The Spectrum Vol. 70 No. 22

VOL. 70 NO. 22 | APRIL 27, 2022

City Girls and Polo G to headline the first Spring Fest since 2020

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

Q&A with the 2022-23 SA e-board

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UBSPECTRUM

Young Americans for Freedom postpones speech from conservative commentator

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Inside the performance of ‘Twelfth Night’ UB’s rendition of the Shakespeare play put on five showings in four days last weekend ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

UB’s Department of Theatre and Dance put on a rendition of “Twelfth Night,” a play from the bibliography of William Shakespeare, last weekend in the Center For the Arts’ Black Box Theatre.

Directed by Danielle Rosvally, a clinical assistant professor of theatre at UB, the show tells the story of separated twins Viola and Sebastian and their adventures.

But the play has a modern day context as well. Initially released by Shakespeare at the time of the Bubonic plague, the show is filled with many references to that pandemic. The performance of this plaguereferencing show is anything but coincidental, according to Rosvally.

“When we were thinking through what we could perhaps offer to a student community of theater goers, the gift that I wanted to leave people with was just a moment of respite to laugh,” Rosvally said.

“We haven’t been gathering in groups, but gathering in groups together to be relieved through laughter — I think that’s something very important and very human right now.”

Of course, the modern pandemic brought challenges to the performers as well, with the reinstation of masks for the

Ken Smith / Department of Theatre and Dance The cast of “Twelfth Night” had to adjust to acting with masks.

show.

“We had to unpack [in rehearsal] what it meant to act with a mask and how it would impact the performance,” Rosvally said.

“And then as we started to understand what the specific challenges were, then

‘Please accept the challenge of becoming a peacemaker’: MLK III speaks at UB MLK’s eldest son addressed hundreds of attendees inside the Center for the Arts JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

JACK PORCARI SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of Martin Luther King Jr., addressed hundreds of attendees inside the Center for the Arts Tuesday evening.

King, a human rights activist, philanthropist and advocate, encouraged community members to follow in his father’s footsteps by protesting in a “non-violent” manner.

“Please accept the challenge of becoming a peacemaker,” King said. “Do whatever you can to prevent violence and help create a non-violent society. Everyone can contribute to this cause and so far, there is no country on earth that does not need more healers or peacemakers.”

King’s speech came two-and-a-half weeks after campus descended into chaos following Lt. Col. Allen West’s Student Union appearance. Hundreds of students protested the event, while an event organizer claimed she was assaulted by protesters. The university continues to look into Yik Yak posts that threatened protesters’ safety.

King mentioned West by name multiple times throughout the course of the event, which included a prepared speech and a lengthy Q&A facilitated by Black Student Union president Josie Nimarko. The Q&A featured a couple of questions UB students submitted to the Student Association via email earlier in the day.

“We have a capacity where we can get people to listen and to bring about change and to bring people closer together,” King

said. “But I also think we have to have hard conversations because we live in a nation where people act as if maybe it’s not happening.

“My hope is that students and faculty at the University at Buffalo will help lead this appeal.”

King stressed the importance of protesting in a civil manner.

“My father once explained how nonviolence works,” King said. “As he put it, the non-violent approach does something to the hearts and souls of those committed to it. It gives them new self-respect, because of the resources of strength and courage that they did not know they had.

And finally, it stirs the conscience of the opponent, that reconciliation becomes a reality.”

The event was marked by a noticeable police presence and three metal detectors that all attendees had to pass through upon entry. The audience was significantly more cordial during the King speech than the West speech.

Throughout the speech and the Q&A, King struck a positive tone, while reflecting on the uncertainties of the present moment.

“I know it’s hard to stay positive at a time when too many of our political leaders engage in vicious attacks against vulnerable communities and nations on the one hand, and shameful neglect of human needs on the other,” King said. “But we must stay positive and refuse to be distracted if we want to keep America moving forward.”

we could start to develop a vocabulary attached with our bodies and voices for how to work through the added challenges that were presented to us.”

But Rosvally, even with such a tall hurdle to overcome, feels her cast succeeded with

flying colors. She claims the cast and crew became more creative as a result of the circumstances.

SEE TWELFTH NIGHT PAGE 9

‘Sunflowers for Ukraine’ Friends of Ukraine, Active Minds held an event inviting the public to plant sunflower seeds around campus in support of Earth Day and Ukraine KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Jack O’Leary is sick of UB’s unattractive campus and worries about its impact on students’ mental health. Khrystyna Adam doesn’t want the efforts being made to help Ukraine to die out.

So they worked together.

In a collaborative effort, Active Minds, a student organization dedicated to promoting mental health and education, collaborated with UB Friends of Ukraine in an effort to spread awareness of Ukraine’s struggles. The two organizations decorated campus by inviting the community to plant flower seeds throughout UB’s grounds this past Friday, which was Earth Day. Students and other community members met outside of Clemens Hall to pick up planting equipment and choose the type of seeds they’d like the plant.

While sunflowers were the focus of the event, participants could choose to plant marigolds or daisies as well.

“We just want to keep bringing awareness to everything going on in Ukraine,” Adam, a junior biological sciences major and treasurer of UB Friends of Ukraine, said. “Sunflowers are the national flower, so it is the number one flower that people associate with Ukraine and it’s important to plant them during these hard times so that the community doesn’t forget what’s happening.”

Students are not the only ones thinking about Ukraine. Lesia Vanhouten, a Ukrainian Buffalonian who attended “Sunflowers for Ukraine,” told The Spectrum that she heard about the event through Facebook and felt inspired to help the Ukrainian community.

“Both of my parents are from Ukraine,”

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com Email: jack.porcari@ubspectrum.com

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Flowers planted on campus during “Sunflowers for Ukraine.”

SEE FRIENDS PAGE 8

NEWS

2 | Wednesday, April 27 2022

ubspectrum.com

University, UB Foundation decline to disclose Distinguished Speakers Series contracts UB representative says the contracts “are not public information” GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

A university spokesperson and the CEO of the University at Buffalo Foundation, the university’s private endowment fund, separately declined to provide copies of the foundation’s contracts with the headliners of this year’s Distinguished Speakers Series. Both also declined to provide any information about the contracts, including how the UB Foundation paid each speaker for their lectures.

Doug Sitler, a university spokesperson, said in an email to The Spectrum that the contracts “are not public information” since the UB Foundation is a private entity. Stacy Knapper, the CEO of the UB Foundation, said that the foundation “is not subject to the New York Freedom of Information Law and so must decline” The Spectrum’s request.

New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) allows private citizens to access government records, with certain exceptions. The UB Foundation is not subject to FOIL, but FOIL does not prevent the foundation from disclosing the contracts. The UB Foundation has complete discretion over whether to release the contracts or information about them, according to a UB press release.

The Distinguished Speakers Series is

Lily Smith / The Spectrum The University at Buffalo Foundation declined to disclose how much they spent on this year’s Distinguished Speakers Series.

funded entirely by ticket sales, sponsorships and foundation endowments, according to the university. No state funding or tuition revenue are used.

This year’s slate of speakers included Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and TV wildlife conservationist Jeff Corwin. Winston Duke was expected to kick off the series,

but his speech was rescheduled before being canceled altogether “due to a conflict with Mr. Duke’s filming schedule,” according to the series’ website.

A Spectrum investigation found that the UB Foundation paid then-former Vice President Joe Biden $200,000 to be a part of the 2018-19 Distinguished Speakers Series. Of that total, $190,000 was for the speech and associated events and $10,000

was for travel-related expenses.

The UB Foundation is the wealthiest nonprofit organization in Western New York and the largest in the SUNY system, according to The Buffalo News. The foundation held just over $1.3 billion in net assets in 2021, according to its 202021 audited financial statement.

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com

City Girls and Polo G to headline Workers reflect on their time the first Spring Fest since 2020 at Lake LaSalle’s boat dock Rapper PnB Rock will open the April 30 show KARA ANDERSON SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

City Girls and Polo G will headline Spring Fest Saturday with PnB Rock as their opener.

Their performance marks the first Spring Fest since 2020 with performances to be held in the Governors parking lot on April 30. Tickets are currently available through the ticket office. Lines will open at 5 p.m., doors at 5:30 p.m. and the show will start at 6:30 p.m.

City Girls, a hip-hop duo consisting of Yung Miami and JT, rose to popularity in recent years with platinum-certified hits, “Twerk” featuring Cardi B, and “Act Up.” The duo began their career in 2017 with the single “F—k Dat N—a” and have since collaborated with other big names, including Doja Cat and Lil Baby. The duo

has over 6.2 million monthly Spotify listeners and 2.2 million Instagram followers.

Polo G, best known for his 2019 platinum-certified hit single, “Pop Out,” has found success out of Chicago’s competitive hip-hop scene. With over 28.3 million monthly Spotify listeners and 10.3 million Instagram followers, Polo G has cultivated a prominent fan following with other hits including “Go Stupid,” “Rapstar” and “Headshot.” The artist has collaborated with Juice WRLD, Lil Baby and Lil Wayne, among others.

Opening act PnB Rock, an American rapper, singer and songwriter is best known for his 2015 single “Fleek” and 2016 single “Selfish.” With over 5.7 million monthly Spotify listeners and 2.4 million Instagram followers, the Philadelphia native has collaborated with other artists including Young Thug, 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa.

Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com

Shubh Jain / The Spectrum PnB Rock is set to open for 2022 Spring Fest headliners City Girls and Polo G.

Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum Students can borrow kayaks for use on Lake LaSalle during the warmer months of the academic year.

The docks are expected to open in early May, weather depending

JACK PORCARI SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

As the golden hours of summer awake from hibernation, UB student dock workers rejoice.

The 10-to-25-foot deep, man-made Lake LaSalle was originally constructed in the 1970s for flood control and runoff purposes but provides students with a place to escape in a kayak during the warmer months of the year.

Sarah Klos, senior geology major, says she was excited to get a job at Lake LaSalle’s boat dock in fall 2020 after being involved in UB’s Outdoor Adventure Club.

“I needed a job at the time and I had been a camp counselor beforehand, so I knew about kayaking and teaching people how to kayak,” Klos said.

Once the combined air and water temperatures reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the boat dock opens to students. Klos describes the feeling of wanting to be on the water as “a terrible waiting game.”

William Meany, a UB alum who majored in environmental studies, says the lake was a “big draw” in his decision to attend UB. On his first day of classes, Meany met Russ Crispell, the head of UB’s now-dissolved Outdoor Pursuits program.

“Just from that interest of wanting to do something outdoors he immediately was like, ‘Hey, I think I have something for you,’” Meany said. “It’s great working out in the sun all the time — hours are great — and you know, people love it.”

Meany says the waters are crowded on the weekends and that he’s never heard anybody say something negative about the experience.

Other students, like senior theatre design major TJ Wildow Jr., say the lake is a nice respite, especially during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was the only programming SA could

really do, because it was outdoor and had space while we were concerned about social distancing,” Wildow said.

At the time, strict sanitary procedures such as wiping down equipment and using aerosol sprays for disinfectant were in place. Even though the kayakers had to be extremely careful and sanitary throughout the process, a time on the water was the escape they needed.

“It was nice that despite us having to go through such rigorous safety protocols, we’re still able to provide an activity for students to do,” he said. “It was really nice to see that a similar number of students are still coming out to kayak despite there being more activities on campus overall.”

“I know a lot of people who were either freshmen or were coming back on campus for the first time in a while were looking for that sort of thing that’s safe to do outside,” said Brendan Kelly, a senior economics and geography major.

Kelly, a former Spectrum reporter who grew up around the Thousand Islands, says his passion for kayaking brought him to the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

“I wasn’t sure going into this if my dream job existed, but this definitely is one… It’s just so nice to be able to do something that I’m super passionate about and translate that to a campus job.”

Many students have enjoyed spending their warm days by the shores at UB, whether in the canoes of the past or the kayaks of today. As it turns out, there is more history behind the waves than meets the eye.

“Something that a lot of people don’t know is that inside of the shack, there is everybody’s names signed who’s ever worked there.” Klos said. “You could look up and see names from when it first opened and then also my name. It’s really, really cool — there’s like 30 names signed in there.”

Email: jack.porcari@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

OPINION

Wednesday, April 27 2022 | 3

I’m trying to be a better person Growth is hard, and mistakes are easy

KARA ANDERSON SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

As an avid sufferer of health anxiety, I was scrolling through my patient portal, meticulously checking my health history, when I stumbled upon a particularly funny note from a 2009 physical: “PT’S [patient’s] MOTHER STATES PT’S BEHAVIOR HAS NOT BEEN THE BEST LATELY AS PT HAS HARD TIME EXPRESSING HER ANGER IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.” I laughed when I first read this. My childhood temper tantrums, which astonished and exhausted my parents, have become a running joke in my family. My stubbornness allowed for hours of tears and screaming over the smallest of inconveniences.

We laugh about it now, the way I rampaged and cried. But something coiled inside me when I read that comment, a rot-

ten kind of guilt that has sat in the pit of my stomach for years.

I try to present myself as a good person. I put on smiles for friends and acquaintances; I FaceTime my friends when they’re having a bad day; I send out messages when someone I know has accomplished something great. People in my life have told me that I’m a good listener, a role model, a good friend.

And yet, I’m not always a good person who does good things. I certainly haven’t been in the past.

For as long as I can remember, I have harbored something shameful, something ugly and something entirely human in the deepest recesses of my heart. It comes out in cruel and sharp words, in passive-aggressive communication with friends and in an all-encompassing selfishness that I can never seem to truly shake.

No one can be a perfect person, I know that. But for many years I’m not sure I was even a good one — I’m working to change that. I’m working every day to do better — to be better.

My freshman year of college, I obliterated almost all the new friendships I made.

I chose actions that hurt people, made ridiculously hollow apologies for those actions and rarely put others before myself, even when they deserved it.

I was stuck in this bubble of inconse-

quence, unable and unwilling to see the world outside of myself. I took the love people gave me, the patience, the kindness, the forgiveness — and I didn’t often return it.

I am a black hole of a person sometimes — consuming and unforgiving.

I can be more.

I can be good.

I’m able to pinpoint the exact moment I realized a change needed to be made: when one of my best friends sat me down and told me I didn’t make her feel like a best friend.

It was hard to hear. Put yourself in my shoes: One of the people you value most in life is sitting in front of you, and you realize that your actions, your attention only to yourself, has turned a sturdy rope of friendship into a fraying and fragile thread.

There exists a special kind of grief and guilt for when you see just how much you have hurt the people you are meant to love most and how long you’ve been doing it for.

I had to hold myself accountable, and not without help.

There’s a phrase that I consider more than corny: “Hurt people hurt people.”

But it’s true. I have struggled a lot in my life — with mental illness, family tragedies and self-esteem issues. For years, I stuffed the feelings down, down, down where they

What feels lovely is not always love How my struggles with infatuation transformed my definition of love

AJ FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

I thought it was love even when he grabbed me by the neck and choked me, my feet dangling in the air, all because of a misunderstanding.

With his hand firmly gripped around my neck, I looked him straight in his face. The face of a man who held me in my first days of life, who I was supposed to look up to.

But in those moments in his grip, I was looking down at him.

Once he felt he had proved his point, he threw me onto the couch. I sat there trembling. Tears flowed down my face. My heart pounded so intensely, I thought it wanted to escape my body.

I realized he was serious. He had the po-

tential to kill me if I defied him enough.

The fear my dad instilled in me changed the way I lived. If I was around him, heard him, thought I heard him, expected his presence or even thought of him, I lost myself. The passionate, loving and creative child he raised was imprisoned.

I would restrict myself until I was his definition of perfect.

The way I walked, talked, interacted with those around me; my facial expressions, body movement, bowel movement and my overall personality changed when I felt his presence.

While not always as intense as being choked, instances of abuse and mistreatment were common in my childhood. It was not always physical abuse, nor was the abuser always the same person, but every instance left me deeply scarred.

Multiple family members and peers contributed to the continuous stream of increasingly poorer treatment, close-minded expectations and lack of affection I experienced. They hurt me, degraded me and outlined my flaws, typically without highlighting my greatness. These episodes of abuse made it blatantly clear that love could not describe those relationships, no matter how many times we said we loved

each other.

How can it be love when they tear you down nearly every time you’re with them?

How can it be love when you say you love them, but feel little affection or respect towards them?

Love becomes just another word, not a feeling.

I hoped that it was all a bad dream, but I could not hide from reality. The buildup of despair made me determined to escape my circumstances.

I coped with my situation by focusing on the future. I took the age-old question — What you want to be when you grow up? — to a unique level. I outlined my entire career path when I was 10 years old. I knew that once I gained the freedom of adulthood, I would never want to go back to the pool of depression I kept drowning in as a child. I believed if there would be one good thing that comes from my adversity, it would be future successes.

But being so determined to gain future success mixed with the long-term infatuation I felt for my family members who mistreated me had misconstrued my definition of love.

I thought that if I just put my heart out there and tried my hardest, those feelings

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEDNESDAY APRIL 27, 2022 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 22 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.

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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.

could fester and turn darker, until they couldn’t be pushed away anymore. Until they bubbled up and made me take out my own pain on everyone else.

I started going to therapy and taking an antidepressant. I began taking time to contemplate the ways my family and friends supported me and how I could return their support.

From making sure I’m not dumping all my issues on my friends, to lending a hand or an ear to my family, to biting back the first cruel words on my tongue, every day has become a conscious choice.

There are times when I make the wrong choice. It’s hard not to let the guilt eat me alive in the clarity that follows, to not let the fear that I am slipping back into a person I no longer want to be seize my nerves.

But wallowing in this anxiety — letting it consume me — is not productive. I can’t continue to be better if I am stuck in this paralysis.

Learning to forgive yourself, to allow yourself to make mistakes, is all a part of growth. It’s probably one of the most difficult parts, at least for myself.

The whole process of learning to be better is hard.

And I really am trying.

Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com

would be reciprocated. And if they were not, it was my fault.

I didn’t know that love needed time. It takes some time for something to grow and become fully developed.

Experiences of abuse and mistreatment by the people who were supposed to love me made it blatantly clear that love cannot describe every relationship, no matter how close you are with them.

Infatuation is the red flag you don’t see because you’re blinded by the overwhelming emotions you feel. It’s a truth that not everyone understands..

For most, if not all, of my life, I held relationships of long-term infatuation that I believed were love. Those relationships slowly deprived me of my ability to feel secure with my emotions and myself.

I’m telling my story with the hopes that it helps you identify feelings of infatuation so you can avoid building relationships based on this overt form of attachment.

When you know the difference between love and infatuation, you can identify relationships where love is truly there and value those relationships more.

Email: news@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

OPINION

4 | Wednesday, April 27 2022

ubspectrum.com

An existential retrospective The art of understanding

REILLY MULLEN EDITOR IN CHIEF

When I was a freshman in high school, I was diagnosed with panic disorder.

After a series of very public panic attacks left me temporarily paralyzed from oxygen deprivation, and a retrospectively unnecessary ambulance ride from a 9 a.m. soccer practice, it was clear that I had a mental health problem.

And this problem persisted further into my teens and 20s. I would erupt into full blown panic attacks in high school, only finding solace in a hydroxyzine tablet and a nap in the nurse’s office, or by hiding in my school’s social worker’s office for a few hours.

But there are far fewer places to cower outside of the tan brick walls of Hilton High.

Upon entering adulthood, my anxieties

began manifesting in other ways. I experience erratic mood swings and hypersensitivity, until I settle into a deep, often weeklong depression. I lose all motivation and desire, and lazily trudge around my apartment.

But what looks like a relaxing day in bed on the outside, feels like a prison on the inside.

There’s a tiny voice in my head that constantly whispers commentary on my dayto-day life. She screams that I used to be so pretty when I catch a glimpse of an old photo, and laughs that I’m an embarrassment when my friends send me encouraging messages.

She objects to every kindness I am ever offered and revels in every setback I face.

After enough prodding, I can’t help but cry.

I lose pretty much all self-control during these depressive episodes, regardless of my surroundings. I’ve had mental breakdowns everywhere from lecture halls during class to the Spectrum office during editor’s meetings to the polka tent at Dyngus Day in downtown Buffalo.

It is a relentless and exhausting battle.

I live in a pendulum, swinging back-andforth between feeling devastatingly numb and debilitatingly depressed. Joy is a fleet-

ing feeling whose glimpses only seem to push me further down the hole, reminding myself that I have not earned happiness.

And despite the ever-constant voice in my head telling me to quit, I’ve kept going.

But existing is really, really hard right now.

On the good days, I can get up before 10 a.m. and make my way to campus. I’ll grab a coffee, maybe send a few emails or complete a homework assignment or look at a few articles.

On the bad days, I don’t feel safe being alone.

I won’t eat or sleep. My core body temperature plummets as I shiver under a mountain of blankets and Squishmallows — a key component of any hot-girl depression cave. I spend hours watching true-crime documentaries and smoking weed, anything to keep my mind from wandering toward the “what ifs.”

But regardless of how desperately I need help, I can’t quite bring myself to ask for it, choosing a stiff and uncomfortable silence over the possibility that a breath to speak might turn into a choked sob. I’ll lay in bed, staring off into space while my friends watch, all silently aware that I am not OK, but none quite sure what to do.

They ask gentle questions: “How are

you feeling today?,” “Can I get you anything?,” begging for some kind of multisyllable response, but I usually just shake my head.

Inevitably, after a few days the cold feeling begins to subside. The voice gets a little quieter and I begin to get a grip.

This is the numbness, and after enough time spent in the throes of my depression, numbness might as well be contentment.

I started writing this in the midst of an episode which lasted roughly nine days.

Reading it back, I can’t help but feel dramatic, like I was making a big deal out of nothing.

Like I’d given away more than a week of my life for no reason.

But I can’t invalidate how I feel during my lows; I have to remember how scared I was at the time. Despite how silly I may feel afterward, my feelings were very real and very valid.

All I can ask for at this point is grace; for my professors and peers to remember I am fighting a daily battle with my own mind, and for my friends to remember that understanding goes so much further than indifference.

I am not OK yet.

But one day, I will be.

inforcement and beautiful energy. I walk into the office and I know I have a safe place to crash on the couch, watch basketball highlights with managing editor Justin Weiss or just have a talk with somebody.

But I don’t talk about how I cry myself to sleep sometimes.

Or how I don’t feel like I’m good enough.

Even when I sleep at a friend’s house after a night out, they have to deal with me sobbing at 3 a.m.

I cry because I don’t think I’m doing all I can for the people around me. It’s exhausting to hear that a friend of mine struggles with mental health. It’s a constant reminder that I’m not supportive enough.

I hate the fact that tears stream down my face as I’m writing this. I feel weak and powerless.

I’m frustrated because I shouldn’t feel like this after years of group and one-onone counseling sessions. I think I still need therapy, but what’s the point if I’m going to feel the same after?

After years of being “open” with my emotions, I still feel like the same confused 12-year-old, even if I don’t always show it. This isn’t a cry for help; I’m not depressed. I just don’t always know what

to do with whatever it is I’m feeling.

I feel the pressure to be a rock everybody can lean on, and I know I’m not always strong enough to do so.

The pressure to return to therapy casts a shadow over my head. Am I just overreacting to everything? What about the people who actually need it?

But no matter how much I tell myself I’m not good enough, the people in my support system keep my head above water.

I just want to provide them with the same help when they need it.

My life is great, and I’m so lucky to be where I’m at with the people that care for me.

I just hope I have the courage to one day return to therapy. Even though I was forced to open up emotionally from a young age, I still find myself struggling with the same demons that haunted me nine years ago.

The mental battle within my head isn’t an easy one to mediate. I’m not where I feel I should be, but I’m still confident enough to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

I’ll figure it out. I always do.

Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com

I might need therapy It’s been nine years since I’ve seen a counselor, but I still find myself struggling

ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been encouraged to express my emotions.

I didn’t grow up in a hypermasculine household. Every day, I saw my dad communicate his emotions to our family. I was expected to do the same. Conversations about mental health were normal for me, and I’m thankful that I was able to learn about myself and my emotions from a young age.

But I never really had a choice.

My mom died when I was 12. I was instantly put into group therapy and weekly one-on-one counseling sessions with my middle school guidance counselor. At the time, I didn’t want to talk to anybody. All I wanted to do was stare at the wall and feel

sorry for myself.

I cried every day because I missed my mom. But I also felt selfish. I’ve always felt an obligation to take care of the people around me, but instead of doing that, I was a pathetic heap of emotions who struggled to get out of bed in the morning.

I needed an escape, and while weekly therapy didn’t end my emotional insecurities, it helped me process the feelings that swirled throughout my angry and bitter 12-year-old body.

But nine years later, I still struggle with thinking that I’m not good enough.

At the surface level, I look like somebody who has it all together.

I carry a 3.8 GPA (I’m a communication major, so take that with a grain of salt).

I’m a vital member — and soon to be editor-in-chief — of The Spectrum, a major student organization on campus. Every weekend, I go out with a great group of friends who look out and care for me.

My house is a revolving door of people coming in, saying hi and making me feel better about myself.

On top of all that, I have the staff of The Spectrum in my corner. My colleagues consistently bombard me with positive re-

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

Moving back in when you only just moved out A note on grieving the new life I’ve made for myself

SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Every day for the past two weeks I have cried.

I can’t help grieving a part of myself that hasn’t even passed and certainly doesn’t have to either.

From silent tears of frustration to steady streams that seem to seep out of my chest against my will, my tears come in all shapes and sizes.

Not all of them are sobs.

And they certainly haven’t outsized my many, many laughs: The type of laughter that makes you accidentally spit orange juice in your friend’s face. Or bend over and desperately clutch at your sides. Or forcibly purse your lips to try and stifle the burst of air sitting at the back of your teeth.

But that’s the problem, my smiles and laughs give my tears weight.

Their water runs thick and heavy.

It feels like I have nowhere to go, despite the black and white destination on my plane ticket.

I’m going home. That’s where I’m going.

It’s a universal truth that I never want to let sink in.

Despite my home friends’ happy dances at my return, and my family’s air hugs and party-throwing enthusiasm.

Despite how many nights I’ve spent thinking about them all and wanting to

give them the biggest hug.

Despite how much I miss the greenery, sea air and rolling hills of the North East of England.

Everything feels just right at this moment. I’m where I want to be.

I’m in bloom.

I have amazing friends. Friends you can tell anything to. Friends whose warmth and laughter can’t be stopped by a time zone change or the distance between continents. Friends you love with your whole self.

I have fantastic opportunities to take and sights to see just waiting for me round the corner.

I have a girlfriend with the prettiest smile in the world; hydrangeas and honey in her eyes.

God, this is hard to write.

So I can’t help but worry about how I’ll feel when I have to step on that plane.

I’m in my stride.

But now I’m the only one running back towards the starting line.

So I do feel like I’m grieving.

No. I am grieving.

It’s a physical sensation, with punctured lungs and clogged tear ducts.

Everything feels like it’s crashing down around me.

I’ve started what feels like a new life, something so fresh and exciting I can’t begin to describe it, and now I have to pack it back up again.

My grief is deep-seated, borne from people and places that make me radiate an extraordinary warmth.

Dr. Seuss once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” I guess that’s going to have to become my new mantra.

You have to keep cutting the flower’s stem for it to stay in bloom.

Email: sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

The opposite of loneliness On shattering stigmas and admitting that it’s OK not to be OK

JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

The English language has a word for seemingly everything.

But it doesn’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness.

It isn’t companionship; that would imply that loneliness is caused by an absence of other people.

It isn’t joy; that would suggest that joyous people are never lonely.

And it isn’t camaraderie; that would mean that simply being in the presence of friends is enough to overcome this feeling.

Anyone who has ever been in a crowded room and felt lonely — or in an empty room and felt whole — understands that it’s none of those things.

So what is it, then?

How is it possible that a language with at least 171,146 words doesn’t have one — not even one — word to describe the opposite of loneliness?

Perhaps, as the South Korean rapper Kim Namjoon once griped, it’s “because people, until they die, have no moments of not being lonely.”

That’s a cynical look, sure, but I think it

merits a second glance.

Because people are dying of loneliness.

Including at UB. The students you come across on the way to class, on the seats of the Stampede and in the bowels of the Student Union — they are all experiencing some sort of uncomfortable and likely profound loneliness. Some are dealing with the visceral, all-encompassing loneliness that follows a breakup or the lack of close friendships or the loss of a loved one.

Their loneliness is obvious. It can be found within seconds of visiting UBReddit, or within minutes of examining the vast literature dedicated to “extreme” loneliness reported among college students nationwide.

We rationalize their feelings. It makes sense: People who are isolated are people who are lonely.

But we struggle to understand — much less admit — that there are thousands of other students who don’t fit neatly into this socially isolated camp, but still deal with loneliness that is both pronounced and profound.

Students like myself.

Because by all accounts, I have absolutely no reason to ever be lonely.

I am a marathon-running, Ivy-League bound senior with literally hundreds of friends and even more acquaintances.

From a social standpoint, I have just about everything a human being could possibly need, and then some.

There are weeks when I wish for more time in the day, just because my social schedule is already full and I desperately want to find more time to see other peo-

ple. I have a wonderful support system, a talented and loyal staff at The Spectrum and all the popularity I could ever ask for.

And yet, I often feel profoundly lonely.

To me, loneliness feels like an added weight, one that I carry around everywhere and can’t seem to drop — no matter how many goals I accomplish or how active I am on campus. I could fulfill all my dreams — run a marathon, commit to an Ivy League grad school, help run a major student organization — and still feel this bottomless emptiness, a pit filled with my deepest insecurities and anxieties and never-ending comparisons.

My loneliness follows me around everywhere I go, like it’s a dog attached to a leash. It consumes me when I’m in large groups of people — even a roomful of friends or fellow editors leaves me anxious, overwhelmed and distressed. When laughter and happiness envelops the room, I can usually be found shaking in the corner, clinging onto a single friend and wondering why I can’t be like everyone else. There might not be a word for the opposite of loneliness, but at least there’s a word for the opposite of the life of the party: me.

My loneliness follows me as I scroll through social media, an endless rabbit hole of comparison, envy and FOMO. I often spend my nights comparing myself to other people — people whose lives obviously aren’t as glamorous as their Instagram highlight reels suggest, but who seem to be living their best lives 24/7 anyway. The loneliness rises like a tide, threatening to sweep me underneath the crashing waves.

My loneliness even follows me on my

Wednesday, April 27 2022 | 5

best days, when I’m spending time with the people I love and doing things that would have made 7-year-old me blush.

Crossing the finish line of a marathon is supposed to be an indescribable feeling, but for me, it’s just another excuse to feel empty: vacant, nothing, desolate.

But I also know that I’m not alone in my loneliness.

Some 64% of college students reported feeling “extremely” lonely in a major 2017 study, and that number is almost certainly higher when you adjust for the stigma that prevents many of them from admitting it. In 2022, loneliness is still perceived as weakness.

But isn’t that a crazy thought?

Everyone experiences loneliness: the Division I swimmer you sit next to in class, the club president you ride alongside on the Stampede, even the frat or sorority member you bump into at a party on Winspear on a Saturday night.

Their boisterous laughs and unrivaled popularity may obscure that reality, but make no mistake about it: they are hurting just as much as you and I. Which is why it’s so important for us to talk about our loneliness. It may feel like we stand to lose more than we stand to gain, but loneliness is just as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being inactive or being constantly sleep deprived.

People need to know that they’re not alone in their loneliness — none of us are.

Because there may not be a word for the opposite of loneliness, but we sure have plenty of words that describe the value of being open about our feelings.

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

The secret battles of student-athletes As an international student-athlete, I break stereotypes on a daily basis

GABRIELLA AKOPYAN STAFF WRITER

“She’s privileged and intimidating.”

“Does she even study?”

“Athletes are so overrated.”

These are some of the phrases my fellow student-athletes and I overhear about ourselves on campus.

Most students are asleep at 5:45 a.m. on a casual Tuesday. Not me.

My five separate morning alarms wake me from my slumber as I’m immediately met with 300 thoughts a second. I quickly prepare myself for the day by putting together a to-do list and grabbing a coffee — it’s time for another day in my chaotic, yet exciting life.

Athletes are often surrounded by many stereotypes — some think we’re privileged and don’t deserve the recognition and material benefits we get (merchandise, gear, etc.) Others are convinced that athletic life is easy since we get to do what we love and have fun in the process.

While I’ve always considered my athletic occupation a true blessing, there are millions of situations left behind the scenes that the general public will never see, feel or understand.

I have played tennis my whole life. I cannot recall a time when a yellow fuzzy ball and a colorful tennis racket were not on my mind for 16 hours of the day. The same can be said for my eight teammates.

When we chose to come to study in the U.S., all of us realized a lot of things were going to change. What none of us could imagine is that we would eventually end up learning how to multitask three things at the same time in an attempt to maximize every second of our chaotic lives.

On top of that, none of us could have imagined the amount of criticism we would hear behind our backs.

By noon, I’ve managed to finish practice, lift and rehab. While walking to class I try to use a couple of free minutes to call my parents. The time difference is another obstacle for all international students.

When we get done with classes our loved ones back at home are already asleep. It’s extremely hard to find time to talk to them during the day.

Being a foreigner also means you need to overcome the language barrier and hear the question “Where does your accent come from?” every time you meet a new person.

From dusk until dawn, we are consumed by stereotypes.

I am proud to have both Armenian and Russian backgrounds. But with that comes stereotypes such as the frequent assumption that I’m used to bears walking on the streets, or being asked, “Hey, where is Armenia, is it in Eastern Europe, too?” (Disclaimer: bears do not live in Russian cities and Armenia is located in the Caucasus

Courtesy of UB Athletics

region in Western Asia.)

By 8 p.m., my day is not even close to being over. Two assignments are due tonight and I have another presentation tomorrow.

A stereotype my team shatters with excellence: athletes do not study as hard as non-athlete students. Last spring my team set a record cumulative team GPA of 3.937. That means that almost all nine members achieved a GPA of 4.0 in a variety of majors such as business administration, biomedical and industrial engineering and psychology. While we receive excused absences due to traveling for competition, we are not allowed to miss classes for practices, despite what many think. We can’t miss assignments and we do not get extended deadlines. All of us study as hard as we can and perform in that dimension to the best of our abilities.

All athletes practice, study and essentially work every day.

International student-athletes must try to overcome homesickness and a language barrier on top of the typical daily problems of a college student.

Why would someone even want to do that to themselves?

It’s easy.

We do this because we are all fighters.

All athletes have learned how to overcome difficulties with grace from a young age. Nothing can compare to that sweet feeling when you raise your hands in triumph after a win. That feeling is what makes us wake up before sunrise and run through pain. Sometimes everything seems pointless and pressure makes it hard to breathe.

Billie Jean King once said “pressure is a privilege,” and that is so true. I would not trade all the pleasures of this world for what I am doing today.

My life is challenging, disciplined, painful at times and requires a lot of “mental stamina.” I don’t know what awaits me in the future after I complete my collegiate tennis career. But there is one thing I know for sure: the role of student-athlete owns my whole heart.

As P!nk sings, “It must be true love.”

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

6 | Wednesday, April 27 2022

FEATURES

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Q&A with the 2022-23 SA e-board 2022-23 e-board speaks on election results, plans for SA Fest Series KYLE NGUYEN ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Becky Paul-Odionhin, Sammi Pang and Alana Lesczynski were elected to serve as members of the Student Association eboard for the 2022-2023 academic year on April 1.

The Spectrum sat down with the three eboard elects to discuss the aftermath of the election, preparations for the upcoming year and their hopes and expectations moving forward.

The following has been lightly edited for length and clarity: TS: Since the election, how have you been preparing for your upcoming term?

Becky Paul-Odionhin: “So we’ve been meeting like this and just talking about things, trying to learn more about SA and leading it because even though some of us may have [already] been in SA in some capacity, it’s not on the same level as what it will be next year. So we’ve just been trying to learn about it: talking to clubs, seeing what issues they have, taking notes and we’re going to go through policies like this week-ish. And then for our next meeting, we’re going to see how we can help fix the club’s issues with the policies in there [the SA bylaws], but nothing’s set because we’re just learning right now.”

Sammi Pang: “I am a big reader when I enter new environments or new roles, so to prepare for the campaign I read the SA bylaws, which was a long document. Right now I’m also trying to read all the policies and talk to people in SA that are currently involved with the vice president role so I can learn more about it.”

TS: How has the transition from the current SA been?

Alana Lesczynski: “So they [the current SA] are in the transitional period. They’re moving out, and we’re moving in. We’re actively learning how things are working in the e-board right now. So we go into SA and [are] asking people about how they do what they do there and we get tips and insight. So it’s been very helpful, and we’re very grateful.”

BPO: “They’re trying to keep us in the loop about changes that are currently occurring that may outlast their term, just so we don’t just come in and be like, ‘brand new slate everyone.’”

TS: What do you think are some of the most pressing issues that are facing students, and how do you envision SA tackling them?

BPO: “I do know that there’s some relations between SA and other departments on campus that kind of need to be better — let’s put it like that. I’m hoping that by the time we do start our term, that this is something we can work on. That we can talk with these individuals and try to create a win-win situation for all the students who are part of SA, and those who use our resources. But that will be on my end, that’s in the presidential role.”

SP: “Yeah, so obviously a huge issue with SA clubs is communication. I think a lot of the issues that clubs are facing right now do stem from a lot of miscommunication. So in my role as VP next year, I really do hope that me and my team can just have full transparency with all the clubs. I don’t want them to run in circles, seeing who [from SA] they want to talk to. I want it to be very clear. Like you’d go to this person for this, this person for this. And then if there’s any changes or updates, I need to tell these clubs. I want to do it very properly and very clearly, and just kind of be very open to people asking me ques-

tions and coming to me for any clarifications.”

AL: “One complaint that I’ve been getting from students, especially treasurers of clubs, is the modernization that needs to happen with SAFE [Student Association Financial Entry system] and how it can be more user-friendly. So I do hope to modernize SAFE and make it more user accessible.”

TS: How does your administration plan to tackle Fall Fest and Spring Fest next year?

SP: “We currently work in SA so we kind of know how it works-ish. I work as a coordinator in the media marketing department so I don’t really know how to do it [organize an SA Fest], but I know how we market it. I’m not gonna lie, I’m not familiar with how they actually reach out to artists or set up all the venues and stuff, but I am looking forward to learning about it.”

BPO: “I feel like because if it’s something that’s currently occurring, it’s not really part of anything I’ve tried to learn right now, because it’s a busy time in SA. I mean, it’s Spring Fest, so you’ve got lots of work to do. But probably after the whole thing is done, we’ll probably talk with the current e-board and see what it is they’ve done and how it is they think it could be better, and then see how we’re going to modify that to work for us. So we don’t really have any plans for Spring or Fall Fest, because none of us really have experienced it, because of COVID-19 and all that.”

AL: “But I think a plan we can say now is that we definitely do want to get a lot of feedback from students who go to Spring and Fall Fest currently, just so we know what they want moving forward.”

BPO: “And super seniors, because those will still exist next year and they probably have some good experience.”

TS: In lieu of Lt. Col. Allen West’s speech on campus, do you have any plans to review the SA’s current role or policies on how student organizations invite speakers on campus?

SP: “It’s tough. I think in any leadership position, or at least in my experience, I really do try to keep my personal viewpoints out of the position, because I know that’s what leadership is, that you need to make sure you represent everyone in a way that is fair. But also you have to be a human and be empathetic to what people are thinking. So the current e-board had to deal with that. And I don’t know how I would have because I’m not in that situation… I don’t know if this is helpful or just very specific at all, but I think it’s easy for us — at least newly elected people or people even campaigning — to go in front of this undergraduate student body and be like, ‘we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do that.’ At least for me. I don’t know the very specific policies that surround these [political events]. And I think I really do need to go through them to look for specific issues, if there are any, and then I will have a better plan. Because I don’t want to say things and then just have it not [be] feasible or possible. So I just don’t want to be like, ‘oh, I’m gonna do this,’ and then not actually do it.”

BPO: “There’s also the fact that advocacy is representing all viewpoints. And as a result of that, it’s kind of tough to say we’re gonna place limits on this based on this.”

AL: “Because we do have to use viewpoint neutrality. It’s based [so that] besides for anyone’s personal views, we have to treat every club the same. So it is hard.

And there’s also the limited power not even just that the three of us will have, but SA in general has.”

Email: kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com

Sai Seethala / The Spectrum The 2022-23 SA e-board — Vice President Sammi Pang (left), President Becky Paul-Odionhin (middle) and Treasurer Alana Lesczynski (right) — won the SA e-board elections.

NEWS

ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, April 27 2022 | 7

Young Americans for Freedom postpones speech from conservative commentator Political commentator Michael Knowles was slated to speak Tuesday GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

The UB chapter of Young Americans for Freedom postponed a planned speech by conservative political commentator Michael Knowles, the organization’s e-board announced in an email to its members Monday.

Knowles was slated to speak Tuesday, according to an archived page of YAF’s website.

“A new date has yet to be determined, but we will keep you informed when a new date is selected,” the email read.

YAF rescheduled the speech due to “time constraints” surrounding the “need to hire security outside of the university” and “set final arrangements” with the Student Association, Connor Ogrydziak, YAF’s acting president and meme coordinator, wrote in an email to The Spectrum.

Ogrydziak did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the need for outside security in time for publication.

A native of Westchester County, NY, Knowles is well-known for authoring the 266-page satirical book, “Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide,” the majority of which was left blank.

He has served as a guest host for The Rush Limbaugh Show, a daily radio show host on The Daily Wire and a commentator on FOX News. He sparked a national conversation in September 2019 after calling Greta Thunberg a “mentally ill Swedish child” on the FOX News program, The Story.

He also gained national attention after

his April 2019 speech at the University of Missouri — Kansas City, titled “Men Are Not Women,” was disrupted by protestors, one of whom sprayed him with a mixture of fluids that later turned out to be lavender oil and other non-toxic household liquids. Knowles is opposed to samesex marriage and gender fluidity.

Knowles’ appearance was scheduled to take place just two-and-a-half weeks after a YAF-sponsored Allen West speech transformed North Campus into a political battleground. The talk brought out dozens of student protestors, who encircled the venue and marched through the halls.

UB and University Police are investigating reports of harassment and online threats toward protestors.

Therese Purcell, who made allegations of harassment and assault against protestors in the aftermath of West’s speech, was listed as a “former president” in YAF’s email to its members. Ogrydziak declined to comment on matters related to Purcell or the YAF presidency.

The SA hosted Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of Martin Luther King Jr., for a speech in the Center for the Arts Tuesday evening. The talk, which was announced in an email to the student body on Saturday, featured a heavy police presence.

YAF is a conservative youth activism organization recognized as a special interest club by the SA. The university “does not take a position on the views and opinions expressed by those who visit its campus” and “stands by its commitment to upholding its core values of diversity, inclusion and mutual respect,” according to an April 7 statement.

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

Gage Skidmore / Wiki Commons Conservative commentator Michael Knowles speaks with attendees at the 2019 Teen Student Action Summit hosted by Turning Point USA.

April Gallery

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Martin Luther King III spoke at the Center for the Arts Tuesday evening.

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum The range of April weather in Buffalo.

Sai-Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum Hundreds of people attended Jeff Corwin’s Distinguished Speakers Series speech at the Center for the Arts in early April.

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Students walk through the Student Union in April.

8 | Wednesday, April 27 2022

FEATURES

ubspectrum.com

UB Hired provides free professional apparel, hygiene products and more to students Hired strives to lower inequality, create a more sustainable community and achieve zero waste AJ FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

Finding a fit for a job interview can be a struggle, especially for college students.

Transportation falls through, the cost of professional clothing is too high or nothing that satisfies students’ needs is available.

In an effort to reduce the barriers students’ face in obtaining professional clothing, while preventing waste in the process, UB Sustainability created Hired in February. Hired, an on-campus boutique, provides gently-used professional attire and unopened beauty and hygiene products to UB students at no cost, giving students a leg up in the professional world without bearing a financial burden.

Hired also provides “a safe place” for transgender and non-binary students who are looking for clothing that suits their gender identity, Erin Moscati, the sustainability education manager for UB Sustainability, said. This lowers barriers to genderqueer students who might face judgment or a lack of inclusivity.

Students can make appointments online, then pick out what they want from the boutique, located in the Sustainability office at 101 Statler Commissary. UB Sustainability solicited donations from community members, faculty, staff, alumni and local organizations to stock their racks.

Matthew Taboni, a student assistant in UB Sustainability and JD/MBA student, states in the past year, “we have had 1000s, maybe even upwards, of items donated, I don’t have an exact, we have given out 602 articles of clothing through pop-ups and one-on-one appointments at the boutique.”

The program offers students a wide variety of professional apparel options, including blazers, dress pants, dresses, dress shirts, dress shoes, ties, watches, laptop bags, unused dress socks, new stockings and more.

“I think that for a long time it was on the students to figure out how they’re going to get transportation to go to a store and how they’re going to get money to get an outfit,” Erin Moscati said. “Now there is a place to fulfill that need.”

UB Sustainability were “really inspired” by a similar program at Rochester Institute of Technology, Bern’s Closet, following an informational exchange at RIT, according to Derek Nichols, associate director for UB Sustainability. Bern’s Closet provides RIT students with donated professional clothing at no cost year-round.

UB Sustainability planned to start the program during the 2019-20 academic year, COVID-19-induced delays gave UB Sustainability more time to prepare for its launch, Nichols said.

Hired held its first popup event in collaboration with Campus Living called

“Wilkenson’s Hired thrift pop-up” on April 8 at the Wilkeson Quadrangle. Students had the ability to come in and sign out up to five pieces of clothing they wanted, for free.

Skylar Lampel, a sophomore computer science major, attended the Wilkenson pop-up and said it was “the most well attended [UB] event I’ve gone to.” Lampel is glad that students have this resource, even though he doesn’t know if he would use Hired personally. One of his friends got a “beige-pink blazer” that he needed at the event; Lampel’s friend had previously had a hard time finding affordable professional clothing.

Over 100 students have made appointments since the program started in February, according to Moscati. But she says the program’s biggest setback is students’ noshowing appointments, which can be es-

pecially problematic because the program only has two appointment spots a day and only runs on weekdays.

“It’s disappointing when there is a noshow because that prevents other students from being able to come in and utilize the space,” Moscati said. “It puts a backlog in our ability to schedule appointments.”

Hired is an addition to the UB Sustainability program UB ReUSE — a program where students can donate reusable items they are not going to take home with them at the end of the spring semester.

UB Sustainability is looking for student volunteers who have retail or fashion experience, according to Moscati. To donate to UB Sustainability, individuals can call 716-829-5743 to arrange a drop-off time between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Courtesy of Campus Living Students look through clothes at a recent UB Hired event.

FRIENDS FROM PAGE 1

Vanhouten said. “Being so far away, living in Buffalo, limits me on what I can do to assist people in Ukraine. Luckily, I learned about this event today and was able to come help out. Plus, it’s beautiful weather.

They couldn’t have picked a better day to be outside.”

According to Adam, the event planning came easily. She told The Spectrum that Active Minds took the initiative by purchasing flower seeds, contacting University Facilities regarding equipment and by helping Friends of Ukraine advertise the event.

“We’re so excited to see the flowers grow and bring the campus to life,” Adam said. “And I hope that when students see them, they’re reminded of the people in Ukraine and want to help.”

According to Muna Alsadam, a sophomore nursing major and the vice president for Active Minds, the war in Ukraine wasn’t the only cause “Sunflowers for Ukraine” supported. Another goal of the initiative was to cheer students up by planting flowers in vacant areas on campus. Students said beautiful beams of yellow and white flowers brought the dark brick of UB’s North Campus to life.

“A lot of the campus is just dead land, so we just want to add little pieces of happiness,” Alsadam said.

O’Leary, a senior neuroscience major and student advisor for Active Minds, shares the same sentiment.

“This campus can already be so depressing, and that’s concerning,” O’Leary said.

“I’m hoping today we are able to make the campus a little prettier. Plus, it’ll help the environment and bring awareness to what’s happening in Ukraine.”

Email: kayla.estrada@ubspectrum.com

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Friends of Ukraine and Active Minds planted flowers across

campus to express support for the

Ukrainian people.

ubspectrum.com TWELFTH NIGHT FROM PAGE 1

“I mean, on the whole as an acting exercise, it’s actually quite wonderful because obstacles create creativity,” Rosvally said.

“So just being asked to do something under extraordinary circumstances means we have to get more creative about how we do that. So we certainly had our creativity challenged [during production], and I think the result is quite spectacular.”

For cast members like Michael Busacco, a sophomore theatre performance major, the process of acting while wearing a mask required numerous creative techniques to ensure the right emotions were conveyed.

Busacco says he was forced to act with his eyes and eyebrows in an attempt to tell the story of his character. “[The mask] makes it a little bit harder [for audiences] to hear a person on stage.

So [I focused on] projecting along, making sure everything I say is louder than I would usually make it to the general audience to hear it,” Busacco said. “But also I feel anytime I wanted to get a visual point across the audience, I was acting a lot with my eyes and my eyebrows. Because if there’s any bit of facial recognition for an audience member, it’s going to draw them in more. So I did everything I could to give them what they could with the masks.”

For cast member Sydne Jackson, a senior theatre performance major, getting into the character of Olivia was a breath of fresh air. It allowed her to take a break from the more masculine characters she has portrayed in her collegiate acting career.

“Being able to play Olivia, who was very feminine, outwardly confident and pursuing who she loves, was something that I

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT was very happy about and able to tap into being very feminine,” Jackson said.

The performance was Jackson’s final role as a UB student and first in-person production since fall 2019. She says the feeling was “bittersweet” but knows she’ll look back fondly on her time with the program and the creative freedom it granted her.

“I think it was a nice balance of having agency over my own career and making sure I got what I needed, but also getting support from the professors and the faculty and staff here during productions and in classes,” Jackson said.

Busacco found himself on the opposite end of the spectrum, as “Twelfth Night” was his first time on the stage at UB. He lost his freshman year to the pandemic, so last weekend’s performance was particularly special. While very different from the high school productions he was used to, Busacco says this experience helped elevate his acting to the next level.

“Doing high school productions feels really cool. You’re like, ‘Oh, man, I’m on this stage. All my friends get to see me,’” Busacco said. “But when I’m in the college production, it feels like it’s a lot more of a big deal, and there’s a lot of effort that goes into it. The set design, the lighting design, everything is so well done, that I feel like I really get to be part of something big and awesome. It really amped me up, so I feel like I’m able to put on a much better performance.”

In order to embrace his role as Sir Toby Belch, a drunk, Busacco took elements from some iconic film roles to help get into the character, like Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow and Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura.

It’s actually quite wonderful because obstacles create creativity. ... Just being asked to do something under extraordinary circumstances means we have to get more creative about how we do that. So we certainly had our creativity challenged [during production], and I think the result is quite spectacular.

Ken Smith / Department of Theatre and Dance Cast members perform during “Twelfth Night” at the CFA’s Black Box Theatre.

Wednesday, April 27 2022 | 9

When I’m in the college production, it feels like it’s a lot more of a big deal, and there’s a lot of effort that goes into it. The set design, the lighting design, everything is so well done, that I feel like I really get to be part of something big and awesome. It really amped me up, so I feel like I’m able to put on a much better performance.”

“Obviously, I put my own spin on it, just to not have it branded as that [other roles], but there was a lot of inspiration from those kind of crazy goofy characters that had interesting physicality and fun intonation,” Busacco said. “Everything they did got good laughs. So I really wanted it to be like that.”

Although the play is based on a text from over 400 years ago, Rosvally and her cast brought in many elements to give the play a greater sense of accessibility for a modern audience. Perhaps most notably, the group performed Whitney Houston’s single “I Want to Dance With Somebody” to close out the show.

Moriah Armstrong, a junior theatre performance major, said the musical number was one of her favorite moments with her fellow cast members.

“We not only got to bring our characters into it, we also got to bring a little bit of ourselves into it because that’s where we incorporated the final bow,” Armstrong said. “We got to work together with other members of the cast that we didn’t have any scenes with. As far as actually being in the show, that final bow, that final dance number is [the moment] everybody’s seen everybody’s performance and there’s just this recognition of like, ‘Hey, I see what you just did and I appreciate that.’ So that was my favorite part, hands down.”

But there were far more implementations of modern day elements than simply a song, ranging from the use of cell phones as props to costumes that incorporated bright colors, pumpkin pants and tutus, all of which The Bard himself would’ve found unfathomable. While some of these

design choices were primarily meant for comedic effect, Rosvally’s main goal was to make the play more accessible for audience members.

One of the hardest parts of performing “Twelfth Night” was its genre: comedy.

While the words of Shakespeare are hard to understand for some modern audiences, Armstrong emphasizes the importance of comedic timing and the difficulty of predicting successes before performing a Shakepearean comedy.

“Officially, you can’t just throw anybody into comedy and expect them to do an excellent job. It is something that you have to learn and understand and manipulate, especially with Shakespeare, because the language itself is so difficult,” Armstrong said. “Our audiences laughed in different places every single night. It was never the same show. The same jokes never landed the same way on different nights. The audience isn’t always understanding 100% of the words that you’re saying, [so] a lot of it becomes physical comedy.”

Rosvally says being “proud” of her cast would be an understatement. With all the adversity the actors, playwrights and production staff faced, the first live show at UB since 2019 was a feel-good moment for the entire theatre department.

“I would say they are the most resilient group of students I have ever worked with,” Rosvally said. “They are not just incredible actors and collaborators, but they’re also kind and wonderful people. So it’s been fantastic to work with this community.”

Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com

10 | Wednesday, April 27 2022

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘It’s somewhat of my duty sometimes to portray Black imagery’ UB MFA student Edreys Wajed spreads “love, humanity and compassion” across Buffalo with murals DOMINICK MATARESE STAFF WRITER

Edreys Wajed is serious about his art. So serious that he put his life on hold — and everything on the line — to collaborate on his first professional mural, “Freedom Wall.”

“I was working full time taking care of a family, my wife and two kids,” Wajed, a second-year UB MFA student, said. “And in order for me to accept that opportunity, I had to pretty much take a leave of absence — no insurance, no salary, no check or anything — in order for me to be a part of that. And I think that the work that came out during that time and on that wall was some of my finest work.”

“Freedom Wall,” a collaboration between Wajed and three other Buffalo-based artists commissioned by the Albright-Knox’s Public Art Initiative, features portraits of 28 notable civil rights leaders from America’s past and present.

Wajed said it is the only mural of his that he regularly visits, sometimes even driving out of his way just to see it.

“I’ve sat in front of and stared at it and tried to recall what I was thinking in 2017,” Wajed said. “It was a very challenging time for me.”

Wajed’s reason for making art comes down to two things: the desire to leave evidence of himself as an artist and the desire to inspire others.

“I just want to leave a legacy,” Wajed said. “When it’s all said and done, [I don’t want to have] never really given myself a chance through my skills. I think it’s unfortunate for people to live a life where, at the end of their years, they realize they hadn’t really bet on themselves or given themselves a shot with what they were skilled in.”

Wajed says he frequently incorporates his Black identity into his art because he feels it’s part of his duty to “highlight the invisible, or the silenced, or the oppressed.”

“Freedom Wall” is located at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street in the Cold Springs neighborhood of Buffalo. Like many other neighborhoods where residents of color and impoverished people lived, Cold Springs

was redlined in the late 1930s, according to the Partnership for the Public Good.

Banks systematically denied mortgages — and home ownership — to the residents of redlined neighborhoods like Cold Springs, resulting in modern-day inequalities.

The mural is also located just a block away from a “grade B” and a “grade A” district, as they were redlined in 1937.

“It’s somewhat of my duty sometimes to portray Black imagery, sometimes in places where it’s not welcome, or sometimes in places where it’s not frequent, or even seen at all,” Wajed said. “It’s almost obligatory sometimes to beautify a space that has Black voice to it.”

Wajed’s murals adorn many of Buffalo’s buildings and often center around Black icons or Black experiences, such as his collaborative mural “Love Black” with James “Yames” Moffitt.

Wajed said he was inspired to create “Love Black, 2020,” located on the Say Yes Buffalo building on Main Street, following nationwide protests against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. He wanted onlookers to “think about their biases and prejudices” and acknowledge “the lack of humanity” in how Black people are treated.

“I had been working on that concept for

some time because I’m a father; I have two boys,” Wajed said. “And so the [message of] ‘love black boys even when they become men’ was something that I had been tinkering around with for awhile… I know first hand what it’s like to be a young Black kid because I was one myself, and now I’m a Black man, an adult, and I still face challenges.”

Wajed said his past experience as a visual arts teacher also informed his creative process.

Alongside his “Freedom Wall” and “Love Black, 2020” murals, Wajed is also the artist behind “Bailey Fights Blight” on Bailey Ave., a mural of John “Spider” Martin on Main Street and a portrait of John Lewis on Paderewski Drive. He has no intention of stopping and every intention of reaching his goals.

“I would love to see more of three things,” Wajed said. “I would love to see more love, humanity and compassion…

That’s a big far-stretched dream, though.

It’s almost — I don’t want to say impossible, but it’s very lofty. However, that’s what I would sign off saying, if I had to write it to the world.”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

I just want to leave a legacy. When it’s all said and done, [I don’t want to have] never really given myself a chance through my skills. I think it’s unfortunate for people to live a life where, at the end of their years, they realize they hadn’t really bet on themselves or given themselves a shot with what they were skilled in.

Courtesy of MK Photo The Freedom Wall, by John Baker, Julia Bottoms, Chuck Tingley and Edreys Wajed, located on the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Ferry Street.

SPORTS

ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, April 27 2022 | 11

Men’s basketball secures JUCO standout and former ACC guard Yazid Powell, known for his 81-point performance, signs with Buffalo KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

After an underwhelming 2022 season that saw UB fall in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, seven Bulls have announced a departure from UB — be it through graduation or the transfer portal — since March.

Senior forward Jeenathan Williams and senior guard Ronaldo Segu, UB’s two top scorers from a year ago, have entered their names in the NBA Draft and will forgo their final year of NCAA eligibility.

Sophomore center David Skogman has committed to Davidson, while graduate forward Tra’von Fagan committed to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Junior guard Ty Perry and junior forward Lucas Saleh entered their names in the transfer portal and redshirt senior guard Keishawn Brewton has elected to forgo his remaining years of eligibility.

Every offseason brings its own challenges, and UB has to recruit well if it wants to contend in the MAC next season. Head coach Jim Whitesell has already catalyzed the process.

Here’s a look at UB’s two newest commits:

Kanye Jones

Freshman guard Kanye Jones will be leaving the ACC for the MAC after playing just one year at Boston College. The 6-foot-4, 170 lb. Orlando native played 30

games with the Eagles and averaged 9.7 minutes, 1.8 points, 0.2 steals, 0.2 assists and 0.7 rebounds per game.

“Kanye is a versatile guard who can not only score the basketball at a high clip, but is also a very good defender,” Whitesell said in a UB press release. “We have had an eye on Kanye for a while, and we think he will fit in very well with our style of play. We can’t wait to have him on campus.”

As a senior at Windermere High School, Jones was selected for FHSAA Class 7A All-State team and led the Wolverines to the FHSAA Class 7A region-two semifinals. Jones averaged 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.

Yazid Powell

JUCO standout Yazid Powell will be joining the Bulls after two seasons at Harcum Junior College. Powell averaged 17.4 points and 7.1 boards per game and had eight blocks, 65 steals and 67 assists in his JUCO campaign last season. His performance earned him an NJCAA All-American honorable mention.

Prior to Harcum, Powell averaged 14.1 points per game in one year at Community College of Beaver County in Monaca, PA. “Yazid has shown at every level his ability to score both from the outside and driving the basket,” Whitesell said in a press release. “He has been a winner everywhere he goes, and his game will compliment the pieces we have already put in place. We are extremely excited to have Yazid in Buffalo!”

At Beaver County, Powell was featured on Sports Illustrated for his 81-point perfor-

Courtesy of Yazid Powell Incoming men’s basketball guard Yazid Powell paid tribute to Kobe Bryant by scoring 81 points in a game.

mance the day after his idol, Kobe Bryant, passed away in a helicopter incident. Powell missed his final free throw to remain at 81 points, matching Bryant’s iconic

81-point game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.

Email: kayla.sterner@ubspectrum.com

The top five football recruits of the 2022 class UB secures big names and top talent despite an underwhelming 2021 season KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

After over 20 Bulls entered the transfer portal and at least three declared for the NFL Draft, one thing is clear: head coach Maurice Linguist had some work to do this offseason.

Despite an underwhelming 2021 season with only four wins, Linguist has since hauled in the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. The class ranked No. 1 in the MAC in terms of overall recruiting, according to 247Sports.

Here’s a look at the five highest-ranked recruits (not including transfers) from the 2022 recruiting class:

Devin Grant (athlete) Holy Cross High School Grant, the nephew of former Buffalo Bills safety Dean Marlowe, committed to UB last July and is the top-ranked recruit of the 2022 class. The 6-foot-3, 185 lb. defensive back is the fourth-ranked recruit in New York State and the second-highest ranked recruit in program history.

Throughout his three years on the varsity team at Holy Cross High School in Flushing, NY, Grant has shown versatility, lining up as a safety, wide receiver and quarterback.

The senior team captain mustered 44 solo tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on the defensive side of the ball last season.

Grant was also a Swiss Army knife on offense as he tallied 1,867 yards last season — 973 passing, 834 rushing and 60 receiving.

Jayden Oliver (CB) New Mexico Military Institute The Tampa native is the second-ranked recruit of the 2022 class and the fifth highest-ranked recruit in UB football history.

Oliver transferred from New Mexico Military Institute and is already on campus for the spring semester, making him eligible for the upcoming spring game.

The 6-foot-3, 175 lb. cornerback played in 13 games last season and racked up 14 solo tackles, 10 assisted tackles and three interceptions — good for All-SWJCFC Second Team. Oliver and the Broncos made a run for the NJCAA Division I national championship during his second season in New Mexico. The 25th-ranked junior college player in the country looks to be an instant contributor for a Bulls squad that gave up 221.2 passing yards per game last season.

Tre Hines (WR) College of San Mateo The wide receiver from the College of San Mateo announced his commitment to UB in December and enrolled for the spring 2022 semester, making him eligible for spring training and the spring game.

Hines, a star quarterback at Dublin High School (California), threw for 1,768 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 981 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior season at Dublin. He then went on to play as a receiver at San Mateo, where he tallied 44 catches, 585 receiving yards and a touchdown in two seasons.

The three-star recruit had 13 receptions for 226 yards last season while averaging 17.4 yards per catch.

Jaylon Bass (DT) Hutchinson Community College The 6-foot-3, 300 lb. defensive tackle transferred to Buffalo after three seasons at Hutchinson Community College (Kansas). Bass is the fourth highest-ranked recruit in the 2022 class and the 12th-ranked recruit in program history.

The Ashland, Alabama native had 15 solo tackles and 26 assists in his 2021 campaign. The defensive tackle also recorded two sacks and six tackles for loss.

Bass led the Blue Dragons to consecutives KJCCC championships and a win in the 2021 Salt City Bowl.

At Clay Central High School, Bass earned First Team All-State in his senior campaign and made a run for the state championship.

Tavian Mayo (S) Butler Community College The fifth-ranked recruit of the class and the 14th-ranked player in UB football history is a JUCO product from Butler Community College (El Dorado, Kansas).

Mayo, a 5-foot-10, 166 lb. defensive back, had 20 tackles and five assists to average 3.1 tackles per game in his sole season with the Bulldogs in 2021.

Email: kayla.sterner@ubspectrum.com

Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum UB head coach Maurice Linguist gestures toward his players during an October game against Western Michigan.

SPORTS

12 | Wednesday, April 27 2022

ubspectrum.com

DAVID SKOGMAN TRANSFERS TO DAVIDSON

Last week in UB Athletics

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BRINGS IN TWO NEW COMMITS

With only seven Bulls returning from the 2021-22 season, head coach Becky Burke needs to recruit well this offseason to maintain the success seen under Felisha Legette-Jack. After the departure of Georgia Woolley and Dyaisha Fair to Syracuse, UB needs playmakers who can contribute on both ends of the court.

Here’s a look at the two newest members of the women’s basketball team:

ZAKIYAH WINFIELD

After four years at Glenville State University, the 5-foot-7 guard is headed to Buffalo. Winfield was the fourth commit under Burke and will be reuniting with her GSU teammate, Re’Shawna Stone.

Winfield and Stone led the Pioneers to a national championship at Glenville State after only losing one game all season.

The Reading, PA native led the Pioneers in scoring (18.1 points) and rebounds (7.1) per game during her senior campaign to earn Second Team All-Region honors.

In the pandemic-ridden 2020-21 season, Winfield led the team in scoring with 20.6 points and tallied 7.8 boards, 4.9 assists and 2 steals per game to earn WBCA First Team All-American, First Team All-Mountain East Conference and MEC AllTournament honors. The Division II star finished fourth nationally in scoring and in the top-10 for rebounds, assists and steals per game.

KIARA JOHNSON

Johnson committed to UB after two seasons at Eastern Michigan and one season at Towson. The Buffalo native did not participate in the 2021-22 season because she was pregnant.

The 6-foot-2 forward has yet to average more than 4.3 points per game. As a junior with the Tigers, Johnson averaged 3.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 12.8 minutes per game.

During her freshman and sophomore campaigns at Eastern Michigan, Johnson played in 29 games each season.

In four years at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Buffalo, Johnson led the Hawks to the Monsignor Martin Athletic Association championships. As a senior, she was named to Second-Team All-Western New York thanks to an average of 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks per game.

KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Softball faces an uphill battle, despite strong start

Redshirt sophomore center David Skogman announced he will transfer to Davidson for the 2022-23 season on Friday.

Skogman joins grad forward Tra’von Fagan, junior forward Lucas Saleh and junior guard Ty Perry as the fourth Bull to enter his name into the transfer portal.

The move further thins an already depleted roster for the men’s basketball team, with big names like senior forwards Jeenathan Williams and Josh Mballa and senior guards Ronaldo Segu and Keishawn Brewton graduating from UB this spring.

The 6-foot-10, 228 lb. incoming redshirt junior averaged 8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last season in 23 appearances for the Bulls.

Skogman notched a career-high 20 points and 15 rebounds against Bowling Green on Jan. 12., shooting 58% from the field.

Head coach Jim Whitesell will look to keep up his recruitment efforts, with Boston College senior guard Kanye Jones and Harcum Junior College sophomore guard Yazid Powell transferring in as the newest additions to the men’s basketball team.

SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

SOFTBALL SNAPS LOSING STREAK, GOES 2-1 IN SERIES AGAINST BALL STATE Buffalo (17-20, 8-11 MAC) went 2-1 this weekend against Mid-American Conference opponent Ball State (19-25, 12-8 MAC) to hold onto the seventh spot in the MAC standings.

UB won both Saturday matchups, with an 11-8 victory in the first game and a 9-4 victory in the second game. The Cardinals responded Sunday with a 4-0 win.

Graduate utility player Anna Aguon kicked off Saturday’s action with a lead-off walk, as junior pitcher Alexis Lucyshyn followed with a single to the wall in center field to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead after the first inning. UB’s defense showed out as sophomore infielder Ally Sobaszek turned a double play to start the seventh inning.

Sophomore pitcher Julia Tarantino had two strikeouts and three walks to improve her record in the circle to 8-11.

Freshman pitcher Marissa Calloway started the Bulls’ evening game by giving up three runs in the top of the first inning. UB scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to clutch a 4-3 advantage. A home run courtesy of sophomore infielder Rachel Steffan gave Buffalo a five-run advantage which they would hold on to.

The Bulls had 10 hits and seven RBIs in the winning effort. Calloway gave up 10 hits and had three strikeouts.

UB celebrated its Senior Day on Sunday but was not able to finish the weekend off with a win.

Ball State junior pitcher Deborah Jones threw a complete game shutout while home runs from senior shortstop Amaia Daniel and senior left fielder Faith Hensley sealed the victory for the Cardinals. Buffalo had two hits and nine strikeouts at the plate.

The Bulls will return home to face St. Bonaventure (7-34) on Tuesday and Canisius (23-16) on Wednesday before hitting the road for a weekend tripleheader against Central Michigan (22-20, 13-7 MAC) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

GABRIELLA AKOPYAN STAFF WRITER

Seven-game losing streak, injury to key pitcher plague intrepid Bulls JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

One month ago, UB softball was riding high.

Backed by the strong two-way play of junior pitcher Alexis Lucyshyn, the team found itself in fourth place in the MidAmerican Conference, a favorable spot for a program looking to sneak into the four-team MAC Tournament for the first time since 2012.

But, after winning their first three MAC series, the Bulls went on a seven-game losing streak, capped off by an injury to their star pitcher and five scoreless hitting performances over a 10-game span.

Now, the once surging Bulls are fledgling. With just 12 games left, they find themselves 3.5 games back of fourthplace Ball State.

Rachel Steffan, a sophomore infielder from nearby Williamsville, chalked up her team’s recent slide to the pressure of a long season and the nature of the sport.

“As you get deeper into the season, people have pressure with school, pressure with just everything in life,” Steffan said.

“I think we have to get back to our roots and fight through it. The middle of the season gets tough, but I think we’re going to come out on top.”

There is already reason for optimism: the Bulls took two out of three games from the Cardinals, which narrowed the gap between the two teams. They are playing solid team defense. And they have already gotten their series against conference-leading Miami (OH) — a 3-0 loss — out of the way.

But the Bulls still have plenty of work to do, much of which starts at the plate.

The Bulls have just five players hitting above The Mendoza Line — Lucyshyn (.313), junior infielder Brianna Castro (.309), Steffan (.278), graduate utility player Anna Aguon (.219) and senior catcher Olivia Kincanon (.213).

The team’s .216 batting average ranks No. 273 out of 293 nationally and last in the MAC. Head coach Mike Ruechel, who in previous interviews has told The Spectrum he is willing to sacrifice walks and singles for home runs, says he is at a loss when it comes to his team’s poor performance at the plate.

“How do you figure it out?” Ruechel asked rhetorically. “I don’t know what has changed. The pitching is about the same.

The approach, everything we do is the exact [same as last year].”

Last season, UB set a program record with 64 home runs off the bats of nine different players. The team also notched a program record with 212 runs batted-in and secured a 16-22 conference record, their fourth-best of all time.

But many of the players behind that relatively successful season have unexpectedly struggled in 2022.

Aguon, in particular, has had a tough time finding her footing at the plate this season. The Vancouver, WA native was named first-team All-MAC for the third consecutive season last year after she hit .392 with 14 homers and 36 RBIs. But, through 37 games, she sits at an underwhelming .219 with three homers and 11 RBIs. She is currently tied for the UB career record for home runs — a spot she has remained in for a dozen consecutive games.

“I went from having a senior first-team all-conference [Aguon], she’s been here three years, we’re doing the exact same thing, and now she’s hitting below .200,” Ruechel, who served as UB’s hitting coach in 2018, said. “I don’t have an answer for that.”

Alexis Matheney, a senior outfielder, was named second-team All-MAC last season after starting all 53 games and posting a .311 batting average. This season, she is batting just .180 with zero homers and six RBIs.

Courtesy of UB Athletics Sophomore infielder Rachel Steffan hits the ball during a game this season.

“I don’t know what’s changed,” Ruechel emphasized.

But while much has changed from last season, the team’s strong sense of camaraderie hasn’t.

“We’re so close as a team,” Steffan said.

“Everyone loves each other. We hang out even when we’re not at practice, so I love coming to practice and seeing my teammates. That’s pretty much the vibe from everyone. I still have fun coming to practice.”

As the Bulls enter the most crucial stretch of the season — they will likely have to win as many as eight or nine of their remaining 12 games to claw their way back into contention — they say they have one goal: to compete.

But they will have to continue to do so without Lucyshyn, who was the team’s designated hitter over the weekend against Ball State. Lucyshyn suffered an injury during the Akron series that will have her sidelined as a pitcher for an undisclosed amount of time. The Bulls were swept by

the Zips last week, which put them in a major hole in the MAC postseason race.

“Your No. 1 thing is that you go out and compete,” Ruechel said. “You try to get better, and at the end of the day, you find things that you build off of. Sooner or later, that’s going to turn into a positive.”

Steffan says she believes the Akron series was the wake-up call her team needed to get back on track with 12 games remaining in the regular season.

“That was the kick in the butt we needed,” she said, referencing her team’s slide in the standings. “I think we’re just going to use what we’ve been through the past few weeks for the rest of the season.

We’re hoping to make the MAC playoffs and slide into that fourth spot. That’s the goal: to make the MAC playoffs. We’re in a spot where we can still do so, so we’re just going to keep working.”

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com