the Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo, Since 1950
The S pectrum ubspectrum.com
Volume 62 No. 65
wednesday, november 28, 2012
Football season comes to a close Story on page 14
Nabakooza Draws Fire with a pencil Story on page 10
Former students plead guilty to March robbery LISA KHOURY Senior News Editor Two former UB students pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 19 in State Supreme Court for robbing two UB students at gunpoint of money and marijuana in the victims’ University Heights home on March 28. Donovan Haigler, 25, and Lance Minton, Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery in the first degree and class “B” violent felonies before State Supreme Court Justice Christopher Burns. Their charges are the highest counts they could have been convicted had they gone to trial. The defendants face anywhere from five years to 25 years in state prison, according to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office website. On the morning of March 28, Haigler and Minton entered the Winspear home, pointed a loaded rifle at the two female student occupants and demanded their marijuana and cash, The Spectrum reported on March 29. One of the victims told Lieutenant Kevin Will of the University Police Department at the scene that one of the suspects was a former student. Inspector Dan Jay of UPD told The Spectrum in March that both suspects are former UB students. The District Attorney’s website reported the victims recognized that suspect as “Donovan.” The victims, with the help of fellow students, searched their Facebook accounts, discovered photographs and names of the assailants and turned over the information to Buffalo Police. With that knowledge, officers obtained the address 45 Tyler St. and found both suspects inside dressed in pajamas. The suspects were transported to the crime scene and immediately identified by both victims. One confessed to the home invasion when interrogated by detectives, but the other refused to answer any questions, according to the DA’s website. BPD also searched their apartment and Haigler’s automobile. The stolen marijuana was recovered inside the apartment, and the gun used in the burglary was in the trunk of the car and loaded with ammunition. Continued on page 8
Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum
President Satish Tripathi announced the university closed its hotly debated shale institute on Monday, Nov. 19.
UB shuts down contested shale institute Fracking drama continues, Tripathi ends SRSI
SARA DINATALE Senior News Editor President Satish Tripathi closed the university’s controversial shale institute on Monday, Nov. 19. The announcement came after the continuing criticism of the Shale Resources and Society Institute’s (SRSI) funding, founding and governance. Tripathi informed faculty in an email. His letter noted the “cloud of uncertainty” that looms over SRSI and discussed the future of fracking research on campus. For members of the UB Coalition for Leading Ethically in Academic Research (UBCLEAR) and the Public Accountability Initiative (PAI), a local watchdog organiza-
tion, the shutdown is a victory. PAI issued a report that pointed out SRSI’s flaws, and that report fueled UBCLEAR’s objections and protest of the institute. But Bruce Pitman, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, continues to be surprised by the backlash that led up to closing the institute. “We have had an ongoing examination of issues – policies, practices – nothing was found to be wrong,” Pitman said. “Nevertheless, there is continuing onslaught of allegations without any backing that have just made it impossible for the institute to do what it was designed to do.” Pitman said for about a week before the decision was made, Provost Charles Zukoski and Vice President for Research Alexander Cartwright had a series of con-
versations with the geology department, the SRSI advisory board and the institute’s codirectors as a “detailed fact finding to really understand what was going on.” Pitman was officially informed of the decision to close the institute on the day it was made public. Ultimately, the president made the decision, Pitman said, but he and Zukoski stand behind Tripathi. Members of UBCLEAR are thrilled with the outcome. Continued on page 4
See a timeline of SRSI’s existence on page 7
Breaking into a new reputation TAHSIN CHOWDHURY Special to The Spectrum
Reimon Bhuyan /// The Spectrum
Willis Lam, a nursing major, and the UB Breakdance club work to educate outsiders and change the reputation of breakdancers.
Inside
Funk music blares from the Flag Room as Henry Chen spins effortlessly. With the entirety of his body weight balanced on one hand, it looks like he’s performing an upsidedown pirouette as he spins; the move he’s practicing is called a 199. Breaking (or breakdancing, as it is more popularly known) began in the ’70s as part of the hip-hop culture, and while it looks cool, some people shy away from it because of the misconceptions surrounding it. The UB Breakdance club aims to change this reputation. According to Ryan Nash, a junior African American studies major and president of UB Breakdance, breakdancing is like any other kind of dance but doesn’t get the same recognition because it’s not considered to be a “true” dance form. This is because breakdancers – more commonly known as b-boys and b-girls – don’t need formal training for their craft. However, they put in the same amount of time and effort to master hand hops as ballerinas do to perfect pirouettes, Nash said. Breaking comes from one of New York City’s boroughs, the Bronx. Breaking originated in South Bronx, where street gangs
dominated the youth culture. This led people to assume that b-boys and b-girls were associated with the negativity that surrounded the region, according to Nash. But breaking was not related to the violence of the South Bronx. In fact, many people who break do it for personal reasons – as a form of self-expression – according to Brendan Tom, a junior communication major and vice president of UB Breakdance. “I take the emotions that I’m feeling toward something … and I just use the energy of that emotion [toward] the energy of my dance,” Tom said. Just like in any other dance, there are competitions in breaking. B-boys and b-girls compete against each other in battles. The name “battle” suggests they are violent – something the media was quick to pick up on. Movies consistently make battles the focal point of gang violence, but the hostility associated with them comes from the level of commitment and passion that b-boys and b-girls have. Everyone wants to win, and the only thing standing between a dancer and victory is his or her opponent, Tom said. “In some ways it’s like a Pokémon battle,” Tom said. “Someone throws out their grass type, and you throw out your fire type. You’re combating what’s put before you. You want to one-up [your opponent]. [It] has an aggression similar to a fight because you’re di-
recting everything to your opponent.” According to Tom, the intensity overshadows the camaraderie that exists amongst b-boys and b-girls. At the end of battles, everyone shakes hands and hugs, but he says that is never shown in the media portrayal. However, battles aren’t just about winning, according to Chen, a junior business marketing major. Dancers usually call each other out to battle because they want to learn from one another. It’s not supposed to be friendly, he said, because it’s like fighting for a title without any real violence. This negative image tied to breaking is what worries parents, like those of Veronica Li, a junior political science major and secretary for UB Breakdance. They were worried about the violence when they found out what their daughter was doing in her spare time. “My parents [said], ‘don’t do it, it’s dangerous,’” Li said. “They think that gangsters are doing it or something.” Many parents do not fully understand what breaking meant to their children and question their reason to continue with the dance, Li said. Her reason was something members in the hip-hop and breaking community call “knowledge of self.” Continued on page 4
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