The Spectrum Volume 63 Issue 41 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

EDITORIAL: UB Foundation’s budget should be public

Comedian Brian Regan to perform in Buffalo THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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Bulls face Bonnies in Big Four showdown

Friday, DECEMBER 6, 2013

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Volume 63 No. 41

Bulls win frenetic, First on-campus ice rink to fast-paced shootout open spring semester Women’s basketball narrowly takes down St. Francis

Chad Cooper, The Spectrum Sophomore guard Mackenzie Loesing had a career-high 29 points against St. Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday night to lead the Bulls to an 87-77 victory.

JEFF PLACITO

Staff Writer

The women’s basketball team got a scare on Wednesday night. The team committed 27 turnovers and had just a four-point lead in the game’s waning minutes. The Bulls (5-2), however, defeated St. Francis (Pa.) (2-4) 8777 on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena. The game turned into a track meet as both teams played with rapid offensive pace. Buffalo had its highest offensive scoring outburst in a single game since the 2011-12 season. Sophomore guard Mackenzie Loesing led the team in scoring with a career-best 29 points, despite being in foul trouble throughout. Loesing finished the game 9 of 17 from the field and 11 of 17 from the free throw line. In her absence early in the first half, her teammates stepped up. “I have a lot of confidence in my teammates this year,” Loesing said. “It’s really great to be a part of a team that you can rely on every single night.” Along with Loesing’s foul trouble, the depth was tested when senior guard Margeaux Gupilan was sidelined for the final 30 minutes due to a head injury. Freshman forward Alexus Malone had the performance

of her young career, filling the stat sheet with 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals. It was her first doubledouble as a Bull. Head coach Felisha LegetteJack loves what Malone brings to the team, especially Malone’s determination to win at all costs. “I think she’s going to be one of the best players in our conference,” Legette-Jack said. “She is a very humble person and wants the team’s success more than the credit.” Buffalo started the game strong, as it led by double digits throughout most of the first half. The ‘D’ was the key to the team’s success, holding St. Francis to only 26 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from behind the arc in the opening half. The Bulls held the Red Flash to just 1-of-18 shooting early in the game. Buffalo ended the first half with a 41-31 lead. The biggest challenge for the Bulls was dealing with St. Francis’ full-court press. The Red Flash used the press the entire game, which led to 31 points off 27 Buffalo turnovers. Though the Bulls got off to a fast second-half start as they widened their lead to 53-35 with 16:15 remaining, St. Francis rallied midway through the half and closed the gap to four points with 6:40 left. SEE B-BALL, PAGE 2

KEVIN HONG

Staff Writer

Before the start of Thanksgiving break, a sign was posted outside the Student Union telling students not to forget to bring a pair of ice skates back to UB after winter break. Starting this spring semester, UB students will be able to ice skate for free on campus. Spearheaded by Student Life and Student Affairs, the new ice rink will be located in the field between the Commons and Clemens Hall on North Campus. Director of Student Life Tom Tiberi said one of the main reasons for having the new rink is to provide a venue for winter activities, like ice skating, hockey and broomball. “We want to celebrate the UB experience year round,” Tiberi said. “The winter months offer many unique opportunities to do this, and what better way is there than to provide a place for students to participate in outdoor winter activities?” The rink is still being built and will consist of a wooden frame and plastic liner. The frame was completed recently and the liner will be completed later this month and then filled with water. The ice rink is a temporary addition on campus. “I think it’s great,” said Josh Bush, a senior biomedical engineering major. “Ice skating is always fun and very accessible. It helps promote some sort of physical activity during a time of year when most people just want to sit on a couch and do nothing.” Buffalo is known for its chilly winters and activities that go along with it. Having an ice rink seems an appropriate addition to some of the winter activities students can enjoy throughout the winter season. In order to maintain the outdoor rink, a contractor will apply hot water twice a week to smooth over the surface. Any snow will be shoveled as soon as possible. The Student Association is looking to be involved with hosting events at the new rink. SA President Sam McMahon looks forward to potentially having pe-

Aline Kobayashi, The Spectrum Starting in the spring semester, students will have the opportunity to skate on an outdoor ice rink located in between the Commons and Clemens Hall. Student Life and Student Affairs have spearheaded the effort with the Student Association’s support.

riodic free skate rental events when the ice rink opens. “It’ll be a great activity for international students to experience the Buffalo experience and climate,” McMahon said. “Why don’t we have a way for students to get a taste of the Buffalo winter and sporting activities?” Tiberi said the ice rink should debut Jan. 27, the first day of the spring semester, but cautioned that date is dependent on weather. The rink will be open for as long as it is cold enough – he hopes it will stay open into March. The tentative schedule is currently from Thursday to Sunday from mid-day until midnight and will also be free of charge. Different activities will also be run during varying times in order to fairly distribute the amount of hockey and ice skating time available to all students. Winterfest 2014, an annual event that features both indoor

and outdoor events, will be using the ice rink extensively. The ice rink will be a focal point of the Feb. 1 event. UB has never had an ice rink before this year and many students have been excited for the project to be finished. “The landscape around Buffalo is perfect for an ice rink,” said Decearee Paningasan, a junior nursing major. “I’m really excited for it and can’t wait for it to be opened.” Tiberi hopes that the ice rink contributes to the UB experience by providing another opportunity for students to come together and create lasting memories. Student Life will also be looking for volunteers to help out with maintaining the ice rink. email: news@ubspectrum.com

A new meth-od to the madness UB to offer graduate seminar on Breaking Bad next semester MOHAMMED SHARIFF Staff Writer

Daniele Gershon, The Spectrum Word of UB’s new Breaking Bad class for graduate students has already spread around the nation. The class’ instructor, Bruce Jackson, has received requests for enrollment from around the country, including many from UB’s undergraduate student body.

Bruce Jackson is “crazy” about Breaking Bad. The SUNY distinguished professor is teaching a graduate course this spring about the television show. UB will join the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Irvine as one of three schools in the nation to offer classes about the AMC original programming. The graduate seminar is titled ‘Breaking Down Breaking Bad’ and will only be available to students in the visual studies, media study and theater departments and students in the law school. Word of the class has already spread around the nation. Jackson has received requests for enrollment from around the country, including many from UB’s undergraduate student body. For Jackson – who teaches in various graduate departments in-

cluding English, sociology and law – Breaking Bad is more than just a show; it’s a 60-hour epic storyline. He compares the single narrative of the series to classics such as Homer’s The Odyssey and Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. He believes the show sets itself apart from other cultural icons like The Sopranos by cutting any side-plots and focusing on the transformation of the show’s central protagonist, Walter White. In a way, Jackson said, teaching the show is like teaching a novel. “[Breaking Bad] isn’t as episodic as, say, Boardwalk Empire is. It’s episodic the way a large book has chapters,” Jackson said. “So it makes it easier to talk about.” Breaking Bad is the story of an overqualified high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with lung cancer. With no options for affordable health care and given a few months to live, he turns to his skills as a chemist and the expanding drug mar-

ket to earn money for his cancer treatment and for his family. The show has earned 10 Primetime Emmy Awards. Senior communication major Steve Willert agrees with Jackson in that, in a way, each episode represents a chapter of a large book. “It’s definitely one of those shows where, if you don’t watch from the beginning, it might not seem very exciting,” Willert said. “Every episode was important in its own way. Something happened in every episode where it was kind of building up. But I think that’s what made the show – the build-ups were slow and they didn’t rush.” Although other universities have held classes about popular television shows in the past, such as Harvard University’s class on The Wire, Berkeley’s class on Mad Men and Irvine’s class on The Walking Dead, Jackson believes SEE BREAKING BAD, PAGE 2

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Friday, December 6, 2013

Musical News Briefs

Continued from page 1: Breaking Bad

Phil Collins ponders potential comeback At the premiere of the Tarzan musical in Stuttgart, Germany, Phil Collins told reporters he is contemplating returning to the music industry. The seven-time Grammy Award winner – and 24-time nominee – retired as a musician in 2011. He hasn’t released an album since the critically acclaimed Testify in 2002. That same year, he began his “First Final Farewell” Tour. Collins is one of three artists (Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson) to sell 100 million albums each as a member of band and as a solo artist. He rose to fame as the drummer of the famous band Genesis. “I have started thinking about doing new stuff,” Collins told reporters at the Tarzan opening. “[Maybe playing] some shows again, even with Genesis. Everything is possible. We could tour in Australia and South America. We haven’t been there yet.” Collins has also won two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award for songs he wrote for the films Tarzan and Buster. Rolling Stone reached out to Collins’ manager Tony Smith for comment. He responded saying, “No definite plans at this time.”

his Breaking Bad class will be different in its approach to the subject matter. “One of the interesting things about the show is that it can be discussed from so many points of view,” Jackson said. “You could talk about the social issues involved … It gives us a chance to talk about legal ethics and, on a broader scale, it gives us the chance to talk about narrative.” Jackson plans on inviting professionals from various fields as guest speakers to discuss the show’s different social and ethical issues. He has already contacted representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to come in and speak about its work consulting the series executive producer Vince Gilligan. Breaking Bad is the first television show federal agents routinely provided input, according to Jackson. Jackson also wants to invite legal professionals from UB’s law school to discuss the ethical implications of the show’s shady lawyer, Saul Goodman. And although they are currently “the hottest people in Hollywood,” Jackson hopes to also bring in some of the people that helped produce the show, like series cinematographer Michael Slovis. Jackson hadn’t heard about the critically acclaimed television show until last year, when a student in his weekly film seminar suggested he and a colleague look into it. For the next few nights, Jackson and his wife, fellow SUNY Distinguished Professor Diane Christian, watched the show for hours; they were addicted. A few episodes into the series, Jackson realized the show was unlike anything he had seen before on television. He thought the show deserved its own class. “I think something new is happening,” Jackson said. “This was brilliantly acted, brilliantly directed, brilliantly photographed.” He was originally content with any professor teaching a class on Breaking Bad. But after some persuasion from his students, he decided to teach the seminar himself.

Billy Joel to perform monthly at Madison Square Garden At a press conference in New York City on Tuesday, Billy Joel announced he will perform at Madison Square Garden (MSG) monthly for the indefinite future. The once-a-month scheduling is a historic first, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. “Playing Madison Square Garden is an experience that never gets old,” Joel said in an NYC press conference on Tuesday. “A show a month at the Garden for as long as there’s demand means more opportunities to connect with music fans and provides a unique and memorable show every time we play here.” Joel had been on a three-year break from performing until earli-

er this year. MSG executives made it clear the monthly show will continue until the demand for it stops. “Billy, having you as our music franchise feels a little like having the Pope as your parish priest,” said MSG Executive Chairman James Dolan at the press conference. “I’m truly an admirer and I grew up with your music, too, and so I’m thrilled to death.” Joel’s next show is on New Year’s Eve at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. His MSG shows are slated for Jan. 27, Feb. 3, March 21, April 18 and May 9. The June concert and future performances will be announced as the dates approach. Pharrell is taking a new approach to his next solo LP Pharrell, the singer-songwriter best known for his rapping, announced Tuesday that his latest LP will be “rap-free.” “That’s the difference between 30 and 40,” Pharrell said in an interview with Complex. “’Cause I was 30, now I’m 40 – and I’m not rapping.” The four-time Grammy Award winner hasn’t released a solo album since In My Mind in 2006. This year, he became the 12th artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to hold the No.1 and 2 spots on the list with “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky.” In the interview with Complex, Pharrell discussed his musical influences growing up. Diddy and Kurt Cobain shaped his musical interest and he tries to emulate them. He said Diddy’s “The Benjamins” and Cobain’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” represented something more than music – the songs discussed a momentary escape from the cultural expectations of musicians. That digression from the norm inspired Pharell and his music. The LP is expected to be released next year. email: news@ubspectrum.com

Legette-Jack refocused her team to counter the momentum shift. “I asked them to remember their roles,” Legette-Jack said. “Remember what got us here, be present for the entire 40 minutes and don’t take a possession off, and they understood that.” Loesing took the game into her own hands down the stretch – scoring 10 of her 29 points in the game’s final five minutes. The Bulls relied on their foul shooting to close the game, with 10 of their final 20 points coming from the charity stripe. Junior forwards Christa Baccas finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocks, and junior forward Kristen Sharkey added nine points and 10 rebounds. The Bulls will travel to take on Siena (3-3) on Saturday. Tip is set for 2 p.m. email: sports@ubspectrum.com

*Joe Konze Jr. contributed reporting to this story. email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Jackson, who has been at UB since 1967 and became a SUNY distinguished professor in 1990, was able to get the class promptly approved by the English Department. Junior environmental engineering major Philip Chan thinks Breaking Down Breaking Bad is a great idea for UB’s set of courses. “Breaking Bad is a really in-depth show, and it delves into characters that have multi-layered qualities to them,” Chan said. “Maybe it’s not the most realistic situation where a chemist becomes a meth dealer, but it just shows how much you can do with a few characters.” The seminar will take place every Monday for two and a half hours. Jackson isn’t sure of the class’s exact format, but he envisions a mix of lecture and discussion as well as re-watching of episodes scenes. Homework will likely be to watch and analyze episodes from the show. For now, Jackson plans on teaching the seminar for one semester and isn’t allowing undergraduate students to enroll. Depending on the class’s success this spring, Jackson said he is open to holding the class again and potentially allowing undergraduate students to enroll. Students who still wish to take the class should provide unique insight of the show. For example, Jackson said he permitted one student from another university to enroll in the class after it was full because she was coming from a health care background. Jackson said the show deserves to be taught because it is as much a part of our culture as a new novel or movie. “It’s an incredible narrative achievement,” he said. “It’s never been done before.”

Continued from page 1: B-ball

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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 6, 2013 Volume 63 Number 41 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

Transparency is key UB Foundation’s budget should be public On Tuesday, something anomalous happened at this university: For the first time in at least six years, enough faculty senators were present at a meeting to have quorum and even vote on a motion. Using the word dysfunction is a polite way to describe how the Faculty Senate has been operating for years. But what finally induced enough senators to come together was a worthy cause. The UB Foundation – a private, non-profit organization – does not disclose what it does with roughly $1 billion of funds. UBF receives millions of dollars annually in donations on behalf of the university that go toward what? We don’t know. Nobody knows – except UBF. UBF may be a separate entity from the university, but it is comprised of many of the same players – President Satish Tripathi sits on its board. After the motion, the university issued a statement that said, “As a major public research university, the University at Buffalo values transparency and understands the importance of being transparent and forthright in its endeavors and communications.” If the university truly values transparency, then why isn’t it being transparent with this? Why aren’t they letting the community know what the UBF is doing with its funds? If they can talk the talk, they should be able to walk the walk. Now is as good a time as ever for UBF’s budget to be made public. There is a lot of money being pumped into the university – a public university. And yet only a few people know what is being done with it. And if there is nothing to hide, why hide it? We don’t know that anything sketchy has been done with the UBF budget, and we certainly don’t want to imply that there has been any scandalous activity, but many would like to be assured that there isn’t. Not to mention, many people are curious how the powers that be at this university are directing money. There is a lot of talk about initiatives involving UB 2020, and members of the community want to know how much is going to these initiatives at the expense of other needs being neglected. Many departments at UB feel

ART BY JEANETTE CHWAN

they are not receiving sufficient attention or funding from the university, and it would be concerning to many if more money were going toward improving UB’s image at the expense of underfunding critical student services. Some may say that because UBF is a private organization, it is under no obligation to disclose its budget and its spending. And this is true. But we believe it should be. UBF accumulates substan-

tial amounts of revenue on behalf of the university and, as Senator Kenneth Dauber pointed out, UBF is an entity that is largely controlling how the university operates. It’s the power of UBF at this university that makes this motion so important for our community. Money is power – and UBF has a lot of money. We want to know what they are doing with it. It is well understood that budgets reflect values; people spend money on what they value the

most. It seems strange that the organization that is controlling a huge portion of the university’s discretionary spending chooses to remain private – protecting its actions from being monitored. They are hiding from the public what they value most. Well, the university has been very clear that they consider transparency a major value. Now is time to really prove it. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Reforming an ‘average’ system Recent educational revelations prove we need some changes The state of U.S. education has had a rough week. This week, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) unveiled its newest findings, which showed children from the United States are scoring below average in math (ranked at 36) and just about average in reading and science. Generally, American students don’t do as well on scholastic assessments as students from other countries, but these recent revelations are an ominous sign as we are living in an increasingly globalized economy. The pundits came out fast once PISA released its data. Many are quick to point their fingers toward what they believe are the causes and what may be the potential remedies to prevent future U.S. children from slipping below the international average. There is no denying that we are living in a meritocratic society where it is tough to get ahead. Children today aren’t just competing amongst those in their own country; they are competing with children from all countries.

It is worth noting, however, that these findings only reveal how well students are scoring on tests. And some cultures are more conducive for students scoring well on tests. The highest scores came out of Asian countries. This should be no surprise. Students in Asian countries are trained to score well on tests at a very early age. They are instilled with work ethic and are in school year round. What they have realized that we, as a nation, have yet to realize as fully, is that preparing our students for success in education and in a global economy starts at a young age. If students are not properly prepared for the kind of educational setting full of demands and requirements, it is hard to break that routine later in life. President Obama has made clear his intent to reform early childhood education. Unfortunately, this seems like an unlikely proposition. Congress is not cooperating with him and it will be hard to convince Republican leadership to invest in such

a measure. But it is perfectly clear that our public education system is lacking in preparing its students for the demands of assessments. And something should be done about it. In our view, rectifying this problem and altering the trajectory of poor test scores for our students starts at an early age. We need to prepare our students better for these assessments and we should use technology that enables them to do so. But this is not to say that students’ test scores are the only indicator of success. In fact, people who do poorly in school and on tests often do very well in business. As Malcolm Gladwell has pointed out, it is surprising to many how such an overwhelming number of successful businesspersons have dyslexia. Having a disadvantage of some kind becomes a way to develop an innovative way of thinking – a way of finding alternative approaches. Well, America is still doing relatively well in business. There are certain kinds of suc-

cess and intelligence that simply do not translate on a standardized test. Investing more in early education and reforming the system is a good move, and there are others that deserve attention. Government can only do so much. And it can’t control parents. But parents are inevitably responsible for their children, and this should be a sign that parents need to be more involved in their children’s educational experiences – and help them do better on these tests. That includes making them study more and paying attention to what is going on with them at school – and if they need a tutor, getting them one. What we learned from these test scores is certainly not calamitous, but it is a bad omen. It is an even worse omen if we don’t do anything about it. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Friday, December 6, 2013 ubspectrum.com

FEATURES

The No Title Tour

Comedian Brian Regan to perform in Buffalo RACHEL KRAMER

Asst. Arts Editor

Courtesy of South Beach Comedy Festival Comedian Brian Regan will perform at Shea’s Performing Arts Center Friday at 8 p.m. Regan has been a comedian for over 30 years and says he looks forward to delivering new material in Buffalo, a city he loves visiting.

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“They always say that Albert Einstein was a genius. Then how come when anyone every calls you that, it’s an insult? ‘You don’t know where you parked the car? Good job, Einstein.’ I don’t think we’re honoring that man properly by using his name in vain in parking lots.” Comedian Brian Regan smiles as the crowd laughs at the truth behind that statement. The Miami, Fla., native has been a comedian for over 30 years and has stopped naming his comedy tours. He will be performing at Shea’s Performing Arts Center on Friday, Dec. 6. “I want it to be just me doing comedy,” Regan said. “I think if you name it, then people come and say all of that material is from that specific tour. Then people come back another time and hear a joke they heard on a previous tour and they might go, ‘Hey that was on the previous tour,’ so I’m resistant to naming. It’s me.” Regan has been to Buffalo before and said his favorite part of the Queen City is “everything about Buffalo” and he looks forward to presenting new material to the fans. If they saw his show last time he was in Buffalo, Regan assumes at least more than half of his show will be jokes they haven’t heard. His favorite comments after a show are from the fans that tell him the jokes they heard were new to them. Although the jokes may be new, Regan tries to stay true to his observational and sarcastic style of humor. He draws inspiration from everyday tasks like reading the newspaper, watching TV, going to the bank and paying attention to things that “just happen in life.” Regan describes a lot of his material as “autobiographical” but sometimes he just wants to tell funny stories. “Some stuff I’m describing are things that have happened to me,” Regan said.

“And other stuff I’m like, ‘Hey, I saw an old lady slip in a mud puddle.’ That has nothing to do with me, but I still want to talk about it.” Regan didn’t always know he wanted to make people laugh for a living. He went to college intending to be an accountant, but after a few accounting courses, he thought, “If this is what my future is going to be, I’m in trouble.” So he switched majors to communication and theatre arts, and when he took a speech class, he found his passion for standup comedy. He encourages students to follow their hearts and look at the options available when it comes to picking a major and ultimately a career. When it comes to comedy, Regan believes he could give thousands of pieces of advice. The first is to find places to perform and the second would be to not give up. He explains there are many factors that can go into a comedian’s first time on stage, such as being new, scared or nervous. “When you first start, more than likely you’re going to have a bad show,” Regan said. “Don’t necessarily let that be the decider as to whether or not you’re going to continue on that comedic quest … You don’t want to walk off stage and be like, ‘I am never doing that again.’” It took five auditions at a comedy club in Ft. Lauderdale before he was invited to perform. To this day, he says the moment he passed that audition was the highlight of his career – the owner of the club thought he was funny and showed a lot of promise. Since then, he has been performing at comedy clubs, going on tours and making people laugh. And he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. After Buffalo, Regan’s tour will continue to Rochester for a show at the Rochester Auditorium Theater. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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A passion for the mind Psychology professor Gabriel is beloved by students GABRIELA JULIA Staff Writer

In Dr. Shira Gabrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world of psychology, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seen people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in a sense â&#x20AC;&#x201C; turn into vampires and wizards. The associate professor of psychology has done a variety of research and experiments â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including one that consisted of participants reading passages from fantasy novels. Her research showed that readers felt like they psychologically turned into the science fiction characters they were reading about as a way â&#x20AC;&#x153;to fulfill belongingness needs through group affiliation,â&#x20AC;? according to the article Gabriel co-authored called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Becoming a Vampire Without Being Bitten.â&#x20AC;? The sense of belonging that results from reading about wizards and vampires provokes the same feelings of satisfaction and happiness as if the reader were actually part of the world described, according to Gabriel. But turning people into vampires or wizards isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only way Gabriel explores her interest in the human mind. At UB, she instructs Psychology 101, a 400-level course and a graduate-level course. She is beloved by many of her students, which means a lot to the professor, who earned her Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Gabriel said her best experiences are hearing that students enjoy her classes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I first started teaching, a female student wrote me a card saying that she felt it was important to have a strong woman teacher,â&#x20AC;? Gabriel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She felt that I was a good role model and it blew me away. I love thinking that I could make someone feel like that.â&#x20AC;?

Courtesy of Shira Gabriel At UB, Dr. Shira Gabriel instructs Psychology 101, a 400-level course and a graduate-level course.

Gabriel said she always enjoyed psychology and the college atmosphere; she never wanted to leave it. She found human behavior to be fascinating and decided to study how our relationships shape our thoughts, feelings and behavior. Outside the classroom, Gabriel has posted numerous blogs on the Social Science Research Center, an online forum, about prayer and how it affects people.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Faith is about keeping things whole, about not knowing all the answers and about appreciating the grace and peace of something that is too big to be divided, counted, and understood,â&#x20AC;? Gabriel wrote. She thinks UBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s psychology department is â&#x20AC;&#x153;greatâ&#x20AC;? and added many faculty members do â&#x20AC;&#x153;a lot of researchâ&#x20AC;? and are â&#x20AC;&#x153;dedicated to their students.â&#x20AC;?

She strives to be a good professor, and many of her students have noticed. Tori Paxon, a freshman, changed her major from nursing to psychology and social sciences because of Gabrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lectures. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really like the way that she teaches the class and all of the enthusiasm she has about psychology,â&#x20AC;? Paxon said. Gabriel also boasts high ratings on Ratemyprofessor.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one student on the site even described her as â&#x20AC;&#x153;literally perfection.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like high scores on anything,â&#x20AC;? Gabriel said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like my students, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad they like me, too.â&#x20AC;? Ka Yee Lee, a freshman intended nursing major, said she enjoys Gabrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lectures because she makes each class fun and enjoyable. Gabriel is Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Psychology 101 professor. With such large classes, Gabriel said it is important to be enthusiastic and get the students involved. Lee said Gabrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lecture notes are clear and understandable, which makes it easy for students to follow and properly study the material needed for exams. Gabriel doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the firstsemester freshmen to feel discouraged or overwhelmed in her 101 class, so she gives five exams and drops the lowest grade. She believes students do better when they are tested more often on less information, so she wants all of them to have a chance. Her idea of a good professor is someone who takes his or her role seriously. She feels thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing worse than a professor who stresses the importance of attendance and is always absent or tardy. She wants each member of the class to be treated equally.

Gabriel will forever be fascinated by the mind, which is why she teaches classes like Psychology 407: Consciousness and the Self. It is a three-credit class that examines how the unconscious mind works and how some information cannot be accessed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long as you attend her lectures and study a decent amount of hours, her tests will be manageable,â&#x20AC;? Lee said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Overall, she is a really good professor and I am glad that I have her for this semester.â&#x20AC;? email: features@ubspectrum.com

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Friday, December 6, 2013

The executive’s daughter Claire Brady discusses father’s role as CDS executive director, impact on her life KEREN BARUCH

Senior Features Editor

Throughout her childhood, Claire Brady didn’t see her father a lot and never understood why. They only ate dinner together when she and her family went to him. The senior speech and hearing and health and human services major would sit at a high table at Applebee’s, eating chicken tenders and drinking an Oreo milkshake, while her father was hard at work. Upon attending UB, Brady began to comprehend why her father’s schedule did not permit him to see her often. Her dad, Jeff Brady, is now the executive director of UB’s Campus Dining & Shops (CDS). He works from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days per week and, occasionally, he works on Sundays. Throughout her four years at UB, Brady has witnessed her father’s passion for food and its effect on people’s lives, and she has become appreciative of her father’s work. He has even influenced her to become involved with campus dining. “He’s so passionate about the food industry because he loves making people happy and he knows one of the most popular ways to do so is through food,” Brady said. “You can see him running around campus going to every table in the Union and asking how their meal is and if there is anything he can do to make your experience better.” Jeff considers food to be similar to fashion. He said workers in food service must constantly adapt to new trends on campus so CDS can stay up to date. His team often travels to colleges and local and national restaurants to learn about their operations and prod-

ucts. Brady said her father is always looking for ways to improve CDS and seeking advice. Sometimes, he comes home from work and asks Brady to try certain foods and let him know if she thinks students will like it. “I think the entire UB community, especially the students, is what inspires me the most,” Jeff said. “I enjoy making the students’ experience here at UB just that much better knowing that everything we do impacts their lives in some way. I enjoy talking to our customers, asking how their experience with our food service is. When a student approaches me and tells me, ‘I love the food,’ it really makes my day.” Jeff said a student once ran into the CDS office with excitement because she was so appreciative that CDS offered gluten-free rolls. He said it’s the little things like that, knowing that CDS made a positive impact on a student’s life, which inspire him. Five years ago, CDS set out to be the No. 1 dining service in the SUNY University Centers, and it reached that milestone last year, according to Jeff. Now, CDS is working to become one of the top 10 schools in the nation for food service assessed by the Princeton Review. “We have had so many improvements over the past couple of years and we’ve only just begun,” Jeff said. Being the executive’s daughter was tough at first, Brady said. She did everything to avoid Jeff on campus. When she did see him, she’d run in the opposite direction. She did not want to be known as the director’s daughter. “I got a call from him in October of my freshman year,” Brady

Courtesy of Jeff Brady Jeff Brady, the executive director of UB’s Campus Dining & Shops (CDS), has passed his passion for food and its effect on people’s lives onto his daughter, Claire.

said. “He asked if I would grab a friend or two and come down to the dining hall to take a picture with the food, so I regretfully decided to do him this favor.” The next week, Brady’s picture was blown up and put on every Stampede bus. It still gets shown from time to time. “So there went my cover,” Brady said. Her sophomore year, Brady began to date her current boy-

friend. She tried to not let her father know, but that was quickly ruined when she sat on her boyfriend’s lap in Pistachio’s in the Student Union. “Within five minutes, I had four text messages that read something like, ‘Who is that?’ ‘Is that a boy?’ ‘Whose lap are you sitting on?’ ‘Claire.’” Brady said. “It’s like he had eyes everywhere.” From seldom seeing her father prior to college, to seeing him

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every day, Brady has begun to understand what it’s like to have him around. She began to use his position to her benefit. With the help of Jeff, she started the CDS student ambassador program. She, along with 10 students, would go to different dining locations on campus and ask students if they needed help understanding the meal plans or if they had any general questions. Kasey Poloncarz, a senior health and human services and psychology major, started working with Jeff during her sophomore year. He asked her to become a student ambassador because he wanted students’ input on CDS. Each week, Poloncarz spent a few hours wearing neon-colored shirts and speaking to new students about meal plans, dining centers, where to eat and more. Brady and Poloncarz describe Jeff as the kind of guy that actually makes things happen. “He single-handedly made Au Bon Pain happen,” Poloncarz said. “He [said], during my freshman year, that he wanted a grab-and-go station with coffee and vegetarian options. The next year, I moved into Greiner Hall and that very thing was feet below me.” Brady loved that her father helped her get involved on campus. One night, Brady attended a basement party near South Campus. A kid pointed at her and yelled, “Hey! You’re the dining hall girl.” Instead of getting embarrassed, she laughed it off because she had become proud of being Jeff ’s daughter. “As a senior, I realize how lucky I am,” Brady said. “My dad’s the most charismatic person I know. He’s not afraid to go up to you at the Moe’s line and ask you how your day is going or if he can do anything to make your experience with CDS any better.” Brady admires that her father goes into work every day with a smile on his face. Poloncarz calls CDS “Jeff ’s fourth child.” “As I always tell my kids, choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” Jeff said. “The students, my coworkers and the food, that’s what inspires me every day.” email: features@ubspectrum.com

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Best films of 2013: Jake’s personal picks

* All screenshots courtesy of the respective production company JAKE KNOTT

Contributing Writer

Were you expecting someone else? For those unaware, I wrote movie reviews for The Spectrum for two years. Every December, I compile a list of the best films I saw within the year. I graduated last spring, but my passion for reviewing films is far from expiring. By tradition, I will sort the films by genre instead of making a Top 10 list, as that would be premature before the year has ended. Best action film: Pacific Rim Olympus Has Fallen and The Lone Ranger tied for a close second, but Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim set the bar for 2013. Del Toro (Hellboy II: The Golden Army), a master of including full-scale visuals in films like the Hellboy series and Pan’s Labyrinth, has raised the stakes in modern special effects. Set about a decade in the future, Earth is ambushed by the Kaijus – colossal, reptilian beasts that enter our world through portals (cousins of the creature from Cloverfield, perhaps). Humans retaliate by constructing robots that make the fighting bots from Real Steel look like Happy Meal toys.

Del Toro goes the extra mile by developing a backstory to the war, providing context to the riveting action scenes with the Kaijus slashing and the bots bashing. Best animated film: Monsters University Pixar is back on track after last year’s underwhelming Brave, which won a pity Oscar for Best Animated Feature over clearly superior movies Wreck-It Ralph and Frankenweenie. Monsters University revisits monsters James Sullivan (John Goodman, The Internship) and Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal, Parental Guidance) years before they broke the all-time scare record at Monsters, Incorporated. While Monsters, Inc. was more sentimental, this sequel is funnier, probably because Crystal’s character takes the lead this time. Hopefully the Academy doesn’t hesitate to award Pixar this year over the overhyped Frozen, but my initial predictions tell me I won’t get my way. Best comedy: This is the End A comedy that can coax Emma Watson to cuss and threaten people with an axe has something special going for it. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg have outdone themselves. The duo, who wrote first-rate comedies like Superbad and Pineapple Express, have finally made its directorial debut with This

is the End, an expansion of the short film Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse. This obnoxious comedy follows Rogen (The Guilt Trip) and Jay Baruchel (Cosmopolis), essentially playing themselves, attending a party at James Franco’s (As I Lay Dying) house. Rogen and Goldberg’s screenplay allows the actors to parody themselves and their relationship with the industry, like Franco recalling his unfortunate involvement in Your Highness. The jokes are vulgar and cruel, but honest to how these actors think about themselves. I don’t doubt these guys would act this way during Judgment Day, although maybe the cannibalism was a bit much. Best Horror Film: The Conjuring The Conjuring is the only shoe-in victor in this year’s list, as the quality of the horror genre seemingly plummets each year. It’s always about possession this, and exorcism that, and don’t get me started on the aggravating “Found Footage” nonsense. And while The Conjuring contains possessions and exorcisms, it takes delicate care of each scene with such precision, all aimed to haunt and linger over the minds of the audience. Director James Wan, of Insidious and Saw fame, pays homage to his unconditional attachment to the horror genre by making

each scene as unsettling as the next. He focuses more on building suspense and limits the jumpy ‘Gotcha!’ moments that clunkers like Paranormal Activity 4 have used. Best sci-fi film: Gravity Gravity is a rare film that values the experience of sitting in a theater. It might be a lesser film if viewed on a smaller screen. Alfonso Cuarón, whose last feature film Children of Men was one of the best films of 2006, has crafted a space thriller comparable to Kubrick’s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. A crew of scientists is abandoned somewhere in Earth’s orbit when satellite debris crashes into their space shuttle. Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock, The Heat) and Cpt. Matt Kowalski (George Clooney, The Descendants) survive the initial incident and are left adrift. Cuarón’s analogy for the insignificance of life compared to the vast power of the universe is remindful of Terrence Mallick’s great The Tree of Life. Director of cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki, who also photographed The Tree of Life, should be a shoe-in for his sixth Oscar nomination and first win come March. And if the Academy recognizes Bullock for her transforming work, it will be a sign that it has changed for the better. SEE BEST FILMS, PAGE 10

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An old dog’s new tricks Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy ERIC CORTELLESSA

Opinion Editor

Film: Oldboy Studio: 40 Acres and a Mule Release Date: Nov. 27 Grade: B Most Spike Lee films aren’t designated, “A Spike Lee Film.” Since his debut feature, She’s Gotta Have It, his films have carried the label, “A Spike Lee Joint.” But his newest film, Oldboy, a remake of the highly acclaimed 2003 South Korean film of the same title, is the first to be billed as a “film” rather than a “joint.” Perhaps this is because it is a remake – I wouldn’t surmise it for any other particular aesthetic purpose. When asked the reason, Lee has generally curtly replied, “It’s a tough business.” A tough business it is indeed to make a film, and Lee, at age 56, doesn’t demonstrate the same virtuoso he once did, but Oldboy is enjoyable enough to remind us that Lee is enough of a craftsman to reinvent himself a little bit with each film while retaining his perennial voice. It is, however, perhaps the least personal film he has ever made. Much like his exceptional film Inside Man (2006), Oldboy is a thriller. A man gets kidnapped after ruining a potential business deal one night and is locked in a single room for 20 years before he is suddenly released. During that time, he is subject to emotional torture through a television in the room that shows how he has been framed for the rape and murder of his ex-wife. Upon his release, he sets out to find his surviving daughter, and in the process, tries to solve the mystery of why he was de-

Courtesy of FILMDISTRICT

tained, and why he was released. A point of divergence from Park Chan-wook’s original version in which the protagonist is let loose after 15 years, Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin, Gangster Squad) returns home after 20 – just as Odysseus did. Odysseus, among other things, demonstrated to readers the nature of self – you don’t inherit it, you develop it. When Joe is locked up, he reinvents himself with an unclear sense of his intentions. He works out compulsively and rebuilds his body – preparing himself for an unknown future as an unassailable sense of time passing erodes him.

After he is abruptly freed, the film then becomes a violent action film. Doucett is an unstoppable brute with seemingly endless savage abilities. His only partners turn out to be an old friend and bartender (Michael Imperioli, The Call) and Marie (Elizabeth Olsen, Kill Your Darlings), a well-meaning volunteer he spontaneously meets once he is back on the streets. Her genuine interest in helping Doucett is the stimulus to temporarily humanize him. Later, they become lovers. None of the performances are particularly convincing. Brolin is designed after Odysseus – with a physical ferociousness that sur-

renders to bitter sadness. Brolin’s problem is he can’t deliver on conveying the latter. Lee is adept enough a craftsman to make Oldboy an adequate thriller. The fight scenes are well choreographed and the movie gives way to the physicality embedded into the storyline. Lee removes the famous one-shot scene from the Korean version – he tries to deviate away from the original film’s stylistic hallmarks, with the intention of saying this is something new. Lee has called it a “reinterpretation.” For those who haven’t seen the original and aren’t familiar with the story, the film ends with a twist – a sudden discovery

that reveals what has been driving the story all along. It is deviant enough to leave its audience genuinely surprised. There is some moral underworking to the script, and some questions left to ask, mainly, what is our relationship with the past – and how does what we know about the past form who we are now? From looking at Lee’s past films and comparing them to this, it would seem he has been asking himself a similar question, too. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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ADIOS JON GAGNON

Senior Sports Editor

When I started at The Spectrum, I just went through the motions. I strolled into class as a staff writer – and eventually into the office as an assistant sports editor – quiet, headphones in, ready to finish my work and leave. I saw it as a class and later, as I climbed the ranks, as a non-paying, part-time job that would boost my résumé. Independence, laziness and shameful grades defined the first three years of my college career – choices I regret, but stories and friendships I won’t. But the last two years have been defined by The Spectrum. And I’ve never felt such fulfillment. I never thought that I would be here four semesters later. I never thought it would give me work experience, internships and potential job opportunities that were once just a dream. And I never thought I would leave with friendships that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

But I will. I haven’t become close with everyone I’ve worked with over the past two years. Some may not have much to say of me other than “he was quiet” or “he often kept to himself.” That is a fair assessment. I started at The Spectrum the second semester of my junior year and already had a group of best friends at college. I saw the bonds, friendships and time people at The Spectrum shared with one another. It was more than just a class or a job to them. But it wasn’t to me. I’ve grown a lot in the past year and have made choices to better myself and my future. But that absence, and shortsightedness, is the one regret I will carry with me when I leave UB in a week. That is the one regret I will carry, as I walk away from The Spectrum, after just recently realizing how blessed I am to have had it as a part of my life. And more importantly, the people within it: Ben Tarhan, my co-senior sports editor, for having my back and helping make this semester one of the best of my college career. Owen O’Brien, who refuses to let anything get in his path on the way to his dream and whose creativity – despite its absurdity – is something I envy.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Continued from page 8: Best films Lisa Khoury and Sara DiNatale, for always being there and happily setting time aside to help improve an article. Max Crinnin, Eric Cortellessa, Sam Fernando and Brian Keschinger, some of the “gnarliest,” funniest and most intelligent people I’ve met. Matt Parrino, for showing me you can still achieve greatness regardless of what path you took. Jody Biehl, for imparting your knowledge, always being honest and making my pieces the best they could have possibly been. Aaron Mansfield, for leading by example. The passion, professionalism and determination you have displayed have been my biggest motivator. And Joe Konze, for being a true friend from the very beginning; your relentless work ethic is inspirational. You all may not have intended it, but I can’t thank any of you enough for teaching me to become a better student, person and journalist. From now on, I’ll never just “go through the motions.” So, like I say after leaving my five-credit Spanish class every day – despite being a super-senior – adios. email: jon.gagnon@ubspectrum.com

Best superhero movie: Iron Man 3 Man of Steel absolutely face planted this summer, retelling the tale of the herculean alien as if it took place within Michael Bay’s Transformers universe. Iron Man 3 ranks in the first class of superhero epics, along with the first Iron Man entry, Spiderman 2, The Dark Knight, Watchmen and the first two Superman films with Christopher Reeves. Robert Downey Jr. (The Avengers), much like Woody Harrelson, brings that quirky motormouth quality to him that glues your focus to the screen. He’ll try anything for a laugh while managing to remain in character and sustain credibility to the role. This time, Tony Stark faces off against Aldrich Killian (Guy Pierce, Breathe In), who must be the evil doppelganger of The Human Torch. Killian is a great villain, driven by his lust for scientific innovation, like Doc Ock in Spiderman 2. Stark has post-traumatic stress from the events of The Avengers, and Downey Jr. portrays a darker, more conflicted man this time around, which may include him in the Oscar conversations. Worst film of 2013: Movie 43 For some time to come, when discussions are had about the terrible movies, those who partake in said discussions need to make a pet name for this film, like ItThat-Must-Not-Be-Seen. From now on, when we talk about bad movies, we must stand in awe of the new species of atrocity discovered in Movie 43. This movie made me nostalgic for Lay the Favorite, the worst film of 2012. No remorse will be shown for those involved in this project. They should have been aware of the disaster to come when the script was released. Anyone who signed his or her name to make this movie is mentally adrift. My emotions flat lined when I saw the skit of

Apple executives trying to market the iBabe – a naked woman in a box. Then came the story of parents who verbally and physically abuse their mentally handicapped son. Finally, when we think the storm has subsided and the credits begin, the last and worst skit involves an ugly animated cat barfing and dropping feces all over the place. If you ever see Movie 43, you can never read an issue of The Spectrum again. Best film of 2013: The Place Beyond the Pines I may change my mind after December when more films are released, but so far nothing has acted upon me more than Derek Cianfrance’s elegant The Place Beyond the Pines. Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) interconnects three stories that linger on through the years. He understands and replicates how we live our lives. Life is an intangible variety that involves destruction, rebirth, tragedy, regret, revenge, blissfulness and acceptance, and everything comes full circle when that final shot of a motorcyclist riding through the hills mirrors the opening sequence at the carnival. We are told that life is what we make it out to be, and while we do affect certain aspects by certain decisions, there is a universal balance that keeps the gears cranking. Our choices alter the lanes for the fates of ourselves and people of future generations. You’ll notice I didn’t reveal much of the story here. This film is special, and providing too much will lessen the quality of watching it. The Place Beyond the Pines is one of the best films of the decade so far. email: jacobkno@buffalo.edu

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