The Spectrum Vol. 70 No. 1

VOL. 70 NO. 1 | AUGUST 25, 2021

UB’s first-year head coach looks to instill his core values for the long run

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

The Buffalo Chips demonstrate what it means to win, create and belong to a community

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UBSPECTRUM

UB President Satish Tripathi talks diversity, university rankings

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Students return to campus amid rising COVID-19 cases Students will return to a “more normal” campus in the fall, but questions remain about health and safety guidelines JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

Students can expect to stand shoulderto-shoulder with their peers at football games and walk around the Academic Spine maskless this fall, but a recent surge in COVID-19 cases may leave administrators weighing additional health and safety measures this semester.

UB administrators have already been forced to grapple with the highly contagious Delta variant. In an early August policy reversal, the school announced that all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks indoors.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said in April that he had no plans to require students to be vaccinated for COVID-19, but he reversed course in response to rising infection rates. More than 27,000 students are fully vaccinated for the virus, the university announced Monday.

Erie County has experienced “substantial COVID-19 transmission” in recent weeks, according to public health experts.

Many students are divided on how to tackle this recent uptick, with some advocating for more restrictive health and safety measures and others asking for a return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

Roughly 83% of classes are being offered in person or have an in-person com-

ponent this semester, according to the Office of the Registrar, compared with 17% of classes that are being offered remotely. Students will also repopulate on-campus dorms and apartments and off-campus apartments.

“We are excited to welcome back to campus our students and our faculty and staff who have been working from home,” President Satish Tripathi said in July. “And, as we return to a much more normal campus experience, the health and safety of our university community continues to be our highest priority, and we remain ready to adjust our plans accordingly.”

Vaccinations required, with limited exemptions

AlexAnder Brown / The SpecTrum StudentS, facultY and Staff — regardleSS of vaccination StatuS — will be required to wear face maSkS inSide all campuS buildingS thiS fall.

The Food and Drug Administration granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine Monday, which will enable vaccine mandates — like the one UB announced this summer — to be implemented this fall.

University officials announced Aug. 16 that students receiving a two-dose COVID-19 series will be required to get the

first dose by the first day of classes, on Aug. 30. Those students will be required to complete their series within five weeks of the FDA’s announcement, or by Sept.

27. Students taking a one-dose vaccine have until Monday to fulfill their requirement. Students who fail to do so “will be immediately resigned from all [in-person] courses,” UB says on its website.

Students will be held financially liable if they are forced to resign courses due to

non-compliance with the university’s COVID-19 policies, UB says. Students who get vaccinated after being resigned from their fall in-person courses will be permitted to re-enroll for the spring semester.

All students are required to be fully vaccinated to attend in-person classes in the fall, with limited exemptions for medical SEE REOPENING pAGE 2

Students question if $38 million One World Café is worth it Some students say new dining center is out of touch with student demands ELIZABETH NAPOLITANO JACK PORCARI FORMER SENIOR NEWS EDITOR SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Ten years ago, UB officials envisioned a colossal, international-themed eatery located at the beating heart of North Campus’ academic spine.

In Spring 2022, their vision will become reality.

Enter the One World Café — a threestory, 53,500-square-foot dining hall boasting international fare and community dining spaces designed for upwards of 800 visitors. The eatery will be situated under Capen Hall and adjacent to the Founders Plaza courtyard, and will create a “front door” to the university, officials hope.

But improving students’ dining experiences comes at a cost — $38.7 million to be exact, according to Carrie Woodrow, director of business compliance and internal controls at UB. That’s nearly triple the project’s original projected $14 million development cost. It comes out to $48,375 per seat.

Many students feel the cost is too high for what the eatery will offer and expressed surprise that the café project still moved forward, even amid pandemic-induced cuts which included a 10% reduction to all decanal and divisional units at UB. Dining, many students said, is not as important to them as other, pressing needs, including mental health services, transportation, housing, graduate stipends and student life services, all of which students say have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Others question how much input students had in the process of creating the café, which UB insists was transparent and involved student representatives.

“The [millions] could have gone toward improving what was already here instead of basically starting from scratch,” Sarah Wack, a fourth-year combined History, BA and Masters in Education, EdM, said.

The funding for the café, she said, lacked transparency and costs too much for what students are getting.

UB, for its part, says the majority of One World Café funds were reserved for dining projects, meaning the money didn’t come out of other university initiatives. Instead, the money came from three sources: the university ($14 million), SUNY construction funds ($3.3 million) and Campus Dining and Shops, UB’s for-profit dining vendor ($20.5 million).

ChriStopher pAlMer / The SpecTrum one world café, a three-StorY, 53,500-Square-foot dining hall boaSting international fare and communitY dining SpaceS deSigned for 800 viSitorS, will open in the Spring.

Many students are also lamenting the loss of the popular campus eatery, Bert’s, and UB’s only kosher option, NY Deli & Diner. Bert’s closed to make way for One World Café and will be used as a COVID-19 surveillance testing site this semester.

The Bert’s dining hall, located across from the eponymous restaurant, used to sit 400 people, 400 fewer than One World Café. NY Deli & Diner offered unique items like knishes, matzo ball soup, falafel, Moroccan rice and corned beef and pastrami sandwiches — items that can’t be

found anywhere else on campus and won’t be served at One World Café, according to CDS Marketing and Communications Director Ray Kohl.

Kohl added that menu development for One World Café is ongoing.

The committee overseeing the dining hall’s development, however, disbanded in 2020.

One World Café will not serve kosher food, Kohl said. But, UB’s Bulls on the Run Grab ‘n Go Kosher cold food offerSEE CAFÉ pAGE 4

2 | Wednesday, August 25 2021 REOPENING FROM PAGE 1

or religious reasons. UB reported Monday that 27,140 students are fully vaccinated ahead of the fall semester, a clip that far exceeds local and national trends.

Two other COVID-19 vaccines — Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen — are currently authorized for emergency use. Students who are granted a medical or religious exemption will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon return to campus and undergo weekly surveillance testing.

Some international students may have faced hardships in obtaining a vaccine in their home countries, as some regions have yet to open up vaccines to 18-25 year olds or only offer vaccines that aren’t approved by the World Health Organization.

UB encouraged those students to complete their vaccine series in the U.S., through South Campus’ Harriman Hall vaccination site or by making an appoint-

NEWS ment at a local retail pharmacy.

“We’re very pleased with our students’ response to the vaccine requirement thus far and we anticipate the number of students who are vaccinated to continue to grow steadily leading up to the fall semester,” Vice President for Student Life Brian Hamluk said in July.

Residential students who test positive for COVID-19 or who are a close contact of someone who has tested positive will be required to isolate or quarantine in designated residence halls, the university says. These students will be provided with WiFi, remote learning resources, food and care while they are in quarantine.

Off-campus students will be advised to quarantine or isolate at their place of residence, the university says. Infected faculty and staff are also advised to stay home and quarantine.

Masks required indoors

Students, faculty and staff — regardless of vaccination status — will be required to wear face masks inside all campus buildings this fall. The list of venues includes classrooms, libraries, hallways and other common spaces.

Masks will not be required in personal rooms at residence halls, within personal offices or in non-public-facing personal workstations, according to Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs A. Scott Weber and Vice President for Health Services Michael Cain.

Vaccinated students and employees will not be required to wear face masks outdoors on campus; unvaccinated students will be. All students — regardless of vaccination status — will be required to wear masks at large outdoor gatherings, like football games.

UB’s new guidelines, announced in early August, represent a change from previous guidance stating indoor mask wearing would be optional for fully vaccinated individuals. Social distancing will not be required of vaccinated or unvaccinated individuals indoors or outdoors.

The Delta variant, or B.1.617.2, is now responsible for at least 93% of all new sequenced COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to the CDC. An internal CDC slideshow from early August, which also stated that the Delta variant is as transmissible as chickenpox and more infectious than the common cold, seasonal flu and smallpox.

That slide presentation said vaccines reduce the risk of severe

ubspectrum.com disease and death by at least 10-fold and the risk of infection by three-fold. But increasing reports of breakthrough infections have raised concern among health experts and some members of the public.

“High viral loads suggest an increased risk of transmission and raise concern that, unlike with other variants, vaccinated people infected with Delta can transmit the virus,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said. “This finding is concerning and was a pivotal discovery leading to CDC’s updated mask recommendations.”

Student life

Despite the relatively new vaccination and indoor masking policies, students will return to a “more normal” campus in the fall, according to the university.

Students won’t have to maintain physical distancing indoors or outdoors, according to the school’s health and safety guidelines.

Large outdoor events, like football games and other fall sports competitions, will be held at full capacity. UB’s two major recreation facilities, Alumni Arena and Clark Hall, will expand their hours of operation at the start of the semester.

Classes will be given from crowded lecture halls, the dorms will be bustling with new students (who, under a new policy, will be allowed to enter other residence halls and apartments) and clubs will be operating under enhanced safety guidelines.

But perhaps the biggest change from the semester before is the sheer number of students expected to be on campus in the fall. UB says more than 27,000 students have already uploaded proof of full vaccination ahead of the upcoming semester.

For the first time since March 2020, the Student Union and Academic Spine — not to mention countless other locations on the school’s three campuses — should be brimming with life as students return to the Queen City for what is sure to be an especially memorable semester.

Dan Eastman contributed to the reporting.

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

Alexander Brown / The Spectrum Students can expect to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their peers at football games this fall.

Buffalo native Kathy Hochul becomes first female governor of New York Hochul is the first governor from Western New York since 1910 DAN EASTMAN ASST. MANAGING EDITOR

Kathy Hochul, a Buffalo native and Syracuse University graduate, was sworn in as New York’s first female governor Tuesday.

Hochul served in Congress from 2011 to 2013 and as the state’s lieutenant governor from 2015 to 2021. She became governor this week after disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in the wake of sexual harassment allegations and a looming impeachment trial.

Hochul, 62, was born and raised in the Queen City. The second of six children, Hochul and her family lived in a 31-by-8

foot trailer outside the Bethlehem Steel Plant near Buffalo. Her grandparents fled poverty in Ireland, spending time in South Dakota and Chicago before settling in Buffalo.

Considered a rising star in the state’s Democratic Party, Hochul earned her bachelor’s degree from SU, where she led a boycott against the campus bookstore, petitioned to rename the football stadium after former football star and leukemia victim Ernie Davis and lobbied the university to divest from South Africa.

Hochul’s husband, William J. Hochul Jr., is a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York and was also born in Buffalo. He is an adjunct professor of corporate crisis management at the UB School of Law, according to his LinkedIn page.

Shubh Jain / The Spectrum New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to UB community members about the importance of gender equality.

Maddy Fowler / The Spectrum New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks to attendees at the grand opening of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ downtown campus.

Hochul has served as chair of the Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Abuse and Addiction and as chair of the state’s 10 regional economic development councils.

She supported a $15 minimum wage, tuition-free SUNY and CUNY schools for eligible families, paid family leave and the “Enough is Enough” sexual assault prevention program as lieutenant governor.

Hochul spoke about the importance of gender equality and representation at UB in 2019. During her speech, she shoutedout UB women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack: “She speaks beyond just her experience as a coach, she speaks about life.” Hochul also spoke at the grand opening of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ downtown campus.

“I know she could easily step into the role of governor and it’s easy to say if that did happen I know we’d have a friend in Albany,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said about Hochul prior to Cuomo’s resignation announcement.

Poloncarz previously worked with Hochul when he was the county comptroller and she was the county clerk.

Hochul has said she will run for reelection in 2022.

Email: danielson.eastman@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

OPINION

Wednesday, August 25 2021 | 3

Letter from the editor As students return to campus, so will print editions of The Spectrum

REILLY MULLEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

I didn’t have class so I spent my day in The Spectrum office, crammed into a crowded conference room with a few other editors, desperately refreshing my email while waiting for an update on COVID-19 at UB. Little did I know, that would be the last time I would step foot in The Spectrum office with the rest of our staff — until this semester, when, vaccinated and masked,

our journalists will return to 132 Student Union.

I am so excited to get back to doing what we all love, which is working tirelessly to bring you the news. And we have a ton of news to bring you.

In the last year and a half, an unprecedented number of global, national and regional stories have made their way into the public conscience.

University officials announced in June that masks wouldn’t be required indoors, but then, in response to the surging Delta variant, they changed their minds. Will the school’s health and safety guidelines remain constant throughout the semester?

Or is a more restrictive approach in store for students, faculty and staff ?

In Buffalo, India Walton shocked fourterm incumbent Byron Brown in the Democratic Primary for mayor. Will she be able to deliver a knockout blow in the general election? Or will Brown be able to secure an unequaled fifth term as a writein candidate?

Even nationally, questions abound about the future of American troops in Afghani-

stan, the political prospects of disgraced politicians Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo and the fate of the virus.

At The Spectrum, we can’t wait to delve into these issues and serve as the fourth estate.

I’m really proud of the work we did last year: we covered mental health services and the lack of mental health days, quarantine dorms and new on-campus housing policies, and students’ experiences with COVID-19 in the U.S. and abroad.

This year, as we all return to campus and once again have access to numerous reporting resources, we expect to provide the information members of the campus community need to make decisions about themselves and their neighbors.

But here’s the thing: if the last year and a half was defined by its unprecedented nature, the upcoming semester is something different: precedented.

We have been here before. We are seasoned professionals at completing our daily health checks and locating the nearest hand sanitizer dispensers on campus.

So, in a year as daunting as the last, I find

a strange comfort in knowing that at least I’ll get to return to Buffalo and stand in the Pistachio’s line again, smiling and waving at Maurice from behind my mask — maybe they’ll even keep mobile ordering as an option.

Fans will fill the stands of UB Stadium for Saturday afternoon football games again.

The Academic Spine will go back to being a place of coffee and conversation.

And the print copy of The Spectrum will return to newsstands every Wednesday of the semester. We’ll have coverage of One World Café construction and UB’s climate pledges and the new football coaching staff and the campus entertainment scene.

And, of course, we’ll be asking for your input, story ideas and feedback.

This publication can’t function without readers like you. Thank you.

Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com

My weaving road to self-love and acceptance It doesn’t happen in a day. It takes months, sometimes years, to learn and grow.

ANUSHKA SHARMA STAFF WRITER

This is not a column where I give you step-by-step instructions on how to achieve self-love and self-acceptance.

After reading various articles — from “13 Easy Ways to Practice Self-Love Every Day” to “Self Care 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Love Yourself ” — and making countless 3 a.m. vows to get my life together, I know loving myself requires more than just sifting through a BuzzFeed listicle.

The more I recite mantras like, ‘Starting today, I will fix my life,’ and ‘From this day forward, I will accept myself and my body the way they are,’ the more distanced I feel from my own self. It feels like a lie.

But why?

Why has it always been so hard to remind myself that I am not ugly, but beautiful? That no matter what other people think of me or how incapable the world sometimes makes me feel:

I. Am. Capable.

I still remember a middle school teacher telling me I couldn’t dance at my school’s function because I was “too fat and dark to put makeup on in front of all the students.”

I still recall my classmates telling me I was a failure.

I still think back to a high school teacher telling me I will never be successful in front of the whole class.

With so many people shouting my insecurities and faults, how can I start healing?

How could I be kind to myself ?

That, I’m still discovering.

Self-love and acceptance doesn’t happen overnight. It can take days, months or even years to find the courage to be kind to yourself.

I took my first step toward self-love while reading Maya Angelou’s autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

The 1969 book chronicles Angelou’s experiences with racism and trauma and how she overcame it. The book helped jump-start my own journey, giving me the courage to rise from my own metaphorical ashes.

I started pouring my heart out, using my paper and pen to create a place where I could turn my tears into words, my pain into poems and my sadness into stories.

I started wearing the clothes I liked, faking more confidence than I could muster.

I wanted to rise like Maya Angelou. She inspired me to overcome my past and heal.

I was chasing a fresh start.

This motivation manifested in my excitement to come to UB and escape the

fears that swallowed me in high school.

I made friends.

I was confident and happy.

It truly felt like I had let go of my past.

But then, I had a falling-out with my closest friend.

My friend said the most hurtful things, then left.

Every insecurity from my past flooded back, hitting me like a truck. People spoke to me more rudely, passing comments under their breath that I could never make friends because I was ugly and fat. It was like high school all over again.

I found myself, once again, in the dark place I tried to rise from, but this time it felt worse than ever before. Since these remarks came from a person who knew me personally, I was isolated from everyone when the pandemic hit, except my dark thoughts.

I hated myself. I felt like a creep with no friends.

After months of feeling frustrated with myself, I began writing again. But instead of forcing self-love, this time I wrote about the things I didn’t like about myself, trying to figure out why.

Writing made me realize I was deriving my self-worth from what people told me I was, instead of what I actually knew about myself.

To conform with societal norms, I bullied myself into thinking I was nothing but flaws. I never thought to consider who I thought I was because I let people project what they thought of me onto me, and I kept on accepting it.

With all these thoughts in my head, I beEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25, 2021 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 1 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.

Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s editorial staff can email Reilly Mullen at: eic@ubspectrum.com.

Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s professional staff or advertising team can email Alek Ogadzhanov at: aio@ubspectrum.com.

The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Opinion section of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.

For information on adverstising with The Spectrum: VISIT: www.ubspectrum.com/advertising EMAIL US: spectrum@buffalo.edu The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

Reilly Mullen

gan my journey of healing and self-acceptance… again.

I started quarantining myself from my negative thoughts. It’s easier said than done, but I tried my best and I am still trying. I started reading, journaling, exercising, doodling, baking, doing everything I can to pour myself into the things I love.

I started wearing the clothes I wanted to wear, listening to songs I like and doing my school work.

At the start of the spring semester, I finally began trying to make friends again.

I still try, even though the thought terrifies me and requires an internal pep talk or two.

It terrified me to join The Spectrum, but I did it.

There are still times when I feel stressed, anxious, ugly or less confident, but I have owned up to it and always try to make the next day better.

I try to love myself because If I won’t, then who will?

I’m still healing, and I’m still scared.

I’m not fully confident, and I still haven’t reached the nirvana of self-love and acceptance, but I’m trying.

And I’m confident that one day, I will.

“Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still, I’ll rise.”

Maya Angelou, “Still I Rise” Email: features@ubspectrum.com

SPORTS EDITORS Anthony DeCicco, Sr. Hunter Skoczylas

MANAGING EDITORS Justin Weiss Dan Eastman, Asst.

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

NEWS EDITORS ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Grant Ashley, Sr. Jack Porcari, Sr. Natalie Dollar, Asst.

Julie Frey, Asst.

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

Jenna Quinn, Sr. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paolo Blanchi, Sr.

4 | Wednesday, August 25 2021 CAFÉ FROM PAGE 1

ings, which are currently offered at Harriman Hall and Capen Café, may also be available at One World Café as “options are being explored to accommodate various nutritional needs,” Kohl said.

“We foresee our current Grab ‘n Go line of kosher offerings being available at the One World Café until a new location can be secured through the university,” Kohl said.

Chinese food, sushi, a noodle bar and dishes inspired by 11 Indian regional cuisines are all on the menu at One World Café, Woodrow said.

Existing campus eateries already serve similar internationally-inspired foods: Chinese and Indian dishes are available at C3, while sushi is served in the Student Union.

Japanese, Indian, Mediterranean and Chinese restaurants are all located in the Commons, as well.

Galia Wechsler, a junior history major who keeps kosher, says the One World Café’s planned offerings aren’t diverse or inclusive enough to warrant UB’s $38 million investment. Instead of making her feel welcome, the new café alienates her from her peers, she says.

“I think UB is responsible for making sure all the dietary needs and restrictions of students can be met one way or another and therefore needs to find some way to fit kosher dining into their grand plans of One World Café,” Wechsler said. “There are students at UB who came here knowing there would be kosher food for them to eat and that was taken away from them.

Especially as a flagship campus of the SUNY system, New York is a state with a large Jewish population and a big factor for Jewish students picking a college is accessibility and Jewish life, which, for many, includes kosher dining. Not attempting to accommodate these students is unwelcoming and inconsiderate.”

UB does not keep track of the number of students who keep kosher.

Sam Leifer, a junior business administration major, says UB’s current Grab ‘n Go Kosher meals are “just not the same” as “getting shawarma at the deli on Thursdays.” He says he isn’t aware of any UB efforts to involve Jewish students in the future of kosher dining at UB, but believes UB should have “absolutely made more of an effort to expand kosher options” after

NEWS closing Bert’s.

The One World Café’s menu also doesn’t include halal offerings.

Kohl says the culinary team behind UB’s dining options is still “looking at other Halal proteins and expanding locations where they can be purchased.”

Halal chicken is currently offered at Guac & Roll and The Bowl in the Ellicott Food Court, Harriman Café, Bravo Pasta at Pistachios in the Student Union and in select entrées Grab ‘n Go microwavable entrées sold around campus, he says.

But Leifer says UB’s culinary team must plan to expand existing menu options for students of all religious backgrounds as the university’s student body becomes increasingly diverse.

“UB’s website boasts that UB ‘has one of the most diverse communities in the United States,’ so they should be more accommodating to religious dietary options,” Leifer said.

“As far as engaging more students with different backgrounds [is concerned], I would say the best way [for UB] to find out what’s best would be by reaching out to the different religious groups on campus and asking how they feel about [the current food offerings]. Personally, I had not been reached out to about Jewish students’ dining hall options, but I don’t know if other Jewish students have been.”

Students think more funds should be used for mental health services

Above all else, students are wondering why UB has increased funding for One World Café, but will not use university funds to hire more on-campus counselors.

Currently, counseling sessions at UB’s counseling centers are in high demand, and students are limited to 10 counseling sessions per academic year.

“I think students here have been asking for a long time for more counseling sessions [per year], and they keep dismissing it or telling us to go to meditation or antianxiety sessions instead, which they don’t realize are very different from [being able to access professional help],” Jenna Quinn, a sophomore psychology and criminology major and Spectrum social media editor, said.

“Spending the money on things that make the school look better or fancier on paper and ignoring what students are ask-

ing for shows how little they care,” Quinn continued. “[It’s either] that, or they’re just being irresponsible.”

From 2011 to 2020, construction costs for the One World Café nearly doubled from $14 million to $27 million. In 2021, total budget figures, including design fees, construction manager and contractor costs, and furniture, fixtures and equipment costs were solidified, tacking on another $10 million to the project’s projected costs.

In November, UB President Satish Tripathi warned the campus of UB’s dire financial health and warned the university would feel a “financial strain for the foreseeable future.” UB’s projected state revenue shortfalls were assessed at $13.3 billion for 2021 and $61 billion for 2024 due to the pandemic. Tripathi hoped to mitigate the shortfall by imposing a 10% budget cut on each of UB’s 12 decanal units.

One World Café construction continued amid the announced cuts. It stopped from April to May of last year, because of a state-ordered pause due to the pandemic.

Woodrow defended the café’s budget plan, insisting the project’s costs had not ballooned or been unexpectedly high.

Budget adjustments, such as the 200% increase in the One World Cafe’s projected cost and funding, are “typical for projects of [the One World Café’s] scope and complexity,” she said.

“The 2011 number was projected prior to the design and planning process but as part of planning for the Heart of the Campus,” Woodrow said. “Once these phases were complete for OWC, the budget was adjusted to ensure that the project would meet the project team’s goal.”

The Heart of the Campus is a UB 2020 initiative that seeks to enhance the “learning landscape” in the academic spine. One World Café is the third phase of this initiative, after 2016 renovations to the Oscar A. Silverman Library and the 2017 completion of 1Capen.

Café costs

When the project is completed, the One World Café will have required around $14 million in university funds, and over $3.3 million in SUNY construction funds.

The Faculty Student Association (FSA), a non-profit organization which encompasses UB’s for-profit dining vendor, CDS, will foot the remainder of the bill

Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum Café construction stopped from April to May of last year, because of a state-ordered pause due to the pandemic.

ubspectrum.com — $20.5 million — with funds designated for the project and raised through student dining, concessions and vending machine sales. In 2019, FSA made $47,338,511 in total revenue and netted $6,449,476 in profits, according to the organization’s IRS 990 form for that year. Woodrow says “a majority” of the café’s sticker price will come from funds reserved specifically for the project.

“A majority of the funding for One World Café is designated for this project only,” Woodrow said. “That means these designated funds can only be used for the purpose of upgrading or building new dining facilities, including design work, the bidding process and construction management for this project.”

The Spectrum asked for a breakdown of UB’s funding sources and an explanation of how the university stored and allocated those funds for different projects across campus.

“The university receives income from all the sources you’ve listed below (tuition, grants, donations, etc.),” Woodrow wrote. “However, once received, money isn’t necessarily spent out of those same buckets, unless specified from the source (like grants or donations). Therefore, when I say ‘university funds’ it would be any funds held by the university that are not earmarked for another use.”

During the One World Café’s development period, FSA’s net assets increased 470.706% — from $7,510,019 in 2011 to $42,860,148 in 2019.

One World Café is slated to open in spring 2022, officials say. The project includes a nearly $1.2 million “University Club,” which is designed in large part as a hang-out space for administrators.

The University Club will feature a bar, a kitchen, big-screen viewing facilities and two conference rooms, according to design sketches from Cannon Design. The space will cost $1.84 million in university funds, including $784,000 for the club’s fit-out and $400,000 for furniture and equipment.

Woodrow says the University Club will provide “much-needed space” for UB faculty and staff.

“The University Club at UB will be designed to provide much-needed space for faculty and staff to host meetings, conferences and cater special events in addition to providing food service during the

NEWS

ubspectrum.com week,” she said.

The club “may” also provide event space for SA clubs on a reservation basis, she said.

Woodrow says the concept is “common among colleges and universities.” Schools like Arizona State University boast university clubs that are open to “current and retired faculty, staff, alumni, community and corporate sponsors.”

Andrea Lim, a 2021 graduate who studied communication, doesn’t see why UB and FSA would be compelled to invest “so much money” into a dining hall that’s “so fancy,” except to improve the school’s image and attract new students.

One World Café’s total cost roughly equals the combined projected costs of replacing the fire alarm systems around North Campus ($24.625 million), renewing UB’s electrical infrastructure ($5.772 million) and rehabilitating roadways and sidewalks across North and South Campus ($10.222 million), according to the 2020 State University of New York Summary of Budgetary Changes Capital Program Plan.

“I don’t see why a campus dining hall has to be so fancy,” Lim said. “I would say the café really is to build a better image for the school but is not at all beneficial to students.”

But administrators argue that One World Café will meet rising dining demands fueled by UB’s steadily increasing enrollment numbers by offering 160 more seats for students to study, socialize and dine.

UB recorded record-high enrollment numbers in the fall, with 32,347 students, according to the university’s factbook.

“It will meet the need for expanded dining facilities among UB’s campus population, while also serving as a center for students, faculty and staff to meet and socialize in a multicultural environment,” Woodrow said.

Lim disagrees with the assumption that more students would result in increased demand for on-campus dining. Many students, like herself and her neighbors at UB’s on-campus apartments for upperclassmen, prefer to eat food from off-campus eateries or prepare their own food at home once they’ve exhausted their freshman-year meal plans and graduated to the fully-equipped kitchens of UB’s apartments, she says.

“I am currently living at Flint [Village]

Wednesday, August 25 2021 | 5

Christopher Yang / The Spectrum The NY Deli & Diner, located in the basement of Talbert Hall, was UB’s only kosher option.

and I see my neighbors ordering DoorDash and Uber Eats almost everyday instead of eating on campus,” Lim said last semester. “I also eat out with my friends on most days because we almost never want to eat on campus.”

Student involvement in One World Café development

Quinn, who expressed concern about the university’s counseling services, says she believes administrators’ decision to green-light the café was not informed by student opinions.

She says she feels UB officials may have intentionally under-surveyed students about the café for fear that collecting a

Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum UB officials hope One World Café will serve as a “front door” to the university.

wider range of student opinions about the new project would uncover, or awaken, student opposition to the café’s construction.

“I think UB wants to get student opinions but for some reason, whether they think it will cast a negative light on the school or lower its reputation, they aren’t actively searching for them,” Quinn said.

“UB communicates daily to its students through email, social media and even texting with daily health checks/emergency alerts. They’re in constant contact with the student body and could have used any one of those platforms to gather opinions on [One World Café] and which other services should get more money instead.”

FSA’s 18 members, six of whom are students, were heavily involved in One World Café decision making, according to Woodrow.

UB also engaged with students outside of that realm — particularly with student government leaders — at several stages of the café’s planning and design processes, Woodrow said.

“Many UB students have helped shape this project, each contributing in different and important ways. To help guide its formal design process, UB and CannonDesign engaged the UB community, soliciting input on various aspects of the design and food service dimensions of the project,” Woodrow said. “We wanted to be sure that we had the benefit of a broad sampling of ideas and suggestions to help fashion the best possible design that meets the needs, and best serves, the diverse university community.”

In October 2017, students were invited to attend a series of focus groups, during which they viewed renderings of the One World Café, and talked to CannonDesign

project members.

Students also sampled some potential dining options: chopped Thai salad with sesame garlic dressing, chicken Biryani with naan and open-faced carnitas with Arbol sauce.

The single-day event was advertised through the “Student Association as well as flyers on campus.”

The event attracted 1,286 participants, which represented 4.2% of UB’s student body in 2017.

Over 600 participants, or 2% of UB students, completed a food preference survey.

The university strived to obtain a “broad sampling of ideas and suggestions” to develop plans that will best serve the campus community, Woodrow said.

UB also formed a committee to helm the project and guide design developments from 2017 to 2020. The committee, which only existed during those three years and is now inactive, counted UB’s then-SA and Graduate SA presidents among its members. “[2017-2020] was the most critical time for student input,” Woodrow said. “The SA president and the GSA president, at that time, were members of the steering committee, as well as the communications sub-committee. SA’s International Council Coordinator was also a member of the steering committee. It was critical that they were involved, asking questions and providing input on behalf of the undergraduate and graduate student body.”

Quinn says One World Café’s final design could have better reflected “diverse student interests” had the university solicited opinions from students who are not involved with the Student Association.

SA leaders, she says, already have a platform by which they can elevate their voices and effect change on campus. Most UB students, however, do not.

“I think UB wants to get student opinions but for some reason, either if they think it will cast a negative light on the school or lower its reputation, they aren’t actively searching for them,” Quinn said.

“I think UB students have had strong opinions to better the school for a while, but unless you’re deeply involved with RHA, Student Government, or are a part of paraprofessional employment, which are insanely selective/limited given the size of the student body, your voice won’t be heard as much. They don’t try as hard to get the opinions of regular students.”

Email: elizabeth.napolitano@ubspectrum.com Email: jack.porcari@ubspectrum.com

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‘Reaching new heights’: The Buffalo Chips set a standard for a cappella excellence The all-male music group demonstrates what it means to win, create and belong to a community KARA ANDERSON ASST. ARTS EDITOR

A series of groans fills the Zoom call as Clayton Markham mentions the film “Pitch Perfect” in an interview with The Spectrum.

Markham, a senior environmental engineering major and assistant business manager for The Buffalo Chips, UB’s all-male a cappella group, is joined by four of his fellow Chips on a Thursday in April.

To the regular person, “Pitch Perfect” invokes images of the 2012 blockbuster movie starring Anna Kendrick, but for members of The Buffalo Chips, it’s a source of good-natured contention.

After all, their a cappella group cannot be reduced to just a nine-year-old pop culture reference.

The Buffalo Chips formed as an a cappella group 26 years ago under the name “Cadence” after members of the UB

the standard for all future generations of Chips to come,” John Bologna, a senior music theatre major and the group’s music director, said.

In April, the group won first place in the 2021 ICCA Central semifinals and earned awards for best arrangement, solo, vocal percussion and videography.

The competition is typically held across various college campuses, with groups preparing a 12-minute set of songs to perform live on stage. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the competition was modified so groups submitted music videos instead.

This was the first time many of the group’s members have worked with such a medium, and while other groups created a single video to submit for the various levels of competition, the Buffalo Chips made individual submissions for both the quarterfinal and the semifinal rounds over the span of just eight weeks.

“The amount of work that goes into something when you care about it is so much,” Bologna said. “You’re ready to drop everything, every ounce of yourself

Courtesy of The Buffalo Chips In 2021, the 16-member group has earned praise from past Buffalo Chips members for “reaching new heights and raising the standard for all future generations of Chips to come.”

Choir wanted a musical activity that “was more fun, and not necessarily as organized or classicalist as choir,” Adam Rakiecki, a senior mechanical engineering major and the group’s PR manager, said.

Two years after its conception, “Cadence” rebranded as The Buffalo Chips, and since then, the group’s hundreds of members have performed at the Katharine Cornell Theater, competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and, most recently, released an Extended Play.

Now, in 2021, the 16-member group has been praised by past Buffalo Chips members for “reaching new heights and raising

into making it as perfect as it can be.”

The group’s dedication to perfection is evident in each members’ work ethic.

Despite the unfamiliar terrain, each member put in hours of work each day, from shooting the actual music videos to recording their parts in Bologna’s bedroom closet, which was yet another constraint brought on by COVID-19.

As a result of this dedication, the quarterfinal and semifinal music videos were born.

While the quarterfinal submission, “As the Romans Do” (opb. Theo Katzman), honored the Buffalo Chips’ alumni and history, the semifinal submission, “The

Courtesy of The Buffalo Chips Beyond titles and productions, the group says it’s succeeding in creating community, with members seeing themselves as a tight-knit brotherhood.

Chain” (opb. Fleetwood Mac), told a different story.

“I wanted to take a bit more of a dark and spooky route,” Bologna said. “I really wanted to hone in on that real emotional anger that is behind the words that are being sung.”

The semifinal music video capitalized off this intense atmosphere, as it took inspiration from “The Purge,” with Bologna trying to outrun a group of masked people.

However, the video is more than just a horror-inspired take.

“The Chain” represented Fleetwood Mac’s resilience, despite its members’ various personal and professional difficulties.

The Chips’ music video also served to represent a sort of resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Mental health has been an issue for a lot of people during the pandemic,” Markham said. “So, I thought it could potentially be the link to the chain that we needed… Watching the video [Bologna] is struggling with his inner demons and we [the masked people] are his inner demons.”

The heavy material of the music video has only brought greater excitement to the Chips.

“To have such an amazing product in such little time is really energizing for the entire group,” Eric DeVore, a junior media studies major and the group’s business manager, said.

Not only did the Chips enjoy success at the ICCA, but they were able to release an EP titled “Polarized,” available for streaming on all major platforms, after raising around $2,000 in funds through GoFundMe.

The EP features the songs the group had planned to perform at the 2020 ICCA, prior to its cancellation.

“We created the album to immortalize our work and to avenge our loss,” Markham said.

The group has achieved more than just material success in the past year.

Beyond titles and productions, the group says it’s succeeding in creating community, with members seeing themselves as a tight knit brotherhood.

“I have made friends for life,” Matt Pestinger, a 2021 graduate who studied civil engineering, said as he teared up.

“Some are younger than me, [some are] older than me, [all are] from all over the country.”

The Chips’ close nature has been fostered by hours-long practices, living and traveling across the U.S. together, attending football games as a group and learning each other’s passions.

Returning members are already thinking of the future, in particular the fall 2021 semester.

“We’re really gearing up for something big,” DeVore said. “Something super exciting as more of a ‘welcome back.’”

The group remains hopeful to return to in-person performances and maintain the momentum they have built in the last year.

But as always, they are most excited simply to work together and create something they are passionate about.

“That’s really what music is all about,” Bologna said. “It’s coming together with people that you love and making something that you are incredibly proud of.”

Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com

UB to hold in-person commencement for Class of 2020 Festivities will take place over Homecoming Weekend, on Oct. 1 JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

Homecoming Weekend will look a little different this fall.

In addition to traditional staples like UB’s Saturday football game against Western Michigan, the university will host the Class of 2020 for an in-person commencement celebration on Friday, Oct. 1.

These festivities, which were initially pushed online last May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will potentially bring thousands of students, along with their friends and families, to campus. UB is holding two ceremonies — the first, at 10 a.m., will be for undergraduates, while the second, at 2 p.m., will be for graduate students — inside Alumni Arena.

Students will walk the stage in their full regalia and will be allotted two tickets each.

“As we celebrate our university’s 175th anniversary, I am delighted to welcome our 2020 graduates back to campus to recognize their significant academic milestone,” UB President Satish Tripathi said in a news release.

Tripathi will deliver the welcome and opening remarks along with A. Scott Weber, provost and executive dean for academic affairs. The ceremonies will not be

school-specific, so deans from every UB department will deliver brief remarks before graduates cross the stage.

The celebration will follow UB’s COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, the university said in a UBNow story. Masks will be required for all attendees — regardless of vaccination status. Both programs will also be livestreamed for people who are unable to attend in person.

“Now that it is feasible, we hope as many graduates as possible can join us for

this eventful celebration,” Tripathi said.

The announcement came as COVID-19 cases spike nationwide and public health officials sound the alarm over the Delta variant, which an internal CDC report found is as contagious as chickenpox and can be spread among vaccinated people at higher rates than previously thought.

UB said that roughly 27,140 students have reported receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, as of Monday.

UB held virtual commencement cer-

Courtesy of Meredith Forrest Kulwicki | University Communications Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks to students at UB’s 2017 Commencement Ceremony.

emonies for the Class of 2020 last May. In a pre-recorded commencement welcome video, Tripathi said that “although we have never celebrated our graduates in this manner before, the essence of UB’s commencement tradition remains fundamentally unchanged.”

But not all students were satisfied.

More than 3,500 students signed a Change.org petition last year advocating for an in-person commencement. The petition’s founder, Matthew Helou, wrote that “we do not need commencement in May [2020] and we do not deserve or need commencement online or ‘virtually.’”

Last spring, Tripathi announced UB would hold in-person commencement ceremonies when it was safe to do so. The university remained largely silent about the Class of 2020’s big day until July 30.

Homecoming Weekend will take place this year from Oct. 1-3. The university says on its website that more information on activities and schedules will be released in September.

“History will always remember the Class of 2020 for graduating at the height of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic,” Tripathi said. “For our part, UB will remember this historic class for demonstrating exceptional innovation, resilience and adaptability during exceptionally trying times.”

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

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UB President Satish Tripathi talks diversity, university rankings REILLY MULLEN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When COVID-19 hit Buffalo, UB President Satish Tripathi saw an opportunity to listen to music, read non-fiction books and catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Tripathi, who recently completed his 10th year as the first international-born president in UB’s history, has been busy navigating the pandemic and addressing social justice issues.

The Spectrum sat down with Tripathi for about 30 minutes in late May to discuss UB’s COVID-19 protocols, its commitment to diversifying its faculty and the UB Foundation’s plans to divest from companies that derive revenues from fossil fuels.

asked the faculty members to really think about it and give accommodation for what students are going through.”

Tripathi on UB’s fluctuation in global university ranking lists: “There are probably eight or 10 major rankings, and every year there will be some change, [UB will go] up and down [in ranking].

“But what you have to look at in any rankings really is: are we moving in the right direction, in the long term, not yearly fluctuation? What you need to think about is, in five years, where will we be and where are we right now? Then you have to look at, ranking the [different] rankings and sort of combine these rankings and

nority faculty on the campus. I promote them. Recruit, retain, promote, mentor. So they really stay at the campus. And the second one that came is improving recruiting [and] retention of graduation rates for underrepresented minority students. Three or four years ago, we were one of the top three institutions in the country that had closed the gap in the graduation rates for [between] minorities and the rest of the population here.

“They also came up with the recommendation that [through] the UB Curriculum, through the lens of inclusive pedagogy, we need to really look at whether our curriculum has some of those [recruiting and retaining] elements or not. And then really thinking about the community and how

a fantastic job, and they will be looking at how we work on it.”

Tripathi on the UB Foundation divesting from fossil fuels: “The new foundation has been working on it [divesting from fossil fuels] for a while. And UB, itself, is on a path to neutrality by 2030. And UB recognizes our effort and embraces our values. But it’s a separate foundation and is not part of UB. And so it is very important, though, that we make investment decisions aligned with the UBF’s vision on the ‘fossil free future.’

“So that’s why they [UBF] have committed to further reducing their remaining fossil fuel exposure [investments]. Some

Shubh Jain / The Spectrum The Spectrum sat down with UB President Satish Tripathi in late May to discuss mental health days, college rankings and hiring practices.

The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity: Tripathi on the absence of mental health days during the spring 2021 semester: “We really know how hard this year and particularly this semester has been on our students. Our students had so many challenges in pursuing their degree requirements while navigating the pandemic.

And we had to start the semester a little bit later. And, unfortunately, we could not embed a spring break or wellness day into our academic year.

“But we heard from our students, we really empathize with the tremendous strain that you are experiencing. We understand that. And this is why, program by program, our faculty made adjustments to the syllabi to help alleviate the stress for our students, and give a much-needed break.

“I know, personally, that this year caused our students so much stress. I’m proud of our students for persevering. And I recognize that you did so under incredibly trying circumstances. Provost [A. Scott Weber] and I walk around the campus every day with our masks on. And we meet the students and talk to them. Everyone is really under pressure, doing their studies.

“But just [after] starting a little late, there was no time [to insert reading days] so we

see if we’re moving in the right direction, whether we like the ranking or not. But parents and students look at those rankings, most of them look at the U.S. News and World Report ranking. Whereas these other rankings are more global rankings.

And they’re really still learning, some parameters are changing every year.

“So I’m not concerned about one year’s ranking of any kind, and nobody should be concerned. In fact, if you look at the major rankings in the last 10 years, we have gained a lot in the rankings. And that’s why I have been talking about how we should be a top-25 public research university because I think we are moving in that direction, and we’re only a few points behind, although those points are much harder to gain. I don’t think we should be worried about one ranking one year.”

Tripathi on UB’s commitment to hiring diverse professors: “As you know, social justice is one of our core missions as a public research university. And the events during the last year and a half have amplified [that mission].

“So last summer, I convened a President’s Advisory Council on ways to explore how we can become more equitable in our programs, activities, traditions, just holistically. And some of the recommendations that came [have been] how do we recruit [and] retain underrepresented mi-

we relate to the community here in Buffalo. Provost Weber has really taken the lead on that and his goal is to double the underrepresented minority faculty. And he’s working with the deans.

“Let me stress: the question is not only one of hiring more underrepresented minority faculty. It is really the retention of that faculty. I think we have hired well, but we haven’t been able to retain as well and that’s really one of the major priorities and we’re working on that. And we are also working on the issue of PhD programs, our professional programs, are we getting enough students of color in those programs? The medical school, for example, has done a fantastic job in the last few years. If you want to take the best practices, and think about the rest of the campus.

“Finally, to achieve some of these goals, in February of this year, I purposefully designated a 10-year, $10 million gift to help realize our values of equity, diversity and inclusion. We’re really concentrating on retaining professors with our chairs, with scholarship money. And I’m getting more money; actually, we had $2 million put into a, sort of, challenge grant. And I think we’ll be doing some of that more. So this is really a priority for us. And we are going to be monitoring our success with data to see how we proceed on that. The committee did a fantastic job. The President’s Advisory Council on Race has done

of the exposure [investments] take time to get out of, based on the type of investment. And if you follow this, nationwide, it takes a little bit of time, you can’t just immediately get out of certain kinds of investments. And we also want to think about investing in strategies that integrate environmental and social [practices] as people call the ESG [Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance] right consideration that actually is a lot broader and really hard moving in that direction.

“In this kind of process, UBF has undertaken a very rigorous process to carefully consider ESG elements in the investment decisions as well. So it’s really that they have been planning for it for a while and they are at a stage where they have actually gotten out of some [investments] and hopefully in the next five to seven years they will be out of it [completely].

But there are some investments that are long term. And if you take the money out, you are penalized a heavy amount. And since the Foundation really is managing somebody else’s money, people who gave them money for a certain purpose, you have a responsibility to properly invest and then support the student scholarship and faculty, chairships and investment that the donor has intended to make.”

Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com

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‘That bitter taste is still not out of their mouths yet’ Women’s soccer hasn’t forgotten about the typo that kept them out of the MAC championship game HUNTER SKOCZYLAS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Women’s soccer finished the 2020-21 season on a six-game winning streak and with the best winning percentage in program history.

But the club’s 6-1-1 record wasn’t enough to earn them a MAC East title or a MAC Championship Game bid, thanks to COVID-19 related cancellations and a simple misprint in the conference rulebook.

That sting is still fresh on the returning players’ minds, and is being used as motivation this season, which began with a 4-0 loss last Thursday to West Virginia and a 6-2 win on Sunday over Niagara.

“We really felt that we deserved a chance to compete for the MAC Championship last year,” team captain Marcy Barberic told The Spectrum in an interview prior to the season. “And not being able to compete really hurt us. But we’re going to use it as motivation and as fuel to the fire and to come out and win as many games as we can.”

Entering his eighth season at the helm of the team, head coach Shawn Burke hopes his club takes the lessons they learned last season and continues to appreciate the opportunity they have to to compete during the pandemic.

“We’ve all just lived 18 months through a pandemic and had so much taken away from us,” Burke said. “And I want them to just enjoy the fact that we’re almost back to normal and enjoy every moment of playing and competing for a shot at a championship. I think that’s the focal point for us this season. I’d be lying if I said they still didn’t have that bitter taste in their mouths about how it all went down, though.”

The women’s club played in front of empty stadiums all season because of the pandemic. Fans are a key component to

both collegiate and professional sports, but due to COVID-19, they were largely absent from competitions for much of 2020.

The families and friends of the studentathletes will be in the stands again this season, something the women’s team says it is grateful for.

“Having fans is such a game changer for us,” co-captain Gianna Yurchak said. “Being able to play in front of the Western New York community and especially with how many locals we have on our team is amazing and really makes the game just that much different and worthwhile.”

Barberic, a Buffalo native, couldn’t bear the thought of not having her family

scream her name during home games.

“Every home game, my parents were always there and not seeing them during last season really made me sad,” Barberic said.

“But the fact that they’ll be able to come and support me and the rest of the team just adds to the excitement for the season to start.”

The team will revert to a non-conference schedule, which means stiffer competition in the form of teams like West Virginia, Yale and UConn. Playing these major opponents not only makes the Bulls better and more prepared, but allows room for growth and confidence leading into MAC play.

“We are excited to play those teams,”

Alexis Heng / The Spectrum UB midfielder Marcy Barberic (11) defends the ball from Akron during the 2019 MAC Quarterfinals.

Yurchak said. “We prepare for it just like any other game. Having that outside competition is nice early on to get us prepared for the games that matter most. Being able to hang with those types of teams will be a major confidence boost and hopefully, we can walk away with a few wins.”

The team has a remarkable 22 returning players this season — a tremendous veteran presence for a battle-tested squad.

Burke says he expects the team’s experience and continuity to be some of their strongest attributes this season.

“It really speeds up the process of getting the newcomers accustomed to the system and now we operate,” Burke said.

“Consistency is the biggest thing here.

Last spring, they just kept handling what was thrown at them and being professional about it. Everyone on this team has this hard-working attitude in the way they approach the game, and that’s how we’re going to see positive results early on.”

Barberic, who was named second-team All-American in 2020, says she looks forward to helping the new athletes acclimate this season.

“Our experience is what we’ll be using to our advantage entering the season,” Barberic said. “Nearly everyone knows the system and it won’t be hard to teach the new athletes the ways and how we approach each game. Once they’re ready, we will all be in sync.”

A typical season concludes in late October or early November; the 2020 campaign finished in April, because of the pandemic. Despite the short offseason, the team insists it is eager for the season.

“It’s more exciting than anything,” Yurchak said. “We haven’t been apart for that long at all and to be able to play a season again and keep that momentum and chemistry going is what really matters.”

UB will take on the Yale Bulldogs in New Haven, CT Friday, before traveling to Binghamton and Canisius.

Email: hunter.skoczylas@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @HunterSkoczylas

Felisha Legette-Jack, Jim Whitesell receive contract extensions UB locks up men’s and women’s basketball coaches through 2025 JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

UB has announced that men’s basketball coach Jim Whitesell and women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack have received contract extensions that could keep them in the Queen City through the 2025 season.

Whitesell, 61, is entering his third season as head coach and seventh season on the team’s staff. After a rocky first season at the helm, he guided his team to a 16-9 record and a MAC Championship Game appearance in 2020-21.

Legette-Jack, 54, is entering her tenth season as head coach, after amassing a 177-107 record at Buffalo. The winningest coach in program history, Legette-Jack guided the Bulls to a 15-9 record and a MAC quarterfinal appearance in 2020-21.

Three of Whitesell’s players — senior forward Josh Mballa, senior forward Jeenathan Williams and graduated guard Jayvon

Graves — received second-team All-MAC honors for their performances. The Bulls received a bid to play in the National Invitational Tournament, which they exited after a first-round loss to Colorado State.

“We are excited about the future of our men’s basketball program under Jim Whitesell’s leadership,” UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt said. “I am pleased with the trajectory of the program and I look forward to working with Jim for many years to come.”

Sophomore guard Dyaisha Fair ranked sixth in the nation in scoring and was named first team All-MAC, while freshman guard Cheyenne McEvans was added to the All-MAC Freshman team under Legette-Jack’s guidance.

“We believe in Coach Jack and the future is very bright for our UB women’s basketball program,” Alnutt said. “This extension represents the stability and commitment needed to execute the long-term vision that Felisha and I share.”

Whitesell was the head coach of Division I Loyola University Chicago in the mid-2000s, before becoming an assistant

Vindhya Burugupalli / The Spectrum The winningest coach in program history, Felisha Legette-Jack guided the Bulls to a 15-9 record and a MAC semifinal appearance in 2020-21.

at Saint Louis and later, St. John’s. He has a career 145-127 record as head coach at the D1 level. He was the associate head coach under Nate Oats at UB from 2015 to 2019, before being named head coach following Oats’ departure for the University of Alabama.

“I am extremely grateful for the support and the confidence in me shown by Mark Alnutt and Dr. [Satish] Tripathi,” Whitesell said, referring to UB’s president. “We have a fantastic group of young men and I am honored to work with them each day.

We have an outstanding group that has the chance to do something special and we can’t wait for the fans and student body to be back in the stands at Alumni Arena cheering us on. Finally, I’d like to thank my staff whose dedication and hard work has been paramount.”

Legette-Jack was a decorated athlete at Syracuse University, before joining the coaching ranks. She served as Hofstra’s head coach from 2002-06 and Indiana’s head coach from 2006-12 before taking the Buffalo job.

In less than a decade, she has led the

Bulls to three NCAA Tournament appearances — including a 29-6 record and a Sweet Sixteen bid in 2017-18. She also helped guide Cierra Dillard to MAC Tournament MVP honors and a second-round selection in the 2019 WNBA Draft.

“I am excited about this opportunity that our administration has given to me to continue to build upon our successes both on and off the court,” Legette-Jack said.

“To have longevity is very important when it comes to recruiting the next level of future Bulls and we are excited to grow this program to newfound heights.”

Whitesell is currently signed to a fiveyear contract that earns him $300,000 in base salary and $100,000 in additional compensation. Legette-Jack has a base salary of $270,000 and additional compensation of $75,000, under her current contract.

The men’s team will face Michigan on Nov. 10 and partake in the Cancún Challenge from Nov. 20-24. The full men’s and women’s 2021-22 schedules will likely be released in the coming weeks.

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

Alexander Brown / The Spectrum Jim Whitesell is entering his third year at the helm of the team, following five seasons as an assistant coach under Nate Oats.

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Maurice Linguist leads a new era of UB football UB’s first-year head coach looks to instill his core values for the long run ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Maurice Linguist can’t point to the exact moment he realized the UB football head coaching job was his for the taking.

But in the wake of Lance Leipold’s departure for the University of Kansas in late April, Linguist quickly understood that things were meant to be.

The 37-year-old Michigan co-defensive coordinator met with UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt multiple times during the interview process and felt a growing sense of trust with not only Alnutt, but also the Bulls program.

“It was almost like a rising tide or like a tide coming in, all the momentum was going in that direction,” Linguist told The Spectrum in an interview last week. “At no point did I ever say no, the process continued to be like, ‘Yeah, this is right, I know this is right.’”

That tide reached its crest when Linguist agreed to become UB’s 26th head football coach on May 7.

Linguist’s hire is a homecoming of sorts, as the Dallas native coached UB’s defensive backs from 2012 -13 and helped UB reach the 2013 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against San Diego State.

Linguist’s return to the Queen City gave him ample reason to reminisce about his first stint at UB, when he coached a roster composed of big names like linebacker Khalil Mack, running back Branden Oliver and current Bulls offensive analyst and former quarterback Joe Licata.

“It was a great mix of emotion because I have so many great memories from being here back in 2012 and ‘13,” Linguist said.

“I have such great memories with those guys, and coming back, it’s like you relive some of those memories.”

While it was a jovial return for the eager first-time head coach, Linguist couldn’t reflect for too long.

Hired just 118 days before UB’s season opener against Wagner on Sept. 2, Linguist was faced with the daunting tasks of assembling a staff, solidifying future recruiting classes, evaluating his current roster and attempting to convince the 14 Bulls who entered the transfer portal following Leipold’s departure to return to Buffalo.

Linguist was successful in hiring a staff;

new coordinators Shane Montgomery, Joe Cauthen and Chris White have all coached at the Division I-FBS level. He has also snagged the 95th-ranked recruiting class for 2022, UB’s top national ranking since the 2006 season.

But he was less successful on the transfer front, losing a half-dozen players — including first-team All-MAC center Mike Novitsky and third-team All-MAC defensive tackle Eddie Wilson — to Kansas and another couple of players to other major programs.

This is a situation that isn’t very common because it’s much later than the normal hiring season, but we’re gonna take that and roll with it,” senior quarterback Kyle Vantrease said. “They [the coaching staff] put together a great plan for us to learn a new system, to learn the new culture, to build relationships and bonds and just get to know each other, whether it was our coaches or any other new players that we’ve gotten.”

While most teams have a strong understanding of their personnel and depth

Alexander Brown / The Spectrum Senior running back Kevin Marks (41) rushes for a touchdown in a 2020 game against Akron.

“We’re truly looking to do something that’s really never been done in the history of major college sports,” Linguist said. “Just because of the timing of things.

There’s nothing that can all be done at once, but you have to really be efficient with your time and hire the right people.

People that you trust and people that you feel like can go out there and get the job done at a high level. Everybody’s got to collectively do their part.”

With an almost entirely new coaching staff and just eight days to go before their season opener against Wagner at UB Stadium, the Bulls find themselves in uncharted territory for a team in late August.

After arguably the greatest season in program history, one that saw UB finish with a 6-1 record, notch a Camellia Bowl win and make the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time ever, the Bulls are now in a transition period.

“There’s definitely a sense of urgency.

chart, Linguist and his staff say they are in full evaluation mode.

The current staff is looking to install a new system, but before they can do that, they need to see how the players will fit and what adjustments must be made.

“There’s probably a little bit more of a new implementation of offense, defense and special teams, but we’re certainly not unaware of the successes that have been in place already,” Linguist said. “The difference for us is that we still have to evaluate our roster in terms of what they can do on the football field. Watching film is one thing, in-person evaluation is another.

We’re going to definitely put the guys in a position where we feel like it’s going to utilize their strengths and hide their weaknesses.”

Linguist, who is regarded as an expert communicator and one of the best recruiters in the country, has made a positive first impression on many of his players. As UB

begins its second full week of preseason practices, Linguist’s identity and leadership skills have become evident.

With an emphasis on building relationships and strong communication, Linguist is a voice that is young enough to relate to his players yet wise enough to connect with the oldest member on the staff, the players interviewed by The Spectrum said.

“He’s a player’s coach,” Vantrease said.

“He listens to us, he understands where we are because he’s been there himself.

These last three months we built such a great, close-knit bond between everybody in the program: players, coaches, support staff, everybody.”

“He loves his players, his work ethic is out of this world,” senior running back Kevin Marks, who himself withdrew from the transfer portal in January, said. “He wants the best for his players and he loves competition. He loves to compete, day in, day out, he wants to elevate this program and I’m all for it.”

Linguist emphasizes communication because he believes it bleeds through a program. He says communication builds trust, and trust is what brings a unit together.

“I think it all goes back to relationships, because relationships give you an opportunity to build trust, and trust is a powerful word,” Linguist said. “And when you have it and people can trust you, you have an opportunity to connect with them. And when you connect and get a group of men connected in the right way, you become really hard to beat, because a connected team is always a dangerous team. So we believe in the power of relationships, we communicate with our players daily.”

Through his on and off-the-field ideologies, Linguist believes he can implement a culture that has an impact not just the present, but the future.

“We make sure our coaching staff is communicating daily and our culture and environment are built on trust, relationships and respect,” Linguist said. “I think as a coach or player every day you are fighting for the trust, the respect, the hearts and the minds of the locker room and each other. I think when you have those things and you’re able to capture it, something special can happen that’s really greater than one season or one game.

You can build a foundation to really have ripple effects on your program for years to come.”

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