Buffalo, New York www. ubspectrum .com
Open Forum on University Heights Issues University District Common Councilwoman Bonnie E. Russell will be holding an open forum on Monday in the Student Union Theater at 6 p.m. Russell and her staff will hold the forum to discuss the role of Greek organizations in the off-campus community. All students and staff at the University at Bu f f a lo a re invited. Russell wants to get a n ide a of how she can Bonnie E. Russell guarantee offcampus safety for students. After this meeting, Russell and her staff hope to hold a second smaller meeting to compartmentalize plans to further safety measures for students in the University Heights and other off-campus locations. At a community meeting on Oct. 28 at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center, Russell announced a resolution on g reater law enforcement coordination in the University District. Russell and the Buffalo Common Council support an increase in coordination between the various law enforcement agencies that operate in and around UB and the University District.
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Mass Appeal Brings Its Own Spin of Fashion Week to Buffalo The Elmwood Village Association Raised Thousands for the Elmwood Neighborhood JENNIFER HARB Senior Life Editor
The third annual Mass Appeal Elmwood Village fashion event packed the Lafayette Presbyterian Church to capacity Friday night. Mass Appeal, which has become known as Buffalo’s response to New York Fashion Week, is a massive fundraiser for the Elmwood Village Association (EVA). “What it really does is raise the money for the EVA to be able to do the flower baskets, clean up the streets in the winter, to do Santa events in the holiday season, and to have a Free Summer Concert Series [on Bidwell Parkway],” said Wendy Sanders, vice president of the EVA and chair of Mass Appeal. “It really enables us to carry out our mission, but it gets a whole new audience exposed to the Elmwood Village that may not know about the Elmwood Village.” The costly production was paid off by donations from Sorrento, the presenting sponsor, and platinum level sponsors Palladian Health, LLC
and Joseph A. Sanders and Sons, Inc. One hundred percent of the raised funds went directly to the EVA. “So many people who could professionally get paid thousands of dollars for the lighting work or video work or producing work do it for free to help us build a better community and raise funds for the EVA so we can do all our programming,” said Justin Azzarella, the executive director of the EVA. The first Mass Appeal in 2008 raised approximately $7,000. “We threw [the first show] together in six weeks; we made $7,000,” Sanders said. “Last year, we raised $29,000. This year we are oversold… It’s viral and people can’t get enough of it.” This year, the EVA’s goal was to make $45,000. According to Azzarella, 200 VIPs paid $125 per ticket on Friday, a 100-person increase from last year. Because of the high demand for VIP and $30 general admission tickets, the EVA had to offer $10 standing room tickets. “We’ve tried to give everyone a little more room. This space is at least 10 times bigger than the room we had for the VIP lounge last year. It’s just come off so beautifully,” Azzarella said. The show opened with models showcasing T-shirt companies from the Buffalo area, including Positive Approach, Celebrate Buffalo, Steven Bales, Dazzle Me Formal, and Lovely
MON DAY EDI T ION November 8, 2010 Volume 60 Issue 29
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Sorrento’s “Wearable Art” runway look sought to transform ordinary objects into couture fashion.
Junkie. The models mimicked the 1979 movie Warriors to depict the teenage culture of the Elmwood village-hipster, indie, punk and college students. After that, The Elmwood boutiques took charge. Many of the featured boutiques, including Splash Panic, Second Chic, Urban, Half and Half, Anna Grace, Lotions and Potions, Anatomy and Atelier, featured metallics, furs and distinct animal prints. Sai One took a different approach and featured female models wearing gas masks. The harshness of the industrial equipment and very visible tattoos contrasted with the
soft dresses and furs. The final look capitalized on the contrast, showing a jeweled gas mask with a camouflage jacket. The next section of the show, the “Wearable Art” section, was meant to show couture level creativity. Habes’ goal for this year’s Mass Appeal was to showcase all Elmwood merchants, even those not selling traditional clothing, according to the press release. “I think the ‘Wearable Art’ is pretty amazing. They’re made from merchants on the street… [and they] made really unique pieces,” Azzarella said. “[It’s] just like on Project • see MASS APPEAL | page 7
A Cause For The Homeless Local Organizations Host Second Annual Event to Help the Homeless BRITTANY CESAR Staff Writer
Meg Kinsley /The Spectrum
A University of Washington study published in October shows that students studying abroad during their undergraduate careers demonstrate an increase in drinking activity.
Studying (And Drinking) Abroad Study Finds Increase in Drinking Among Students Studying Abroad DAVID WEIDENBORNER Asst. News Editor
Your parents are further away from you than ever before. You no longer have to take classes in the basement of Clemens or wait for a parking spot on a cold winter morning. You already know studying abroad is going to be the highlight of your college experience, and it only seems natural that you live it up to its fullest.
A recent University of Washington study published in the October issue of Psychology and Addictive Behaviors shows that students studying abroad demonstrate an increase in drinking activity. The study examined a sample of students from the University of Washington, where overall drinking while abroad was reported to have increased by 105 percent. However, the increase in drinking also seems to be paired with an increase in responsibility. Students tend to drink at culturally acceptable levels rather than binge drink. “Many cultures incorporate • see DRINKING ABROAD | page 4
This coming winter, everyone will be bundling up for the frigid stormy nights ahead – everyone but the homeless. According to the Homeless Alliance of Western New York’s pre-recession research from 2007, 2000 people in Buffalo sleep without shelter every night due to poverty and unemployment, the two biggest • see HOMELESS | page 4
Source: wnyhomeless.org
The Western New York Coalition for the Homeless, in partnership with the Homeless Alliance of WNY will be sponsoring the annual Project Homeless Connect event to provide a variety of resources and on-site services available for the homeless at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on Nov. 17.
A New Type Of Turing Test
UB Professor researches possibility of handwritten CAPTCHAs BRENDON BOCHACKI Asst. News Editor
ABle9ti0e…wrong. AbDaveS… wrong. SoNisdIe7…wrong again. Any Internet user who has purchased a concert ticket online or registered for an e-mail account is familiar with the often difficult process of trying to interpret and enter the distorted text image displayed on the screen to continue to the next page.
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arts & life — 5
These popular versions of the Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, or CAPTCHA’s, are the subject of a research project being done by Venu Govindaraju, UB Distinguished Professor of computer science and engineering and director of the Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors, and his colleagues. According to Govindaraju, although they are designed to resemble distorted handwritten phrases, • see CAPTCHA | page 2 classifieds — 11
sports — 12
The Spectrum Monday , November 8 , 2010
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Flights Cancelled Due to Merapi Volcano
The eruption of Mount Merapi in central Java has caused several airlines to suspend service between Singapore and Jakarta. Merapi is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It has been erupting for the past two weeks and more than 130 people have been killed. This is the biggest eruption of the volcano in over 100 years. An additional 200,000 people have evacuated the area. The small villages surrounding the volcano were hit the hardest with an eruption last Friday. Rescue teams have found bodies still sleeping in bed or on the phone when the hot ash struck their homes. A mass burial is planned for the dozens killed in Argomulyo, a small village just 11 miles from Mount Merapi. Officials report that the thick clouds of ash and super-heated gases are a safety concern for aircrafts. Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific are among the airlines that have been affected in the area.
Nuns Sell Rare Baseball Card, Profit $220,000
Sabres on Display at Albright-Knox
One of the most famous and rare baseball cards was sold in an online auction this past week. Doug Walton, who owns collectible stores in the Southeast U.S., won the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card. Walton paid $262,900 for the card, with $220,000 going to the School Sisters of Notre Dame.
Two of Buffalo’s favorite institutions will be combined in the coming months. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery will be exhibiting the past 40 years of Buffalo Sabres history until Jan. 9. The Albright-Knox and the Buffalo Sabres have more in common than people may think. The sons of the art gallery’s patron and namesake, Seymour H. Knox II, were involved in making the Sabres members of the National Hockey League 40 years ago.
The School Sisters of Notre Dame came to possess the valuable card after a one of the nun’s brothers passed away earlier this year. All proceeds will go toward charitable work.
The exhibition, “Forty: The Sabres in the NHL,” features a room-sized, 360 degree video simulator that shows viewers how it feels to be on the ice during a hockey game. Work from Sabres photographers Ron Moscati, Robert Shaver and Bill Wippert will also be on display.
The T206 Honus Wagner card is one of the 50 to 60 believed to still exist. The cards were only made from 1909 to 1911 after Wagner wanted his likeness removed due to unspecified reasons. Wagner was one of the most talented players of his era. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936.
This is the first time that the art gallery has had an exhibition funded by and dedicated to a single corporation.
The card was estimated to only sell for $100,000. In 2007, a near-mint condition T206 Honus Wagner sold for $2.8 million.
captcha | ‘Barriers shouldn’t be a nuisance for regular users’ continued from page 1
these simple artificial intelligence tests have always been completely computer generated. Govindaraju’s work seeks to break that trend. “The ones that we will generate are going to be real, so somebody will have written it by hand and we will take that image and morph it,” Govindaraju said. “What is being currently used are simply some computer-generated specific fonts and then they just morph it, whereas we’ll take an actual handwritten sample and morph it.” As Govindaraju explains, genuine
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handwritten phrases would quite effectively accomplish the goal of the CAPTCHA – for web services to ensure that the user on the other end of the computer is a genuine human and not an automated computer program, or “softbot.” Because Govindarju’s previous research has focused on computer handwriting recognition technology, he was in an ideal position to determine just what aspects of a writing sample would make it especially difficult for computers to decipher them correctly. Handwriting recognition has traditionally been an area of great difficulty for artificial intelligence, and as such, presents itself as an ideal technology to identify and thwart artificial intelligence-based softbots. “The reason it is difficult is that, in general, it’s difficult to read something out of context,” Govindaraju said. “Even your own handwriting can be difficult to read if you don’t have any context to read it in, because so many of the letters inside the word are not legible - you just scribble. It’s the context and the knowledge that you use to read that word, and humans are very good at doing that.” While humans have a keen ability to often correctly interpret illegible words, an instance of a wider psychological phenomenon known as “reification,” computers have not been shown to be able to do this successfully. “In this particular application it makes sense, because you do want computer programs to fail on those but humans to be able to read it,” Govindaraju said. “That’s the whole idea of a CAPTCHA.” Although these simple automated tests are generally seen as nothing more than nuisances to Internet users, they serve a critical role in protecting against abuse of certain free web services by hackers. While computer programs can be designed
to complete the rest of an online application or registration process relatively easily and automatically register repeatedly, getting a softbot to accurately and consistently answer the CAPTCHA proves almost impossible. “Any web service that you have today, whenever they want to offer you something for free, they want to protect it with CAPTCHAs because if it is free, then somebody can write a program that just takes up millions and millions and millions of services for nothing and then brings down the system,” Govindaraju said. In the days before the widespread implementation of CAPTCHAs abuse of free web services such as e-mail accounts was commonplace. As Govindaraju notes, however, people still do manage to find ways around CAPTCHAs today, the most common solution being a softbot that sends the text image to a human user somewhere who can then answer it successfully and return the answer to the softbot. CAPTCHAs other than words or phrases have been experimented with, as well. For example, simple mathematical problems or questions of common sense knowledge have been used but have not proved to be as effective as the distorted text images. “So this race keeps going on - the good versus the bad kind of thing,” Govindaraju said. “You have to build barriers that are making it more and more difficult for hackers to do these things, but at the same time, those barriers shouldn’t be a nuisance for genuine users. So the question is, what is the sweet spot?” Although they are still in the initial stages of their research, Govindaraju and his colleagues hope they have found this “sweet spot” with the use of actual handwritten samples. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
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Editorial Board Editor in Chief Andrew Wiktor Managing Editors David Sanchirico, senior Luke Hammill Amanda Woods Editorial Editor Jeff Pelzek News Editors Lauren Nostro, senior. Brendon Bochacki, asst. Amanda Jonas, asst. David Weidenborner, asst. Arts Editors James Twigg, senior Jameson Butler Vanessa Frith, asst. John Hugar, asst. Nicolas Pino, asst. Life Editors Jennifer Harb, senior. Katie Allen, senior. John Connelly, asst. Steve Neilans, asst. Sports Editors Matt Parrino, senior Jacob Laurenti Chris Rahn Brian Josephs, asst. Photo Editors Clinton Hodnett, senior Renee Huo Megan Kinsley. Karen Larkin, asst. Sam Zakalik, asst. Web Editor Adam Cole Copy Editor Meghan Farrell Graphics Designer Aline Kobayashi
Professional Staff Business Manager Debbie Smith Administrative Assistant Helene Polley Advertising Manager Marissa Giarraputo Advertising Designer Christopher Lonzi Creative Directors Jeannette Wiley Chris Caporlingua, interim The views expressed — both written and graphic — in the Feedback, Opinion, and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or spectrum-editorial@buffalo.edu. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style or length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it clearly as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number and e-mail address.
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NOVEMBER 8, 2010 VOLUME 60 NUMBER 29 CIRCULATION: 10,000 The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by 360 Youth. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100. Telephone: (716) 645-2468. Fax: (716) 645-2766. Copyright 2010 Buffalo, N.Y. The Spectrum is printed by Buffalo Newspress PO Box 648, Buffalo, NY 14240-0648.
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Voting is Over, Now We Can Talk About Something Else Proposition 19 nixed, and Republicans gain the House Now that the elections are over and everything is said and done, we can finally release that held breath. Politicians can now return to governing; the smear campaigns and race jargon can finally take back their spots in the background of American media. The staggering number of Republican seats in the House of Representatives concerns Democrats, but this is what happens at each midterm. Shifts in political party majority go toward the endless plea for reform. We ping-pong between political ideologies, thinking that next year the party that wears the pants will achieve the American dream for us. Obama’s lemon face on the cover of The New York Times is discouraging for his proponents, but America will last only so long under Republican rule before the essence of reform creeps back onto the challenger’s side. Proposition 19 did not pass, even though it is basically legal to smoke marijuana in California. With so much early support and with all the good press for the plan, Prop 19 seemed destined to become the first fallen domino to knock the rest of the states into similar money-making policies and looser regulations on marijuana.
But to be discouraged about elections would be like dwelling on losing a coin toss; there will be another election before long, and each American will have the right to vote and an opportunity to campaign. Proposition 19 came too close to give up its aim, and it is foreseeable that propositions 20 or 21 will pass with another few years of work and campaigning. But back in New York, those who voted for Cuomo can only hope that he executes the office of governor more efficiently than Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson. Perhaps this election season will be an effective wake-up call for passive liberals who balked at the challenge from Tea Party and conservative opponents. They have two years before they need to worry about the presidential ticket, but at this rate, it would not hurt to wake up a bit earlier for game day. Obama still has the power to veto, but it will be a difficult second half of his first presidential term if progressive policy remains in bipartisan gridlock. Still, to speculate on how it will go during the next few years would be an exercise in futility, as those whom we elect to run our public interests and policies have surprised us before.
Homosexual Hate Mongering in Africa Hits Close to Home Don’t ride the moral high horse, America It would be difficult to defend the stance of a weekly periodical in the African state of Uganda that has recently published the names of 100 men and women who are suspected of being homosexuals. The articles call for action: to sentence each homosexual to death and to give a life sentence to anyone who tries to hide the identity of a homosexual. The periodical is called Rolling Stone, but it is the farthest thing from the American magazine famous for its racy covers and liberal takes on U.S. music culture and politics. The only plausible argument that might defend such a publication plays half-heartedly with the argument to support the freedom of the press and against the idea of censorship. According to such a stance, the periodical should have every right to say that homosexuals deserve to die. But when free speech leads to violence, words go beyond their familiar harmlessness. As paradoxical as it sounds, some opinions are just plain wrong, and the Ugandan rendition of Rolling Stone makes that all too clear. It seems that we can look at this situation and feel better about ourselves; relatively speaking, we seem to be less homophobic than Uganda. But that is because we, safe here in New York, do not see the American hate columnists that pollute the Internet with their unwarranted anger toward gays, minorities, and immigrants. Many Americans subscribe to white supremacy
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and anti-gay ideologies that manifest themselves into groups of angry hate mongers. The longevity of their ideals is a scary, but still legal, presence within the self-righteous United States. As we cross our arms and shake our heads at Uganda for having let such a terrible idea come to fruition even in the free media, we should remember that we are not exempt from the list of less than idealistic countries. The blogosphere has taken over as a means of gathering vital information. Internet sites with charisma gain readerships faster than print journalism loses them. Michigan’s assistant attorney general, Andrew Shirvell, began a blog that harassed Chris Armstrong, an openly gay student at the University of Michigan who was running for student council president. Shirvell placed swastikas over images of Armstrong on several of his blog posts and wrote that the student was “Satan’s representative on Earth.” The worst part is, when given an interview on Anderson Cooper’s news show, Shirvell actually defended his hate-mongering stance and denied that he was a cyber bully, even after admitting that he had stood outside Armstrong’s private residence to protest his campaign. As long as ignorance continues to survive, areas around the world will continue to advocate such violent calls to action. It only seems more apparent in Uganda because gay bashing made the front page.
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AMANDA WOODS
Managing Editor
Culture of Competition “Two-thirds of you will either fail this class or drop out of school.” For college freshmen, these words are undoubtedly startling and troubling. While they may motivate some to work harder, they may convince others to give up at the first sign of failure. Although none of my professors have ever made such a statement, my friends who have taken science courses told me instructors often say this at the beginning of the semester to weed out students who are anything less than exceptional. Even when professors don’t overtly state that some will fail, the culture of competition in the college classroom is obvious. Classmates often ask me about my grade on a test or paper, and I dread the question. Whatever answer I give, it’s a lose-lose situation: whether my classmate or I scored better, someone is left feeling embarrassed, inadequate, or even upset. I usually try to worm my way out of the situation by generalizing my answer: “I did pretty well” or “I could’ve done better.” On rare occasions, that response is enough, but most of the time, people are looking for specifics. It also bothers me when professors discuss the class average and median grades on a test, especially when they show a grade distribution graph. Some students become more concerned about where they measure up to the average than the grade itself. There’s a new definition for failure: scoring below the average. Sometimes, the professor even tells the class what the highest and lowest grades were on a particular exam. In one of my classes the professor told us that the highest grade was a 40 out of 40, and the lowest grade was an 11.When they heard the low score, some students gasped, looked around the room, and started whispering to each other. Even I was mentally judging the student with the 11 score – did he “forget” to study? Does he even show up to class? Did he mark the wrong version on the test paper? How could that even be possible? Soon after, though, I regretted judging this student. I’m sure he didn’t expect for his grade to be advertised to a lecture hall filled with his 249 classmates. Although the professor didn’t mention his name, the embarrassment was there. I’ve also noticed that students only like to advertise their grades to their friends when they performed well in order to maintain a “competitive edge.” Countless Facebook statuses advertise acing exams, accompanied by a slew of likes and “congrats” comments. In the end, it’s no one’s business how anyone else is doing academically. We are at college to further our own education and prepare for our own future. A significant shift happens in college: people who were at the top of their high school classes become average, and everyone is competing for the chance to shine. Only a couple of points can make the difference between excellent and mediocre. Competition becomes natural, and students develop a hunger for statistics telling them how they measured up to others. I know many people who thrive under competition, but I’m the kind of person who breaks under it, and I know that many feel the same way. Even if my score falls a point below the average, I take it personally and wonder why my classmates are smarter than me. Intense peer competition may lead some students to believe they don’t belong in college and drop out of classes or college entirely. We have reached a point where performing better than the rest of the class is more important than learning itself, and that won’t help us in our future careers. One day, it won’t be about how the rest of the class did on Friday’s exam. It will be about how well we can perform at our own jobs. It’s hard to change a culture of competition, but it’s time we stop obsessing over grade statistics and direct that passion toward the knowledge we came to college for. E-mail: amanda.woods@ubspectrum.com
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Further research needed homeless | Event transcends international borders drinking abroad | to make any definite conclusions
continued from page 1
catalysts of homelessness. On Nov. 17 at 10 a.m., the WNY Coalition for the Homeless, in partnership with the Homeless Alliance of WNY, will be sponsoring the second annual Project Homeless Connect (PHC) event at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. PHC is a venue for businesses and organizations to volunteer to pool a variety of resources and free on-site services to be available for the homeless at one place. “This is a one-stop-shop to provide [our clients] with as many services as possible,” said Irene Pijuan, a staff member at the WNY Homeless Alliance. “Although some people will not accept the services and opportunities, they will at least get a hygiene package and a meal.” Fifty to sixty organizations will be offering services to help cope with some aspects of homelessness including shelter, food, medical care, and other basic needs. “We [ have] provided 1, 500 ser v ices ra ng ing from [Department of Social Ser v ices] appl icat ion s, to haircuts, dental referrals, and we try to provide the most comprehensive care,” said Kathleen Heim, co-chair of PHC and board member of WNY Coalition for Homelessness.
Heim adds that PHC protects the privacy of all individuals in attendance.
Services will also include applications for food stamps, Medicaid, drug recovery assistance, and other basic services for the coming winter season. All clients will receive hygiene packages, winter gear, and warm blankets. There will be emergency and transitional housing available, and housing and financial counselors will offer assistance to those in attendance. PHC will also offer photo identification services. Accord i n g t o Joh n Morrissey, volunteer coordinator for PHC and member of WNYCFTH, finding a sufficient number of volunteers and caseworkers is vitally important for the event. “[The hardest part about organizing this event] is the logistics and getting everyone together for one day,” Morrissey said. “Last year, we had over a 400-person response. [It’s about] making resources available and preserving an individual’s dignity. Nothing is being imposed the homeless and [we want to eradicate] social stigmas about dehumanizing them because this event [strives to] re-empower the homeless and help them reach these ser vices. “ PHC sta r ted in Sa n Francisco and has served as a model to inspire activists
and volunteers in over 40 states. The event has transcended national borders and has been replicated in Canada and Australia. “On one hand it brings awareness [to unfit living conditions],” Pijuan said. “But it [also] allows organizations to make a difference in their community and get involved in helping out the homelessness situation.” PHC is 100 percent dependent on donations and funding by the WNY Coalition for the Homeless. WNY Coalition for the Homeless is a non-staffed volunteer organization of homeless alliances from Western New York. “I encourage everyone, regardless of their skill set and social status, to come to the event and get a social perspective on a situation they may have never thought of,” Heim said. For more i n for m ation on the event, visit http://wnyhomeless.org/phc/ or http://www.projecthomelessconnect.com/. For those interested in volunteering, contact ProjectHomelessConnectBuffalo@ gmail.com
E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
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beer or wine into daily life with meals, and students who abuse this will be seen as uncultured and may be excluded from interacting with locals,” said Melissa Polasik Rybarczyk, assistant vice provost for UB’s Study Abroad Programs. The need to fit in with the host country’s culture is an important factor that influences drinking decisions. “This is a multi-factorial issue,” said Paul Stasiewicz, senior research scientist and clinic director of UB’s Research Institute on Addictions. “You may need to be commensurate with cultural habits, learn how [the host culture] lives.” Jessica Crowley, a junior business major, is beginning her study abroad experience in Australia in early February. “I want a full experience of the life and culture in Australia and I know drinking is a major part of it,” Crowley said. Safety and awareness of laws are also a concern when combining alcohol with a foreign country. “[The study abroad program has] a pre-departure orientation which includes information on health and
safety,” Rybarczyk said. “We address this topic in that section. We treat our students as adults and try to educate them on the importance of being responsible with alcohol.” Students also make sure to prepare themselves for their new settings. “I’m not going to know the different rules and what’s tolerated in Australia,” Crowley said. “Here [in Buffalo], we know what we can get away with and what the police look for.” The study also found that expectations about drinking prior to going abroad also influence how alcohol is handled. Individual perceptions on drinking may determine how drinking is handled when studying in a foreign country. “If students have a responsible attitude toward drinking before they study abroad, then they’re likely to continue this while abroad,” Rybarczyk said. “We try to reinforce this attitude to ensure that students have the best experience possible when they study abroad.” St udents a re a lso reminded t hat if t hey endanger themselves or the program, they may be removed and subject to discipline with the university. Students may look forward to the new drinking freedom
but are aware and anticipate that it needs to be treated reasonably. “I hear [in Australia] there are basically more bars than restaurants,” Crowley said. “I think I will probably be drinking more often but not as much [as I do here].” Further research is needed to make any definite conclusions regarding the study’s findings. “This is an area which hasn’t had much research, so we have to be careful about making broad generalizations based on this study,” Rybarczyk said. Long-term effects of the reported increase in drinking also need to be examined. “Short-term follow ups showed students drank more than normal when they return home,” Stasiewicz said. “But further research is needed to see if drinking levels return to normal and what other consequences there may be.” The study sample included 177 University of Washington students who were surveyed before and after their semesters abroad.
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Jumpstarting a Career JOHN CONNELLY Asst. Life Editor
David Pavluk, Cameron Leahy and Eric Jones make up pop-punk newcomers The Downtown Fiction.
Courtesy of Downtown Fiction
Travelin’ Show Brings Talented Set But Apathetic Audience VANESSA FRITH Asst. Arts Editor
There’s something to be said when a concertgoer finds a skateboard’s crash landing off to his left more interesting than the show in front of them. Blame it on the incredibly distracting atmosphere of Xtreme Wheels, the horrible sound quality, the fan girls more interested in band members’ hair than the music, or the general lack of enthusiasm of the crowd. Whatever the case, the show that graced the refurbished warehouse Saturday night was far from exciting. However, it can’t be said that there was anything lacking in the talent of the attending musicians. Their stage presence may need some tweaking, but their music does not. With an eclectic lineup, The Summer Set’s “Travelin’ Show” hit Buffalo mid-tour. Featuring Austin
Gibbs, Mod Sun, Stereo Skyline and The Downtown Fiction, the tour catered to everyone from pop-punk fans to hip-hop lovers. Out of the four openers, the relatively young The Downtown Fiction held the crowd’s attention and proved that talent knows no age. Started in 2008 by vocalist Cameron Leahy and drummer Eric Jones, the duo soon added bassist David Pavluk to complete the group. After toying with college for a year, the trio decided to focus solely on music, a smart choice for a group who has already managed to be listed on Alternative Press’ “100 Bands You Need to Know” and featured on mtvU’s Freshman 5. “It’s been crazy that we’ve been able to get so much life out of this EP that we have; we don’t even have a record out. We’re really happy just to be doing anything, and getting that much notice by MTV is really cool,” Leahy said.
With clear vocals breaking over the noise of Xtreme Wheels, The Downtown Fiction lived up to their recorded sound with “Living Proof” and “Is Anybody Out There.” “I was raised on older music, the Stones and the Beatles and the Beach Boys and stuff like that, and then I got introduced to bands like Blink-182 so that kind of shades my songwriting,” Leahy said. “It’s kind of a combination between modern pop-punk and then going back to older ’60s, ’70s rock.” Devoted to making their songs sound as good as possible live, the Virginia natives tour as a quartet. “As a trio it’s hard sometimes to replicate lead lines and a lot of the stuff that you do on a recording to make the recording fuller,” Leahy said. “So we bring along a live guitarist. Right now Wes [Dimond] is taking that position.” • see XTREME | page 8
College graduates may feel like they’re standing on a ledge after graduating. The inevitable postcollege job search can often leave students feeling hopeless. Drew Kerr will be holding his third “Don’t Jump! Improving your Job Hunting & Networking Odds” career session in 306 Clemens on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Kerr, a member of the UB graduating class of 1979, received his degree in English. He wrote for The Spectrum for over two years while also freelancing for The Buffalo News. While “Don’t Jump!” is described as a career session, Kerr’s 20 years of experience make it much more than that. “This is not a resume writing workshop,” Kerr said. “This is a putyour-head-in-the-right-place kind of session.” Kerr is the CEO of Four Corners Communications, a public relations consultancy based in New York City. Some notable clients that Kerr has worked with include Maxim, Cosmopolitan, Bloomberg News, Cramster, Bleacher Report and Sporting News. In Kerr’s opinion, UB offers students great job skills but not the skills required to find those jobs. “Over the years, I’ve gotten so many resumes from UB students… and I would say 98 percent of them are useless,” Kerr said. Kerr believes that many college
Drew Kerr students are unable to obtain careers in today’s job market because they are relying on old-school strategies in a modern world. “Don’t Jump!” is designed to inform students how to overcome the issues that arise in searching for a job. “Most students, I feel, have no idea how to really look for a job the smart way and how to network. A lot of students think that networking is getting on Facebook and friending and posting pictures,” Kerr said. “But if you want a job, it’s a whole different story.” After the session, Kerr will answer any questions that students may have for him. Kerr prides himself on providing answers for students and hopes that he sheds some light on an overwhelming subject. “Don’t freak out, don’t pick up any sharp objects, don’t do anything drastic,” Kerr said. “You’re actually in terrific shape and I’m going to share with you the secrets of really improving your odds and getting your act together and beating out the vast mediocrity that is out there that have no idea how to get jobs.” E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Downey Jr. and Galifianakis Shine in Due Date Road trip comedies have been a Hollywood mainstay for decades. The ’80s had Planes, Trains and Automobiles and National Lampoon’s Vacation. More recently, the current generation has given us Road Trip and Little Miss Sunshine. The tradition continues with Due Date, the newest and raunchiest film from writer/director Todd Phillips, the mastermind behind films like Road Trip, Old School, and School for Scoundrels. His newest film follows in the hilarious footsteps of these
comedic staples. The story follows Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr., Iron Man 2) as he tries to make it home to his pregnant wife (Michelle Monaghan, Eagle Eye) who is about to give birth to his first child. However, he is at the wrong place at the wrong time when he runs into Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis, Dinner for Schmucks), an oddball aspiring actor with a penchant for causing trouble. Through a series of ridiculous events, both men land themselves on the “no-fly” list. Stranded with no other options, Peter is forced to hitch a ride with Tremblay, and their subsequent road trip provides many hilarious moments as Tremblay continues to cause roadblock after roadblock for Peter.
Much of the film’s hilarity comes from the pairing of odd couple Downey Jr. and Galifianakis, who both shine in their respective roles and share a wonderful chemistry on screen. Downey Jr. has proven to be an amazing dramatic and comedic actor, and he is able to combine both talents in order to give another fantastic performance in Due Date. Downey delivers his sarcastic and subtly hilarious dialogue perfectly, and it works well against Galifianakis’ ridiculously awkward and random oddball character. Galifianakis embodies his role perfectly; this was the role he was born to play, and he delivers
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
ANGELA VIZZI Staff Writer
Movie: Due Date Release Date: Nov. 5 Grade: B+
Courtesy of Warner Bros
Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis star in the hilariously rowdy comedy Due Date.
A Week of Events NOVEMBER 8 - 14
MONDAY Concerts: Jack’s Mannequin — Niagara University Gallagher Center Non Grata — Soundlab Gallery Fan, Fiction & Spectacle: “The Trial of Red Jacket” — Buffalo and Erie country Historical Society
TUESDAY Albums: Would It Kill You? by Hellogoodbye Man on the Moon 2: The Legend of Mr. Rager by Kid Cudi Lady Killer by Cee-Lo Green Disambiguation by Underoath All the Woman I Am by Reba McEntire Games: Call of Duty: Black Ops (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, DS) The Sly Collection (PS3) The Fight (PS3) Tom Clancy’s HAWX 2 (Wii) Beyblades: Metal Fusion (DS) Concerts: Mimosa & Two — Fresh, Gramatik — Soundlab Plays: Dixie’s Tupperware Party — Shea’s Performing Arts Center
Art Galleries: Gray Hair Reading Series: Alexis De Veaux & Olga Karman — Hallwalls Comics: “Batman: The Return Of Bruce Wayne #6 (Of 6)” (DC) “Brightest Day #2” (DC) “Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #4” (DC) “Amazing Spider — Man # 648” (Marvel) “Thor # 617” (Marvel) “Star Wars: Knight Errant — Aflame #2” (Dark Horse) “Assassin’s Creed: The Fall #1 (Of 3)” (WildStorm) “Chew #15” ( Image Comics) Concerts: The Viva Noir w/ Warm Filaments — Mohawk Place Emmylou Harris — CFA
Concerts: Punk Rock Happy Hour #2 w/ Wolf Tickets, FMMI, Saints of the Seven Avenues — Mohawk Place Movies: Lunafest Film Festival — Hallwalls
FRIDAY Art Galleries: “the edit bin is freaky deep” : FASTWÜRMS Migrations and Remixes — Hallwalls Concerts: Michael Oliver w/ Go Dog Go — Mohawk Place Ben Folds w/ Lady Danville — Town Ballroom Classic Albums Live: Sticky Fingers — CFA Movies: Skyline, Unstoppable
• see DUE DATE | page 8
Concerts: Lights — Mohawk Place Transmission Dance Party — Mohawk Place Born for Betrayal, Vanity Strikes, Pink Flamingos, Blackwish — Xtreme Wheels Sarah Harmer — Town Ballroom Shows: Muqabla 2010 — CFA
SUNDAY Concerts: Allstar Weekend w/ Stephan Jerzak, The Scene Aesthetic, Action Item — Town Ballroom Shows: Bellydance Superstars — CFA
The Spectrum Monday , November 8 , 2010
6
Kidnap This Album Elvis Costello has had quite a prolific career. He’s been in the business for over three decades and has released roughly an album per year. He’s released one or two flops in that time, but Costello’s discography is filled with classic albums.
Courtesy of Erickson
Buffalo based band Erickson scrapped the amps and treated local fans to an acoustic set this past Friday night.
Courtesy of Flickr User “TMMB”
Elvis Costello’s new album National Ransom adds to his already extensive and impressive discography.
With that said, the album isn’t entirely political. Love songs have always played a major role in Costello’s repertoire, and this remains true on National Ransom.
His latest album, National Ransom, falls in with the majority of his discography. Featuring 16 tracks of classic blues, punk aggression and country, National Ransom offers something for everyone. The album starts on a very high note with the title track, an angry piece of political blues-punk. The track would have fit right in on 1994’s Brutal Youth. It gets the listener’s attention right away, letting him know this will not be a mellow affair. The title track can be viewed as a protest song of sorts, as Costello expresses his displeasure with American capitalism. If the song doesn’t get the message across, the album cover certainly will.
Tracks like the tender ballad “You Hung The Moon” and the countryfolk number “A Slow Drag With Josephine” remind the listener that Costello is really a hopeless romantic beneath his angry exterior. Artist: Elvis Costello Album: National Ransom Release Date: Nov. 2 Label: Warner Bros. Grade: A
Featuring a ravenous wolf in a top hat carrying a sack of money, the message isn’t exactly subtle. It does, however, get the point across.
There’s not much to complain about here, but one weak spot is the acoustic blues number “One Bell Ringing.” The song doesn’t fit in anywhere, and it doesn’t have much of a melody. Still, that’s a very minor gripe on an otherwise excellent record. Costello has been making strong records for decades now and shows no sign of stopping. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Friday evening, Mohawk Place showcased a number of unplugged sets from some of Buffalo’s best local talent, including hometown hero Dan Erickson. Fueled by local artists, the night kicked off with Start the Fight. Since the show was made up of acoustic sets, drummers were discarded and the band was bumped down to a guitar-wielding trio. Playing original songs such as “Don’t Shoot the Messenger (Let the Messenger Shoot You),” Start the Fight also used several covers, which allowed vocalist Lou Mattiuzzo to stretch his range. Venona soon followed suit, playing their first acoustic show. With an indie vibe, the quintet’s layered vocals provided a different vibe from the pop-punk feel of other sets. The multi-talented group, particularly Justin Gammella on vocals/ piano/guitar, drew on its collective abilities to play several originals, such as “Geocentric” and “Monument,” before rounding out the set with its own take on the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” However, all of this was just a prelude to the main act of the night, Dan Erickson. At a transitory phase in his career, this show moved
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chronologically from his earliest songs to the newest. “I wanted to do an acoustic show tonight because I felt like my band members that I had at the time didn’t know any of my old songs because I didn’t play anything old for them,” Erickson said. “I wanted to go through a timeline with my fans, for the fans that had been following me for a few years, play some songs that I don’t play ever.” Traveling back to 2007, Erickson started the set with “Where Did You Go?,” originally from the album Go for the Gold, his first solo work. “I’ve pretty much been in bands my whole life and after every band broke up I decided to go solo and that’s pretty much how it happened,” Erickson said. “I started to go solo because if I can’t count on anyone else, I can count on myself.” As time wore on, Erickson incorporated his background musicians into a full band, putting his solo career on hold for the time being. “It was really hard to have background musicians that went by my name. They wanted to be more of a part of it so I was like, you know what, these guys are dedicated, I’ll let them be a part of it,” Erickson said. “It didn’t really work out that well because I’m back to being solo.” Yet the songs lose nothing in the • see ERICKSON | page 8
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The Spectrum Monday, November 8 , 2010
7
mass appeal | Buffalo’s take on New York City’s Fashion Week continued from page 1
Runway.” The crowd favorite appeared to be the design for We Never Close, an Elmwood convenience store. The model wore a shimmering dress structured with Pabst Blue Ribbon beer boxes and Pabst beer cans as rollers in her hair. Campus Bikes showed an umbrella fashioned from a bicycle wheel, a wire rocker-like skirt with a bicycle peg embellishment and spiked hair. Talking Leaves bookstore showed an origami skirt made from 8,000 pages of old books. “It was an honor for me, as an artist as well, to see something created out of an unusual substance that normally wouldn’t be viewed as a dress,” said Nicole Vescio, the Talking Leaves model. “It was really a privilege.” Abraham’s Jewelers showed a model surrounded by bodyguards wearing a pointed golden corset with a floor length skirt composed entirely of jewelry in display boxes, amounting to over $100,000.
Second Chic, a secondhand store located on Elmwood Avenue, displayed some of the more accessible fashions of the evening.
Café Aroma, Tabree, Elmwood Village Fabric, and Spot Coffee were also featured businesses. The Local Designers section showed some truly innovative and shocking runway looks. Holly Hue showed a plethora of military-inspired clothing on ’80s fabrics, combining modern fashion movements with looks of the past. Clementiny Clothing showed floral prints, fur and riding boots. Aella presented a number of simple metallic dresses with exposed zippers.
Jon Mirro of House of Doom Tattoo covered eight individuals with intricate designs specifically for Mass Appeal.
The showstopper was John Mirro of Hand of Doom Tattoo, who spent the past year tattooing eight individuals from the neck down specifically for the Mass Appeal show. His models featured sicklygreen hued faces and entered the stage dressed in black floor-length, hooded robes. One-by-one, the men and one woman removed their robes to expose their elaborately tattooed bodies, which were covered by only thongs and a modest cover for the female model. The finale of the show featured Morgen Love, a Buffalo native and world-famous fashion designer. Her portion can be described as a Cirque du Soleil act with an Alice in Wonderland theme. The first model came out crawling on the runway playing with a small doll followed by a man dressed in a suit playing an accordion. Pole
For many collections, the complex pieces and unconventional make-up gave high fashion a costumed feel.
The collection of Morgen Love, a Buffalo native and world-renowned fashion designer, crowned the evening with a carnival-themed spectacle.
dancers danced in the background amid snake charmer and sword swallower tapestries. A juggler emerged with a handlebar moustache and long ringlets covered by a top hat, while another model screamed unintelligible words through a loud
“We have people who come here from the suburbs who may be afraid of the city, and they come down here and they’re like, ‘Oh, well, maybe we can go out to dinner here’ or ‘maybe I can shop at Urban or Half and Half,’” Sanders said. “It takes the focus
speaker at the base of the runway. Mass Appeal is more than the fashion or the models strutting down the runway. It represents the evolution of Buffalo into a thriving metropolis.
off the retail strip and puts it into a context that you never see. It says, ‘we live here and we’re proud of it.’”
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Dancing For A Cause AMANDA ISEPPON Staff Writer
Students were dancing until dawn to raise funds for the Pennies for Peace organization on Friday night in the Student Union. Free prizes, raff les, cotton candy, popcorn, a kick-line, and dancing occupied the SU lobby on Friday night as students crowded for the fourth annual Stay-Up UB fundraiser. “It is an opportunity for students to give back [to the community] and participate in a philanthropic event, while building UB pride and a new tradition,” said Terri Budek, the community engagement coordinator for the Center for Student Leadership & Community Engagement. The dance-marathon fundraiser displayed the heart of UB pride. Sororities and fraternities wore shirts displaying Greek letters, members of UB Kickline wore matching
shirts, and other students painted a bold blue and white picture with UB-themed clothing demonstrating school spirit and pride. “I thought Stay-Up UB was going to be something totally different than what it was… what I anticipated was a lot less than what I got,” said Elizabeth McArdle, a sophomore health and human services major. “Stay-Up UB was an amazing time. There was so much to do anyone could find fun with all the different activities present.” Stay-Up UB is much more than the dance marathon that most picture it as; it is a place to socialize with other students and to participate in a wide variety of other activities. The event was organized to provide a diverse group of students with a good time while helping out a charitable cause. All proceeds from the $10 admission price went to this year’s charity, Pennies for Peace. “All the money raised from students – from participation fees,
Students went all out to raise money for Pennies for Peace at Stay-Up UB.
volunteer donations, and fundraising – is going toward the Pennies for Peace organization. Pennies for Peace is a non-profit organization that promotes access to education by building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” Budek said. “It is also the charity that is associated with Greg Mortenson, the author of the UB Reads book Three Cups of Tea
and our distinguished speaker on Nov. 10.” All walks of life from UB were represented through clubs, organizations, and students as they were uniting as one student body helping to fundraise for a good cause. Some people attended for extra credit, for the free food, for raffles and giveaways, and some for the
Nyeri Moulterie /The Spectrum
cause. Regardless of their reasons, the attendance of so many students showed the positive outlook of UB. “I have been to this event … in the past and I feel this year was the most successful. It was very organized and a lot of fun; it was a genuine good time for all,” said Julie Glantz, a junior speech and hearing major. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
The Spectrum Monday , November 8 , 2010
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xtreme
due date | Charming and enjoyable continued from page 5
countless hilarious moments and one-liners throughout the movie. Returning to the loveable goofball character that he perfected in films like The Hangover and Dinner for Schmucks, Galifianakis continues to showcase his unique brand of comedic timing, which is proving to be box office gold. The development of Downey Jr. and Galifianakis’ relationship proves to be both entertaining and touching for audiences. The pair works off of one another, and the inclusion of
back stories and subplots for both characters succeeds in providing multi-dimensional character developments that resonate with viewers. There is never a dull moment for the two characters, and even though there are a few serious moments in the film, viewers will be fully entertained by the various predicaments that continue to derail the travelers. While the two main characters are developed and interesting, there are a few aspects of the film that prove to be unnecessary or lacking in development.
Michelle Monaghan seems wasted in this film, as her character isn’t really fully fleshed out. While there was some attempt made to develop her character through a subplot including Jamie Foxx’s (Valentines Day) character, the attempt just seems unnecessary and does nothing to further the plot. The inclusion of Foxx seems like another instance of wasted talent, as he could have been useful to the film if he had been given more to work with. While his character does have a hilarious scene involving the remains of Tremblay’s father being
continued from page 5
mistaken for coffee grounds, Foxx is simply not in the film enough for his talents to be fully utilized. In the end, the film is essentially about friendship and how it can develop in the most unlikely of circumstances. Audiences will find the film charming and enjoyable, as it provides countless hilarious moments. It is a treat and a wonderfully entertaining addition to an enduring genre in film.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Mod Sun broke up the pop-punk montage for a brief period by dropping fat beats, yet the pretty boys of Stereo Skyline catered to the largely female, teenage audience, prepping them for the entrance of The Summer Set. However, when The Summer Set finally did take the stage, most of the crowd didn’t seem interested in the Arizona natives beyond their surface appearance. Despite the massive quantities of emptied energy drink cans that piled on the edges of the crowd, the caffeine didn’t seem to have the desired effect. As the group implored the fans to get up off their feet while they played fast-paced songs like “Young,” “The Boys You Do (Get Back At You),” and “Love Like This,” all the scantily-dressed teenaged girls did was occasionally scream and profess their undying love for lead singer Brian Dales. Eventually, The Summer Set gave up their attempts to excite and played mainly slow songs, including the violin-backed “Passenger Seat” and “Where Are You Now.” Going into the last two songs of the set, Dales seemed resigned when he overtly begged the crowd to stay with them for the next few songs, promising fans that they could hang out with the band after the show. It was unfortunate for the talented group, but audience apathy has become the norm when catering to a largely superficial fan base of pseudo scene teens. While there were small pockets in the crowd that appeared to really care and spent most of the show dancing, they were few and far between. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
erickson
continued from page 6
transition from full band to solo. Numbers such as “Empty” and “I’ll Sure as Hell Regret This” remain as powerful as before, proving their quality. Although driven to play guitar by a love of Metallica, Erickson has taken a decidedly different avenue in his music. Combining the pop feel of Lifehouse with the heartfelt lyrical quality of The Rocket Summer, Erickson captures his listeners with acoustic melodies. Since he is performing alone, Erickson proves technology is man’s best friend. Armed with an iPod and headphones, Erickson was able to add flute instrumentals to his guitar driven songs. Yet Erickson still proves he has an affinity for teaming up when it comes to recording music. Together with Ashley Altman, his girlfriend and collaborator, Erickson gave fans a taste of their most current project, Under the Skylight. “People have asked me if my [earlier] song with my girlfriend, ‘Hey Beautiful,’ was why we kind of branched off and [started Under the Skylight], and it’s not. My girlfriend and I live together and we’re both musicians so I was like, you know what, let’s play a song together,” Erickson said. “For the new project it was one of these things, my band was falling apart and she started playing the piano part and I started playing the guitar part and we were like, wait, this is good, let’s go forward with this, so we decided to.” Closing out the night with the title track of his most recent album, A New Life for a New Year, Erickson assured fans that he isn’t giving up on his solo career and listeners should look forward to good things from both projects. Friday’s show may have marked a shift in the path of Erickson’s career, but it gave hometown fans a chance to listen from the start. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
The Spectrum Monday, November 8 , 2010
9
Waking Up in Italy MEGHAN HOUSTON Staff Writer
Over 96 percent of the world’s population does not live in the United States or Western Europe. The SUNY system offers hundreds of study abroad programs that allow students to explore the world and expand horizons. The most sought after countries that students look to visit are Australia and the United Kingdom. Students are also flocking to Italy, France, and Turkey as they become increasingly popular. “It looks great on a resume,” said Jessica O’Connor, a graduate assistant in the study abroad office. “It means that you are a person that is willing to step out of your comfort zone, willing to try new things, and willing to learn and embrace the unknown.” Employers are more frequently requesting international experience from employees. Some programs are allowing students to cover a lot of ground while abroad, participating in both internships and classes. Studying abroad shows that students possess independent thinking skills, the ability to take risks, and the ability to work with people all over the world, which are all highly desirable attributes that employers look for when hiring. “This gives students work experience that they can put on a resume,” O’Connor said. While many students may want to participate in the programs
offered, the cost of living in another country can add up quickly. “For me, it was about $7,000 for food, travel and random living expenses,” said Jennifer Riccardi, a senior biological sciences and psychology major. “Then it was $9,000 for housing and tuition costs.” Riccardi did choose a pricey destination in the spring of 2009. Florence, Italy is a highly desirable city to visit, so the prices and costs of living were higher than those of other cities around the globe. “Costs can vary for multiple reasons,” O’Connor said. “Living in major cities drives up the cost of living and can affect the program fee. Also, some program fees include excursions and tours.” According to students, Italian culture differs greatly from American culture. “Americans like things bigger and better,” Riccardi said. “In America, we shop in bulk and go to the grocery store once a week, [while Italians] shop four times a week and buy much less.” In Italy, one will never see a Tops or Wegmans supermarket but rather clusters of specialized markets that are much smaller than the average American grocery store. “Their closets were modest compared to ours, and their houses were generally fit to what they needed,” Riccardi said. “It was amazing to experience a completely different culture and to live the way they do.” Students who study abroad often remark that the experience
is invaluable and life-changing. No matter how amazing an experience is, though, students have been advised to always be aware of their surroundings and remain vigilant at all times. “Americans stick out like a sore thumb,” said Antoinette DiCerbo, a senior social science interdisciplinary major. “While the majority of people are extremely friendly, there are people who think we are ignorant Americans, and they don’t want us there.” Paris is a very popular tourist destination. Vendors often take advantage of Americans, manipulating them into buying objects, and they have been known to approach tourists in groups and con them into unintended purchases. The Study Abroad office assures its students that their safety is the number one priority. “We stay up to date on the current events of the world and keep current with international travel information,” O’Connor said. “We want all of our students to be safe and enjoy their time abroad.” Virtually all students who have participated would recommend studying abroad to other students. “It opened my mind to a whole different culture and a different world,” DiCerbo said. Students interested in studying abroad can attend a group advising session on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. in 212 Talbert. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Studying abroad provides students with real-world experience.
Renee Fok /The Spectrum
The Spectrum Monday , November 8 , 2010
10
NFL Trivia
wrestling | Bulls held on for the win
E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
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The UB Music Department and The Buffalo Chapter of the American Guild of Organists present
Joan Lippincott, organ Tuesday, November 9, 2010 7:30 pm Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall
Who was the first head coach to make four Super Bowl appearances?
How many players have rushed for 2,000 yards in a single season?
Don Shula
Zorsch (1:54.60) followed right behind, much like they did in their previous race. Aronica joined Schwippert, junior Jared Heine, and sophomore Christian Muller in the 200-yard medley relay and finished in first place. Zorsch, sophomore Josh Meints, sophomore Ryan Smrekar, and freshman Mike Dugan finished two seconds behind them for second place. “Corey [Zorsch] had a really good meet,” Bashor said. “He might not be the fastest, but he made a lot of strides in the past couple of weeks
Other than Brett Favre, who has the longest start streak in the NFL?
Six
and it showed at the meet.” The Bulls have a very young squad; 16 of the team’s 23 members are underclassmen. Despite their age, the athletes are having tremendous success this season. “We need the sophomores to step up, and they are doing that,” Bashor said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us and these guys have been doing a great job with training and everything. Our goal is to win a MAC championship.” The Bulls will return home Saturday to host Niagara at Alumni Arena Natatorium. The first race starts at 2 p.m.
continued from page 12
Who holds the record for most touchdowns in a single season?
Joe Montana
swimming | Bulls have young squad
Who was the first player in NFL history to win three Super Bowl MVP Awards?
soccer | Bulls must face No. 1 Akron continued from page 12
“This was not an easy one.” The Bulls battled for the seniors in their last home regular season match in UB Stadium. After 90 minutes of play, the Bulls could not outmatch the Broncos. The Broncos set the tone of the match by scoring two quick goals on senior goalie Nick Fetterman in the first 18 minutes of play. Western Michigan’s Oliver Mayer scored the first goal off a shot taken right in front of the net. “We set out not to give up set plays, but we did,” Astudillo said. “We set out to play hard in the beginning, but we didn’t do a very good job of that either.” In the final 45 minutes, the Bulls battled hard to catch up with their opponent. The Bulls outshot the Broncos 12-5 in the second half. Senior midfielder Rich Wilson earned his first goal of the season with 21 minutes left in the match. Senior defenseman Casey Derkacz sent a long free kick to Wilson, who
headed the ball in and scored the first and only goal of the match for the Bulls. The Bulls created several chances in front of the net in an attempt to tie the match up, but they could not put the ball into the goal. A shot by senior forward Mike Unwin gave the Bulls hope, but the ball hit the right post. Unwin led the Bulls with six shots on goal on Friday night. Overall, the Bulls outshot the Broncos 18-13. Fetterman made five saves in his last home game, and WMU’s Sean Lewis stopped seven shots for the Broncos. “As far as confidence, I’m not quite sure where we are,” Astudillo said. “This was a pretty gutted loss and we can’t have anyone else to blame but ourselves.” With the loss, the Bulls dropped out of their tie for second place in the MAC. Bowling Green’s match against Florida Atlantic decided the Bulls’ seed in the upcoming MAC
Tournament. The Falcons came out victorious and knocked the Bulls down to the fourth seed. This means that Buffalo will have to get past the regular season champion and No.1 nationally ranked Akron Zips in the first round. Although the Bulls did not know where they would be seeded on Friday night, they knew that they had to be prepared for anything. “We’ll prepare for Akron,” Astudillo said. “They are our challenge and we have to be ready for them. At some point we would have had to face them anyhow.” The last time the two teams met, the Zips shut out Buffalo 4-0. The match will be difficult for the Bulls, but if they can come out on top, the tournament’s biggest challenge will be behind them. The match will kick off the MAC Tournament on Friday at 5 p.m. at Akron’s Lee R. Jackson Field. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
wiktor | Didn’t have to be politcally correct in old days continued from page 12
Chase got Turtle in trouble by tweeting about Avion, the new tequila they were trying to market. It was a poor marketing move, and the boys from Queens heard it from the owner. On a more relevant, real, and (conveniently) related note, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $25K last season for criticizing the refs via Twitter, tweeting, “How do they not call a tech on JR Smith for coming off the bench to taunt our player on the ground?”
Bill Simmons of ESPN.com wrote a column about how he accidentally leaked “moss Vikings” to the world before the trade was made official. Aside from forgetting to capitalize the “m” in Moss, Simmons’ error technically violated ESPN’s rules. I love getting inside the minds of the high-ups involved in sports. I’d just rather do so in the unscripted moment. Reading about a prethought out Tweet just isn’t the same. I’ll end with a quote by Cedric Maxwell, a former NBA player and,
according to The Boston Globe, a Hall of Fame trash talker who competed in the ’80s when basketball was becoming basketball and when teams literally battled night in and night out. “You could not print all the things we said. You could not write it all down. The families. The moms. Didn’t make any difference. We didn’t have to be politically correct. We could be asinine.” E-mail: andrew.wiktor@ubspectrum.com
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What team drafted Brett Favre?
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Buffalo could not find an answer for the Flashes’ freshman setter Aleksandra Nowak. She dominated Buffalo with nine kills, a .727 hitting percentage, and 36 assists. Despite Saturday’s loss, it was a positive weekend for Carissa McKenna, Buffalo’s freshman middle blocker. McKenna has seen an increased workload over the past two weekends, and she has not disappointed. Coming off a weekend in which McKenna was named the MAC East Defensive Player of the Week, she came out and continued to have success. She finished the match against Ohio with a .667 hitting percentage,
Who is currently the oldest player in the NFL?
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the highest on the team. She faded late in the match against Kent State, but she finished the first three sets with a .750 hitting percentage. “For a freshman, she is doing a very nice job,” Kress said. “She’s high energy. She keeps working in every rotation and she drives in transition.” The season is winding down, and the Bulls only have two more regular season matches before the MAC Tournament begins. The team will look to continue moving in the right direction and finish strong. The Bulls take to the court again on Friday against Akron at 7 p.m. at James A. Rhodes Arena.
continued from page 12
There have been two players to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season. Who are they?
Brett Favre
volleyball | Season is winding down
Who was the first quarterback to throw for over 1000 yards in a single season? Arnie Herber in (1936)
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Who holds the NFL record for most interceptions thrown in a career?
Drew Brees and Dan Marino
topped Boston freshman Kyle Innins by a score of 6-1 in his first match since an injury forced him to miss most of last season. Sophomore Taylor Golba followed up with an 8-6 victory in the 125-pound weight class. Golba rallied from a 5-0 deficit heading into the third period, recording three takedowns in the final period to pull out the win. A classic matchup between two ranked opponents pitted the Terriers’ No. 20 nationally ranked Fred Santiate against the Bulls’ No. 14 nationally ranked junior Kevin Smith. Santiate came out victorious, beating Smith 3-2. Sophomore Chris Conti wouldn’t let the Bulls drop two in a row, as he
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picked up a 7-0 victory in the 141pound weight class. Sophomore Mark Lewandowski continued the Bulls’ momentum as he gained a 7-1 victory over Boston freshman Nick Tourville. Lewandowski’s victory came in the 157-pound weight class. Boston was able to finish out the match on a high note, taking the last two matchups of the night. The Bulls held on for the victory, but Beichner feels the team can still improve. “It’s a solid performance because we got the win,” Beichner said. “But ourselves as a team and as a coaching staff, we weren’t satisfied with the performance… We were running on about six or seven cylinders and we want to run on 10 cylinders.”
continued from page 12
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Bulls Open Up Season With a Win ZACH FILZEN Staff Writer
Alex McCrossen /The Spectrum
The Bulls won four individual championships at Sunday’s meet. See Wednesday’s issue of The Spectrum for full coverage.
The wrestling team opened up the 2010-11 campaign on a strong note. The Bulls (1-0) took down Boston University (0-1), 20-15, on Friday in Boston, Mass. to gain their first victory of the year. Buffalo got off to a quick start by winning three out of the first four matches. The most dominant performance of the evening came when defending Mid-American Conference champion and No. 11 nationally ranked junior Desi Green stepped onto the mat. Green used five takedowns in the first period alone en route to a 22-6 technical fall victory.
ANDREW WIKTOR
Editor in Chief
“He went up against a very solid guy and he beat him by tech fall,” said head coach Jim Beichner. “Winning by 15 points or more is very difficult… but that’s what we expect of him.” Green’s win gave the Bulls a commanding 17-6 lead at that point. The night started off with No. 16 nationally ranked senior Jimmy Hammel, who won his first match in his new weight class of 187 pounds. The 3-1 win was the 89th of his career. After dropping the second match, the Bulls responded by taking the next two, and they increased their lead in the match to 9-3. Bulls sophomore Brett Correll • see WRESTLING | page 10
Theme Nights Yield Mixed Results For Bulls CAREY BEYER Staff Writer
The volleyball team was lost after a tough October, but Buffalo’s performance this weekend showed that it is moving in the right direction. The Bulls (16-14, 4-10 Mid-American Conference) hosted a pair of matches against the Ohio Bobcats (15-12, 7-7 MAC) and the Kent State Golden Flashes (11-18, 4-10 MAC). Buffalo split the matches, defeating Ohio on Friday night, 3-2 (20-25, 25-15, 26-24, 20-25, 15-12) and dropping its Saturday match against Kent State, 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21). Alumni Arena was lively and rocking during Friday’s contest. With fans dressed for a day at the beach and the marching band shaking the walls of the building, the Bulls put forth a performance worthy of the roaring audience. The Bulls have only defeated the Bobcats twice in the program’s history. Buffalo’s only other win came on Oct. 31, 1999. “It was a good gutty win,” said head coach Todd Kress. “It was a huge win confidence-wise for the team. The ladies understand that they can play with anyone in the conference if they go out and set their minds to it.” The Bulls lost their previous meeting with the Bobcats in straight sets. This did not stop them from defending their home court. After a slow start, Buffalo caught fire, and Ohio had trouble answering back. The Bulls were led on offense by junior middle blocker Abby Niekamp,
Carolyn MacAvoy /The Spectrum
Lindsey Schlegel (10) and Christine Frische (9) and the volleyball team split their final two home matches of the season this weekend at Alumni Arena.
who finished with 15 kills and a .370 hitting percentage, and senior middle blocker Kayla Govier, who had 14 kills and a .324 hitting percentage. Defensively, the Bulls were anchored by freshman libero Kelly Svoboda. Svoboda had 25 digs, 10 more than any other player on the court. She played all over the court and refused to let Ohio gain the sort of advantage that it had over the Bulls in their previous meeting. “They came out and destroyed us last time,” Svoboda said. “We came out here and took what we learned about them last time. We knew that we could beat them and we did.” Buffalo could not repeat its dominating performance the next night against Kent State. Before the match began, the Bulls honored all of their seniors. In addition, the Buffalo program showed sportsmanship by also acknowledging the seniors on the rival squad. Unlike the previous night, the Bulls failed to gain control of the play on the court. They could not overcome the type of errors that have plagued them recently. “We just did not show up,” Kress said. “It’s frustrating when a team can’t find the same energy night after night.” The Bulls were once again led on offense by Niekamp, who recorded 11 kills and a .259 hitting percentage. The Bulls looked to regain the previous night’s form, but the team’s 24 errors were too much to overcome. • see VOLLEYBALL | page 10
On the Right Course For a Long Season ANDREW BELLAFLORES Staff Reporter
Brandon Freeland /The Spectrum
The men’s soccer team fell out of second place on Friday night after a 2-1 loss to the Western Michigan Broncos.
Bulls Fall to Broncos COURTNEY MCHALE Staff Writer
The men’s soccer team had a lot on the line when the team played its final regular season game over the weekend. The team came up short and it will cost them in the postseason. The fans that braved the cold witnessed the Bulls (7-9-1, 3-3
Mid-American Conference) take a crushing 2-1 loss at the hands of the Western Michigan Broncos (9-7-2, 4-2-0 MAC) on Friday night. Buffalo could have wrapped up the second seed in the MAC Tournament with a win, and Bulls head coach John Astudillo knew how much the team needed it.. “It was a critical loss that needed to be a critical win,” Astudillo said. • see SOCCER | page 10
The men’s swimming and diving team sunk its opponent on Saturday. The Bulls (3-0, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) earned their thirdstraight win by defeating conference rival Miami (Ohio) (1-1-1, 0-1 MAC) by a score of 165-135. The Bulls were propelled by their underclassmen as they defeated the RedHawks for the second straight time. Buffalo was led by freshman Phil Aronica, who placed first in all four events he entered in. Aronica, sophomore Matt Schwippert, and sophomore Cory Zorsch took the top three spots in the 100-yard backstroke. Aronica led the trio with a time of 51.02. Schwippert followed close behind with 51.64 and Zorsch finished strong with a season-best 51.80. “I thought [Aronica] swam very well today [at his] first MAC meet travel,” said head coach Andy Bashor.
Spectrum File Photo
The swimming team dominated Saturday against Miami (Ohio) to move to 3-0 in the young season.
“He did well and put us in a really good position.” The three underclassmen teamed up again to take the top three spots in the 200-yard backstroke. Aronica recorded his season’s best time of 1:52.98. Schwippert (1:53.51) and • see SWIMMING | page 10
Calling TT&T Trash Talk and Twitter, One Must Go I have a mental list of things I plan to do before I die. Tweeting is definitely not one of them, but somewhere close to the top is sitting courtside at an NBA game. I don’t care to see what a tomahawk dunk looks like from 25 feet away, and I’m not at all interested in being on TV. All I care about are the sounds on the court. This season the league started giving out technical fouls like candy, and I grew afraid that I had missed my opportunity to hear the unadulterated lingo that exists on the professional basketball court. After last Tuesday night’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, however, I saw a glimmer of hope. Following the Eastern Conference champions’ 109-86 victory over the struggling squad from Michigan, Pistons power forward Charlie Villanueva tweeted that Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett had offended him by calling him a cancer patient. No question about it, that’s a low blow. Villanueva has alopecia universalis, a skin disease that results in the loss of all body hair, which is where the ignorant assumption stemmed from. For the record, Garnett claimed that he didn’t call him a cancer patient but instead released a statement saying that he called Villanueva “cancerous to his team and to the league.” I’m not here to judge that Villanueva is definitely telling the truth and that Garnett’s publicist isn’t the cleverest of all. I’m here to consider the bigger pictures of trash talking and Twitter in the world of professional athletes. The former is a staple of sports, and I’m not sure that games would be as fun without verbal jarring throughout. Trash talking takes the competition to another level and forces players to compete not just physically, but mentally, too. And I would absolutely love to sit courtside and hear it all. I want to know which players are witty, which guys stutter when they speak, who curses the most viciously, and how much spit comes out of Greg Oden’s mouth every time he yells. Oh wait, he’d have to play for that... Hearing what athletes say in the heat of the battle reveals a lot about their personalities. And, to an extent, so does reading their Tweet. Twitter helps give us a look into the lives and minds of famous people. We find out who knows the basics of grammar and who’s having a bad day. But there needs to be a line. Five years ago, Villanueva would have had to call a press conference to vent about his sadness. He wouldn’t have had the balls to stand in front of a camera and complain about how his big-bad-mean opponent hurt his feelings; his pillow would have calmed his tears instead, not the Internet. By no means do I think what Garnett said was politically correct, but on the basketball court, it’s acceptable. Saying some things on Twitter, however, are not. We all remember when Vinny • see WIKTOR | page 10