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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
FACULTY SENATE PASSES MOTION ASKING UB FOUNDATION TO MAKE BUDGET PUBLIC SARA DINATALE
Aline Kobayashi, The Spectrum Senator Martha McCluskey, a law professor, supports the Faculty Senate’s push to request administration make the UB Foundation’s budget public. “As faculty, I believe it’s our mission to oversee the academic mission of this university,” she said during Tuesday’s meeting.
Managing Editor
The Faculty Senate has passed a motion requesting UB administration make the UB Foundation’s budget public – something the non-profit, private organization, which handles the millions of dollars in donations UB receives annually, is not legally required to do. At Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, 38 senators physically stood up in support of the motion. Seventeen senators voted against the proposal, which calls for administration to treat UBF’s budget as it does UB’s general budget – subject to Freedom of Information requests and open to the public. UB administration has yet to make a decision regarding the motion, according to a university statement. The university will review and consider the resolution after it is formally presented to the president; a formal response will be provided to the Senate after “careful consideration of the resolution,” according to the statement. Senator Kenneth Dauber, the English professor who made the proposal, expects administration to respond “positively to the request.” He said there is nothing in any law that requires UBF to keep its books closed and the university “may claim the right” to deny the Senate’s request and “they may or may not have that right.” He feels there is no reason UB wouldn’t “exceed to the request.” “It’s to put the funding, the budgeting of the associated groups that are really operat-
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ing as arms of the university, in the same category for the purposes of disclosure,” he said. In 2011, Buffalo newsweekly Artvoice took UBF to court. The publication wanted to make the private organization subject to FOIL because it’s part of a public university. Artvoice lost the case. “There can be serious deliberation about the future of the university, what areas should receive priority funding, which should receive less funding, but based on solid information that everybody has available,” said Dauber, following the motion’s passage. “I think it’s good for students. It’s good for faculty. It’s good for administration. It’s good for the citizens of New York State.” Those who supported the motion say they promote “transparency” and want to oversee how the donated funds are spent within the university. UBF has a “size” of about $1 billion, according to a Q&A session held by UBF director Edward Schneider at a previous Senate meeting Oct. 1. Tuesday’s meeting was the first Senate meeting this semester – and since at least 2007 – where enough faculty senators were present to have quorum and vote on a motion. At the November meeting, only 37 members were present – 14 short of what was required to vote when Dauber first presented his motion. Some of the 17 senators who opposed the motion questioned its necessity and purpose; some felt the motion wasn’t clear in what it was requesting.
Senator Robert Wetherhold, a professor of mechanical engineering, said he felt unsure about what problem the motion aims to solve and he was uncertain if UBF has a duty to respond to the request. He was concerned about the volume of information being asked for and said it may not be appropriate to put before the public. “It seems like you’re waiting for problems,” he told the crowd. Dauber responded to the concerns of if there is truly a “problem” present by saying it would be useful for faculty to be aware of, especially if they’re unable to get funds to, for example, hire someone in their department. He said faculty need to know “if there’s no money because there’s no money or because money is being allocated to other things which are perhaps not a priority we would approve of.” Senator Donald Grinde, a transnational studies professor who also serves as a SUNY Statewide Academic Senator, said that members of the SUNY Research Foundation are pushing schools to be “as transparent as possible” and that other schools operate with public foundations. Senator Martha McCluskey, a law professor, suggested a committee be in charge of pursuing further action after a response comes from the university. The Faculty Senate will not meet again until Jan. 29. email: news@ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, December 4, 2013 ubspectrum.com
EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Aaron Mansfield MANAGING EDITORS Lisa Khoury Sara DiNatale OPINION EDITOR Eric Cortellessa NEWS EDITORS Sam Fernando, Senior Joe Konze Jr. Amanda Low, Asst. LIFE EDITORS Keren Baruch, Senior Sharon Kahn, Senior Alyssa McClure, Asst. ARTS EDITORS Max Crinnin, Senior Rachel Kramer, Asst. Felicia Hunt, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS Jon Gagnon, Senior Ben Tarhan, Senior Owen O’Brien PHOTO EDITORS Aline Kobayashi, Senior Juan David Pinzon, Asst. Daniele Gershon, Asst. CARTOONIST Jeanette Chwan CREATIVE DIRECTORS Brian Keschinger Haider Alidina, Asst. PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Emma Callinan Drew Gaczewski, Asst. Chris Mirandi, Asst. ADVERTISING DESIGNER Haley Sunkes Ashlee Foster, Asst. Tyler Harder, Asst.
December 4, 2013 Volume 63 Number 40 Circulation 7,000
The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion, and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at (716) 645-2452. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100
OPINION
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Delivery, please Explore the implications of Amazon’s proposed drone delivery program Many established customers of Amazon are replete with speculation this week on the future of their deliveries. On Sunday night, founder and CEO Jeff Bezos effectively announced on 60 Minutes the company’s plan to use drones to deliver packages. The new venture is called Amazon Prime Air, and it has become the talk of the Internet in recent days – and the world. Bezos showed Charlie Rose a video of a small octocopter snatching a package and airlifting it to a house before taking off again. According to Bezos, this is what the future of Amazon deliveries will look like. It seems like a futuristic plan, but Bezos insists on it being an optimistic plan – he feels confident the new delivery system will be ready in as soon as five years. He recognizes that the largest challenge of his plan will be convincing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to allow it. The FAA may be the most important entity in need of convincing, but it is hardly the only one. Many have expressed concern since the commercial use of drones was legalized in 2012 that this shift could have a damaging effect. Some are concerned how this may impact Americans’ privacy – these drones flying around peoples’ homes will be equipped with cameras. And some are also concerned with safety – what happens if one of these drones crashes into someone’s child? Bezos has said these drones will be able to carry a five-pound package for roughly 10 miles. If implemented, he believes the new drone system would enable consumers to receive their packages within 30 minutes of their purchase. That would mean most of these drones should be traveling around 40 mph, according to The Washington Post. It is understandable why this plan fits into Amazon’s business model. Most companies face competition with other companies based on the strength of their products. Amazon, howev-
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er, competes in regard to its prices and the amount of time it can get the product to the purchaser. Being the world’s largest retailer didn’t materialize from an idea for a product; it came from an idea about how to make money off other people’s products.
As an entirely electronic commerce company that can be understood as essentially one enormous online store, Amazon provides shoppers an outlet to use one website to get an incredibly wide selection of products. Utilizing the latest technolo-
gy to get shoppers the products they purchase to their residences even faster is an extension of that original idea. Granted, use of drones for beer and fast food has been vocalized in the past. Never has an idea come from a source that many can really take seriously – Bezos has been breaking barriers in business since 1994. Is he capable of breaking the barrier of persuading the FAA to allow use of civilian drones in national airspace? Well, time will tell. Matt Waite, a professor at the University of Nebraska, has expressed his skepticism of Bezos’ plan. Waite founded the Drone Journalism Lab and his experience with the FAA has proven that they are slow to pick up to the fast moving innovations in the field. What they will allow in 2017, however, is a question that belongs only within the domain of speculation, but there are no definitive answers at this point. One thing we should recognize is how embroiled the current culture has become in modern technology to the point in which patience levels have reached an all-time low. The speed of life operates at an incredibly fast rate – and now we want our packages within 30 minutes. What will be asking for sooner, next? There are practical benefits to the notion of Amazon Prime Air – imagine if your laptop breaks the week of finals and you need a new one fast. Nonetheless, all signs point to the indication that as fast as life moves now, in five years it will be moving even faster. As Bezos and the good folks at Amazon continue to develop their drone delivery program, and the FAA will be forced to consider whether their technology deserves the space of our air, this is a time to really think about what it means for drones to begin having a more visible and practical space in our lives. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
Go back to The Ralph Bills should discontinue Toronto series If you watched the Buffalo Bills suffer that devastating loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, you probably thought afterward: What if this game was played in Ralph Wilson Stadium? Not because the team was at a disadvantage by playing in Atlanta; it was at a disadvantage by playing in Toronto – what is considered a “home game.” When the Bills began the Toronto series in 2007, they entered a risky project. When they extended the contract in 2012, they turned the risky into precarious. The initial deal was to play one home game each season at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. The team made a contract with Rogers Communication in an attempt to expand the Bills fan base beyond Western New York. There was a hubbub of controversy surrounding the move – will this be an effective attempt to build up the team’s following, or is it an indicator of the beginning of the end? Is this an attempt to see if an NFL team could flourish in Toronto? And when Ralph Wilson dies, would this be a profitable place to move a team that is undeniably in a smaller market? Those who watched Sunday’s game probably noticed the plethora of empty seats in the stadium. There were 38,969 fans in the arena on Sunday (the Rog-
er Centre’s capacity is 54,000 for American football games). Games in Orchard Park usually sell out (that stadium’s capacity is 73,079). Even worse than the lack of filled seats in the stadium is the fact that the fan makeup was neutral. There are reports that there were as many Falcons fans present as there were Bills fans. There were also fans wearing jerseys of players for the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, etc. By no means of the imagination did this feel like a home game for the Bills. Not to mention the game was played in a dome – the type of stadium the Falcons are accustomed to playing in. “Obviously, I’m not going to hide the fact we are a dome team,” Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez told the press after the game. “And it feels a little bit better when you’re inside.” Most teams would prefer to play inside than in Orchard Park in December – regardless of if they are used to playing in a dome. The benefit of difficult weather conditions – brutal coldness, gusting winds – is part of Buffalo’s home field advantage; the Bills are used to playing in those conditions, other teams, not as much.
And what else was missing? The “12th man” – the Bills fans. Imagine if the impassioned and fervent fans were there providing the team with the extra stimulus. It might have facilitated a playing environment more suited for a Bills win. What is ludicrous about the Bills organization’s arrangement for a Toronto series is it essentially makes the Bills the only team in the NFL to have seven homes games each season. Falcons cornerback Robert McLain said it felt like a home game for his team. “I seen a lot of Matt Ryan jerseys and even a couple Mike Vick jerseys,” he said. Beyond the team’s arrangement putting the team at a disadvantage (in a game that’s loss essentially eliminated the team from playoff contention), it puts the Buffalo area at a disadvantage. The Bills provide an economic stimulus to the region. It isn’t just the franchise that brings in revenue for the season – local venders do, too. All the Orchard Park venders who profit from having the games there lose out when what is supposed to be a home game is taken elsewhere. Considering the role of money is important in this matter – it is all about money. Rogers Communication pays the Bills orga-
nization for playing a game each season in the Rogers Centre. So, the empty seats you saw Sunday doesn’t necessarily mean the Bills are losing money. But if you think in terms of profit – nothing tangible attracts more revenue than winning. If the Bills want to sustain Western New York presence and want to make money while doing it, the most substantial strategy would be to dedicate the lion’s share of its efforts toward developing a winning team. The Bills are 1-5 in the six games they have played in Toronto since the deal took effect. One thing that is evident is that playing these games in Toronto isn’t accruing more fans and it certainly isn’t helping the team win. If anything, playing a game each year in Toronto makes the prospect of the Bills one day leaving Buffalo seem more ominous. If Russ Brandon and the Bills organization’s biggest priorities are winning and keeping the team in Buffalo, they should reconsider playing a game each year in Toronto, when doing so isn’t helping achieve either objective. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
A DYNAMIC DREAM
Former UB student, brother form rap group Dynamic Inkline JOE KONZE JR NEWS EDITOr
It’s a 70-degree September day and Kevin Lewis feels like he’s in a dream. With lights illuminating the dark stage of the Ithaca State Theatre, Lewis peeks out from backstage and sees the first two rows of faces followed by shadows of people that look like they go on for miles. A bit of nervousness sinks in. He and his brother, Sean, are moments away from performing at one of Upstate New York’s most prominent venues as the opening act for Grammy nominated rap artist Cam’ron. Together, the brothers form Dynamic Inkline. Just before they are ready to take the stage, their adrenaline kicks in. They were born to do this. This is their moment. Lewis, a former UB student, dropped out of school at the conclusion of his sophomore year of college to pursue his dream of becoming a rap artist. At a young age, Lewis and both of his brothers, Sean and Bryan, were enrolled in piano lessons by their mother, Jacquie, who was musically inclined. “We all played ice hockey and at some point or another all of us had expressed interest in quitting the piano lessons,” Bryan said. “Sometimes as a kid, it’s not as fun. Our mom convinced us to stick with it by saying that she wouldn’t pay for our ice hockey if we dropped out of piano.” The three continued piano lessons, and Lewis and Sean would later branch out to other types of instruments while Bryan stuck with piano and later became a professional musician in Florida. Lewis played the drums and Sean played trumpet.
Courtesy of Hi-Def-Jeff Dynamic Inkline performs at The Haunt in Ithaca on Nov. 22. Their video “Our Town” has accumulated close to 25,000 hits on YouTube.
But around middle school, Lewis and Sean had developed interest in the genre of hip-hop. They admired artists like Nas, Notorious B.I.G. and Eminem. For years, they studied their favorite artists and developed a passion for hip-hop and the craft of writing music. “As far as Nas and Eminem, throughout their career, it’s always been about the music,” Sean said. “We plan on having the same outlook. No matter how big we get, it’s always going to be about making the best possible music.” During the academic breaks of Kevin’s freshman year of college and Sean’s sophomore year, they worked together recording music and trying to produce a beat that would hook listeners. But when they both returned to college, they realized school was getting in the way and they didn’t have as much time. Sean was the first to return home from SUNY Albany after realizing this. But in the fall semester of 2010 at UB, Lewis was wrestling with the conflict of continuing to study business or dropping out of school and focus on what was really important to him – becoming a hip-hop artist.
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It wasn’t until the spring semester of his sophomore year that Lewis decided to pack all of his things up and head home to Ithaca. “I always thought that I could take the risk and try to build [my career] up now. And if worst comes to worst, I could always go back to school,” Lewis said. “It took hours and hours and days and days.” Sean also added that it was difficult to build on their foundation if they weren’t in the same city. Since returning home in 2011, the duo has established itself within the Ithaca music culture. This past summer, the two released their video called “Our Town” that featured their hit song and earned recognition on two local radio stations. The video was popular on YouTube and received close to 25,000 hits and their Facebook page has since accumulated 1,500 ‘likes.’ When they aren’t writing music or performing shows, they are working full-time jobs. Sean works at a local establishment, Pizza Aroma, where he has worked for the last four to five years, while Lewis bartends at Loco Cantina, a bar near Cornell University.
Courtesy of Dynamic Inkline Kevin Lewis (left) and brother Sean (right), who hail from Ithaca, N.Y., formed the rap duo Dynamic Inkline. Both left college to pursue their dreams as hip-hop artists.
For Lewis, the question of if dropping out of school was the right decision is always in the back of his mind when he goes in for a shift, but he believes he made his choice for a good reason. “I’m relying on the tips to make ends meet,” Lewis said. “It’s fun, though. It’s kind of a cool situation because a bar atmosphere is just so social. And people are always asking me
what I am doing and pursuing. It gives me one more avenue to push the music and to follow my dreams.” The two said that since the show with Cam’ron, they have gained more confidence and see no signs of letting up. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
5
A home for history and tunes
New venue Buffalo Iron Works aims to become consistent entertainment presence AMANDA LOW
Asst. News Editor
Almost every night at Buffalo Iron Works, live music rings throughout its historical, industrial interior. Buffalo Iron Works, located on 49 Illinois St., is a new music venue in the Cobblestone District next to the First Niagara Center. The venue is determined to become a place Buffalo locals can rely on for good, live local music and touring acts while keeping the area’s history by using the old building. Sam Savarino, a UB alum and one of the owners of Buffalo Iron Works, wanted to make sure there would be a beneficial use to the historic building. A music venue in the area seemed to fit as “another piece of the puzzle.” The establishment is open Monday through Saturday, with live music acts on Tuesday through Saturday. Whether it is for a post-Sabres game hangout or a night out for live music, Buffalo Iron Works will be “consistent and open.” “We’re a little different from other performance venues in town who are only open when they have an act,” Savarino said. “We’re open night in and night out as a club, and even if there’s not a touring act or a big name group, we … usually have local entertainers that really deserve a chance to be heard.” The project was a historical renovation that will place the building on the National Register of Historic Places. As a result, there were limitations as to how much change could occur to the building. This gave the venue its current look of vintage industrial décor. “It looks pretty funky on the inside, but when you’re in there, you’re in a historical
Chad Cooper, The Spectrum
Buffalo Iron Works is a new music venue in the Cobblestone District that provides entertainment for anyone looking to enjoy music. UB alum Sam Savarino, one of the owners of Buffalo Iron Works and president and CEO of Savarino Companies, wanted to make sure there would be a beneficial use for the building.
building and it [was] left the way it was,” Savarino said. The name “Iron Works” is homage to the businesses that used to be in the district, according to Savarino. Boiling and iron works filled Buffalo’s former manufacturing region. The site that Buffalo Iron Works resides was originally a stove works company that mainly dealt with iron works. Elise Stevens, the live music coordinator, said she was honored to be part of the building’s transition to becoming a music venue. “We jazzed it up, but we left it as best we could to history and how the building originally was,” Stevens said.
Though the venue has had success since its opening on Nov. 14, Stevens feels there is a lot of learning going on about the space and how to deal with artists. The place has a lot of opportunities but, being new to the area, the establishment needs time to come into its own identity. “The way we continue to identify ourselves is to just to be a constant [establishment] and grow into whatever we become through our experiences,” Stevens said. Aside from the physical building, the kitchen is worthy of note as well. Savarino describes the menu as “stuff you wouldn’t normally think is gourmet food but is
prepared in a gourmet fashion.” The staff works to keep fresh ingredients and even smokes its own meats for dishes of poutine, hotdogs and Pittsburgh sandwiches. The grand opening featured The Ragbirds, a live touring act, and helped fundraise for Buffalo’s Old First Ward Community Center address the community’s needs including housing and human services and economic redevelopment. Savarino noted that, being a UB alum, it is possible he may offer college discounts in the future. The location is not too far from a metro station, so it is accessible for students without transportation.
Buffalo Iron Works is planning to host a New Year’s Eve party featuring The Slyboots Circus – the premier resident ensemble at the Slyboots School of Music, Art and Dance – and the Saakumu Dance Troupe of Ghana, West Africa. “It’s just a good place to come in – night in and night out – and know you’re going to get good live music,” Savarino said. While every night may not have special ticketed events, Buffalo Iron Works has entertainment for anyone looking to enjoy music, and it hopes to achieve a permanent spot in the music scene of Buffalo. email: news@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Best albums of November MEGAN WEAL
Contributing Writer
If you managed to keep yourself from prematurely putting Christmas albums on repeat this month, you might have noticed November was littered with album releases to get excited about. American Music Award winner Eminem released his 10th album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, which featured considerably more shouting than other albums. Lady Gaga forced pop into a new era with her release of ARTPOP, and The Suburbs offered up the stunning album Si Sauvage. All are more than notable and worthy contenders for the top albums of November, and I recommend you spend some time listening to them. But, if you had to only listen to three of November’s musical offerings, I recommend these: Jake Bugg – Shangri La The 19-year-old folk singer struck back after his 2012 charttopping success. New album Shangri La gives us a tougher sound – think farmers in leather jackets and spiked boots. “All Your Reasons” is arguably the best track on the album. It resonates a grungy, country rock sound that seems nothing but natural when it’s expelled from Bugg’s vocal chords.
Courtesy of Rick Rubin
It seems to be the sound that Bugg should hold onto with boy hands and run with throughout the album, if only as minor undercurrents in complementary songs. Unfortunately, sometimes the tracks stray a little too far from the album’s musical linear and the focus is lost. The album, however, cannot be faulted for its animate storytelling ability. “A Song About Love” is one of those tracks that encourages goosebumps to raise on your arms as Bugg’s haunting chorus plays. The lyrics of the tracks are exposing of Bugg’s emotional connection with his music, the places it has led him and a continuing development of sound, character and experience.
Courtesy of Columbia
One Direction – Midnight Memories This one might seem surprising. After all, One Direction is internationally renowned for its tween fan base and integrated stereotypical pop sound. But the band’s new album release, Midnight Memories, got people excited for reasons beyond Niall’s new haircut and Harry’s new tattoo – it shows an exciting and necessary musical shift for the boys. Overall, the album falls into the category of pop rock. Heavy drum beats and loud electric guitar riffs are huge focal points, especially in the rockier tracks like “Midnight Memories” and “Little Black Dress.” Not a group to let an album grow boring, One Direction is striking while the iron is hot and showcasing the newfound maturity of band members’ voices with ballads such as “Half A Heart.”
Courtesy of Warp Records
On top of this mature, richer sound, One Direction’s pop influence is not lost – which is vital. The album is still incredibly fun. The upbeat, fast-tempo and chorus focus in tracks like “Strong” and “Better Than Words” showcase the progression of the boys’ music, without straying too far from their norm. It seems the band has stepped away from the industry’s incessantly reproduced and manufactured pop sound. The boys of One Direction are growing up and, thankfully, so is their music.
unpredictable arrangements. “Everyone I Know,” one of the new demos, is an emotive, guitar-driven track. It’s great and distinctively poignant but disappointingly short-lived as a track. The song that makes this album stand alone as an album that deserves its “extended” title is the final remix, “Gun-Shy.” It’s a step or two away from Grizzly Bear’s usual impassioned sound and the original recording of the track. But Edward Droste’s vocals that punch in halfway through the remix make it utterly recognizable. The combination of strong vocals, jaunty piano and glittery synths make it something exceptional. Shields: Expanded shows us what a “special edition” album really should be. It isn’t forced or unoriginal. It’s nostalgic without being a boring remake. It’s refreshing and rightfully unapologetic in its assurance. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Grizzly Bear – Shields: Expanded Grizzly Bear is a band that relishes the authenticity of background noise. The critically acclaimed 2012 album Shields proved that to us. But now, Shields has been extended with a further eight tracks to complement the original calculated and
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
7
Putting art inside of art Scorsese’s influence on music in movies ERIC CORTELLESSA
Opinion Editor
With the anticipation of Martin Scorsese’s new film The Wolf of Wall Street reverberating around the world, as it is due for a Christmas Day theatrical release, now is the perfect time to consider the celebrated director’s impact and influence on music in movies. It is commonplace to associate Scorsese with his distinctive use of rock music in his films – accompanying the images he puts on the screen with pulsating music to evoke the characters’ emotions and the environment they inhabit. He creates hypnotic rhythm and hallucinatory effect stronger than just about any other American filmmaker. And he exudes the sense of viscerally charged sensuality that the power of movies emanates from. What many young moviegoers today don’t realize is that this highly influential stylistic trademark that has captured the instincts of innumerable later directors didn’t start with Goodfellas – which had a soundtrack ranging from Tony Bennett to Aretha Franklin to Eric Clapton. It actually began with the 1973 film Mean Streets, another gangster film that is, at its heart, a study of American life. Both are examples of deeply personal filmmaking. Mean Streets was Scorsese’s first feature film of his own design. He made it about what he knew best: Little Italy, where he grew up. In a sense, it is to him what I Vitteloni was to Fellini. In addition to Scorsese’s film being a triumph of operatic stylism and a penetrating look at a particular time and place, it was American cinema’s introduction to a new way to incorporate music in film. Unlike the directors of the Golden Age who often relied on composers to devise an original score, Scorsese utilized spe-
cifically chosen existing tracks. He does so certainly to create rhythm and establish a mood and tone, but he also uses them to express his own directorial voice. The choice of song in each scene and how it is used is his deliberate way of communicating to the spectator what is going on beyond the surface of the action. I am a firm believer that film and music and every other kind of art form deserve to be considered texts. That is just another way of saying that everything in them has meaning, and is, thus, worthy of interpretation and critical judgment. Scorsese uses music as a mechanism of intertextuality – when strands of a certain text are woven into another text. So, when The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” is played, as Charlie, played by Harvey Keitel, enters a bar in Mean Streets, Scorsese is incorporating that text’s meaning and significance into Charlie’s character and situation – that possibly he, too, was “born in a cross fire hurricane.” One thing Scorsese’s characters are not is articulate. His films are some of the most acute studies of inarticulateness out there. And he uses music to say about the characters what they are unable to recognize about themselves. Peter Bogdanovich would use music to this same effect two years before Mean Streets in 1971 with his desolate and poignant film The Last Picture Show. (Scorsese would note that Bogdanovich used a different kind of music in a similar way). When Scorsese made Mean Streets, he was learning the kind of filmmaking style he wanted to embrace, and he also introduced this kind of filmmaking to others. Scorsese has always been a decidedly musical director. Even if you were to cut out New York, New York, he uses music as a separate character in each of his films.
Courtesy of Flickr user canburak
Martin Scorsese creates hypnotic rhythm and hallucinatory effect stronger than just about any other American filmmaker.
There have been many directors who have been influenced by this, and you can see strands of his style of inserting music in a lot of different filmmakers. But three prominent filmmakers we see today using music to a similar effect are Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas (P.T.) Anderson and Wes Anderson. All three have mentioned Scorsese as an influence in general in the past, but their words are not necessary for us to recognize the influence – it is right there on the screen. Each of these directors heavily relies on existing tracks to create his personal style and voice, and each uses these specific tracks to communicate about the characters what the characters are unable to communicate about themselves. And it often can provide a metacommentary on the film. In Pulp Fiction, for instance, when Vince Vega (John Travolta) takes Mia Wallace (Uma Thur-
man) on a date at the request of Marsellus Wallace, her husband and Vince’s boss, while Marsellus is out of town, Tarantino inserts the song “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon,” performed by Urge Overkill before Mia is about to overdose on drugs. This, in effect, is a way to suggest that Mia is about to have a transformative episode in which she may (and does) experience a loss of innocence – a noted mark of aging. Both Wes and P.T. are more adept than Tarantino at using music to establish rhythm while providing insight into their own films, and the deliberateness behind their decisions for what song to use gives viewers something to probe deeper into with each viewing. What Scorsese introduced was a way to use a different kind of music to apply in his films. This gave a new generation of young aspiring directors permission, in a sense, to do the same with the kind
of music that interested them. Scorsese didn’t just use existing tracks; he used the great Bernard Herman as a composer in Taxi Driver, for example. And in films like Mean Streets and Goodfellas (and later Casino and The Departed), he established a sense of possibility for the use of music in film. And that sense has been a stronger influence on music in movies than any other modern American director. Watch Scorsese’s films and then watch Boogie Nights, Bottle Rocket and Reservoir Dogs, and you will notice the ghost of Scorsese’s influence permeating throughout those films. What he did was he further demonstrated how film is a composite art form. The movies are better for it – and so are we. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
A promising winter in Buffalo Jay-Z, Drake, Every Time I Die among those performing in Buffalo this winter
Aline Kobayashi, The Spectrum
Boston post-hardcore band Lions Lions will perform at the Waiting Room on Delaware Avenue on Friday.
JAMES DRAGONETTE
Staff Writer
Even in the midst of the holidays, winter can be a disheartening time for many college students spending the break in Buffalo. Oscillating between loving and hating the seemingly endless snowfall, battling depression caused by the disappointing performances of local sports teams and waiting for the cessation of boredom caused by weeks away from the classroom are common pastimes during this frigid season. Thankfully, there will be a little more to look forward to this winter aside from hitting the slopes or clearing your driveway of snow due to a wide variety of musical performances planned at many venues around the city. For those looking to cap off their semester on a good note and combat finals week stress, Boston post-hardcore band Lions Lions will be performing at the Waiting Room on Delaware Avenue on Friday. Led by front man Joshua Herzer’s soaring vocals, Lions Lions has a large song catalog con-
sisting of not only its own upbeat rock sing-a-longs but also its versions of popular staples like Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” and Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake’s “Holy Grail.” For the concertgoer less interested in Lions Lions’ heavier style, MellowHigh, consisting of Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis and Left Brain of the OFWGKTA rap collective, will perform at the Waiting Room on Saturday, Dec. 7. Before the trio takes the stage to perform its set, UB students and Buffalo natives Quinton Brock and Derek Sullivan, who together form Network, will perform a set to open for MellowHigh. Brock’s intelligent lyricism, coupled with Sullivan’s unconventional sampling and percussion production that varies greatly from song to song, produces an aural experience unlike that offered by most modern hip-hop acts. While their song catalog includes many crisp and straightforward rap offerings, the duo has also developed a number of noisy, abstract and convoluted tracks of a more psychedelic style that are just as
sonically impressive. Later in the month, on Thursday, Dec. 12, the annual Kissmas Bash, put on by local radio station Kiss 98.5, will take place at First Niagara Center. The event aims to cater to a wide variety of music fans and features seven different acts. The lineup includes the Jonas Brothers, Swedish pop duo Icona Pop and Tegan and Sara – identical twin sisters who double as an indie rock duo. For those more attracted to one of the rap concerts Buffalo has to offer, hip-hop heavyweight Drake is also making a stop at First Niagara Center on Sunday, Dec. 15. as part of his ongoing “Would You Like a Tour?” Rapper Future and singer Miguel will accompany Drake. As Christmas approaches, fans of metal and hardcore rock will get a chance to celebrate properly when Buffalo natives Every Time I Die play their Christmas show at the Waiting Room. The two-night event, taking place on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21, will be the band’s ninth annual incarnation of the holiday show.
Courtesy of After Dark Entertainment
Once it becomes time to fully embrace the New Year and semester of classes, UB students can still enjoy a couple more outstanding acts before facing the new scholastic rigors that accompany the melting snow. On Monday, Jan. 27, rock band Dr. Dog will play at Main Street’s Town Ballroom, where the group will be able to display its distinctively smooth style in front of a fairly intimate crowd. Three days later, on Thursday, Jan. 30, rap superstar Jay-Z will make a stop at First Niagara Center as part of his Magna Carter World Tour – his first solo headlining tour since 2009. In what is sure to be an impressive perfor-
mance, the so-called “Brooklyn boy” will likely perform a very diverse set, showcasing new tracks from his recently released “Magna Carta Holy Grail” alongside old favorites from albums past. Although the winter season normally garners varied criticisms from disapproving students in a city like Buffalo, the musical offerings over the next couple of months should prove to be diverse enough – and of high enough quality – to silence the critics. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
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MISSING PERSON
Former UB student Yaron Bernstein has been missing since Nov. 13 KEREN BARUCH
Senior Features Editor
On Nov. 13, Yaron Bernstein, 22, a former UB student, went missing. His father, Jeff Bernstein, is offering a $100,000 reward to anyone with credible information that leads to Bernstein’s safe return, according to Trevor Titley, a UB alum and one of Bernstein’s closest friends. Jeff said, “The reward is only going to be given in the presence of my son, found alive and well,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Bernstein’s disappearance is classified as “endangered missing.” Bernstein went missing from Philadelphia, Pa., and was last seen on the 1100 block of North 3rd St. in Philly’s Northern Liberties section. Police told The Inquirer Bernstein might have been involved in criminal behavior involving drugs. They have video of Bernstein leaving a building before he allegedly entered an unknown vehicle around 6 p.m., according to The Inquirer. Bernstein is a music production artist and president of Good Looks New York (GLNY), a company with a goal to “bring together the music and art that represents New York City,” according to its website. GLNY provides artist management, bookings, event planning, tour management, event coverage and promotions. Bernstein left UB to build
GLNY. Jeff said Bernstein “is involved in electronic dubstep music, enjoys photography and likes to travel,” according to The Inquirer. His coworkers have taken over the GLNY Facebook page and are sharing videos, newspaper articles and missing person reports with over 5,000 followers in hopes of finding Bernstein. “The best way to get new information is to continue sharing his image across all forms of social media in hopes that someone will recognize him and can fill in some blanks,” Titley said. Paul Weingart, a UB alum, Bernstein’s former roommate in a NYC apartment and GLNY co-worker, said he hopes anyone with any sort of information that could lead to Bernstein’s finding gives forth their knowledge. “I have been in with GLNY since the beginning and I’ll be in until the very end,” Weingart said. “Yari has helped me out a lot in my life. I work with film and video in NYC and found a lot of my initial gigs as a photographer through Good Looks.” Weingart said it was through Bernstein’s connections that he was able to become involved in the music scene and he will be forever grateful for that. He describes Bernstein as always passionate about music. “I remember always hanging out with him and we wouldn’t talk about anything other than music,” Weingart said. “We al-
ing up on the search. The social media efforts from Bernstein’s friends, family members and GLNY have been continuous since his disappearance. Weingart said Bernstein is a kind guy. He described him as all around creative and amazing, always laughing about everything. Weingart hopes his friend is found and said he will always be a memorable person in his life. Titley urges anyone who knows anything to immediately contact Jeff via email at gozbernstein@gmail.com. “So far we have not received any information as to his whereabouts, and while discouraging, we have not given up hope,” GLNY said in its most recent Facebook update. email: features@ubspectrum.com
Courtesy of Yaron Bernstein Facebook
ways tried to push the music scene and make a collective of art, culture and music.” GLNY posted a video of Bernstein playing the piano and are requesting followers share the video. His mother, Janet Bernstein, is utilizing social media with the help of many to find her son. She urged her Facebook friends to help. On Nov. 17, she updated her status to say:
“My 22 year old son, Yaron Bernstein has been missing since Wednesday. He was last seen getting into an unknown car in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. We have filed a missing person’s report with the police. His disappearance is being considered suspicious. Please feel free to share this posting.” She received about 3,500 “shares.” Bernstein’s friends and family members are not giv-
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The musical mountain climber
UB student William LaShomb approaches music and life as an adventure FELICIA HUNT Asst. Arts Editor William LaShomb isn’t the average front man of a local band. The sophomore biomedical sciences major with a passion for adventure is currently struggling with the decision to pursue a career as a doctor or continue striving to become the next big musician. He compares the decision with “trying to rein in two different horses that are pulling in opposite directions.” But the dilemma is not something LaShomb can’t handle. He has conquered fears his whole life. Climbing mountains and being adventurous doesn’t just occur in nature for LaShomb. He applies the philosophy of being adventurous in his own life. Every day, he wakes up at 4 a.m. to conquer another piece of his life while facing the two paths. “I’d love to be a doctor but, honestly, every day in the music scene is an adventure and I love adventures,” LaShomb said. A thrilling life LaShomb has been climbing mountains with his family for as long as he can remember – from Mount Marcy and Algonquin, two of the highest peaks in the Adirondack Mountains, to California’s Half Dome in the Sierra Nevadas and Germany’s Zugspitze, the country’s highest point. “I started climbing smaller peaks in the Adirondacks and kept challenging myself to climb the bigger mountains with every conquest,” LaShomb said. “It’s funny because I’m terrified of heights, and climbing Zugspitze was the most challenging climb for me. I think I needed to do it.” It took the LaShombs more than eight hours to climb Zugspitze, fearing the fall, el-
Courtesy of William LaShomb
William LaShomb, a biomedical sciences major in the Honors College, fights an internal battle between choosing the life of a doctor or the life of a musician. It is far from the only battle, however, that he has faced.
evation and cold air the higher they ascended. LaShomb said he felt like he was falling as he carefully stepped from one spike to another, grasping the cables tightly and looking up and around, but not down toward the ground. LaShomb’s adventures don’t stop at climbing mountains. He is a member of UB’s Honors College and is in a local band. LaShomb’s long days include heavy coursework and band practice. There is no sleeping in on weekends for him; time to relax with friends is rare. LaShomb has experienced his fair share of obstacles. He grew up most of his life without cable TV, a cell phone or microwave. But one of the most difficult challenges in his life was handling the loss of his younger sister. LaShomb’s mother experienced complications during labor, and his sister passed away after birth. He was too young to be sad or
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fully understand what happened, but he remembers being confused. Wasn’t he supposed to be a big brother? “A few weeks after she passed away, I found a perfectly symmetrical heart-shaped birthmark on my back,” LaShomb said. “It’s like she’s always there for me and I want to take all the opportunities I can in life, opportunities she will never experience.” Shortly after her death, LaShomb discovered a passion for music that helped ease his pain. The adventures of Sweet Apollo LaShomb has been musically inclined since sixth grade, when he met Jong Lee in homeroom. The two guitarists hit it off. They began playing at talent shows and performing covers of their favorite songs in their basements. This was the beginning stage of Sweet Apollo. The band officially formed in 2011 with LaShomb and Lee. They found a vocalist, bassist and drummer to complete the lineup. Everything was aligning perfectly until they began to record original songs for their EP Live and their debut album In Good Company. The lineup kept changing and multiple cancellations for their CD release frustrated the band. Club Infinity’s power went out as Sweet Apollo was heading to the former Buffalo concert venue to set up for its first release. The second cancellation was due to LaShomb falling ill and not being able to fully use his vocal chords. “By the time we released In Good Company, I felt like the lyrics I wrote were no longer
reflective of me,” LaShomb said. “I wasn’t proud of it and that’s why we needed to take a break to revamp our sound.” After opening for Twenty-One Pilots, a musical duo from Columbus, Ohio, LaShomb knew Sweet Apollo’s sound had to change. The crowd moved and fed off the energy Twenty-One Pilots exuded on stage. With Sweet Apollo’s soft indie sound, the crowd wasn’t moving and energy was scarce in both the crowd and within the band. In February, band members decided they wanted to take time off from writing and performing. LaShomb had a new vision for Sweet Apollo. And just a few weeks ago, they began performing again. On Nov. 23, Sweet Apollo played a show at Delaware Avenue venue Waiting Room. Currently, the group is recording new material with Nick Borgosz at World Of Noise Studios in Cheektowaga for the second time and they plan to finish an album within the year – an album they can be proud of. LaShomb knows the new sound won’t be simple to achieve. That’s why he picked Borgosz to help produce the new album. “Nick pushes us to be the best musicians we can be,” LaShomb said. “We still have improvements we need to make, but we know Nick will be honest with us along the way.” Along with Borgosz’s straightforward critiques, LaShomb pens honest lyrics for Sweet Apollo. Guitarist Lee marvels at how truthful and captivating LaShomb’s lyrics are. With LaShomb being the only non-music major in the band, he brings a different creative mind to the group. Bassist Joe Bennett attends Fredonia and drummer Dominic Scaduto goes to Buffalo State College. Sweet Apollo was featured in the first issue of 716 Music Magazine in an article written by Editor Alyssa Phillips, who also created the album artwork for In Good Company. “Will became a great friend rather quickly,” Phillips said. “When I met him for the first time, he treated me as a friend and not just a service.” LaShomb greeted Phillips and her brother with warm hugs and friendly conversation the first time they met and she swears it’s as if they were friends since middle school. Kind hearted, genuine gestures are LaShomb’s signature. Music for him is timeless and will never get old. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
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A harmonizing repertoire Renowned flutist Emi Ferguson teaches importance of musicality at UB and Julliard RACHEL KRAMER
Courtesy of Emi Ferguson Flutes
Asst. Arts Editor
Two years ago, Emi Ferguson stood on Ground Zero wearing all black. She had passion and sadness in her eyes as she confidently stood in front of thousands of people while the notes of “Amazing Grace” purred out of her flute. Audience members at the 10th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony of 9/11 cried and held each other as Ferguson made playing the patriotic song look effortless and let the music lightly sway her body. When she finished the song on a resounding whistle, there was a moment of silence as the audience absorbed the emotion she left on stage before applauding. This was one of Ferguson’s favorite performances because, not only did it move her, she was able to speak with members of the audience and hear how the music helped or supported them. Ferguson, whose performances have been praised by the Vancouver Sun as “hauntingly beautiful,” is now an adjunct assistant professor of music at UB and a flute performance expert. She is driven by her passion for the musicality, history and sound of classical flutes, particularly from the baroque era of the 17th and 18th centuries. She has performed all over the world, working with renowned composers, and occasionally still does. Today, she commutes between UB and Julliard teaching students the fundamentals of sounds in music. The young musician teaches at UB on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then flies to New York City for the rest of the week, flying back to Buffalo by Sunday night or Monday morning. She said her schedule
Emi Ferguson, whose performances have been praised by the Vancouver Sun as “hauntingly beautiful,” is now an adjunct assistant professor of music at UB and a flute performance expert.
is a whirlwind of events – she doesn’t have time to think about how hectic it actually is. At both UB and Julliard, Ferguson teaches ear training, in which students perform in front of the class without instruments, sometimes singing, in order to hear the basics and fundamentals of what make up the music. She said the biggest difference between the two universities is, at Julliard, the students solely study music, but at UB, she gets to teach students of various disciplines. Also, at UB, she offers private flute lessons. One of her private flute students is Megan Pszonak, a junior nursing major pursuing a minor in flute performance. Students like Pszonak are the reason Ferguson loves teaching at UB. Ferguson believes many fields, like medicine and law, require skill sets similar to music. “They all require people who are very dedicated and focused
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and people who are able to be flexible in high pressure or in all sorts of situations,” she said. Pszonak agrees. “My favorite thing about her is she pushes me to be better, as dramatic as that sounds,” Pszonak said of Ferguson. “But she is really always there encouraging me and telling me I can do more with the flute than I would have thought about doing on my own.” Pushing students to reach their potential is one of Ferguson’s fundamental teaching methods. She also believes all students should experience performing in front of others, posing the question: “If we aren’t doing it for people, then what’s the point?” Aside from encouraging her students, she is there to comfort them. Ferguson knows from experience the music world is a critical place. Auditions and competitions are subjective because “one person can say you’re
the best, while another says you’re the worst, but your playing hasn’t changed, it’s only an opinion,” she said. Ferguson doesn’t have to go through the challenging process of auditions anymore. At this point in her career, she is often recruited by word of mouth. But she didn’t always know she wanted a life of music and performance. Growing up in London, England, and then Boston, Mass., she was the only musically inclined member of her family. Although she had been playing the flute since she was 6 years old, Ferguson was apprehensive about committing to music full time. After high school, she took time off and considered attending medical school. But she realized she couldn’t imagine her life without music. She ended up at Julliard, and graduated in 2012 as the first person with undergraduate and
graduate degrees with scholastic distinction in flute performance. During her time there, she was the only flutist accepted to Julliard’s inaugural Historical Performance class. Now, she plays the flute three to four hours every day – practicing, teaching or performing, she believes musicians shouldn’t stop playing when they leave school. Ferguson plays the classical, baroque and modern flutes – depending on the era the piece is from – and she said the flute has been revolutionized throughout time, comparing it to the way horse carriages have evolved into automobiles. “You get to understand how audiences would have heard the music back then or what composers were actually composing for,” she said. “What we do today is beautiful and takes a lot of work, but it’s detached from how people would have heard it on the instruments back then.” This unique style has provided her the opportunity to be the only flutist of her kind to work with famous conductors such as James Levine, William Christie and her favorite, Pierre Boulez. Ferguson said although it’s always intimidating to work with these famous conductors or composers, “living legends” that she had read about and studied in her music history classes, they are just people who have a lot of knowledge to offer. And now that she’s not a student, she doesn’t have teachers critiquing her playing. Instead, she has her fiancé. The musical duo met at Julliard. She joked that when they perform together, “it usually ends badly” because they are both very opinionated. But, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. SEE FERGUSON, PAGE 13
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The new man in charge
Alum Stutzman looks to make mark on UB’s wrestling team as new coach TOM DINKI
Staff Writer
When John Stutzman arrived in Chechnya, Russia, he, his wrestlers and assistant coaches were escorted from the airport by guards holding 9-millimeter guns. They were thrown into the back of armored limousines and driven away at 150 miles per hour down the road, ensuring they wouldn’t be followed. While walking down the streets of the war-torn country, they were stopped by military police and told to stay in their hotel room for their own safety – Americans weren’t seen in a good light there. Stutzman was head coach of USA Wrestling’s University World Team at the Ramzan Kadirov Cup in Chechnya in 2009. He believes the experience was worth the risk. It was a chance to coach in a country where wrestling was put on a pedestal. “Wrestling is king [in Chechnya],â€? Stutzman said. “It’s one of the oddest places I’ve ever been to. It was clearly an eyeopening experience ‌ I love it because over there wrestling is like our football.â€? Stutzman is now the head coach for Buffalo wrestling. He’s had several eye-opening experiences while coaching around the world. The excitement and fast-paced lifestyle don’t faze him; in fact, it suits him perfectly. His high motor and intense personality led him to become a dominant 150-pound wrestler for the Bulls from 1995-98. Now – after guiding Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania to a 97-56-1 record over the past eight years – Stutzman returns to his alma
Courtesy of UB Athletics
John Stutzman’s high motor and intense personality led him to become a dominant 150-pound wrestler for the Bulls from 1995-98.
mater using that same drive. Wrestling isn’t “just a 9-to-5 job� for Stutzman. It’s his life. Besides his wife, Anette, two daughters, Alexa Bryanna and Torin Valera, and newborn son, Paxton John, Stutzman doesn’t have many interests outside of wrestling. A look around his office proves it. There are only wrestling trophies and pictures of his family. “Besides his real marriage, I would say [Stutzman’s] married to [wrestling],� said Buffalo assistant wrestling coach Bryce Hasseman. “He’s constantly staying up at night thinking about it. He’s constantly trying to find ways to make the program better.� Stutzman has been involved in wrestling nearly his entire life. He grew up in New Castle, Del., where the rest of his family played every sport except wres-
tling. Stutzman wanted to be different. Wrestling became an outlet for him. “I was a very combative, rambunctious, an intense kind of kid,� Stutzman said. “So I gravitated toward wrestling once I knew there was wrestling.� Stutzman had a storied career in his three seasons at Buffalo. It’s difficult to look through the wrestling program’s record book and not see his name. He graduated as the program’s all-time leader in wins, with a record of 95-27, and is tied for fourth alltime in takedowns with 135. But he always seemed destined to become a coach. “He kind of took me under his wing and kind of showed me what it takes to be a Division I wrestler,� said Charlie Voorhees, a teammate of Stutzman at Buffalo. “He has an amazing ability to be able to lead wrestlers
and make a personal connection with them and figure out how they tick.� Stutzman wrestled for Niagara County Community College before transferring to UB. During his time at NCCC, he would come to Buffalo and train with the Bulls. When he walked onto UB’s campus for the first time in 1993, he didn’t only want to be a head coach; he wanted to run the Bulls’ program in particular. “I knew at that time I was going to be a head coach, and I knew I wanted to be a head coach at the University at Buffalo,� Stutzman said. “It was always something about this place and Western New York that I knew I was going to come back. It’s always been my dream and goal to get back to this university and get it to the next level.� But when Stutzman signed on as Buffalo’s head coach earlier
this year, he was placed in a difficult position. He was replacing his former coach and mentor. Stutzman wrestled for former wrestling head coach Jim Beichner at UB and served as an assistant coach after graduating. Beichner gave Stutzman his first coaching experience and extra responsibilities, like running the offseason training and the free style programs. “I was grateful that [Beichner] gave me the opportunity to stay on and kind of hone my skills a little bit,� Stutzman said. “He kind of opened up my eyes on what it takes to be a college coach.� Stutzman felt better about pursuing the opening after his former coach reached out to him. Beichner called Stutzman – who was then head coach at Bloomsburg – after his firing and told him he was the best candidate for his old job. It has been difficult at times replacing Beichner. He understands Beichner left behind a winning legacy, and not all of the wrestling alumni agreed with Athletic Director Danny White’s decision to let him go. “It’s awkward sometimes because there are a lot of great alumni that loved Coach Beichner,� Stutzman said. “I love Coach Beichner. Some people didn’t want to see him go.� Another difficult aspect of the job for Stutzman has been rebuilding the program in his own image. Beichner served as head coach for 17 years and left a lasting impact. Stutzman wishes to leave his own stamp and that starts with bringing the same mentality his teams at Bloomsburg had. SEE STUTZMAN, PAGE 14
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Continued from page 11: Ferguson
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
“He is one of those people who will be brutally honest with me and everything in my playing,” Ferguson said. “He’s one of my best teachers and listeners, especially because I’ve been out of school. It’s great to have someone to give me that feedback of what works, what doesn’t work or what I need to work on.” As she gets older, she believes she should practice more often. But with her busy schedule, she has learned to prioritize and efficiently use her time. And she passes those skills to her students. When Ferguson was studying at Julliard, she said she had a teacher who focused on technique and exercises; he rarely let his students play music. She said it was like a basketball team only doing pushups and running laps, never playing a game. In Ferguson’s lessons, she teaches musical technique but also requires playing. Pszonak enjoys Ferguson’s style of teaching. Her previous flute instructor at UB was an older man who focused on technique, and while Pszonak enjoyed his knowledge, she said he wasn’t as relatable as Ferguson. Ferguson hopes to continue teaching at UB and Julliard to help students on their musical journeys for as long as possible. She advises all music students to “keep going and believe in what you’re doing.” Her next performance in Buffalo is April 15 in Slee Hall, but she has various performances in New York City, Massachusetts and Texas before then. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
13
Last Glee Club concert of the fall semester this Saturday night ERIC CULVER
Staff Writer
“Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding! What does the fox say?” Josh Cao belted out in front of his fellow Gleemates to hysterical laughter. Cao, a senior economics major and member of UB’s Glee Club, loves to get the crowd involved when he performs with the club. For his good friend Josh Bartlett, a sophomore biomedical science major, though, it’s slightly different. “For me, it depends on who I’m singing with,” Bartlett said. “If I’m singing with Josh Cao, then I like to pick something wild and crazy.” Members of Glee Club perform some of today’s popular hits for music lovers to enjoy. In addition to their own shows, the club has performed at the LBGTQ Fashion Show, Jewish Student Union Coffeehouse, Relay For Life and other events. Members will perform for the last time this semester on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Auditorium. Glee Club President Judy Mai, a senior health and human services major, hopes to have a full house this Saturday. Mai is one of the only members left from 2010, when Glee Club first started at UB. Now, as the club’s president, she has prepared the Glee members for three shows they’ve performed this semester: the Coffee House show, the throwback show (performance of any music from before 2004) and the upcoming finale, which consists of a vari-
Courtesy of UB Glee
ety of music. This Saturday will mark the first time Glee Club will hold a matinee show. “We would love to have a soldout show,” Mai said, explaining that the club has never had one before. Usually at performances, there are only two people in the audience for every member in the club. Attendance for the final show, however, has often been an exception with seats filling in larger numbers, according to Bartlett. “This is our first time doing a matinee show and we’ve learned from the past that more people will come at an easier time,” Cao said. He wants to get the crowd involved with the wide range of music the club will be performing this Saturday. Glee members choose which songs they want to perform for their finale show. Songs performed at auditions for the show included “What Does the Fox
Say” by Ylvis, “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson and “Where’d You Go” by Fort Minor. Glee members can sing as a solo, duet or group act. After auditions, the club tries to place the songs in the right order for the show. “Usually, it’s anywhere from 22 to 26 [songs],” Mai said. “Anything more than that is too long and anything less is too short.” At the beginning of the year, Glee Club started out with over 30 students, and now, due to issues with time commitment, they are down to 24 members. The club practices six hours per week to prepare for shows – every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. “You’d think six hours a week wouldn’t be that much of a commitment, but it actually is because you do a lot outside of it,” Bartlett said. It can take singers up to three weeks to find a song to make
sure it fits the group properly, but it usually only takes a few days to learn it from there. “I like to plan songs at least a month in advance if not more, but once you get the song down it takes about a week,” Cao said. Even though they’re still considered a “fairly new club,” according to Mai, Glee Club manages to attract people to their events. As an open club with an audition performance group, Glee is open to anyone who enjoys singing and dancing for performance. “We’re different from a lot of other clubs on campus because we’re not only singing, but we sing and we dance just to get ourselves out there and recognized,” Mai said. Tickets for the finale show will be sold for $3 before the show and $5 at the door. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Continued from page 12: Stutzman Stutzman learned how to make a small school with limited funding successful at Bloomsburg – a school that has fewer than 10,000 undergraduate students. The wrestling team had only 3.5 scholarships to disperse. Stutzman’s teams had to raise $100,000 every year just to compete. There was nothing glamorous about it. They crammed four people into a hotel room, but it was all about the wrestling. Although UB is a larger school with more money, Stutzman wants his team to have the same mentality and focus solely on wrestling, not what comes along with it. “It was a no-thrills program [at Bloomsburg],” Stutzman said. “But I think as wrestlers, we don’t care about the limelight stuff. That’s the same mentality we’re bringing here. No thrills. Of course it’s different. We got a bigger budget, but it’s going to be the same type of mentality for what we want to accomplish here.” Stutzman also wants his team to bring energy and excitement to Alumni Arena, the same energy that he once brought to it by slamming his opponents to the mat. Stutzman will make his debut as head coach of the Bulls in Alumni Arena on Jan. 4 against Northern Iowa. “We’re going to pack the place,” Stutzman said. “I want to make it a hostile environment for the other team coming in. I want to create an energy that people will want to come watch UB wrestling.” Stutzman brought the training methods he learned overseas to Buffalo. His coaching has led to opportunities to travel all over the world, including Chechnya, Armenia, Romania, Poland and South
Korea. He coached the New York Athletic Club at the USA Olympic Free Style Trials and served as head coach of USA Wrestling’s University World Team, which he coached in the Ramzan Kadirov Cup in Chechnya in 2009. An additional challenge he faces is bringing the team together – Stutzman has to mix wrestlers who were with the Bulls last season, new wrestlers who transferred from Bloomsburg and a class of freshmen he did not recruit. The freshmen are players Beichner recruited. Stutzman can relate to the wrestlers’ transition to a new coach, though, as he had to do it himself when he was a student-athlete. Stutzman was recruited to transfer to UB from NCCC by then-Bulls head coach Charlie Cheney. But by the time Stutzman arrived in Buffalo, Cheney had been fired and replaced by Beichner. “What these guys are right now is where I was,” Stutzman said. “I know I’ve got to earn their trust. These weren’t my guys when I got here, but they’re my guys now. They’re buying in and understanding what I want.” Stutzman was described as a “workout guy” by his teammates during his time at Buffalo. Even if the team did not have a second training session on a particular day, Stutzman did. He expects the same effort and drive out of his wrestlers. Stutzman’s training regimen for his team includes practices at 6 a.m. several times a week, where he is known to be vocal even in the early hours of the morning. “There’s never a time in practice where we’re not going hard or breathing hard,” said junior wrestler Wally Maziarz. “Ev-
erything is high pace and high energy and that’s what he’s all about.” Freshman wrestler Mike Silvis describes Stutzman as “hardcore.” Because of his coaching style, Stutzman has made sure to hire the right type of assistant coaches at every job he has had. He believes he needs assistants who can offset his intense personality. The wrestling team won just one dual meet last season and lost several of its best wrestlers from last season due to graduation or transfer. The Bulls will return only 10 wrestlers from last year, and over half of team are freshmen (13 of 23). Stutzman knows his team is far from being a contender in the Mid-American Conference this season, but he believes he has a blueprint to turn his alma mater around. He has reached out to wrestling alumni to get them excited about the team again. He’s also gone out in the community and held wrestling camps and clinics with local coaches. Above all, however, he believes the turnaround will start by recruiting the right type of wrestlers. Stutzman wants wrestlers who are similar to himself: dedicated. He wants kids who only want to wrestle and go to school. He wants kids who love to wrestle and believe a program will have problems when it recruits kids who don’t love to wrestle. Stutzman believes he’s brought in those types of wrestlers with the team’s recently signed recruits for next season. The team’s potential success is constantly on his mind. He doesn’t even get peace during sleep. He lies awake in bed at night as thoughts of how to turn around the program and make his wrestlers successful rattle his mind.
“I don’t sleep at night trying to figuring out how to make Max Soria a national champion,” Stutzman said. “I don’t sleep at night when I’m thinking about getting Justin Farmer to the national tournament.” Stutzman’s first experience coaching the Bulls came Nov. 9 at the Oklahoma Gold Invitational. The Bulls finished fourth out of six teams in the tournament. He understands making this team successful will be a process, but believes the team could have performed better. Stutzman knows this season will most likely be a rebuilding year. But he knows if his team struggles, it won’t be due to a lack of effort. He won’t allow it. A losing season won’t deteriorate his drive. He is relaxed and confident when talking about reviving the program. He often leans back in his chair and puts his feet on his desk as he speaks in his office. “I’m lucky enough to sit in this desk and work here and kind of help guide it,” Stutzman said. “When you watch our guys wrestle, you’re going to know the difference. And I’m not saying it’s going to happen this year. It’s going to take some time. It’s going to be fun to watch, and I want people on board and having fun and letting the fur fly.” The challenge doesn’t faze him. For a man who’s been all over the world, a challenge that’s closer to home is welcomed. He has dominated on the mat for the Bulls. Now he will try to dominate off it. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
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Crossword of the Day
HOROSCOPES Wednesday, December 4, 2013 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK
ACROSS 1 With it, in a sense 6 Doo-wop singers ___ Na Na 9 Exactly, to a timekeeper 13 Act noncommittal 14 Price revealer 15 Philosophy 16 Something passed without hesitation 18 Thrilling 19 Wedding cake levels 20 “___ making a list ...” 21 Addles 24 Brownie ingredients, sometimes 28 Applies, as influence 29 “Dramatis” follower (cast) 30 Put onboard 31 Reverend’s residence 32 Forensic material 33 Children’s party game 37 Zero, at the World Cup 38 Compact cars? 39 Hurt and disable 41 Remote 43 Cartography expert 45 Mouseketeer toppers 46 Stray from a topic 47 Uncle Sam employee 48 Some 1940s internees 49 ___ lazuli (blue mineral)
52 Game with many imitators 56 Plain as day 57 It separates the men from the boys 58 Describing pitch 59 Presidential run 60 Replies of comprehension 61 Twisting
DOWN 1 Residue from Etna 2 Start of a question 3 Exhibit material 4 Bursts open 5 One full of oneself 6 There are five on China’s flag 7 Bowlers that don’t bowl 8 In days past 9 California raisin city 10 Gamboling spot 11 Toss into the mix 12 Delivery from Santa 15 Young Clinton 17 Football supporters 20 Tyrannical 21 ___ canto (singing style) 22 Analyze 23 Lower half of the brainstem 24 Elizabethan barmaid
Edited by Timothy E. Parker December 4, 2013 KID STUFF By Richard Auer
25 Lay bare, in a way 26 Daisies’ kin 27 It’s fishy 29 ___-walsy (friendly) 31 Manhandles 34 Most repulsive 35 “Rocky” opponent Apollo 36 Put away 37 Pencil stump 40 Married woman 42 Weak and feeble 43 Soy-based Japanese soup 44 Some of them are secret 46 Small change? 48 Close at hand 49 Man with a salty spouse? 50 Abbr. in many a snail mail address 51 In accordance with 52 ___ Paulo 53 Santa ___ winds 54 Shaggy animal in a herd 55 Cagey
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You'll have something very good to report to those who are keeping track once the day is done. Don't be premature, however! CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You can raise the bar, and others are likely to admire how you are able to get better and better with each passing day. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- It's a good day to think about new strategies for reaching those who have been resistant either to your ideas or to your natural charms. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -Those who are younger than you may actually have something valuable to teach you. As a result, you'll enjoy making a new discovery. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -The outcomes you face may not be congruent with every one of your plans. You're going to have to adjust your expectations. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -You can enjoy success in most if not all areas, provided you devote yourself to endeavors that are in your sweet spot.
FALL SPACES ARE WHERE YOU SHOULD
BE LIVING! GOING FAST RESERVE YOUR SPACE TODAY BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -You're eager to see what someone else can bring to the table, and you're probably going to have to be the one to grant the opportunity. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -You may feel a lack of support as the day opens, but if you can stick it out on your own for a while, you'll attract the help you need. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You want to involve others more personally in what is going on with you and around you all day long. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -You may feel as though you have been abandoned in some way, but the truth is, you're merely overlooking something obvious. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -You're going to have to do some extra work in order to provide others with the up-to-date information they've been asking for. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -What provides you with excitement may not be the best thing for you, but there are compromises you can make, surely.
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Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The “Not Top-20” Discover new artists who don’t get enough attention from the mainstream MAX CRINNIN
SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
If you have a hipster friend, you know the pains of trying to enjoy your favorite popular “Top 20” tunes in their presence. “So mainstream,” they say as they sneer at you in the car, pouncing on the radio dial in a violent rush to safety on the NPR station. Or even worse, they keep their favorite mix-CD – full of no-name, emo stuff – on-deck for emergencies like this.
You shouldn’t feel guilty about getting your groove on to contemporary popular music, but you also need to have a way to respond to this abuse by proving that you’re just as hip, if not hipper, than the rest. There’s nothing wrong with vibing to some Mumford & Sons, but have you listened to Cass McCombs’ new album? Yes, Eminem is back with some tasty beats, and it’s hard not to get amped on him releasing a new album, but have you
been listening to Action Bronson? It’s worth getting to know these more “underground” artists, not only as ammunition for when your hipster kin call you out, but because they’re making some of the most exciting, new music that you definitely won’t be hearing on your local pop radio stations. Today, mainstream radio is often frowned upon, and rightfully so, for a lack of quality in the music; but this trend has unfortunately made it uncool to like any-
thing popular, whether it sounds good or not. In an effort to enlighten you with new musical discoveries, while providing you with ammunition against attacks from your hipster friends, here’s a list of rising or lesser-known artists that you should be listening to alongside your chart-topping heroes. You may be surprised to hear how similar they are to some of your more popular favorites.
Artist: Dinosaur Jr. Sounds like: Nirvana, your cooler older brother’s garage band Best album: Green Mind (1991) Die-hard fans of the true “indie” scene that blossomed in the ’90s behind the scenes of the soaring popularity of alternative rock groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam hold Dinosaur Jr. up as royalty, but a great deal of music lovers scratch their heads at any mention of the bands name. Dinosaur Jr. still gets a lot of play on smalltime, local college radio stations, but since the group formed in the mid ’80s they’ve received very little serious attention from major media sources. Their album Green Mind is a perfect addition to any party playlist, especially with a ’90s theme. The songs are very guitar heavy and filled with memorable hooks and lyrics. Green Mind is filled with amazing song titles like “Puke And Cry,” “I Live For That Look” and “Hot Burrito #2.” If you need any convincing beyond that, listen to “Start Choppin’” and it’s unlikely you’ll be able to resist the underrated tastiness that is Dinosaur Jr.
Artist: Jake Bugg Sounds like: Oasis, Jack White Best album: Shangri La (2013) Jake Bugg is currently being held up as the next savior of Brit-pop and it’s unlikely he’ll be out of the mainstream for very long. Everyone is chirping about the 19-year-old’s virtuoso guitar playing and catchy blues-infused pop songs. Americans have long loved the rock influence of the Brit’s on their culture ever since groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones came in waves during the ’60s. Groups like The Smiths, Radiohead, and Coldplay have drifted in and out of the spotlight, keeping a strong British Invasion of excellent music present on American airwaves and Bugg is next in line to capture the hearts of fan girls and boys alike in the U.S. of A.
Artist: Cass McCombs Sounds like: Lou Reed, Neil Young Best album: Big Wheel and Others (2013) It’s hard to say whether Cass McCombs’ twangy, driving guitar rhythms are more captivating for listeners to enjoy than his hauntingly mysterious lyrics, so head straight to his most recent album, Big Wheel and Others, to decide for yourself. McCombs is a reclusive shadowdweller who has consistently received praise from sources like NPR and Pitchfork, who pay attention to more alternative artists, while staying entirely out of the spotlight. If you have a soft spot for the unique songwriting of an artist like Lou Reed and/or Neil Young’s style of country music, McCombs belongs on your list of artists to check out. On “Morning Star” he sings, “Leave your husband and come with me/ Said the Blackjack Gypsy Davey/ Morning Star, tell no lie/ While the goose is hanging high/ Wring my neck under your thighs.”
Artist: Mutual Benefit Sounds like: Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective, the wind chimes in your backyard Best album: Love’s Crushing Diamond (2013) Love’s Crushing Diamond sounds like the feeling you get when you greet the day on a beautiful winter’s morning – something rare in Buffalo. You walk outside, the sun is rising on the horizon and blasting onto your furry brow beneath five layers of wool and North Face. You’re chilly, but the sense of peaceful solitude replaces all sensations with something warmer than the Peppermint Hot Chocolate awaiting you at Starbucks while everyone else in town is still cozied up in bed – you know the feeling. There is hope in Mutual Benefit’s sound, and it’s something we can all benefit from by giving a listen. The songs are spacey, slow and drawn out at times, but they always manage to churn into something beautiful and worthy of serious sonic attention. The album is best enjoyed as a whole, but “Advanced Falconry” is by far the best song of the bunch – it captures listeners with lyrics like, “And oh the way she moves/ Always on the run/ And to look into her eyes/ Will make a fool of anyone/ And she talks softly/ Sees through me/ Says something/ I can’t hear it/ But I won’t forget/ The way she flies.”
Artist: Haim Sounds like: Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, Madonna Best album: Days Are Gone (2013) Like Jake Bugg, it’s probably only a matter of time before Haim explodes with popularity and hits the mainstream. The group consists mainly of three sisters who grew up performing in a traveling band with their parents doing Fleetwood Mac covers, but with a recent performance on Letterman and serious praise and attention coming from major and underground media sources, Haim’s pop sound is something that everyone is starting to pay attention to. Their lyrics show maturity and independence, and their sound demands you dance whether you’re in the car or in the club. Their best songs include “Falling,” “Don’t Save Me” and “Honey & I,” but Days Are Gone is solid as a whole album with listening pleasure that lasts after several plays.
Artist: Action Bronson Sounds like: Wu-Tang Clan, Mac Miller Best album: Blue Chips 2 (featuring Party Supplies) Action Bronson reps Queens hard, he is a chef, he drops names from all corners of pop culture obscurity and his beats are as rare as the steaks he rhymes about devouring. Bronson drops jaws with his lyrical abilities that sound fresh yet familiar to the sounds that true fans of the underground will appreciate. Bronson raps about cooking a lot because he’s a skilled cook – he even has a food show on Vice magazine’s online video website. His lyrics are incredibly unique and culturally on target with what’s going on now in America’s pockets of urban youth culture. Bronson leaves you smiling, laughing and often confused but only in a good way. XXL magazine published an article titled “The 15 Most Absurd Lyrics On Action Bronson’s ‘Saaab Stories,’” which is definitely worth exploring as you explore Bronson’s mixtape library of excellence. *All album art is courtesy of the record labels email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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