The Spectrum Vol. 70 No. 18

VOL. 70 NO. 18 | MARCH 30, 2022

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

UB’s Sustainable Business Association aims to bring environmentalism to business

UB has granted 792 religious or medical COVID-19 vaccine exemptions

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UBSPECTRUM

Diversity club fights for opportunities for people of color in the performing arts

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Club e-boards frustrated by Student Association communication problems, logistical errors SA says it is working on specific reforms to address these concerns GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Last September, Kaelyn Button was ready to begin her second year as president of UB’s Swim Club and return to inperson swim meets after a year of strict COVID-19 rules.

Months later, she considered resigning.

It all came to a head when the Swim Club hosted a meet with approximately 150 competitors in attendance. More than a month before, Button, a junior biomedical engineering major, had hired four officials affiliated with U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS), the governing body which oversees adult swim clubs, to facilitate the meet.

The officials asked for advance payment, so Button requested the payments through the Student Association, the undergraduate student government that oversees over 150 undergraduate student clubs and their budgets. Button says SA employees told her “multiple times” that the advanced checks would be approved.

But when Button went to pick up the checks the day before the meet, SA Treasurer Austin Wolfgang told her that SA could not make an advance payment at that point. She attempted to pay the officials out of her own pocket — $200 in all — but a UB Athletics official told her

Felisha LegetteJack hired as Syracuse women’s basketball coach

Legette-Jack returns home to SU after 10 seasons at UB ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

UB women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack has agreed to become the next head coach at Syracuse University, the school announced Saturday.

Legette-Jack went 202-114 in 10 seasons at UB and leaves Buffalo as the women’s basketball program’s all-time winningest coach. She led the Bulls to three MidAmerican Conference Championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the first Sweet Sixteen appearance in program history, in 2018.

Most recently, the Bulls finished the 202122 season with a 25-9 record, including a 16-4 record in MAC play and an NCAA Tournament berth.

A Syracuse native who played four years with the Orange from 1985-89, LegetteJack became the only woman to have her jersey retired in the legendary Carrier Dome last fall.

“This [Buffalo] has been my home for the last 10 years and to see it grow the way it did with the people I’ve surrounded myself with has been nothing less than magical,” Legette-Jack said in a UB press release. “We created magic here in Buffalo and at this university. My heart has pulled me back home to where I was raised and SEE FLJ PAGE 11

that would be illegal.

The officials agreed to run the meet despite the lack of up-front payment. But after two weeks of still having not received payment, one official emailed Button to tell her that he was “very upset” and that she “just does not care.”

Button wrote back apologizing and explaining that the situation was out of her hands. In his reply, the official told her that he would consider resorting to “legal pressures” and that USMS would “never assist [UB Swimming] Club again,” which would preclude the club from hosting any meets moving forward.

Button cried in the library after reading his email.

Button eventually resolved the matter.

She forwarded the email to Wolfgang, who cited an intra-office miscommunication for the delay and promptly processed the paperwork. Another USMS official told her that the official she was working with was speaking out of line and USMS would continue to oversee their meets. “[SA] did get [it] done eventually, but not before these people that are respected in the swim community got really mad at me and didn’t want to come here [to UB] to help us anymore,” Button said. “Because SA took so long, it was a really stressful experience for me.”

The delayed payments were simply the latest episode in continuing problems with SA, according to Button. The SA didn’t pay for swim caps the club ordered in November until March. The SA failed to

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Students attend a Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) meeting Monday.

book a hotel room for an away meet, forcing Button and four other swimmers to split the cost of an Airbnb. And they still haven’t paid the club’s league membership fees, preventing qualifying UB swimmers from attending the national competition.

Button’s experiences have even inspired her to write a “Swim Club for Dummies” guide for future e-board members.

“It just seems like everything is very unclear,” Button said. “Jobs get passed around up there [in the SA office] and nobody is communicating with each other.”

And the Swim Club isn’t alone. Club eboards ranging from engineering associations to sports teams to dance groups told

The Spectrum that they’ve grown frustrated with what they see as cryptic guidelines, frequent logistical errors and a lack of communication from SA. Students for the Exploration and Development of Space say they lost two weeks of building time on their rocket while navigating an ambiguous vendor relations agreement between a retailer and SA. Women’s ice hockey President Anne Malcolm, a senior psychology and health and human services major, is worried that the team’s games won’t have referees SEE SA FRUSTRATIONS PAGE 10

Meet the 2022-23 SA e-board candidates Nine candidates battle for three e-board positions, voting will end Friday afternoon KYLE NGUYEN ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

The 2022-23 Student Association eboard elections are currently underway and will run until Friday at 4 p.m.

Following last year’s lightly-contested and partyless election, this year’s ballot boasts nine candidates from four parties vying for president, vice president and treasurer positions. The winners will each collect annual stipends of $15,750 and control SA’s $4.5 million budget, which is funded by UB’s mandatory student activity fee.

Undergraduate students can cast their votes via UB Linked or by following the link in SA’s Instagram bio (@ub_sa).

The Spectrum has compiled the platforms and qualifications of each candidate on the ballot. Here’s everything to know about the SA e-board hopefuls:

Amplify UB

Amplify UB says it is running on a platform focused on taking the student experience and amplifying it, party leader A.J. Franklin said in an interview with The Spectrum.

Franklin, a junior psychology major and Spectrum contributing writer, is running for president alongside vice presidential candidate and junior psychology major Alexandra Cuatlayo, and treasurer candidate and junior studio art major Alana Lesczynski.

The party’s agenda includes promoting student wellness, amplifying student voices, advocating for the environment, revitalizing event programming, improving

club services, boosting student engagement and creating career development opportunities.

Community outreach plays a big role throughout the platform, which features projects such as increasing student awareness of SA services and events via an individualized SA event calendar, increased community outreach across the greater Buffalo area and financial literacy and professional development workshops.

“Amplify, think about amplifying people’s voices,” Lesczynski said. “That’s very important to me.”

Paul&Pang

Running mates Becky Paul-Odionhin and Sammi Pang say they plan to reform SA by centering its values around student interests and by focusing on “three pillars”: student wellness, sustainability and community.

“We do want to place a greater focus on initiatives that SA can develop or improve to make the day-to-day life of a student better,” Paul&Pang said in a party statement. “We want to focus on mental health and develop more programs to help students understand how to manage stress, use their insurance and more.”

The party, consisting of presidential candidate and sophomore industrial and systems engineering major Paul-Odionhin, and vice presidential candidate and sophomore business administration major Pang, says it will also look to improve relations between the SA and its clubs. The party plans to implement an anonymous form that would allow club e-board members and non-e-board members to communicate directly with the SA e-board.

“Clubs are incredibly important to all of our college experiences and we want to make sure their e-boards have access to the resources that SA provides so that they have the tools to

successfully run and grow their clubs,” the party said.

It also plans on revisiting the SA’s sustainability pledge to reform operations in compliance with UB’s plan to become climate neutral by 2030, which was put on hold upon the emergence of the pandemic.

The 1 Man Party

SA presidential candidate Nathen Cottom initially registered as an independent, but will now appear on the ballot under “The 1 Man Party” banner.

The senior exercise science major’s platform is built around strengthening relations between students and the university, educating clubs on SA resources, increasing student support and improving SA operations so the organization can stay afloat.

“The reason I’m running is I saw SA [at] its lowest, especially during COVID-19 — when we were all, arguably, at our lowest,” Cottom said in an interview with The Spectrum. “I think next year definitely is our chance to get off the ground running and be put in a position where hopefully we can leave SA in a better spot than it was pre-COVID-19. In doing so I hope that all clubs who had troubles these past couple of semesters find it easier to do stuff and we can go back to doing what it is people want out of the student government.”

UB Blue Strength

Consisting of members of the current SA e-board, the UB Blue Strength party says it plans on focusing on strengthening and continuing to rebuild core elements of the SA in the wake of the pandemic.

“This e-board brought back monthly council meetings to keep in contact [with SEE CANDIDATES PAGE 5

NEWS

2 | Wednesday, March 30 2022

ubspectrum.com

NFTA metro expansion tentatively set to finish in 2030 Expansion will include 10 additional stops into Tonawanda and Amherst JULIE FREY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Four years after announcing plans to study whether a metro expansion to UB’s North Campus would be feasible, a project manager for Niagara Frontier Transit Authority says the organization is planning to release a draft environmental impact statement this fall.

Jeffery Amplement, the planning project manager for the study and expansion, says the scoping process for the project is complete and residents can expect an update in the fall. The planned expansion would add 10 additional stops and run through Tonawanda, Amherst and UB’s North Campus, according to Amplement. Three of the 10 stations would be on North Campus, with stops at Lee Loop, Flint Loop and Ellicott Complex.

The proposed plan has evolved to include a bus rapid-transit system — which includes a bus lane and extended bus cabs.

Major projects proposed by federal agencies must abide by the National Environmental Policy Review Act, which intends to minimize negative environmental and human impacts. New York State has a similar law — the State Environmental Quality Review Act — that must also be met. The requirement to meet criteria designated from two different governing bodies is partially why it has taken the NFTA several years to get started on the project,

according to Amplement.

In order to receive federal funding, the NFTA has had to defer “lead agency” status to the Federal Transit Authority, which will oversee the expansion and ensure the project meets NEPA requirements..

The project was initially projected to cost $1.2 billion, but Amplement says the project will ultimately cost more.

“It’s going to be more than $1.2 billion,” Amplement said. “But I think the details of [finances] will be flushed out during the design process. [Design] really refines costs and infrastructure elements that will go into the project. So, over the next couple of years we’ll really zero down into what the eventual costs will be.”

The FTA has recommended that the NFTA consider implementing a bus rapid-transit system in addition to the original proposed metro expansion, also known as the light-rail transit system. The bus and metro lines are expected to run on similar routes.

Currently, UB has several NFTA bus routes that service North and South Campus to the surrounding areas. Students can also ride the metro by taking the free UB Stampede bus to South Campus.

The draft statement will be open for additional comments, concerns and scrutiny beginning in the fall, Amplement says. If all goes to plan, these comments will be further addressed in a revision of the impact statement and the Record of Decision will be released in spring 2023.

Amplement says the design process for the metro and bus systems will begin at the conclusion of the environmental review

process in spring 2023.

The new metro and bus systems are expected to run on Niagara Falls Boulevard before heading to North Campus and are expected to make the boulevard more walkable, a bonus for students without cars.

“The project does include a number of pedestrian and multimodal enhancements, which would include bike lanes and crosswalk enhancements,” Amplement said.

Amplement expects the entire project to be completed by 2030, budgeting three years for the design process, starting in 2023, and another five or six years after

the design phase for construction.

Amplement thinks the project will positively benefit the UB community and its surrounding neighborhoods.

“On LRT [the metro] system, UB students would have a one-seat ride connection between all three UB campuses,” Amplement said. “And now we cannot only connect them to the [three] campuses, but all the economic generators throughout that corridor. All the employment opportunities and getting downtown to the entertainment district as well — I think that’s very attractive to the UB community.”

Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com

Elise Cassidy / The Spectrum A Buffalo Metro Rail train departs from University Station, located on South Campus.

Canada will drop COVID-19 testing Campus Living will stop requirements for fully vaccinated offering cable and streaming travelers starting Friday services in June COVID-19 rapid tests no longer required, randomized on-arrival surveillance testing continues

As students turn to streaming services, Campus Living says it sees the reduced need for cable

KYLE NGUYEN

JULIE FREY

ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Fully vaccinated travelers may enter Canada without submitting negative COVID-19 rapid test results starting April 1, Canada’s Public Health Agency announced on March 17.

Instead, foreign nationals will be required to upload proof of vaccination through ArriveCAN, and provide a receipt of completion upon arrival. Some fully vaccinated travelers may also undergo mandatory testing on arrival through the country’s randomized on-arrival testing surveillance program. Selected participants will not have to quarantine while waiting for results.

The Canadian government defines fully vaccinated as having received at least two doses of an approved vaccine, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or at least one dose of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.

Unvaccinated foreign nationals are only permitted to enter under extenuating circumstances. Eligible unvaccinated travelers will still be required to submit approved negative COVID-19 rapid test results, quarantine for 14 days and take COVID-19 tests upon arrival and on the eighth day of their quarantine.

April will mark the latest easing of border restrictions since Canada announced

fully vaccinated travelers could enter the country with negative COVID-19 rapid test results in late February.

The Canadian government cites the nation’s high vaccination rate, domestic availability of tests and treatments and a continued decrease in hospitalization rate as reasons for the shift in guidance.

“As vaccination levels and healthcare system capacity improve, we will continue to consider further easing of measures at the borders — and when to adjust those measures — to keep the people in Canada safe,” Canadian Minister of Health JeanYves Duelos said in a statement.

Canada’s decision comes as UB continues to revise its COVID-19 response playbook. The university lifted its on-campus mask requirements on March 5 after Gov. Kathy Hochul granted universities permission to decide when to end their mask requirements, in consultation with their local health department and the SUNY system.

Canada continues to be a popular destination for UB students and other Buffaloarea residents, with popular travel spots including Toronto and Niagara Falls.

UB has a 97.59% full vaccination rate among in-person students and a 0.66% 14-day rolling positivity rate.

Email: kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com

On-campus students will no longer have access to cable or streaming services provided by Campus Living after June 30, 2022.

The decision to discontinue cable and streaming services comes at the recommendation of a campus-wide task force on providing video and entertainment services ahead of the cable and streaming contract expiration in June, according to Campus Living Assistant Director for Communications and Marketing Jessica Kane.

UB currently provides on-campus students with streaming services on “Stream2,” a program that allows students to browse ‘popular channels’ on any device. Previously, Campus Living offered students the option to stream HBO before canceling in 2018.

Kane also cited data from a 2019 cable survey of residential students. The survey showed that even though 56% of students had a TV in their room and 45% of students received service for that TV from coaxial cables, the overwhelming majority of respondents utilized personal streaming accounts not provided by Campus Living. Eighty-nine percent of respondents said they used Netflix, followed closely by 88% who used YouTube.

Kane added that the survey results supported what the focus group also recommended — that Campus Living cease the use of the traditional coaxial cable offering in favor of ensuring that the WiFi, and its bandwidth, is strong enough to support streaming services.

A double in Ellicott Complex, South Campus or Governors Complex cost $8,952 in the 2021-22 school year. The rate for the same accommodations is expected to go up during the 2022-23 academic year to $9,131 despite the removal of the cable from the housing plan. The rate currently includes utilities, streaming services, inter-

@dariox / Unsplash A person holds a remote screen.

in front of their

net, laundry, and professional support, according to Campus Living.

Currently, UB students pay an annual $430 technology fee, some of which goes toward campus internet.

Kane says Campus Living plans to redirect the funds previously allocated to streaming and cable toward upgrading other aspects of the residence halls.

“The university works hard to minimize costs to students. We continually look for ways to reduce costs for services that are not expected by students and reinvest them into areas that are,” Kane said. “The savings realized through [the] sunsetting of UB provided coaxial cable and streaming services will be reinvested into the residence halls and apartments to make necessary upgrades to building infrastructure and improvements such as flooring, furniture, and lounge renovations.”

Email:julie.frey@ubspectrum.com

Igor Kyryliuk / Unsplash A Canadian flag with Three Sisters in Alberta, Canada in the background.

TV

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

Growing Pains On what it means to leave home and grow up

KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Every single morning, I wake up in my freshman dorm room on my twin XL bed and my cheap mattress topper.

And every single morning, I wake up sore and pissed off.

Shoulders, legs, back — it’s always something. Some sort of aching to remind me exactly where I am.

This time last year, I woke up every day in my childhood bedroom to the sound of my dad mowing the lawn followed by the smell of freshly cut grass. I always felt the tiny footsteps of my younger sisters stomping down the hallway and giggling at each other — ensuring that each day would be welcomed with joy. I always

woke up happy and I always woke up comfortable.

I haven’t felt that degree of comfortability since I moved into my jail-cell of a dorm back in August.

While I finally feel as if I have space to shed my skin, grow and breathe, this newfound independence has not been discovered without sacrifice. The price of independence seems to be the comfort and stability I’ve aged out of — like an old sweater that never survives a second growth spurt.

With each minute spent aging, I feel twinges of panic, regretting the moments not spent writing or reading. I want to see the world and learn from it, finding joy in nuances and knowledge. I want to write journals that look like novels, sprawling with stories of my youth, but it’s impossible to write everything down.

I don’t want future me to mourn the things she never wrote about.

It breaks my heart that I’ve never written about late-night Dunkin’ runs with random classmates in southern Ohio. You could leave as strangers but come back as friends. There’s something special about

I’m epileptic. So what?

How isolation can metamorphosize into growth and confidence

JACK PORCARI SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

WARNING: This column may contain material that is sensitive to some readers.

The first thing I remember my mother telling me about my condition is, “You don’t have a disability, you have an ability.”

Until recently, I never fully understood how my perceived “weakness” is actually my biggest asset.

At age 14, after staring at a computer monitor in my father’s office, I had a seizure for the first time. Upon awakening, I struggled to recall my name or where I was. At the hospital, questions raced through my mind: “How will I attend my favorite concerts?”

“What will my friends think of the new me?” “Will I be able to lead a normal life?”

Soon after, I was diagnosed with generalized onset seizures stemming from photosensitive epilepsy, meaning I would experience tonic-clonic and absence seizures.

Tonic-clonic seizures involve a loss of consciousness and convulsions, while absence seizures are shorter, harder to detect and can be confused for staring or daydreaming.

I confided in my mother, who also dealt with epilepsy as a child and a young adult.

She taught me how to navigate a world with various new challenges.

I was grateful my epilepsy was not a daily interference, but the limitations it placed on me made it challenging to feel confident and independent. Oftentimes, I would learn more about my condition through personal experience.

Sometimes it seemed like I could never

escape my condition. At my first job making pizzas down the road from my house, I would have absence seizures as I placed rows of pepperoni, an occurrence that happened only when I became overly stressed or nervous during peak hours. And while I thought I could manage these episodes, six months into my tenure I received feedback from management that I needed to “speed up” my work on the line making pies.

If my thoughts are a book, absence seizures flip my mind to a random page, making it a struggle to recall what I was doing just seconds before. These absence seizures occasionally lead people to believe I am distracted or not paying attention, which is caused by a stress that I wouldn’t learn the root of until long after my days of kneading dough.

On a fall day during my sophomore year of college, I came to the crucial realization that maintaining sound mental health is a pillar of leading a seizure-free life. I came to this conclusion after deciding to make up a chemistry lab and two biology labs in a single day. As my last lab of the day approached, something felt different. I trudged up to the sixth floor of Hochsetter feeling deflated, but ready to learn.

Out of nowhere, I had a tonic-clonic episode.

I fell into my lab partner’s lap and was eventually placed on the ground so I could breathe safely.

The white fluorescent lights, empty room and concerned faces welcomed me back as I spiraled from confusion into embarrassment, acutely aware of what must have transpired. From that moment forward, I fully understood the importance of giving myself mental breaks.

As I would piece together in the years to come, knowing the way my condition impacts me isn’t always obvious.

And it could be even more dangerous than I could have ever expected.

On one occasion, while vacationing with my family in Roxbury, NY in April 2021, I began seizing in the hot tub outside our

driving past cornfields and empty parking lots together in a beat-up Ford Fusion that you and your friends named Frank. Windows down and radio blaring, the 15-minute drive somehow solidified a bond built solely on your mutual disdain for boring suburban life.

I refuse to let go of people-watching at Walmart with my dad. We’d window shop and search for tacky t-shirts while whispering about the unique demographic who shops at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday. Once we saw an opossum on a bright-purple leash and laughter filled the cab of his pickup truck the whole ride home. I smiled as I thought to myself, maybe Ohio isn’t too boring.

It’s hard realizing that while I’m getting older, he’s getting older too (sorry dad).

And there’s nothing I can do about it. My roller-coaster buddy, driving instructor and toughest critic now grunts as he lowers himself into the living room chair that has molded to fit the shape of his body over the years. I wonder which memories fill him with nostalgia and which ones have since slipped away into time.

I question what my sisters would think if they spent a day at college with me. I bet they’d find humor in the fact that their oldest and bossiest sibling, who always had

a plan, now barely knows what to eat for breakfast each morning. I went from earning straight A’s and setting household standards to chasing after the unreliable Stampede and being perpetually late to class.

I tightly grasp these memories between exhausted fingers and mourn their passing while the moment is still in the making.

My shoulders feel heavy while drinking cheap wine out of red Solo cups on my college friend’s dirty apartment floor. We talk for hours about boys and laugh until our stomachs ache. This bliss is shortlived when I realize one day I’ll even grieve these moments too.

I miss my dad and I’m lost without my sisters. I miss rejuvenating Dunkin’ runs and I even sort of miss boring, uneventful Ohio. Sometimes I think I’d do anything to feel that predictability again. But I know someday I’ll miss this — I’ll mourn fraternity parties, crappy dining hall food and bumpy Stampede rides. And the second I start getting too comfortable, I’ll move out and even miss my jail-cell dorm room.

I’ll wake up tomorrow morning on my twin XL bed and my cheap mattress topper — sore and pissed off. Consider it growing pains.

AirBnB. After doing some research, we came to the conclusion that the cold air and rapid temperature shift must have caused the incident.

As I awoke, I vividly remembered the last moments before I went unconscious. The still, sizzling water and her muffled voice echoed in my head as I processed the gravity of the moment.

I had nearly drowned, saved by my then15-year-old sister Sofia, who hauled me out of the tub.

I asked my dad if I had a seizure — a regular instinct of mine — as I came back to my senses. And with every awakening, I feel relieved to be safe, but on that brisk April night, I learned the importance of physical mindfulness, too.

These traumatizing events have come with emotional baggage that has led me to discount myself. Luckily, cannabis helped facilitate my journey to improving my quality of life as an epileptic.

After years of experimentation with various antiepileptic drugs throughout my teenage years, I found medical cannabis at a crucial moment, providing a sense of relief and safety that nothing else could. It did wonders for my emotional well being.

But it also brought about a stigma that worked to degrade my confidence and erode my sense of self-worth.

I vividly remember when a manager at work asked me, “Jack, are you high right now?”

That interaction — and the countless similar ones that have happened to me since — stuck with me as a constant reminder that people only saw me through the lens of an outdated stereotype: stoner, pothead, etc.

I am no stranger to the struggles of pharmaceuticals. But I felt lonely, unworthy and frustrated as my front-line defense mechanism slowly felt more like my kryptonite.

As a fervent advocate for the passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), nobody wanted people to understand the transformative benefits of cannabis more than I did. Although I engaged in passionate public advocacy, I continued to feel the stigma of cannabis consumption in

many social circles.

The emotional carnage of the occasional backhanded comment and life with a disability led me to internalize the negativity.

Over the years, as my condition plunged me deeper into an uninhabitable pit of isolation, finding the space for self-care seemed impossible. Things I had envisioned for myself since high school — getting my driver’s license, attending my favorite EDM (electronic dance music) shows and pulling allnighters with my friends — turned out to be dreams, not reality.

Ultimately, maintaining a seizure-free life shaped my core experiences as a human being.

After years of poor confidence, personal doubt and self-loathing, I finally started to accept my limits. I was able to realize the true importance of knowing and owning my own narrative.

Instead of pushing parts of myself away, I embrace my imperfections. I have finally accepted that it is OK to have a different rhythm in life and take care of myself how I see fit, despite what others may think.

After an absence seizure, I no longer get down on myself; I simply acknowledge my position and reevaluate. When someone says or implies I’m lazy, I remind myself that drowsiness and fatigue are side effects of my medications and that I am taking care of myself the best way I can. Rather than falling into a depressive haze after having another seizure, I recognize the bigger picture and try to remain positive.

I have fully disarmed my insecurities, allowing myself to blossom into my fullest self.

Through this journey, I have realized that the way you look at your situation has the potential to shape it. One in 26 people live with epilepsy, myself included. Nobody leaves this world unscathed.

Never discount yourself, work to conquer your inner demons and most importantly, don’t be afraid to take pride in showing the world your true self — it could change somebody’s life.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEDNESDAY MARCH 30, 2022 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 18 CIRCULATION: 3,000

Do you have an interest in journalism, graphic design, photography, social media, advertising, cartoons or copy editing? The Spectrum is always looking for enthusiastic students who want to be part of our team. Join our 45-time award winning independent student newspaper for hands-on, realworld experience in your field.

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The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Opinion section 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.

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Wednesday, March 30 2022 | 3

Reilly Mullen MANAGING EDITORS Justin Weiss Dan Eastman, Asst.

NEWS/FEATURES EDITORS Grant Ashley, Sr. Jack Porcari, Sr. Julie Frey, Sr. Kayla Estrada, Asst.

Kyle Nguyen, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS Alex Falter, Sr. Kara Anderson, Sr.

Email: kayla.estrada@ubspectrum.com

Email: jack.porcari@ubspectrum.com

SPORTS EDITORS Anthony DeCicco, Sr. Sophie McNally, Asst.

Kayla Sterner, Asst.

MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Sabrina Akter-Nabi, Sr. Sai Krishna Seethala, Sr. Moaz Elazzazi, Asst.

ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Jenna Quinn, Sr. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paolo Blanchi, Sr. Jiayi Zhang, Asst.

COPY EDITOR Andrew Lauricella

4 | Wednesday, March 30 2022

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

As the world makes strides to embrace the LGBTQ+ community, though 70 of those tweets date back to That was the case with Glenn Burke, a the sports industry lags behind 2009-13, the tweets speak volumes about former MLB outfielder who suffered misThe unaccepting reality that captures gay athletes

KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Every time I turn on my TV and watch a professional sports game, I can’t help but notice that something is missing: openly LGBTQ+ athletes.

In the NBA’s 75-year history, only two athletes (Jason Collins, John Amaechi) have come out as gay. In the NFL’s 102year history, only 16 players have come out as gay or bisexual. (Only one, Carl Nassib, played a down of football after coming out.) In the MLB’s 146-year history, only two competitors (Glenn Burke, Billy Bean) have come out as gay. And in the NHL’s 105-year history, only one individual (Luke Prokop) has come out.

I, for one, find it very difficult to believe that of the hundreds of thousands of athletes who have suited up on game days, only 21 are members of the LGBTQ+

community.

So, what is keeping male athletes quiet about their sexuality?

In a world where we already don’t do enough to accept members of the LGBTQ+ community, the sports industry is even less accepting thanks to an atmosphere that intertwines homophobia with competition.

Male athletes are trained to be aggressive and hypermasculine, and stereotyping has led many to believe that any man who likes another man has “feminine” qualities. This association creates an unaccepting environment where “hypermasculine” men often treat gay athletes differently — and it’s rarely a good kind of “different.”

It doesn’t help when you consider the way people in the industry openly air their hateful opinions.

“You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known,” former NBA guard Tim Hardaway said in 2007. “I don’t like gay people, and I don’t like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don’t like it.

It shouldn’t be in the world or in the U.S.” (Hardaway has since apologized and committed to self-educating.)

A fan found 78 homophobic tweets made by 40 current NBA players, and al-

Be adventurous with your palette Life is too short to not try different foods

ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Few things bring people together like food. Breaking bread with friends and family over a deliciously hearty meal after a long day creates memories that can last a lifetime.

Whether it be McDonald’s after winning a football game, a rambunctious Christmas dinner or a grill session with friends, cooking and enjoying the art that is a family meal with loved ones is the most irreplaceable of feelings.

Yet, I can’t help but notice that there are many people who have ill-will toward the idea of adventuring beyond their typical diet.

Yes, I too love a chicken cutlet sandwich from my local deli, not to mention my goto order from my go-to pizzeria.

But there is so much more out there

than just the staples from our own culture.

I know many foodies, but I know even more people who know nothing more than the classic American diet of pizza, burgers and wings.

This is on full display when I spend time in New York City; it pains me to see the sheer number of people lined up outside the TGI Friday’s in Times Square. The greatest thing about the Big Apple — and our country as a whole — is the incredible volume of cultures that grace it.

And the greatest experiences always come in the form of the least expecting options.

Ever since I was a middle schooler, I have been grateful for my mom’s adventurous love of food. Whether taking me to a hole-in-the-wall Ethiopian restaurant or proudly showing me the homemade preserved lemons she waited two weeks for to make her chicken Tajin — she always managed to craft a delicious and culturally expansive meal.

But still, even I once had foods that I cringed at the mere thought of.

And no item was a bigger culprit than mushrooms.

The bite of any variety made me gag, and until I was 18, I refused to enjoy it.

That is until I got my first restaurant job.

the players’ character and the environment they are creating.

Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Zach LaVine and JaVale McGee made up onethird of the U.S. basketball team that competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They all have sent out harmful and homophobic tweets in the past.

Durant, in particular, has done everything he can to rehabilitate his image — without actually supporting this community. In 2013, he expressed public support for Collins after he came out. But last year, he sent actor Michael Rapaport a slew of homophobic slurs over Instagram that were later posted to Twitter.

Obviously, his response to Collins coming out was a charade.

The gay community is already marginalized enough; the last thing it needs is uneducated and bigoted professional athletes using their platform to spew hateful comments and make them feel even more isolated.

This toxic environment prevents athletes — young and old — from expressing their true selves. In many cases, gay athletes are bullied into quitting their sport at a young age, dashing any hopes they may have had of making it pro.

treatment from the staff at his home stadium and from his own teammates because of his sexuality.

Interactions and anecdotes like these undoubtedly play a role in setting up a fear-filled environment for gay athletes that deters them from coming out.

“Prejudice drove me out of baseball sooner than I should have,” Burke said in a 1994 interview with The New York Times.

“But I wasn’t changing.”

We must stop making athletes feel ashamed for who they are just because they don’t fit some macho, “All-American” stereotype.

No one should have to conceal their identity to pursue their dream.

More often than not, athletes do not come out about their sexuality until the final buzzer sounds and their days in the arena are done.

We treat star athletes like gods and it makes me wonder, would we shift the narrative surrounding LGBTQ+ athletes if someone like Josh Allen or Ja Morant were gay? Would we disregard their talent and degrade them, or would we peer through a more accepting lens?

I hope it is the latter.

The owner was a genius; he had the ability to take any ingredient (from dragonfruit to bone marrow) and use it in a way that would make even the pickiest of humans giddy.

At one particularly memorable pre-dinner service meal, the kitchen made one of their most popular dishes for the floor staff: the hen of the woods mushroom.

Everyone else seemed to enjoy it, but I just stared at it before finally saying f—k it.

I’m going in.

I closed my eyes, unsure of what to expect as I brought the fungi-covered fork to my mouth.

I still remember the shock I felt with that first bite, realizing I had just been exposed to an entirely new world of cuisine.

This combination of flavors, coupled with the fact that I finally had mushrooms cooked and presented in a way I enjoyed, not only opened me up to new foods, but also inspired me to go back and try cooking with my arch nemesis.

Now it’s one of my favorite ingredients.

Ever since then, I have done everything in my power to push my friends into this exciting new world. When we go to restaurants, I’ll order the most random appetizer — just so they can try it. If I cook something out of the ordinary, I will try to find someone in my house, so they can try it, too. I greatly enjoy witnessing their

firsthand reactions to new cuisine.

Oysters are a prime example of something people are too close-minded about — they are one of nature’s greatest treats.

Yet to my horror, I’ve seen friends spit the slimey center out faster than it first touches their lips.

I understand the hold-up on food with strange textures and strong flavors — it can all be intense to take in at once.

But I ask — no, implore — anyone reading this to open their minds the next time they see an opportunity to eat something different.

Do not expect anything, nor attempt to chase it with water. Experience the bite for all it was intended. Even if you cannot stand it, the ability to experience different flavors from across the world is a privilege, not a given. And trust me, you will thank yourself for trying it, regardless of if you enjoyed it.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you whether you choose to steer yourself in a new direction. It’s your life, and you can choose to stick with what you are accustomed to, or spice things up.

But with that in mind, food is like life: If one doesn’t choose to get out of their comfort zone and try new experiences, what’s the point?

Email: kayla.sterner@ubspectrum.com

Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com

No worker is more important than any other On the importance of valuing minimum wage workers

SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

With a gashed leg, first-aid kit clutched to my chest and pants indistinguishably stained with either tire marks or pure gasoline, I wondered how I’d ended up cradled in the arms of my co-workers and managers atop the grime-laced stairs.

I’d been run over.

By a go-kart no less.

The garish hi-viz vest courtesy of my minimum wage job and my yelled instructions of “DON’T PUT YOUR FEET ON THE PEDALS” couldn’t save me. A mixture of customer confusion and bad acoustics — between the roaring engines and mask-clad faces — sent me flying through the air like a graceless crash doll.

The humor of the situation certainly wasn’t lost on me, and clearly still isn’t (and neither is the inch-deep scar on my shin), but it still leaves me wondering how the workers who do the most often get paid

the least.

Minimum wage workers do everything most people would never want to do, so why do we continually undervalue those that work these jobs?

They clean the sick off of bathroom sinks and are met with symphonies of ridicule via shouts and snapping fingers, all because they served the drinks a second slower than usual. They work ungodly hours just to give us our early morning coffees and late-night hangover cures.

The U.K.’s minimum wage currently stands at a pitiful £4.62 ($6.05 USD) for people under 18 years old and the National Living Wage for those over 23 stands at £8.91 ($11.66 USD). New York State boasts a $15 minimum wage for New York City, Long Island and Westchester County workers and $13.20 for Upstate New Yorkers, but it still misses the mark for the arduous work these employees undertake.

Maybe even more importantly, the disrespect and condescension minimum wage workers receive is genuinely outrageous for the work they do. Jobs that don’t require a degree and three-digit biweekly paychecks should never translate to a lack of respect.

Minimum wage work is back-breaking.

Literally.

My back still reflexively twinges when I see bartenders hunching over a cocktail

or gripping a wobbling tower of empty glasses, forcing me to recall my favorite guessing game of whether it was lime mojito juice or pornstar martini passion fruit stench that had stained my socks.

Those 9 p.m. starts and 5 a.m. finishes wrecked my social life for that day and virtually ruined Rhianna’s entire discography for me (to this day I shudder from memories of the Vengaboys-Rhianna “Boom Boom Boom Boom!!/Rude Boy” remix).

Regardless of the DJ’s pop culture crimes, the most frustrating part had to be how little anyone cared for the work I did. It seemed like people would roll their eyes and sigh at me far faster and more frequently than they’d ever smile or say thank you, and were quick to give their two cents on how much better they could do my job without giving me a chance to actually do it.

Tips are basically mythical in Europe, so you’d have to be someone special to get even a few extra pounds for the work you did. Safe to say, with less than expertiselevel employment requirements, I was no Lewis Hamilton wannabe and definitely would’ve landed myself and at least one other sorry person in the emergency room if I tried to impress by throwing a bottle in the air before I poured a drink. Clumsiness has always been my forté. But the next-to-no chance of bonus money from

tips made an already horrendous wage that much more horrendous.

For many, minimum wage workers are the scum of the working world.

They don’t work the jobs your teachers encourage you to shoot for, they don’t have contractual salaries or company health insurance or the oh-so-illustrious 401(k) plans that’re envied. But that shouldn’t take away from their integrity and the integrity of their job.

It doesn’t make their work any less important.

Minimum wage work is a grind, and no one — certainly not someone who doesn’t work one of these jobs — has the grounds to say otherwise. Blood, sweat and tears go into those professions and my tragic stories of multiple kart-related injuries are a testament to that.

My blood-fearing self could never meet the mark working as a doctor or nurse, but I also could never cope as a food server or janitor in those very same hospitals. Everyone plays a role, and no one role is less important than the other.

So the next time you eat out or go to a theme park or clubbing, even a smile goes a long way to the people helping you out while you’re there.

Email: sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com

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FEATURES

Business goes green UB’s Sustainable Business Association aims to bring environmentalism to business JULIE FREY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

On paper, Cam Hotto seems like an unlikely candidate to co-found an environmental club.

Hotto, a senior in the School of Management, studies finance and entrepreneurship — two curriculums that don’t typically pair well with the term “sustainability.” But that’s exactly what drove Hotto to establish the UB Sustainable Business Association with his friend Max Schynoll.

“The School of Management doesn’t offer [many] sustainability-focused courses,” Hotto said. “[I thought] it would be cool to start an organization focused on sustainable business… I felt like there was a gap there, [so] I filled it.”

Business programs across the country have begun offering major-specific concentrations, certificates, and even master’s degrees in sustainable business in response to the growing need for environmentalism in the sector.

UB’s School of Management offers four courses with a focus on sustainability, per

UB’s course catalog — MGO 439: Sustainable Operations Management, MGG 637: Business Management Implications for Sustainable Development, MGO 639: Sustainable Operations, and MGO 645: Sustainability as a Business Strategy.

UB SBA started a little over a year ago.

In the past year, the club has run several events about sustainable business practices, co-hosted events with other clubs and had several professionals in the field speak to students.

Hotto, who currently serves as president of UB SBA, says his hometown and childhood influenced his environmentalism. Hotto grew up in a small-rural-townturned-suburbia and spent summers in a cottage on Lake Ontario. He recognizes the privilege of living somewhere desirable but says the ecological impacts from the business have been devastating.

“It [local business development] wasn’t happening in a sustainable way,” Hotto said. “Tearing down forests to put up houses or strip malls. When I was seven a Walmart came to town and destroyed a valley in town… [Fishing in Lake Ontario as a kid] I’d hear stories about how the fishing used to be so great. But there were no fish because of the Round Goby [invasive species], and there would be plastic

trash on the beach.”

Hotto says UB SBA is unique because he believes the club encompasses every student’s academic interests.

“I’ve always thought about how sustainability can be implemented into all areas of business,” Hotto said. “We all have a concentration, whether it be marketing, HR, finance, international business [or] supply chain management. You really don’t need to have a sustainability job to make an impact. In an ideal world, sustainability jobs should just be regular jobs. You shouldn’t have to have sustainability in your title, that should be part of your job already.”

UB SBA has hosted events in partnership with other business organizations within the School of Management like UB DECA — a club for entrepreneurs — and has brought in local sustainable business leaders to talk about what they do and why their work is valuable. Club leaders are also planning to get involved with ‘miscellaneous events’ during UB’s Sustainability Month.

The club was founded during the pandemic when few students were on-campus.

Even as students have returned to campus, the club has struggled with attendance.

Sophia Mesler, a freshman business major and the club’s vice president of marketing, says she aims to see the club grow.

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“[I’d like] more people to come to the events and spread the word about SBA because a lot of people know about sustainability but they’re not interested in learning more,” Mesler said. “Sustainable doesn’t just mean that you have to be a crazy environmentalist; you can make small changes and make an impact.”

UB SBA’s vice president Rob Siegel, a junior business major, echoed that sentiment.

“We have an advantage on other clubs like the marketing or accounting clubs.

You’re not going to join those clubs unless you’re in those concentrations,” Siegel said. “[We’re] not competing with any clubs, [students] can do both.”

UB SBA is at one major disadvantage — it doesn’t have a budget. The club is recognized by the School of Management, but unlike clubs run through organizations like the Student Association, clubs don’t automatically get funds. Some organizations, like UB DECA, require their members to pay dues, but Hotto isn’t interested in such a system.

“I’m anti-dues because I don’t want to pay to join a club,” Hotto said. “Also, what’s it going to buy? I’ll buy everyone pizza if that’s what we do — food wasn’t even allowed last semester!”

Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com

Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Students walk toward Alfiero Center and the Jacobs School of Management on a sunny day last semester.

CANDIDATES FROM PAGE 1

the student body], hosted events to help clubs get exposure and fought to maintain club storage space in the [Student] Union after club rooms were revoked by the university,” the party said in a statement. “As members of this e-board, Austin and Montana would like to come back and work with Tyler to improve SA by Strengthening SA Knowledge, SA’s Advocacy Structures and SA Clubs.”

Current SA treasurer Austin Wolfgang, a junior criminology and political science major, and current SA vice president Montana Desabio, a sophomore history and social studies education major, are joined by freshman economics and political science major Tyler Herman on the ticket, as they run for president, vice president and treasurer, respectively.

Specific projects the party has in the works include informational orientation programming, adding two new assistant directors in the student affairs department and plans to create an SA policy and club resource library.

Email: kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com

Alexander Brown / The Spectrum Nine candidates are running for three open Student Association e-board positions for the 2022-23 academic year.

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UB has granted 792 religious or medical COVID-19 vaccine exemptions

Of those, 769 students have a presence on campus with the other 23 studying entirely online GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Seven hundred ninety- two students have received medical or religious exemptions from UB’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement as of March 21, according to Student Health Services data. Of those students, 769 have a regular presence on campus, while the remaining 23 are taking entirely remote coursework for the spring semester.

Not every exempt student is necessarily completely unvaccinated. Although all exempt students lack a booster shot, some may have received one or two doses before applying for an exemption due to changing medical or religious circumstances, according to SHS director Susan Snyder.

Students cited a wide range of reasons for choosing not to get vaccinated, according to redacted copies of approved COVID-19 vaccine exemption applications obtained by The Spectrum through a Freedom of Information Law request. The 80 applications obtained — totaling six medical exemptions and 74 religious ones — represent every medical and religious exemption approved by SHS between Aug. 31 and Dec. 31, 2021.

At least 38 students, representing just over half of all applicants, cited some sect of Christianity as the reason for the exemption, but students filing under Sihkism, Scientology, Islam, paganism, a traditional African religion, Judaism and the United Congregation of Universal Wisdom were all approved for exemptions.

Students most commonly described the “usage of aborted fetal [stem] cells at any stage in the vaccine [development] process [that] violates a pro-life religious stance,” the belief that the vaccine puts “unclean additives” or “impurities into [the] body” and the conviction that “any medical interventions” like vaccines “would be a betrayal of faith and a betrayal of trust in

God” as reasons for their objections, to quote students’ statements.

Far fewer (six) students were approved for medical exemptions. Half cited an immediate anaphylaxis and allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine, with the rest citing myocarditis or MIS-A (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults).

The list of exemption-worthy criteria was based on CDC guidance, Snyder said.

To apply for a religious exemption, students had to properly complete UB’s exemption request form, promise to follow COVID-19 guidelines, affirm that a lack of vaccination would not impede their academic progress and provide a personal statement attesting to a specific religious belief that morally prevented them from getting vaccinated.

Students weren’t required to disclose their formal religious affiliation — or even to have one — but applications containing political, philosophical or personal beliefs were denied, Snyder said. Students who requested exemptions after receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine had to explain what changed their beliefs or circumstances.

Most students’ religious exemptions were accepted on the first submission, Snyder said. But in the event that a student’s request was denied, SHS allowed them to submit as many follow-up request forms as they wanted, as long as each new form contained new information.

“The student really has the right to try to articulate their religious beliefs, and we can’t really cut them off from that ability to resubmit,” Snyder said.

After the mandate went into effect, SHS began educating students who cited misinformation as the basis for their exemption request. For example, Snyder says if a student objected to taking a vaccine containing fetal stem cells, SHS would point out that fetal stem cells were only used in research and development, although Snyder said that fact checking “generally did not” change students’ choices.

SHS says it did not attempt to verify religious beliefs beyond what students stated in their applications.

“If they were able to articulate their re-

ligious belief and tie it to the COVID-19 vaccine, then it wasn’t really for us to judge their religious belief,” Snyder said. “There was no check. We didn’t go to any external source, …partially because [exemptions] weren’t necessarily based on a formalized religion.”

The line between religious and non-religious reasons to refuse the vaccine can sometimes be blurry. Yasmeena Chambers, a junior psychology major, genuinely felt that her Rastafarian beliefs called on her to use herbal medicine instead of modern medicine, but admitted that her discomfort with taking such a recently developed vaccine was the bigger factor.

“My family does have a lot of health issues, so I felt scared to do it because I wasn’t sure how my body would react,” Chambers said.

Chambers is currently taking a semester off from her studies to work and plans to get vaccinated before returning to campus in the fall.

Students seeking a medical exemption went through a similar application process but were required to provide contact information for their healthcare provider and a valid medical excuse instead of a personal statement. A senior physician at SHS reviewed all medical exemption applications.

But not everyone who thought they needed a medical exemption got one. Andrew Hughes, a junior business major, experienced heart palpitations after receiving both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, despite having no history of heart problems.

“I got my second vaccine [dose], and that day, it was really f—ing bad,” Hughes said. “I was laying on my floor. I thought I was literally about to die. My heart was racing out of my chest.”

Hughes says his cardiologist at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City thought the cause was most likely myocarditis caused by the vaccine. They helped Hughes apply for an exemption twice. Both requests were denied because Hughes’ doctor couldn’t say with 100% certainty that the COVID-19 vaccine caused the palpitations.

Hughes weighed getting the required

booster dose, but decided against it due to the health risks. He switched to an entirely online course load that won’t fulfill any of his major requirements, which will force him to stay at UB an additional semester. He says he misses being able to go to lacrosse practice and meet friends in the library.

“I’ve basically been online for the last two years straight,” Hughes said. “I was stoked to come back… [Now,] I’m sitting at home all day.”

Exempt students with an on-campus presence are required to undergo weekly surveillance testing. Students who miss two weeks of testing in a semester, consecutive or otherwise, generally have 3-5 business days to get tested before being deregistered from their classes for the remainder of the semester. The number of students deregistered for non-compliance this semester has been “pretty low,” Snyder said.

Students are no longer required to wear masks on campus “regardless of vaccination status.”

An additional 391 students received vaccine exemptions because they were completing entirely remote course work, up from 274 during the fall semester. Students with remote exemptions must reapply every semester and agree not to set foot on any SUNY campus. University officials verify that remote exemption applicants are only signed up for remote coursework before approving requests, Snyder said.

SHS is continuing to accept exemption requests from students who are new to UB. Approximately 97.59% of in-person UB students have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

UB has 15 active cases of COVID-19 and a 0.7% positivity-rate based on a 14day rolling average as of Tuesday, March 29, according to SUNY’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Alex Falter and Kayla Sterner contributed reporting to this story.

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com

Jiayi Zhang / The Spectrum Tally of religious and medical exemptions for the Covid-19 vaccine pulled from Student Health Services data

Courtesy of Student Health Services A student cites Corinthians 6:19 as part of the basis for their request to not receive the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.

Courtesy of Student Health Services A student from a Christian Science congregation requests to be exempt from receiving the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.

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Dreams Affirmed is making dreams come true for students of color Diversity club fights for opportunities for people of color in the performing arts KARA ANDERSON SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

In the spring semester of his freshman year, David Eve found himself returning from a callback “sobbing his little heart out.”

It wasn’t because he forgot his lines; he didn’t.

It wasn’t because he botched his audition; he didn’t.

Personal failure was not at the root of his sadness.

Rather, it was the reality of being a Black individual in UB’s Theater and Dance Department that caused the heartache.

Eve was auditioning for the spring 2020 production of “Merrily We Roll Along.”

However, unlike his white counterparts, Eve says he was “pigeonholed” into auditioning for the role of the minister, a character who is subject to a joke regarding his Blackness.

“You put in the same work for the audition as everyone else. You put in the same work at the callback as everyone else,” Eve, a junior music theatre major, told The Spectrum in an interview. “And then, suddenly, there’s just this one role and this one scene that comes up and it’s stopping you completely from getting anything more.”

The lack of roles for students of color is just one issue UB’s theatre and dance department has been forced to confront over the past years. From hairstylists who won’t or can’t do students of colors’ hair to microaggressions spoken by professors and peers alike — the performing arts has not been the safest place for UB’s students of color.

Dreams Affirmed is working to change that.

Dreams Affirmed is UB’s first studentrun diversity club that focuses on creating safe spaces, fighting against inequality and promoting opportunities for students of color in the performing arts. Founded in September 2020, Dreams Affirmed was recognized as a formal club by the Student Association in December 2021.

The club initially started as an informal group of students, bonded together by shared experiences of exclusion and frustration.

The space they built together was intended to do the opposite — it fostered a self-described family, one of joy, security and accomplishment.

“I think there’s sort of this kinship that comes from feeling like these people get you on so many different levels,” Tioga Simpson-Worthington, a junior theatre major, said. “It’s just really a very beautiful space.”

As the group solidified into a more formal organization, their influence on UB’s performing arts grew.

Dreams Affirmed reached a turning point in recognition from students and staff after its Spring 2021 production of “Pipeline.” The play, which focuses on the story of a Black inner-city school teacher,

Nya, and her son, Omari, was produced with nearly an entire cast and crew composed of students of color.

“Pipeline” resonated with Dreams Affirmed members for two major reasons: it was a story written consciously about the lives of people of color and it demonstrated to UB’s theatre and dance department that such stories have a place on their stages.

“That was when everyone was like, ‘Not only are these people trying to tear down some of the structural issues of the department, they’re also producing high-quality work,’” Derrian Brown, a junior music theatre major and Dreams Affirmed’s event coordinator, said.

Some members of Dreams Affirmed say that much of “Pipeline’s” success would not have been achievable had faculty been involved.

Members believe that part of this lack Courtesy of Sydné Jackson of trust comes from divided interests be- Directed by Dreams Affirmed member Tioga Simpson, “Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry” featured a number of DA members. tween faculty and students: faculty may be more concerned with budget and timeli- upset and a couple reached out to me and Google Forms, allows students to report ness, whereas students may prioritize their apologized and said that they want to do any incident in which a faculty member own wants and freedoms as actors. better,” Sydné Jackson, a senior theatre or peer made them uncomfortable in any However, a larger root of this issue is performance major and Dreams Affirmed form (including on the basis of race or the lack of faculty of color in the theatre president, said. “Some professors, I could gender and sexuality). and dance department. tell by the look on their faces, weren’t feelDreams Affirmed members are manThe issue of entirely or primarily white ing it.” dated reporters for incidents that violate faculty has been one that Dreams AfDespite lingering problems in the de- university law, but they hope the system alfirmed members have faced throughout partment — and the world of theater as lows smaller, but still important, instances their undergraduate careers, and one that a whole — and lukewarm responses from to be brought to light, such as those of they are continuously trying to amend. certain professors, the mere existence of microaggressions.

“I want to work with a voice teacher who really understands my voice,” Eve said. “I would love to work with an actor who really understands my experiences.”

The lack of faculty of color has caused feelings of isolation, instances of racial insensitivity and even difficulty completing homework.

Dreams Affirmed vice president and senior musical theater major Kristen-Marie Lopez recounted casting type assignments where students were tasked with finding Courtesy of Sydné Jackson songs sung by an actor The cast and crew of “Pipeline,” a Spring 2021 student-directed show from Dreams Affirmed. that looked like them — rather than songs that fit their voice or their musical style.

“We should not have to wait until the Dreams Affirmed has been a point of “I’m kind of getting stuck in this La- confidence and support for its members. hate crime-level to report something,” Lotina stereotype,” Lopez said. “Every time “I just had a class where I told the teach- pez said. there is a Latina character that I look like er that we will not be talking about minAs of her interview with The Spectrum on or sound like, I’m just portraying the ste- strels,” Simpson-Worthington said. “I do March 18, Jackson says no instances have reotypical character.” not want to talk about blackface. I don’t been reported through the system.

As a result of these issues, Dreams Af- want to talk about Turkey in the Straw. I The introduction of guest speakers, firmed, then a self-titled collective, orga- don’t want to talk about any of it.” particularly those of color, has been annized a talkback with the theatre and dance Simpson-Worthington says having the other highlight of the changes Dreams faculty in December 2020, the semester support of Dreams Affirmed members Affirmed continues to seek. With a lack of before “Pipeline’s” production. gave them the courage to speak up in class faculty of color, members have cited the Members say the conversation produced that day and, as a result, that lesson and guest speakers as bringing in cultural nua mix of feedback from faculty — much future lessons surrounding these branches ance that had previously been lacking in of which they say was positive. the theatre and dance department. of racist theatre came to a stop.

“I think a lot of faculty members felt Now, as the semester nears its end, More than just providing students with the platform and bravery to speak out and Dreams Affirmed members say they look have their voices heard, Dreams Affirmed forward to putting on a showcase near the also acts as a respite for students of color end of May. The showcase, described as a “Broadwho grow weary in their fight for racial way backwards” by Lopez, has been one sensitivity and inclusivity.

“There are times where we, as human of Dreams Affirmed’s goals since last beings, don’t feel strong. We don’t have fall. The aim of the showcase is to allow the resilience, that grit, to fight some- students (from any discipline) to perform times,” Eve said. “To find a group of peo- roles that would traditionally be unavailple where you’re like, ‘Hey, my armor is a able to them due to race, gender or any bit down today,’ and they can lift you back other reason.

“We’re such a talented group of people,” up to where you need to be to go out and Lopez said. “To see us limitless is really gofight and make that change.”

In their collective fight, Dreams Af- ing to impress a lot of people who might firmed members remain especially proud have thought that we couldn’t do things or of recent achievements including the cre- that we get opportunities because of the ation of an anonymous reporting system way we look.” for the theatre and dance department and Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com the hiring of guest speakers.

The reporting system, made through

There are times where we, as human beings, don’t feel strong. We don’t have the resilience, that grit, to fight sometimes. To find a group of people where you’re like, ‘Hey, my armor is a bit down today,’ and they can lift you back up to where you need to be to go out and fight and make that change.

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Wednesday, March 30 2022 | 9

Nigo plays it safe on “I Know Nigo!”

The Bathing Ape creator delivers his first album in over two decades ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Album: “I Know Nigo!”

Artists: Nigo Label: Universal Music Group Release Date: March 25 Rating: 6.2/10 Few names are as important to rap as Nigo. Since creating the streetwear brand Bathing Ape, the designer/producer has tried his hand in every facet of the artistic industry. Having served as the DJ to the group Teriyaki Boyz and dressing artists like Lil Wayne and Pharrel through his world-renowned brand, it’s safe to say that Nigo should have easily been able to craft a masterpiece when curating his debut album, “I Know Nigo!”

Yet, even with features from Lil Uzi Vert, Pharrel Williams and the late Pop Smoke, “I Know Nigo!” is a mid-level disappointment that fails to deliver a project greater than the sum of its parts.

That’s not to say the parts themselves shouldn’t work flawlessly. On top of the aforementioned rappers, seven of the album’s 11 tracks were produced by The Neptunes — a producing duo composed of Pharrel and Chad Hugo. But despite the names attached, the tracks produced

by The Neptunes feel decisively low in the rankings of their illustrious production discographies, marking a major disappointment in the careers of all concerned

with the project.

The album’s lack of fulfilled potential is evident in its first track, “Lost and Found Freestyle 2019.” Iconic friends and collaborators A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator rap over a two-part beat from The Neptunes in what feels almost like a gimmick. While A$AP Rocky’s classically confident verse pairs with the uncharacteristically jaunty beat, the immediate switch to Tyler’s grimier bars mixed with a more aggressive beat feels like a slap in the face.

Compared to the pair thriving off each other’s energy in the 2018 track “Potato Salad,” it feels like a flat-out waste that Nigo didn’t let the two go back and forth as they do best.

Even with this uncomfortable inconsistency of this introduction, Nigo puts one of the album’s best songs right after.

Named after “Game of Thrones” character Arya Stark, “Arya” features A$AP Rocky’s full swagger as he raps over a beautiful piano. Rocky saves his best energy for the chorus, delivering some of his most satisfying bars in years which effortlessly float across three verses, referencing everything from the iPhone to 21 Savage.

“Beautiful whips, check out the handle, swish / Shooters gon’ swoosh, hitters don’t miss / Arya, just add a ton of y’all names to my list, b—h / Death wish, not to be messed wit’, tested, quiz / They shootin’ shots, hittin’ bricks, n—s be testin’ the kid.”

Much in the vein of their previous works, Virginia-duo Clipse delivers a track on the spoils of success in “Punch Bowl.”

As the duo — consisting of brothers Pusha T and No Malice — spit their bars,

Courtesy of Nigo The cover art for “I Know Nigo!” featuring Pharrell, A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudy and Pusha T.

one can’t help but feel that the two veterans are rapping to us from their peak, where they are able to rest at the top where they deserve.

One of the album’s biggest flops comes in the form of the single “Want It Bad”

by Kid Cudi. Ever the outcast, Cudi’s loveably alienistic persona is drowned out by an overload of autotune. What should be a classic anthem about being yourself is instead turned into a messy concoction of instruments and lyrics as the Cleveland rapper’s ad-libs become incomprehensible.

Never one to forget his friends, Nigo saves room for Japan-based group Teriyaki Boyz, whom he has acted as the DJ for since their formation in 2005, on “More Tonight.” Famous for creating one of the most memed songs in existence, “Tokyo Drift,” the group sounds nothing like the 2006 track, instead producing a club song that feels as if it is trying to capture a sound forgotten while appealing to the masses.

Problems continue in “Paper Plates.”

Blending Pharrel’s singing with A$AP Ferg’s abrasive rapping, it cannot be understated how awkward the vocals are against the creepy beat. Pharrel repeatedly chanting “paper plates” feels like a horrendous impression of Kanye West on “Praise God.” Ferg’s flow does offer redemption, but the verse ultimately fails to deliver something worthy of the “Plain Jane” rapper’s discography.

Pusha T’s second song off the album, the Kanye-produced “Hear Me Clearly,” is one of the project’s shining moments, when Pusha fully embraces his persona as a badass drug dealer. But the song, despite

its energy, feels like it’s missing an unknown ingredient, one that stops it from becoming legendary — much like the rest of the album.

Heard across the album, nothing feels new. Even with quality music, minimal risk was taken when crafting “I Know Nigo!” making it feel like a series of already triedand-true formulas.

Thankfully, Nigo saves the best for later on, rewarding listeners on one of the last tracks, “Remember.” Unlike the many riskless moments that have riddled this album, “Remember” seems like a song that easily could have failed. The artist of choice, Pop Smoke, has been overused in the past year, with incomplete verses from the late New York rapper doing nothing but tarnish his name as they pop up in the form of features.

Surprisingly, Nigo and producers ReddoeBeats and HozayBeats turn what could have been another stain on Pop’s name into what will undoubtedly become a sleeper hit of 2022.

It’s impossible to deny Nigo’s impact on this industry, which is why the failures of “I Know Nigo!” feel so perplexing. The album’s less-than-expected quality and innovation feels all the more disappointing because it features some of the biggest talents around and Nigo’s creativity, exemplifying that it takes not just creators, but a desire to adventure into the unknown in order to create a masterpiece.

Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

10 | Wednesday, March 30 2022

Registration opens for UB’s annual Step Challenge Public health initiative calls for the community to go outside and exercise KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Registration is now open for UB’s seventh annual Step Challenge, a free initiative sponsored by the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions (SPHHP) to encourage UB community members to get outside this spring and exercise.

“Exercise provides a better functioning immune system, better mental health and increased cardiovascular capacity,” SPHHP director of marketing, communications and outreach Grace Lazzara said.

The Step Challenge will run the entire month of April and will celebrate National Public Health Week, which takes place this year from April 4-10.

To partake in the Step Challenge, participants need to connect their fitness trackers to the mobile app MoveSpring. Participants may join individually or register in teams of two or more. “Captains” can invite members to join their team by sending out invitations through the app before or after registration.

Prizes will be randomly awarded to participants each week, regardless of the number of steps they log — making all participants eligible to win rewards such as HelloFresh gift cards, FitBits, Bose headphones and more.

“So make sure to take this perfect opportunity to step together with colleagues, friends and family, and reap some evidence-based benefits,” Lazzara said.

SA FRUSTRATIONS FROM PAGE 1

because of months of outstanding payments.

The SA sent important emails to previous, but not current, e-board members of the Impulse Dance Force, causing the club to miss out on fundraising and community service opportunities.

The club leaders all agreed on one thing: the SA doesn’t have a personnel problem.

It has a structural problem — dating back years.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s individual people who are just not answering their emails,” Jenna Bradshaw, a junior environmental studies and political science major and vice president of Impulse, said. “Our questions aren’t getting to the right people to give us answers. There’s just no clear flow of information.”

Wolfgang described much of the criticism from clubs as “fair,” citing fall semester staffing issues, organizational impediments, annual staff turnovers and a lack of “face time with clubs” for much of the confusion.

“That’s one of the things I think people kind of forget about SA: We’re also running a company,” Wolfgang said. “We have 70 student employees, I’ve got to make sure they get paid. Being overwhelmed is a huge thing in the finance department.”

The SA funds clubs — alongside other extracurricular activities and services — through the annual $109 student activity fee paid by all undergraduate students.

The association’s annual budget totals $4,679,806. Much of that money is divided and distributed toward individual clubs, theoretically allowing e-boards to use the funds to pay for club activities and bills.

But in practice, red tape and communication issues can prevent clubs from accessing those funds, sometimes making club operations much more difficult.

For example, Mark SanGregory, a junior aerospace engineering major and treasurer of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at UB, ordered “a very large amount of carbon fiber” in late October for the club’s build competition which was set for April.

The vendor initially refused to sell to a university-affiliated organization because they’re “awful to work with,” but SanGregory convinced him. SanGregory made sure all the paperwork was complete, put in a purchase order and confirmed that the SA had everything they needed to pay by check.

By late December, the carbon fiber still hadn’t arrived. SanGregory reached out to an SA pro-staff member, who told him he needed an itemized invoice for the order to be approved.

The vendor couldn’t provide SanGregory with an invoice since the order hadn’t been finalized, but they did provide him with a quote, which SanGregory forwarded to the SA. SanGregory never heard back, so he stopped by the SA office at the beginning of the semester. The SA wouldn’t accept the quote, not even after the vendor changed its title to read “invoice.”

SanGregory was never able to use AIAA’s budget to pay for the carbon fiber. Someone in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department put it on their credit card in early February instead.

AIAA got the carbon fiber two days later.

Even so, the club lost the time they needed to build “three or four” prototypes and practice working with carbon fiber.

“I’m not blaming students for not knowing financial law,” SanGregory said. “It’s not their job. We’re all students here. …

[But] I was very upset after that. Because at any point during this three-month-long back and forth with this company, after they accepted the PO [payment order],

ubspectrum.com they could’ve just called the company. …

Take ownership of us, treat us like a club under them, rather than a club working for them.”

Some of the policies that have made clubs “very frustrated” — like restrictions on advance payments, requirements that the SA pay only by check and rules that clubs record attendance at every single meeting on UBLinked — come from SUNY or UB, Wolfgang said. But the SA is working on reforms which should solve some clubs’ issues with SA, including creating a “procurement department” to help clubs work with vendors, loosening restrictions on hotel bookings, getting an SA credit card for certain transactions and more.

“You’re never going to get a non-bureaucratic SA; we’re a student government regulated by the university and SUNY,” Wolfgang said. “I believe the bureaucracy is too much for our clubs to deal with, but at the end of the day, there has to be bureaucracy. We have to make sure we’re being judicious. I mean, you can go back and see the scandals SA has been involved in with our money [in the past]. It’s definitely a very tricky point, and I’ve tried to lower [the amount of red tape] for some clubs.”

At least according to Bradshaw, SA reforms are going to have to come from within.

“We’re all students too, and we all have a lot of things going on,” Bradshaw said.

“We’re just focusing on what’s best for our club. I can’t focus on lobbying for structural change within SA … But I feel like that is kind of the point of having a staff on SA. It’s supposed to be set up so that someone is overseeing these things, listening to clubs, taking in feedback and trying to fix things. It shouldn’t be on us to say, ‘Hey, this isn’t working.’”

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com

Email: kayla.estrada@ubspectrum.com

The Spectrum Editorial Board & Staff

JUSTIN WEISS

MANAGING EDITOR

REILLY MULLEN EDITOR IN CHIEF

PAOLO BLANCHI

SR. CREATIVE DIRECTOR

JIAYI ZHANG

ASST. CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ALEX FALTER

DAN EASTMAN

SR. ARTS EDITOR

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR

KARA ANDERSON

ANDREW LAURICELLA COPY EDITOR

SR. ARTS EDITOR

SAI KRISHNA SEETHALA SR. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

JENNA QUINN

SR. ENGAGEMENT EDITOR

SABRINA AKTER-NABI SR. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

KAYLA ESTRADA

ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

JULIE FREY

SR. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

SOPHIE MCNALLY

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

ANTHONY DECICCO SR. SPORTS EDITOR

KAYLA STERNER

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

JACK PORCARI GRANT ASHLEY

SR. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

SR. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

KYLE NGUYEN

ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

MOAZ ELAZAZZI

ASST. MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

ubspectrum.com FLJ FROM PAGE 1

the university I attended. Although I will miss everything about this place, it is time for me to go home.”

The 1985 Big East Rookie of the Year is one of three players in Syracuse history to score 1,500 points and grab more than 900 rebounds.

After earning a degree in psychology and child and family studies in 1989, Legette-Jack spent time as an assistant coach at Boston College, Syracuse and Michigan State before securing her first head coaching position at Hofstra in 2002.

She then went on to coach at Indiana and UB, where she has accumulated a career record of 342-277 in 20 years as a Division I head coach.

“This is something, to be honest with you, that we were aware of and anticipated,” UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt said in a Zoom meeting with local media.

“She’s been here for 10 years and has done a tremendous job in terms of being able to build this program to where it is now and becoming a national brand.

“She’s expressed to me many times, if the opportunity does come to her to go home, that’s something she’d definitely consider, and I respect that.”

In August, Legette-Jack signed a oneyear contract extension with UB that was set to expire in 2025. In wake of the Syracuse opening, Alnutt says he had the opportunity to present a “strong” contract to Legette-Jack prior to the MAC Tournament.

Despite the offer, Legette-Jack chose to return home and coach at her alma mater.

“We are thrilled to have Coach LegetteJack lead our women’s basketball program,”

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Wednesday, March 30 2022 | 11

Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack said in a statement released by the school.

“She is a builder of programs, evidenced by the success she had at the University at Buffalo. She is totally committed to the full development of every student-athlete and staff member who is part of her program. On behalf of Syracuse Athletics, all our alumni and fans around the globe, we welcome Coach Legette-Jack and her family back to Syracuse University and Central New York.”

Alnutt says UB plans to fill its head coaching vacancy within the next two to three weeks and will pursue multiple candidates currently coaching in the NCAA Tournament.

The Orange went 11-18 under acting head coach Vonn Read and missed out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years after former head coach Quentin Hillsman resigned in 2021 following multiple accusations of inappropriate behavior and conduct.

Junior UB guard Dyaisha Fair, the nation’s fourth-leading scorer, announced Monday she would be entering the transfer portal.

While Legette-Jack will be tasked with the challenge of reviving a nationally respected program, she says the allure of returning to Syracuse was too good to pass up.

“The draw to come home was what it was,” Alnutt said. “And regardless of what we could have done, that opportunity is something that she wanted to do for a long time coming. And again, I definitely appreciate that and [I’m] excited that she’s able to achieve her dreams.”

Vindhya Burugupalli / The Spectrum Former UB women’s basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack poses for a photo after winning the 2019 MAC Tournament.

Email: anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @DeCicco42

Thomas Atehortua / The Spectrum Former UB women’s basketball head coach Felisha Legette-Jack directs her players during a game against Central Michigan in 2019.

Felisha Legette-Jack’s departure spotlights UB’s coaching carousel Despite recent successes, Bulls struggle to keep successful coaches from Power Five foes JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

When Felisha Legette-Jack took the Syracuse head coaching job on Sunday, few people around the women’s basketball team were surprised — not even her old boss.

“This is something, to be honest with you, that we were aware of and anticipated,” UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt told the media in a press conference.

Legette-Jack’s decision probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise. After all, Legette-Jack — the winningest coach in program history — was the first female athlete to have her number retired at SU. But beyond the allure of returning to her alma mater, Legette-Jack was likely drawn to SU for the same reason numerous former UB coaches have left for Power Five programs: the spoils of these major programs — a hefty pay raise and the prominence of a high-level coaching job — are too immense to refuse.

In a press release, SU Athletic Director John Wildhack called Legette-Jack a “builder of programs,” a moniker she earned by leading the Bulls to three MidAmerican Conference titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances in 10 seasons.

But for all her success as a “builder of programs,” the program Legette-Jack is departing likely doesn’t have as strong of a structure as Alnutt would like. If history is any guide, the program is like the straw house from “The Three Little Pigs”; the big bad wolf is ready to blow it all down.

That’s not Legette-Jack’s fault, of course.

She has every right to leave UB, just as her former counterparts on the football and men’s basketball teams — Lance Leipold and Nate Oats — did in the last few years.

But college athletics is a business built on relationships, where recruits choose their school because of coaches, and programs thrive because of coaching stability.

In most cases, once the coach departs, so does the program’s success.

That was the case with the football and men’s basketball teams, and is almost certainly the fate awaiting the women’s basketball team.

In March 2019, Oats left for the University of Alabama having led the Bulls to three NCAA Tournament appearances in just four years. His successor, Jim Whitesell, was left with a recruiting class that decommitted entirely in the nine days following Oats’ departure.

Unsurprisingly, Whitesell has been unable to get the Bulls back to the Big Dance.

Two years later, in April 2021, Leipold left for the University of Kansas, having led the Bulls to three consecutive bowl game appearances. In the months following his departure, nearly two dozen players entered the transfer portal.

His successor, Maurice Linguist, went 4-8 last season.

It’s not just Leipold and Oats who have left in recent years: in 2009, football head coach Turner Gill left to take the Kansas head coaching job; in 2015, men’s basketball head coach Bobby Hurley — Oats’ predecessor — left to take the Arizona State head coaching job.

And it’s not just the coaches who have left for greener pastures.

Alnutt’s predecessor, Allen Greene, left in 2018 to become Auburn’s athletic director; his predecessor, Danny White, left in 2015 to become UCF’s athletic director.

This year, he took the same job at the University of Tennessee.

The unfortunate reality is that women’s basketball is likely looking at a major rebuild — and, if they hire a successful head coach, another rebuild in a few years’ time.

Junior guard Dyaisha Fair — the nation’s fourth-leading scorer — entered the transfer portal just two days after Legette-Jack announced she was leaving to Syracuse. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if freshman guard Georgia Woolley — the reigning MAC Freshman of the Year — or top recruit Lexi McNabb — the daughter of former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb — decided to follow her.

Thomas Atehortua / The Spectrum Former UB men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats celebrates after winning the 2019 MAC Tournament.

No matter who the new coach is — even if it’s longtime Legette-Jack assistant Kristen Sharkey — the Bulls are likely in for a long and uncomfortable rebuild.

But such is the life of a mid-major, especially one like UB, that loses talented “program builders” just as quickly as it hires them.

UB simply can’t offer the compensation that larger programs can. The university’s athletic department spent $8.1 million on the salaries, benefits and bonuses of its dozens of coaches last year; by comparison, there were four head football coaches across the country who themselves made $8.1 million or more last year.

It’s not only the difference in compensation that drives coaches to larger programs; it’s also the obvious discrepancies in media coverage, TV exposure, facilities, attendance, climate, fan following and level of competition.

If it seems inevitable that coaches leave the Queen City, it’s because it is.

If UB can’t hold onto Legette-Jack — someone who notably said in 2016 that she “finally found a university that can handle all of me,” in reference to her intense personality — it’s going to have a tough time holding onto any of its successful coaches.

That should be one of Alnutt’s biggest priorities going forward: figuring out how to retain the talented men and women in UB’s coaching ranks, so that the university is a destination — not a stepping stone institution.

But it’ll likely be a difficult task.

Alnutt himself is a former student-athlete at Power Five powerhouse Missouri and came to UB after serving as the athletic director at Southeast Missouri State University — an upgrade in terms of compensation and prestige.

If he got a call from a major program to serve as their athletic director, he would almost certainly say yes.

And really, can you blame him?

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

SPORTS

12 | Wednesday, March 30 2022

ubspectrum.com

BILLS ANNOUNCE 30-YEAR DEAL FOR NEW ORCHARD PARK STADIUM

Last week in UB Athletics

DYAISHA FAIR ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL Junior guard Dyaisha Fair potentially played her final minutes as a Bull March 19 at University of Tennessee’s Thompson-Boling Arena.

Fair — who ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 23.4 points per game this 2021-22 season — announced in an Instagram post Monday that she would be entering the transfer portal. The news came just two days after head coach Felisha Legette-Jack was named the new head coach of the Syracuse University women’s basketball team.

“To my coaches and mentors, I want to thank you for the opportunity to play the game that I love here. Thank you for pushing me beyond my limits,” Fair said in the post. “After much consideration and excitement for what my future holds, I have decided to place myself in the transfer portal. Opening doors for more opportunities.”

The Rochester native scored her 2,000th career point this season when UB faced Ball State in the MAC Tournament. One of the most dangerous offensive threats in the nation, Fair earned first-team All-MAC honors this season.

In 34 contests, the three-year starter averaged 23.4 points, 4.9 boards, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals for the 2021-22 season.

Fair was recently named a finalist for the Becky Hammon Award — given annually to the Mid-Major Player of the Year — and earned an Associated Press AllAmerican honorable mention.

In her first season at Buffalo, the 5-foot-5 guard immediately made an impact, earning the conference’s Freshman of the Year Award and finishing in the top 10 on nine UB single-season record lists.

During her sophomore campaign, Fair became the fastest UB athlete ever to score 1,000 career points, doing so in her 44th career game.

Under Legette-Jack, Fair made a trip to the Big Dance, earned a MAC title and was named MAC Player of the Week a plethora of times.

Fair’s future plans have not yet been announced.

KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Four questions surrounding UB basketball entering the offseason The women’s team must replace its head coach, and the men’s may think about following suit ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Now that both the women’s and men’s basketball seasons have come to an end, it’s an appropriate time to look toward the offseason.

While the men’s team disappointed and the women’s team excelled, each squad will be presented with its own set of challenges heading into the offseason.

Here are the biggest questions surrounding each program:

Who will coach the women’s basketball team next season?

On Saturday, UB lost head coach Felisha Legette-Jack to her alma mater, Syracuse University.

Legette-Jack, the greatest coach in program history, led the women’s team to three Mid-American Conference Championships and four NCAA Tournament berths in her 10 years at UB. But now, with Legette-Jack gone, UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt is set to make his fifth head coaching hire in four years. Alnutt has hired basketball head coach Jim Whitesell, softball head coach Mike Ruechel, volleyball head coach Sean Smith and most recently, football head coach Maurice Linguist.

The Bulls have a strong internal candidate in assistant coach Kristen Sharkey, who just finished her seventh season on the UB coaching staff. Sharkey played under Legette-Jack at UB and led the team with 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during the 2014-15 season.

As Legette-Jack’s lead assistant, Sharkey has been a part of every MAC Championship and NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

Perhaps Sharkey will follow in LegetteJack’s footsteps by taking over at her own alma mater.

Is Georgia Woolley the next Bull to enter the transfer portal?

Junior guard Dyaisha Fair — UB’s best player and one of the best in all of college basketball — announced that she would enter the transfer portal Monday afternoon. The news came just two days after Legette-Jack accepted an offer to lead the

Syracuse women’s basketball team.

Now all eyes will be on the Bulls’ second best player: freshman guard Georgia Woolley. The MAC Freshman of the Year averaged 14.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 41.8% from the field, 30% from three-point range and 85.2% from the free-throw line in 34 games last season.

In addition to Fair, the Bulls’ roster took another hit when junior forward Loren Christie announced in an Instagram post Monday afternoon that she will seek a transfer.

Fair had formed a strong bond with Legette-Jack, and it seems Woolley formed a similar bond with her head coach in the matter of a year.

The next few weeks will determine whether Woolley follows in Fair’s footsteps or stays at UB.

How will men’s basketball replace its seniors?

With senior guard Ronaldo Segu (14.9 points, five assists per game) and senior forward Jeenathan Williams (19.1 points, five rebounds, 1.4 steals per game) forgoing their extra year of eligibility to prepare for the NBA Draft, UB will have some serious holes to fill next season.

And unless senior forward Josh Mballa (13 points, 8.6 rebounds per game) exercises his extra COVID-19 year, he’ll also be gone next season.

Add in a group of likely departing seniors that includes guard Maceo Jack, forwards Keishawn Brewton and Tra’von Fagan and center Brock Bertram, and it’s clear the Bulls will have an entirely new roster next season.

Freshman guard Curtis Jones did average 12.1 minutes per game in 28 games as Segu’s backup last season, including critical time down the stretch in UB’s 70-68 loss to Akron in the MAC quarterfinals.

But most of last year’s MAC-leading freshman class will have to step up next season, including forward Kuluel Mading and guard Kidtrell Blocker.

The Bulls relied on their experience for the past couple of seasons, but Whitesell’s squad will now have to lean on youthful energy for the 2022-23 campaign.

The Buffalo Bills are getting a new home.

Highmark Stadium, the NFL’s fourth-oldest facility, will host its last Bills game in 2025.

In 2026, Bills Mafia will move its tailgates just down the road in Orchard Park to a brand-new $1.4 billion state-of-the-art facility, the team announced Monday.

Construction will begin in spring 2023 and is set to be completed in time for the 2026 season.

The 62,000-seat stadium will cost the Bills $350 million alongside a $200 million NFL loan through the league’s G-4 loan program, leaving the largest financial burden to the New York State taxpayers who will be footed with an $850 million tab for the 30-year lease — $600 million of which will come from state taxes and $250 million coming from Erie County.

The deal is believed to be the largest public stadium subsidy in history, besting the Raiders’ 2020 Allegiant Stadium’s $750 million public funding tab.

Although numerous locations were considered, the decision to remain in Orchard Park was logistically preferable over possible venues such as downtown Buffalo, since “other locations required significantly more dollars and significantly longer lead time,” Pegula Sports and Entertainment Executive Vice President Ron Raccuia said.

The Bills have set the deal in motion, securing a signed Memorandum of Understanding with New York State and receiving G-4 funding and NFL approval, but these are just the first steps. Next, the Bills will have to seek approval from the New York State and Erie County Legislatures to receive tax funding.

“We took another step today to solidify our collective goal of constructing a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park,” Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula said in a press release.

The new building was favored over renovating Highmark Stadium — that would have racked up an estimated $1 billion bill alone and lasted no longer than 20 years.

But Highmark isn’t out of commision just yet; the Bills are expected to remain at 1 Bills Drive until at least 2025.

SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

RONALDO SEGU AND JEENATHAN WILLIAMS WILL ENTER 2022 NBA DRAFT Four years after entering UB as the first- and third-highest-rated recruits in program history, Jeenathan Williams and Ronaldo Segu will be leaving the Queen City.

The duo each decided to forgo their extra year of collegiate eligibility and declare for the upcoming NBA Draft.

“I will be hiring an agent and entering my name in the 2022 NBA Draft,” Segu wrote in an Instagram post Monday. “It has always been a dream of mine, since I was a kid, to compete in the NBA, and with your [the UB community’s] support, I am one step closer.”

The Orlando native is coming off the best season of his career, as he led the Mid-American Conference in assists and was named second-team all-conference.

He will finish his career as a Bull with 359 assists and 1,115 points — good for 19th on the UB all-time scoring list.

The 6-foot, 165 lb. guard averaged 15.2 points — 43.2% from the field, 37.3% from three and 80.9% from the free-throw line — 5.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in 30 games this season.

Williams hinted at his departure from UB in an Instagram post last week, which he captioned, “Thank you buffalo.”

The 6-foot-5, 205 lb. forward decided to forfeit his extra year, according to RookieScale.com. The Rochester native was the top recruit in program history and was one of the most dominant interior players in the nation this season.

The first-team All-MAC selection averaged 19.2 points, 2.8 assists, 4.3 boards and 1.4 steals per game in 29 contests. He also finished third in the MAC in scoring and second in three-point field goals, going 60-of-133.

Redshirt sophomore center David Skogman also entered the transfer portal Monday, adding to the mass of players leaving Buffalo. With the loss of these seniors and uncertainty surrounding the remainder of the team, UB might be looking at a rebuild after years of contending for a MAC Championship.

KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Is Jim Whitesell the right guy for the job?

When former men’s basketball coach Nate Oats accepted the head coaching job at the University of Alabama in March 2019, fans were gutted, but still had reason to hope.

The Bulls were coming off back-toback NCAA Tournament appearances highlighted by major upsets over then-No. 4 seed Arizona and then-No. 11 seed Arizona State. On top of that, forward Jeenathan Williams and guard Ronaldo Segu — two of the three highest-ranked recruits in program history — were set to take on expanded roles following encouraging freshman seasons.

While UB lost one of college basketball’s premier coaches, the program was enjoying historic momentum. The foundation was set for Oats’ lead assistant, former Loyola Chicago head coach Jim Whitesell, to take over the reins and enjoy success.

But after experiencing a golden age under Oats, UB hasn’t found the same success under Whitesell.

Despite having secured two of the topthree recruiting classes in the MAC the past four seasons, the Bulls have never won the MAC Championship under their current head coach.

UB didn’t even make it past the first round of the MAC Tournament this season after falling to No. 4 seed Akron, a feeling far too familiar for a Bulls squad

Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Redshirt sophomore center David Skogman (42) and senior forward Jeenathan Williams (11) walk off the court during a regular season game last season.

that suffered the same fate in 2020 with a first-round loss to then-No. 12 seed Miami (OH).

The Bulls did make a MAC Championship game and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) appearance in 2021, but those results don’t live up to the winning standard created by Whitesell’s two predecessors, Oats and Bobby Hurley.

Alnutt will have to have some serious conversations about Whitesell’s future if the Bulls don’t turn things around soon.

Email: anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @DeCicco42