The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 18 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

AASU hosts second annual vigil to remember Chen First annual Buffalo Porchfest braves the storm THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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Bulls throttle EMU, defeat Eagles for first time

Monday, October 7, 2013

Meet the Candidates

Page

Volume 63 No. 18

SA presidential reelection commences

JOE KONZE JR

NEWS EDITOR

In recent years, the Student Association has been under scrutiny following scandals and openended promises. The most recent sequence of impropriety led to the resignation of SA President Nick Johns, who was accused of a litany of offenses, Sept. 18. Now it’s time to find Johns’ replacement. SA’s presidential reelection will take place from Monday to Wednesday. Voting will be open in the Student Union Theatre from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, candidates Sam McMahon, Jessica Honan and Mohammad Alwahaidy stood before The Spectrum’s editorial board to present their platforms for this week’s election. Editor’s Note: Candidates Kyle Davis, James Lopez, Amber Potter and Michael Simons chose not to attend The Spectrum’s endorsement process. See The Spectrum’s official endorsement on Page Three. Name: Sam McMahon Year: Fifth-year senior Major: Aerospace Engineer Current SA position: Senior Office Manager Extracurricular activities/relevant experience: Event staff manager of SA, handled budget and balances over the summer, helped put on freshmen orientation events One of McMahon’s biggest ideas of his platform is student involvement with the $94.75 student activity fee. He said every student “should have a chance to benefit equally.” McMahon has proposed two ideas to make sure

PHOTOS BY ALINE KOBAYASHI

SAM MCMAHON

students can get the most from that fee. The first is a holiday shuttle service that would bus students to and from the airport around the breaks at UB. “I’ve already priced it out,” McMahon said. “It’s extremely reasonable. I think it’s something that if we give enough advanced notice to, all students can benefit from it.” He also proposed the idea of an SA-subsidized taxi system for students. McMahon wants to look into a “10 percent off ” deal for cab rides under $100 through a specific cab service when a student shows his or her UB ID card. “Every undergraduate student who goes to school here has taken a cab at some point in the four years they’re here at school,” McMahon said. “I think these two things are really important points to kind of cover students who will never join a club [or] never like our Fest genre.” McMahon believes his experience separates him from his opponents. He said SA needs someone who is familiar with the organization and the current SA staff in this crucial time.

Name: Mohammad Alwahaidy Year: Senior Major: Biology Current SA position: SUNY Delegate Extracurricular activities/relevant experience: Alwahaidy has worked in SA as a SUNY Delegate for the past six months and emceed the 2013 International Fiesta His first objective is heated bus stops. He said he is aiming to install a heated bus stop around the area of O’Brien Hall. The task, which is already almost complete, would keep students warm from the cold winters of Buffalo. The bus stop in the Flint Loop would no longer be used, he said. “[Myself], Nick Johns and Jen Merckel met with Academic Provost [Charles Zukoski] who is the academic leader of the school,” Alwahaidy said. “And hopefully we can get this rolling and we should have an expected due date for the heated bus stops coming back from winter break.” Another one of his objectives is the reduction of the presidential stipend. If Alwahaidy is elected, he said he will decrease the pay to $2,000 because he believes the remaining money could be used for club activities. SA presidents receive a full-year stipend

MOHAMMAD ALWAHAIDY

of $12,000, though Johns received the summer and beginning-of-fall pay, and the incoming president will earn roughly $7,000 for his time in office. “I think if you are willing to step into a position like this, you should be able to make sacrifices,” Alwahaidy said. “We are currently, as a Student Association, not looking too bright. So, the more we put toward the [clubs], the more we can get back.” He was also adamant about establishing an ‘open door policy’ in which students can stop into the SA office, located in room 350 in the Student Union, to question leadership and decisions made by SA. He also believes that “if it shouldn’t be said in the office, it shouldn’t be said at all.” Name: Jessica Honan Year: Junior Major: Pharmacology/Toxicology Current SA Position: None Extracurricular activities/relevant experience: Honors College Student Council, work as a paralegal Honan is a brand new face to SA. She has never held a position in the organization but wants to provide a change she believes it desperately needs.

JESSICA HONAN

She said there is disconnect between SA and its clubs and her solution is to collect as much feedback as possible. She has a simple way of conducting a new form of evaluations. Every six weeks, clubs would write down on a sheet of paper how the organization is doing and what it could do better. SA would then review the feedback. “The only way to assess and make things better and to progress is to see where we are weak and where we are strong,” Honan said. Though she doesn’t have experience in SA, Honan said her experience as an active member of the Honors College Student Council makes her qualified to take on a presidency. She said she is eager to learn and will be an effective leader if elected. “Honestly, not being in an SA position right now and not being in the SA office or anything like that, some people might look at is as ‘she might not have the experience, oh, she’s not qualified.’ But I think it’s a good thing,” Honan said. Honan sees her inexperience as an asset because she believes she could provide SA with a “fresh pair of eyes.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

HEIGHTS RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO LIVE IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS Housing blitz continues; inspectors find homes on Englewood not up to code

SAM FERNANDO

SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Mayura Soot is continually getting bit by bed bugs in her Englewood Avenue house in the University Heights. Because she is from India, Soot, a first-year MBA student, rented her home before even seeing it. She saw the listing on UBrents. com, a website sponsored by UB that claims “each and every of our homes and apartments include terrific locations, modern improvements, around the clock maintenance, and a ‘dream like’ living experience.” Now, two months after Soot and her three roommates, who are also from India, moved into the house, she said her room is infested with bed bugs and her landlord is difficult to reach and doesn’t take her complaints seriously. She said she wasn’t expecting UB to sponsor a house in this condition. “The house was handed over to us in a really bad situation,” Soot said. “We made a list of issues and forwarded it to the owner. I’ve been getting bed-bug bites. So many times I have been so frustrated, and I told [the landlord] that it is a health risk … I have lost all hopes of getting something done. I am not proud of this place and I am not at all

happy.” On Saturday, Director of OffCampus Student Services Dan Ryan and five city inspectors examined houses on Englewood Avenue, including Soot’s home. The housing blitz – a joint effort by Off-Campus Student Services and the City of Buffalo that aims to ensure students in the Heights are living in homes that meet city codes – was the second of the semester. “The fact is a lot of our students are living in conditions that are really unsafe,” said Ryan, who started the initiative three years ago. “We have seen too many cases where houses that hadn’t been inspected were sources of house fires and that sort of thing. And we want to make sure students are living with smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors and call students’ attention to some safety precautions that will make their stay here more productive and safe.” Upon arriving at Soot’s house, Peter Klemann, one of the city inspectors, told Soot how serious the bed-bug issue is. Soot said her brother, a New York State health practitioner, contacted her landlord to fix the problem, and the landlord told him that he didn’t know what a bed bug was. Her roommates, Swati Priya and Manjari Varshney, who

SAM FERNANDO, THE SPECTRUM

On Saturday, UB’s Off-Campus Student Services and the City of Buffalo conducted this semester’s second housing blitz – an effort that aims to ensure students in the Heights are living in homes that meet city codes. A student who lives on Englewood, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions from his landlord, said there has been a pile of garbage for the past month and his landlord has yet to get rid of it.

are also first-year MBA students, said their landlord is difficult to reach except when he is trying to collect rent. The furnace in the house hasn’t been able to operate at lower than 70 degrees. Priya and Manjari said they have been calling their landlord for two months to fix the problem,

but he has yet to repair it. Klemann examined the apartment above Soot’s first-floor home and asked the tenants if they had a bed-bug issue, too. The students said there were bed bugs, but the landlord, the same landlord for Soot, had fumigated the second floor last month.

Charlie Didio, one of the Buffalo inspectors on the blitz, said fumigating the top floor of a house and not the bottom is “useless.” If the entire home isn’t exterminated properly, the bed bugs from the first floor will return to the top floor, he said. Dan Dye, a junior electrical engineering major who lives on Englewood, agrees that some of the houses in the Heights are in dangerous conditions. But he said what differentiates the good homes from the bad ones are the landlords. Dye and his two roommates – Bryan Froimowitz, a junior business major, and Nick Palumbo, a junior civil engineering major – said their experience with their landlord, Jeff Brock, had been great thus far. Dye said Brock is easy to contact and fixes housing issues in a timely matter. He stores his tools in the students’ basement and allows the three tenants to use them as they need. Brock also installed a security system in the home. Leo Vousher, a senior business major at Buffalo State College, said his experience in the Heights this year is far better than last, which he attributes to his new landlord. SEE HOUSING BLITZ, PAGE 2

ubspectrum.com

Monday, October 7, 2013

Continued from page 1: Housing blitz

All information according to University Police 9/25 4:48 p.m. – A student reported two Xbox controllers and 10 to 15 Xbox games were stolen from his Fargo Quad dorm. The larceny occurred sometime late Saturday night into Sunday morning. 6:33 p.m. – A student reported finding an injured bunny. The student requested University Police (UPD) pick up the bunny. Patrol agreed to bring bunny to Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). 8:42 p.m. – A caller reported a student separated his shoulder in the Clark Hall pool. Rural Metro Ambulance transported the student to the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC). 9/27 11:32 a.m. – A grounds worker reported seeing two white males, 60 years old with grey hair, attempting to steal pallets from outside the Beane Center on North Campus. When the males were confronted, they dropped the pallets and fled the area toward Flint Road and off of university property.

not believed to be seriously injured. The Buffalo Fire Department and Rural Metro Ambulance arrived on site, but the victim signed paperwork and did not want transportation. 8:24 p.m. – UPD spotted three students on Kanazawa Island smoking marijuana. Kenneth Budziszewski, Daniel Abrams and Michael Kushner were issued Student-Wide Judiciary (SWJ) paperwork. 9:09 p.m. – UPD was called to assist Buffalo Police (BPD) in locating four black females who assaulted another female at Walgreens on Main Street at Kenmore Avenue. UPD and BPD were able to locate three of the suspects on Bailey Avenue and Sherman Road. One female was described as a “black heavyset teenager wearing a white sweater carrying bags and had a piercing in her lip.” The four suspects attend high school in the City of Buffalo and have no affiliation with the university. No weapons were displayed. 9/29 5:13 p.m. – Staff at Anderson Gallery reported a male subject was passed out on the grass near the rear entrance of the gallery. UPD escorted the subject off the premises by UPD.

3:44 p.m. – A caller reported a student cut four fingers with a saw in the shop in Parker Hall. The student was

SAM FERNANDO, THE SPECTRUM

Peter Klemann, one of the city inspectors who participated in the housing blitz initiative this Saturday on Englewood Avenue, examines a dryer and washing machine that is leaking and not up to code.

Last year, Vousher lived at 86 West Northrup Place in a home owned by Jeremy Dunn, who has about 65 houses in the Heights. Vousher said last year, for the first three months of the fall semester, he had a screen door without a front door. He also said the apartment was covered in graffiti, which Dunn refused to paint over, though he promised Vousher he’d do so when he signed the lease. Vousher said six months into living in Dunn’s house, Dunn told him and his roommates they weren’t paying the full rent and then charged them $3,000 in “late fees.” Vousher said trying to sue Dunn was “useless.” “He is just a slumlord, but everyone knows that, though, but no one does anything,” Vousher said. Vousher said now that he lives on Englewood, in a home that isn’t owned by Dunn, there have been minimal problems. Another student on Englewood, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of repercussions from his landlord, said he has had many problems with his home over the past two months. He said there has been a pile of garbage by his front lawn for the past month, and his landlord has yet to get rid of it. Klemann said there are many cheap programs and organizations that will take care of the mess if the landlord called them. The student also said he asked his landlord to fix the floor in his living room. After many requests, he decided to pay for a hardwood floor and install it himself. His landlord refused to reimburse him for the work. “I have to do most of the work on the house by myself,” he said. Ryan and the inspectors agreed that the most common violations in the Heights are a lack of smoke and carbon monoxide

detectors or faulty ones. Another of the inspectors’ major concerns is the illegal occupancy of attics and basements. Assistant Director of Permits and Inspection Services Gary Ziolkowski stressed the importance of this violation because, in the case of a fire, there is no proper way out of a house from an attic or basement. Klemann said he sees a lot of dryers that don’t have their lint traps cleaned properly. He said dryer lint is extremely flammable, adding its proper disposal is “the one thing everyone can do to stay safe.” Ziolkowski said he believes the blitzes are making the Heights safer, but sometimes landlords don’t take the inspections seriously enough. “We are seeing a change, but some owners aren’t as responsive as others, and we have to take some owners to court,” Ziolkowski said. “If you have hazardous conditions, we want to make sure we get them into court right away so they correct the violations.” Ryan is working on a new system for UB that will give landlords who have undergone proper inspections a chance to advertise property on a new website, buffalo.edu/offcampushousing. The site is live, but Ryan is waiting for more homeowners to join to create a larger database for students. “We want to give students a place to go where they know that every place has been inspected recently and that it is up to code,” Ryan said. “Way too many students are choosing from places that aren’t reputable or aren’t really looking out for their safety.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

Where will you be this winter? Embrace winter in Buffalo - or anywhere else in the world - and earn UB credit for it! Study on campus, online or overseas in UB’s new three-week winter session beginning January 6.

I T ’ S A C L A SS T H I N G .

Register today! Visit the winter session information tables on Wednesday, October 9 Student Union Lobby from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Find a course or two that are right for you at

ubthiswinter.buffalo.edu.

2014

If you’re a member of the Class of 2014, here’s the deal: Give just $20.14 to commemorate our graduating class. By making a donation to UB, you help support a cause you believe in while you join thousands of alumni— UB SUPPORTERS—who also believe in giving back to our university. UB alumni have helped us—now it’s our turn to help the students who will follow us.

TAKE THE SENIOR CHALLENGE.

www.giving.buffalo.edu/seniors

Monday, October 7, 2013 ubspectrum.com

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Aaron Mansfield MANAGING EDITORS Lisa Khoury Sara DiNatale OPINION 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.

October 7, 2013 Volume 63 Number 18 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

SAM MCMAHON It would be a complete and utter failure for the student body to not elect Sam McMahon as the Student Association president. In a special election brought forth by yet another scandal, this decision is vitally important. It is important for restoring SA from its current state of dysfunction, for altering its trajectory for the future, for repairing its relationship with the students. There is no better person for this task right now than McMahon. And to be perfectly blunt, it’s not even close. Given the recent history of SA, this is a time when expectations are low. But in our endorsements, McMahon proved to be one of the most impressive candidates we have seen in years. He was articulate about his platform, transparent in his plans for the year and more experienced than any of his opponents. As a fifth-year senior studying aerospace engineering, he has maintained strong involvement with SA since his junior year – which has given him an extensive understanding of how our student government works. The breadth and depth of his experience makes him not only a more qualified candidate than his opponents, but someone with a more realistic and practical vision for the direction he wants SA to go. McMahon began his SA career working as office personnel. This experience leaves him well equipped at knowing how to deal with students and knowledgeable of how SA interacts with the community. He was also an event staff lieutenant, which leaves him well practiced at working with the clubs and the Entertainment Department. The most important aspect of his experience, however, is his involvement in SA this summer. McMahon was the only fulltime employed student in SA; he worked closely with professional staff and with all the departments. The summer is a pivotal time for SA – it is the transitional period when all the learning takes place for those preparing for their new positions. Unlike his opponents, McMahon was around for that period of development and training. And currently, he is the senior office manager. One of the biggest points he makes in his campaign platform is that given the state of SA – which is in need of immediate and substantial repair – it will take someone who is familiar with the way SA functions to rebuild the organization. It will take someone who knows what’s wrong with SA, who knows what the problem is and has a concrete idea for how he or she is going to fix it. For the common student, however, who is not involved with SA and isn’t aware of how it operates or what it does, the concern regarding student government is how it can actually make a difference in his or her college experience. For too long we have heard SA presidential hopefuls base their campaigns on abstractions – facilitating student involvement, building a sense of community – and for too long this has manifested in empty campaign promises. What McMahon has that distinguishes him from the other candidates is his experience and a series of concrete goals that are achievable. What we like in McMahon is a sense of pragmatism – a belief in the efficacy of working for what works. Aside from some internal structural changes McMahon is interested in ascertaining – including instituting a two-thirds majority approval needed within the e-

for

PRESIDENT The Spectrum’s official endorsement

ALINE KOBAYASHI, THE SPECTRUM

board for all hiring and firing for SA positions – he has two particular concrete goals for what the association can provide to students to improve their experiences this year. He wants to collaborate with a taxi service to provide subsidized cab rides for students. For a long time now, there has been much dialogue around campus about ways the university can increase student safety. This initiative will allow students to explore Buffalo – in areas that the UB Stampede does not go to – in a more costefficient way, while providing students a safe outlet for transportation to and from various locations. But it should be understood that this is not for wherever, whenever. McMahon hopes to have SA cover a 10 percent discount on cab rides under $100 on Friday and Saturday nights. He also wants to establish a free airport shuttle service around breaks. There are many UB students who are not from Western New York and this initiative is a way to provide students without cars access to transportation to and from the airport. Even for the students who do have cars, this will help; they will not have to pay for parking at the airport while they are away on break. These proposals may seem small to some, but they are basic and concrete, and most of all, feasible – which is exactly the type of ideas that need to come out of SA right now. A new president should not be attempting to move heaven and earth at the moment, but rather, should focus on a politics of what’s possible. Much of what impresses us about McMahon – his preparation for the role, his professionalism and his common sense approach – is what we should expect from our student leaders. We are sure that Mohammad Alwahaidy, Kyle Davis, Jessica Honan, James Lopez, Amber Potter and Michael Simons are all good people, but none are qualified or prepared to be president. Only McMahon, Alwahaidy and Honan showed up for our endorsements. The latter two did not demonstrate the knowledge of SA nor did they understand the direction they would like to take the organization the way McMahon did.

Alwahaidy proposed working to install heating at bus stops on campus and cutting the presidential stipend substantially. But there are problems with his proposals. Heated bus stops would certainly be nice during Buffalo’s brutal winters, and we strongly advocate for them, but this idea came around long before Alwahaidy emerged. In fact, Nick Johns proposed this same idea in March and it was as true then as it is now that the university has been planning to implement heated bus stops independent of SA. In other words, heated bus stops will likely be installed regardless of Alwahaidy’s involvement. And lowering the presidential stipend in order to allocate the remaining funds to go to clubs is a worthwhile venture in theory, but in reality, it is a superficial campaign promise – not to mention he didn’t have a clear plan for where that money would go. As exorbitant as the presidential stipend is, it doesn’t need to be reduced that dramatically, and more than anything else, we would rather see a president really earn his or her salary. The president, however, does not even have the authority to make such a decision alone. So Alwahaidy’s proposal seems more like a campaign ploy than an inspired idea from someone willing to do the job for less pay. And speaking of fiscal matters, when we asked him what made him qualified to manage such a large amount of money – $4.1 million – he actually told us that he wasn’t. Considering the financial blunders of our last president who lacked experience, would that really be the route we would want to take again? Honan conveys decency in her demeanor and sincerity in her language; we have no doubt that her candidacy emanates from earnest ambitions – though she has no experience with SA. None. And during a period of confusion and uncertainty, this is not the time to throw someone in who has no idea how the institution of SA really operates. Much like past candidates, she evoked a sense of the need for community engagement and facilitating an atmosphere of inclusion, though she didn’t outline any tangible objectives for how to

improve the lives of students. She talked about “simplifying everything” in SA and “breaking down a complex system” in order to increase efficiency, but she doesn’t know the system. She even admitted to us that she has yet to finish reading the entire SA constitution. And it goes without saying that every SA president should be intimately familiar with the constitution. We commend her willingness to get active in student government and to be engaged in the process, but generally, you don’t start at the top – you work your way up from the bottom. Unfortunately, however, SA is now at its bottom. Plagued by recurring scandals, weakened by dissension within the ranks and consistently disparaged by students as ineffective, SA has become an entity not taken seriously; and now, it is at an important crossroads. This can either become a time to change what has long been a broken system or it can become a repetition of elections past. We feel strongly that the students should now elect a president capable of reinventing SA and its image. It would be a shame to elect someone who would only reinforce the perspective of SA that is already widely accepted around campus – that it is an island unto itself and works only for itself. Between all the options available, Sam McMahon is most likely to alter this common perception through concrete action and establishing a higher maturity level within our student government. We don’t necessarily agree with everything he said to us; in fact, we strongly disagree with his assertion that SA would not benefit from an advisory board to provide guidance to the e-board periodically throughout the year. We all agree, however, that he is the best candidate running. SA’s overwhelming pattern of impropriety does not derive solely from its personnel makeup, from unqualified people being thrust into office. There are structural problems that have been facilitating the misconduct and mistakes pervasive throughout SA for some time now. With different procedural ideas aside, there is a lot we like about McMahon, and all evidence suggests he the finest candidate of the bunch. It is essential that we elect the most qualified and capable person to propel SA through stormy waters. With the current state of SA being as bleak as it is, and with recent history giving us no reason to suspect that time will heal the wounds, we need a leader able to transcend the petty politics that permeate our student government. It is essential that we don’t allow an important election to become another popularity contest. The integrity of what happens with the $3.7 million accumulated from all undergraduate student activity fees is at stake. As students head to the polls this week, we want to remind them that this all matters and that elections have consequences. Consider the potential consequences of your vote and think if you are willing to risk SA being damaged by another failed presidency. You don’t want that and we don’t want that. So in the coming days, make sure you don’t neglect an important communal responsibility; enter those voting booths in the Student Union Theatre and vote with awareness of what you’re doing. Vote for Sam McMahon. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Monday, October 7, 2013 ubspectrum.com

LIFE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

AASU hosts second annual vigil to remember Danny Chen ANDREA SAADAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Oct. 3, 2011, Su Zhen and Yan Tao Chen’s lives changed dramatically. The couple’s 19-year-old son, Private Danny Chen, was found dead in a guard tower in Afghanistan while he was serving in the army. Chen shot himself in the head because he was facing racial military hazing by fellow soldiers, according to The New York Times. UB’s Asian American Student Union (AASU) held a candlelight vigil last Wednesday, on the eve of the second anniversary of his death, to memorialize Chen. Members of AASU hope to spread an anti-hazing message. Students began to arrive at the Student Union Theatre at 7 p.m. The mood was somber as the audience listened to AASU’s presentation and watched excerpts of a documentary titled, “What Happened to Danny Chen?” What made this year’s memorial especially emotional was that Su Zhen and Yan Tao were in attendance, according to Banny Chen, a junior visual study major and cousin of Chen. “[One] reason they’re here is to visit me and the other is for this event,” Banny said. “Back in the city, they would show up to any and every event that’s in honor of Danny … with the connection of me here, they [had] the opportunity to come up.” Banny told Fiona Wong, a senior business administration major and the president of AASU, one of the things Chen missed most when he was in the military was homemade food. This year’s event featured a buffet spread to honor Chen’s love for certain foods. Wong wants to host the event annually, but hopes to change up details of the event each year so

CHAD COOPER, THE SPECTRUM UB’s Asian American Student Union (AASU) held a candlelight vigil on Oct. 2 in memory of Private Danny Chen, who shot himself two years ago after facing racial military hazing by his fellow soldiers. Members of AASU hope to spread an antihazing message through the memorial.

that people won’t forget Chen. This year’s difference was the buffet. AASU wants its members to know what happened to Chen and to keep paying respects as a reminder that issues such as hazing, bullying and suicide still exist, according to Wong. Shawn Uy, a junior exercise science major and an AASU member, attended both this year’s and last year’s memorial events. He said Chen’s death has changed him as a person. “There [were] always rumors about hazing among the fraternities and sororities and I thought, ‘You know, it can’t be that bad’ … because you think we’re in the 21st century and everything’s a lot different,” Uy said. “He was

gone in Afghanistan for only two months and he committed suicide … for me, it’s more like carpe diem now.” Shao Bo Fang, a junior economics major, also attended AASU’s remembrance event for Chen last year and didn’t expect the club to do it again this year. “It’s amazing how people still remember what happened to him,” Fang said. “He was the same age as us and he was Chinese-American.” Chen was accepted to UB but never attended. “And that could have been any of us,” Fang said. “We’re no different from Danny Chen.” Banny said the club’s goal was to make the night’s event one that was “more educational.”

Chen’s plight – being beaten and harassed by fellow soldiers – has been national news in the past year. The club’s presentation included details of every event that had transpired since last year’s memorial and relevant newspaper articles, too. Eight soldiers were implicated in Chen’s suicide. Last year, hundreds of petitions from UB alone were sent to the New York Chapter of the Organization of Chinese-Americans (OCA-NY) to attempt to move the trials from Afghanistan to the United States, according to Wong. The trials were originally scheduled to be in Afghanistan, where Chen’s parents would not be able to travel; the Army had advised the family not to go to

Afghanistan for safety reasons, according to the New York Daily News. Wong believes these petitions signed by UB students largely contributed to the outcome – the trials were moved to North Carolina, and the Chens attended them. Fang said the efforts made by Chen’s family over the past year have created a “huge and positive” impact on the Asian American community. “His death pretty much ignited a movement amongst Asian Americans especially,” Fang said. “I feel like if this continues, more people will continue to remember his cause. There’s even a street in Manhattan named after him.” Manhattan’s Elizabeth Street on the Lower East Side will soon be renamed ‘Danny Chen Way.’ In addition, Banny believes his cousin’s death played a pivotal role in the anti-hazing bill passed by President Barack Obama this year. “In the news, it was pointed out that [the bill] was passed due to the suicide of a Manhattan soldier,” Banny said. “I’m pretty sure that was pointing to my cousin.” Today, Chen’s parents spend most of their time with family members and are no longer working, according to Banny. He said they used to work to provide for Chen but have since lost all motivation. As one of the event’s organizers, Banny didn’t want to “apply pressure” on his aunt and did not ask her to speak. Banny hopes his cousin’s incident eventually becomes general knowledge – and AASU continues fighting to do the same. email: features@ubspectrum.com

AROUND TOWN

Buffalo Film Seminars to feature The Last Picture Show ERIC CORTELLESSA

OPINION EDITOR

On Tuesday night, professors Bruce Jackson and Diane Christian will be showing The Last Picture Show (1971) through the Buffalo Film Seminars at Market Arcade Film & Arts Centre. This plain, truthful, absorbing film about growing up in a small Texas town in the 1950s is an incisive look at youthful despondency and economic decline. As the first major success of Peter Bogdanovich, the film centers on a group of high school athletes coming to terms with the conditions of their lives as they near graduation. Without any condescension or urban superiority, Bogdanovich shows the despair of living in dreary, isolated rural places where cultural outlets are limited and dreams of escape are elusive. Interested in the experience of adolescence amidst the moral collapse of a cloistered communal setting, this movie unravels how symptoms of the teenage plight – ignorance of social structures, confusion about sex, emotional instability and anxiety about one’s direction in life – are intensified under the circumstances of alienation.

COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES

Shot in black and white, the film was aesthetically unique for its time. In an interview with the American Film Institute, Bogdanovich shared a conversation he had with Orson Welles and how it influenced his decision. During pre-production, Bogdanovich sought Welles for advice on how to achieve the depth of field he was able to get in films like Citizen Kane – though he wanted to know how to get it in color.

“You’ll never get it in color,” Welles said. “Why don’t you just shoot the picture in black and white?” “Well, I don’t know if they’ll let me,” Bogdanovich said, to which Welles excitedly responded, “Have you asked?” So, Bogdanovich asked. He told the producers, however, that to shoot the film in color would make the town appear luminous and wouldn’t capture the bleak look he aspired for.

There was another facet of black and white Welles conveyed to the young director: it improves acting performances. Welles believed that when films are shot in color, audiences are prone to pay attention to physical characteristics of actors – Paul Newman’s eyes, Ava Gardner’s hair – to an extent in which they can become removed from certain emotional cues. And Bogdanovich has noted that Welles had a point – that black and white has the ability to

shift an increased focus toward a more acute emotional attention on the characters. And given the subject matter of The Last Picture Show, it benefits from this method of stylization. Cinematographer Robert Surtees often silhouettes the characters against backdrops of rural decay and scenic landscapes – and it makes you really feel the desolation of living in an atrophying West Texas town. The film brings to fruition the themes many American directors were interested in at the time, and it evokes an emotional response through its stylized expression of disintegrating community. It’s as much about the desire to communicate as it is about what happens when people fail to do so – how the characters attempt to relate to each other on the simplest of levels and the suffering they experience when they can’t. The film is based on a novel by Larry McMurtry and adapted for the screen by him and Bogdanovich. It stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman and Eileen Brennan. The Last Picture Show will be playing Tuesday at 7 p.m. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

Monday, October 7, 2013

LET THERE BE LIGHT

First annual Buffalo Porchfest braves the storm ERIC CULVER

STAFF WRITER

DANIELE GERSHON, THE SPECTRUM

Over the weekend, Elmwood Village was host to Buffalo’s first annual Porchfest. The event brought local musicians to the porches of Elmwood residences for a day of free music in the neighborhood.

A porch is the perfect place to watch a storm. Through gray skies and a power-outage scare downtown, local musicians made Saturday a colorful and vibrant day by carrying out the first annual Elmwood Village Porchfest. Twenty-six bands were scattered throughout Elmwood Village to entertain locals, neighbors and music lovers for free. “It’s totally Buffalo,” said Ryan Patrick Meegan, 29, of Amherst. Ashley Smith, the communications coordinator of the Elmwood Village Association and a member of the Buffalo Porchfest Committee, was responsible for organizing Porchfest. The 22-year-old has been planning the event with Dayna Guzik, 39, of Boston, since the end of July. Guzik found out about the Porchfest phenomenon when it started in Ithaca seven years ago. After taking notice of the concerts, local bands and the number of porches in Buffalo, Guzik thought Porchfest and the Queen City would be a great match. Smith agreed. “It’s a great way for neighbors to connect, for the area to support and promote local music acts and for everyone to enjoy a great fall day,” Smith said. She views Elmwood as a driven community with a love for grassroots music. Smith matched each band with a “porch host” that provided a platform for the bands to play on as a stage. Jim Lenker, 52, a porch host for a Buffalo native band, The Albrights, thinks Porchfest is a fantastic idea. Lenker didn’t only view the event as a way

to promote local bands, but as a way to give people an opportunity to experience Elmwood’s neighborhoods. “Just having a bunch of people hanging out in my yard, enjoying one of my favorite bands, is a gain to me,” Lenker said. Brandon Barry, lead singer for The Albrights, showed his enthusiasm through his music. The Elmwood Village Association contacted the 29-yearold Buffalo native and his band to perform at Porchfest. The band hopped on the opportunity right away. Barry has lived in the Elmwood Village for about seven years. “I think the vibe is awesome,” he said. “Music in the air is more of the idea than sitting or listening in front of the band, but a lot of people came out and it’s really great … Potentially with the amount of people here, you could close off streets and just have music everywhere.” He believes it creates a better community atmosphere, which is an important aspect of living in the city of Buffalo. From a spectator standpoint, Meegan agreed. “I love the Buffalo music scene; I think this is the greatest city in the world,” Meegan said. He, too, thought the crowd would be smaller, but Meegan was surprised to see the diversified group of people. “I think community is such a strong thing here, people feel they have a common unity,” Meegan said. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

‘ORGANICALLY ATHLETIC’ LehrerDance stuns CFA audience VICTORIA ROSEMAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There was a beautiful silence in the darkness of the theater seconds before the show began. The audience waited in anticipation until, finally, the lights flickered on and eight bodies stood on stage, ready to dance their hearts out. On Saturday, UB’s Center For the Arts hosted LehrerDance, an eight-person dance company founded by, and under the direction of, UB alum Jon Lehrer. The members of the company come from various dance backgrounds – from break dancing to ballet to gymnastics, according to the dance troupe’s website. The company originated in Buffalo but performs internationally. Because of Lehrer, the company is strongly affiliated with UB and holds practices in the CFA rehearsal space during summer months and on academic breaks. Saturday’s performance was the first of the season, kicking off a tour that will take the company all over the globe. When Lehrer went to UB as an undergrad, he attended his first dance class on a dare from his girlfriend. He took beginner’s level modern dance and, in addition to getting an A, he found his passion for dance. Lehrer describes his inspiration for his choreography as “completely based off athleticism and the human body.” “I’m not an arsty-fartsy guy,” he said. “I’m not inspired by sunsets or Van Gogh or any of that. I’m fascinated by the way the human body moves and the amount of strength a single person can have, and I incorporate that strength into my choreography.” The performance opened with a group piece, titled “The Alliance.” True to Lehrer’s style, “The Alliance” featured many examples of teamwork. It included lifts and partner choreography, in which pairs of dancers perform the same steps in sync, and repetition, in which two dancers perform a set of motions followed by two others performing the same set shortly after. The ‘LehrerDance style’ is based on three elements of movement: circularity, three-dimensionality and momentum.

“These combine to create a form best described as ‘Organically Athletic’ – integrating the approach and fluidity of modern dance with the excitement and energy of jazz dance to create an expressive, engrossing style of movement,” according to the LehrerDance website. The second piece of the night embodied this form. Dancers Rachel Humphrey, a third-season dancer with LehrerDance and a 2010 graduate of SUNY Potsdam, and Immanuel Naylor, one of the founding members of LehrerDance and a 2006 graduate of Elon University, performed the intimate duet. “It’s incredible. It’s so powerful to be on stage,” Humphrey said. “To be under the lights and doing what I love is amazing. I love every second of being in the moment and performing my heart out, leaving it all on the stage.” The third performance caught the audience off guard with its comedic start – a lone dancer performing to “Happy Together” in a ridiculous, sparkly costume. The piece included three segments of choreography that appeared serious and emotional, but it had a plot twist at the end with two male lovers accepting their need to part ways, only to reveal they were political opponents. The whole company was part of the number, and it left the audience wanting more just in time for intermission. After intermission, Naylor and Kurt Adametz, who is in his third season of LehrerDance, demonstrated their physical and emotional strengths in a duet. Through difficult choreography and body language, the duo told a story of two people struggling with their own demons and working through them together. The performance focused on the emotion that comes with dancing, and when the music stopped, tension filled the air. Colleen Walsh was a last-minute addition to the show. She performed a solo titled “Taken.” Clad in white, Walsh utilized the lights in her piece, secretly moving across the stage when the lights were out and showing the audience her abilities when she was in the spotlight. Because she was the only one on stage, the choreography accented her strength and flexibility. The audience roared with

COURTESY OF RHEA ANNA

LehrerDance performed at UB’s Center For the Arts on Saturday for the first performance of the M&T Bank Dance Series. Founded by UB graduate Jon Lehrer, the group stunned the CFA audience with an athletic performance of modern dance.

excitement, applauding once she finished. The final two pieces embodied the way Lehrer choreographs – work, repetition, a clear theme of circular motion and emphasizing performers’ strengths. The audience couldn’t tear their eyes away from the dancers’ flawless transitions and patterns, and after the last piece, the performers received a standing ovation. “I had come to support a coworker and, boy, I’m glad I did,” said Terry Klein of Buffalo. “Not only did he blow me away,

but the show, as a whole, was simply amazing. I’d see them perform again.” This was the first of five performances of the M&T Bank Dance Series. The next show is called “Flames of Desire” – 10 of Argentina’s young singers and musicians will perform at the CFA on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

Monday, October 7, 2013

‘Houston, we have a problem’ JORDAN OSCAR

STAFF WRITER

Film: Gravity Release date: Oct. 4 Studio: Warner Bros., Esperanto Filmoj and Heyday Films Grade: A The mesmerizing 13-minute sequence at the beginning of Gravity sets the tone for a cinematic experience unlike any other. The serene beauty of the cosmos serves as a beautiful contrast against the chaos of the story. As the film opens, the camera holds on a tranquil shot of Earth; sporadic radio chatter can be heard as the space shuttle Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope drift into view. Veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney, The Descendants) comically retells stories from his glory days while commanding what will be his final mission in space. Meanwhile, first-time astronaut and genius medical engineer Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock, The Heat) works to repair the Hubble telescope before the crew can return to Earth. Before long, friendly radio chatter turns into cries of “mission abort” and “Mayday, Mayday” in a last ditch effort for survival when debris from a nearby satellite suddenly smashes into the Explorer. The debris sends Stone hurtling away from the Explorer as the soundtrack fades before the camera finally stops to watch her as she spins further into the depths of space. Her panicked breathing and cries for help are

only interrupted by Kowalski’s attempt to keep her calm and focused. The ensuing chaos strands Kowalski and Stone in space with limited oxygen and no radio contact with mission control. The film’s magnificent opening sequence is captured in one take, with realism that rivals IMAX documentaries in its technical precision and awe-inspiring visuals. Written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón and cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity teleports the audience into space, keeping them comfortable with their feet set firmly on the ground. The film’s plot might seem simple at first, but beneath the guise of the film’s uncomplicated plot and superlative technical veneer is a remarkably intense, visceral and suspenseful exploration into the human psyche as it is thrown into a catastrophe with a bleak outcome. All of which is depicted with impeccable cinematography and beautifully enhanced by Steven Price’s soundtrack. Serene views of space soon become a backdrop for the magnificent visuals, technical precision and special effects behind Gravity. The film’s realism doesn’t just come from its visuals – it comes from the film’s cinematography. The way in which the camera seamlessly moves through the scene and changes perspectives allows the viewer to feel like a third character – the pristinely realistic view of space becomes their own. This effect becomes apparent in the opening and longest scene

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.

of the film. The majority of the film’s 91-minute runtime feels like one long continuous shot, which allows the viewer to feel increasingly close to the events and characters within the film – especially as the astronauts’ situation becomes more dire. Each breath that Kowalski and Stone take on their mission to safety is a reminder that they are running out of oxygen and will soon be faced with the return of the debris field as it travels around Earth. Each moment of Gravity serves as a reminder that giving up is just as easy as letting go. The film quickly focuses all of its attention on Stone, who

struggles to stay calm in the face of the disaster. Although she was trained for the intense rigors of walking in space, nothing could prepare her for the terrifying catastrophe during the film’s onset or the nearly impossible task of making it home alive. It is against these nearly insurmountable odds her character must face that Bullock delivers a memorable performance. Clooney delivers a solid performance with his character infusing some much needed levity and calm into the film. Kowalski’s experience and knowledge as the commander and senior astronaut relaxes both Stone and the audience into believing that survival

is a probability, not just a possibility. The full weight and impact of Gravity isn’t revealed until the film’s final moments, but it will resonate for hours after the final credits roll. The film’s superlative special effects and visuals may bring you into the theater, but the visceral suspense at the film’s core will keep you there. Gravity proves it doesn’t take a large cast or complex plot to make a remarkably unforgettable movie. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Students, faculty aid in effort to expose Tonawanda Coke Corporation pollutes town with carcinogens KWEKU TAYLOR-HAYFORD STAFF WRITER

On March 28, the Tonawanda Coke Corporation was convicted on five counts of operating with an unpermitted emissions source and 10 more charges dealing with environmental barriers. Its environmental control officer, Mark Kamholtz, was also convicted on an obstruction charge. Andrew Baumgartner, a junior psychology and nuclear medicine technology major, and Robert Bennett, a junior chemistry major, played a key role along with faculty and residents on the team that brought Tonawanda Coke’s transgressions to light. The Tonawanda Coke plant produces foundry coke – an energy source – for steel production and was charged with failing to prevent hazardous materials from permeating the surrounding town. “A New York State Department of Health study released this year found ‘statistically significant elevations’ of cancer and birth defects among Tonawanda residents. But health officials said the study did not prove local industry caused the health problems,” according to Reuters. Baumgartner felt it was his re-

sponsibility to do what he could to help. “I grew up in Tonawanda – I’ve lived there all my life,” Baumgartner said. “After the department of health’s cancer survey showed the high cancer rates in Tonawanda, it was really disheartening for me.” Jackie James-Creedon, a Town of Tonawanda activist and founding member of the Clean Air Coalition and Tonawanda Community Fund, supervised Bennett and Baumgartner. The group took six 600-gram soil samples in the yards around the factory and combined them to have them analyzed for carcinogens. The results of the soil testing showed higher than normal levels of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and benzene, which are harmful to the surrounding environment, according to Joseph Gardella, a chemistry professor at UB who advised the group on how to conduct the study. Baumgartner, who was Bennett’s organic chemistry lab partner, asked him to join the effort. James-Creedon described the important role Baumgartner and Bennett played, not only in helping to conduct the research

but also mentoring and teaching high school students. The two led a group of students from Kenmore East and West high schools in performing the soil tests. “They were absolutely phenomenal,” James-Creedon said. “They really took the bull by the horns and did a lot of work.” James-Creedon considers Baumgartner and Bennett “citizen scientists” – qualified and interested citizens who monitor the conditions in their communities. She added “citizen scientists” keep companies accountable. “I’m very environmental. I love anything that makes the world cleaner,” Bennett said. James-Creedon began her fight against Tonawanda Coke in 2003 with what she called the “bucket brigade,” which was the original team that took air samples. James-Creedon, who graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a degree in chemistry, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, “a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues,” according to mayoclinic.com. She suspected her illness, along with

COURTESY OF JACKIE JAMES-CREEDON

Andrew Baumgartner (back), a junior psychology and nuclear medicine technology major, and Robert Bennett (front), a junior chemistry major, played a key role in indicting Tonawanda Coke, which was convicted on five counts of operating with an unpermitted emissions source and 10 more charges dealing with environmental barriers.

the sickness of other members of the community, could be tied to the fumes around the Tonawanda Coke plant.

Her team discovered the air contained benzene, which “is among the 20 most widely used chemicals in the United States,” and a known cause of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. James-Creedon said the incident rate for thyroid cancer in Tonawanda is 81 percent higher than the state average. More tests followed that led to the involvement of a number of government organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department Of Health. James-Creedon said government agencies are losing funding, which prevents them from monitoring industries as closely as they would like. She said most of these companies are operating under the “honor system” and are self-regulating. “[Tonawanda Coke was] intransigent about doing its responsibility to protect the residents and workers,” Gardella said in an email. Though the corporation has been indicted on 15 transgressions, the case is still awaiting sentencing. email: news@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 8: Their stride I think it is. The Bulls’ record will be a bit misleading: three wins against the worst teams in the conference, one against a winless UConn and another against an FCS opponent. Regardless of the opposition, these wins aren’t ones to which Bulls fans are accustomed. They’ve scored at least 40 points in each of their last two games – for the first time since 1981 – and fans seem to be catching on that this team is legit. Saturday marked the first time in UB

Stadium history there has been an attendance of at least 20,000 people. The negative connotation that constantly hovers around this program before every season may be the only reason the expectations weren’t as high as they are now. No one ever expects UB football to be good, so despite having the most capable roster in the program’s history, people weren’t comfortable asking for a conference-contending team. I’ve been sold on the players from the start. The piece of the

puzzle that has left me skeptical is the same piece many have been concerned with the past few years – the coaching. Head coach Jeff Quinn has faced as much scrutiny as any coach in the country, specifically after receiving a three-year contract extension despite leading the Bulls to an underachieving 9-27 record. But Quinn’s game plan in the Bulls’ last two games has earned my respect. Since the Quinn era began, the Bulls’ offense has been consis-

tent at being inconsistent. A lack of creative play-calling and predictable game plans have defined him. In their games against UConn and Eastern Michigan, Quinn has finally given the Bulls an identity. They’ve come out pounding the ball on the ground via their star back Branden Oliver, all the while creating easy passing lanes for their young quarterback, sophomore Joe Licata. ‘Leadership, fight, the seniors, every player matters.’

Those are the scripted responses Quinn and the players have been preaching since last spring, only they don’t seem so scripted now. The players are rallying around each other and, more remarkably, they’re rallying around Quinn. In years past, the Bulls would come out and blow the game against Western Michigan next week – forcing repentance for my last 600 words. But not this team. We could be in for something special this season. email: jon.gagnon@ubspectrum.com

Monday, October 7, 2013 ubspectrum.com

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