The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 10

Top 10 highest UB-paid salaries Students paying others to complete their coursework UB athletes weigh in: Should collge athletes be paid?

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money issue, September 18, 2013

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Volume 63 No. 10

Graphic by haider alidina

TRIALS OF BEING MONEY SMART Work hard for the money UB students find offbeat ways to make extra cash WHILE STUDYING FINE ART KEREN BARUCH & UB art students find creative SHARON KAHN ways to cover supply costs Senior Features Editors

BY RACHEL KRAMER | Asst. Arts Editor

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ustin Lewis gets an average of three hours of sleep a night. He drinks three cups of coffee a day to stay awake. He is taking 20 credits of art, psychology and general education classes. Each week he works at Wegmans for 10 hours, holds 10 Academic Advising office hours, studies for 10-20 hours, works on art projects for about 15 hours and paints his latest mural for two to six hours. And his parents have no idea. Although the sophomore fine arts and psychology major is from the Buffalo area, he is too busy to see his parents. He suspects they think he’s avoiding them, but he’s actually too busy working.

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Lewis pays $500 out of pocket for the tuition not covered by his loans, up to $225 in lab fees a semester and up to $120 on each art project.

In addition to paying tuition every semester, art students at UB pay lab fees for each class. These lab fees range from $50 to $100, depending on the department. But Lewis isn’t the only art student who is frustrated and scrambling for cash.

Some say their lab fee should be enough to cover supplies. They expect to be provided with more materials, rather than having to buy or rent them from places like the oncampus Art Resource Center (ARC), or art stores like Michael’s and Hyatt’s.

To pay for their art supplies, some students take on part-time jobs while others take out loans or receive an art allowance from their parents.

Lewis never asked his parents.

He has been supporting himself financially since he was a 9-yearold delivery boy for The Buffalo News making $100 per week.

SEE FINE ARTS, PAGE 4

Juan D. Pinzon, The Spectrum

Austin Lewis, a sophomore fine arts and psychology major, is working on his latest project: transforming a small sculpture into something big. He spends over 15 hours a week in the studio, and he has four jobs to help pay for art projects like this one.

From DJing to drug dealing, UB students have found more than a few ways to get by financially during the semester. Here’s a rundown of some students’ odd jobs: Custom shorts Shelby Yacavone, a freshman psychology and political science major, can do just about anything with an old pair of jeans.

Yacavone started off by searching the best YouTube tutorials and learned how to make stylish and trendy shorts for a fraction of the cost. From cutting and dyeing to patching and shredding, Yacavone said she creates perfect replicas of shorts she sees in her favorite stores.

Urban Outfitters, one of Yacavone’s favorite stores, sells shorts similar to Yacavone’s creations from $60-$150 on average, according to its website.

Yacavone found that after taking a visit to a thrift store in Queens, N.Y., she could make the same shorts for about $10 and she sells them for $20 to $30. Yacavone’s first creation came from a pair of old women’s Levi jeans. She managed to turn the hand-me-down into a pair of ombré shorts, a style that caught the attention of many, she said.

Yacavone said her friend’s face dropped when she found out the shorts she was wearing were her own work. “You need to make me a pair,” her teammate said.

And Yacavone got right to work.

“I didn’t expect anything in return for making [her teammate] a pair of custom shorts,” Yaca-

Daniele Gershon, The Spectrum

Shelby Yacavone, a freshman psychology and political science major, loves the relaxing and stress-free environment of making custom jean shorts.

vone said. “But she was so happy with them, she insisted that she pay me for them.”

Less than a week later, Yacavone’s Facebook inbox was flooding with messages. Everyone wanted a pair of shorts, and Yacavone’s talent was in high demand.

Yacavone’s process is precise, and she takes no breaks when she is designing. She starts off by bringing her customers to the thrift shop with her and, together, they search for the perfect pair of jeans – a pair that is highwaisted, perhaps with a “vintage vibe” to them and, most importantly, fits comfortably. After the jeans are purchased, Yacavone takes them home to begin working.

SEE WORK HARD, PAGE 4

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 ubspectrum.com

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Aaron Mansfield MANAGING EDITORS Lisa Khoury Sara DiNatale EDITORIAL EDITOR Eric Cortellessa 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 18, 2013 Volume 63 Number 10 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) 645-2152.

The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

OPINION THE VALUE OF SAVING

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College students should begin personal investments now

Everyone knows that person.

That person who spends money carelessly, who makes purchases impulsively, who decides to embrace his or her immediate appetites over long-term interests. That person may be your friend or your sibling, your sorority sister or your coworker. That person may be you.

But we want to call attention to a distinctive kind of person: that person who buys a cup of Starbucks every day.

Now we understand this is college and coffee is often a necessity – the stimulating effects of the caffeine enable us to make it through the day. Though is it really all that necessary to always go to Starbucks?

Think about it: How much does that coffee cost?

Well, a tall Café Latte costs $2.95.

Including tax, let’s round that up to a solid $3. OK – so many people will think, “$3 for a cup of coffee, big deal.” Well, let’s consider the exponential effects of spending $3 on Starbucks, seven days a week for one year. That’s $21 a week. That amounts to $1,092 spent on Starbucks in just one year. And that’s assuming you buy the smallest size each time.

One thing we have learned through our time at UB is that free coffee can always be found somewhere at this university, especially if you work a job on campus. But even if you can’t find free coffee somewhere, you could have made a cup at home – for substantially less money, if any at all. And let’s just think, what are some other ways you could have spent that $1,092 that would have been more beneficial?

Let’s say you decided to invest it.

Hang with us now.

If you put that $1,092 into a mutual fund with a moderate rate of return, call it 8 percent, that you compound monthly, in 50 years that amount you spent at Starbucks would be $58,834.98.

That is what comes from the power of compounding.

Compounding is essentially interest that is earned on top of interest. So, if you invest $1,092 and make 8 percent in one year, you will then have $1,182.64. If you continue to invest the money you made on your return, your investment is no longer making 8 percent of $1,092; you are now making 8 percent of $1,182.64.

And so it builds, more and more, accumulating over time.

One of the biggest benefits we have as college students is the number of years we have to compound

vests in many securities.

Initial Investment: $100 Weekly Contribution: $25 Years Contributed: 25 years Annual Rate of Return: 8%

Money Earned - $95,430.14 Courtesy of Daveramsey.com

our returns. This is the benefit of early investing.

The point of the Starbucks example is not to suggest anyone is a fool for buying a cup of coffee; the point is to draw attention to how college students should be conscious of how they spend their money. And to also think about ways that wasteful spending can alternatively go into savings and personal investment.

Every student has his or her own financial habits and everyone certainly has the right to spend their money how they want. But we want to urge UB students to be cognizant of the value of investing now and the benefits of taking a certain amount of money to be regularly allocated into savings.

For instance, every student could probably find a way to put aside anywhere from $10 to $25 a week.

That small amount adds up over time and can later contribute to your investments.

Saving just $25 a week accrues to $1,300 in a year that you can put toward long-term growth – instead of coffee that will have left you long ago.

Investing is a way of making your money turn into more money.

Though it may feel painful putting some away that you would rather spend now, it will turn into more wealth down the road – and will

benefit your future.

There are many different routes one can go about doing this, but we recommend setting up an investment account with an online discount brokerage – like Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Merrill Edge, etc.

These outlets provide account opportunities with low minimums and no monthly fees. (Merrill Edge requires no minimum amount to open an account.) And these are brokerages where you can invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc.

We like stocks, but they are generally higher risk; we like bonds, and they are generally a safer option, but they tend to appeal more to older investors.

Our favorite investment option for college students is mutual funds.

A mutual fund is a professionally managed financial instrument that collects investments from many investors to purchase various types of securities. We think they are appealing because they offer simplicity, variety and diversification.

They limit options and allow you to choose a specific type of fund (like stock funds or bond funds) and they are easier than choosing from the thousands of available stocks or bonds. The fund itself in-

Basically, they give you fewer ways to shoot yourself in the foot.

Fund managers direct these funds and consider what kind of results they expect through the various kinds of investments they make to give investors the automatic advantage of diversification.

Most mutual funds do require a minimum initial investment, but after that, you can make any other purchase you want for whatever price you want.

Mutual fund purchases can be made monthly or quarterly. One strategy we recommend is what’s called Dollar Cost Averaging – where you keep purchasing the same investment periodically to make the same returns on your investments consistently.

So for instance, you would put something like $500 into a fund one month and then do it again the next month in order to keep making the same return.

The biggest problem we have heard from our fellow students is that they would save if only they knew how. Along with opening an investment and savings account, students should consider seeking out the advice of a financial advisor and should take an active role in educating themselves on financial matters.

There are also some books we recommend checking out, like The Millionaire Next Door: Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, and Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey.

Finance can be complicated to wrap your head around and the key at this stage of the game is just finding ways to keep it simple.

What matters is that college students don’t just live in the moment; it is important to make decisions with the bigger picture in mind.

Eventually, you might have a family and children whose college tuition needs to be paid. Eventually, you may retire and need money that is set aside to sustain you during those years – be aware of how controlling spending habits and saving now will make a difference for those years. Remember how, due to compounding, failing to start saving during your early years will likely render you having difficulty trying to catch up.

All you have to do now is start making small investments consistently. And then, every once in a while, you can reward yourself with some Starbucks.

Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

art by amber sliter

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Continued from page 1: Work hard

Continued from page 1: Fine arts

Yacavone measures and cuts the jeans into shorts based on length preference and then shreds, studs, dyes or sews patches onto the shorts.

“My room turns into a little sweatshop,” Yacavone said. “And I enjoy every second of it.”

On average, it takes Yacavone about two hours to create the shorts. She said it’s the most relaxing and stress-free two hours of her day.

“I have a hard time taking money from people, even if they are supposed to be a monetary resource,” Lewis said. “I never have [accepted money] and I probably never will. I know a lot of people are like, ‘I’m going to mooch off my parents until I can’t anymore,’ but not me … it’s not that they don’t give me money, it’s that I would rather not take it.”

This mindset carried him through elementary, middle and high school as he worked various jobs.

This independent lifestyle was heightened when Lewis came to UB. He discovered where he could be employed and earn benefits.

“When you’ve always been doing something or working, finding something isn’t hard,” Lewis said.

As an academic advisor, his meal plan is discounted and the university pays for his dorm residency as long as he holds 10 office hours, attends multiple meetings, hosts programs and tutors kids every week.

He barely fits in a social life.

Many of the art professors understand what Lewis is going through.

Reinhard Reizenstein, associate professor ­­­­and head of the sculpture program, always had at least two jobs while he was in college at the Ontario College of Art. He would paint houses, do roofing repairs or work in grocery stores to save up money for his art supplies. He believes nothing’s changed.

“In North America especially, we are strapped to the idea of students paying for their supplies,” Reizenstein said. “If you go to places like Denmark, Germany, Finland or anywhere in the Nordic countries, everything is supplied. Students are even paid to go to graduate school. It’s because people care about art education in Europe and we’re not sure about it here.”

Because of this belief, he has occasionally loaned students money to finish a project if someone’s “in a real jam” or if their project needs to be done by a certain date. Sometimes the students will pay him back and sometimes they don’t, but Reizenstein doesn’t care either way.

The sculptor also tells students to go dumpster diving when they are having financial troubles.

He has found planks of wood, pieces of plastic and parts of motors to give to students.

While Lewis has never jumped into a dumpster for sculpting supplies, he uses pieces of wood and cardboard from Wegmans.

“It looked like I was homeless with a big shopping bag and cart full of cardboard boxes, but it was worth it,” Lewis said.

He has also gone through the trash piles from various sculpting classes to find metal and other raw materials.

While it may be simple for sculpting students to use found materials to create a masterpiece, other concentrations in the department can’t be as thrifty.

Printmaking is regarded as the most expensive field to go into when it comes to the fine arts.

In order to create a print, students must use paper that is $3.50 to $5 a sheet, copper or zinc plates that range from $10 to $170, tools that cost up to $65 and ink that ranges from $2 to $60 depending on the type and color.

Jeff Sherven, a print media technician, believes paying for these supplies is all part of the learning process.

“It’s about understanding the commitment it takes to get involved in the art world,” Sherven said. “You have to make expense distinctions and that’s what this

DJing for UB Not many students can say their favorite song is one of their own.

Ryan Beegel can.

Beegel, a junior business major, was sick of playing the “same old” music off an iPod at parties. He was searching for tunes that would get people dancing. In the summer of 2011, Beegel decided to start creating his own music.

After investing in his first controller and a summer of learning how to make his own beats and sounds, Beegel brought his music back to UB and started playing it at parties.

“His music is awesome,” said Jenna Forman, a junior health and human services major and longtime friend of Beegel.

“And it’s even better knowing that he did it all on his own and is completely selftaught.”

During Beegel’s sophomore year at UB, he got a gig playing for Mojo’s, a now-defunct college bar on Main Street. Beegel made $70 a night and was able to share his music with the UB community.

Beegel wasn’t pleased to hear Mojo’s, his regular nightspot, was recently shut down.

He worried his music was only going to be heard from the back of house parties.

Always interested in new musical opportunities, however, Beegel found a way back into sharing his passion while making money. Beegel is going to DJ the Student Association’s tailgate before the football team’s game against UConn on Sep. 28, and he can’t wait to for more students to hear his music.

“I play a lot of popular house music,” Beegel said. “But it’s the kind of stuff that everyone can enjoy and dance to – even the people who don’t necessarily like house [music].”

Bokwa & Zumba instructor Paul Dominguez, a junior history and political science major who teaches Zumba at UB, became certified to also teach Bokwa in April. Bokwa is a new group fitness program that is “rapidly spreading across the globe,” according to bokwafit-

ness.com. The program involves dancing without choreography or counting steps.

Bokwa and Zumba instructors at UB can make around $20 per hour.

“I get a high off of seeing other people dancing and having fun, while getting fit at the same time,” Dominguez said. “I love being able to share fitness with everyone.”

Drug dealer Hillary Wang*, a senior communication major, shared an apartment-style house with Josh Frank* last year. Wang said Frank dealt drugs to make money throughout his college career.

“Nearly 44 percent of students told survey-takers they know a classmate who sells drugs,” The Huffington Post reported in 2012. “Marijuana was the easiest drug to come by, followed by prescription drugs, cocaine and ecstasy.”

Wang said if she had known she was signing a lease to live with a drug dealer, she probably would have chosen to live elsewhere.

“Everything always smelled so strongly of weed, and I hated it,” Wang said.

“There were also always random people walking in and out of the house to pick up their little baggies. For someone who doesn’t smoke, it was really shocking to see and live with.”

Frank told Wang he was robbed at gunpoint the year before they lived together, which gave Wang anxiety. She could not understand why Frank was risking his life by dealing drugs to make money.

Wang moved out of the apartment. She heard through some friends that Frank’s house was robbed at gunpoint last summer. She hopes Frank stopped dealing drugs and said no amount of money is worth her ex-roommate’s life. *Names were changed to protect the privacy of both students.

University Heights landlord Marlon Browar, a UB alum who majored in business administration, bought a house in the University Heights his sophomore year of college.

He rented the house to UB students.

Through serving as a landlord for three years of his college career, Browar gained real-life business skills that UB could have never taught him in a classroom, he said.

He now owns over half a dozen homes in the area and continues to make money this way.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

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teaches you. [Budget] is not something that can be explained; it’s not something that is just right or wrong. If that was the case and we were controlling [the prices], there would be no challenge.”

The students in his class see his point, but still don’t like having to pay so much for their materials. Tanya Dorph-Mankey, a senior fine art major with a concentration in print making, knows the paper she has to buy is very high quality, but doesn’t think it should be so expensive.

“You can rent a lot from the ARC, but you won’t always get your money back,” Dorph-Mankey said. “The paper we use is beautiful and absorbs the ink nicely, but just because it does good things, that doesn’t mean it’s not also expensive.”

She thinks the ARC should be more affordable for students and the lab fee should provide them with more supplies.

Sherven and Reizenstein said the lab fees in their classes are $100 and go toward consumables such as paper towels, glue, tape, cleaning supplies, the upkeep of machines and equipment and basic materials to start a project such as wood, metal or chemicals.

Because each class collects a lab fee, the instructor is the one to decide how to spend the students’ money.

In the painting department, lab fees are usually $50. Head of the Painting Department David Schrim spends the lab fee on expendable painting supplies such as gesso, canvases, paint thinners and easels.

At the beginning of each semester, Schrim encourages his students to be thrifty. He teaches his students how to make their own canvas stretchers, tells them to buy good brushes so they will last through the years and advises them to keep an eye out for canvases and supplies students from previous semesters leave behind.

Sherven thinks the students don’t understand the behind-the-scenes work it takes to keep the art studios running.

The university will only pay for the infrastructure of the building, such as repairs to the sinks and the network of computers, he said.

“Trying to manage the costs and lab fees is all about figuring out what still gets the students to what they need to learn and experience, and literally experience because you can’t just study this s***,” Sherven said. “If you don’t do it – you could read about it – but if you don’t do it, it’s not going to get you anywhere.

Then all of a sudden you realize what the monetary requirements are to get to the end point.”

Lewis doesn’t like to complain about the lab fee, but he thinks if the departments raised it slightly but were able to provide the students with more supplies, everyone would pay it.

He doesn’t have a budget for each project. Lewis gets most of his art supplies at the ARC but also buys them in bulk at Michael’s once a week, when he takes advantage of promotions. But he prefers not spending money on projects because “it makes [him] use [his] resources more creatively” and he “has to engineer a solution rather than just buy one.”

Reizenstein agrees with this philosophy and thinks a good art project is not in the materials, but in how the students use them.

To struggling art students, Lewis said: “Hang in there because you’ll get used to it or you’ll find a way to cope. If you’re really passionate about art, you’ll make it work.”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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NEWS

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TOP 10 HIGHEST UB-PAID SALARIES The following salaries do not include any funds or compensations from the UB Foundation or other outside sources.

SARA DINATALE

Managing Editor

UB is directly paying $15,000 more to Provost Charles Zukoski than President Satish Tripathi. But annually, Tripathi is actually taking home more money than the provost.

Tripathi, on top of his base salary of $385,000, also receives $115,000 per year from the SUNY Research Foundation and $150,000 from the UB Foundation (UBF), according to a UB press release issued when Triapthi was appointed president in 2011.

The Spectrum obtained the university salaries of UB’s top 10 highest paid employees, but many UB higher-ups receive supplemental compensation – which were not included in the numbers provided by the university – in addition to their annual salaries.

With the compensations, Tripathi’s take-home is higher than Zukoski’s, according to UB Spokesman John Della Contrada.

UBF, though associated with UB, is a private corporation that manages gifts to the university.

Tripathi isn’t the only UB administrator receiving monies in addition to his UB salary. Michael Cain, the dean of the School of Medicine

and Biomedical Sciences, has also received money from UBF on top of his base salary, which is $338,000 this year.

Cain received a “reportable compensation from the organization,” of $261,723, a “reportable compensation from related organizations” of $332,884 and an “estimated” amount of other compensations of $32,230 in 2011, according to a 2011 UBF 990 income tax form – the most recent public form available regarding UBF. Another notable amount of compensations disclosed in the 2011 tax form went to John B. Simpson – university president from 2004-10 – who received $286,472 from the organization, $258,513 from related organizations and $36,927 in estimated compensations.

Cain was the only individual in UB’s 10 highest-ranking salaries to also receive disclosed amounts of money through UBF, based on the most recent tax form.

Della Contrada said he did not know if anyone on the top-10 list (shown on right) other than Tripathi received supplemental compensations from UBF. UBF is not subject to the New York State Information Law because it is a private organization.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

With great money comes great responsibility Breaking down the five SA clubs with the largest budgets

enough to cover all costs, Egan said. Companies often donate automobile parts to the Mini-Baja and Clean Snowmobile teams.

MOHAMMED SHARIFF Staff Writer

Editor’s note: For the purpose of this article, the budget amounts include rollover funds from the previous year.

Strategists and Role-Players Association (SARPA) (SISH) Budget: $27,950.84 With a membership numbering in the hundreds, SARPA is the largest special-interests club at UB. In addition to its weekly events, the club hosts two conventions each year – a charity event and UB-Con, a comic and videogame convention.

“That’s most of our budget,” said Tyler Linn, a senior psychology major and SARPA’s president. “Probably 70 or 80 percent of our budget goes toward [UBCon].”

Linn said the high attendance at UB-Con, which is held annually in the spring in the Student Union, is responsible for the club’s large budget and rollover.

Last year, approximately 1,600 people paid admission to attend, allowing for the large budget rollover.

Earlier this semester, the SARPA office was broken into and video game consoles were stolen. This year’s budget has, so far, only gone toward replacing what was taken, Linn said.

The Student Association, which currently controls over $3.6 million, is responsible for the budgets of over 150 student clubs. These clubs, in turn, provide services for students in the name of SA. The budgets and expenditures of these clubs are available to the public through the general ledger on SA’s website.

Black Student Union (BSU) (People Of Color) Budget: $48,963.45 BSU has the largest budget of any SA club. Robin Murray, a junior mathematics major and the club’s vice president, said the money doesn’t go toward one large event, but toward many events over the course of the semester that cater to all kinds of students.

The club holds “anything and everything that pertains to a student,” he said, including events Mayor Byron Brown sometimes attends.

Greg Bellanton, a junior exercise science major and the club’s president, said the money comes with “great responsibility.”

“It’s our responsibility to make sure that we actually fundraise back that half of our budget,” he said.

Although events are often packed, the majority of the fundraising comes from the BSU Fashion Show. The show attracts students from every major campus in Buffalo, putting attendance in the thousands, according to Bellanton. He believes the show is the second largest in Buffalo. He thinks his budget

Spectrum File Photo

Students participate in UB-Con, which is run by the Strategists and Role Players Association. SARPA holds one of the highest budgets in SA of $27,950.84.

should go toward many events for the student body, instead of just one.

Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) (Engineering) Budget: $34,000 SAE is the largest engineering club at UB. It uses its budget to construct automobiles from scratch for various competitions, including the national Mini-Baja off-road vehicle competition.

“Most of our budget goes [to these competitions]” said

Mathew Egan, a senior mechanical engineering major and the club’s president. “The attendance itself is $1,000 a person.”

SAE has been involved with the Mini-Baja competition since 1985, and with the Clean Snowmobile competition since its inception in 2000, according to Egan. SAE has constructed and entered over 20 vehicles and finished ninth in the nation for the Mini-Baja contest in 2011, according to the club’s website.

It’s a costly endeavor, and sometimes funds from SA aren’t

Men’s Ice Hockey (Sports) Budget: $25,103.91 Michael Pliszka, a junior chemical engineering major and the president of the men’s ice hockey club team, isn’t shy about his club’s large budget.

“A lot of people don’t know, but ice hockey is one of the most expensive sports,” he said.

“We’re always bargaining with SA for [a bigger budget].”

This year, the team’s expenditures came close to $60,000 – more than twice the amount it was given by SA. The club is

only able to afford what it needs by charging players a $1,600 player fee. All of the club’s money goes straight to gear, ice time and other expenses for the team, he said.

Pliszka said the money, however, is going to good use. Last year, the Division I club team won its sub-division championship and ranked No. 21 in the nation – one spot away from going to nationals. The club recently added a Division III team, Pliszka said. The club now has two teams with about 60 players involved.

Women’s Rugby (Sports) Budget: $23,756.60 The Division I women’s rugby team controls nearly $24,000 this year. It was one of the only SA club teams to make it to nationals last year – the first time for the club, according to Megan Hann, a junior chemical and biological engineering major and the club’s president. SA granted the team more money because of its successful season.

“A lot [of our budget] went toward [going to nationals],” Hann said. “We actually had to fundraise extra money.”

In April, SA took funds from three other clubs, including the derecognized Korean Student Association, to help pay for the trip.

The women’s rugby team is set to play a charity game against Syracuse University on Sept. 29.

All proceeds will be given to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer awareness organization.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013 ubspectrum.com

FEATURES

7

Feeding my addiction Student pays $2,000 for An account of one student’s venture into writing papers for money

others to do his schoolwork Daniele Gershon, The Spectrum

ANONYMOUS

Special to The Spectrum

At 9 p.m. on a weekday, all I wanted to do was make my dinner, take a shower, watch Friends and go to bed.

At 11 p.m. on a weekend, all I wanted to do was put on my heels, pregame with my friends and have a fun night at the bar.

Instead, I spent an entire semester devoting my nights to feeding into my addiction: writing other people’s papers for money.

It all started while I was ordering my avocado-spring rolls at The Cheesecake Factory. Upon dipping the deep fried roll into the spicy chili sauce, I received a text message that would completely change my college career: “How much could I pay you to write my World Civ paper?”

I wasn’t sure what to do. Plagiarizing is illegal, and getting paid for helping someone deceive his or her professor? That’s even worse. The last thing I wanted to do was end up in jail like that Great Neck boy who thought he could pull off taking the SATs for other high school juniors.

I figured I would write this one paper, charge $10 per page and have an easy, extra $50 in my wallet.

I realized writing a five-page paper analyzing the legitimacy of websites was easier than expected. One hour after starting the first draft, I sent the student a final draft to submit to her professor. Not even 10 minutes after submitting the piece to her, I received another text from a student in that same World Civ class with the same request. I crafted yet an-

other five-page paper on the same topic in under an hour.

In one night, I became $100 richer.

That’s six more dinners at The Cheesecake Factory that I barely worked for.

Talk of my services spread quickly, and soon I was averaging three paper requests per week. At first, I declined writing many of the essays. But after realizing how my minimal effort was making me an average of $10 in 10 minutes, I began to accept the offers.

About a month later, students from other schools began to message me requesting help with their assignments. I was writing research papers for students at Lehigh, Maryland, the University of Florida, Syracuse University and more.

While it made me more nervous to write papers for people who attended other universities, it showed me just how much money people are willing to give in order to get good grades. At top-notch schools, students were willing to pay me double what students at UB paid.

Upon visiting Syracuse and meeting a guy there who wrote papers for money, I realized I was not the only one balancing my own workload and the workload of approximately 100 others. He offered me $50 to write a two-page, double-spaced paper for one of his clients. In that moment, I realized just how incredible this illegal paper-writing industry really was.

SEE ADDICTION, PAGE 8

KEREN BARUCH

Senior Features Editor

Gilbert Hammerman* paid his way through college. Not in the sense that he paid his own tuition or took out loans to receive his college degree.

He paid his classmates and friends to write his papers, take his online courses and complete his projects.

Hammerman spent $2,000 during his junior and senior years to graduate. He paid four current UB students so his grades would be high enough to pass his courses and receive a bachelor’s degree. Hammerman wouldn’t have walked across the graduation stage in May 2013 if he hadn’t found students to do his work for him. He said he knows many UB students who do the same and are thankful that there are people willing to do other students’ work for money.

“I mainly got the money from stocks and working,” Hammerman said. “I would have gotten horrible grades if I attempted to do the work myself. I actually failed a few classes the first time around.

Only after enrolling in the courses again, and having other people do the work, did I finally pass.”

Hammerman placed a greater value on working and gaining professional experience in the field he actually wanted to pursue rather than, for example, learning how to program a robot in computer science class and writing a paper about the

effects the Internet has on society.

“I was never going to use those lessons taught in lecture halls in real life,” he said. “So why waste my time and energy attempting to get A’s when I could pay someone else to do that for me and focus on what I really needed to focus on?”

Hammerman’s parents were aware he was paying others to do his work. He said they didn’t mind, as long as Hammerman graduated with a diploma and degree in his hand and didn’t get caught.

When his mom met one of the students who helped Hammerman get through college, she hugged and thanked her. Hammerman’s mother said: “Honestly, thank you! [Hammerman] would probably still be up in Buffalo if it weren’t for you!”

Hammerman went to a performing arts high school in his hometown and said he was never formally taught how to write a paper with a proper thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion and bibliography.

He said jumping right into the college writing atmosphere was difficult.

While he was in college, Hammerman worked two jobs in the music industry, which is the type of job he’s looking for back at home. He wished to keep his former job titles unidentified to maintain anonymity.

By his senior year, Hammerman was taking three online classes that he never looked at. He couldn’t state the names of the courses because he didn’t know them.

“I just gave my friend my UB information and she would log onto my UB Learns and do all the work for me,” Hammerman said. “She took my tests, wrote my papers and participated in the online discussion courses. I paid her $250 per class. The three A’s, which I would never have seen on my transcript if it weren’t for her, were worth every penny.”

Harrison Cobey*, a junior undecided major, wrote most of Hammerman’s communication papers. He wrote mainly about issues in media, and the papers ranged from five to 10 pages. Hammerman gave Cobey over $10 per page

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ubspectrum.com

8

Continued from page 7: Addiction I spent the first half of my car ride back to Buffalo from Syracuse writing papers. I learned how to write papers in the weirdest places – from the backseat of cars to typing introductions and conclusions on my phone’s notepad while on the treadmill. My life revolved around my fingers, the computer screen and other students’ paper guidelines.

During my spring break, I wrote over 100 pages for other people while on vacation. It was truly addicting.

I was writing 14-page papers on tomatoes and 13-page philosophy papers about people I had never heard of. I’ve never taken half of the courses for which I submitted pieces.

I told myself I would stop, but finals week came around and students were desperate for my help. A part of me hated that I was helping students who don’t deserve A’s, but the other part of me loved that I was able to shop whenever I wanted.

Five thousand dollars later, I was able to buy a plane ticket and pay for room and board so I could study abroad. After that, I was also able to pay for a five-day vacation over the summer.

I’ve never received a grade below an Aon an assignment.

I learned many things from writing essays for others. UB is probably one of the easiest schools in the country. The papers assigned in the majority of the English, communication, history and philosophy departments are either easy enough for a fifth grader to complete, or difficult

but still graded as if they were assigned to a fifth grader.

I’ve spent under 20 minutes writing a double-spaced, five-page paper that I was sure would receive a C, but instead received a perfect score. I’ve taken online finals for students without ever participating in courses or reading lecture materials.

Once, my common knowledge scored a student an A on her final exam.

I’ve also learned that UB is filled with procrastinators. The majority of papers people asked me to write were given to me approximately three hours before they were due.

Reading the guidelines and simply searching Google always prove to be enough to get an A. I would have happily told these students that writing these papers was so easy, but then I would have lost my business and, realistically, they probably would not have cared.

So far this semester, I have steered clear of these illegal acts. I’m trying to focus on my own workload. I was already offered $200 to write a thesis paper, but I declined.

I can’t promise, though, that by the time final week rolls around I’ll be able to decline the thousands of dollars I expect to be thrown at me.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Continued from page 7: Schoolwork after each final assignment was handed in.

Cobey said the money was worth his time until he started focusing on Hammerman’s work instead of his own.

“I remember I got back from a weekend vacation my freshman year and still had 10 pages left of a 15-page paper for [Hammerman],” Cobey said. “I stayed up all night doing that when I had two finals of my own the next day. So, after that, I just started denying him.”

Hammerman said if he had been taught how to write in high school, there is a chance he would have attempted to do his own work in college.

He said all he needed from college was a degree. He never cared about the lessons taught at school and consequently didn’t care which college he attended.

These days, connections and work experience trump education, in Hammerman’s opinion. The degree is “extra” to land a job, he said. Now that he has a degree, Hammerman said he is ready to take on the professional world.

After graduating from UB, Hammerman was excited to finally do what he wanted: pursue music and production. He said he feels “kind of stupid” for not just trying to teach himself how to write, but the time he was able to spend focusing on working in the real world rather than solving psychology statistics problems was worth the $2,000, the way he sees it. *Names have been changed to protect the sources’ privacy.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

COUNSELING GROUPS FALL 2013

Coping Skills Group Thursdays 1:30 – 3:00pm • Richmond and Fridays 1:30 – 3:00pm • Michael Hall Increase coping skills, including mindfulness, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.

Connections Group Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:30pm Connect with other students in a safe environment while increasing your self awareness.

Body Image Concerns Group Mondays 1:00 – 2:30pm Explore your relationship with weight, food, and emotions.

Beneficial for students in various stages of preoccupation with food and body size. Learn skills to live in the present, deal with stress, manage difficult emotions, and handle interpersonal conflict.

International Student Support Group

wellness.buffalo.edu/center Life Beyond Trauma Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30pm This group is a safe place for members of all genders to learn skills to manage the effects of trauma(s), whether the trauma(s) happened last week or many years ago. Break the cycle by utilizing skills dictated by values rather than by the past. Helpful to individuals who have experienced any type of trauma(s), including (but not limited to) childhood abuse, an accident, domestic/relationship violence, an assault, etc. Group members will not be asked to disclose the details of traumatic events.

Commuter Student Support Group Tuesdays 1:30 – 3pm • Flint Village Apartments A safe, supportive, and comfortable place to discuss adjustments and experiences for commuter students.

Group does not require an initial assessment.

Fridays 1:00 – 2:30pm A safe, supportive, confidential and comfortable place to discuss adjustment and cross-cultural experiences in the United States.

International Tea Time Thursdays 3:00 – 4:30pm • 220 Student Union An open, drop-in group for domestic and international students to discuss issues and provide support to each other. Group does not require an initial assessment.

Motivated for Change Mondays 3:00 – 4:30pm A semi-structured group for students who want to change a particular habit or behavior and have found it difficult to identify or take the necessary steps to do so. Explore factors interfering with your ability to change; assess the desire, need, confidence, and reasons to change; and identify steps needed to make and maintain that change.

Trauma Sensitive Yoga Group Thursdays 2:00 – 3:00pm • Michael Hall A yoga-based group that provides a safe space for healing for women who have a history of trauma. Using a combination of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation techniques, the group allows for participants to feel more connected to and comfortable in their bodies.

The group will be facilitated by professionals trained in both yoga and trauma.

Unless noted otherwise most groups require an initial assessment.

If you would like to schedule an initial assessment, please call Counseling Services at 716.645.2720 or visit wellness.buffalo.edu/center

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 ubspectrum.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9

THE PROBLEM WITH PIRACY Common trend of illegally downloading music affects artists FELICIA HUNT

Asst. Arts Editor

Kyle Bihrle has never gone on tour without something going horribly wrong on the way. If it’s not the van breaking down, it’s having insufficient funds for gas or food for his comrades in hardcore band Sirens and Sailors.

Money is tight with many students illegally downloading music online.

“Record sales are crucial to be noticed by record labels and they’re also important for unsigned bands so they can have enough money to tour independently,” Bihrle said. “If nobody buys our album, we have a harder time.”

Since the days of Napster and the start of popular illegal downloads, music sales have dropped from $14.6 billion in 1999 to $7 billion in 2011 – a 53 percent drop, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This drop in sales affects big-name artists, recently signed artists and all of the people involved in producing an album.

Offenders of copyright infringement and piracy can face jail time and fines up to $250,000. It’s difficult, however, to detect every person using various methods to illegally obtain music and other media.

UBIT has implemented a program for students who violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Once UB receives a copyright infringement complaint from the DMCA, the person responsible is identified and is enrolled in the copyright course on UB Learns if it’s his or her first offense. If the behavior continues or if the violator fails the course, he or she can face UB email account suspension or fines.

The RIAA website states that all universities are required to have regulations in place for on-campus piracy due to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (2008).

The university, however, can’t catch every perpetrator, and many students con-

tinue to illegally download in their dorm rooms.

Johnny Sparrow*, a senior media study major, downloaded music through UB’s wireless Internet system when he lived on campus.

“I illegally downloaded music because, honestly, it generates buzz for up-andcoming local artists,” said Sparrow, who is a musician. “Times have changed and it’s impossible to stop technology from progressing even more, so the music industry has to adapt in some other way.”

Remus Stanford*, a senior biology major, agrees with Sparrow. Stanford said he downloads music on campus because the Internet connection is faster than the connection he has at his apartment. Stanford is also a musician.

There are many ways to illegally download music from the Internet. Peer-topeer programs similar to Limewire and Frostwire still exist, but, recently, bittorrent programs have become the norm.

‘Torrenting’ is essentially downloading small pieces of files from different web sources at the same time. The process makes it harder to track where the file originated, making it more difficult for the originator to be caught. Sites like KickassTorrents and Pirate Bay have become a staple for any media pirate.

Though they are still regarded as worldwide problems, torrenting and piracy trends have shown a decline in recent studies. Illegal downloading decreased 26 percent last year, according to the Annual Music Study of 2012. Almost half of the participants surveyed cited streaming sites like Spotify and Soundcloud as an alternative.

Spotify even has an app for smart phones. For $10 a month, listeners can stream all the music they want – legally.

Pandora and other online radios have also developed apps.

These sites and programs may be legal, but artists rarely profit from them.

“I’m sure piracy and not seeing money

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Daniele Gershon, The Spectrum Some students get away with pirating music through the use of torrents and other illegal downloading sites, but many don’t realize the impact it has on musicians. With the change in the industry, artists are finding new ways to market themselves to make music a career.

for your art is frustrating for bigger artists,” said Andy Leonard, the vocalist of hardcore band Endeavor. “The industry needs to adapt for this change like it has in the past. There are plenty of other ways to make money than on music.”

For the hardcore and metal scene, the Internet has been the main way for artists to get noticed. Some artists in the genre encourage their fans to illegally download their music and, if they like what they hear, come to a show and buy merchandise.

Record labels and their executives care about sales and profit. It’s difficult to garner huge album sales in the current state of the industry, so it’s more important than ever for artists to sell merchandise and sell out tours if they want to be successful. The more fans that attend a show, the more money the band walks away with at the end of the night.

“When a fan buys music or merchandise from us, they’re helping us put fuel in the tank, they’re helping to feed us and they’re helping us fix whatever gets damaged along the tour,” Bihrle said. “Without this support, we wouldn’t be able to tour and do what we love.”

The question is: Does pirating music affect up-and-coming artists more than big names like Lady Gaga or Drake?

Albums leak to the Internet all the time and digital music sales remain pretty steady. Album sales are becoming less of a contributing factor to a musician’s success and overall worth. Bands end up making more profit from fans coming to shows and buying shirts than they would by producing an album for sale.

“Pirating from us is no different than pirating from Justin Bieber,” Bihrle said.

“He has a larger fan base, so it might not affect him as much with the profit he makes off his shows. But he’s still making art and losing income that he deserves.”

Legal music-streaming sites may be an alternative to pirating, but illegally downloading remains a threat. The age of Internet piracy is a product of technology progression similar to the progression of cassette tapes to CDs. “If a kid downloads our album, comes to a show and buys a shirt, then we’re even,” Leonard said. “If he just downloads our art illegally, then he wasn’t a friend or a fan to begin with.” *Names have been changed to protect the sources’ privacy.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

RUNNING ON EMPTY Affordable gaming for the dorm dweller a Gamceube or Nintendo 64 bundle to get your weekends started off the right way. And if you don’t feel like doing the research, you could always head to Oogie Games to get your equipment, but usually at a premium.

BRIAN KESCHINGER

Creative Director

You have a $15 allowance for the weekend.

Paying your cover for a Friday night frat party is the top priority on your budget. After a late-night Zonies run, you’re left with minimal funds to do anything else. Playing video games is your go-to activity in this situation, but your game selection is stale with no upgrade in sight.

Face it – you can’t afford Grand Theft Auto V. No worries.

For anyone adjusting to college, there are plenty of options to game on a low budget while integrating pre-gaming and other new weekend rituals into the mix. Check out these games for affordable gaming that will keep your interest and BAC high for the whole semester.

Best bang for your buck

You have some cash to spend for a change, but you’re looking to get the most enjoyment and value when buying your new game. These games rely on re-playability and the amount of content to keep your interest strong into the early hours of the morning.

Divekick Price: $10 Developer: One True Game Studios / Iron Galaxy Studios Release Date: Aug. 20 (PC, PS3, Vita) Nov. 15, 2013 (PS4) Platform: PC (Steam), PS3, Vita, PS4 “Divekick is pure adrenaline, awareness and outsmarting your enemy. It’s a fighting game deconstructed into its purest form,” according to the developer’s website.

This two-button, comedic-fighter parody cuts out the BS and gets straight to the best part of compet-

Free to play

BRIAN KESCHINGER, THE SPECTRUM

itive fights: A one-hit match. Each attack does “one billion damage,” yet your character only has around “one million health.” So fight wisely.

The fast-paced style and simplistic controls make it a very fun game for even non-gamers to play while doubling as an excellent drinking game.

New local-multiplayer games are hard to come by these days with the prominence of online play, and Divekick makes it very comfortable and easy to play with your roommate on just a single keyboard.

The boiled-down fighter is hilarious and tense, yet contains a surprising amount of depth and strategy. With 13 unique characters that each have their own fighting style and special move, you’ll have hours of hilarious local play to keep you occupied.

Guild Wars 2 Price: ~$40 (Amazon) Developer: ArenaNet Release Date: Aug. 28, 2012 Platform: PC, Mac Guild Wars 2 may seem like an odd choice for saving money when it’s priced near the value of a brandnew game, but the sequel to the critically acclaimed, massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) delivers with immense longevity. Unlike most MMORPGs, Guild Wars 2 has no monthly sub-

scription fee, which makes it completely affordable for the amount of content that can be played right out of the box.

The game hinges on its instanced environments, and it rewards players for working together in real-time world events. For those who loved to raid or run dungeons in World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2 was designed for you.

On top of having no monthly fee, ArenaNet has released new content every so often since November 2012, including new mechanics, dungeons and items to eliminate the halting end game of most MMORPGs. Gamecube/N64 Price: Varies If you live on campus, four controllers, a nostalgic-console and three friends may be the best pregaming routine you have ever come across. Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Mario Party, NBA Street, NFL Blitz and MLB Slugfest make for some great four-player action that will leave you with new memories of old games. All of these games are easy to learn right away, making them easy for even a gaming novice.

The systems, controllers and games can be bought for relatively cheap. Do some Craigslist hunting and eBay sifting to score yourself

Free-to-play games rely on microtransactions to make money instead of actual game sales. Some of these games are entirely free to play and the experience won’t suffer if you don’t open your wallet. Others lean on the “pay-to-win” model, which does inhibit the experience if you don’t shell out some cash.

Path of Exile Developer: Grinding Gear Games Release Date: Jan. 23 Platform: PC, Mac (unofficial) Path of Exile is an online-action, role-playing game or otherwise widely known as a “Diablo clone.”

The game’s dark tone and gory graphics set the player in a dark fantasy universe. The game’s website states that the developers are “completely opposed to the concept of ‘pay-to-win,’” and rely on cosmetic in-game purchases to support their game.

With a massive, passive skill tree, six player classes and a player-versus-player combat system, Path of Exile provides the character customization that you want, and days worth of content to be explored.

World of Tanks Developer: Wargaming.net Release Date: April 12, 2011 (PC) TBA (X360) Platform: PC, Mac (unofficial), Xbox 360

person-shooter experience inside of a tank simulator.

There are two ways to win each 15-on-15 battle: Eliminate the enemy team or capture the enemy’s base. The game’s free-to-play model relies on the purchase of premium tanks. Tanks are divided into tiers, and the game’s matchmaking system attempts to match players using tanks within the same tier so that someone who buys his or her way through the game doesn’t destroy someone who is playing for the first time.

World of Tanks was slated for a summer release in the Xbox Live Arcade, but has yet to receive a concrete release date. The game will be free for Gold members, while Silver members will be able to use the game’s one-week trial on Xbox.

Tribes: Ascend Developer: Hi-Rez Studios Release Date: April 12, 2012 Platform: PC Just like other games in the franchise, Tribes: Ascend relies on its versatile and unique movements to keep the first-person-shooter genre fresh. The use of jetpacks and skis to maneuver through the environment in this class-based multiplayer game truly defines the experience.

Battles take place with up to 32 players on large-scaled maps with lots of changes in elevation to reward players with momentum for skillful movement. With its pretty visuals and no cost to play, Tribes: Ascend is a no-brainer for the competitive gamer who is bored with the traditional first-person shooter.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

If you’re in the market for something new, then World of Tanks is your game. World of Tanks is a first-

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Crossword of the Day

HOROSCOPES Wednesday, September 18, 2013 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

ACROSS 1 Smeltery refuse 5 Rum-soaked pastry 9 Respects the red light 14 Game divided into chukkers 15 Jannings or Zatopek 16 Edible ushroom 17 A tablet maker 18 Haughty attitudes 19 Banquet host 20 The Stones, for one 23 Tropical wading bird 24 It is shortened?

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50 ___ fly (run-scoring out)

51 Half of a matching set 53 Profession requiring advanced math skills 61 Pigmented parts of eyes 62 “This ___ take long” 63 Proper function 64 Mathematical symbol 65 Sheltered, nautically 66 Bluesman Redding 67 Add to a database 68 Henry VIII’s Catherine 69 ___ down (frisks)

DOWN 1 Have heated words 2 Crazy in Cancun 3 Guinness in movies 4 Berlin’s Maxim ___ Theater 5 Jughead’s topper 6 Among 7 100 Ethiopian cents 8 Furthermore 9 Does foundry work 10 The pyramids, essentially 11 Two-colored whale 12 Ball-shaped hammer part 13 Klondike vehicle 21 James ___ Garfield (20th U.S. president) 22 Eyelid application 25 Deep voice at the opera 26 Alphabet opener, in Israel

Edited by Timothy E. Parker September 18, 2013 HARD MUSIC - PART 1 By Gary Cooper 27 Disorderly outbursts 29 Sonic start?

30 Rich-textured Norwegian rug 31 Wiring problem 32 Legitimate or legal 33 Fellow in the sticks 35 Miss alternative 37 It’s found in a lode-bearing wall 39 Carry through legislatively 40 Start for “profit” or “starter” 41 Be lovesick 46 Augustus succeeded him 47 Eye shadow?

48 Half a playground unit?

50 Glider on the ice 52 Sharpening belt 53 Disrespectful 54 Microwave device 55 Old English inhabitant?

56 Bartering result 57 Vending machine choice 58 Microscopic amount 59 Narrow cut 60 “Guarding ___” (MacLaine movie)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) -- As usual for those born under your sign, it's the little things that really make a big difference today -- and for a few days following.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 22) -- What so often happens in similar situations is not likely to transpire today despite your expectations. Don't be too aggressive in response.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23Nov. 21) -- Your day is likely to be prolonged by events that you could not possibly anticipate and a social element you cannot possibly avoid.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You may be complicating an issue beyond anyone's capacity to understand fully.

It's time to simplify once again.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -You're doing things in a way that invites judgment and criticism, but by day's end you're likely to win more positive responses.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Any attempts at deception are likely to backfire on you. Treat everyone with the kind of openness that you expect in return.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You can reconnect with certain aspects of yourself that have been lost in days or weeks past. You're experiencing a rebirth.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Pushing your own agenda may be more difficult than usual because you are, for whatever reason, far more transparent than usual.

FALL SPACES ARE WHERE YOU SHOULD

BE LIVING! GOING FAST RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

TAURUS (April 20May 20) -- You can look back and assess your own efforts with unusual accuracy, but you have to have an honest talk with yourself afterward!

GEMINI (May 21June 20) -- You are tempted to force something that is not giving way easily, but this would be a mistake. A gentler, subtler approach is required.

CANCER (June 21July 22) -- You'll receive an offer that has you rethinking your plans for the next few days or even weeks; it represents a rare and unique opportunity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- The harder you work, the more you will enjoy the fruits of your labors, which can, by day's end, be considerable.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013 ubspectrum.com

12

SPORTS No money, mo’ problems

UB athletes weigh in on hot-button issue: Should college athletes get paid?

JON GAGNON

Senior Sports Editor

On May 13, former UB football player Steven Means signed a four-year, $2,351,752 contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

As a college athlete, he wasn’t as fortunate.

Means worked two jobs during one summer before the season to get by. Some nights, he slept in his truck outside of UB Stadium just so he wouldn’t oversleep morning workout sessions.

Athletes who remain in Buffalo to train in the summer receive housing and food allotments if they’re registered for summer classes. If they aren’t, they don’t receive money, and as a result, some UB athletes struggle with living expenses.

Recently, the multifaceted question of if college athletes should get paid has been deliberated among many in the country, including current and former UB athletes.

“Unless you took summer classes, you didn’t get nothing,” Means said. “So if the coach demanded you to be there and you weren’t taking classes, you had no income unless you found a job, which most of us had to do.”

Means worked at a mission home and a Dollar Tree in Buffalo, on top of his daily football workouts.

He isn’t the only UB athlete who struggled during the offseason. Another athlete, who asked to remain anonymous, believes athletes should receive more money in the summer.

“I think the scholarship is OK, but there should be more money given to athletes in the summertime, especially when we sacrifice our summers to stay on campus,” the athlete said. “It’s not

right that we live on a Ramennoodle diet but are expected to train at a high level in the summer.”

Means’ assent from the college ranks to the professional level is rare; 1.7 percent of college football players make it to the NFL, according to Business Insider.

Many college athletes spend their time at universities serving as a source of revenue for the school.

They come in for four years, showcase their skills on the field and live with little to no money as schools and the NCAA make millions.

Of course, this isn’t the case for every school and athlete.

Despite the national recognition Buffalo’s Khalil Mack has received and the idea of possibly being selected as a top pick in the NFL Draft, he is not the multi-million-dollar cash-cow that Johnny Manziel is for Texas A&M. Last week, The Spectrum addressed whether college athletes

should get paid in its editorial “Moneyball.” The editorial board decided student-athletes deserve higher stipends – based on teamspecific sports – for the time put into their athletic commitment, which takes away time to potentially have a job.

“There’s not enough benefit; there’s more that college athletes should be provided,” Means said.

“I don’t know to go as far as [getting paid], but we didn’t have a lot of benefits at our school to be well off. Most of us were struggling; a couple people were comfortable.”

The Spectrum asked some UB athletes to weigh in on the debate. They wished to remain anonymous. Here are a few comments: “People walk around with people’s jerseys on. I was at the football game, and I see people with Khalil [Mack]’s jersey on like 100 times. You’re not getting paid for people wearing your name.”

Senior WR Fred Lee wins national award Read Aaron Mansfield’s column at ubspectrum.com/opinion

“People from the outside looking in say, ‘Oh, if I had school paid for, I would do this and that,’ but people don’t know what we go through on an average day. They wouldn’t be able to keep up with our schedule at all. It’s not easy. You are doing that and struggling with no money.”

“I definitely think we should be paid. Everybody goes through a lot of stuff, but on top of that, we go through everything and more. We have three, four practices a day, then we have to go to class and have time to fit in our schoolwork. It’s definitely a lot of work.”

Payment was a recurring theme amongst their responses, though how much exactly seems to be an unsolvable calculation.

It’s not that simple. Different universities bring in various revenues, and their sports and players don’t have equal responsibility for those revenues produced.

Byron Mulkey, a former men’s basketball player at UB, understands where these current athletes are coming from. He suggested implementing a system in which all student-athletes have an account; they then could receive extra stipends by maintaining a GPA or reaching a certain benchmark in their sport. The players could withdraw the money after graduation.

Even Mulkey admits coming up with a solution isn’t easy.

“I see where [student-athletes] come from; it’s just a matter of what percentage and what is being paid,” Mulkey said. “I do feel the way the business model is set up is obviously skewed and it’s unfair. It doesn’t make sense, at this point in time. For [the NCAA] to be a multi-billion dollar operation, something has to be done to make [the system] more ethical. I think a stipend would suffice.”

Many believe being a studentathlete is a full-time job because of daily practice – sometimes two or three per day – on top of games and a full course load. The athletes said they understand the value of a scholarship – it wasn’t handed to them but earned.

One UB athlete, who asked to remain anonymous as well, offered a different opinion: “In college, a lot of people end up in debt, and for many athletes, myself included, it’s really nice to not have debt. To get my school paid for is good enough for me. And I think that’s all college athletes should get.”

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Athletics by the numbers *Numbers from 2011-2012 acadmic year, the last availible athletic budget Men’s sports: $984,852

Total head coaching salaries PHOTOS BY Aline Kobayashi, The Spectrum

Senior wide receiver Fred Lee found out Tuesday he was one of 11 Division 1A players to be named to the Allstate Good Works Team for his efforts to inpire youth in the community. He was suprised with the award after speaking to a crowd of approximately 300 students at Starpoint Central School.

Women’s sports: $621,448

Football: $6,005,677 Women’s basketball: $1,201,277

Total expenses by sport

Everything else women’s: $4,697,020

Everything else men’s: $2,669,587