. To maintain the belief that these prisoners are undergoing a process that can restore them to normality is absurd. The notion of rehabilitation seems to be perplexingly distant from this line of “correctional thinking.” Donald Hebb, a professor of psychology at McGill University, conducted experiments in 2008 on the effects of isolation on the mind. The series of tests demonstrated the treatment rendered the human subjects disoriented and despondent. Their cognitive faculties became impaired, and for some, the sensory effects included hallucination. In other words, isolation drastically altered the way their minds functioned. Solitary confinement facilitates a prisoner’s descent into madness and the United States is presiding over this phenomenon systematically – with thousands of inmates scheduled to one day re-enter mainstream society. Is this the state of mind you want for someone who could potentially be sitting next to you in a class? With the exception of the prisoners who have committed truly heinous crimes – and whose criminal and/ or violent nature is incorrigible – the

use of solitary confinement needs to be reconsidered. It makes sense for an inmate to be kept in seclusion for the purpose of protecting other inmates – if he or she poses an intemperate physical threat to them. But for those who need to be prepared for reintegration in our neighborhoods and communities, it makes little sense. CBS News has reported that Colorado, Georgia and Maine have recently begun reducing the amount of inmates kept in isolation since the review began. We’re hoping federal prisons will follow in their footsteps. For the majority of the inmates experiencing what is proven to trigger psychiatric problems and induce excruciating mental agony, solitary confinement is as useful for rehabilitation as fighting is for peace. With federal dollars going toward inmates being kept in isolation costing considerably more than average inmates, the question that should remain on taxpayers’ minds is: “The object of solitary confinement is…?” Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Hood’s ‘reach for the stars’ leaves lasting impact

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AARON MANSFIELD Editor in Chief

I had to pull into a hotel parking lot. It was a rainy summer morning. I had just dropped my mom off at the airport when the words that flashed on my phone sucked the wind from my lungs and left my stomach feeling inside out, like when you’re at the peak of a roller coaster preparing for the drop. The cause: a text from an area sports writer: “Any idea how Saron died?” No, I thought. This isn’t real. With that distinct first name, there was no question who he was talking about. Former UB wide receiver Saron Hood, who finished school at UB this spring, collapsed and eventually passed away June 6 while working out at Texas A&M, where he was finishing his engineering degree. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know some UB athletes very well, but Hood was not one of them. I did not lose a close friend with his passing; instead, I felt sharp disap-

pointment knowing a life filled with potential had been cut far too short. “Every time I step onto the field you’ll be able to see my passion for this team,” Hood told me in 2011. “Our potential is endless. Why not reach for the stars?” Hood, an undersized, speedy receiver with dreadlocks from San Diego, was not a major contributor on the field, totaling just four catches for 33 yards in his four years. I once wrote in a column that fans should expect him to be a breakout performer, but that never happened. In the face of adversity and onthe-field struggles, Hood remained fully himself. His unyielding optimism continues to impact his teammates. “I learned how to treat people even when things aren’t in your favor,” said UB senior cornerback Najja Johnson, who led the Mid-American Conference in interceptions last season. “He was cool because he never got mad about anything and always – I mean always – had a smile on his face.” About two weeks before Hood’s death, I ran into him grocery shopping at Wegmans. It was the last of many times I saw him late at night around Western New York; he could often be found sweeping the floor at Wal-Mart. His job there always took me aback, given that he was a Division I athlete. As I passed Hood’s packed grocery cart, I considered all the athletes who have finished their careers at UB and gone on to do great things. They’ve completed a chapter in their lives as Bulls and progressed to bigger and better things. Three players from last year’s team, for ex-

ample, are in NFL training camps right now. Hood was headed for a successful post-football life. He was friendly and well educated – and, above all, resilient and selfless. Oddly enough, it’s not always the on-the-field stars who sports reporters root for the most. We most enjoy the athletes who remember our names or the young men who stand out by making an impression as people rather than athletes. Saron Hood was that kind of man. He shot for the stars, and while he never won a championship or had a huge statistical season, if you talk to the people who knew him, you’ll

know he reached that astronomical level. His potential was endless, and he actualized it – not by football standards, but by personal standards. By simply being a good person. We can all learn a thing or two from Hood. The irony of our generation’s YOLO philosophy is that we completely misinterpret a simple acronym with profound importance. It is essential to constantly remind ourselves that we do, in fact, only live once, else we forget our own mortality, but it is also important to examine what that means. See Reach for the stars, page A5

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Notable UB alumni and their impact in the world TV host, Super Bowl winner, Boston Bruins owner and others graduated from UB In 2005, Weinstein left Miramax to form The Weinstein Company. He has continued to be one of the biggest film producers in the industry.

ERIC CORTELLESSA Editorial Editor

Beyond the work that happens within the classrooms and halls of our campus, there are several distinguished alumni who have spread the university’s name across the globe.

The physician-astronaut studied geology at UB and received her B.A. in 1974. After college, Baker went on to medical school at Cornell University and subsequently worked for NASA. She started working as a medical officer at the Lyndon Johnson Space Center before being selected as an astronaut candidate. In June of 1985, she officially became an astronaut. She has traveled into outer space on three occasions (in 1989, 1992 and 1995) and overall has spent 686 hours in space. Baker was born and raised in Bayside, N.Y., by Claire and Mel Schulman, a politician and a doctor, respectively.

Courtesy of Hofstra University

Wolf Blitzer Best known for his television presence, Wolf Blitzer is the host of The Situation Room on CNN. He has been with the network since 1990 and is now its lead political anchor. Blitzer graduated from UB with a bachelor of arts in 1970. He was a member of the Jewish fraternity on campus, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and majored in history. In 1948, Blitzer was born in Augsburg, Germany. His parents, who were Holocaust survivors and refugees from Poland, moved to America when Blitzer was young. Blitzer grew up in Buffalo, and after graduating from Kenmore West Senior High School, he decided to remain local and attend UB. After graduating from UB, he studied for two years at Johns Hopkins University earning his Master’s in international relations. As a graduate student, he studied abroad in Jerusalem and learned Hebrew. He began his journalism career through the Tel Aviv bureau of Reuters, an international news agency. In 1973, Ari Rath, an editor of the Jerusalem Post, hired him as the newspaper’s Washington correspondent. During the 1970s and ’80s, Blitzer covered American politics and the Middle East for a variety of newspapers. In 1990, Blitzer began working at CNN and has held positions ranging from military affairs reporter to White House correspondent to host of a Sunday morning interview program. He began anchoring his first show in 2000. Since 2005, he’s been hosting The Situation Room, a three-hour newscast on weekday afternoons.

Courtesy of Jarrett Frazier

Courtesy of Nick Step

Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein produced Pulp Fiction, Good Will Hunting, The Aviator, Sicko and The Artist and several other Hollywood movies and independently financed productions. In 2012, TIME Magazine listed him as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. The executive producer graduated from UB in 1973. Weinstein, his brother Bob and his friend Corky Burger were known for producing rock concerts in Buffalo during that time. Weinstein grew up with a passion for movies. He established a production company with Bob from the profits of the concerts. They called it Miramax, named after their parents Miriam and Max. During the ’80s, they had modest commercial success with art-house films that earned attention before becoming the biggest independent studio in America in 1989, when they released Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies, and Videotape – winner of the Palm d’Or (the highest prize at the Cannes Film Festival). In 1993, Disney offered the Weinstein brothers $80 million for ownership of Miramax. After accepting the deal that allowed them to remain head of the company, they released the blockbuster and international phenomenon Pulp Fiction, directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film also won the Palm d’Or.

James Starks James Starks was born and raised in Niagara Falls. At Niagara Falls High School, he was captain of the football team but was considered only a two-star recruit by Rivals. com. His only Division I scholarship offer came from UB. In 2011, he won Super Bowl XLV as a running back on the Green Bay Packers. While at UB, Starks had a stellar career. He set a career-rushing record with 3,140 yards and 40 touchdowns. He aggregated over 1,000 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons as one of the top backs in the Mid-American Conference – becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher in the UB’s Division I history. In 2010, the Packers selected him in the sixth round as the 193rd overall pick in the draft. Starks got injured during training camp and had to sit out the majority of the season until making his NFL debut for a December game against the San Francisco 49ers. His debut resulted in a strong performance, and in the Packers’ Wild Card game in the playoffs, Starks broke the team’s rookie postseason record for rushing yards in a single game. The boy from Niagara Falls was able to do more than that in his rookie season – he helped his team win the Super Bowl. Starks continues to play for the Packers. He is number 44. Look out for him on Sundays.

Courtesy of sellsup

Jeremy Jacobs While many in Buffalo lament with the saying, “Buffalo is a drinking town with a hockey problem,” Jeremy Jacobs, owner of the Boston Bruins, has surmounted this aspect of the perceived geographic curse. Jacobs maintains a residence in East Aurora, a suburb of Buffalo. He was born and raised in Buffalo and attended UB’s School of Management. His father, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, founded Delaware North Companies, now a global hospitality and food service business that Jacobs currently owns and operates. He became owner of the Bruins in 1975, and in 2011, they won the Stanley Cup. Jacobs is widely known for his philanthropy work – donating millions of dollars to charities every year. He’s even given $1 million to Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo and recently pledged $100,000 to victims and families of the Boston Marathon bombings. In March, Forbes magazine ranked him as one of the world’s billionaires with a net worth of $2.7 billion. UB granted Jacobs an honorary doctorate and named the Jacobs Management Center to honor the Jacobs family, including Jeremy’s father, who donated $1 million to the university in 1985. Email: eric.cortellessa@ubspectrum.com

Courtesy of Tecnopolis Argentina 2012

Ellen S. Baker Ellen Baker is the chief of the education/ medical branch of the NASA Astronaut office.

Continued from page A3: Reach for the stars Why does only living once mean we should indulge in self-gratifying? Why does this philosophy mean “you should go have as much fun as you can and please yourself in the moment, because you might not be around tomorrow?” If we really think about it, shouldn’t we aim to make an impact with our one life? Shouldn’t YOLO mean we do things that touch other people so we leave behind a legacy that speaks not of our selfish nature but instead of what we did for others? We recognize our time on earth is brief, and for that reason, we do not think of ourselves first. We live like Hood. “Overall, he matured much faster than the rest of us and tried to explain that life was more than just the bubble that we assume revolved around us,” Johnson said. Johnson is pursuing his Master’s in education, but he was learning in this case. Hood taught his teammates. We should all emulate that behavior. Remember what Johnson said Hood tried to do in his time at UB: explain that life was

more than just the bubble that we assume revolved around us. If I’ve learned anything in my first three years at UB, in my two as an editor at The Spectrum and one as editor in chief, it’s that I don’t know much of anything except that it pays to be good to people. Some of the friends you make during your freshman year will die before you graduate; that is not an opinion but a fact. I tell you that to encourage you to love everyone you meet with all the emotion you can muster. Remember names; you’ll learn lots of names. Smile a lot, no matter how you’re feeling. Here is my biggest piece of advice for college, something I think Saron Hood would agree with: Just be good to people. There is more than the bubble. Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com

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Last year’s headlines: A year in review

Courtesy of Courtesy of John Armstrong

SAM FERNANDO

Senior News Editor

UB shuts down contested shale institute On Nov. 19, President Satish Tripathi closed the Shale Resources and Society Institute (SRSI). Controversy surrounded SRSI since its inception became public in April 2012. Questions arose as to how it was founded, whether the oil industry helped fund it and the merit of its reports about fracking – the process of extracting natural gas in which gallons of water, chemicals and sand are pumped underground to break rocks apart and release the gas within the rocks. Bruce Pitman, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, denied that SRSI received any industry funding.

Spectrum file photo

In August 2012, James Holstun, an English professor, created the UB Coalition for Leading Ethically in Academic Research (UBCLEAR). The group gathered 83 signatures from professors and affiliates demanding more transparency about the funding, founding and governance of SRSI. Protesters gathered at SUNY Board of Trustees meetings urging the board to make UB submit a report about the operations of SRSI. The board obliged and the trustees made the report public on Oct. 29. On Nov. 6, UB announced its new Joint Committee on Research and Scholarship to review policies and assess how the university should handle conflicts of interests and the formations of institutes. The opposition to the institute was too big to ignore and, two weeks later, Tripathi closed the institute citing a “cloud of uncertainty” looming over SRSI.

Four students hospitalized from carbon monoxide leak in Richmond Quad On Feb. 17, a carbon monoxide leak in Richmond Hall caused four students to be hospitalized after they reported feeling dizzy and lightheaded and having burning sensations in their eyes and skin. The leak emerged when a hot water boiler on the first floor malfunctioned, preventing the exhaust gas containing carbon monoxide from ventilating properly, according to Vice President for University Communications Joseph Brennan. The carbon monoxide detectors that were supposed to be in the room with the hot water boiler – in conjunction with state law – went missing. UB, however, had passed the annual fire control and prevention dormitory inspection in October, so the detectors must have been present at that time, according to Brennan.

Neil Campbell, Bennett Sciacca and Tijo Mathew, three of the four students affected, were sent to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. Doctors told Mathew he had 27 times the normal level of CO in his system and that Campbell had 26 times and Sciacca had 17 times. Campbell said if he and Mathew hadn’t driven to the hospital after feeling light-headed, numb and “drunk,” they “probably would not have woken up the next morning.” Since the leak occurred, UB has replaced all hard-wired detectors with battery-operated detectors in every dormitory on North Campus. South Campus will be equipped with the same detectors by the end of the summer.

Reggie Witherspoon fired as men’s basketball coach On March 15, a day after the Bulls lost in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, Athletic Director Danny White announced via email that longtime men’s basketball coach Reggie Witherspoon had been fired. “After much consideration, we have determined that a change in leadership for our men’s basketball program is necessary,” White said in the press release. “This was a

very difficult decision because I understand the impact Coach Witherspoon has made to our University and community. To be sure, our program is in a much stronger position than when Reggie and his staff took over.” Witherspoon coached the Bulls for 14 years with a 198-228 record – tied for the second-most victories in program history. Witherspoon was also the longest-tenured coach among all Big Four – Greater Western New York area – teams.

Witherspoon was an iconic figure on the UB campus. He was praised by many for stressing the importance of education in his locker room. His firing surprised the UB community and had students, former athletes and other university figures discussing White’s decision. White hired former Duke basketball star Bobby Hurley as head coach just two weeks after Witherspoon’s firing.

Michael McTarnaghan, via Twitter

Smoking incident causes fire in Spaulding 1 On May 2, a fire broke out in a fourth-floor dorm room in Spaulding 1, causing an evacuation of the building. Alec Seidenberg is accused of dropping a butane torch while smoking marijuana, setting the room ablaze. Seidenberg and his girlfriend escaped the fire by jumping out the window to the ledge below. Both students were taken to Erie County Medical Center with minor injuries. The fire damaged the dorm structure and the contents of the room, according to University Police. The total damage was estimated around $250,000. UPD arrested Seidenberg, who is being charged with arson, possession of marijuana, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief in Amherst Town Court.

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ON NEXT

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Registration begins Oct. 1!

Find a course or two that’s right for you at

ubthiswinter.buffalo.edu.

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Anti-abortion display invokes student response On April 15-16, the area directly outside the Student Union was met with a whirlwind of controversy and opposition. A graphic display of aborted fetuses, lynching and the Holocaust greeted students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Christian Andzel, the president of UB Students for Life, invited the Center of Bio-Ethical Reform’s “Genocide Awareness Project” to bring the display to campus. He knew it was going to make people feel uncomfortable, but he said that was the point. He believed it was “time to resonate the word abortion with pictures.” That Monday, Laura Curry, an adjunct professor in the media study department, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct

for voicing her outrage of the display and repeatedly using the word “f**k.” Six hundred people signed a petition that called for the dismissal of the case. The charges against Curry were dropped on May 9. That Tuesday, students organized to protest the display. The estimated 150 students were outraged at the gruesome images and the fact that the display connected abortion and genocide together. By the day’s end, the number of abortion rights advocates greatly outnumbered the anti-abortion protestors. Andzel believed the two days were beneficial. He was happy to get the discussion going. The display also got students aware of the abortion debate UB Students for Life was hosting later in the week.

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The Heights of Fear For years, the area surrounding UB’s South Campus, better known as the University Heights, has had a history of housing violations, absentee landlordism and a high crime rate. On Feb. 25, The Spectrum published an article documenting the area’s issues over the past two years and the university’s hands-off approach in financially investing and adequately ensuring student safety. “We’re not in the protection business,” said Dennis Black, vice president of University Life and Services. The area is one of the most common off-campus sites for UB students to live, especially international students, because of the convenient location to the bus stop, shops and restaurants and the cheap rates. The article proved that students are regularly victims of burglaries, robberies, assaults and more by living in the neighborhood, and the housing viola-

tions are abundant in most houses. Black and other administrators insist the university is not responsible for student safety off campus. Other universities, like the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University and Canisius College, have worked with local police, state legislatures or landlords to protect students living in nearby off-campus homes. UB’s website states: “Some of the crime in Heights neighborhood (sic) is related to the abuse of alcohol among young people who reside in or visit it. Some of this behavior leads to so-called nuisance crimes, such as vandalism. More serious incidents include acts of violence, though they are rare.” The evidence, however, shows the opposite. Last year in the area, police reported over 500 major crimes, which include homicides, assaults, rapes, larcenies, robberies, burglaries and vehicle thefts. Since 2007, rape in the Heights has increased by 50 percent, assaults by

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16.6 percent, robberies by 9 percent and larcenies by 7 percent, according to Buffalo Police crime statistics. On Feb. 27, The Spectrum published an editorial urging President Satish Tripathi – who declined to be interviewed for “The Heights of Fear” – to respond to the article and, more importantly, to address the issues of the Heights. On March 1, Tripathi responded to the editorial with “Enriching Our Communities,” an open letter addressed to the university community that outlined UB’s vision for all three of its campuses. The letter, which can be found by searching the title on ubspectrum. com, includes a promise that the university is committed to ensuring the safety of all students, and Tripathi asked for the continued support of city and community neighbors. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Meet the SA e-board

Johns, Selsky, Chhabria committed to TIE plan as they take over student government

Photos by Aline Kobayashi, The Spectrum

SAM FERNANDO

Senior News Editor

Nick Johns, president In April, Nick Johns ran for Student Association president. In his platform, he made many promises, but at the core of his party’s agenda were three words that summed up his plan: Transparency, Inclusiveness and Efficiency. Now, three months after his victory, the junior business and political science major pledges to continue his “TIE” promise. He said he is “the official undergraduate representative of the SA to the university as a whole,” and he plans to make the most of his leadership role. “My job is to oversee the general direction of SA,” Johns said. “I

have to make sure that from top to bottom we have one concrete vision.” Johns is looking forward to his administration and wants undergraduate students to know he is supposed to be their voice. He plans to be more accessible to students and encourages them to come to him with any problems or concerns they might have. “While we are college students, we are working for you,” Johns said. “We aren’t working against you. We are trying to make sure that student life on campus is overall better.” Apart from his overall goals of transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency, Johns is working on many smaller projects, like working with SA webmasters to update the website. In his platform, he said the site is too cluttered and he wanted to make it easier for students to understand. He is also working with administration to figure out a way to get enclosed bus stops so students won’t have to wait outside for the bus during the cold Buffalo winters. He stresses how important it is to get more people involved. He encourages freshmen to take advantage of the opportunities SA provides. “SA is a wonderful resource on campus to get to know more people, learn leadership capabilities, fill up your extracurricular and what not. It is a better way to find yourself.”

Johns wants this year to be a great one and said he is working tirelessly to make that happen. “There is never a dull day on campus,” Johns said. “You can never not have things to do.”

Lyle Selsky, vice president From here on out, Lyle Selsky is the “point man” for the clubs, he said. As vice president, Selsky is responsible for making sure the needs of all SA clubs are heard. But just like Johns, he also stresses the importance of TIE – transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency – for the SA as a whole. He said the best way for freshmen to make the transition into college is to start trying new things. And joining a club fits the bill.

Study Abroad Make the world your classroom!

Choose from over 600 programs in 70 countries Scholarships are available  Fulfill degree requirements Mark your calendars for the following events: Study Abroad Fair– Wednesday September 18th Photo Contest– Thursday November 21st Group Advising Sessions– Held throughout the semester UB Study Abroad 210 Talbert Hall  studyabroad@buffalo.edu www.buffalo.edu/studyabroad

“There is always something to do,” Selsky said. “There are over 160 clubs – even more temporary clubs. If there is something you want to do, the SA is where to go. It’s all about taking advantage of that resource.” Selsky takes pride in the diversity that exists at UB – a diversity that he said exists in not only the people but also the many different clubs. Just like he encourages students to try something different and meet new people, he wants clubs to interact the same way. “I want everyone working together to make bigger and better events,” Selsky said. “When you combine your resources, there are a lot more possibilities and a lot more capabilities.” Selsky helped plan the summer orientations for incoming freshmen. Communication is the key to having a successful year, according to Selsky. He said that means better communication between e-board members, and more importantly, better communication between SA and the students it represents. If students have any questions, he said they should feel free to come visit him in room 350 in the Student Union. “I am always welcoming and open,” Selsky joked. “As long you as you don’t openly insult my favorite sports teams, we will be good.”

Siddhant Chhabria, treasurer Next year, SA will have an estimated $3.6 million budget. And Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria will be the man overseeing every expenditure. He said his job is to make sure “the money is going to the right places,” including making sure clubs have access to their individual budgets. Chhabria thinks students are unaware they fund the SA budget and he plans to illuminate this fact. “I don’t think [freshmen] know they pay a $94.75 activity fee – they probably just think it’s just part of their tuition bill,” Chhabria said. “Think about it this way: If you go shopping and spend $100 … you’d utilize that $100 to its maximum potential.” He said that in the same way, students should try to get the most out of “their money.” The majority of events that are held on campus for students can be attributed to SA, he said. From the Fall and Spring Fest concerts to the Distinguished Speaker Series, these events are funded by the $3.6 million budget from the mandatory student activity fee. He agrees with Selsky that communication is the key to a successful year. “Improving communication will be a really big strength to SA as a whole,” Chhabria said. When asked how he feels this year is going to go, he grinned with a chuckle in his answer. “It’s going to be fun,” he said. “We have a lot of things planned. Just wait and see.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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ubspectrum.com

Monday, July 1, 2013

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Monday, July 1, 2013

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Tripathi announces A DOSE OF REALITY ‘ReligiouslyThe truth about drugs and their effects Neutral Calendar’ *OPINION* to begin 2014 HANNAH BENDER

Freelance Writer

RACHEL RAIMONDI

Senior News Editor

Dr. Richard Cohen believes President Satish Tripathi is hindering the religious practices of students and faculty members at UB. On May 23, Tripathi announced the creation of the “Religiously-Neutral Academic Calendar,” which includes classes on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in an attempt to “ensure greater continuity in the academic schedule and minimize course disruptions for students.” The decision came from the president after he received the Faculty Senate Executive Committee’s recommendation that no religious holidays should be recognized by the university and observed with a day off from classes. “Does President Tripathi think that we are stupid?” Cohen posted on UB Reporter. “The UB academic calendar is not ‘religiously neutral’ because it purposely has no classes on Sundays, Christmas and Easter.” Cohen, the director of the Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage at UB, said the calendar has nothing to do with religion, but rather the administration’s desire for a more fluid semester with fewer single days off throughout the 14 weeks. However, this is a moot point, according to Lyle Selsky, the vice president of the Student Association. He believes students are going to practice their faith even if classes are being held. Jewish faith prohibits attending work or school and using modern transportation and electronics on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During a Faculty Senate meeting in March, junior occupational therapy major Ilana Saffeir explained she chose UB over a private school because of the university’s observance of her religion and the larger Jewish community. Cohen believes students like Saffeir will now be less likely to enroll at UB.

“The decision will have a dampening effect, especially because SUNY at Binghamton has retained Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as academic holidays on their calendar,” he said in an email. “Making matters worse, Binghamton is of course closer to NYC, where the largest percentage of NY’s large Jewish population resides – making Binghamton also far more convenient for Jewish students than Buffalo.” UB will be the 23rd SUNY fouryear university to hold classes on the holidays. Some universities, like Stony Brook University, made the change effective as recently as 2012-13 academic year. The change also follows the practices of the governments of New York State and New York City, which close on no religious holiday other than Christmas Day. Philosophy professor William Baumer welcomes the change and thinks the removing of all religious holidays from the academic calendar lends itself to “non-discrimination.” During a Faculty Senate meeting in 2002, Baumer motioned for UB to observe the holy days, but looking back, he believes this was a mistake. On March 5, he argued that students are supposed to be accommodated by their professors anyway if a class conflicts with religious practice. Tripathi upheld that policy in his announcement about the change. The new academic calendar will take effect in the 2014-15 academic year for undergraduate and graduate students; the law, medical and dental schools follow individual approved calendars. Before the start of the fall 2013 semester, the Office of the Provost is set to provide a more detailed policy to professors on how to accommodate the religious observances of their students.

Society and our parents twisted reality for us. I had no idea I would be offered weed, alcohol, cocaine, acid and hydrocodone my freshman year. I wasn’t prepared when I realized I would have to find a ride home from South Campus after someone pulled out a handful of pill bottles to start a “Skittle party.” I was highly unprepared when I saw someone I knew holding his girlfriend, screaming for someone to call 911 because she was unresponsive after injecting heroin. I work at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC), and I spoke to five different nurses at two local hospitals about the varying reasons college students come to the emergency room. The nurses said there are two obvious reasons: traumatic injury and drug or alcohol misuse. From health class to talks with our parents, it would seem society does a lot to prepare us for possible encounters with illicit substances or legal ones like alcohol and amphet-

amines. Their sentiments, however, are often inaccurate. ECMC’s outpatient drug rehabilitation program treats about 60,000 people every year. Its inpatient program allows individuals to get medically detoxified from illegal substances like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines and opiates, as well as alcohol. One thing it doesn’t offer, however, is a detox regimen for cannabis because it’s impossible to overdose on marijuana. People don’t have to do much work to get a prescription for opiates or amphetamines, though overdosing on these can quickly and easily cause death. “Drug-seekers” looking for an unnecessary refill take up a noticeable portion of the beds in any given emergency room. I have worked in the ER for almost two years, and I have seen drunken students looking like fools, crying and sobbing for their mothers. I have yet to see anyone even visit the ER for a marijuana-related issue (other than injuries resulting from fights regarding the substance).

All drugs have potential to be abused in ways that make them “bad” in society’s eyes, but there are also safe ways to use them. Given their illegal nature, I wouldn’t recommend their use. But I know many students will still try illicit drugs. Substance use is subjective. Every person is different. Your circumstances, where you came from and how you grew up impact your experiences with drugs. Some people can benefit from psychedelic drugs; others should stay far away from them. As a student – even as an adult – we need to prepare for drug misuse. Educate yourself. You will never regret walking away from a party that gets busted; you will regret waking up in the ER. If you finish this column and take nothing else from it, remember this: Alcohol interacts with drugs in mostly dangerous ways. Mixing alcohol and drugs will likely turn your overdose threshold down to a frighteningly low level, creating a perfect storm for Serotonin Syndrome and respiratory failure.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com Email: hannahbe@buffalo.edu

For more information, visit academies.buffalo.edu 17 Norton Hall | 716.645.8177 | academy@buffalo.edu

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Monday, July 1, 2013

BY RACHEL RAIMONDI

graphic by brian keschinger

This map shows some of the crimes that occurred on UB’s North and South campuses between Aug. 27, 2012, and May 20, 2013. According to University Police, they responded to 227 larcenies, 138 criminal mischiefs, 85 drug-related offenses, 41 burglaries, 12 sex offenses, five robberies, two weapons-related offenses, two auto thefts, two assaults and one rape at the university.

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Monday, July 1, 2013

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Monday, July 1, 2013

Singlish 101 TONG MENG

Asst. News Editor

If students remember nothing else from their study abroad in Singapore, they leave with “Lah.” This syllable is used at the end of a sentence to express a spectrum of emotions. It’s basic Singlish – an English-based creole of Chinese, Malay and Tamil. This cultural nuance is just a small dose of what students will experience while studying in Singapore. Over nearly two decades, UB established a presence in Singapore, working with the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). Since UB partnered with SIM to launch a part-time executive MBA program in 1996, the international collaboration has expanded to full-time undergraduate degree programs in a variety of disciplines, according to Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education. It also offers study abroad programs at SIM and NTU, giving students from both UB and Singapore a chance to engage in educational and cultural experiences outside their home countries. A private university set in an urban cityscape, SIM allows Singaporean and international students to obtain UB undergraduate degrees in business, communication, economics, international trade, psychology and sociology under its educational brand, SIM Global Education (SIM GE). The executive MBA program is also still ongoing. These programs are fully consistent with those offered at UB and they apply the same admission criteria, course requirements, curriculum, instructional format, faculty qualifications and academic standards. In other words, students do not have to travel to Buffalo to obtain an UB degree, although many do so for the experience.

Melissa Tan is one such student. A recent graduate in communication, she had already spent two years at the UB campus in SIM before coming to Buffalo in the fall of 2012 to finish her last year. Tan said she had wanted to get an “American college experience.” Despite having bouts of homesickness and encountering differences in many aspects of life, Tan adjusted well; she hopes to get a job and stay in the fall. “I’ve made very awesome friends here in Buffalo after a year, so much [so] it would really hurt to leave,” Tan said in an email. Tobias Reynolds-Tylus, a graduate communication student and Buffalo native, embarked on his study abroad trip in fall 2010 after learning about the country from a Singaporean friend studying at UB. He took all his communication classes at the international UB campus housed within SIM. For Reynolds-Tylus, studying in Singapore was a meaningful journey of discovery. As most Singaporeans speak English, there was no language barrier to impede interactions with locals apart from minor confusions caused by Singlish. Reynolds-Tylus forged close friendships with locals who showed him their private hangout spots and the ins and outs of their culture. “I had a wonderful experience because I was able to understand what make Singaporeans tick and understand the culture better than if I’d gone to a country [where] maybe I wouldn’t have had that good of an experience understanding the local culture because all I would be doing is going to these sights with Americans,” ReynoldsTylus said. He learned a lot outside the classroom, as well. Picking up Singlish gave him a cultural experience he couldn’t find in Buffalo. He began to use “lah” in his conversations. The word had many different implications, something that the Eng-

lish language lacked. If someone is impatient with a dawdling friend, he or she would say, “Oi, hurry up lah!” to convey annoyance. “Lah,” however, can also be used to establish rapport. For instance, instead of saying “please eat,” one could say “eat lah” to extend friendliness and invitation. So far, 3,546 students from Singapore have enrolled in the UBSIM programs since the summer of 2004, according to John Wood, senior associate vice provost for international education. There are many reasons for UB to establish itself in Singapore, according to Dunnett. First, it is a “gateway country” that connects to both Southeast Asia and China. Second, Singapore is an Englishspeaking country, so UB students will have an easier time studying there. It also has a strong economy with many American and multinational companies, making it a “good laboratory” for students in international trade, economics and business. Apart from Singapore, UB offers a myriad of exchange programs, with more than 40 institutions worldwide, according to the website of the Office of Vice Provost for International Education (OIE). Host countries include Australia, Brazil and Japan. Both Reynolds-Tylus and Tan enjoyed their experiences while studying in a foreign country and made lasting memories during their stay. “Not only do you learn a lot about another culture, but you also learn a lot about yourself,” Reynolds-Tylus said. “You grow as you place yourself in [unfamiliar situations] and see what kind of person you are.” Reynolds-Tylus has since welcomed three close friends from Singapore to UB, bringing them around Buffalo. This reciprocal of host efforts attests to the close bonds and unforgettable memories they shared in Singapore.

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International education in Singapore promotes cultural exchanges

Courtesy of Singapore Institute of Management

UB works with the Singapore Institute of Management to offer various undergraduate degree programs, study-abroad opportunities and an executive MBA program in Singapore. UB also operates in other countries like China and Japan, according to Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Center for Student Leadership and Community Engagement

Marching Band/”Dazzlers” Dance Team

Student Activities

It’s Student Life@UB Intercultural & Diversity Center

You are probably asking yourself, “What is Student Life?” or “Who is Student Life?” and “Why do I need to know them?” Student Life is a unit within the Division of Student Affairs that provides meaningful opportunities, programs and services that help students get involved and participate in “out of classroom” educational and social experiences.

Student Unions

Fraternity & Sorority Life

!"#$%"%&'"('#)*+,%-#%./-0"/%1-2,'3'$45%1'#3+64"3'7%8-+$%3*'% Marching Band, or a fraternity or sorority. Find out about the 7 student governments. Attend or help plan one of our many fun programs such as the Haunted Union, Family Weekend or “Late Night” Friday events! STUDENT LIFE HAS IT ALL!

Student Life Suite 150, Student Union University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 14260-2100 Tel: (716) 645-2055 Fax: (716) 645-2371 Director: Tom Tiberi student-affairs.buffalo.edu/studentlife/

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Monday, July 1, 2013

François leads community charge UB grad student helps fight for a lighted crosswalk after fatal accident in Amherst RACHEL RAIMONDI

Senior News Editor

Wheat bread, ham and butter. Wheat bread, ham and butter. Ariel François was making po’boy after po’boy for the silent 13-year-olds in her living room. It was the beginning and the end of her sister’s birthday party. There were barely any decorations and no cookie cake in the fridge. There was no orange or grape soda or the mini muffins birthday girl Briana requested. There was no time to prepare. Less than an hour before, a Jeep struck Briana and her friend, Erin Suszynski. Another driver had waved to the girls, encouraging them to cross Maple Road on their way back from a local park, just before they were hit. Over the next few weeks, François watched her sister endure multiple surgeries, say goodbye to Erin, who had died from her wounds, and begin to live with emotional and physical pain in the aftermath of those few steps across an ordinary road in the suburbs. François became angry with the town, the drivers and even the girls. Now, over a year after the accident, François and the Suszynski family are fighting in Amherst Town Court for the installation of a lighted crosswalk in Erin’s honor. It was clear to François there would be no party that day. She was about to walk into Wegmans when her mother let out a heartstopping shriek, a scream that said on its own everything was not all right. The women got back in the car and sped home. They didn’t talk about what just happened. Her mother drove off before François got inside and was surprised by a house full of eighth-graders under no supervision. Her father was supposed to be there. But he must have been the one she faintly heard crying on the other end of the phone. “Briana got hit by a car,” one of the children clued her in. In shock, François went into the kitchen and started making po’boys. The children weren’t hungry, but this was for her. Staying busy would keep her from losing it, she thought. Until now, François, a second-year biology grad student, hasn’t let herself think about her sister’s accident on that hot June day last summer. Her energy was consumed by making sure her parents ate and got enough sleep. They were like “silly putty left in the sun too long,” François said. It was every parent’s nightmare turned into reality.

ALINE KOBAYASHI, THE SPECTRUM

Ariel (right) sits with her younger sister, Briana, in a local Amherst park where the two frequently go to talk. Last June, a car hit Briana and a friend after being waved across the road by another driver. Ariel is currently fighting in Amherst Town Court to get a crosswalk built at the scene of the accident.

Briana was unconscious after hitting her head on the windshield and being thrown 500 feet. Erin was tangled under the car, though still responsive. There was hope at the hospital. Erin twitched when her feet were scratched and appeared to be recovering quickly from the bruises. When Briana awoke, François looked to Erin for further progression. But on June 20, 2012, 11 days after the accident, the aspiring dancer died suddenly. On May 6, 2013, almost a year later, François felt hopeful as the families and friends gathered in Amherst Town Hall to discuss the possibilities of the construction. Despite testimonies from Erin’s aunt and Briana, however, the board announced the matter was out of its jurisdiction. This time, François’s hope was not lost, but rather turned into a fire of rage and despair that continually pushes her to protect future neighborhood children like Erin and Briana. “I don’t think I could ever lose my humanity like that,” François said. “The part that really struck home was the fact that [the board members] apparently live so close to me. This is supposed to be the City of Good Neighbors. And they’re supposed to be working for us.” As a resident of Culpepper Lane, the street the Suszynski family lives on, Amherst Supervisor Barry Weinstein told the room multiple times he feels for the victims and the families, according to François. He remembers how young,

brown-eyed Erin would walk past the raspberry patches on his lawn and how he would sometimes offer the fruit to her and her friends, he said. Installing a crosswalk might as well be an admittance of negligence, according to Town Board Member Stephen Sanders. “I can’t imagine what the Suszynskis are going through,” François said. “[Mrs. Suszynski] had to put her baby in the ground. That’s not supposed to happen. You’re not supposed to put your kids in the ground. It’s supposed to be the other way around.” For local children, the park at Maple East Elementary is the place to be. The schoolyard, though on busy, five-lane Maple Road, is surrounded by homes owned by young families and old couples. In just one hour last summer, Jerry Suszynski, Erin’s father, counted 30 children crossing the street where his daughter was struck, he told The Buffalo News. François remembers playing at the park with her childhood friends and going there with a boy she liked when she was a teenager. Now, she avoids the area completely and is haunted by images of her sister in a coma. For days, François didn’t sport a single smile until mittens were put on Briana’s hands so she couldn’t scratch herself.

“I just remember thinking we would make fun of her so much,” François said. “I kept touching her nose and she’d be half asleep and not know what’s going on and she’d touch her nose. It was the only thing that could make me smile.” Many Amherst residents, especially those connected to Mill Middle School, where Erin and Briana were students, wanted to help the Suszynski family get the crosswalk installed. With several fundraisers over the past year, they raised over $85,000 and created Erin’s Crossing, a foundation dedicated to “pursuing legislation for mandatory crosswalks at all playgrounds giving pedestrians the right of way, allowing for safe passage,” according to its Facebook page. The foundation has also partnered with LightGuard Systems, Inc., an organization that specializes in lighted crosswalks. The legal process involved is lengthy but not impossible. On May 16, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz wrote a letter to the Amherst Town Board outlining the necessary procedures and his assistance and attention. His office, however, is still waiting for the town to formally request a traffic study, a necessary beginning step. No matter how long it takes, François is committed to the cause despite her busy schedule. This summer, she is studying for the MCAT and looking for a professional job. The accident has given her even more motivation to get involved in neurology. “I look at [Briana] and think she is not supposed to be here,” François said. “She technically was not supposed to make it at all. It was a very real possibility for our family … You see her every day, and you’re just like, that’s really miraculous.” See Crosswalk, page B9

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Monday, July 1, 2013

A17

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