The Spectrum Vol. 70 No. 4

VOL. 70 NO. 4 | SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

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

‘The game is not too big for him’

CFA welcomes back students with aptly-titled ‘Fall Into Art’

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UBSPECTRUM

Spectators must provide proof of at least one dose of a vaccination to attend UB events

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‘We say

Monika Šimkova has the support of Western New Yorkers and people across the nation

#One4Mon for a reason and that’s because

HUNTER SKOCZYLAS SPORTS EDITOR

we are all one for her’ eing a good player and teammate on the court may make headlines, but it’s who an athlete is off the court that sticks with the people around them.

UB volleyball star Monika Šimkova has been hospitalized since early August with a life-threatening streptococcal bacterial infection. The Slovakia native has long served as her teammates’ “support system,” but today she is on the receiving end of their support and admiration.

Women’s soccer co-captain Gianna Yurchak says she is dedicating her season to her friend, who had to undergo a bilateral above-the-knee amputation as a result of her infection.

“It feels terrible and unfair,” Yurchak said. “No one deserves to go through something like this and I’m heartbroken it’s happened to one of our own. She is such a hard-working and dedicated indi-

UB Trasportation has a bus driver shortage

University continues full service hours but with 25% fewer bus trips despite recent hires

Paul Hokanson / UB Athletics UB volleyball star Monika Šimkova turned septic in the ICU, which led to multi-organ failure.

vidual not only on the court but in everything she does.” Šimkova joined the Bulls in 2019 after spending her first two collegiate seasons with Long Beach State. Although she transferred to UB which can often be a hard adjustment, Šimkova had an immediate and pronounced impact on the school’s volleyball program.

Lexi Nordmann, who spent two seasons with the Bulls and joined the coaching staff as a student assistant last year after graduation, transferred to UB from SMU the same year as Šimkova and the two developed a special bond immediately.

The first thing Nordmann noticed about Šimkova, however, wasn’t her 6-foot-2 frame or her volleyball prowess.

It was her hair.

“The whole transfer process can be

SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

The Stampede bus fleet is currently operating with 20% fewer drivers than normal due to a national bus driver shortage, according to a UBNow article.

The Stampede has maintained its normal operating hours, 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., but is missing about 25% of the trips it would normally run despite recent hires, according to Chris Austin, the director of Parking and Transportation Services. Shifts on the weekends and nights have been particularly difficult to staff.

The shortage has meant crowded buses and longer wait times for the over 12,000 students who take the Stampede daily.

First Transit, the national transportation company that runs the Stampede, has tried to recruit drivers by planning a job fair and increasing regional advertising. They are also considering signing bonuses for new drivers.

“CDL [commercial driver’s license] drivers are a commodity right now,” Paul Abbott, executive director of transportation for the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, said in an interview with ABC. “Everybody’s paying top dollar.”

The median salary for a bus driver is $17 per hour nationwide and nearly $34,000 annually in Buffalo, according to Salary. com.

UB has an open-recruitment policy for qualified drivers and has reassigned campus shuttles to pick up some of the slack SEE STAMPEDE PAGE 2

Libusa Šimkova, enjoys listening to music, going out with friends, swimming and beach volleyball, according to the athletics department.

She’s a hard-worker with an effortless smile, her teammates say.

Which is what made it so surprising when she called Smith one day in early August so he could bring her to urgent care. Šimkova thought she was dealing with the flu.

But when Smith arrived at her residence, he realized something wasn’t right.

“I went over to her apartment to drive her to the hospital to make sure everything was okay, but when I got there, she wasn’t able to walk on her own,” Smith said. “I called an ambulance to get her to the hosSEE MONIKA PAGE 5

Students will be quarantined in Buffalo mayoral election Clement Hall starting in October South Campus dormitory will host quarantined students after serving as unvaccinated housing JULIE FREY ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

GRANT ASHLEY

overwhelming at first and we immediately connected because of that and the fact that we were two of very few upperclassmen,” Nordmann said. “The first thing I noticed was her really long pretty brown hair and I was just in awe.”

Scott Smith, the women’s volleyball team’s head coach, was hired just two days before Šimkova came to UB for her official visit. Smith hadn’t even hired a staff yet, so the two spent a considerable amount of time together early on.

“We spent a lot of time together just talking and getting to know each other,” Smith said. “From talking with her for only a few hours, I knew what type of person and player she was. She seemed very mature and had a good handle on life and what she was looking for in the program.” Šimkova, the daughter of Miroslav and

Starting in October, students who live on campus and test positive for COVID-19 will be quarantined in South Campus’ Clement Hall.

This comes as students who were unable to receive one of the three FDA-approved vaccines, or complete a World Health Organization vaccine series abroad, leave Clement Hall by the end of the month.

“Once the students living in Clement Hall finish their vaccination series [they will no longer need to be housed in Clement Hall],” Jessica Kane, assistant director for communications and marketing initiatives for Campus Living, said. “We anticipate this being by the end of September.

After that, Clement Hall will be used to house students needing to quarantine.”

Unvaccinated students have been living in Clement Hall since the beginning of the semester, as they wait to either complete their vaccine series or receive their first dose. After students receive their second

dose of the vaccine series or their single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, they are able to move into their permanent on-campus housing, according to UB officials.

Students who require quarantine housing are currently living in Flickinger Court, but Clement Hall has more capacity, according to the UB Facilities website. As of Sep. 21, UB has 96 positive COVID-19 cases with 30 students currently being quarantined with at least 24 additional spaces available according to Kane.

“We are planning to use Clement Hall to house students needing to quarantine,” Kane said. “While we could take measures to use the facility for both unvaccinated individuals, and those needing quarantine, in consultation with the Environment, Health & Safety Office, we do not plan to use Clement Hall until unvaccinated students are completely vaccinated and move to their permanent assignment.”

As of Sept. 17, only 20 students remained in Clement Hall awaiting the completion of their vaccine series. Students who have finished their vaccine series are moved out of Clement Hall without waiting two weeks for full immunity.

Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com

Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum students who live on campus and test positive for

Clement Hall beginning in October.

COVID-19 will be quarantined in South Campus’

scheduled for Nov. 2

India Walton (D) leads in the polls over incumbent Byron Brown (I) DAN EASTMAN ASST. MANAGING EDITOR

With just one week until the Buffalo Mayoral Election is set to kick off, four candidates are in the running, but only one name will appear on the ballot.

Democratic nominee India Walton will be the only candidate to appear on the ballot, however, incumbent Byron Brown (I), Sean Miles (R) and Benjamin Carlisle (I) are all running as write-in candidates.

The four candidates had their first and only debate at the Frank E. Merrieather Jr. Library on Sept. 9. The debate centered around four-term Mayor Brown and Democratic primary winner Walton discussing problems facing the city of Buffalo.

Walton says Brown has mishandled multiple serious problems facing Buffalo, such as high crime rates and segregation.

“There’s one person up here that’s been defunding our community that’s caused crime to run rampid the last five years,” Walton said during the debate.

Walton is running on a platform supporting “free[ing] police to do police work,” which includes solving and investigating crime, and keeping the community safe.

Brown argued that during his tenure, Buffalonians have experienced the highest tax breaks the city has ever seen and seen an increase in diversity in city hall staff.

“We have cut the tax rate to [the] lowSEE ELECTION PAGE 2

NEWS

2 | Wednesday, September 22 2021

ubspectrum.com

Meet the SA Senate candidates Polls are open from Sept.

21-23 NATALIE DOLLER ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

UB’s Undergraduate Student Association will hold Senate elections from Sept.

21-23.

There are currently four candidates running for 12 positions; this follows lightlycontested races for SA e-board spots last April. The Spectrum has compiled information on the races. Here’s everything to know about the candidates and their platforms:

Who’s running:

There are only four candidates running for 12 open positions: Tyler Herman, Madison Nitsche, Krish Thakkar and Khan Yasin. This means that no matter how many students turn out, each candidate will get a seat in office.

What the SA Senate does:

SA Senators are elected representatives who control the organization’s annual budget, have the power to recognize and derecognize clubs and work closely with the executive committee (the executive board and club council coordinators) to advocate on behalf of UB undergraduates. Senators must be currently registered full-time UB undergrads who are in “good academic standing.”

How to vote:

The election is taking place through UB Linked, Student Engagement’s online club and special events platform. All undergraduate students are eligible to vote by following the link in SA’s Instagram bio (@ub_sa) or by logging in to UB Linked.

From the candidates:

The Spectrum reached out to all the candidates for their platforms and mission

STAMPEDE FROM PAGE 1

left by the Stampede.

“The combination of these efforts, I hope, will lead to our on-boarding a sufficient number of operators to bridge the current gaps in service,” Austin said.

“When that occurs, the bus overcrowding will diminish, efficiency and timeliness will improve, and we’ll better meet our goal of moving our students and community in the way they are accustomed to.”

The shortage of drivers has created problems for local school districts, according to The Buffalo News. Students at Niagara Falls High School have had to wait 45 to 60 minutes for a bus to take them home. Buffalo Public Schools are struggling to hire enough bus drivers, even after cutting over a fifth of their routes. BPS

Alex Brown / The Spectrum Four students are running for 12 open positions on the Student Association Senate.

statements. Of the four, only Tyler Herman and Madison Nitsche responded:

Tyler Herman:

Herman believes his previous experience in student advocacy will help him in this role. In high school, Herman served as president of student government, as a student representative on the board of education and founded a civic engagement club to get students involved in changing the school’s culture around race, gender and sexuality. When in office, the freshman political science major says he will “ensure that all SA funds [are] dispersed equitably and sensibly and be a tireless ad-

Superintendent Kriner Cash suggested that the national guard transport students to and from school at a board of education meeting last Wednesday. Massachusetts implemented a similar plan earlier this month according to NPR, assigning 250 national guardsmen to vans.

The shortage has even garnered the attention of Gov. Kathy Hochul. Her office announced Sunday a “multi-agency plan” to solve the problem, including implementing signing bonuses, increasing benefits, directly reaching out to 550,000 CDL license holders and teaming up with SUNY and other organizations to expand CDL testing opportunities, according to the governor’s announcement.

vocate to the University on behalf of the students. I would also ensure that all students feel represented in the SA in alignment with the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Madison Nitsche:

more comprehensive review of club budgets. She explains, “It’s more than looking at a piece of paper, as I fully intend to set out to talk to club members and gain direct insight on how I can further their passions in any way.”

Nitsche, a Buffalo native, says her heritage and desire to represent all students is what makes her uniquely qualified for this role. Also a freshman, Nitsche belongs to the Leadership House living-learning community, and has served as the captain of her mock trial team and Donate Life club in high school. When elected, the biomedical sciences major is focused on a

Half the candidates have yet to share their qualifications or goals, but all will receive a seat in the Senate if they choose to stay in the race. Despite the lack of candidates, SA is encouraging student turnout.

ELECTION

cratic primary.

Although Miles and Carlisle participated in the Sept. 9 debate, they barely factored into the primary. Brown received 46% of the primary votes, but Walton ultimately won with 51% according to Ballotpedia.

Voters must register either online or by mail by Oct. 8. Those who are eligible for early or absentee ballots can begin voting on Oct. 23. The election will be held on Nov. 2. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

FROM PAGE 1

est it’s been in Buffalo in 30 years, hired the most diverse workforce in the city of Buffalo, property values have gone up in the city of Buffalo,” Brown said during the debate.

Brown neglected to mention that his diverse staff does not reflect the rest of the city; Buffalo is the sixth most segregated city in the U.S. Walton will be the only candidate written on the ballot in November. Brown, along with Miles and Carlisle can be written in, but will not appear on the ballot after losing to Walton in the June Demo-

Students can vote in the election by visiting UBLinked.

Email: natalie.doller@ubspectrum.com

Email: danielson.eastman@ubspectrum.com

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com

Courtesy of India Walton for Mayor Buffalo mayoral candidate India Walton poses with supporters during the lead-up to the Democratic primary.

Wayne Penales / The Spectrum Students board the Stampede during the fall 2020 semester. Parking and Transportation Services says an operator shortage is to blame for reduced operations.

Kainan Guo / The Spectrum Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown shakes hands with Black Student Union (BSU) e-board member James Battle in 2015.

ubspectrum.com

OPINION

Wednesday, September 22 2021 | 3

Living off campus: your last first step into the ‘real world’ College is hard, living away from the dorms is even harder

KARA ANDERSON ASST. ARTS EDITOR

For years, whenever I would talk about adulthood, my family and older peers would instantly shut me down.

“You’re too young to understand,” they’d say. “Wait until you get into the real world.”

I heard it from uncles and aunts, teachers and adults, even my mom. All of them would express the same sentiment, which irritated me to no end, especially in my teen years when any newfound independence was a sign of living in the weathered world of adults.

I was experiencing the “real world” and it was hard, I told them. This was my mental mantra throughout high school and my first years of college, and I was convinced I was right.

However, after moving off campus this semester, I began to understand why adults were so adamant that I hadn’t quite experienced the woes that came with adulthood, at least not yet.

There’s no wake-up call into the “real world” like walking into your first apart-

ment and being greeted by leftover maggot-infested mattress toppers in your living room.

It dawned on me, then, in between hand-scrubbing unidentifiable gunk off my walls and cowering in my bedroom after spying a grotesquely large spider in the kitchen, how rosy (and juvenile) my life had been before.

I may have minded myself as a fullfledged grown-up then, but my freshman and sophomore years of college now appear to me as adulthood on easy mode.

I had the luxury of living in the dorms (“luxury” being a word I wouldn’t have dared to use to describe the Governors and Ellicott Complexes just six months ago).

There, it was easy to forget how catered my life was, especially with school becoming a mounting pressure. My bathrooms, though shared, were cleaned daily by a janitor; I had a meal plan, so getting food consisted of, at most, a short walk to the Student Union for a meal prepared by someone else; if I saw any kind of terrifying bug, I could call on friends or even an RA to come kill it for me.

That’s not to say those first two years were a breeze, that college life isn’t part of this “real world” that only parents and older relatives seem to exist in and can complain about. Nor is it to say that I didn’t understand that these conveniences I had were just that — conveniences to be grateful for.

It’s only to say that campus living provides a protective bubble from many of the problems in the non-collegiate world.

When you move off-campus, your responsibilities quickly heighten and vary.

While your first year or two in college are probably spent learning to balance classes, work, extracurriculars and a social life, moving off-campus forces you to do all that with the added bonus of scheduling grocery store trips, meal-prepping, creating chore charts with your roommates and looking for the cheapest gas prices for your 40-minute round-trip commute, among other things.

It can become overwhelming fast, especially when confronted with new “adult” issues like paying your rent on time, navigating slippery landlords and spending three hours on your internet service provider’s helpline as you desperately try to set-up Wi-Fi. For some students, especially those who had to take on these kinds of responsibilities from a young age, this transition will not be the coming-of-age transformation as it has been for myself. But many other college students will undoubtedly find that living off-campus is one of the first times they have truly had to take care of themselves, in every sense and aspect of their life.

It’s rewarding, as much as it is daunting, to suddenly find yourself independent of parents, RAs, or whomever else has been helping to make your adult life that much easier and structured. It’s also one of the last first steps in forming and handling yourself as an adult in the “real world” (which, in my belief, we have all been living in since we were born).

Living off campus is a way to learn new areas and problems that come with existing as an independent adult; it makes you privy to the more minute and ordinary challenges that jaded people like to think

defines the “real world.” It can be hard, but it’s necessary and refreshing from so many years spent in adolescence.

So, for all those who have taken this step, congratulations, and welcome to true(r) adulthood.

Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com

How to say goodbye to your hero A eulogy to Norm Macdonald

TOM ANDREWS STAFF WRITER

I was eating lunch with a colleague last Tuesday when I received one of the worst texts of my life: “Norm is dead,” my friend texted me.

I spent the next minute ignoring the person I was sharing a table with as I tried to figure out whether or not it was true.

Not only did it turn out to be true, but it was also revealed that my hero had been hiding a nearly decade-long battle with cancer.

I held my composure for as long as I could, until I left the restaurant and got into my car, where I wept.

I’ve never grieved so hard for a person I had never personally met before.

Some people look up to musicians, some look up to athletes, I looked up to a comic.

I can still remember the first time I heard a Norm Macdonald joke. When I was in my early teens, my cousin told me the Canadian stand-up comic’s professor of logic joke at dinners; it was probably the funniest joke I had ever heard at that point in my life.

Ever since then, Macdonald has been my favorite comic.

I’m not alone in thinking this. There are very few things that can unite Twitter, and Norm Macdonald is one of them. It’s astonishing how many tweets I’ve seen from people across the political spectrum memorializing his life. I’m not sure how often Jimmy Kimmel, Ben Shapiro and Nickelback all agree with each other, but it can’t be too common.

No one has influenced my sense of hu-

mor greater than Macdonald. His name was one I brought up in conversation ad nauseum, much to the dismay of my friends who were often forced to listen to me rant and rave about why he was — no, is — the greatest comic of all time.

I’m someone who is obsessed with comedy. I’ve listened to countless stand up specials and thousands of jokes. I’ve done improv comedy for one-third of my existence.

Improv is my life. It’s something I won’t shut up about. I’ve done improv since my freshman year of high school. I’m now a senior at UB, and I’m the president of the improv club on campus. I don’t know if I would have ever gone down this path if my cousin hadn’t told me that professor of logic joke.

As I sit here grieving for my hero, I’m trying to figure out how to say goodbye to a man I never met.

I’ve spent the last week watching some of his highlights: him giving the final monologue on the Late Show with David Letterman; him joking about OJ Simpson

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 4 CIRCULATION: 3,000

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

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Reilly Mullen

on SNL’s Weekend Update; him giving over his moth joke, his professor of logic joke, all of his most popular jokes. Each joke made me laugh just as hard as the first time I had heard them all those years ago.

As I sat there reading comments, tweets and stories about his passing, there was one joke of his that I kept seeing over and over again that I think is fitting to end this with: “I’m pretty sure — I’m not a doctor — but I’m pretty sure if you die, the cancer also dies at exactly the same time. That, to me, is not a loss. That’s a draw.”

Rest in peace Norm, you will be dearly missed.

Email: news@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 Doller, Asst.

Julie Frey, Asst.

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

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

4 | Wednesday, September 22 2021

FEATURES

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‘The game is not too big for him’ Quian Williams’ hunger for knowledge is turning him into a star on and off the field ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

here were many questions surrounding UB football heading into the 2021 season.

While first-year UB head coach Maurice Linguist consumed the majority of the headlines, one of the biggest reasons for concern came from the wide receiver room, which lost its top two targets from the previous season.

After Antonio Nunn signed with — and was later dropped from — the Atlanta Falcons and Trevor Wilson followed Lance Leipold to the University of Kansas, the Bulls needed to find a big-time playmaker on the outside.

Enter Eastern Michigan transfer Quian Williams.

In just his first season with the Bulls, Williams is leading the team in receiving yards (212) and receptions (15). Despite starring in UB’s run-heavy offense, the senior wideout has proved to be a reliable playmaker for the Bulls.

After catching five passes for 96 yards in his UB debut against Wagner, Williams impressed on a bigger stage against Nebraska. A rare positive in a 28-3 loss to the Cornhuskers, he rose to the occasion with eight catches and 93 yards in front of 85,000 fans at a jam-packed Memorial Stadium.

Williams followed that up against 16thranked Coastal Carolina this Saturday, when he scored on a crucial two-point conversion to bring UB within three points of the Chanticleers in the fourth quarter.

He wants the ball in the big moments, and while he’s played only three games as a Bull, he’s giving UB every reason to trust him when it matters most.

“I’ve always just prepared myself mentally to be in those situations,” Williams said. “I’ve always visualized how things could go. I’ve just been blessed to be in this position on the team. My role on the team is a blessing and it came from faith in God and hard work. I feel like those things just help me be ready for it when those times come.”

Linguist cited Williams’ week-to-week preparation as a key to his success on the big stage. While some players tend to be overly cocky heading into a big game, Williams approaches each opportunity with a humble confidence rooted in his disciplined practice tendencies.

“The game is not too big for him,” Linguist said. “Situations are not too big for him, so he plays with a lot of poise, he plays with a lot of confidence, and he earns the right to be confident throughout the week because of how he prepares.”

A diligent learner, Williams can be found in team meeting rooms with a notebook in hand, taking notes of practically anything that’s said.

Wide receivers coach Dallas Baker, who played two seasons in the NFL and won

Super Bowl XLIII as a member of the Sai Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum ide receiver Quian Williams has emerged as the Bulls’ top receiver after transferring from Eastern Pittsburgh Steelers, says Williams’ hunger W Michigan during the offseason. for knowledge is second to none.

When he first got to the NFL, Baker they’ve taught me in my short time being “He likes to have a good time,” Baker heard stories about Tom Brady’s legend- here has helped me develop into a leader.” said. “He isn’t someone who’s stuck up, ary note-taking habits. Baker says Brady Williams’ curiosity and constant quest which is great for your program. He’s would take notes all the time, and he sees to improve are special — especially from a caring person. You always want to put the same learning tendencies in Williams. a first-year transfer. Instead of easing his others before yourself. You always want to “I always joke with Q, ‘No matter what, way into UB’s program, he’s seizing his put a smile on someone’s face, and that’s you’re always writing it down,’” Baker moment and taking in as much as he can. what he does.” said. “I could have said this probably 30 Off the field, Williams is inspired by his “He’s very intentional and focused about minutes ago and you’re writing it down all the details,” Linguist said. “I don’t know own set of motivations. again. I would say that’s a great attribute if there’s a day gone by where he’s not askAfter graduating from Eastern Michito have, always write things down, always ing, ‘How do I improve and get better?’ gan with a communication degree in the study. With Q, he’s not a guy that just relies And for a new transfer to come into our spring, Williams’ decorative robe displayed on talent, and that’s why he always takes culture and program and do that, it just the message “Black Grads Matter.” notes. That definitely will make you a bet- speaks volumes.”

To him, he’s playing for someter football player. When you’re an athletic As if his pure leadership skills aren’t thing much bigger than himself. guy, a competitive guy who always takes enough, Williams also has prior experiHe wants to symbolize hope to children notes, that’s an extra edge.” ence in the Mid-American Conference to across the country, and he’s using his platWilliams has also developed a rapport lean on. form to represent where hard work and with senior quarterback Kyle Vantrease The Oklahoma City native caught 76 doing the right thing can take somebody over the past couple of months. passes for 983 yards and eight touchdowns — both on the field and in the classroom.

The two saw eye-to-eye in UB’s first in three seasons with Eastern Michigan “It just shows that people that look like game against Wagner and never looked before transferring to UB. me can do the things they see others doing back. Vantrease’s trust with Williams only Williams’ prior experience in the MAC every day,” Williams said. “I just wanted grew against Nebraska, where the two has proven to be a valuable asset in his to be that example, that leader in my comconnected on multiple big third-down transition to another program within the munity where I come from to show them conversions to keep drives alive. conference and has helped him gain the — from my own family and just other kids Both players have embraced the chal- “respect” of his teammates. that might look up to me or come from lenge of learning about each other on and “For him to be able to have that expe- where I come from — and showing them off the field. While they’ve only known rience in the MAC, it’s huge,” Vantrease that they can do it too.” each other since the summer, the duo feel said. “And it’s a big respect thing too beAs Williams continues to grow into like it’s been years. cause young guys gotta respect that. He the role as a No. 1 target and a leader in “Just spending time with each other knows what he’s talking about because he’s his first season with the Bulls, the people on and off the field, picking each other’s done it before.” around him expect big things from him. brains,” Williams said. “Seeing what spots “He’s winning one-on-ones, he plays Described by his coaches as a “yes sir, he wants me in and him asking me how I no sir” type of guy, Williams’ consistency tough, he practices tough and he’s living like running certain routes and stuff like in not only his on-the-field approach but the culture every day,” Linguist said. “Very that and what I’m seeing on the field. Just also the way he handles himself off it proud of him and how he’s progressing so spending time together was ultimately the make him a reliable player and leader. far. We’ve got to continue to improve him, way we built this relationship.”

Baker says he was blown away by the change his best and change our best with From grabbing a bite to eat to putting in maturity and poise Williams displayed how we teach and coach him, but he’s got extra time on the field during the summer, when UB was recruiting him. And it wasn’t a bright future ahead of himself.”

Williams and Vantrease’s trust has blos- all for show; Williams has carried himself somed into a friendship — and that’s only the same way since arriving in Buffalo, his Email: anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @DeCicco42 helping them come gameday. teammates and coaches say.

“It’s a combination of all of that, on the field, off the field, in practice, in the film room,” Vantrease said. “Just talking, hanging out, getting to know each other. You have to be able to trust him and you’re not going to trust him if you’re not friends with him.”

Williams’ mentality as a student of the game paired with his strong play has thrust him into a leadership role for the Bulls.

Even though it’s his first season in the Queen City, Williams is an upperclassman who leads by example in his preparation and desire to learn.

“I’m welcoming everything that comes with the role. I’m ready for it,” Williams said. “The whole staff, they’ve groomed everyone the right way, each day, from a leadership stand- Sai Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum ide receiver Quian Williams hauled in two passes for 23 yards during UB’s 28-25 loss to Coastal point. Just remembering everything W Carolina Saturday.

ubspectrum.com

MONIKA FROM PAGE 1

FEATURES & administration are all one big family. When our UB Women’s Basketball Team heard the story of Monika and how hard she is fighting, we felt motivated to come together and show that our team is fighting with her,” the team said in a statement. “We wanted to let Monika, her family and her teammates know that their fellow Bulls’ sisters are there for them and supporting them through this tough time as we know they would do the same for us.” Šimkova’s parents say it is impossible for them to express all their gratitude in words.

“We would also like to wholeheartedly thank all the people from all over the world, known and unknown, for all the encouraging words, phone calls, wishes, prayers and support, as well as the financial support we have received and are still receiving,” they wrote in an update to GoFundMe. “It helps us a lot to feel like we’re not alone in this.”

Wednesday, September 22 2021 | 5

pital as quickly as we could and it was just hard to comprehend.”

Smith said he couldn’t understand why the emergency medical technicians kept using the word “critical” because she seemed fine the day before.

At the same time Smith was dealing with this unexpected news, Šimkova’s teammates were at a team dinner celebrating sophomore Milla Malik’s birthday.

Malik was Šimkova’s roommate and best friend.

“It was my birthday and we were at a restaurant as a team and she [Monika] told me she was feeling sick so we told her to stay behind,” Malik said. “My trainer called me and told me the news and I just felt scared because she didn’t seem that sick when I saw her and to see her in the ICU was a very scary experience.”

Nordmann wasn’t with the team at dinner because she was moving into her new apartment, but the Michigan native was called to come to campus to meet with the team. Unscheduled meetings aren’t common in the world of collegiate athletics, so she knew something was off. hunter.skoczylas@ubspectrum.com “I remember coming to campus and Email: Twitter: @HunterSkoczylas hearing the news from the coach and it Courtesy of Lucia Michalovicova was just one of those things your brain UB volleyball star Monika Šimkova has been in the ICU since early August with a life-threatening illness. can’t even internalize,” Nordmann said.

“I think it took all of us a moment to let the shock subside and really grasp what we were being told, but after it set in, we were focused on what we could to support her.” Šimkova’s sister, Lucia Michalovicova, set up a GoFundMe that met its $100,000 fundraising goal in less than 48 hours and has since increased to $250,000 to cover additional costs. The GoFundMe took off after numerous local news outlets and social media accounts shared her story to help spread awareness.

“I think it’s awesome and really shows the unity throughout this community,” Malik said. “We all play for her right now. We say #One4Mon for a reason and that’s because we’re all one for her.”

Smith, a Herndon, VA native, says he has been blown away by the support his star athlete has received in her time of need.

“I’m not from Buffalo but I’ve always heard that it is the type of city that helps in times of need,” Smith said. “We feel the support and love for her and it’s been great to see the spreading of her story and raising awareness beyond our own reach.”

The massive outpouring of support has extended beyond the WestPaul Hokanson / UB Athletics ern New York community; proUB volleyball star Monika Šimkova led UB in service aces, with 30, and added an impressive 111 kills last season. grams and student-athletes from coast-to-coast have donated to Šimkova’s cause and found ways to support UB’s star.

The Miami (OH) women’s volleyball program wore blue ribbons during its first home match of the season in honor of Šimkova.

The Long Beach State women’s volleyball program held a bake sale fundraiser to raise money for their former player’s cause.

Prior to a game against Duquesne on Sept. 12, Yurchak was taping her cleats when the idea to write the hashtag, #One4Mon, on them came to mind.

Yurchak went on to score that game, with that very cleat.

“To think I was playing for her and scored with that cleat was just an indescribable feeling,” Yurchak said. “I just knew that game I was playing for something bigger than myself.”

Yurchak and Šimkova developed a friendship through the studentathlete advisory committee (SAAC), where they both served as representatives for their teams.

Senior redshirt forward Summer Hemphill rounded up the women’s basketball program to make a meanPaul Hokanson / UB Athletics ingful donation.

UB volleyball star Monika Šimkova joined the Bulls in 2019 after spending her first two collegiate seasons with Long Beach State.

“The UB Athletics’ teams, staff

6 | Wednesday, September 22 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ubspectrum.com

Music

Tunes for your listening pleasure SPECTRUM STAFF

Last week, Rolling Stone released a reshuffled list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

While the Spectrum staff had some disagreements with that list, we came together to name a few of our favorite tunes.

Here’s our list:

Hey There Delilah

by The Plain White T’s

The ultimate love song, “Hey There Delilah” is the tune all your friends like to listen to — whether they acknowledge it or not. There’s something about Tom Higgenson professing his love for Delilah DiCrescenzo that continues to melt hearts, 15 years later. The song resonates deeply with those in long-distance relationships and those yearning for love. It is a masterpiece, and a terrific beat to blast whether you’re feeling wistful or jovial, carefree or overtaxed.

JUSTIN WEISS

Tiny Dancer

by Elton John

“Tiny Dancer” is a stellar performance

by Sir Elton Hercules John, who builds his vocals directly into his music. The song begins quiet and reserved, then climbs to the middle section, before exploding into the chorus. “Tiny Dancer” didn’t follow the rules of its time, which is part of what makes it so special. At over six minutes long, the song didn’t follow the pop formula at the time, making it one of John’s finest moments.

to than Jimi Hendrix. Starting with some muffled chords for about five seconds, the scratchy opening of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” feels like a warm up for the storm that’s about to come. The moment Hendrix begins to masterfully play the opening chords of the song, I can feel my brain drenched in euphoria as it processes every detail of the masterful track.

Hendrix’s relaxed vocals bring a spacedout anthem perfectly blended with the flawless instrumentals, resulting in my favorite song of all time.

ALEX FALTER

Dreams

by Fleetwood Mac

I remember driving with the windows down in my dad’s car one summer as he showed me his burned CD collection, and this was the first song that played on his favorite CD, “The Jams.” Fleetwood Mac simply doesn’t miss and Stevie Nicks’ voice is one of the most soothing out there. This song is a feel-good jingle despite Nicks talking about her relationship issues. It rightfully found its way back to the charts at the end of 2020 thanks to the “skateboarding guy” who made viral Tik-

Toks as he rode down the street jamming to it, and it deserved to be heard by the new generation for its excellence. It will go down as one of the greatest songs ever, and — believe it or not — I used it to get into the zone before basketball games.

HUNTER SKOCZYLAS

Back to Black

by Amy Winehouse

Listening to “Back to Black” for the first time was one of my favorite memories as a kid. The song was — and still is — different from anything I had ever heard before.

This signature Winehouse/Ronson song sounded sincere and heartbreaking compared to the usual upbeat, lighthearted music I had listened to during the earlier years of my childhood. Although this song was one of the biggest hits of its day, it doesn’t get nearly enough credit for its authenticity or its uniqueness.

JENNA QUINN

Loser

by The Grateful Dead

Every time I hear the opening riff of “Loser,” I can’t help but nod my head to Jerry Garcia’s infectious rhythm. While

Beyond

by Leon Bridges

“Beyond” is one of music’s greatest hidden gems. The soft guitar, tambourine and Bridges’ enigmatic voice, of course, lul the listener into a whimsical and comforting world where love is possible for everyone.

The lyrics are quite simple, but that’s what makes them so effective and universal.

Lines like “I know that Grandma would have loved her” are not complex poetry, but resonate with the listener because we all want our loved ones to appreciate our partners as much as we do. But the bridge of the song is what gets me: “Oh me, oh my, I can’t explain / She might just be my everything.” Again, very simple, but the words paired with his voice and the gentle guitar could make me believe in love even after the worst break up.

Writer in the Dark

by Lorde

Kozmic Blues

by Janice Joplin

Makaiyla Willis / Wiki Commons Taylor Swift headlines the DIRECTV NOW Super Saturday Night in February 2017.

Though lesser known than hits like “Royals” and “Green Light,” “Writer in the Dark” stands out as one of Lorde’s most entrancing and thematic songs to date.

The ballad, which features chill-inducing high notes and compelling songwriting, tells the story of heartache and healing.

Lyrics such as “I’ll love you ‘til you call the cops on me,” exemplify the titular “Melodrama,” of the song’s album. It’s a theatrical and exaggerated listen that doesn’t lose its emotional grounding, recognizing and embracing itself for all the turmoil that comes with endings and beginnings.

KARA ANDERSON

Q.U.E.E.N./Electric Lady

by Janelle Monáe

REILLY MULLEN

Holy Ground

by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Red is arguably the greatest breakup album ever, featuring a plethora of deserving songs like “Holy Ground,” which is about looking back at a failed relationship but still seeing all the good and love that came from it. “Holy Ground’s” fast beat, which pauses only for the chorus — “And darling it was good/Never looking down/And right there where we stood/Was holy ground” — is Swift’s reflection on the relationship — hurried while she was in it, but sweet and melancholy in retrospect. In “Holy Ground” and all of Red, Swift manages to capture the poignant intimate moments we all experience and encases all of those feelings into a song spanning 3:20. Swift’s track five from Red “All Too Well” holds spot 69 on the Rolling Stones’ list of greatest songs.

JACK PORCARI

NATALIE DOLLER

DAN EASTMAN

An out-of-tune piano erupts to life with the opening riff of Janice Joplin’s “Kozmic Blues.” This 1969 classic rock staple features traditional rock guitar chords backed by a brass section and is topped off with the raspy vocals of the first queen of rock.

Joplin belts about growing up and losing friends and the loud brass section and deep bass blend seamlessly into an uplifting tune. Joplin, who was 26 when the song was released, embodied the carefree, strong-willed nature of early adulthood making this the perfect song to turn on during your next existential crisis.

the song is mostly a slow jam, this versatile tune exhibits pleasurable moments of intensity, stillness and majestic resolve— especially during Garcia’s solo. If there is one dead song I think is underrated, it is this one. As for “Little Dark Age” by MGMT, the deep oscillating synthesizers, punching drum beat and mysterious bassline have kept me coming back to this track for years.

Cal Quinn / Wiki Commons Leon Bridges performs at Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas

in

2016.

Janelle Monáe has so many phenomenal songs that I just had to pick two. Both are weird in all the right ways without straying from what makes R&B so much fun to listen to. Monáe’s unflinching voice is well-suited for Q.U.E.E.N., a song about loving yourself “even if it makes others uncomfortable.” Q.U.E.E.N. ends with a rapped call to action against racial injustice before seamlessly sliding into “Electric Lady’s” catchy electric guitar riff. The more upbeat “Electric Lady” hits it home with another five-minute vocal tour de force from Monáe. Each song stands on its own, but they go best as a pair.

GRANT ASHLEY

Mind Playing Tricks on Me

by Geto Boys

Krists Luhaers / Wiki Commons Lorde performs at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark in 2017.

JULIE FREY

Voodoo Child (Slight Return)

by Jimi Hendrix

Since my formative years, when I listened to my mom’s compilation CD of The Beatles’ “1” in her MDX, I’ve always had a large love for music. But it wasn’t until middle school, when my cousin introduced me to the wonders of rock and roll, that I felt truly immersed in the medium.

There are few artists I owe more gratitude

One of the first hip hop songs to seriously address mental health within the Black community, “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” describes the mental anguish of street life through the eyes of Houston hip hop trio Geto Boys. With intense tales of battles with post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal thoughts and paranoia, the groups highest-charting single captures rappers Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill at their most vulnerable. Released during a period when masculinity and a gangster image were heavily-emphasized in hip hop, the Geto Boys went against the grain and created one of the greatest rap songs of all time.

ANTHONY DECICCO

Tom Woodward / Wiki Commons A painting of the Grateful Dead’s steal your face logo.

ubspectrum.com

NEWS

Wednesday, September 22 2021 | 7

UB is ‘one of the safest places’ to be this semester, health expert says University has a 14-day rolling percent positive average of 1.18% for COVID-19 JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR

UB has a 14-day rolling percent positive average of 1.18% for COVID-19, but experts say students shouldn’t fear a surge in cases.

Thomas Russo, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the UB Department of Medicine, says UB students should feel comfortable about being on campus, as the result of high vaccination rates and a low hospitalization rate for the 18-25 age group.

“Being on campus right now is probably one of the safest places to be in Erie County and Western New York,” Russo said in a phone interview. “The reason is that our vaccination rate is so high. Over 90% of our students are fully vaccinated and most of that remaining 6% or so have gotten one shot and will be fully vaccinated within another few weeks.”

Students are required to wear masks in indoor settings and at large outdoor gatherings. The Spectrum spoke to a number of students who reported high compliance in classroom and laboratory settings, with exceptions.

“We’re thankful for students’ tremendous efforts to comply with UB’s health requirements during the first few weeks of the semester, especially their commitment to getting vaccinated, which has produced a 99% vaccination rate — the highest rate in SUNY,” UB spokesperson John Della-

Contrada said in a statement.

The backbone of UB’s COVID-19 plan is a vaccination mandate, which has achieved what administrators were hoping for: near-universal vaccination. Roughly 28,500 students have submitted proof of full vaccination, with more to follow in the coming weeks, according to university officials.

A few hundred students were granted medical or religious exemptions to the vaccine, Russo said.

As of Sept. 16, 78% of employees have provided proof of full vaccination, according to UB Spokesperson David Hill — which can be attributed to their union’s influence. Unvaccinated professors are still permitted to teach in person, but they must wear masks and participate in weekly surveillance testing.

But campus remains an “extraordinarily safe place to be,” Russo said. Students are “better off on campus than in other venues in Erie County, Western New York and other parts of the country.”

UB currently has a rolling 14-day average of 84 total positive COVID-19 cases, as of Sunday evening. The university conducted 2,799 total tests from Sept. 7-21, with 33 coming out positive.

“Throughout our campuses, students thus far have demonstrated tremendous compliance with masking requirements, particularly within classroom settings and when traveling indoors between classes,” DellaContrada said. “In other campus spaces, mask wearing compliance has been very good overall, but more diligence and consistency is needed, and we will continue to urge students to wear masks at all times where required.”

Russo says parties could be at least partially to blame for the current case totals, and he encourages students to be cognizant of the people around them and remember that it’s not just about them, but the community at large.

“What always happens in the first two weeks of school is that people get together and party,” Russo said. “The best time in college is the time before your classes start and you don’t have any homework or tests.

This summer, compared to last summer, people have been partying like it’s preCOVID-19, because we’ve been so pentup socially. People need social interaction, particularly people who are younger. It’s so critical. That’s why the first two weeks are always the worst two weeks.”

University officials continue to encour-

age students to wear masks indoors, complete the Daily Health Check and interact with their peers responsibly off campus.

Russo wants young people to remember that they aren’t “bullet-proof ” from getting infected, even after they get the shot. The greatest risk of spreading COVID-19 comes when students are indoors and have prolonged exposure to one another.

“The message to the university community is this: UB has a robust set of protocols in place proven to reduce risk and prevent spread of the virus,” DellaContrada said. “It’s up to each of us to follow these protocols each and every day throughout the semester. Together, we can help make this a safe and successful semester.”

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum The popular campus eatery Bert’s is being used as a COVID-19 surveillance testing site this semester.

8 | Wednesday, September 22 2021

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ubspectrum.com

‘On Connection’ delivers a message worth subscribing to Author extolls the importance of finding meanings in the little things JACK PORCARI SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

For musician, poet and playwright Kae Tempest, 2020 was a year to ruminate on the small details of life and find meaning in the little things.

In their 2020 book-length essay, “On Connection,” Tempest reveals the dangers of a polarized society out of touch with the deeper elements of life. Drawing from personal experiences, excerpts of Carl Jung’s “The Red Book” and William Blake quotes, Tempest argues that creativity — in any form we define — is a pathway to self-discovery, unity and most importantly, connection.

“We have lost each other under this selfless system of hyper-competition,” they write. “Music is the great invigorator. Artists don’t make their work to inspire your collusion, your submission or your con-

sumption of their ideals. They serve a purpose that is higher. Bigger. Deeper. Which is why you feel higher, bigger, deeper as you connect with their output.”

Tempest expresses two prominent themes that call back to Jung’s “The Red Book.” These are the “spirit of the times,” or the egoist elements of oneself, and the “spirit of the depths,” or one’s inner expression of uniqueness. Tempest calls on readers to channel the depths by trying to feel the world around them a little more: they recommend taking a moment to notice the sunset, observe how the people around them are walking in tandem or listen to the sound of life around them: “So Put your phone down.

Listen to the birds.

Build a fire in a quiet place.

Pay attention to the details when you kiss your lover.”

Tempest says these small moments give our spirits the guidance they need: “There are many ways to access a more resonant place. It starts by acknowledging that everything is resonating.”

Jack Porcari / The Spectrum “On Connection” by Sunday Times-bestselling author Kae Tempest.

ments of triumph and despair. The book felt less like an essay and more like a roadmap to mindful living; it teaches the reader how to navigate a world that is complex and exploitive, while still being in touch with the beauty of the present moment.

This book-length essay is perfect for anyone looking for a change of pace, something that will make readers think about life in a way they wouldn’t have otherwise. Tempest’s writing extends beyond the page, speaking to the spiritual and human truth that at our core, we are all one.

Tempest meditates on their past as they create a poignant and empowering narrative of self-acceptance. The author artfully weaves their story into the narrative, which opens doors for readers to reflect on the content on a deeper level.

Tempest delivers on their promise of making readers feel a higher, bigger and deeper connection to the truths the author spoke of.

The first time I read “On Connection,” I felt a sudden wave of relief, as if Tempest was accompanying me during my mo-

Email: jack.porcari@ubspectrum.com

i.e. prioritizing oneself and one’s own ambitions. Yet, there is very little at stake for the protagonists in making this choice, with only the one-day romance between Cinderella and Prince Robert hanging in the balance. This makes the message feel overly juvenile, even for a family-friendly audience.

The storytelling is only further weakened by a lukewarm antagonist, the evil stepmother, who Cannon attempts to redeem through a tragic backstory (“tragic” being used loosely). However, that is all Cannon provides by way of redemption, rather than any remorse or repentance for the stepmother’s abuse and neglect toward Cinderella.

Neither is the poor storytelling helped by the film’s abysmal acting. Camila Cabello’s amateur approach to cinema stands out like a sore thumb, especially against more seasoned actors like Tony Award winner Menzel.

Not just failing in its rhetoric, “Cinderella” also fails as a musical.

The music numbers, featuring pop hits such as “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and “Material Girl” by Madonna, serve better as imaginative music videos than plot-driving devices. Rather than advance the storytelling, these songs simply extend the run time, which, at nearly two hours, proves

exhausting halfway through.

As for visuals, “Cinderella” rivals the camp-themed 2019 Met Gala in over-thetopness and swaths of eye-catching color.

If nothing else, the film provides the audience with enough funky hairstyles and billowing ball gowns to keep audiences entertained.

But whatever fun is found in the films’ costuming is quickly undermined by poor CGI and awkward staging. The worst offenders of this are easily the three CGI mice that look more suited for a 2009 film, and the “Million to One (Reprise)” scene that turns a would-be emotional and inspirational solo into a clumsy and trite delivery.

Overall, “Cinderella” proves to be a shallow and unnecessary rendition of a classic fairytale. Rather than provide viewers with a strong female protagonist and a fresh take on the story, “Cinderella” serves only to waste two hours with weak and contradictory feminist rhetoric while serving up reiterations of top radio hits from the past three decades.

Although not the worst film to grace the silver screen, “Cinderella” far more resembles the pumpkin before the carriage in this adaptation.

Bippity boppity flop The new “Cinderella” movie provides an uninspired and notso-feminist take on the beloved fairytale KARA ANDERSON ASST. ARTS EDITOR

Movie: “Cinderella” Director: Kay Cannon Starring: Camila Cabello, Nicholas Galitzine, Idina Menzel Studio: Amazon Studios Rating: 3.5/10 Once upon a time, Hollywood found its own glass slipper with the fairytale, “Cinderella,” which spawned a trove of beloved movies like Disney’s 1950 animated feature of the same name and Hilary Duff ’s teen rom-com “A Cinderella Story.”

However, “Cinderella” (2021) will not be joining said trove.

The jukebox musical, directed and written by Kay Cannon, attempts to modernize the classic tale with a feminist-spin by focusing on Cinderella, played by Camila Cabello, and her dreams of becoming a famous dressmaker. Aside from that, the movie follows quintessential Cinderella plot points, including an evil stepmother

(played by Idina Menzel) attending a royal ball with the help of a fairy godmother (in this case the Fabulous Godmother, played

by Billy Porter) and falling in love with “Prince Charming” (played by Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Robert).

Despite trying to make Cinderella into a modern day “#girlboss,” Cannon betrays the narrative that hard work is the force behind success by creating a plot in which Cinderella achieves her dreams through circumstance, rather than pure dedication.

It’s not Cinderella’s talent or skill that gets her discovered, rather the Prince’s infatuation with her which drives him to support her business endeavors and invite her to the royal ball.

The royal ball proves a crucial point in Cinderella’s career trajectory, where Queen Tatiana, played by Beverly Knight, inquires about the dress Cinderella wears and offers her the opportunity to become her personal dressmaker. Though the dress was designed by Cinderella, it was actually made by the Fabulous Godmother through magic, not thread and needle.

Cinderella’s unearned reward only serves to demonstrate the flimsy nature of Cannon’s grasp on feminist storytelling, giving the film a flat and unthoughtful feel.

The movie does attempt to extoll viewers on the importance of “choosing me,”

Amazon Studios Cinderella (2021) “far more resembles the pumpkin before the carriage in this adaptation.”

Email:kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Wednesday, September 22 2021 | 9

CFA welcomes back students with aptly-titled ‘Fall Into Art’ Event showcases a tremendous variety of options for attendees ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Not since the beginning of COVID-19, has creativity echoed so loudly through the halls of UB’s Center for the Arts. On Thursday, the CFA opened its doors to four new exhibits collectively referred to as “Fall into Art.” Featuring two large murals and several smaller displays, the CFA Atrium’s bleach white walls are plastered with an explosion of colors for “The City Talks to Itself,” an exhibition honoring Buffalo’s rich history of murals, graffiti and other forms of street art and their relationship to social justice.

Curated by Bronwyn Keenan, director of the Arts Collaboratory, the full-sized murals and several smaller displays take up large portions of the wall, telling stories of life on the streets of Buffalo.

“Street art is the city talking to itself,” Keenan said. “It’s long been a voice for the voiceless who’ve used the city’s walls to call out for justice. It’s where communities paint tributes to loved ones and celebrate heroes.”

The left wall of the Atrium houses “An attempt at Illustrating the ineffable while walking to East 163rd St in the Bronx,” a cardboard mural by Tayron Lopez, the Arts Collaboratory’s 2021-22 artist-inresidence. The piece portrays an array of sights seen and conversations heard while traversing 163rd Street. The mural is filled with drawings of people, floods and flying heads side by side with much of the overheard dialogue, containing phrases like “I think I’ll take this one…” and “So what are you up to later!”

Ma-Nya Champagne, a junior photography major, felt the murals were highly realistic and respectful representations of NYC. “‘The City Talks to Itself ’ is a great name for these overall pieces because as I walk through the gallery, I feel like I’m back in Brooklyn,” Champagne said.

In the Lower Gallery, attendees can explore works by the 2023 MFA candidates with the appropriately titled, “Incoming.”

This exhibit has been open since Aug. 31, but a reception was held during “Fall Into Art” for the candidates to formally introduce themselves.

Featuring an exciting array of art styles from UB’s next generation of artists, Mark Snyder, art resource manager for the Department of Art, says the exhibit acts as an entry point for the incoming class into the larger world of art.

“It’s our way of introducing the incom-

ing class to, basically, the city of Buffalo, and the art community in general,” Snyder said. “Here, we try to work very closely with the galleries and museums of the City of Buffalo and this is our way of sort of showing the next crop of MFA is coming into the program.”

Taylor Robers, an MFA candidate from Minnesota majoring in studio arts, drew “Summer Home,” an oil on basswood painting of a bluebird nest representing multiple connections to her life back home.

“I did a bluebird survey in Minnesota as a volunteer thing and this was the only bluebird nest from the entire season of the survey,” Robers said. “So, it was kind of a tribute to that and then kind of leaving my nest at home and moving to a completely new place.”

Another prominent piece of the exhibit was an archival pigment print titled “Nowhere Town,” by MFA candidate Alex Cassetti, which showcases a black and white photo of a barn.

“They all have their own personal pieces, sort of, exhibiting their own artistic direction and style,” Snyder explained. “So, it’s a way of introducing our grad [students] to the faculty who have maybe not yet gotten to know them because we’re only on the second week of classes.”

Seth Woods, a cellist and UB Center for Diversity and Inclusion visiting professor), says he’s a fan of the variety of mediums displayed and felt it was a great opening event for the new class.

“It’s been really great to get an idea of what the MFA students have been up to.

Downstairs the exhibition is quite exciting,” Woods said. “A lot of risk taking with some of the smaller [and] larger scale works on mixed media-based, film-based and jewelry-based [mediums], so it’s a wide variety. I’m excited to see what they do [in the future].”

Revealing a lesser-known piece of UB history, Liz Park, curator of exhibitions for UB’s art galleries, curated the historical “F: Reconstituting Tolstoy College” exhibition displayed in the second floor gallery,, which walks attendees through the story of Tolstoy College, UB’s anarchist college (one of six experimental colleges ran by UB), through displays of furniture and archival documents from the school’s existence, from 1969-85.

Representing unconventionality in its purest form, the furniture displayed emphasizes the anarchist ideals of making do with what you have, like a table with saw horses for legs or seatless chairs paired with a make-shift table wooden-plank table.

“Anarchism was a way of exploring how a group of people can work together, honestly [and] frankly, and determine their own course of educational pursuit,” Park

Alex Falter / The Spectrum The CFA’s Atrium gleams with beautiful colors from an illustrated universe of stories and happenings.

Alex Falter / The Spectrum An excerpt from a Spectrum issue from 1978, featuring administrative decisions, Greek life and an advertisement for The Pine Lounge.

said. “So, this exhibition is an attempt to read a history that is hard to capture.”

Scattered across the exhibit are a variety of documents detailing the college’s ideals, policies and class syllabi. Two of the most interesting documents are a professor’s policy on giving a fixed number of A’s and Spectrum articles written by Tolstoy college member Charles Haney.

“For him [Haney] it was really important that his writing and his politics and his thoughts be shared with the students,” Park said. “Charles Haney was somebody who was instrumental in the college.”

While onlookers absorb themselves in the CFA’s variety of works, no exhibit stands out as much as artist Heather Hart’s “Afrotecture (Re)Collection,” wowing attendees with a recreation of the Lorraine Motel balcony in Memphis, TN where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April 1968.

Recreating such a historic place is no easy task, however, Hart has become accustomed to creating these types of spacious installations, growing up with her father, a carpenter.

“She has had experience from a very early age witnessing how lumber can

demarcate space and how it becomes a container for social relations” Park said.

Attendees take turns walking up the interactive piece’s solid-gray staircase where the sound of footsteps become lost in the whispers of awe-struck admirers, a breeze of loneliness creeping in as they make it to the top, where the whispers become drowned out by the cold atmosphere of one of the darkest days in civil rights in the U.S. Some visitors appreciated the outsidethe-box concept Hart used for the exhibition. Swedin Peart, a senior speech and hearing sciences major, enjoyed the “glassy floor’s” eeriness.

“I thought it was very different. It wasn’t the…regular gallery that you would just walk into and see paintings or regular artwork,” Peart said. “It had more of a storyline, that was cool.”

For those who missed out on these openings, “F: Reconstituting Tolstoy College” will run until March 12, “Afrotecture (Re)Collection” will run until May 21, “The City Talks to Itself ” until May 27 and “Incoming” until Oct. 1. Admission is free.

Email:alex.falter@ubspectrum.com

10 | Wednesday, September 22 2021

SPORTS

ubspectrum.com

Four takeaways from UB’s 28-25 loss to Coastal Carolina UB will require proof The Bulls pushed the 16thranked team in the nation to the limit Saturday at UB Stadium ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

After a 28-3 loss to Big Ten foe Nebraska last week, UB football (1-2) faced another strong opponent in 16th-ranked Coastal Carolina (3-0) Saturday afternoon.

The Chanticleers — the first Associated Press Top 25 team UB has hosted since No. 8 Baylor in 2014 — defeated the Bulls, 2825, in front of a recorded 16,739 people at UB Stadium.

Despite a valiant effort against one of the top teams in the nation, Coastal Carolina’s highly efficient multiple offense scheme proved to be too much for the Bulls.

in 2019 — provided the Bulls with an unexpected spark in the red zone and added another threat to UB’s layered rushing attack.

UB didn’t do enough to securepull out the win, but the Bulls put together an impressive performance on the ground against Coastal.

afternoon, constantly disrupting plays and wreaking havoc for UB. A 2019 All-MAC first-team selection, Riggins’ performance against CCU is a return to form for a player who ranked second in the conference in sacks (8.5) two years ago.

while UB was far more competitive against Coastal, the Chanticleers were still able to break off significant gains against the UB defense.

Entering Saturday’s contest as the national leader in passing completion percentage (82.5%) and passing efficiency (213.7) through two games, CCU quarterback Grayson McCall played another well-

the country, something they can build on in the future.

“It shows that we really can play with anybody in the country,” senior linebacker James Patterson, whose brother Jaret was in attendance, said. “Just to come up that short by three points, it hurts a little bit more than last week where we shot ourselves in the foot. We still shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times, but this time we really minimized it and were fighting and holding our own and playing with them.”

After losing to Nebraska by 25 points last week, UB responded with a much better performance against one of college football’s elite teams.

Linguist insists there are no moral victories, but the growth the Bulls showed in one week is significant.

Not only did the players match the physicality and will of Coastal, but Linguist (minus a couple of mistakes) proved he can coach at a high level. The 37-year-old rose to the challenge of coaching against 2020 AP Coach of the Year Jamey Chadwell in just his third game as a head coach.

The Bulls proved they can play with the best. Now, it’s about becoming a more polished product and responding to adversity as the calendar turns to MAC play.

“We did not run out of gas, we probably just ran out of time,” Linguist said. “And our guys could have continued to play, they’re disappointed, which you should be.

But we will persevere. We will respond and we will bounce back. I believe we have a championship-caliber team in our locker room.”

The Bulls will travel to Norfolk, VA to take on the Old Dominion Monarchs Saturday night at 6 p.m. The game will be aired on ESPN+.

Spectators must provide proof of at least one dose The Bulls proved they can play with

by Oct. 1 and proof of a UB struggles to contain Coastal’s the best completed vaccination playmakers While the result may have been disapThe Bulls were torched by big plays pointing, the Bulls rose to the challenge series by Oct. 30 to attend against Nebraska two weeks ago, and of playing against the 16th-ranked team in UB events

Sai Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum UB fell 28-25 to No. 16 Coastal Carolina Saturday. The Bulls put up a valiant effort, despite the loss.

Considering UB played two superior programs in Nebraska and Coastal Carolina in back-to-back weeks, head coach Maurice Linguist said he was proud of his team’s effort against the Chanticleers.

“The game was back and forth, I think our players battled,” Linguist said in the post-game press conference. “I think we’re gonna watch this film and look and say, ‘Hey, this play could have went this way or we could have done this a little bit better,’ but in close games, they’re not always going to be pretty and perfect. You’ve just got to play a complete game and respond to the next situation. I think our players did that.”

Here are four takeaways from UB’s loss to Coastal Carolina:

The Bulls continue to pound the rock

To the surprise of no one, UB stuck to its run-heavy identity on offense against the Chanticleers. The Bulls rushed for 262 yards on 47 attempts, with senior running Kevin Marks Jr. and juniors Dylan McDuffie and Ron Cook Jr. all putting ingetting significant work on the ground.

Marks turned in 64 yards and a touchdown while McDuffie led UB with 92 yards and a score. Cook rushed for 83 yards — including a 61-yard scamper after recovering a Marks fumble.

Junior quarterback Matt Myers was utilized in a designed red zone package and even punched in a 13-yard touchdown for UB in the first quarter. Myers — who was replaced by senior quarterback Kyle Vantrease following an upper-body injury

of vaccination to attend sporting and arts events

rounded game for the Chants. The redshirt sophomore passed for 232 yards and three touchdowns while also leading Coastal’s triple-option offense on the ground.

Senior running back Shermari Jones rushed for 149 yards, including a 50-yard run at the start of the second half to set up a CCU touchdown. Jones was effective as the pitch man in the triple option, often maneuveringgetting around UB’s defensive ends and darting up the sideline for big gains.

And when Coastal didn’t run the option, McCall hit senior wide receivers Jaivon Heiligh and Kameron Brown through the air.

Heiligh caught four passes for 91 yards and a score while Brown hauled in three passes for 79 yards. Heiligh beat sophomore cornerback Logic Hudgens for a 17yard touchdown in the second corner and Brown was able to rip off a 58-yard gain in the fourth.

Big plays didn’t hinder UB as drastically as they did against Nebraska, but the Bulls still had trouble with the explosive playmakers of the opposition.

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

ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Starting Oct. 1, all spectators must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend sporting events at UB Stadium and Alumni Arena.

The new rule also applies to concerts and arts events at Slee Hall, the Center for the Arts and Alumni Arena. The list includes the Distinguished Speakers Series and the commencement celebration honoring the class of 2020.

“We feel this is in the community’s best interest,” Vice President for Health Sciences and Dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biochemical Sciences Michael E. Cain said in a press release. “COVID-19 cases in the region have continued to climb. We want to be proactive and make sure we are doing our part to prevent further spread of the virus.”

Attendees must provide proof of at least one dose of the vaccine starting Oct. 1. UB says a vaccination card, a photo of a vaccination card, an Excelsior Pass or a digital vaccine card are all valid forms of vaccination.

In addition to providing proof of at least one dose by Oct. 1, spectators must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30 to attend sporting and arts events for the 2021-22 school year.

Masks will still be required at all times in indoor settings, but won’t be required when vaccinated spectators are outdoors at UB Stadium.

Children under 12 who are not vaccinated will still be granted admission to UB events but must wear a mask at both indoor and outdoor venues.

As of Monday, 99% of UB students are vaccinated against COVID-19.

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

Taylor Riggins’ dominant performance

After missing the entire 2020 season with an injury, fifth-year defensive end Taylor Riggins has made an instant impact for the Bulls.

The Webster, NY native racked up seven tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and three tackles for loss against the Chanticleers Saturday.

Riggins was in the Chants backfield all

Sai Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum Punter Evan Finegan punts during UB’s 28-25 loss to Coastal Carolina Saturday.

Sai Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum A recorded 16,739 spectators watched UB fall 28-25 to Coastal Carolina Saturday.

Sai Krishna Seethala / The Spectrum UB mascot Victor E. Bull poses for a photo during UB’s 28-25 loss to Coastal Carolina Saturday.