UB ROTC students form SA club Grand Theft Auto V takes franchise to new heights THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
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Wednesday, September 25, 2013
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Volume 63 No. 13
Handling hazing, one Deceased UB student identified handprint at a time
Juan D. Pinzon, The Spectrum
On Sunday, the Buffalo Police Department responded to 93 Winspear Ave. (above) at 12:30 p.m. Freshman Nick Arieno was found dead upon arrival of BPD.
Chad Cooper, The Spectrum
Lydia Chai, a sophomore biomedical sciences major and member of alpha Kappa Delta Phi, signs a banner pledging not to haze. In the midst of National Hazing Prevention Week, some fraternities and sororities are taking the opportunity to speak out against hazing.
On-campus Greek Life seeks to stop hazing KEVIN HONG
Staff Writer
More than half of American college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations experience hazing, according to HazingPrevention.org. This week is pledge week for many fraternities and sororities at UB. And while Greek Life is recruiting, some members are also taking the opportunity to speak out against hazing. On Monday and Tuesday, the UB Inter Greek Council (IGC) held an event in the Student Union to raise awareness and combat hazing. Shawn Kobetz, a junior Spanish and communication major and the president of IGC and a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi, wants to improve the perception people have of Greek Life, while touching on important issues like hazing. “I just hope that people realize that Greeks are more than just a party,” Kobetz said. “We do a lot of community service and philanthropy work.” Annually, Greek societies raise about $7 million nationally and volunteer for a total of 850,000 hours, according to East Carolina University’s Greek Life Information Guide. This week, Greek Life students painted or traced their hands onto a piece of paper, pledging against hazing. Their names and fraternity affiliation were included. IGC is collecting the pledges as part of National Hazing Prevention Week. Kobetz said in two days, they managed to garner over 200 pledges. “We really want to get the message across that hazing is wrong,” said Roman Kim, a senior mathematics major and vice president of the social fraternity Lambda Phi Epsilon. New York State law and UB policy prohibit student organizations from “hazing, pre-initiation activities, or other pseu-
do-initiation practices that may cause mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule,” according to the Student Affairs’ Policy and Operational Guidelines for Social Fraternal Organizations. IGC checks up on its members, recognized social fraternities on campus, while also providing support when needed. Meetings are often held to discuss the current outlook of the fraternities. IGC makes sure that everyone is following the poli-
Most of the hazing at UB, however, happens off campus in unrecognized fraternities and sororities. All recognized Greek Life on campus does not participate in any form of hazing, Kobetz and Kim said. Students experiencing any type of hazing are urged to report it to school officials right away. The papers with the pledges will be shown around campus, with a sheet currently hanging on the railings of the Union and
“We really want to get the message across that hazing is wrong.” -Roman Kim cies of the council and university by holding organizational reviews. Each fraternity’s e-board goes in front of the judicial board. They are asked a series of questions regarding policy, and they are required to present proof that they are abiding by all rules. In March 2012, Rolling Stone published a piece detailing hazing abuses Andrew Lohse, a Dartmouth graduate, witnessed while pledging an on-campus fraternity, including swimming in a children’s pool full of rotten food and vomit. Fraternity hazing has been going on for decades, and though universities ban the practice, it continues. “I don’t like hazing,” Kobetz said. “Students should join fraternities as a learning experience.”
another in the showcase across from Putnam’s. “I think the event has been extremely successful,” said Brian Bischoff, a junior industrial and systems engineering major in Sigma Chi Omega. “We’ve had a ton of pledges.” IGC also plans to focus on philanthropy this semester, with “Greeks Against Cancer” – an event that will include speakers from different cancer societies who will spread information on various types of cancer. The organization is making this a focus in the spring semester. Kobetz hopes this week’s event helps establish UB as an anti-hazing campus. Email: news@ubspectrum.com
The Greece Athena School District released a statement today identifying the UB student who died Sunday afternoon as freshman Nicholas Arieno. Arieno, a graduate of Greece Athena High School in Rochester, was 18 years old. The Buffalo Police Department (BPD) responded to a call at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday at 93 Winspear Ave. in the University Heights, where Arieno was found. BPD Spokesman Mike DeGeorge said Erie County Medical Examiners performed an au-
topsy and ruled the case “investigation pending.” DeGeorge said this means the results of the autopsy were inconclusive. BPD does not suspect foul play was involved and is waiting for a toxicology report, which DeGeorge says usually takes around two weeks. UB Spokesman John Della Contrada said this incident is unrelated to the death of sophomore Paul Englert Jr. in Knox Lecture Hall on Thursday. Email: news@ubspectrum.com
Sophomore dies after medical emergency in Knox Lecture Hall On Thursday, Sept. 19, UB police and emergency medical personnel responded to a student in distress in a lecture in Knox Lecture Hall, according to UB’s official statement. Paul Englert Jr. was immediately rushed to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, where he died of natural causes. He was 19 years old. Englert, a sophomore engineering major, experienced a medical emergency – the details of which have not been released – during his 2 p.m. Engineering Computations lecture in Knox 104.
Englert was a 2012 graduate of St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo. UB is in contact with the student’s family and classmates to provide whatever assistance the university can offer, according to its statement. Donations in Englert’s memorial can be made to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. UB Spokesman John Della Contrada said Englert’s family has asked for privacy during this difficult time. Email: news@ubspectrum.com
On-campus Senate election underway The election for the on-campus positions in the Student Association Senate started Tuesday and will continue through Thursday. Allen Liu, Laura Grassi, Dan Giles, Trycenna Gordon, Anthony Field and Alana Barricks of the HOUSE (Honoring Our Undergrad Student Expenses) Party and Elad Eliahu, running as an independent, are the seven candidates seeking the six positions available. The SA constitution states: “The SA Senate is a group of elected representatives who oversee the financial aspect of the Student Association, as well as the recognition/de-recognition of SA clubs. The voting
members of the Senate consist of six on-campus representatives, six off-campus representatives and the six Club Council Coordinators (who have been elected by each club council).” The election for the six offcampus senators was supposed to take place last week. However, Anthony Louis, James Lopez, Sean Kaczermack, Taz Hossain, Alyssa Carbone and Ali Ahmed of the HOUSE Party ran unopposed and were granted the positions without a vote. Email: news@ubspectrum.com