The Spectrum VOL 59 ISS 16

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The Spectrum h t t p : / / w w w . u b s p e c t r u m . c o m

Monday, October 12, 2009

Volume 59 Issue 16

An independent student publication of the University at Buffalo

State spending cuts impact UB Paterson cuts $90 million from SUNY budget By AMANDA WOODS Asst. News Editor

The New York State budget crisis will hit home for UB students and employees in the wake of Gov. David Paterson’s decision to cut SUNY’s

spending by $90 million. On Tuesday, Paterson directed New York State agencies to cut $500 million to help address a currentyear deficit of $2.1 billion. His decision came as a response to newspaper editorials urging him to make a more deliberate effort to reduce the deficit. This $90 million budgetary impact is simply part of the deal for SUNY.

Provost Satish Tripathi told the UB Reporter that the university has already suffered various cuts, losing about $21 million last year, along with an additional $10 to $11 million this year, stemsee CUTS page 2 Courtesy of NYS Office of the Governor Right: UB officials are unsure of what

effect Gov. David Patterson’s budget cuts will have on the university.

Walkin’ all over the Runnin’ Bulldogs By ANDREW WIKTOR Sports Editor

One Gardner-Webb mistake was all it took for the football team to gain control of the Homecoming game on Saturday. Buffalo’s (2-4, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) impressive play from all three units helped the team pick up its first home victory of the season as it dominated the GardnerWebb Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-2, 1-0 Big South), 40-3. “It was the best overall game we’ve played in a long time,” said head coach Turner Gill. “Offense, defense, special teams all played with intensity and their execution was excellent. If we play like that, we’ll have the opportunity to win many more games.” It initially looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for the blue and white. Buffalo’s offense had a quick three-and-out and was forced to punt, but on the ensuing kick, a costly fumble had the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ defense walking back onto the field. This time, however, they wouldn’t be able to stop the Bulls. Junior defensive back Sherrod Lott recovered the loose ball on GWU’s 33-yard line and the offense

Norbert Ogiba / The Spectrum

It was a happy Homecoming for Buffalo as the Bulls took care of Gardner-Webb University, 40-3. took over from there. On first down, sophomore quarterback Zach Maynard handed the ball to junior running back Ike Nduka, who busted a 25-yard run to give Buffalo a firstand-goal. A pass interference call against the Bulldogs advanced the ball to the one-yard line, which set up

Nduka for his first collegiate touchdown run. “It’s surprising to me,” Nduka said. “I never thought I would have the success I’ve had. I’m just happy that I’m playing and I’m happy that I’m helping the team.” Helping the team may be an understatement. In his first two

Stimulus funding ignites research By ASHLEY HIRT Asst. News Editor

A nation in dire need of research advancement has been granted stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The University at Buffalo will use its stimulus funding to improve and advance the nation. According to UB’s research Web site, the ARRA is providing over $16 billion in research funds for numerous federal funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health. UB has been granted close to $23 million as of Oct. 8, and with each coming week the funding for research projects

Inside: Arts and Life ........... 5 Classifieds ............. 11 Opinion .................. 3 Sports ................... 12

is expected to increase further, explained Dr. Jorge V. Jose, UB’s vice president for research. “As [employees of] a research university, the UB faculty like to create new knowledge,” Jose said. “The federal government provides money to the best ideas for grant proposals that will have an impact on science and, in general, health, to benefit society as a whole.” It can be very challenging to receive funding for research projects because of the difficult process involved, Jose said. This creates fierce competition among those employed in the see STIMULUS page 8

starts, Nduka has tallied 303 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He’s also taken a lot of pressure off junior running back Brandon Thermilus, who thrived coming off the bench on Saturday. He broke off a few notable runs and finished the day with 82 yards and a first-quarter touchdown on just 10 carries.

The duo simply overmatched a GWU team that had no answer for the Bulls offense or defense. Head coach Steve Patton believed that his team did not bring its A-game to UB Stadium. “I didn’t think we played with a lot of intensity,” Patton said. “Buffalo seemed to be hungrier for the win and they deserved it.” Buffalo didn’t just beat the Runnin’ Bulldogs on the ground. There was a good mix in the play calling with a balance of running and passing plays. GWU’s safeties focused most of their attention on senior wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt – who extended his consecutive catch streak, hauling in five catches for 46 yards – and seemed to forget about the other receivers. Senior flanker Brett Hamlin picked up 132 yards on six catches, none bigger than his career-high 50-yard grab in the second quarter. Hamlin beat his defender and sophomore quarterback Zach Maynard lofted the ball down field right into his hands as the 15,816 fans in attendance erupted with cheers. The young quarterback demonstrated his ability to throw the short see FOOTBALL page 2

Star neurosurgeon makes UB his home By BREDNY RODRIGUEZ

Staff Writer

You can see more about the awards granted to UB and other area institutions at www.recovery.gov.

At age 37, Elad Levy’s résumé stretches over 55 pages, and with his workweek often topping 100 hours, it seems that those 55 pages are only the beginning. Levy, associate professor of neurosurgery, clinical associate professor of radiology at UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a board-certified neurosurgeon, has a long track record. Levy has been involved in over 150 peer-reviewed articles, 42 of which cite him as the first author. He has coauthored two books and has been cited in dozens of other publications.

Courtesy of UBNS

Elad Levy, M.D. Levy has taught advanced neurosurgical techniques at numerous neurosurgical conferences – including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons – and has lectured

G E T T I N G AWAY

GETTING DIRTY

Everyone, including couples, will want to retreat from this movie. See Page 5

Students bagged garbage and got a little dirty together on Sunday. See Page 7

all around the world, from Brazil to Japan. Given his accomplishments, his decision to become a doctor came surprisingly late. “I actually decided to become a doctor at the end of my first year in medical school,” Levy said. “I wanted to be a musician or a rower, [but] my father is a physician and he wanted me to at least give medicine a try.” Levy, who did his undergraduate work at Dartmouth College and then attended George Washington University School of Medicine, came to the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in see SURGEON page 2

Weather: Mon: 52o high / 41o low Tue: 52o high / 35o low Wed: 45o high / 33o low


The Spectrum

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October 12, 2009

Specific effects on UB are uncertain CUTS from page 1 ming from reductions in state funding and other revenues. Besides asking individual departments to make cuts, UB is now forced to leave many vacant positions open. “If you look at this year, the rest of this year, next year and the year after, as least as we see today, things are not in great shape,” Tripathi said. UB President John Simpson is uncertain what specific effects the cuts will have on UB, but he noted in a statement that SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher plans to meet with individual university presidents to discuss the best possible way for each institution to meet the budget cuts. Simpson cannot predict what these meetings will hold for UB, but he remains steadfast in his belief that the state and nation should continue to do all it can to invest in university education. “While we cannot, at this moment, predict the outcome of these discussions, we will continue to emphasize that today – more than ever – we must, as a nation and as a state, invest in higher education,” Simpson said. “Higher education is fundamental to our nation’s and state’s future economic growth and prosperity.” Simpson also noted that the university administration is prepared

to tackle this budgetary challenge. The University-Wide Strategic Financial Management Advisory Group has developed core principles for UB’s strategic financial plan. Of these principles, Simpson believes one in particular stands out. “The overarching principle is to act in ways that best maintain our long-term vision as a premier public research university,” Simpson said. Simpson pointed out that University Senior Leadership members have anticipated future budget reductions and have long discussed potential solutions should the cuts occur. “As final decisions are made concerning the reduction to our university’s budget, we will communicate to the UB community strategic parameters for this reduction,” Simpson said. The SUNY-wide response to the budget cuts is very similar to that of the UB administration. David Henahan, the SUNY public relations director, laid out the steps SUNY will take as a result of these new fiscal difficulties. “SUNY will do all it can to protect the quality of the education our students receive, but this is increasingly difficult at a time of scarce resources,” Henahan said. “Campuses will continue to implement soft and hard hiring freezes, redirect resources, delay and elimi-

nate programs and purchases, and students could see larger class sections, fewer course offerings and reductions in other services.” At a recent UB council meeting, Simpson explained that the administration’s dedication to the UB 2020 vision has helped the university prevail through economic difficulties in the past and will continue to do so in the future. “We have coped with [the budget cuts] because of changes we have put in place through UB 2020,” Simpson said. Simpson is confident that the university administration is prepared to face the struggles that the budget cuts will bring and emphasized that nothing should be allowed to compromise the academic goals of the university community. “These are challenging times indeed for our nation, state and our university. With that said, we know unequivocally that we must preserve our core academic mission,” Simpson said. “And, together as a community of scholars and professionals, we must do all that we can to provide our students with an education that inspires and a research enterprise that illuminates the unseen, which as a whole will enrich lives today and the lives of future generations.” E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

Didn’t give up any touchdowns FOOTBALL from page 1 pass on the same possession. After driving the offense into the red zone, Maynard – who connected

on 16 completions for 232 yards – used a play action fake to elude the defense and lobbed the ball to the back of the end zone, where senior tight end Jesse Rack made a leaping grab for a score and increased the Buffalo lead to 20-3. The team’s red zone performance was the key to the game. On the offensive side of the ball, Buffalo scored touchdowns on all six visits to the end zone. Defensively, the team didn’t allow the Runnin’ Bulldogs to enter the red zone once, and they only allowed one field goal on the day. Defensively, Buffalo did a good job of breaking up passes, making tackles on first contact and forcing three-and-outs. Gill mentioned that

they simplified things defensively and the results showed. “We got better execution out of our players,” Gill said. “It was great for us to have a game like this where we didn’t give up any touchdowns and kept them out of the red zone. This was a good game for us to have our confidence built in all areas.” The Bulls are halfway done with their season and will close off the campaign with six in-conference matchups. Buffalo will host the Akron Zips next Saturday as they look to spark a winning streak and climb back to the top of the MAC East Division. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

Among top 50 doctors in WNY SURGEON from page 1 2001 to complete a fellowship in Endovascular Surgery after completing both his surgical residency and neurosurgical fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “I like UB’s Department of Neurosurgery and I like the interaction between the medical students and residents,” Levy said. “Dr. Hopkins [chair of the Department of Neurosurgery] is a world-renowned neurosurgeon and a great teacher.” Levy, who is board certified in both Pennsylvania and New York, was named among the top 50 doctors in Western New York by Business First. He has also been involved in dozens of research studies, some which have been awarded grants

www.specialevents.buffalo.edu

worth millions of dollars. His decision to expand his career to neurosurgery came even later in his medical education. “I knew that neurosurgery would become increasingly technologically dependant,” Levy said. “Neurosurgery is constantly changing, so that neurosurgery now is different from the neurosurgery of 10 years ago.” Levy, who is based out of Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital, will join other physicians in moving into the new $291 million, 10-floor UB-Kaleida Health Clinical Care and Research Building. Part of UB 2020’s comprehensive physical plan, this building is set to be completed in 2011. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

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October 12, 2009

O P I N I ON

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Stephen Marth Executive Editor Keeley Sheehan Managing Editors Ren LaForme, senior David Jarka Jennifer Lombardo News Editors Jennifer Good Caitlin Tremblay Ashley Hirt, asst. Amanda Woods, asst. Editorial Editor Jacob Shillman Arts Editors John Ranic, senior Christopher DiMatteo Jameson Butler, asst. Eric Hilliker, asst. James Twigg, asst. Life Editors Adrian Finch Matt Mosher Shane Fallon, asst. Rachel Lamb, asst. Sports Editors David Sanchirico, senior Andrew Wiktor Matt Parrino, asst. Joe Paterno, asst. Photo Editors Katie Carlett, senior Samantha Hicks Tim Ho Copy Editors Meghan Farrell Abbi Meade Graphics Designer Rafael Kobayashi

Professional Staff Business Manager Debbie Smith Administrative Assistant Helene Polley Advertising Manager David Vogt Advertising Designer Christopher Lonzi Web Editors Drew Brigham Andrew Muraco Creative Directors Christopher Caporlingua Katelynn Padowski

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 spectrum-editorial@buffalo.edu. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style or length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it clearly as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number and e-mail address.

The Spectrum is provided free by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee

OCTOBER 12, 2009 VOLUME 59 NUMBER 16 CIRCULATION: 10,000 The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by 360 Youth. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260. Telephone: (716) 645-2468. Fax: (716) 645-2766. Copyright 2009 Buffalo, N.Y. The Spectrum is printed by Buffalo Newspress PO Box 648, Buffalo, NY 14240-0648.

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Getting ahead of ourselves Nobel Prize bestowed upon Obama too soon The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to first-year President Barack Obama. As the novice leader of the free world, the award carries a heavy burden and could complicate his first term in office. However, Obama handled the situation as best he could – he said he was humbled and he recognized that all of his lofty goals are still in the infant stages. There can be absolutely no doubt that the world condemns the presidency of George W. Bush. The fact that Obama won this award at this time makes it evident. Obama has done a tremendous job in reversing the ill will toward America in a short amount of time. Looking at things through a wider scope, Obama’s election gave the U.S. a desperately needed sense of hope and belief in change. The president has set an ambitious agenda for himself with his first term. He has renounced torture, promised to close down Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, rejoined the effort to fight global warming, stopped nuclear proliferation, started Middle East peace talks between Israel and Palestine and engaged Iran. And you can’t forget about health care reform, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the financial meltdown. The award serves as a reminder of just how high expectations are for Obama. There is a pile of things that need to be accomplished to make

the U.S. and the world a better place to live. Is it possible that this country, which has been beaten down and hopeless for so long, has put unbelievably high expectations on a president for once? Yes. After the election, this country believed that the Obama administration would come in like a whirlwind and immediately fix everything. But that’s not how politics work – Congress has been difficult and shortsighted and hasn’t been dealing with important issues. The Nobel Prize could act as an anchor and grind every single debate to a halt. Obama could very well be seen as a failure if he doesn’t accomplish everything on his agenda. The voting committee said they awarded Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples and [create] a new climate in international politics.” Americans elected Obama to restore the country’s belief in justice and leadership, and the rest of the world endorsed that sentiment by giving him this honor. Maybe one day the president will deserve to win the award, but his résumé doesn’t yet reflect enough experience. Until that day, it seems the Nobel folks are Nobel nuts.

Rotten air Factory in Tonawanda causing major health problems Citizens in the United States have a few perks that come along with the title. Among these is freedom of speech, clean water and clean air to breathe. Yet for those living around the Tonawanda Coke facility, clean air is something of which they have been deprived. Tonawanda Coke is one of 52 air-regulated facilities within a five-mile radius in the Town of Tonawanda. It also happens to be a producer of benzene. Benzene is a chemical that has been linked to several cancers, including leukemia, and is known to cause damage to the immune system and bone marrow, impair fertility in women and have various other harmful effects. In a recent study, the state Department of Environmental Conservation found that the Tonawanda facility had been emitting benzene at levels up to 75 times higher than recommended guidelines. Those levels were up to two times more than what the company had been reporting to regulators. The owner of the facility has even gone so far as to write a letter to Sen. Chuck Schumer saying that “any manufacturing facility in Tonawanda is directly responsible for the benzene levels” and that his company “… is in full compliance with the DEC issued permit.” No. Not when they find up to 75 times the safe amount of a cancer-causing chemical. Plus the owner has been hit with several fines from federal regulatory agencies. Tonawanda’s air is dangerous to anyone who breathes it in. Why is there no direct action? All the government does is one study after

another, delaying any real change to help save people’s lives. People in the area have been diagnosed with up to four different types of cancer. Repeat: four different types of cancer. There’s something rotten in the Town of Tonawanda. In 2008, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection fined another coke plant facility in Erie, Penn. under the same ownership – a $6.1 million fine for air quality violations and lack of cooperation to fix them. There is no doubt the facility has provided jobs, investment and helped overall growth to the community. But when that same provider is allowing harmful vapors into the area, something must be done. It would seem that more and more businesses don’t care what their environmental impact is. The more concerning matter is the fact that regulatory agencies have been letting things slide like this. A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran a huge study on unsafe water and reported that thousands of American towns and cities provide water of poor quality. When did America forget to take care of its own people? It’s quite sad that the lone world superpower can’t keep its air clean. Maybe all of its involvement around the world leads us to neglect things at home, like schools, clean water and air. Nothing will change unless citizens advocate for it. Everyone has forgotten that governments should fear their people, not the other way around.

L E T T E R TO T H E E D ITO R

Theistic groups protected from anyone questioning their beliefs To the editor, Recently you ran an article that covered some UB Freethinkers club posters. The SA attempted to play off this censorship by saying the posters were not approved by them, but up until this point no one said a thing about their posters approval. It seems to me that the university has no problem offending atheists by restricting the ways they allowed to express their views, but when it comes to theistic groups, they are fully protected

from anyone questioning their beliefs. I was under the impression college campus encouraged discussion and reason for difficult subjects, when did our university decide to play it so safe? Thanks for running the article and keeping us informed. Sincerely, Christopher Tanski PharmD Candidate University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy cptanski@buffalo.edu

Detox summer On the same day I celebrate my meaningless 22nd birthday, my grandmother crosses the tripledigit milestone and turns 100 years old. Good news for me? Heredity does have some impact on how healthy you are in the future, and I always assumed that those same genes that got my grandmother through The Great Depression and the Bush years would be passed along to me. But through the years, I realized that this was not the case. The way she maintains her strong health really opened my eyes on how to stay healthy, and about our society in general. My grandmother is not the drug or alcohol type. She does drink a glass of wine during dinner for the heart, but alcohol is usually off-limits after David Sanchirico that. Senior Sports Editor And considering her age, she must have a cabinet full of prescription medications to help her feel better, right? That’s not the case. To her, an Advil, often used to offset cold symptoms, is considered poison. She prefers a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice and a hot bowl of old-fashioned chicken noodle soup to strengthen her immune system. To her, a handful of side effect-producing pills won’t help, but old school remedies will. When her appetite craves something more filling than soup, she cooks. She does not go out to restaurants to indulge in preservative-infested food, but rather makes recipes using organic products, including meat and poultry from free-range farms where they aren’t malnourished and mass-produced in slaughterhouses. Most importantly, she’s happy. My grandmother is the epitome of a strong woman. My grandfather died more than 30 years ago, leaving her to care for her sister and herself in her small Schenectady home. Currently, she lives on her own in the same house and, aside from some assistance from aides, is very independent. I observed her and compared her way of living with my own over the past summer. By May, I was ingesting food like a competitive eater, drinking like Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa, and was generally see SANCHIRICO page 4

Venue appreciation If there’s one thing I’ve taken for granted over the years, it’s the quality of a good venue. The truth is, a venue can make or break even the best of shows. Believe it or not, where you see a band perform has an enormous impact on how you see a band perform. From acoustics to atmosphere, the venue can change every aspect of a show – including one’s level of enjoyment. I’ve been to shows all across the country, from East Coast to West Coast, and I can say with absolute certainty that everyone in Buffalo should count themselves lucky. The venues around here, with the exception of one, are top notch – especially my local favorite, the Town Ballroom. The Town Ballroom in the theater district James Twigg downtown is quite posAsst. Arts Editor sibly the best venue I have ever witnessed. The layout and atmosphere are as close to perfect as I’ve ever seen. For those of you who have never been, the Town Ballroom is more or less an amphitheater on a smaller scale. There’s an open circular floor in front of the stage with three different levels of risers that wrap around from one side of the stage to the other. If you are looking to move at a show, the bottom floor is where you want to be. It’s wide open and the shape already provides the perfect setup for a circle pit for those into hardcore or punk. You can even make a skank pit if ska is more your thing – and I don’t mean the crowd at an Ugg boot sale. The risers around the outside are an amazing addition to the venue. Sure, being down in the pit is loads of fun, but everyone needs a break from time to time. The different levels of height and the curved shape guarantee you a good view of the stage, wherever you’re standing. But the Town Ballroom isn’t the only venue in Buffalo worth checking out. The darkness, combined with the cramped space and flowing booze, make Mohawk Place the best place to see a rock show. Shows at Mohawk Place are usually extremely see TWIGG page 4


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Xtreme Wheels doesn’t allow swearing TWIGG from page 3 personal. The stage is only a foot or two off of the ground, which gives you the feeling that band is right there in the crowd with you. Unfortunately, it can be a bit cramped at times. You never really have your own personal space at shows, but Mohawk Place takes what little is left and withers it away into nothing. This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. Sometimes the most fun comes from the energy a crowd generates from trying to stay alive in a sea of its own peers. Seeing Four Year Strong at Mohawk Place was one of the best nights of my life. The band always gets the crowd up and moving, but being able to do that when there’s no place to move is a striking feat.

Accessibility-wise, both Town Ballroom and Mohawk Place are very convenient. The subway makes getting to either venue a breeze. It drops you off basically at the front door of the Ballroom and a five-minute walk from Mohawk Place. Unfortunately, there’s one venue in Buffalo that doesn’t quite live up to the others. Xtreme Wheels Skate Park is without a doubt the worst place in the area to see a show. Essentially it’s an open warehouse with a stage – it is a skate park, after all. But this means that the sound is horrible. With such an open space, the music tends to fade out toward the back of the crowd. For concertgoers, it can be kind of annoying. But even worse than the terrible acoustics at Xtreme Wheels is their rule that bans swearing. I’m sorry,

but are you f*****g kidding me? Maybe I’m crazy for my opinion on this, but if you’re a venue that wants to have hardcore headliners, swearing is kind of a necessity if it’s in their lyrics. Bands should not have to be censored when performing live — or at all. To top it off, Xtreme Wheels is in an extremely inconvenient spot. What this means is that if you don’t have a car, you better hope you have money for a taxi . So when you’re looking up the dates of your favorite band’s next headlining tour, make sure to look at more than just who’s coming. Make sure to also look at where they’re going. E-mail: james.twigg@ubspectrum.com

Enjoying the youthful years is important SANCHIRICO from page 3 not taking care of myself. No way was I going to live to 60, much less 100, with my John Belushi way of living. That’s why a summer-long minidetox was my only option. I spent more time at the gym and working than I did at the dinner table and the couch. In addition, my drinking decreased drastically, and smoking was a non-occurrence. Obviously I knew most of my previous habits would reoccur once I came back to school, but the need to clean my body out was pretty apparent, and it worked. I had never felt so healthy. A refreshing sensation took over my physical and mental states, and they have been maintained so far

this semester. I learned that you can’t be too healthy in an age where we put our meat through ammonia to clean it, spray our crops with harmful pesticides and take in unregulated pills in hopes of “growing a few inches.” The society we live in is one where the short-term effects and pleasures take priority over sustained health. Quite frankly, we all believe that once we cross the 40-year-old plateau, our bodies will deteriorate anyways, so how will five Big Macs after a few too many gravity bong hits make my life any worse? “This pill can prevent baldness? Who cares if it’ll hurt my body, at least my dome won’t look like Danny DeVito’s when I’m 30.”

The point of this column isn’t to say drinking, smoking and everything else remotely harmful should be avoided. I think enjoying the youthful years is important, and though my previous bad habits have definitely reduced, I do enjoy nights out on the town. But ignoring the consequences you may face in the future after taking questionable actions in the present is not smart. My friends always tell me you only live once whenever I pass on what would be my 17th vodka shot or slice of pizza. But I like my heart and liver, and I put them through enough pain. E-mail: david.sanchirico@ubspectrum.com

October 12, 2009 YOUR TURN:

at UB. This includes Islamic and Christian holidays, such as Good Friday or Eid-Ul-Fitr, both of which have no days scheduled off. My second major concern deals with the religious studies program at the University at Buffalo. Although it is a leadOne of the major distinguishing ing major university within the characteristics of democracy in the United States, UB lacks a religious United States is its separation of studies department. church and state. Secularism has One aspect that needs improvereplaced religion as the authorita- ment is the fact that professors who tive basis of law and life in the U.S. teach classes that are cross-listed More precisely, secularism is first under religious studies do not the separation of church and have an academic background state and second the privatizain comparative religion. tion of religion. However, the University The United States, as a result, at Buffalo does have a Judaic embraces a dichotomy Studies Institute. between religious Unlike religious Darius Mallon life and secular life. studies – which is a Consequently, religion Sophomore philosophy major social science that fulfills is reserved to a sphere of interdisciplinary criteria everyday life apart from public such as philosophy of religion, hisinstitutions. tory of religion and anthropology of However, I have noticed instanc- religion – Judaic Studies is nothing es at UB where the university has more than theology. neglected this dichotomy: Jewish In other words, Judaic Studies at religious holidays influence how the UB is merely teaching religion from academic calendar is prepared, are an “insider’s perspective” in terms given an unequal amount of attention of how one can understand his or in the undergraduate course listings. her own religion better. Although classes began less than There is no place for theology in two months ago, my two Monday a public institution like UB because classes have been canceled due to teaching religion in a public univerYom Kippur as well as on one class on sity is unconstitutional. a Friday because of Rosh Hashanah. If UB continues to finance a These interferences with the aca- Judaic Studies program, it necesdemic calendar are a direct result sarily needs to concentrate an equal of being conscientious of Jewish amount of effort into establishing an holidays, while neglecting other actual religious studies program. major religious traditions that help comprise the UB community. E-mail: domallon@buffalo.edu My point is that the academic calendar should not be scheduled privileging any religious tradition Do you have something you’d like to say? since if one religion is granted speSend a Your Turn column to cial privileges concerning religious stephen.marth@ubspectrum.com holidays, then that right should extend to all other major religions

Religion at UB

Upcoming Events

from

www.ub-careers.buffalo.edu Tech Fair

Wednesday, October 14 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm UB Alumni Arena, Triple Gym

259 Capen Hall, North Campus (716) 645-2231 jobs@buffalo.edu

Government Career Fair Thursday, October 22

11:30 am – 1:30 pm UB North Campus, Student Union

UB Majors & Careers Night Thursday, October 22

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm UB North Campus, Student Union

START TODAY. Be ready for tomorrow.


The Spectrum

October 12, 2009

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AR T S & LI F E A Hot Damn! Saturday night By JOHN RANIC Senior Arts Editor

Jameson Butler

There are a few things that Buffalo reps unconditionally: heartbreak, losing, wings, oh, and Every Time I Die. Coming home for their first proper headlining slot since last year’s Christmas show, the Buckley boys and ETID brought their sold out, next-to-last stop of the Epitaph Tour to the Town Ballroom Saturday night. And despite a sea of aesthetically obsessed jailbait flooding the floor for a certain glam screamer from overseas, there was no mistaking that this was ETID’s big night in town. With nothing more than the artwork for the just released New Junk Aesthetic dressing the backdrop, ETID took the stage to an echo of reverb as

Asst. Arts Editor

Safety first This Sunday morning, I was awoken by the lovely noise of the birds chirping and the sun gently caressing my eyes. Oh wait, that didn’t happen. A cop with a stick up his colon woke me up. Per usual when I have a run-in with the fuzz, I did nothing wrong, but the cop felt as though it was his duty to make me resent the police even more. And congrats to him – he was successful. Sure, I may not have been the friendliest fellow on the planet, but that’s usually what happens when you bang on someone’s window, waking him or her at 9:30 in the morning. After I slammed the door in that officer’s face, another officer did the paperwork. He just filled out the forms and drove off after not treating me much nicer or more sympathetically than the first officer. Chances are the report is just going to be put on top of a pile with 1,000 other instances exactly like it. I always thought my deep-rooted hatred for the popo stemmed from the fact that the ones from my hometown were a bunch of doughnut guzzling fatties who just wanted to keep the youth in line and add a few inches to their pants size. But I quickly found out when I got to UB that they are all pretty much the same. Not all cops are useless – but finding a helpful one is like finding a needle in a cheap simile. That’s why the government should invest money into the development of superheroes. Let’s face it: cops are about as helpful as a rock when it comes to assisting the public in time of need. They crack under the pressure. But that’s when people like Batman and the Punisher thrive. I mean, if the banks and the automobile industry are getting all this government money, why can’t my safety get a bailout? If we can give millions of dollars to people for messing up their businesses, why can’t we get The Six Million Dollar Man? We have the technology. They told us so. Since the real-life superheroes – like John Wayne and Bruce Lee – are a dying breed, it’s time to start investing. Who will keep our streets clean when Chuck Norris decides to ascend from this planet and return to wherever he inhabited first? I am shaking in my boots just thinking about it. So I would like to formally put my name into the contention for a real Batman. I have all the necessary skills. I am good looking. I love gadgets. And I am totally a ninja. All I need is that nice fat check from the government. But since the government does not like to listen to rationality, the cops still have control and probably will for some time. I’m still waiting for my check from the government, though. E-mail: jameson.butler@ubspectrum.com

By MAX MILLER Staff Writer

Couples Retreat

C

Vince Vaughn’s latest movie leaves you wondering where his career went. In his earlier days he made movies like Swingers and Made with his buddy John Favreau, who is also his co-star of their latest comedy, Couples Retreat. The movie could have been one of the funnier films of 2009, but instead it’s a typical run-of-the-mill comedy. The casting is excellent, but the writing is corny and cliché. It’s possible that this movie would have been funnier a few years ago, but it’s 2009 and Vaughn’s sarcastic humor is no longer worth spending $10 to see. The film takes no time to set the scene, as Jason (Jason Bateman, The Invention of Lying), and Cynthia (Kristin Bell, Astro Boy), are having marital problems. They invite their immediate group of friends over to sit down and watch a slide show, much to the dismay of Dave (Vaughn) and Joey (Favreau). The couples realize that the slide show is actually a couple’s resort getaway designed to restore happiness to Jason and Cynthia’s marriage. From here, the film takes a turn for the worse, trying to piece together recycled

Staff Writer

Yes, it’s a silent film, but the granddad of vampire movies will make your skin crawl. Just looking at Max Schreck as the titular character will make your neck itch with creepiness.

Halloween is still a few weeks away, but why not start the scares early great vampire films?

material from other comedies. Everything feels too rushed. As soon as they get to the island, Vaughn and Favreau try to make jokes about the way the rooms look, but they fall flat. Each scene was laughably predictable, losing the audience’s patience halfway through the movie. The movie fails to create significant laughs because it is everything the viewer has seen before, from the jacked yoga instructor who hits on married women to the raunchy middle-aged men who salivate over younger looking girls. It’s sad to see the types of films Vaughn continues to come out with. In case anyone is curious, Wedding Crashers did, in fact, come out in 2004, and yes, it was the last time he

By JOHN HUGAR

Vampires

with these bloody

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Vince Vaughn has to rethink both his on-screen relationship and his real life career choice. made something that was laugh-out-loud funny. The Break-Up, Fred Claus and now this? It’s time for Vaughn to go back to the drawing board and figure out something a little different, because he’s not the box office draw he used to be. Favreau has jumped into Vaughn’s shoes as the arrogant funny man and the only bright spot in the movie. His smart humor and quick delivery almost make the viewer forget that Vaughn is the one who is supposed to be the driving force of the movie.

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

Helping sexual assault survivors

Classic: Nosferatu: A Symphony of Terror (1922)

Movie Countdown

see ETID page 6

Vaughn-ed out

SPECTRUM WATCHLIST Halloween Monster

they launched into the hard-hitting, slowburner “Roman Holiday.” Without a hitch, they tore into “The Marvelous Slut” with new and old fans alike raising their fists and screaming in unison. Greasing the wheels of their supporters from their public accessed roller rink days back in 2003, they followed with “Ebolarama” and then “Bored Stiff” off of 2005’s Gutter Phenomenon. Dressed in his trademark Borland flannel, part-time drunk, full-time philosopher and ETID vocalist Keith Buckley traded quips with the crowd, plugged his bachelor party and introduced their newest member, drummer Ryan Leger, who recently took over for longstanding member and invisible man Mike “Ratboy” Novak. After sharing that the band picked Leger solely off of his talents as seen

CURRENT: Let the Right One In (2008)

In a time where vampires are portrayed as Hot Topic models that sparkle in the sunlight, Let the Right One In is a godsend.

Sexual assault is one of the worst things that a person can experience. Often, it is difficult to find the right words to help ease the victim’s pain. In a lecture on Wednesday, Aaron Maracle, co-founder of the UB Men’s Group and graduate student in the School of Social Work, and Anna Sotelo-Peryea, a violence prevention specialist for Student Health & Wellness, taught students how to console sexual assault survivors. The presentation began with a simple view of what qualifies as sexual assault – including date rape, sexual harassment and stalking. “The goal is to increase empathy [and] to give people a better idea of what a person goes through after a sexual assault,” Sotolo-Peryea said. Maracle and Sotelo-Peryea expressed concern that many rapes and assaults go unreported. They believe that victims would be more likely to report the incidents if someone

“The goal is to increase empathy [and] to give people a better idea of what a person goes through after a sexual assault” - Anna Sotolo-Peryea

were there to listen to and trust their words. Maracle focused specifically on how sexual assault concerns men. “We focus on men because the majority of the time, the perpetrator is a man and the victim is a woman,” Maracle said. “We focus on how men can help women.” Maracle showed a police training video, which included a graphic description of a hypothetical rape of a male police officer. The video was meant to give men a better understanding of what sexual assault feels like by presenting the situation from the perspective of another man. see ASSAULT page 9


The Spectrum

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Food, Inc. B There are problems with the food industry that most people would rather not hear. Or eat. The 2008 documentary, Food, Inc., by Robert Kenner, exposes and attacks the food industry, showing that huge companies such as Monsanto often threaten and sue its farmers when they veer from company policy. The Hamburg Palace Theater hosted a special screening of Food, Inc. on Thursday. Farmers are forced to comply with company standards, even if it hurts them and their crops. One example of this was when Monsanto sued

a farmer for trying to clean grain without its permission. The farmer was forced to settle in court when he could no longer afford his legal fees. Local farmers such as those from Lapp Dairy Farm, Hanova Hills Farm and Mariah Ridge Farm set up booths in the theater to showcase their products. “We’re trying to raise awareness of local farms,” said Melanie Kester of Mariah Ridge Farm. “Everything we do is natural.” Kathy Venezia, a local health advocate, also participated in the event. “Local farms produce healthy foods,” Venezia said. “Many of the health problems this country has today are due to factory farming. They are producing unhealthy foods at a substantial rate.” Jill and Dan Chiacchia organized the event. Jill is a certified health counselor and member of the Amer-

Courtesy of Participant Media

How does this cow become a burger? Well, it’s not pretty. ican Association of Drugless Practitioners. Like Venezia, she attended the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, a unique program based in New York that combines basic and modern food concepts to create healthier American diets. The nutrition program and the documentary inspired her to organize the event. “The documentary provides a great outlet,” Jill said. “It presents impactful information in a visual and comprehensive way. It truly connects with the people.” The film also highlights problems with the odious conditions of modern-day chicken coops and slaughterhouses. Chickens, pigs and cows are in very high demand. To meet the need, companies resort to cruel tactics such as overstuffing chickens and feeding corn to cows. The film points out problems with current trends of grain production, mostly soybeans and corn. Over the past 50 years, corn has been made into hundreds of different variations and has dominated most foods Americans eat, from soda to cereal and even meat. The documentary points out that farm subsidies from the government have kept this process going and it makes the case that it is economically and environmentally unstable.

“What’s happening is that we’re provided with industrialized food without the wholesome nature of food,” Dan said. “It can be found everywhere. You can find it in 90 percent of the stuff in Wegmans. It hurts small farmers and, really, it is hurting everyone.” The Chiacchias and the documentary encourage the audience to buy local products and avoid industrialized foods at all costs. The documentary claims that, much like the tobacco industry, the food industry can be swayed to change its methods if the people demand it. “My husband and I have both seen improvements in our health, mental clarity and energy levels,” Jill said. “We’re a very balanced family.” Food, Inc. presents critical information in a clear, constructive manner. It places heavy emphasis on the farmers of America and what Americans can do to solve the problem. According to the documentary, Americans can help by eating healthier and letting the government know of their concerns. Although changes can be made in Washington and in the courts, an easier place to make them is on the kitchen table, three times a day. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

As seen on YouTube ETID from page 5 in a YouTube video, Buckley provided the gem that Leger is “proof positive that the internet has more to offer than just porn.” With cameras set up around the venue for a forthcoming airing on Fuel TV, ETID pulled out all the stops, commanding an ever-moving crowd through gritty renditions of “Floater” and “Wanderlust,” which they preceded with a “Let’s go Buffalo” chant. They dedicated it to Drew Stafford after the announcement of the Sabres win, which Buckley took telekinetic credit for. Humbled and happy to be home, Buckley commented on how Buffalo is always the most pressured show, filled with lifelong supporters and critics. As “I Been Gone A Long Time” rang throughout the Ballroom, there wasn’t a breath of disappointment on anyone’s tongue. As ETID played through its final songs, “The New Black” and “We’rewolf,” their energy was unmatchable, with Jordan Buckley raising his fists and screaming in appreciation of his own buttery riffs and Andy Williams’s running-inplace cadet march that was almost as intense as his Monopoly man mustache. Ending their time as only Keith Buckley could, he came out for a brief, solo encore performance of Marvin Gaye’s “Lets Get It On” and waved goodbye. Hot Topic rockstars Bring Me The Horizon gave ETID their direct support. As their unnecessary blood drenched, lime green backdrop was set up, high-pitched, not-yetmenstruating screams shot out at an almost deafening level. Enter Oli Sykes, the pretty boy screamer and face of the band that looks like a less

curvy Victoria Beckham and prances around stages like a wounded scene girl. Whether or not his groupie battering urination rumor is true was irrelevant, as the shrieks from their image centric, “We just bought the ‘So Throw Your Diamonds in the Sky’ shirt at Hot Topic” wearing fan base of look-a-likes ate up everything he threw up in their direction and launched their scrawny bodies Syke-ward. Opening with “Chelsea Smile,” BMTH kicked things off in an energetic fashion, but never really held up. Playing almost exclusively off of their latest release, Suicide Season, they definitely catered to their mallgoing crowd. But hey, those kids really knew how to sing chants and choruses. Who needs verses, right? Ending with “Football Season is Over,” BMTH walked away to the chant of “Party ‘til you pass out, drink ‘til you’re dead, dance all f*****g night.” A credo for all 14-year-old girls, if I may say so myself. Openers Oh, Sleeper and Architects did a wonderful job of opening things up. Whether it was Oh, Sleeper’s Southern charm and heavy riffs as heard through “Son Of The Morning” and “Vices Like Vipers,” or Architects’ ballsout gritcore performances of “In Elegance” and “Early Grave,” both acts punished the pit with unfading energy and love for their music. More than worthy of their spot on the bill, Oh, Sleeper and Architects held their own in a stacked lineup and wrote the prelude to a heavy, well-penned epitaph to a Saturday night. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com


The Spectrum

October 12, 2009

Helping hands in the Heights By ASHLEY SMITH Staff Writer

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UB students recently put down their pens and notebooks and picked up shovels, brooms, rakes and gloves to pick up trash around the University Heights. The students were participating in UB Getting Dirty, a Student Association-sponsored community cleanup event. According to Angela Jones, SA club services director, about 400 students participated in the community service project this year. “I think we had a fantastic turnout,” said Jenny Harb, SA assistant community engagement director. The project covered all of the University Heights area, utilizing volunteer drivers, shuttle buses and sponsors to get students out onto the streets to clean up trash. “At first I thought [UB Getting Dirty] would be really lame … picking up trash really early in the morning, but it actually turned out to be a lot of fun and I felt really good doing it,” said Caraline Stocker, a sophomore art major. UB Getting Dirty was started four years ago to encourage UB students and clubs to give back to their community. The project satisfies some of the student clubs’ mandatory community service requirement. “It gives us an opportunity to better the community that we actually inhabit,” said Chloe Lake, a sophomore undecided major. Angela Reale, a senior nursing major, has participated in UB Getting Dirty several times. “We used to have competitions to see who could find the best piece of garbage,” Reale said. “It’s a good way to get groups together, get to know people and help the community at the same time.” Other students also expressed the value that community service has had in their lives. “When I was in China, I did a lot of community service,” said Xinyi He, a junior accounting major. “Last semester there was [a community

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Students joined together with garbage bags galore in an effort to clean up the University Heights. service project] for preparing tax returns, [and] I did that.” In past years, the event has drawn 300 to 400 students who were ready to clean up the Buffalo streets. “[Japanese Student Association members] think that it makes the community stronger,” said JSA secretary Kosuke Higo. As SA coordinators began calling clubs forward and distributing T-shirts and equipment, the event became significantly less coherent, according to several attendees. Though many students agree that this was a good cause, there was room for improvement. “I think it’s disorganized and they need a megaphone,” said Ciara Trosin, a freshman undecided major.

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Trosin pointed out that while these projects have their flaws, they provide an opportunity that allows communities surrounding UB’s campus to see students volunteering and helping others. “[UB is not] making adequate efforts to give back to the community, but there is beginning to be an awareness under [President] Simpson,” said Gordon Connally, a University Heights resident. Connally hopes UB will have a positive effect on University Heights and the city of Buffalo in the future. “[Students] just need to be present in the community,” Connally said.

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E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

Revamping WRUB By PAMELA CYRAN

October 16th & 17th, 2009 Old Fort Niagara

Staff Writer

Few students are aware of UB’s own radio station, WRUB, but over a short period of time, the station has gained some new equipment and dramatically increased its number of listeners. In the spring, the station installed a premium soundboard, new microphone stands and technology that enables WRUB to take phone calls live on air. “It sparked momentum,” said Sierra Chevrestt, promotions director for WRUB and a junior communication and sociology major. The new technology for WRUB led to major changes for the station, according to Chevrestt The station now streams music through iTunes. On WRUB’s new Web site, www.wrub.com, students can open music on iTunes and add songs to their library. “It has revitalized us and we hope to [gain] more listeners because of it,” Chevrestt said. The station encourages DJs to put together shows for students to enjoy and allows themed shows, such as music from girl bands or local bands only. Chevrestt broadcasts her own show, Morning Mash, every Monday between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Chevrestt believes WRUB is a way for students to express themselves while simultaneously serving the UB community. “I’m terrible at drawing, so this is my artistic expression,” Chevrestt said. The station also has talk shows,

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With WRUB’s new technology and increased numbers, the radio station has found success among students. like the sex talk show that will be airing soon in a new timeslot. “We’re a service for the students. We’re here for the campus, for the people,” Chevrestt said. “I couldn’t imagine not being with the station.” Nick Torsell, music director of WRUB and a junior English major, started at the station last fall and has witnessed the drastic changes since then. He worked for a No. 1 Princeton Review College broadcast program while at St. Bonaventure and said that he prefers WRUB and finds passion in working for the station by helping the station make improvements and find success among the students and public. WRUB broadcasts its shows on its Web site, Campus Cable channel 7

and between movies on all campus cable movie channels. WRUB’s new general manager, Connor Wolfley, a senior communication major, has worked to improve the station as a whole since taking over the position in the spring. According to Wolfley, in 2008 there were 15 students volunteering at the station. At the end of last year, however, there were 60 volunteers and about 40 more students waiting to be trained to become permanent members of WRUB. “[WRUB] is constantly trying to improve,” Torsell said. “They have a lot of potential.” E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

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The Spectrum

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October 12, 2009

Research will advance scientific discoveries A more accessible Amherst By DAVID WEIDENBORNER

STIMULUS from page 1 field of research. “The usual rate of success … for obtaining funding is on average 10 to 15 percent,” Jose said. “But for the Federal Stimulus funding, UB has had instead close to a 20 percent success rate.” Once a grant has been given to an institution, the research must strictly adhere to what was written in the proposal. The goal of ARRA is to help states get out of financial deficit and to improve the overall national economy through various research funding and other investments in education and infrastructure. “The future of the U.S. will depend on the investments we make in scientific and engineering research in order to produce new inventions and cures,” Jose said. “President Obama correctly decided that the U.S. must support scientists because the country will fall behind if we [don’t match the] present investment made and growth in other countries.” The funding UB received will make an impact on the Western New York economy because when UB receives $23 million in grants, there is a $57.5 million economic impact on the local economy, Jose explained. The funding from the grants will be used toward the purchase of supplies, equipment and to pay salaries. The reason UB was given the additional money for this clinical trial is

that UB has been the most successful at enrolling patients and following them, explained Saul Greenfield, Ph.D., clinical professor in the department of urology and director of pediatric urology for Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. Greenfield received an National Institutes of Health grant of $367,000, which is in addition to his original $2.5 million NIH award, to continue his research on children with vesicoureteral reflux. “[Vesicoureteral reflux] is a congenital bladder condition … the urine goes back to the kidneys because the children have an abnormal valve,” Greenfield said. A variety of approaches are used to fix this problem, including surgery and medication, Greenfield said. The medication consists of an antibiotic and is given to the child to prevent infections, and eventually in many children the valve grows and the reflux stops. “[In our current study], we take a group of children and put half of them on medications and the other half are given placebos,” Greenfield said. “Our interest is in learning who may or may not need long term antibiotics before the reflux is corrected.” A study conducted by Sarbajit Banerjee, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry, has received the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Award through the National Science Foundation. Awardees must have a combination

Staff Writer

of excellent research and teaching through their role as a teacherscholar. “The Career funds will enable me to support graduate students working on research projects in my laboratories over the next five years,” Banerjee said. “These funds will also enable me to support Buffalo Public Schools science teachers over the summer here at UB. The science teachers will work in collaboration with my research group and me to develop novel curricula and experiments targeted at getting middle school students excited about science.” His research will involve studying properties of early transition metal oxides, Banerjee said. “A major focus of our research is pushing ... phase transition down to close to room temperature so that this material can be used in ‘smart’ windows that change color depending on the outside temperature and as transistors for the next generation of computer chips,” Banerjee said. UB, through the research conducted, will help advance scientific discoveries, the economy and the wellbeing of Americans, according to Jose. “The researchers will publish their results, which will give more exposure to UB because others may be able to look at their results and use them for their own research and applications,” Jose said. “We are going to discover and make an impact on solving problems that are the paradigms of the 21st century.”

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

faculty & student

A lack of sidewalks in the Town of Amherst has left members of the community questioning their safety while walking or biking. Due to this lack of a sense of security, UB teamed up with the town to overhaul avenues of commuting. The plan is to provide pedestrians and bikers with easier and safer ways to get around the town. They are also encouraging children in local school districts to find more active ways to get to and from school. Though the initiative is still being worked out, graduate students from the School of Architecture and Planning have already made progress by identifying necessary changes. The graduate urban planning studio found specific problems in commuting around the community and is beginning to formulate a plan to address these problems. “The problem is the suburban sprawl and distance between communities and schools. These areas weren’t made with walking or biking in mind,” said Derek Nichols, a graduate student in the urban planning studio. “We’ve worked with youth and adult groups to figure out what the ideal neighborhood needs. We even had kids come in the studio and show us what they wanted a neighborhood to look like.” In addition to interacting with Amherst locals and children, the studio has conducted surveys, observed the accessibility of other cities, looked at case studies and census data and compared the economic aspect of students driving to school versus walking or biking. The point is to create an environment that promotes a healthier style of commuting. “Former generations were

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healthier. This generation has serious health problems, especially with obesity,” said Kelly Ganczarz, a graduate student in the urban planning studio. “In 1969, 42 percent of children aged five to 18 walked or biked to school,” said Fenna Mandolang, a graduate student in the urban planning studio. “In 2001, only 16 percent of that same demographic reported walking or biking to school.” The Town of Amherst and its community are not alone in implementing these changes. In 2005, the federal government started a grant program called Safe Routes To School, which helps cities and towns affordably make transportation changes regarding students and schools. “In 2008, Amherst applied for a Safe Routes To School grant, which provides funding for research and implementing a plan for students to get to school safely,” Mandolang said. Although this plan is focused on improving the public health aspect of Amherst life, there would also be another benefit of walking and biking – it’ll make the town more environmentally friendly. “Our carbon footprint would be reduced as well,” Ganczarz said. “Not only would less people be driving, but there would also be less traffic congestion, which minimizes emissions even further.” While reshaping pedestrian and biking commuting throughout Amherst is still in the early stages of development, the urban planning studio is scheduled to have the first draft of its plan ready by the end of October. A public presentation outlining the plan will occur at the end of November or in early December.

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The Spectrum

October 12, 2009

9

UB weighs in on Letterman

Bottled water blues

By BRENDON BOCHACKI Staff Writer

By ALIA SYED Staff Writer

Americans are pushed to drink eight glasses of water a day, but most do not think about the quality of the water they consume. Bottled water is plentiful and highly publicized, leading to the belief that it is the healthier choice. But contamination may be higher in bottled water than tap water. Water utilities are required by law to provide information about the sources of the water and any chemical pollutants that remain after treatment. Water bottle companies, however, are not obligated to offer this crucial information. Only 18 percent of bottle companies actually do so. An 18-month investigation of bottled water labels by the Environmental Working Group revealed that only two of the 188 bottled waters surveyed provided both water sources and treatment methods on their labels, as well as a water quality report on their Web site. According to the EWG, drinking bottled water can be up to 1,900 times more expensive than drinking tap water – a steep price difference considering that some bottled water is simply purified tap water. In response to increasing pressure from the activist group Cor-

porate Accountability International, PepsiCo decided to reveal the source of its Aquafina water on the label. Aquafina now vaguely discloses that its water comes from public water sources, the home of tap water as well. The risk of Bisphenol A contamination from plastic is one of the concerns surrounding bottled water. “Some BPA may leach from container coatings or sealants [of plastic water bottles],” said Paul J. Kostyniak, professor and chair of the Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and director of the Toxicology Research Center at UB. Filtered tap water is the most safe and dependable form of drinking water, especially in stainless steel containers, as they do not contaminate water. Water filters and stainless steel water containers can be found at most grocery stores. Making a switch could save a great deal of money and could also be a safer and healthier choice. A report released by the National Toxicology Program in 2008 said that BPA is of “some concern” at current human exposure levels. Possible effects of BPA include brain toxicity and breast cancer. It also may affect brain development and behavior and increase the

StepCrew steps into CFA By JESSICA BENNETT Staff Writer

Traditional Celtic dance will boogie into the 20th century next month when the StepCrew performs at the Center for the Arts. The StepCrew, which consists of seven dancers, a five-piece band, three fiddle players and vocalists, is set to take Celtic dance to the next level. The production transitions from modern interpretations of traditional Celtic music and dance to original musical compositions created just for the show. “They’re all really highly accomplished performers. Some of them have been with Riverdance, others are with different groups,” said David Wedekindt, director of marketing for the CFA. “It’s more than just dance, it’s the music too.” The group is relatively new to the performance scene. According to Wedekindt, they have only just started touring and have never performed in Buffalo. The crew also includes a female vocalist and features some of the leading musicians on the scene today. Founding member Cara Butler may be a familiar face for some of the audience – she made her television debut in a Folgers coffee commercial. The founders are all from different areas of talent and

have come together to put on a spectacular show. “They all come from different groups, but they’ve all assembled to kind of create a super-group,” Wedekindt said. “It’s exciting to see them all together and I think people are going to be pretty amazed at what they see, especially for something brand new and making their local premiere.” The StepCrew will also present a preperformance talk in the screen room. “They’ll talk about what they’re doing that night, the background of the performers, how they train, everything from what a typical day is like for them. It’s kind of giving people a behind the scenes,” Wedekindt said. The StepCrew is only one of many dance groups that will perform at the CFA this fall. “There are different styles of dance and different people have their favorites,” Wedekindt said. “We try to give the public a flavor of everything that is out there and we’ve made a very conscious effort to keep ticket prices affordable.” Tickets for The StepCrew are $23.50 general admission and $13 for students. The performance will be held in the Mainstage Theatre. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

Healing process not easy ASSAULT from page 5

Maracle and Sotelo-Peryea provided strategies about how to speak to sexual assault survivors. The most important tactic is to always trust the person and believe what he or she has to say, the duo said. It is not easy for the person to admit what happened, and without support, the process becomes more difficult. Those close to the survivor should inform the person of the available options and provide encouragement to seek medical help and con-

tact law enforcement. However, it is important not to force the person into any decisions. As control was already taken from him or her, it is important to let the survivor make his or her own decisions independently, they said. The key is to understand that the healing process is not easy and it is important to be patient and sympathetic toward the victim, Maracle and Sotelo-Peryea said. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

risk of prostate cancer in children, infants and fetuses. BPA is an endocrine disruptor because it mimics estrogen in the body. The Endocrine Society recently issued a warning statement that called for regulation, seeking to decrease human exposure to the many endocrine-disrupting agents. BPA was among the agents cited on the statement. “Whether or not an adverse effect would occur is dependent upon the dose received by an individual,” Kostyniak said. “That is really the key element in any risk assessment, and drives the levels that governmental agencies set when regulating such compounds.” Currently, there is no U.S. regulation concerning BPA contamination of food and water. But in June, Congress passed the Food and Safety Enhancement Act, which will require the FDA to take action on BPA by Dec. 31. However, a study conducted from 2003 to 2004 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 92.6 percent of Americans 6 years old and older had a detectable amount of BPA in their urine, suggesting that almost everyone is exposed to significant amounts of BPA. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

! e s i t ver trum

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The general public seems to have granted David Letterman, host of “The Late Show,” a get out of jail free card. In his opening monologue on Oct. 1, Letterman admitted on air to having had sexual relations with multiple women who worked on his show. Letterman took some time to share a “little story” with his audience. He explained that in the past few weeks, a man who claimed to know that Letterman had had sex with women who worked for him on the show attempted to extort $2 million from him. The man, Robert Halderman, has since been arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny. Some think that Letterman’s decision to take the offensive and be the first to tell the public about the incident was the best choice. “I think he made the right decision,” said Carlos Santos, a junior anthropology major. “He came out and told the truth about the whole thing. He didn’t have to do that and I respect him for that.” Right now the general opinion appears to be positive – the show is enjoying a ratings boost since Letterman’s admission. In the past, Letterman has enjoyed numerous laughs using jokes that targeted men like Bill Clinton and, more recently, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford for their sexual infidelities. For some, Letterman’s sarcastic and self-deprecating jokes about the affairs may suggest he isn’t taking the situation seriously. However, according to David Schmid, associate professor and acting chair of the Department of English, Letterman responded correctly. “He is a comedian. It would seem

Richard Lobell / Rubenstein

David Letterman out of character to treat this issue, as serious as it is, with complete gravity,” Schmid said. “Media coverage of his admission has, on the whole, been very positive. This suggests that Letterman got the balance between levity, sincerity and contrition about right.” According to Schmid, sexual harassment charges are likely if individuals come forward to claim that they were overlooked for promotions because of refusals to sleep with Letterman, or if the women who had relationships with him were given privileged treatment. Currently no such claims have been made. “Whenever you have [that] kind of power imbalance, there is always the potential for abuse,” Schmid said. “Even if the relationships were consensual, that still doesn’t make Letterman’s behavior unproblematic because of the structural power differential that existed between the parties concerned.” In addition, Letterman’s production company has stated that it does not have a policy in place prohibiting sexual relations between managers and employees. They have also said that no complaints have ever been raised against him regarding sexual harassment. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

The Director and Staff of the Educational Opportunity Program at the State University of New York at Buffalo cordially invites you to attend the

35

th

Annual

Arthur O. Eve EOP Celebration of Excellence and Awards Convocation

Friday, October 16, 2009 2:00PM in the Student Union Theatre (Students are to check in by 1:30PM) 4:00PM Reception in the Special Events Area Lobby 1st floor Student Union Students Honored:

. State Wide Academic Honors 2000 (over 3.0 GPA) . High Academic Achiever Spring 2009 (over 3.0 GPA) . High Academic Achiever Fall 2008 (over 3.0 GPA) . Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges . EOP Graduates 2009

Other Honorees:

. Friends of EOP

Center for Academic Development Services


The Spectrum

10

Researcher seeks to find breast cancer gene in black women

Another black eye could be deadly

By JUAN CARLOS GUTIERREZ Staff Writer

PARRINO from page 12 the start of the season and it really bothers me to cheer for a guy that cheated. With that said, at least he told the truth, for the most part. A guy like former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire is the real embarrassment, as he has lied time and time again even when everyone knows he took steroids. The truth is that baseball can’t make it through another scandal. No matter what people may believe about “America’s Pastime,” another black eye could remove the sport from the American landscape for a very long time.

October 12, 2009

But I don’t want to think about that now. I am once again captivated with the game and look forward to every pitch with great anticipation. So I’ll cheer for A-Rod and the Yanks and would like to say thank you because, for the time being, I have chosen to forget my disgust and simply lose myself in the game I love and the magic of October. Hopefully the players don’t screw it up this time.

E-mail: matt.parrino@ubspectrum.com

Black women, who have been shown to be at higher risk for breast cancer, may have a beacon of hope in the fight to find a cure. Heather Ochs-Balcom, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, is conducting a study called “The Jewels in Our Genes” that targets the specific breast cancer genes shared by black women. “Black women have much higher rates of premenopausal breast cancer, which means that they are diagnosed at much younger rates than [Caucasian] women and that black women that are diagnosed with breast cancer are much more likely to die from it,” Ochs-Balcom said.

The study is distinctive in that it only researches black women, Ochs-Balcom said. “Genetic epidemiologists did studies in [Caucasian] families and in the early ’90s found that BARCA 1 and 2 genes that are bad mutations that . . . eventually force [women] to remove their breasts when they’re young in order to completely avoid breast cancer,” Ochs-Balcom said. “This type of study has never been done for black women.” She said that she will obtain DNA samples from all across the country. Participants will give a saliva sample and then fill out a survey before sending the entire kit back to UB. Ochs-Balcom will use this information to study the participants’ genes. Ochs-Balcom is aware that some women will not want to participate.

“This study would be difficult [to conduct] because black women think they’re guinea pigs … But if we don’t study them more, we can’t develop new things for them,” Ochs-Balcom said. Ochs-Balcom partnered with the National Witness Project, a national community-based program that seeks to inform and promote awareness and screening of breast cancer among black women, in order to organize the study. “They’re having programs in churches involving speakers … and [having women] share their experiences with the community. I am partnering with them in order to find these families that have multiple cases of breast cancer,” Ochs-Balcom said. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

Inconsistency in freshmen SWIM from page 12 Koltz, and freshman Caroline Simmons, placed first with a time of 1:48.07. The ‘B’ team recorded a second-place finish, clocking in just behind their teammates with a time of 1:49.86. The rest of the swimming team followed the two relay teams’ successful finishes. Buffalo ended its afternoon with an electrifying win over St. Bonaventure in the men’s 4x200 relay, with nine-hundredths of a second separating the two squads.

There were victories at the beginning, in the end and everywhere in between. Out of the 34 swimming events, Buffalo won 18 of them. Marceki led the team by winning three more events: the 200 individual medley in 2:11.17, the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.03, and the 200 breaststroke in 2:24.15. Senior Zach Ruske also had a standout afternoon, leading the men’s 4x200 relay to a first-place finish. He also won the 200 breaststroke with a time of 1:54.36. “We performed well, but I think

there’re still some areas that we really need to improve on,” said head coach Andy Bashor. Though Buffalo had mostly successful results, Bashor saw a few flaws during the team’s performance, but feels they are problems that can be solved. “I just think we need to be more aggressive in the beginning of the races and have more confidence in trusting their ability a little bit more,” Bashor said. As for the freshmen’s performance, Bashor noted that there was some inconsistency. “The biggest thing for a freshman

is learning how to race when they’re tired and just being able to be more consistent,” he said. “That’s something we need to work on as a team, just being more consistent.” After Saturday’s performance, diving coach Karla Hedler had a positive outlook on how the rest of the diving team’s season is going to turn out, especially after senior Meili Carpenter won her diving event by over a 100-point margin. “I see some very, very strong meets happening,” Hedler said. “We’re going to be extremely competitive in the [Mid-American Conference].”

Despite not having team scoring, Hedler believes that her veteran team won the event. “Everybody did a little bit of everything very, very well,” Hedler said. “That’s the beautiful part of having a slightly older team. They get a chance to work well with together, and they support each other.” The swimming and diving team’s have their first dual meet on Oct. 23 against Duquesne at the Alumni Arena. It is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

Buffalo elevated defensive play SOCCER from page 12 those free kicks,” said head coach Michael Thomas. “She put the ball beautifully over the wall and the keeper didn’t really have a chance.”

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Broncos applied more pressure in the second half and it was clear that the team wasn’t going down easy. Western Michigan forward Stephanie Skowneski cut the Bulls’ lead in half, scoring a goal from 25 yards out in the 59th minute. With the Broncos trailing only by one, Buffalo elevated its play defensively. The one-goal lead was all Buffalo needed in this game, mostly because of outstanding play from its senior goalkeeper Amy Coron. Coron recorded 10 saves, with eight coming in the game’s second half. Coron’s 398 career saves record ranks second in Buffalo’s history – just 16 shy of Buffalo’s all-time career save record of 414. “The biggest thing that Amy brings to the table is consistency,”

Thomas said. “She shows up night in and night out and we’ve begun to expect this type of performance out of her.” Thomas accredited the win to how hard this team has worked all season on and off the field. “Mostly I’m just happy for the players,” Thomas said. “They’ve come together. They’re so close to one another and they’ve been putting the hard work in on the practice field. This is something they really deserve as a team who’s worked so hard throughout the season.” Buffalo gained a two-game winning streak on Sunday, defeating the Northern Illinois Huskies 2-0. Check back Wednesday for extended coverage of Buffalo’s third victory of the season. E-mail: sports@ubpsectrum.com

Key errors gave Cardinals the win VBALL from page 12 Momentum swung once again and the Bulls battled to tie the game up at 16. After a kill shot by senior outside hitter Dani Silvers, the Bulls clinched the match after an ace by junior middle blocker Kelsey Lueders. “Obviously, we know [Akron is] a really good team, we just wanted to come in and protect our gym,” Lueders said. “We would obviously like to win every game in three, but a ‘W’ is a ‘W’, and if we have to do it in five games, we will.” But the Bulls could not continue the momentum they received from their come-from-behind victory. Ball State (9-9, 2-3 MAC) protected its home court and won the last two games of the match to win 3-1.

Down 1-0 after an opening-game loss, Buffalo rebounded and captured a 25-17 victory in game two. But the Cardinals dug deep to capture their second MAC victory. The team came out strong in the third game and won the game easily. After that point, the Cardinals controlled the tempo and easily captured the 25-15, match-clinching win. Buffalo’s key errors gave Ball State the victory. The Cardinals finished with a .286 hitting percentage compared to the Bulls’ .172. The Bulls look to continue their winning ways when they host Northern Illinois Friday at 7 p.m.

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com


The Spectrum

October 12, 2009

CLAS S I F I E DS FOR SALE

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CLASSIFIED ads may be placed at The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union, Amherst Campus. Office hours are from 9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Deadlines are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00 for display and 2:00 p.m. for classifieds for the next edition. Weekly rates are $10.00 for the first ten words and 75¢ for each additional word. All ads must be paid in advance. The ad must be placed in person or send a legible copy of the ad with a check or money order for full payment. No ads will be taken over the phone. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit any copy. No refunds will be given on classified ads. Please make sure copy is legible. The Spectrum does not assume responsibility for any errors except to reproduce any ad (or equivalent), free of charge, that is rendered valueless due to typographical errors. Please call 645-2152 for any additional information.

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The Spectrum

12

October 12, 2009

SP O R T S First meet success By BRIAN JOSEPHS Matthew Parrino Asst. Sports Editor

October magic I never thought I’d see the day, but with one swing of his bat, New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez made me forget why I stopped watching baseball. I lost interest in the game about three years ago because of the rampant steroid use. The lies players got caught up in became too much for me to stomach. That all seemed to fade away on Friday night. The Yankees were down 3-1 with nobody out in the ninth inning. First baseman Mark Teixeira led off the frame with a single to right field, keeping hope alive for the Yankees. And then it happened. Rodriguez stepped up to the plate and blasted a fastball to deep center field, clearing the wall and tying the game. His shot set up an extra-inning walk-off homer that put the Yankees up 2-0 on the Minnesota Twins in the American League Divisional Series. The feat was even more impressive considering the post-season history that haunts Rodriguez. He has always been one of the elite players in the game, but a World Series Championship has eluded him. The Yankees have struggled ever since they signed Rodriguez back in 2004, and many people have placed the blame solely on his shoulders. While it is hard to feel sorry for the richest man in the history of the sport, I’ve always wanted Alex to succeed as a Yankee. The magic of baseball was present in the brand new Yankee Stadium that night, and that is exactly what I have missed. I miss the sound of Frank Sinatra at the end of every win and the voice of public address announcer Bob Sheppard calling ‘Derek Jeter’ just before he steps into the batter’s box. The drama that comes with each pitch as the game moves closer and closer to the end can leave you with the utmost joy or the worst heartbreak. Arguably the most dramatic team in baseball, the Yankees can win a game with a home run at any point in time – and that is exciting. It remains difficult for me to overlook the fact that most of the players I am watching have cheated and have lied about it. There is nothing worse in competition than someone gaining an unfair advantage. Things become even stickier because Rodriguez is the poster boy for steroids. He admitted to using banned substances before see PARRINO page 10

Staff Writer

As some coaches will tell you, a team’s success isn’t always measured in points. It can be measured by your freshmen. Both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams started their seasons by hosting the Western New York Invitational on Saturday and debuting 14 freshmen swimmers in the process. Buffalo’s opponents

included Binghamton University, St. Bonaventure, Niagara University and Canisius College. Although this wasn’t a team-scored event, the teams were extremely competitive heat after heat. The invitational started with the women’s 200-medley relay. The ‘A’ team, which consisted of freshman Katelyn Pratt-Collins, sophomore Brynn Marceki, junior Jessie see SWIM page 10

SIDELINES Wrestling legend to visit UB for clinic

Andy Lin / The Spectrum

The Bulls hosted the Western New York Invitational this weekend, where they competed against the likes of Binghamton, Canisius, Niagara and St. Bonaventure.

Zipping by Akron, grounded by Cardinals By MATT WEBER Staff Reporter

Home-and-away weekends can have a profound impact on the conference standings. Winning both games can cement you as the team to beat, and getting swept can have the exact opposite effect. But splitting the duo of games can leave you searching for answers. On Thursday night, the volleyball team played a thrilling match against Akron, ultimately edging the Zips in a five game nail biter. The team opened the series of games with a back-andforth contest on Thursday night against Akron. Down two games to one, the Bulls fended off the Zips to tie the match in the fourth game and captured the do-or-die fifth game for the 3-2 (25-18, 24-26, 24-26, 25-21, 18-16) win. But the Bulls were unable to sustain momentum two days later and dropped a road contest to Ball State 3-1 (2522, 17-25, 25-15, 25-15) on Saturday. On Thursday, Buffalo (12-7, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) hosted Akron (9-11, 1-5 MAC) in what looked like a pretty easy win for the Bulls when comparing records. However, Akron came in

Rachelle Toarmino / The Spectrum

Akron was able to force an overtime game against the volleyball team, but it fell to Buffalo in five games.

motivated and pushed the match to five games. The Bulls won the first game fairly easily, 25-18, and looked to capitalize on their early success. The second game, however, was a lot closer and the Zips won, 26-24. In the beginning of the third game, the Bulls were rolling. They got out to an early 8-2 lead, but were unable to seal the deal as Akron battled back and captured another 26-24 win. The win put Akron up 2-1 and placed the Bulls on the ropes. Head coach Todd Kress was aware that the team has struggled to finish off games. “We had them down in... games two and three and couldn’t finish,” Kress said. “We just need to be better in situations when we have opportunities to win.” Though the Bulls were unable to hold early leads, they faced adversity and got back into the match. Akron could not close out the match in game four as the Bulls’ 25-20 victory extinguished Akron’s hot streak. The Bulls hopped out to an 8-4 lead in the fifth and match-deciding game, but once again lost momentum and fell behind 13-12. see VBALL page 10

Staff Reporter

Rain and harsh weather conditions are a lot easier to handle when you double your win total. The women’s soccer team captured its first MidAmerican Conference win of the season on Friday night, defeating Western Michigan, 2-1, on a rain-soaked field in UB Stadium. Despite the harsh weather conditions, the Bulls scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of play. Buffalo (3-10-1, 2-3-1 MAC) struck early, scoring its first goal in the fourth minute. Freshman Katie Kerr raced down the left side of the field with the ball and found freshman Stephanie Velez on the left wing with a pass that sneaked in between

two Western Michigan (5-6-1, 2-3 MAC) defenders. Broncos goalie Sarah Phillips applied pressure on the pass, sprinting to the top of the box to block the shot. Her attempt to cut off the angle, however, was futile. Velez blasted the ball from 20 yards out, past the goalkeeper and into the net for the Bulls’ first goal. The slippery field didn’t slow down Buffalo. The Bulls managed to score again in the 15th minute. Junior Lindsey Bailey drew a foul on Western Michigan about 23 yards from goal. Bailey then extended the Bulls’ lead to 2-0 as she scored her first goal of the season off of the free kick. “Lindsey’s great at striking see SOCCER page 10

Scoreboard Thursday

Women’s Soccer

Buffalo 2 Western Michigan 1 Saturday Football

Buffalo Gardner-Webb

40 3

Sunday Women’s Soccer

Northern Illinois Buffalo

0 2

Upcoming Events Monday Women’s Tennis

at National Tennis Center Invite, All Day

Mid-American Conference Football Standings

Singin’ in the rain By CHRIS LAW

The Bulls will hold a special wrestling clinic on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Former Iowa head coach Dan Gable will be a special guest. The event will take place at Alumni Arena for the seventh consecutive year. Making his first trip to the Buffalo area, Gable is considered to be one of the best wrestlers and coaches in the history of the sport. While attending Iowa State, Gable won an impressive 118 matches, only losing once in his career, at the NCAA finals at the end of his senior season. Gable continued his legacy after college, capturing a gold medal at the 1972 Olympics after moving through the tournament without allowing a single point to any opponent. Gable’s tenure as head coach at Iowa has been equally impressive. He has won more matches then any other coach at the school, as well as 25 consecutive Big Ten titles. Tickets for the event are $100. For more information, contact Bulls head coach Jim Beichner at 716-645-6876 or e-mail beichner@buffalo.edu.

East Division MAC Overall Temple 3-0 3-2 Ohio 2-0 4-2 B. Green 1-1 2-4 Kent St. 1-1 2-4 Buffalo 0-2 2-4 Akron 0-2 1-4 Miami 0-2 0-6 West Division MAC C. Mich. 3-0 N. Ill. 1-0 W. Mich. 2-1 Toledo 1-1 E. Mich. 0-2 Ball St. 0-2

Derek Chong / The Spectrum

Despite the rain, the Bulls were able to net two goals against Western Michigan as they won for the second time this season, 2-1.

Overall

5-1 3-2 3-3 3-3 0-5 0-6


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