LEAVING FANS ‘LOVE DRUNK’
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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
Friday, October 16, 2009
Volume 59 Issue 16
An independent student publication of the University at Buffalo
24-hour busing finally a reality By CAITLIN TREMBLAY News Editor Gone are the days of running down Main Street to catch the last UB Stampede bus at 2 a.m. Beginning Wednesday, buses will run between North and South Campus 24 hours a day thanks to the Student Association and some important partners. “This was part of our platform when we ran last year and we’re
very excited that it’s now a reality,” said acting SA President Ernesto Alvarado. “The response and the support from the university has been fantastic.” Buses will run from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., bridging the gap in the UB Stampede’s regular service. Alvarado said that one additional bus will run Monday through Thursday and there will be two buses on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. These buses will run from Flint
Rob Schulz / The Spectrum
Students will soon be able to ride the UB Stampede at any time of the day. Loop on North Campus and the Main Street Loop on South Campus. “Safety was always our goal before we even started looking into this,” Alvarado said. “We wanted to make sure that with a 24-hour bus service, students were still able to
get home safely.” SA Treasurer Jordan Fried said that safety was always a contingency in the 24-hour busing plan. “We’re very pleased with the two groups on campus who have come forward to make the 24-hour busing
work and to ensure it’s safe,” Fried said. SA teamed up with the Graduate Student Association and Sub-Board I, Inc. to create the means and funds see BUS page 2
Empowerment and survival By RACHEL LAMB Asst. Life Editor Every two minutes, a man or woman is raped in the United States. Wednesday night marked the 21st anniversary of UB’s annual Take Back the Night rally against domestic and sexual violence. Several hundred students, faculty and members of the Buffalo community rallied against rape. According to Jane Fischer, director of SBI Health Education for Sub-Board I, Inc., Take Back the Night is an international event that is held at countless universities and in many countries. “It started as a general protest against violence, but UB’s events mostly have taken a sexual and gender violence twist,” Fischer said. “But no two Take Back the Night events are the same anywhere.” The event, which is sponsored by SBI, featured a slideshow, short skit, guest speaker and rape survivor Amber O’Daniels, who told the audience about the importance of
Tim Ho / The Spectrum
UB students marched in protest of sexual violence at Take Back the Night on Wednesday.
Gov. Paterson cuts education funding By REN LaFORME Senior Managing Editor In a rare move, New York State Gov. David Paterson asked state lawmakers to make major midyear budget cuts on Thursday – including $62 million from higher education. The governor will also cut $26 million from the Tuition Assistance Program, which will affect current TAP awards, budget officials said. Paterson said that the state is facing a $3 million budget deficit this year and has to make “painful” cuts to help bring the numbers down.
Inside: Arts and Life ........... 5 Classifieds .............. 7 Opinion .................... 3 Sports .................... 8 This Weekend ........ 2
“This budget deficit has affected all of us, and all of us are going to have to sacrifice,” Paterson said, during his address in Albany. The governor also made $480 million in cuts in school aid to districts across the state in New York’s first midyear education cut since 1991. The proposed plan also cuts $471 million from Medicaid, $10 million from the environmental protection fund, $300 million from the Battery Park City Authority and $125 million from transportation programs. see CUTS page 2
BOYS LIKE GIRL S Proud models rocked the runway in the Student Union. See Page 5
see NIGHT page 2
SUNY prepares to battle H1N1 pandemic By STEPHEN MARTH Editor in Chief
NYS Governor David Paterson
sexual assault awareness. “Talking about [rape] is a form of activism,” O’Daniels said. “Not allowing survivors to talk about it is re-victimizing them. They have to know that they can talk about what happened.” O’Daniels was raped repeatedly between the ages of 5 and 8, but is now in a healthy relationship and expecting a child soon. O’Daniels finds passion in speaking to groups of students as a rape survivor, inspiring others to find happiness despite their difficulties. “Rape can be reduced by awareness,” O’Daniels said. Buffalo’s female a capella group, the Royal Pitches, attended the lecture as well. Tessa Shuck, a junior exercise science major, said that the girls have performed at Take Back the Night for as long as she can remember. “A lot of [students] don’t know about this event, but it’s such a good cause,” Shuck said. “It’s important to recognize and respect the men
As flu season begins to creep into the daily lives of many students and faculty, SUNY is planning ways to combat the H1N1 virus. On Wednesday, SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher released a plan featuring three key aspects: to prepare for any form of the flu virus, to educate the public about those viruses and to respond effectively to those concerned about the virus. “Our first priority is to
help keep students, faculty and staff healthy and safe,” Zimpher said in a press release. “When there is illness, SUNY’s advanced planning and preparation aims to minimize it.” In preparation for a pandemic, SUNY has created a Web site, located at www.suny.edu/h1n1. In addition to the dailyupdated site, Zimpher has also implemented a tool that allows all of SUNY’s 64 campuses to report cases see PANDEMIC page 2
P ORN ‘ N PUPPETS Bert and Ernie are so last decade.
See Page 5
SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher
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SUNY campuses will offer H1N1 vaccination PANDEMIC from page 1 of “Influenza-Like Illness,” so a daily report can be sent to the NYS Department of Health. To date, only an average of 0.02 percent of SUNY’s 440,000 students – or 83 people – have reportedly exhibited such symptoms. To educate the public, Zimpher has encouraged campuses to hold meetings for campus emergency groups, provide education and supplies to campus communities and explore alternative housing for sick on-campus students. Richard Lee, a professor of medicine and expert on infectious disease proliferation and preven-
tion, said that concern is necessary even if the H1N1 virus – commonly referred to as “swine flu” – doesn’t gain considerable strength during the winter months. “Should we worry? Well, the answer is wishy washy,” Lee said in a press release. “Maybe. We should plan and be prepared because we are rational, not afraid. Individual hygiene, courtesies about exposing others – staying home, covering sneezes and coughs, washing hands – are essential for personal and public health protection.” SUNY campuses are offering seasonal flu shots on-site while awaiting for orders of an H1N1 vaccination to arrive. In addition, campuses are also using the SUNY NY-Alert system to
contact students. The system, which was established over two years ago, is used to contact all students through text messages, e-mail and voice messages in the event of an emergency. Nearly 100 percent of SUNY’s campuses are a part of the service. “Chancellor Zimpher’s proactive efforts are a model of all academic institutions and will provide valuable situational awareness for SUNY campuses, maximizing the prevention of outbreaks and minizing spread of illness in campus communities,” said New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. “We look forward to collaborating in SUNY’s surveillance efforts. The data being collected ... will greatly enhance our
ability to provide consultation and will facilitate rapid response when it is warranted.” In addition to SUNY’s plan, UB has increased awareness around campus. Hand-sanitizing stations have appeared in many high-traffic areas, including near campus eateries. The university is also implementing educational measures to inform students and faculty about simple ways to halt the spread of illness, such as covering a cough. No H1N1-related deaths have been reported throughout the SUNY system.
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
‘Leadership requires commitment and vision’ CUTS from page 1 Paterson drew immediate criticism from several education advocacy groups, including the Albanybased Alliance for Quality Education. “The governor’s cuts to our schoolchildren are absolutely unacceptable,” said Billy Easton, executive director for the group, in a press release. “The legislature must say no
to these damaging cuts to schools.” Geri D. Palast, executive director for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, also condemned the cuts. “Times are tough, but leadership requires vision and commitment to our fundamental priorities,” Palast said in a press release. “Midyear cuts that cripple our children’s opportunities will cripple their futures and ours.” Paterson said that he expected
the criticism, but urged New Yorkers to stay strong. “We understand how difficult this is, but New York has got to stay in our financial position of stability,” Paterson said.
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
24-hour busing is on a trial basis BUS from page 1 to ensure that every student gets home safely. GSA donated funds to supplement the money that SA put into the program, while SBI has agreed to extend their Anti-Rape Task Force van to take students from the South Campus bus stop to their homes in the University Heights. “We want students to have the freedom to stay out as late as they want or study as late as they want and still be able to sleep in their own beds,” Fried said. Alvarado and Fried said that the
faculty & student
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24-hour busing will only run for the remainder of the semester as a trial period, but after SA collects student opinions and data of bus usage, they will present the information to the university. “We have been assured that if the numbers look good and if it turns out to be a cost-effective service then the university will continue it,” Alvarado said. SA originally wanted to make the South Campus library open 24 hours, along with the busing, but after speaking to library staff they determined it was not feasible. “We tried,” Fried said. “But it
just didn’t work. But we do think the busing will be a major asset to the student body. If the libraries are open 24 hours, then the buses should be, too.” Alvarado said that due to careful budgeting and planning, no SA activities would be cut to finance the 24-hour buses for the rest of the semester. He hopes that students will show UB their support for this service by utilizing it. “The best thing students can do to make this trial run a permanent reality is to use it,” Alvarado said. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Participants marched down Main Street NIGHT from page 1 and women who have been sexually assaulted and I’m happy to be part of a group that [recognizes] that. It’s very touching.” Various other groups attended the event, including the Anti-Rape Task Force, the Men’s Group, the Puerto Rican Organization for Dignity, Elevation, and Responsibility and multiple sports teams. These groups spoke to the audience about the importance of awareness of sexual assault and violence. The Men’s Group urged the men in the audience to take responsibility for their actions and help to encourage others to live in a society where rape does not occur. After a small skit was performed about the dangers of date rape drugs, the entire audience and facilitators led a march down Main Street to protest violence.
faculty-
“It was so exciting. We even stopped traffic,” said Jen Mihok, a senior history major and member of UB’s women’s soccer team. “Hopefully the people that saw us and our signs will take notice and [the message of non-violence] will spread to them.” According to Mihok, both men’s and women’s sports teams were encouraged to attend Take Back the Night. “It’s a tradition, but I think that I would have come anyway,” Mihok said. “ I think it’s such a great cause and it’s good that a lot of the [men’s teams] came.” Wellness Education Services sponsored the event and sold umbrellas and T-shirts to collect money for Crisis Services, a program in Buffalo dedicated to promoting health, safety and the wellbeing of the community through prevention and support.
In addition to collecting money, SBI asked for donations of sweatpants, non-white T-shirts, toothpaste, deodorant and other toiletries. These items are put together in “comfort kits” that are given to rape victims in the emergency room after an attack. “In a lot of situations, [rape victims’] clothing is taken at the hospital for evidence, so they do not have anything to go home in,” Fischer said. “We take kits to the survivors so that they can go home as soon as possible after they are done with their exams.” SBI is still taking clothing and toiletry donations from students at the SBI Health Education office in Hayes Annex C Suite 5 on South Campus. For more information, call (716) 829-2584. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
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Who: Eric Hilliker, Asst. Arts Editor What: Ray Bradbury 3D Saturday Matinee When: Saturday at 2 p.m. Where: North Park Theater Why: The Buffalo International Film Festival presents It Came From Outer Space, a true science fiction classic of the ’50s.
Who: James Twigg, Asst. Arts Editor What: AC DC When: Sunday Where: HSBC Arena Why: Anyone who managed to snatch up a ticket for this sold out show is guaranteed to leave “Thunderstruck.”
Who: Christopher Di Matteo, Arts Editor What: Pepper When: Friday at 7 p.m. Where: Town Ballroom Why: We are halfway through the semester, you need to “light”en up…
The Spectrum
October 16, 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 Chelsie Hinkley, asst. 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
Budget fiasco
Flight plan
Gov. Paterson unveils new budget cuts to fight deficit There’s an old saying that the only things in life that are certain are death and taxes. For New York State, it’s starting to become taxes and budget cuts. Gov. David Paterson unveiled a new round of cuts to quell New York State’s rising budget deficit, bringing further cuts to education and health care spending. Paterson said that New York’s budget situation is starting to become uncontrollable and if no change is made to the current budget, there is a real possibility that New York State will run out of cash. This all is occurring a day after New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced that the state’s budget deficit is actually closer to $4.1 billion, as opposed to the $2.1 billion projected last summer by Paterson’s office. This budget issue is becoming a tedious issue to deal with. Last year Paterson believed that creating two new tax brackets for higher income families, a 2 percent utility increase on all residents and further cuts into SUNY’s budget this year would help combat the crisis. What have our elected officials been doing all summer? It seems like nothing. Instead of helping to ease the burden on New York State families, legislators were arguing over whether Democrats or Republicans should set the agenda. Their words of sympathy toward their fellow New Yorker’s plight are, quite frankly, an empty gesture. There has been no indication of whether these proposed cuts would affect the aid received by close to 1,000 New York school districts. The state budget has grown at staggering rates over the years.
Compared to the growth of the rate of inflation, the budget has grown at a rate of three times as much. Don’t forget that increased tax and fee rates haven’t helped matters at all. New York has already dipped into its emergency funds to meet its responsibilities. The state’s revenue streams are extremely dependent on income tax revenues and sales tax, which are down 8 percent from last year, or around $606 million. The sales tax revenue has been hurt due to the downturn in the economy because consumers aren’t spending as freely anymore. Politicians have been throwing around the phrase “economic stabilization” and say that they have been taking measures to keep “even footing” in the economy. But the Dow Jones Industrial Average broke 10,000 yesterday, which hasn’t happened in a year. Wall Street is starting to go back to business as usual. It would seem the economy has stabilized, and New York is falling behind. There is a slight possibility that New York State legislators could push for increasing taxes instead of cuts from education and health care. It feels like elected officials are asleep at the wheel. After all, Paterson miscalculated the deficit by $2 billion. That’s alarming. Maybe New York needs a total revamp of elected officials. Because this lot seems to be completely incompetent, officials are dealing with the repercussions from the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. And Woodrow Wilson wasn’t elected again after the Great Depression. New Yorkers need real change, not advocacy for it.
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.
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OCTOBER 16, 2009 VOLUME 59 NUMBER 18 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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Rush Dropped Limbaugh dropped out of bid for NFL Franchise Public perception is king in the United States – and nobody learned that lesson better than Rush Limbaugh. In the past week, a group of investors that included Limbaugh were in contention to purchase the St. Louis Rams. Due to overwhelming public pressure from various NFL-related groups and society outrage, Limbaugh’s involvement has been stopped. The negative press was inevitable when dealing with someone this controversial. Limbaugh’s views are out there, but Limbaugh should have the right to own an NFL franchise. As a minority owner, Limbaugh has no role in football operations and, more importantly, this is a business decision. It’s a good investment because most NFL teams make money. The firm of Goldman Sachs, on behalf of the children of late owner Georgia Frontiere, is selling the Rams. Citing league sources, the St. Louis Dispatch said that as many as six different groups are in contention. Limbaugh’s ownership group includes former Madison Square Garden Executive and current St. Louis Blues owner Dave Checketts, who is widely respected in the industry. Also involved is famed financier George Soros, who is part owner of the St. Louis Blues with Checketts. “He was born 100 miles south of St. Louis, is an avid NFL fan, and had an interest in keeping the Rams in St. Louis rather than allowing them to move to another market, which another ownership group may do,” Checketts said in a statement. The truth is, Limbaugh has made offensive comments in the past. Some Americans share his viewpoints and others disagree or simply ignore him. The NFL has given second chances to numerous players for deplorable acts. For example, Michael Vick was given a second chance after torturing and killing dogs – but
they don’t allow a conservative radio talk show host who stirs the Republican base to own a team. This is from the league that had to mandate all teams to interview at least one minority candidate for open head coach positions. Both current and former NFL players have voiced opposition to Limbaugh’s minority holding of the Rams and said they would even discourage players from signing as free agents. It would certainly be interesting for professional athletes to actually make free agency less about money. But how many pros would be willing to not sign a lucrative deal simply because Limbaugh is a minority owner? Limbaugh isn’t the most interesting member of the group when it comes to questionable pasts. Soros, one of the wealthiest men in the United States, admitted on a 60 Minutes interview that as a child in Nazi-occupied Hungary, he actually helped in repossessing property for the Nazis. The kicker to the story is that Soros is Jewish and hid his identity to make it through the war. When asked if Soros had any regret in what he had done, he said, “If I weren’t there – of course, I wasn’t doing it, but somebody else would … be taking it away anyhow … so I had no sense of guilt.” In the era of this financial downturn, it would make sense for the NFL to secure the future of one of its franchises. Rush Limbaugh is a talking head paid to stir the conservative base in this country. It’s not a terrible injustice if he wants to keep his hometown team in-state. Freedom and rights apply to everyone. If you don’t agree with Limbaugh’s views, change the channel and ignore him. His ownership of an NFL team doesn’t mean the fabric of American Society is tearing.
As John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens while you’re busy being stuck on an airplane.” …Or something like that. After a weekend in New York City this summer, my boyfriend and I raced to the airport and made it just in time to catch our flight to Boston. It was wasted energy, though, because a crazy storm kept us stranded on the runway for nearly four hours. By the time we got to Boston, we’d missed our connecting flight to Buffalo. The airline gave us a voucher for a room at the airport hotel, and the personality-less guy behind the desk in some random airport office informed us that our new flight to Buffalo would be leaving at 9 p.m. the next day. A f t e r s p e n d i n g Keeley Sheehan hours sitting in Executive Editor uncomfortable airplane seats, it was hard to find any silver lining to the situation – though the hotel bar helped a little. But I was supposed to work the next day and I’m a wimp – calling in scares me, even if I have a valid excuse. I was ready to be home in my own bed, not stuck in some city I didn’t know anything about. After a good night’s sleep and some breakfast, things looked a little better. We realized we were in Boston, a city neither of us had been to before, on the airline’s dime. We’d be stupid not to take advantage of it. We took a water taxi to the edge of the city and started walking with only the tourist maps from the front desk to guide us toward something fun. At the time I was still debating where to apply to graduate school. I had my list narrowed down to five schools, and was stuck between Syracuse and Boston for a sixth. Boston University’s Web site made it seem nice enough, but I was more familiar with Syracuse because it’s just a few hours away and in the same state. We passed part of Boston University while we were on the bus heading downtown, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed the College of Communication building – the home of their graduate journalism program. We got off at the next stop and made our way into BU’s hallowed halls. Armed with nothing see SHEEHAN page 6
Out of the closet, into the world Anyone with eyes, ears and a passing regard for loud, bad music was sure to notice the spectacle going down in the Student Union on Thursday. Of course, said spectacle was the UB LGTBA’s annual professional drag show in honor of Coming Out Week. Gays and straights alike were equally entranced by the show that the drag queens brought as always. According to Wikipedia, Coming Out Day is “an internationallyShane Fallon observed civil awareAsst. Life Editor ness day for coming out and discussion about gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender issues, held on Oct. 11 of each year.” Issues? Well, I happen to think that I have lots of issues, but I’m not sure which of them exactly relates 100 percent to my being an LGBT person. One of the issues I do have is with a celebration of coming out as LGBT consisting of one day of drag queens representing an entire culture. I ask, now that we’re out of the closet, what about the rest of the house? I won’t bore you with a long-winded description of my own coming out tortures. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t fun. It’s safe to say that since then, my relationship with the gay community has been rocky at best. Three short years ago, when I first arrived here at UB, I was a gawky, awkward introvert with weird hair who couldn’t dress. I came to college certain I would find instant friends, the love of my life and bona fide acceptance and warmth in my rainbow hovel. So what, exactly, has the last three years taught me about being gay as well as being a regular human being in this world? see FALLON page 4
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Some set bad examples FALLON from page 3 First of all, that I actually can dress well, and when I’m motivated, my hair can look a lot less awkward. Friends are not always the most reliable, and actively seeking a relationship is the absolute worst way of going about finding one. I do believe that certain members of the gay community set a bad example in one way or another, and for that reason I choose to ignore them. I still simmer with white fury when coworkers at The Spectrum, my home away from home, compare me to a former photo editor. I seem to have become his successor simply because of his sexuality. I would hardly call myself an innocent bystander in the whole scenario. I’ve been treated badly, but I’ve also treated people badly. Have I found true friendship and thrown it away when I should have given it another chance? Maybe. Have I wished upon wishing that certain people would have stuck around? Sure. Have I gone in every direction at once, feeling like my life was coming apart at the seams? Who hasn’t? How, you must wonder, does all of this stuff go back to Coming Out Week? I like to take this time to think about where I’ve been, where I still want to go and how being an LGBT person has added to and taken away from my life. In the solitude and loneliness of those dark days, I did find solace and comfort in art, literature and
music — interests I doubt would have flourished as much had I been heterosexual. Friendship – true, real friendship – has also come to mean more and more to me. The soul brothers and sisters I have held onto here at UB know who they are. And last but not least, it takes weeks like these to remind me that being an LGBT individual is hardly everything that I am. I still wonder sometimes about the struggles ahead, like entering the workforce and eventually starting a family, but everything that has come before has also taught me a lot about my own strength and determination to survive and stay the best. So, here I am on this road less travelled, three years in, more or less still in one piece. It’s been an interesting journey to say the least. In my time here at UB, I’ve gone from living at Sweet Home, to Main Street near South Campus and finally downtown to Trinity, where I make my home today. Registering on a whim for The Spectrum class last fall, I’ve now moved up the ranks to assistant editor. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the often surprising city of Buffalo as well. In May, God willing, I’ll be graduating and moving on to infinity and beyond. It can only keep going up from here. E-mail: shane.fallon@ubspectrum.com
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AR T S & LI F E Scream like you mean it By KEELEY SHEEHAN and JOHN RANIC Executive Editor and Senior Arts Editor Boys Like Girls took over the Town Ballroom Wednesday night with such passion and fervor that that they shook the near thousand girls in attendance to the core and aged them right through puberty. Maybe that’s a minor exaggeration. Headlining the The OP Presents tour with The Maine, A Rocket To The Moon, VersaEmerge and Disco Curtis on the under bill, BLG proved that they’re not only big enough to headline a two month trek across the U.S., but that they’re officially full-blown rockstars. As lead singer Martin Johnson took to the center of the dark Ballroom stage, he fittingly belted out the chorus to the Black Eyed Peas hit “I Gotta Feeling,” with bassist Bryan Donahue, guitarist Paul DiGiovanni and drummer John Keefe following in his footsteps and flushing out the rest of the musical premonition. With huge, pulsating magenta and lavender lights illuminating a thousand smiling faces, the band seamlessly transitioned into “Love Drunk” and opened their set in the biggest way imaginable. Earning screams before and after Johnson’s strategically placed crotch grab after the line “You drove me crazy every time we touched,” the crowd went boy crazy and never dropped from their sugar high. With monster chorus after monster chorus, BLG followed with “Five Minutes To Midnight,” “She’s Got A Boyfriend Now” and “The Shot Heard ‘Round The World.” In front of a strobe-lit backdrop, the Massachusetts quartet commanded
Katelyn Carlett / The Spectrum
Boys Like Girls left their underage fans screaming for more on Wednesday. the stage with a confidence and presence that’s surely come with years of touring and support. Johnson, after peering into the tour starting, sold out crowd, soon realized just what he was getting into. “This is the first day of tour, man. We’re back. And it feels good to be back,” he said. After fan favorite “Hero/Heroine,” BLG motored through “Heart Heart Heartbreak,” which boasted an honest-to-god
guitar solo by DiGiovanni. As he slid around the stage with a sleeveless confidence reminiscent of Pete Wentz on a good day, DiGiovanni earned his ear piercing screams and “Go Paul” sign-holding fanatics. Filling in for Taylor Swift on “Two Is Better Than One” was VersaEmerge singer Sierra Kusterbeck, who did a nice job on her verse and quickly disappeared backstage. After “Contagious” and “Heels Over Head,” Johnson offered his sincerities to Buffalo and Boys Like Girls rounded out their pre-encore set with “Thunder.” “Buffalo has always been one of my favorite places to play. Back on our second tour, we came here and played our biggest show ever with Cute Is What We Aim For,” Johnson said. After waiving to the now-defunct band and ending round one, they returned with “Someone Like You” and their go-to closer “The Great Escape.” As Johnson jumped off stage and offered a hand and hugs to the outstretched limbs in the front row, he ended his band’s night embracing the fans that have taken them in since day one. Opening bands Disco Curtis and VersaEmerge got the crowd screaming, but it seems like any effeminate musician could have gotten those heart, heart, heartbeats pumping. Disco Curtis was nothing special, relying more on their malnourished, skinny-jeaned emo bods than any originality. Nothing proved this more than their cover of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” which had a flock of females, specifically one dressed in bright orange convict sweatpants, dancing like they see BOYS page 6
X-Rated puppets By VANESSA FRITH Staff Writer The Center for the Arts Mainstage Theater played host to a velvety cast of characters Tuesday and Wednesday night – depressed, confused, homosexual, slutty and sardonically hilarious puppets. These puppets comprise the nonhuman component of the “Avenue Q” National Tour cast. The Tony Award winning musical, including the 2004 award for Best Musical, follows the residents of New York City’s Avenue Q as they try to work their way through life, find love and pay the bills. They seem to be having a hard time of it. Princeton (Brent Michael DiRoma) is straight out of college and looking for his “purpose.” Kate (Jacqueline Grabois) is a hopeless romantic who works for a decaying kindergarten teacher. Christmas Eve (Lisa Helmi Johanson) is a therapist that can’t seem to keep a patient for more than an hour, and Rod (DiRoma) is in the midst of an identity crisis. This description sounds like a life lesson scripted for an elementary school set and may leave some theatergoers scratching their heads. But this is strictly an adult themed play – unless you want to subject a youngster to puppet sex and teach them that the Internet was created for the sole purpose of viewing porn. But a bunch of lifeless foam objects don’t deserve all the credit. The true talent lies in their manipulators. The cast radiates energy from the opening number. Despite the fact that most of the actors play more than one puppet, they have no trouble slipping in and out of their roles, even when their two drastically different characters have to talk to, or argue with, themselves. The actors aren’t just faceless drones that schlep around while you watch the puppets. Their expressions and motions mimic those of their charges and the audience finds itself wondering which one to watch more. The puppets and monsters live
Katelyn Carlett / The Spectrum
Technical difficulties didn’t stop a variety of drag queens from infiltrating the Student Union on Thursday.
Tim Ho / The Spectrum
The puppets and puppeteers of Avenue Q reminded the audience in the Center for the Arts that “Everyone is a little bit racist” alongside humans, the unemployed comedian Brian (Tim Kornblum), his Japanese immigrant wife Christmas Eve, and Avenue Q’s superintendent, the one and only Different Strokes child-star, Gary Coleman (Nigel Jamaal Clark). With numbers like “The Internet is for Porn” and “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” the musical makes fun of countless stereotypes and is laden with sexual innuendo. Rod’s failing attempt to carry on life as a “closeted homosexual” combined with the near, not-so-tragic death of Lucy the Slut (Grabois) gives the audience a lot to laugh about. Despite the overall lighthearted nature of the show, it touches on more serious and dramatic matters, too. Songs like “There’s a Fine, Fine Line,” “The More You Ruv Someone,” and “For Now” are clever, but they address the more weighty
matters of lost love and uncertain futures. No one actor stands out. They all stand tall together, playing vital roles and giving great performances. The audience seemed to enjoy the show. The theater was filled with uproarious laughter from the opening theme to the finale. “I don’t know how to put it into words … [“Avenue Q”] was just amazing,” said Ariel Kaplen, a freshman business major. “Avenue Q” is a true Sesame Street for grownups. Humor, wit and all the unpredictable events life has to offer are rolled up into a twoand-a-half hour event that reminds you that all of your problems will eventually pass, because life – and swine flu – are only “For Now.” E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Best in show By SHANE FALLON Asst. Life Editor The Coming Out Week festivities at UB came to a rocking close Thursday afternoon with the annual professional drag show sponsored by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance. The show, featuring familiar faces from downtown Buffalo’s Club Marcella and other performers from across Western New York, was held in the Student Union, and served as a colorful conclusion to a successful weeklong celebration of UB’s LGBT culture. After a short delay due to technical difficulties, host Natasha Michaels channeled Britney Spears in a series of fun and enjoyable sets, with some fierce outfits to complement. Michaels was adamant about
audience participation, and worked all her charms to gain a hearty response from the crowd that filled the SU little by little. Other performers included veteran drag queen Jayme Coxx, Beyonce-inspired diva Keke Valasquez-Lord, the reigning Ms. Adonias Bebe Bvlgari, the incomparable Fy’a Colby Valentino and Felisha Vega as a dead ringer for Mary J. Blige. LGBTA Vice President Juan Pereyra, a junior nursing major, also gave an amateur drag performance of his own as his alter ego Krystal Titz. As a whole, the performances were fierce, the outfits were stunning and the queens conducted themselves in a lively and thoroughly professional manner. see DRAG page 6
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October 16, 2009
Counted on crowd to scream BOYS from page 5 were the stars of a Mystikal video. VersaEmerge performed like they were on some sort of talent search reality show, the winner receiving a coveted spot on the next Twilight soundtrack. Third-openers A Rocket To The Moon got the crowd bouncing with their fluffy, substance-free pop punk in what was basically one big game of Simon Says. The crowd jumped, waved and put their hands in the air under lead singer Nick Santino’s constant direction. The Maine ambled into their opening song “I Must Be Dreaming.” The brace-faced audience didn’t seem to mind the Phoenix-based band’s lack of energy and screamed at deafening decibels for the entire set. They then launched into a cover of Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” relying more on the nostalgia value of the 1987 song than their own performing ability to keep the crowd bopping.
The band showed a lot more spunk when they opened for Boys Like Girls at the Town Ballroom last summer as part of the Soundtrack Of Your Summer Tour, when they were still relatively unknown. Over a year later, lead singer John O’ Callaghan seems to be aware of the fact that more people know who he is, given his lackluster efforts on “Count ‘em One, Two, Three,” “Into Your Arms,” and “Everything I Ask For.” The rest of the band made a decent effort, especially drummer Pat Kirch, but it couldn’t offset O’Callaghan’s arrogance and general refusal to move from the center of the stage, or at all. O’Callaghan’s bandmates ribbed on his shorter haircut. “My mom made me cut it,” he said. “She said I looked like a girl.” They played a previously unreleased demo “Life Like This,” with O’Callaghan feigning bashfulness, telling the audience not to look at him lest he faint while trying out the catchy song on the crowd. “Some of you are going to have to
Simplified defense
give me CPR,” he said over the growing squeals from the jailbait crowd. He took a few minutes to rag on the frigid Buffalo temperature before they closed out their set. “I don’t know why your parents brought you here,” he said. “It’s going to be a fun f*****g fall. The Bills suck, dude.” His chatter dissolved into rambling as the crowd let out it’s only boo’s of the night, and they jumped into their final songs; “We All Roll Along” and “Girls Do What They Want.” O’Callaghan barely sang the final songs, counting on the crowd to scream most of the lyrics at him instead. During “Girls Do What They Want,” the band pulled an underage crowd surfer on stage, placing the mic into her alcohol exempt, X-marked hands. She screeched her way through the chorus, showing more liveliness during a couple lines than the band did during their whole set. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
FOOTBALL from page 8 ited Central Michigan and GardnerWebb to 23 total points. According to Gill, the coaching staff recently simplified many aspects of the defense and emphasized tackling. “We really emphasized a lot on tackling, because we knew the next three to four ballgames were going to be against spread type offenses,” Gill said. “We just simplified things and just got down to learning responsibilities. Guys were starting to guess and were getting out of position.” The running attack has also
improved. Junior running back Ike Nduka has totaled 303 rushing since being implemented as starter two games ago. The recent surge of running has helped Roosevelt, quarterback Zach Maynard and the rest of Buffalo’s passing attack throw the ball downfield with more effectiveness. “You see safeties coming up more to stop the run now,” Roosevelt said. “It’s definitely been working with throwing balls over the top and things like that.” Opening kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at UB Stadium. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
‘We welcome all opinions’ DRAG from page 5 While the show’s mood and its preceding events were decidedly laid back and fun, many UB students saw the more serious undertones that come with being LGBT on campus. “Coming Out Week is a really great celebration of individuality in the UB community,” said Samantha Janosick, a junior social sciences major. “All the events have been amazing. I’m thankful that the UB community has been so supportive.” The LGBTA executive board had plenty of input on the success of the show and Coming Out Week in general. “The purpose of Coming Out Week is to give a chance for all members of the LGBTQ community to express themselves freely and without limitations,” Pereyra said. “This week was successful in that that desired message was delivered.” Christopher Joya, a junior biology major and LGBTA president, appreciated the show and the queens’ straightforward approach. “It was a great intertwining of queer and straight communities,” Joya said. “[The LGBTQ community is] not going to go away and just be swept under some rug.” Joe Nasby, a sophomore pre-law major, saw the performances in the
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Student Union as an opportunity for the drag queens themselves to be seen in a more up-close light. “The drag show allows the heterosexual population to view drag queens as actual people, not mere caricatures,” Nasby said. The show this year was met with a noticeable air of tension. Last year’s Coming Out Week festivities were infamously marked by several Christian-centered protests, with condemnation of the homosexual lifestyle freely shouted across North Campus. This year, however, the e-board was prepared. “[The protesting groups] had called several days beforehand, and they had intended on showing up,” said Zack Kelleher, a junior English and psychology major and LGBTA treasurer. Pereyra expressed his disappointment at the absence of the opposition. “It was nice they weren’t here,” Pereyra said. “But at the same time [the protests] were the spark of last year’s show.” Henry Lu, a senior art history and fine arts major and LGBTA events coordinator, was also open to some healthy opposition from the other side. “We welcome all opinions,” Lu said. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Dove in SHEEHAN from page 3
IN DECIDING WHICH LAW SCHOOL TO ATTEND,
CONSIDERTHIS: Quinnipiac University School of Law ranks among the top 100 law schools in such categories as bar passage rates for first time takers (95%); student LSAT scores; student/faculty ratio (9.5 to 1); and average expenditures per student. Not to mention, we offer merit scholarships ranging from $3,000 to full tuition. Before you decide which school to attend, make sure you review the facts. To learn more, visit law.quinnipiac.edu, email ladm@quinnipiac.edu or call 1-800-462-1944.
LAW.QUINNIPIAC.EDU
HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT
except my boyfriend and my purse, I crept hesitantly into the journalism department. I was completely unprepared to talk to anyone. But I dove in and asked questions, and found out a lot about a school I had previously all but dismissed. I’ve always been one to work from the plan. I make check lists and carve my goals in stone. But over the last year, I’ve been realizing that it’s really hard to live life like that. If I stuck to “the plan,” I’d be pretty unhappy right now. I’d be pursuing an English education degree that I don’t want, instead of pouring every ounce of myself into journalism. I’d be with someone safe and stale and looking forward to a thrilling life as a suburban housewife, instead of looking forward to all the odds and ends of life with someone who pushes me to go after what I want. I have no idea where I’ll be next year. Thanks to some thunder and lightning, I might be in Boston. I might be somewhere else. I don’t know. But I know that sometimes I need to put down my checklist and make the most of the possibilities. E-mail: keeley.sheehan@ubspectrum.com
The Spectrum
October 16, 2009
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October 16, 2009
SP O R T S Reversing early struggles
SCOUTING AKRON
By DAVID SANCHIRICO Senior Sports Editor Last season, the football team closed Akron’s Rubber Bowl with a thrilling four-overtime victory. The back-and-forth win continued Buffalo’s 2008 magic: the Bulls effectively knocked Akron out of the MidAmerican Conference East race and built off the win to eventually win the MAC Championship. But the two programs have changed a lot since the November 2008 contest. On paper, Saturday’s game between Akron (1-4, 0-2) and Buffalo (2-4, 0-2) does not resonate as important as last year’s contest, but the winner of the game could salvage its season, while the other will look forward to next season. For Buffalo, things are a lot less desperate than they were a week ago. The Bulls snapped a four-game losing streak and took out their frustration against Gardner-Webb. The win was necessary for the Bulls to regain confidence. “Your spirits get uplifted when you win a football game,” Gill said. “A ‘W’ was definitely needed for us. It wasn’t going to make or break a season but it uplifted spirits to continue to move on strong to the next opponent. It was definitely a welcomed thing.” Buffalo found itself in a similar situation last season. The Bulls came into their Homecoming game against Army at 2-4 and desperate for a win. They came out with a come-frombehind victory, marking the turning point of their season and sending them to the MAC Championship.
2009 Record: 1-4 (0-2 MAC)
Last Game:
Loss vs. Ohio, 19-7
Last Meeting:
Nov. 13, 2008, Buffalo 43-40 (4 OT)
Key Players:
QB Patrick Nicely:
True freshman, first career start WR Deryn Bowser
19 receptions, 288 yards, 5 touchdowns LB Brian Wagner:
57 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles LB Mike Thomas:
24 tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery
Buffalo Will Win If…
The team can produce inside the red-zone and put pressure on Akron’s freshman quarterback. Spectrum File Photo
Buffalo looks to get its first Mid-American Conference win Saturday afternoon against Akron. Kickoff at UB Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. Though Gill doesn’t harp on the similarities between the two situations, he knows his team remembers what happened last year. He also thinks that they should remember that it’s a new year. “I just mentioned it to them so they understand that there is a belief: when you’ve done something one time, you feel good about your ability to do it again,” Gill said. “But it is a new year. We have new players and we’re still just gelling together as a football team. This is the right time to
gel together, so it’s been mentioned, but it’s about focusing on ourselves, execution and our coaching staff continuing to put together great game plans.” Senior wide receiver Naaman Roosevelt, who is second in the MAC in total receiving yards, echoed the same sentiment. These next six games, all against MAC opponents, will dictate whether this season is a success or not. “[The situation] does remind you [of last year’s],” Roosevelt said. “It
was the same way we started. We picked it up like we did last year at Homecoming. We just have to go out there and focus, knowing that we have MAC games now. It’s now or never for us to win these games.” Buffalo has improved in important key areas to ensure success in the second-half of the season. Defense is one of those areas. After giving up 131 points in the team’s first four ballgames, the defense limsee FOOTBALL page 6
Playing where legends compete By LUKE HAMMILL Staff Writer It’s every tennis player’s dream to land at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But for most, the only glimpse they get of the historical courts is on television as they watch the U.S. Open. The women’s tennis team, however, got to experience the tennis epicenter firsthand this past week. The team competed in the National Tennis Center Invite, held at the home of the U.S. Open in Queens, N.Y. Head coach Kathy Twist felt that it was a great experience for her and the Bulls’ roster. “Being at Arthur Ashe Stadium and the grounds of the U.S. Open was just great,” Twist said. “Some of the girls played on the stadium courts where Serena Williams and [Roger] Federer and all the top players in the world play.” The team took four of its top players to the tournament, and though the players ended the weekend with mixed results, the tournament proved to be excellent preparation for the upcoming regular season in the spring. “It was very special,” Twist said. “I’ve been trying to get invited to this tournament for the last six years. They realize that we are as good as a lot of the top teams in our region, so we finally got invited.” In the “A” Flight, senior Denise Harijanto lost her opening round match to Princeton’s Melissa Saiontz, which moved
her into the consolation bracket. There, Harijanto defeated Emily Harman of Syracuse, 6-0, 6-3, before falling in the consolation quarterfinals to Harvard’s Kristin Norton, 7-6 (2), 4-6, 10-4. Junior Diana Popescu represented the Bulls in the “B” Flight. In the first round, she fell to No. 1 seed Casey Herzberg of Brown, 6-3, 6-2. Like Harijanto, Popescu was forced into the consolation bracket, in which she defeated Binghamton’s Jillian Santos, 1-6, 7-5, 10-8. Popescu’s run ended in the next match. Cornell’s Christina Ordway in the consolation quarterfinals bounced her out. Buffalo’s best results came from junior Aleksandra Petrova, who competed in the “C” Flight. In the opening round, Petrova took out fourth-seed Misia Krasowski of Brown in a close match (6-4, 4-6, 10-8). She then made quick work of Columbia’s Eliza Matache in the quarterfinals, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. In her semifinal match, Petrova was up against No. 1 seed Stephanie Kent of Cornell. Kent proved she was deserving of her seed, as she stopped Petrova’s run and won the match by a score of 6-0, 6-0. Freshman Tamara Markovic opened up her play in the “E” Flight with a solid victory over Penn’s Julianna Rodin, 7-5, 6-4. In her quarterfinal match, Markovic lost to Tana Illova of N.C. State, but responded well in her consolation match with a straight-sets win over Nakita Austin of St. John’s, 6-4, 6-4.
The Bulls also competed in doubles competition. In the “A” Doubles Flight, Harijanto and Popescu lost their opening round match to Boston College duo Alex Kelleher and Olga Khymlev. In the consolation bracket, the Bulls squad advanced to the quarterfinals due to an opponent’s injury but did not get any further than that, as Harijanto and Popescu fell to Kristin Beehler and Anne Houghton of Army. Petrova and Markovic competed in the “B” Doubles Flight, in which they defeated Courtney Kilarski and Elizabeth Verow of Seton Hall, 8-2. In the quarterfinals, the Bulls did not have enough to beat Elmine Botes and Julia Korshunova of Fairleigh Dickinson, but followed up by winning their consolation quarterfinal match against Christine Ordoway and Leah Seyburn of Cornell, 8-4. The National Tennis Center Invite and the rest of Buffalo’s fall tournament schedule helps the team tune up before MidAmerican Conference play begins in the spring. “The fall is to improve our tennis and see what we need,” Twist said. “The tournaments I scheduled this fall are stronger than we’ve ever gone to. People are really amazed at how far our program has come along.” Next up for the Bulls are the ITA Regionals, which begin on Friday, Oct. 23 in New Haven, Conn. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
Akron Will Win If…
The defense creates turnovers in the secondary and the linebackers stop the Bulls’ rushing attack.
Predictions: David Sanchirico senior sports editor:
“As much of a mess as the Bulls have found themselves in, Akron’s situation is even more dire. They lost starting quarterback Chris Jacquemain to a suspension and are now down to their third-string quarterback. The team also lost its recruiting coordinator/running back coach, who was under investigation for violating NCAA compliance requirements. “Even without the distractions, the Bulls outmatch the Zips on the field. The Zips’ only win this season came against Morgan State, a Division I-FCS school. This is not the same team Buffalo took four-overtimes to beat: the Zips’ running game is not nearly as effective, the leadership on offense is non-existent, and the defense is giving up 27 points a game. “If Buffalo executes to perfection, this could be a blowout. I think Akron can keep it close for three quarters, but with the Bulls finally hitting stride, the team should be able to move to 3-4.”
Prediction:
Bulls 28, Zips 17
Joe Paterno
assistant sports editor:
“I can’t see the Bulls coming out of this game with a loss. After their blowout-win last week, Buffalo has gained momentum and confidence. It took the Bulls four overtimes last year to top Akron, but this year, Buffalo will only need four quarters. “The Bulls should be able to control the tempo of the game. Buffalo’s defense limited Gardner-Webb last week to just 3.8 yards per play. With true freshman quarterback Patrick Nicely making his career first start for the Zips, expect the Bulls to put pressure on the young quarterback to cause turnovers. Akron’s rushing attack has been sluggish this season, but they may have to focus on keeping the ball on the ground to take pressure off Nicely. “If Buffalo can run the ball with success early in the game, it’ll open up play-action for Zach Maynard. Akron’s linebacking trio poses a threat, but Buffalo has the playmakers to put points on the board. Ike Nduka and Naaman Roosevelt will lead the Bulls to a second-straight win, and first win in the MAC.”
Spectrum File Photo
Four members of the women’s tennis team competed at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the National Tennis Center Invite this past weekend.