Vol. 61 NO. 31
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The X-Files
Poloncarz Defeats Collins to Become New County Executive
MATTHEW PARRINO Editor in Chief
Xavier Ford overcomes unbelievable odds
Most 12-year-olds are fast asleep by midnight on a school night.
In a hotly contested race for Erie County executive, challenger Mark Poloncarz, formerly the county comptroller, ousted incumbent Chris Collins to become the county’s leader on Tuesday. Collins conceded after 83 percent of the votes had been counted and Poloncarz led with 54 percent.
Not Xavier Ford. At midnight from ages 12 to 17, his day was just beginning. Ford, a freshman forward on the basketball team, worked a paper route with his grandfather, a man so hobbled by football injuries and surgeries he could barely walk. He worked Monday through Sunday, 365 days a year to help his family pay for food, rent and heat.
Poloncarz spoke at around 11 p.m. after Collins’ concession. Poloncarz thanked Collins for his service and he looks forward to a smooth transition. “To all the voters of Erie County, thank you very much,” Poloncarz said. “You proved that you don’t have to have millions in your bank account, you just have to have the heart of the community. I may not be able to self-fund my campaign, but tonight I feel like the richest man in Erie County.”
From 1 a.m. until 5 a.m. every day, Ford would roll all the newspapers and pack them and his grandfather – John Ford – into a van. Then they would throw the papers from about 5:30 a.m. until 6 a.m. Tired, hungry, and with hands covered in newsprint, Ford then had an hour to himself before school.
Before the results came in, Professor James E. Campbell, chair of the UB political science department, said that a Poloncarz victory would increase the size of the county government.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Ford headed to the basketball courts. He loved the time he had in the gym to prepare and to work at his true passion. He did homework until 10 p.m. got a few hours of sleep and started the routine again.
“You would expect that there would be more concern for supporting public functions, a much bigger government, support for the [cultural institutions], maybe more support for libraries,” Campbell said. “So essentially, you’ll have a more activist county government and a somewhat larger county government.”
Continued on Page 7
Xavier Ford has had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he was a kid. He may hold the Bulls' future in hands.
JAKE KNOTT Staff Writer
Continued on Page 7
Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum
Taco Time Outside the Union
On Tuesday afternoon WRUB had a scrumptiously new attraction for its guests: the recently founded Lloyd Taco Truck. WRUB Day, a semiannual promotional extravaganza of the student-run radio station, ran from around 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union lobby, endorsing the station to any straggler passing by. “It’s really all about the students,” admitted WRUB General Manager Sierra Chevrestt, a senior communications major at UB. “Without listeners, we don’t exist.” The station’s crew presented their visitors with gifts galore: popcorn,
cotton candy, music records, and Harold & Kumar movie tickets to name a few.
served to the individual standards of each customer, and made easy business out of it.
and, during that time, has remained determined about expanding its business to UB permanently.
“There’s always room to grow,” stated WRUB promotion director Ben Hasenauer, a junior marketing major. “I started planning this since I was hired in August, and starting today I’ll be planning for Spring semester.”
Proud Lloyd co-owner Pete Cimino was nothing short of ecstatic about teaming up with WRUB.
“Food trucks are great for colleges,” Cimino explained. “We understand that most college students don’t have extra pennies to spend.
WRUB wasn’t the only one marketing a product. The major draw for the UB crowd was the participation of Lloyd Taco Truck, Buffalo’s first food truck, which was parked alongside the curb outside the SU. Consumers horded the truck throughout its stay, all munching a morsel of the delectable Mexican cuisine. The steadfast Lloyd workforce
“This is really a cross-promotion,” Cimino elaborated. “We want everyone to get addicted to Lloyd and WRUB.” And together, both clubs accomplished just that. WRUB T-shirts hung outside the Lloyd venue and a lot of tacos were eaten; both sides win. What started out as a plausible idea has now transformed into a legit business. Lloyd Taco Truck has been on the road for about 15 months
With some more such campaigning, Lloyd Taco Truck is hoping to boost its reputation across the city of Buffalo. Food trucks are sweeping the nation right now, the Lloyd proprietor commented. You can find Lloyd Taco Truck once or twice a week at the corner of Mohawk and Main. Email: features@ubspectrum.com
WRUB teamed up with Lloyd Taco Truck on WRUB Day on Tuesday. The truck supplied hungry UB students who ventured out to the cross-promotional event. Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum
Modern Warfare 3 Midnight Madness JAMES TWIGG Senior Managing Editor
An army comprised of stealthy snipers, cowardly campers and noob-tubers invaded plaza parking lots and Gamestop gateways across the nation Monday night with one objective – get Modern Warfare 3 by any means necessary. It’s been four years since the original Modern Warfare blasted its way into gamers’ homes and set up base camp. In that time, the series has asserted itself as the premiere online shooter and has amassed an unrivaled following in the video game world. On Monday night, millions of gamers across the nation – and thousands in Buffalo – queued outside their local game retailer, thumbs twitching in anticipation for the long-awaited release of Modern Warfare 3. “It’s pretty clear there is demand in the 25 million unit range,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter in USA Today. “Last year, Black Ops sold 17
million at holiday and another 8 million in the first half of 2011. Modern Warfare 3 should sell at least 18 million at holiday, and we’ll see what its legs are.”
It was clear from Monday’s midnight release events that there was no shortage of hype surrounding the game’s debut in the Buffalo region. Multiple game stores opened their doors at 12:01 a.m. to give gamers the chance to finally get their hands on the much-sought-after title. Gamestop parking lots around the city were each filled with hundreds of gamers tossing footballs, swapping stories of skirmishes past and even downing a couple brews in an attempt to pass the time. For Mike Filler, 17, and Eric Baker, 18, this took a little more effort as they stood outside the Niagara Falls Boulevard store for a staggering nine hours in order to be the first two in line. “We’ve been here since about three,” Baker said. “[I don’t see myself] getting much
Thousands of fans in the Buffalo area flocked to local game stores to get their copy of Modern Warfare 3.
Weather for the Week: Wednesday: PM Showers- H: 66, L: 43 Thursday: Few Showers- H: 47, L: 35 Friday: Rain/Snow Showers- H: 61, L: 43
sleep tonight. I’m skipping school tomorrow to play…I’m going to go through and do everything on the hardest difficulty, but I’ll start off small on multiplayer for another week or so.” Baker and Filler were far from alone in their enthusiasm. Everywhere in the crowd someone could be heard expressing their excitement, whether it was simply stating that they couldn’t wait any longer or whether it was the one fan screaming that he survived two raptures just to play MW3. UB students were out in abundance as well. At every location UB hoodies and hats could be seen floating throughout the crowd. While some students were more excited than others, a large portion of them was already planning on skipping class and blowing off some work. “I’m just excited to said
destroy noobs,”
Andrew Carland, a senior computer science major. “I’ve got a test on Wednesday, we’ll see what happens. I’ll def not have time to study, playing Call Of Duty.” Michal Kociuba, a sophomore exercise science major, was caught in the same mindset of Carland. Despite having a test on Tuesday, Kociuba still waited at Gamestop from 7 p.m. to midnight so that he could get his explosive dose of MW3 – more than most would prescribe. “When I have to take a shower I’ll probably stop playing,” Kociuba said. The game even managed to generate enough buzz to garner the attention of the National Guard. Set up in the parking lot of the Niagara Falls Boulevard location was an inflatable tent showcasing the National Guard logo. Inside were hummers, assault weapons, and several TVs giving a lucky few the chance to partake in a MW3
tournament.
“Me and my co-workers look for events to do for our recruiting duties and we try to do stuff that will be productive and fun,” said Sgt. 1st Class Chris Park, a self-proclaimed fan of the series. “There is easily a half dozen other soldiers out here. Some working, some not working, because this is what the National Guard is – it’s serving our communities.” Despite the actual soldiers in attendance at a select few Gamestops throughout the nation, the vast majority of those waiting were grizzled troops of the virtual variety. “I’m excited,” said Kyle Wood, a junior political science major and a seasoned veteran of the series. “I’m excited to murder these b******.” Check Friday’s issue for the Modern Warfare 3 review.
Additional reporting by Steven Wrobel, Nickolas Pino, and Keren Baruch Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Steven Wrobel /// The Spectrum Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum
I N S I D E News * 2 Opinion * 3 Life * 4,5 Arts * 6 Classifieds / Daily Delights * 9 Sports * 10