The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 8

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A message from SA President Nick Johns UB students, faculty from Syria weigh in on conflict THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

ubspectrum.com

Bulls look for first win, host Stony Brook

Friday, september 13, 2013

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Volume 63 No. 8

Associated press

A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg to headline Fall Fest MAX CRINNIN

Senior Arts Editor

After much speculation and anticipation from UB students, the Student Association announced the Fall Fest 2013 lineup Thursday afternoon. If weather permits, Super Mash Bros will open for Ace Hood, A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky at Baird Point on UB’s North Campus on Sunday, Oct. 13. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the concert will begin at 6 p.m. SA Vice President Lyle Selsky said he and other SA members are very excited for the show. “Everybody can wake up in a new Bugatti,” Selsky said, drawing inspiration from his favorite Ace Hood song, “Bugatti.”

The price for the show was under budget, according to SA. The organization spent approximately $159,000 of its $390,000 annual concert budget. At the time of reporting, they had no set figures on the cost of production, which is paid for by a separate budget. In the weeks leading up to the announcement, rumors that A$AP Rocky would perform were circulating around campus, but many students grew restless with anticipation for an official announcement. A fake Fall Fest poster – promoting Drake, A$AP Rocky and Big Sean as headliners – prompted more rumors and discussion, pressuring SA to release an impressive lineup quickly. “I’m an A$AP fan, so I’m excited for that,” said freshman

business major Ike Shammah. “I’m bummed out that Drake and Big Sean won’t be there, but we’ll make the best of it.” In the past, SA has been criticized for bringing rap-heavy shows like this one to UB. It has made efforts to please a wider audience in recent years with extra shows, other than the two main festivals, which appeal to alternative styles of music. Already this fall, SA brought Reel Big Fish to UB to please fans of ska music. “We might be looking to do another small concert in the future,” Selsky said. “We think we got a great show under budget and we’re very excited for that.” Selsky went on to say that not everyone will be satisfied with every SA concert. He added

that SA does its best to bring diverse acts with multiple concerts throughout the year. Selsky encouraged students to go to the show regardless of their musical taste for the hype and atmosphere of these particular acts. “It’s not better than the lineups we’ve had in the last two years,” said sophomore intended exercise science major Youl Lee. “I like A$AP Rocky, but Ace Hood, A$AP Ferg and Super Mash Bros aren’t that big. We’ve had big names in the past and these guys are just rising stars.” SA added that its shows, including this one, often get scheduled on Sundays to afford student workers a weekend day to prepare. SA also encourages students to arrive early to avoid being locked out of the show if it

You are not alone

UB community unites to encourage students during National Suicide Awareness Week KEREN BARUCH

Senior Features Editor

Alfonso Valdivieso woke up

abruptly in the middle of the night on May 8 to the sound of his mother’s footsteps rushing through the hall on the first floor of their home in Coram, N.Y. She was on her way to find out who was knocking so intensely on the front door so late at night. But Valdivieso rushed out of bed and beat her to the door. When he did, he found two officers standing before him.

“Do you know Larry?” the officers asked. “Yes, he’s my brother,” Valdivieso responded. Valdivieso hoped his brother had not been arrested; the look on the officers’ faces and the tone of their voices told him

that something much worse had happened. The officers asked if they could enter the house and Valdivieso felt his body go numb. Valdivieso’s brother, Larry, then a junior communication major at UB, had hung himself in the basement of his University Heights home. Between the years of 2004 and 2010, 11 UB students completed suicide, according to Carissa Uschold, a licensed clinical social worker and suicide prevention coordinator at UB. This week is National Suicide Awareness Week and a variety of groups on campus, such as UB’s Student Wellness Team and Active Minds, are attempting to promote awareness and help get rid of the stigma associated with mental health problems and depression on college campuses. See Suicide Awareness, page 2

Courtesy of Alfonso Valdivieso

Larry Valdivieso (right), then a junior communication major, completed suicide May 8. Larry’s brother, Alfonso Valdivieso (left), encourages students who feel depressed to seek help and speak to a professional as soon as possible. Several organizations on campus are attempting to decrease the stigma associated with depression and poor mental health in order to lower the suicide rate on college campuses, in honor of National Suicide Awareness Week.

is held indoors and capacity is reached. SA has secured two other potential locations for the show if bad weather puts a damper on a Baird Point production. Baird Point is an ideal outdoor location with a capacity of 14,000, according to SA. The Lake LaSalle parking lot, with a capacity of 9,000, is reserved if rain prevents stage construction on Baird Point in the days leading up to the show. If the forecast for the day of the show calls for rain or stormy weather, the show will be held in UB’s largest indoor event venue, Alumni Arena, which houses up to 6,500 people for a show. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

SA members closer to impeaching president Student Association members have reported collecting about 2,000 signatures in their effort to impeach SA President Nick Johns. SA Entertainment Director Erin Lachaal is hoping to collect the necessary 2,541 signatures needed for impeachment by Friday, but she said a more realistic day would be Monday. If Student Life and the Student-Wide Judiciary approve the motion, Johns will be removed from office immediately, and SA Vice President Lyle Selsky will be named interim president – while also being vice president – until a “special election” takes place. Students seeking to run for president will need 200 signatures and person numbers from students. Email: news@ubspectrum.com


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