The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 6 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

SA e-board answers questions regarding progress EDITORIAL: Improper behavior demands impeachment THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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Volleyball continues to dominate, improves to 6-0

Monday, September 9, 2013

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Volume 63 No. 6

THE PRESIDENT’S END?

BY SAM FERNANDO / Senior News Editor AARON MANSFIELD / Editor in Chief

tudent Association higher-ups say Nick Johns is unfit to be president and SA members have begun to circulate a Last week, SA ofpetition to have him impeached. ficials brought a list of allegations against Johns to The Spectrum, which include: inappropriately accepting gifts, mishandling SA funds, hiring personal friends over more qualified candidates, being absent from important events, falsifying documents, mistreating staff and harassing Chief of “We wouldn’t be here unless it was so seriStaff Jennifer Merckel. ous that we felt something had to be done about it,” said Academic Coordinator James Ingram. “That’s how far we’ve been pushed right now. We feel the only way to keep credibility in the Student Association is to impeach Nick Johns.”

The petition began circulating last Wednesday. In order for Johns to be removed from office, SA officers need 2,541 signatures – one more than the amount of votes cast in the spring election. Johns ran for student body president in March on the platform of transparency and had promised to rebuild trust in SA. Those who work closest to him say his tenure has focused more on his own needs than those of the organization. “At heart, he is a good kid, but he is not the leader we should have,” said Vice President Lyle Selsky. Selsky went on to say: “[The students] should know what is going on because these are their funds; this is their organization. They elected us to serve them, and when someone is not following that, they should know.”

Johns met with The Spectrum Saturday and claimed some allegations were false, while responding “no comment” to others. “This is a power play from my staff and it sucks,” Johns said. “They are really unhappy with my management style … I have a lot of people wanting to see me fail. As you can see by all this power play, there are those who are jealous of what I’ve gotten, and I think that is the basis of this.” He called The Spectrum 25 minutes after the interview and requested a follow-up meeting. “I believe I should be given a reprieve,” he said. “I’ve never been in such a large leadership role; every little thing you do is analyzed.”

DESIGN BY BRIAN KESCHINGER ART BY JEANETTE CHWAN

The Spectrum interviewed 10 SA staff members, all of whom said they had issues with Johns’ leadership. “My mom used to say, ‘If a child doesn’t get a smack in the head, he’s not going to learn,’” said SA Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria. Merckel, the chief of staff, said she verbally complained to SA’s professional staff that Johns had harassed her and inappropriately touched her back and leg during conversations. Selsky said he and one pro staff member sat down with Johns and talked to him about his behavior toward Merckel. Johns denies ever having such a meeting. “This is untrue,” Johns said of the allegations. “This is ridiculous. Unless people are committing perjury, this is completely untrue.” Merckel submitted a written testimony to The Spectrum. “I had told him on numerous occasions that [the touching] really bothered me,” Merckel wrote. “No matter how many times I told him this though, he would continue.” She said she is in the process of filing a complaint with the university. “I categorically deny the touching allegations,” Johns said. Merckel also provided The Spectrum with the text message history between her and Johns dating back to May. She said it shows his unprofessional behavior. In one May 5 message, Johns states, “I’m a dumbass, but luckily, I’m also president.”

Johns eliminated the definition of harassment from the SA handbook over the summer and changed the title of a section from “sexual and discriminatory harassment” to “harassment.” He said New York State’s definition of harassment is clear and he was aiming to make the handbook more concise. Merckel expressed opposition to the decision in multiple Aug. 18 text messages, but Johns – who had final printing authority – removed the definitions regardless. The Spectrum asked Johns about his relationship with Merckel. He said he wasn’t sure if it was romantic, but the two went on “several lunch dates,” and “it occupied a grey area for [him].” “It wasn’t a completely working relationship,” he said. “Maybe lines were blurred and feelings were hurt because of that … It was a really close friendship that I think has gone awry.” Merckel said her boyfriend told Johns the situation made him uncomfortable. Johns said to the best of his knowledge, Merckel is dating 2012-13 SA President Travis Nemmer, and Nemmer confirmed. Johns has also been accused of improperly accepting gifts. On Aug. 31, he received an expense-paid trip and sideline ticket to UB’s football season opener at Ohio State, a gift from the athletic department – with which SA signed a $30,000 advertising contract over the summer. The 2013-14 SA handbook states employees “cannot receive gifts of more than nominal value if it could reasonably be assumed that the gift was meant to influence you in performing your duties, for example, a gift of more than nominal value from someone whose business comes before you.” continued on page 6

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Monday, September 9, 2013

Reevaluating Spirit’s platform SA e-board answers questions regarding progress JOE KONZE JR News Editor

PLATFORM:

Utilize $94.75 student activity fee

The Spirit Party promised transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency in its “TIE” platform. The Spectrum checked up with the eboard to chart their progress.

What they promised:

To use the fee to its maximum potential to benefit all students.

What they’ve done:

PLATFORM:

SA has put on two small concert series outside of Spring Fest and Fall Fest. The idea is to target students who don’t typically listen to “rap or cliché genres of music,” Chhabria said. By doing so, SA feels this is utilizing each student’s activity fee fully.

A database to track University Heights landlords

What they promised:

A program that helps track landlords in South Campus’ troubled neighborhood and rates them on how well they maintain their houses and how student-friendly they are.

What SA said:

What they’ve done:

Selsky has met with Sub Board Inc., for the legalities of the program. It was put on the backburner, however, due to the transition and preparation for the first week of school.

SA President Nick Johns (far left) sits with Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria (center) and Vice President Lyle Selsky during the summer. The trio ran on a platform of transparency, inclusiveness and efficiency.

What SA said:

PLATFORM:

“One of the things we are looking to do is – myself and a couple of the collaborative club services coordinators – [we] are heading to the South Campus Collaborative Sept. 17 to really discuss with them … how we can work together to better the South [Campus],” Vice President Lyle Selsky said.

Aline Kobayashi, The Spectrum

Rehauling SA’s website to improve transparency and communication with students

What they promised:

An effective way for clubs to advertise and expand. Also, to remove clutter from the website to make it easier for students to understand. What they’ve done: Updated contact information for the eboard staff and club information so students can contact clubs for more information. What SA said: “Dude, let me tell you this website is more broken than you expect,” President Nick Johns said in an interview on Monday, Aug, 26. “There is a lot of stuff that happen with the aesthetics of it that were focused on more so than the actual functionality.”

PLATFORM:

Emergency $25,000 line for clubs

What they promised:

“It’s going fabulous,” Chhabria said. “It’s really hard to obviously make each and every student happy. However, me along with my fellow e-board members and our entire staff along with our pro-staff have been working diligently hard so that each one of our students actually get’s the most out of that $94.75.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

To have a $25,000 “emergency line” that would allow clubs with sufficient funds, but no direct access to their budget, to “temporarily borrow at the discretion of the e-board.”

What they’ve done:

A $25,000 emergency line doesn’t exist and is “not that feasible.” Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria, who came up with the idea, said he is now looking into other options to make up for the insufficient funds.

What SA said:

“It’s a lot different when you stand outside and run the campaign and then actually physically see when you have the budget in your hand what is feasible,” Chhabria said.

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EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Aaron Mansfield MANAGING EDITORS Lisa Khoury Sara DiNatale EDITORIAL EDITOR Eric Cortellessa

OPINION

‘A better face for the SA’

Improper behavior demands Johns’ impeachment

NEWS EDITORS Sam Fernando, Senior Joe Konze Jr. LIFE EDITORS Keren Baruch, Senior Sharon Kahn, Senior Alyssa McClure, Asst. ARTS EDITORS Max Crinnin, Senior Rachel Kramer, Asst. Felicia Hunt, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS Jon Gagnon, Senior Ben Tarhan, Senior Owen O’Brien PHOTO EDITORS Aline Kobayashi, Senior Juan David Pinzon, Asst. Daniele Gershon, 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.

September 9, 2013 Volume 63 Number 6 Circulation 7,000

The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion, and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at (716) 645-2452. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

As recent disclosures have shed light on the second major scandal from the Student Association’s executive board in two years, this is a time when students should be paying attention. On Saturday afternoon, The Spectrum interviewed SA President Nick Johns regarding allegations that have prompted a petition for his impeachment. “I believe I should be given a reprieve,” he said. “I’ve never been in such a large leadership role; every little thing you do is analyzed.” Evidently, Johns wasn’t aware of what a big job it is to manage millions of dollars. Surprised by the scrutiny and the extent to which his behavior has been monitored, he was unable to gather ammunition to support his defense. We’re only two weeks into the academic year and a long list of accusations has already accumulated – supported by the testimony of those who work closest to him. All indications point to an impending demise. As Johns sat nervously in our office, listening to the overwhelming evidence that could end his presidency, a sense of self-destruction was palpable; his desire for power was so strong, he was blind to his own limitations. During the election in March, Johns met with our editorial board to present his candidacy; he was seeking our endorsement. Covered in mud and garbed in a flag-football uniform, the future SA president came with the intent of conveying his immersion with “the college life.” Unlike his opponents, dressed in suit and tie, he came directly after a game with the fraternity he was pledging – wanting to demonstrate a connection with the average college experience. His appearance, however, came off as unprofessional and demeaning to the voice of the student body. The deliberate display of exuberance was a visible sign the sophomore candidate had no shortage of audacity. “I get my hands dirty,” he told us. Though who knew how he meant it?

SA chief of staff, provided to The Spectrum is as much disconcerting as it is revealing of Johns’ character. When we asked Johns about the nature of his relationship with Merckel, he responded with protestations of ambiguity. “It wasn’t completely a working relationship,” he said. “It occupied a grey area for me.” But there only seems to have been ambiguity on Johns’ end. Regardless of whether Merckel’s testimony against Johns is true, he had no right to remove the definition of harassment from the SA handbook. Johns also urged Merckel to remove Ariel Dunster and Josh Fromm from Sub Board I due to “personal differences,” she said, because they didn’t support him during the election. The text messages support that Johns attempted to move forward with this plan – one that was deceitful and manipulative. A requisite of integrity was seemingly absent from the president’s decision-making process. Johns’ repeated words and actions are highly indicative of his obsession with and abuse of power. In other text messages to Merckel, Johns states, “I’m a dumbass, but luckily, I’m also president,” and, “People usually step aside. I’m not used to answering to anyone.” What Johns failed to grasp is that he answers to the students. It is a privilege to do so and his consistent pattern of misconduct is ample reason to believe he should no longer have the opportunity to be the face of the student body. Merckel told The Spectrum Johns would repeatedly give hiring preference to attractive females. She said when she confronted him on this, he said it was “to make a better face for the SA.” Not a very substantial rationale for deciding who will work to manage $3.6 million of accumulated mandatory student activity fees.

***

There have been other financial blunders, too. Johns committed a clear violation of SA rules and protocol on Aug. 31 when he accepted an expense-paid trip and sideline ticket to UB’s football game versus Ohio State. Selsky and Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria told The Spectrum they had a conversation with Johns telling him he shouldn’t accept the gift; other staff members and professional staff have said the same thing; and SA members have expressed that Johns indicated he knew this was inappropriate behavior. Johns knew what he was doing was wrong and chose to do it anyway.

Everything that has come to light is appalling and disgraceful. Recent allegations regarding Johns’ improper behavior include: harassment, inappropriate acceptance of gifts, mishandling of SA funds, falsifying time sheets, hiring personal friends over more qualified candidates (including creating positions to accommodate friends) and mistreating SA staff. Johns has been in our field of vision for only six months and he has already corrupted the integrity of the association that represents all UB undergraduate students. The testimony and text message history that Jennifer Merckel,

***

His interview for an Aug. 22 BuzzFeed article regarding President Obama’s visit to the university, Edward Snowden and the NSA controversy was inappropriate as well. Many staff members objected to the nature of this interview and his doing so without the rest of SA’s knowledge beforehand. Simply stated, Johns shouldn’t be making political statements on behalf of the student body – especially when he had no corroborating evidence to support his conclusions. When we asked him about this, his answer reflected his consistently poor judgment: that his friends’ disapproval of the NSA surveillance program was sufficient grounds for his decision to make the statement. When we subsequently asked him if his friends’ views reflected the views of the entire student population, he conceded. “Probably not,” he said. He also had no legitimate testimony to support his argument that he was in the office at the times he said he was. An overwhelming number of SA staff has reported to The Spectrum that Johns falsified his work time sheets. The fact that so many people have said he wasn’t in the office means he probably wasn’t in the office. Moreover, when we asked if there was anyone who could verify the times he claimed to be working, he said his roommates could. It doesn’t take an honors student to be suspicious of such an answer. When we did ask him if there was anyone in SA to verify his time sheets, Johns told us no. Curiously, however, three of Johns’ roommates are his coworkers. For each of them, positions were created or given. And sure enough, this is another big complaint to emerge from SA employees: Johns’ hiring personal friends over more qualified candidates. As students, our money should go toward paying those who are most qualified to represent us. Johns did us a disservice. He has a great deal of responsibility and he let us down. *** The amount of autonomy that SA has is extensive. The level of responsibility our SA e-board members have is a privileged liberty. Other student governments have faculty advisors that influence every decision. Ours is one of only two in the country with a student-owned fiscal organization, according to former President Travis Nemmer in a February interview with The Spectrum. SA is one of the most independent student governments in the SUNY system. Enough so that it caught the attention of The New York Times last year.

The University of South Carolina’s student government has a budget of $413,000; Vanderbilt University’s student government handles $3.7 million; the University at Buffalo’s SA independently manages an overall budget of $4.2 million. This is bigger than just Johns. This affects the reputation of the organization and the faith students have in their representation. Two scandals in two years is two too many. Typically, around 14 percent of students vote in our elections. The majority of those who do are likely in SA clubs – and are part of intense alliances. The biggest solution to all of this is for more students to become actively engaged in the election process. If it does get to the point, as we think it should, where we are facing a reelection, the students must take action. We must educate ourselves on the candidates and vote with a sense of possibility for rebirth. *** “They say power corrupts,” Johns told us Saturday. “But I also think that power allows you to achieve your vision.” The vision Johns was referring to remains unclear. The exhaustive list of complaints that have surfaced are vastly troubling, and little action seems to have been initiated that is designed to improve the lives of UB students. Our biggest problem with Johns is that he lacks substance. Aside from the seeming lack of a moral direction, the importance of improving student life eluded him as well. And now, the evidence is in plain sight; in just a mere two weeks, Johns has lost all credibility. Students should be thankful Johns appears to be the only rotten apple in the bunch and that everyone in SA seems to agree on one thing: He needs to go. It is hard to predict how this will play out; but it’s important to remember that people could have easily joined along with Johns’ misconduct. Though at the very beginning of his tenure, as manifestations were conspicuously ominous, the bulk of SA insiders fought against it. The narrative of Johns’ transgressions should implicate one thing above all the rest: that there’s a better world someplace else, that there are better values elsewhere. As SA leaders and concerned community members circulate the campus in the coming days, urging students to sign the petition to impeach Johns, we should remember the power of our signatures. What type of vision will they reflect? Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Monday, September 9, 2013 ubspectrum.com

LIFE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Center For the Arts is booked for the fall Barenaked Ladies, Satriani, Cornell and Hancock to play at UB Courtesy of Thomas Faivre-Duboz (herbie hancock)

Courtesy of Chris Cornell

Courtesy of Barenaked ladies

Courtesy of David Sedaris

UB’s Center For the Arts is one of the top venues in Buffalo that hosts a highly diverse selection of performers every season. This fall, its schedule proves to have something for everyone.

JAMES DRAGONETTE

Staff Writer

The UB Center For the Arts is sporting a fall season with a “wow factor,” according to the center’s director of marketing. The CFA’s fall season is comprised of a variety of acts spanning many genres and types of performance art. Some of the most anticipated performers are Joe Satriani, Grammy Awardnominated guitarist, on Oct. 1; Chris Cornell, the Grammy Award-winning front man of the bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, on Nov. 5; Herbie Hancock, a Grammy Award-winning keyboardist and pianist, on Oct. 9; and Barenaked Ladies on Nov. 6. A small committee headed by CFA Executive Director Tom Burrows assembles each season’s program. It’s not always an easy task, said CFA Director of Marketing Dave Wedekindt. “The first thing is we look for quality, and we look for diversity, and we don’t want to be like any other venue in town,” We-

dekindt said. “We defined our niche, and we try to keep some unique things that people look at and say, ‘Wow, no one else would do that performance.’” Wedekindt said one of the most notable acts coming to the CFA is Cornell. Cornell personally chose the CFA over every other venue in town for his upcoming solo acoustic show on Nov. 5. “He was actually handpicking the venues he’s performing at the tour, and he looked at the hall, and he liked the size, and he liked that it was on a campus,” Wedekindt said. “So that was pretty cool, and it’s probably going to sell out.” Wedekindt described the process of finding and booking performances as a “long process.” “It’s not as easy as just giving that act a call and saying ‘When can you come?’ Wedekindt said. “You know, there are a lot of other things at play: Are they touring? Are they going to be in this part of the country? How much money are they looking for? We have to factor all those things.”

This course of negotiations happens with each act and is further complicated by budgeting and costs, he said. Many students don’t know the CFA doesn’t receive student activity fees, he said. The CFA needs to generate enough ticket sales to pay for visiting acts, and according to Wedekindt, “that’s always a consideration.” The CFA relies mostly on what Wedekindt calls “earned revenue” – ticket sales and concessions. Aside from a few sponsorships brought in to offset some of their expenditures, the CFA manages fairly well on their earned revenue and is able to bring in a variety of acts. For those who enjoy speakers and comedians, the CFA will host a presentation by humorist and author David Sedaris on Oct. 16, a performance by the stars of truTV’s hit show Impractical Jokers on Oct. 18 as well as a brand new holiday-themed show put on by the main characters of the popular Canadian mockumentary Trailer Park Boys on Dec. 11.

For those not interested in the mainstream rock-and-roll acts or comedic performers, the CFA’s schedule includes a number of musicians from genres like jazz and blues, such as Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Wayne Shorter who will play on Nov. 21. The ability to draw performers coming from the “outside the world of what is considered mainstream” is one of the great things about the CFA’s programming, according to Wedekindt. “No one else in Buffalo probably would’ve ever brought him in,” Wedekindt said about Shorter. Dance performances are a major draw at the CFA, Wedekindt said, and this season will play host to a multitude of performances by professional organizations like LehrerDance on Oct. 5, Shanghai Ballet on Oct. 19 and The American Academy of Ballet on Dec. 7 and 8. “Every year, a big focus is on dance because of the dance department here,” Wedekindt said. “It’s an important part of their learning experience and, also,

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we’re really the only major venue in town that presents professional touring dance regularly.” The diversity of events put on at the CFA, comprising a schedule spanning nearly three months, has impressed some UB students. “I think it’s great to see the CFA really reaching out and attracting so many unique artists,” said Jimmy Cairns, a senior biomedical engineering major. “Any place you can watch a ballet performance one night, just to see the cast of the Trailer Park Boys perform the next is clearly doing a great job and a great service for both UB and Buffalo.” The full calendar of events for the CFA’s fall season and ticket prices can be found on the CFA website. Tickets for students and the general public are available on tickets.com or at the CFA Box Office. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Monday, September 9, 2013

UB’s first Fulbright: Junior Burns finds new way to study architecture CASSANDRA YOCHUM Staff Writer

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS

Dylan Burns, a junior architecture major, spent his summer discovering the “sociology of architecture.” Burns was the first UB student to be chosen for the Fulbright Summer Institute. He was exposed to England’s culture, heritage and history through his studies at Nottingham Trent University. The program had a different theme each week, which showed the city through the lenses of different professions. It was during the fine arts week that Burns came up with the idea for his final project, which cataloged the importance of people in architecture. “You can have the physical, the space and the built environment,” Burns said. “But if you don’t have the people, both populating and interacting with space and turning it from a space into place, then it doesn’t really mean anything.” The project was supposed to be on how people interact with their urban environments. Burns said one of his instructors told the students to explore and do something artistic. It was then that Burns decided to learn more about the people in the city, rather than architecture itself. He sought out about 35 people from all over the city and attempted to uncover the citizens’ interactions with others and their city by asking four questions: If you knew no one would judge you, what would you do differently? What do you pretend to understand? Why do you matter? And if you could give advice to anyone, what would it be? He took photos of the different people and locations and then pinned together the places he had met and interviewed each person. He organized these images on a board to express the meaning behind his project. On one half of the board, he had an in-depth map,

and on the other half, images of streets. Through this design, Burns attempted to express the idea that it doesn’t matter where or when you approach someone – you can have a good conversation anywhere. “It made me think a lot more about the sociology of architecture,” Burns said. “All the people that interact out in the real world will interact similarly inside and around the building. You’ll want to consider that when you’re designing.” He said so many people who pass by are strangers, and, unless they have made a very strong impression, they are forgotten. His project taught him that people can learn how to interact with their cities and subsequently create a stronger community. Neville Stankley, a senior lecturer in heritage study at Nottingham Trent, was one of Burns’ teachers. “[Burns’s project] was an impressive consideration of space as a place through the eyes of the citizens of Nottingham,” Stankley said. Burns said the summer program helped him think about the possibilities for further study within his academic career. “I hope to do some sort of study abroad to see what the world without architects would be like,” Burns said. Burns said Fulbright has already encouraged him to apply to future graduate programs. He hopes he’ll someday focus on how architecture relates to his past experience, sociology and urban planning. Burns notes this program helped him appreciate different perspectives, and he hopes to implement that in future work. He said the Fulbright Summer Institute enhanced his education, too, and without this experience, he wouldn’t have understood the connection of all subjects. “It’s just a great experience … there’s so many different ways you can try and shape your experience,”

Juan D. Pinzon, The Spectrum

Junior architecture major Dylan Burns was the first UB student to be selected for the Fulbright Summer Institute in England. Burns’ views on architecture changed after his summer abroad.

Burns said. “It’d be hard not to find something that peaks your interest.” Stankley said many students are very “lively,” eager to soak up as much of the experience as possible. The 2013 Fulbright Summer Institute had nine programs available for U.S. citizens. This summer program allowed U.S. students to explore and learn in the United Kingdom. The opportunity is given to undergraduate students who are over the age of 18 and have completed at least two years of undergraduate study. Students who participate in the program are placed in a highly regarded university within the United Kingdom, according to the institute’s website. Stankley said it was only in 2012 that Nottingham Trent became part of the summer program.

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BIG DATA, ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY DR. ED LAZOWSKA

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS is a new annual presidential program focused on bringing to UB distinguished scholars at the forefront of their fields and at the vanguard of shaping how we understand the vital issues and challenges facing our 21st-century world. From global health concerns and contemporary cultural debates to technological trends and socioeconomic challenges, the topics to be addressed are those that cut across disciplinary boundaries and geographic borders to shape daily life for us all. Dr. Ed Lazowska is the Bill & Melinda Gates chair in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington and the founding director of UW’s eScience Institute. One of the world’s foremost scholars in the area of high-performance computing and communication systems, Lazowska is also a champion for increasing diversity in STEM fields.

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Panel Discussion: “Diversity and STEM Fields”

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Burns said he found the Fulbright program through Elizabeth Colucci, senior assistant director at the University Honors College, and SPARK. Colucci is responsible for UB’s national and international fellowships and scholarships. She said SPARK is a program created last year available to honors students. SPARK, a six-week program, exposes different fellowships and scholarships to students. This spring, Colucci plans to open SPARK to the academies and other groups to further help students. Colucci said international students should look into their own countries for fellowships and scholarships because Fulbright is only available to U.S. students.

“The first step is come to a workshop to learn about it,” Colucci said. “You do not have to be in honors to be a part of the fellowship and scholarship process.” There are several workshops this fall, which will help students prepare their applications and hone their competitive writing skills. Students who are interested should look over the National Fellowships and Scholarships webpage to find out more about the opportunities. Burns said he learned a lot about himself, his future and his society through the program, and he recommends other students to apply, as well. Email: features@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

Monday, September 9, 2013

Cover story: Student Association leaders unite in opposition of President Nick Johns “It was professionally wrong,” said Deputy Chief of Staff Loren Fields. “I have worked here four years and I’ve never seen one president go through with something like that … Our $30,000 for promo … was almost just to be able to go on the jet. Just to be able to say, ‘I’ve got these opportunities. Look at what I have.’” Johns also made an error handling the contract, according to Selsky and Entertainment Director Erin Lachaal. They said, after signing the agreement, Johns filed the paperwork late, which caused SA to lose a 30-second video advertisement and a 15-second radio ad. Regardless of the loss, SA has to pay the full $30,000. Selsky said UB Athletics was angry because of the miscommunication and SA isn’t sure if it has lost anything else from the contract. SA reviewed the gift acceptance policy – which Senior Office Manager Sam McMahon said Johns personally approved – at its fall staff orientation in Niagara Falls, Canada, but Johns was not in attendance. He said he could not cross the border because his parents misplaced his naturalization paperwork and he could not get his passport in time. Ingram said Johns was the first to know of the trip and had ample time to get his passport. Johns said he received legal counsel advisement that it was OK to accept the Ohio State gift because it was from the university. Asked if the legal counsel was aware of SA’s contract with athletics, Johns declined comment. Johns missed SA’s club orientation to attend the football game. Club Services Director Judy Mai said Johns should have been there because the clubs are a vital part of SA and “a lot of the clubs don’t know that he is president.” “Since my job entails largerscale, inter-organizational meetings, I thought it was a more efficient use of my time,” Johns said. “I thought that showing my support for Athletics, that we are trying to engender, is something that is more important.” Selsky and Chhabria, the other two executive board members, told The Spectrum they felt Johns should have attended the club orientation. Selsky said he and SA’s pro staff told Johns he should not accept the gift; Chhabria was also offered the trip but declined it, citing his responsibilities to the clubs and the conflict of interest as his reasoning. Selsky said that is not the only decision Johns has made that put his personal interest ahead of SA’s. “Nick more is, ‘I’m the president. I’m going to do my own thing,’” Selsky said. “And that’s a very selfish attitude.” On Aug. 22, Johns was interviewed by BuzzFeed and made a statement on President Barack Obama’s visit to UB and the NSA surveillance controversy. SA wasn’t aware of the interview, according to Lachaal. The Spectrum asked Johns if he felt it was appropriate to make political statements on behalf of the student body. He responded, “yeah,” and that “most of [his] friends” agreed with his political opinion. Asked if his friends’ views represented the entire student population, he responded, “probably not.” Lachaal and Asst. SISH Coordinator Minahil Khan said Johns subsequently paid $50 to promote the article on SA’s Facebook page without telling anyone. They said he filed paperwork to be reimbursed that falsified which post was promoted, claiming the money was spent on promoting SA’s backto-school barbecue.

Defenseless Bulls’ ‘D’ has left much to be desired

OWEN O’BRIEN Sports Editor

SPECTRUM FILE PHOTO

Student Association President Nick Johns pumps his fist in celebration of his Spirit Party’s sweep of the 2013 SA election on March 28 after just over 14 percent of UB’s undergraduates voted.

Only two posts have been promoted from SA’s page during his administration: one being the Reel Big Fish concert and the other being the BuzzFeed article. Selsky said Johns promoted the post and called it a misuse of SA funds, fraud and “more or less stealing from the Student Association.” Johns denies using SA funds to promote the post, saying he did it out of his own pocket and that a bookkeeper filed the reimbursement without him knowing. Chhabria said he has not approved the reimbursement. Several of the SA members accused Johns of hiring his friends, and creating positions for them, instead of hiring more qualified candidates. Before The Spectrum addressed the accusation, Johns said he wanted to be more inclusive this year and not be “as sedentary as years past and just hiring all your friends.” When The Spectrum questioned Johns on some of his hiring decisions, particularly hiring three of his roommates and at least one personal friend, he claimed he had valid reason to do so. Merckel said Johns also gave hiring preference to attractive females and, when she approached him on the issue, he claimed it was to make a “bet-

victory was one of the craziest moments of my life.” Johns claims he gave a paraphrased version of the speech. He said he was unaware Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Barb Ricotta was in attendance. “Is that the message we want to send from our SA president?” Ingram said. When asked if it was appropriate for an underage student body president to comment on alcohol consumption to incoming freshmen, Johns said, “I am legal to drink in Canada.” Johns later said he has not been to Canada since middle school. SA officials have also claimed Johns falsified his work time sheets during the summer. Selsky said he noticed some of the time sheets looked “fairly ridiculous.” The Spectrum obtained copies of Johns’ time sheets, which state he worked an average of 40.5 hours per week between May 1 and Aug. 11. McMahon, the senior office manager, said the SA office was open 9-3:30 Monday-Thursday and by appointment Friday. He said Johns didn’t normally come in until noon or 1 p.m. “That was the usual time when he rolled up,” McMahon said. “And there were plenty

Johns claims those in SA who are unhappy with him simply don’t like his management style and that he has treated the organization more as a business than a club. “People thought I would be basically a puppet for those who were in power before and those who are surrounding me and trying to influence me,” Johns said. “But the fact that I try to do the right thing, I try and not break the law, I try and get things done on time … that doesn’t sit well with them and they would prefer to have a puppet president. “But I am not a puppet.” He said those accusing him have their own agenda and “this seems to be a conspiracy.” He said of the accusations, “I think that quite frankly a lot of these are immaterial and have nothing to back it up except he said/she said.” “People have lost sight of what is important – serving the students,” Johns said. “It’s not just serving ourselves as an organization.” Johns said the “power play” is “based around seven individuals in SA who believe I need to be taken out, so to speak.” SISH Coordinator Michael Calliste said 50-60 percent of SA’s staff is dissatisfied with Johns’

“Nick more is, ‘I’m the president. I’m going to do my own thing,’” said SA Vice President Lyle Selsky. “And that’s a very selfish attitude.” ter face for the SA.” Fields said Johns would interview attractive female applicants alone and she was once on a conference call with Johns when he asked how good-looking a female applicant was. Johns denies the claim. Johns, who is 20 years old, has also been accused of discussing drinking alcohol in a speech at freshmen orientation. He sent a copy of the speech to Merckel in a text message before delivering it. Some points are: “My interests include partying, partying, SA stuff and long walks on the beach;” “I’m not one for bulls**t so I’ll stick to the facts;” and “standing on my couch spraying champagne on 100 of my ticket’s closest friends at our

of days he would leave before we even left. He would go to a meeting or something and just never come back. “During business hours, when there were actually people in the office, things to do, meetings to have, he was rarely around.” Selsky said Johns’ $12,000 stipend for the year was unaffected by the hours listed on the time sheets. Chhabria said Johns’ power as president has gone to his head. “I’ve seen a lot of complaints and I don’t think he is carrying out his duties as president,” Chhabria said. “I do feel that he is more self-concerned than he is with the organization.”

leadership. There will be a group going through the Student Union with a petition to impeach Johns all week, Lachaal said, and there is no deadline for the petition. Those seeking the president’s removal said if they receive the necessary number of signatures, Student Life will verify person numbers. And if the petition makes it through that step, the Student-Wide Judiciary will review the claims against Johns before finalizing the decision. Eric Cortellessa contributed reporting to this story. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Fifty-six points and 501 total yards. These are not the final statistics for Baylor against Buffalo this weekend, or even its box score the week before against Wofford – an FCS school. These are Baylor’s first-half statistics against the Bulls. This was supposed to be the greatest defense in program history – where was it? The Bulls have allowed 110 points in their first two games of the season, highlighted by the 70-13 embarrassment against Baylor Saturday. The 70 points was a school record for the Bears, as was their 782 yards of total offense. Besides senior linebacker Khalil Mack trending No. 1 in America on Twitter, positives from these opening games have been difficult to find. A few linebackers stepped up for the Bulls during the turnaround against the Buckeyes, but they have spent the majority of the two games being pushed around. The largest cause of concern relies with the secondary. Miscommunication has led to receivers running free and standing alone in the end zone. The secondary is filled with experience, and these types of plays are inexcusable at this point of their careers. Against Ohio State, failed coverage resulted in an easy touchdown flick for its backup quarterback – Kenny Guiton – after Braxton Miller sat out a series. This week began no different. After Buffalo’s offense shocked the Bears with a ‘flea-flicker’ on the first play of the game and senior running back Branden Oliver punched in the first score to put UB up 7-0, a 10-yard Baylor curl route turned into a 61-yard touchdown. All momentum Buffalo gained on the opening series was immediately lost. Later in the quarter, a thirdand-4 pass over the middle to Antwan Goodley resulted in an 83-yard touchdown. No Buffalo defender laid a finger on Goodley after the catch. He simply kicked into another gear and left all 11 Bulls in the dust. Baylor scored on its first seven possessions, after Ohio State scored on its first three possessions the week before. The defense is simply not showing up ready to play, and the blame for this goes beyond the 11 on the field. Coaches commonly prepare their first 15 plays of the game and the Bulls haven’t been able to stop their opponents on those plays. That is all about game planning, and head coach Jeff Quinn and his defensive coaches have done a poor job of knowing what to expect. The 56 points at halftime was a school record for Baylor. Its average of 12.2 yards per play in the first half is unheard of. Bryce Petty had 298 yards on 12 completions – averaging almost 25 yards per completion. These statistics shouldn’t be possible, no matter how explosive the other team’s offense is. Buffalo’s preseason expectations make this even worse. After watching this game, the season opener against the Buckeyes feels like a distant memory. I couldn’t believe this was the same team that took the field in Ohio Stadium the week before. Clearly, this is not a recipe for success. When the Bulls decided to challenge themselves in the opening weeks, this couldn’t have been the result they expected. Buffalo will not face two teams like this for the remainder of the season, but it will see high-tempo offenses in the Mid-American Conference. Kent State, Miami and Ohio all will study these game films closely and look for ways to best replicate this attack. I hope, by that point, the Bulls will know they need to be ready. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Monday, September 9, 2013 ubspectrum.com

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