The Spectrum. Volume 59 Issue 48

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The Spectrum h t t p : / / w w w . u b s p e c t r u m . c o m

WILLIAM R. GREINER HALL

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

An independent student publication of the University at Buffalo

Volume 59 Issue 48

Succeeding through tragedy

By MATT MOSHER Managing Editor

Students registered in Professor Filiatrault’s graduate level engineering classes may have been happy to see a “class cancelled” sign posted on the door last week. What they may not have realized was that their professor was off serving a country in desperate need.

Andre Filiatrault, director of the Multi-Disciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineer i ng Resea rch a nd professor of civil, structural

and environmental engineering, returned Thursday from an emergency mission in Portau-Prince, Haiti.

Filiatrault and his team of 10 engineers were the among the first engineers sent to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to assess the condition of buildings and determine which ones are salvageable. Filiatrault, along with eight of his team members speak French, which allowed them to communicate with Haitians.

“When we met the UN organization responsible for

building assessment, they had nothing in place,” Filiatrault said. “They didn’t know what do, they didn’t know where to go so we came in prepared.”

The team used ATC-20, a procedure that allows engineers to assess a building in 15 to 30 minutes. The team marks buildings green if they see FILIATRAULT page 2 Courtesy of Andre Filiatrault

Right: Professor Filiatrault (far

left,) with his team, provided Haiti with much needed building evaluations.

Pilot faulted in Clarence plane crash

Photo: Google Streetview

Detective John C. Garcia of the Buffalo Police Department was shot in a standoff at 57 Trinity Place on Monday.

Officer wounded, gunman dead in Allentown shooting

By JENNIFER GOOD City Editor

Less than two weeks after a shooting at the Marriott Residence Inn in Amherst, the Buffalo area endured another violent shooting Monday afternoon near South Elmwood Avenue.

The situation resulted in a Buffalo Police hostage negotiator being shot in the face. The gunman was killed shortly after.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Police identified the gunman as Eric Ocasio, 27. An autopsy confirmed Ocasio’s cause of death to be gunshot wounds.

“An initial investigation

by Buffalo Police Homicide Detectives and the Internal Affairs Division has determined that the suspect was struck twice by Buffalo Police Swat Officers,” said Dennis J. Richards, Chief of Detectives.

The incident started at 10:18 a.m., when officers in the Downtown Buffalo district and Buffalo firefighters responded to a “check the welfare” call at 57 Trinity Place, indicating that an individual was having suicidal thoughts.

Inside: Arts and Life ........... 5 Classifieds ............ 11 Opinion .................. 3 Sports ................... 12

At 10:45 a.m. Buffalo SWAT Team and Hostage Management Team were called to the scene after reports of shots fired. This incident has yet to be confirmed, according to a press release from the Buffalo Police Department.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., Detective John C. Garcia, 47, a member of the Hostage Management Team, was struck in the face and parts of the upper body by about a half-dozen pellets while trying to defuse the situation, according to police spokesman Mike DeGeorge.

Garcia’s injuries were located dangerously close to his right eye but were not considered life threatening.

He was taken to Erie Country Medical Center, where he was treated and released Monday evening.

According to DeGeorge, “the department is relieved that [Garcia’s] injuries were not serious.”

Due to police cordoning off the surrounding streets, Clint Zimmerman, a Buffalo State College student, was unable to get to his own home for lunch see SHOOTING page 9

Courtesy of Chuck Anderson

Questions were finally answered on Tuesday concerning Continental Connection Flight 3407, which crashed in Clarence nearly one year ago.

Lack of sufficient training said to be main issue

By STEPHEN MARTH Editor in Chief

The actions of Capt. Marvin Renslow led to the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence Center last February, according to a National Transportation Safety Board investigator Tuesday afternoon.

Lorena Ward, NTSB investigator in charge, said that

the stick shaker, a device that is used to correct wing stall, activated three times during the flight. In each instance, Renslow mistakenly pulled against it, causing the nose of the plane to move upward, which forced the stall that caused the crash.

Initial reports suggested that ice caused the plane to stall, but Ward suggested that the weather was “typical” for

Buffalo on a February night and that icing on the wing had no impact on the crew’s ability to fly the craft.

For Sha n non Green , learning the reason why her husband Brad perished was nearly unbearable.

“There’s still a lot of grief,” Green said. “He’s the leader of our family. He’s my husband.”

Green, who proudly wears her husband’s wedding ring

around her neck since it was retrieved from the crash site, is demanding that there are tougher regulations for pilot training because of the board’s findings.

“A captain, to me, means a leader. Someone ready to go, ready to lead,” Green said.

“I’m disappointed and I expect more from the industry.” see FLIGHT page 8

Remembering Greiner’s legacy

By AMANDA WOODS Asst. Campus Editor

Katie Carlett / The Spectrum

A memorial was held in honor of former UB President William Greiner on Tuesday afternoon in the CFA.

D E T E R I O R AT E D The Bulls tally another loss as a result of sloppy defensive play.

See Page 12

Words of remembrance filled the Center for the Arts on Tuesday as family, friends and colleagues of former University President William R. Greiner gathered for his memorial service.

Dennis Black, the vice president of student affairs, opened the ceremony by commending Greiner and his selfless service to the university.

“For 42 years, Bill Greiner thought of us,” Black said.

“This afternoon, we’ll be thinking about him.”

I M P O R TA N T C O M E DY Comedian Demetri Martin returns with new episodes.

See Page 5

President John B. Simpson admired how Greiner always put UB first and helped the university prosper.

“Bill Greiner was warm and gifted with an irrepressible spirit. His love for UB was obvious,” Simpson said. “Bill’s leadership positioned UB for its current success.

According to Simpson, Greiner was instrumental in developing the Center for Computational Research, the Multidisciplinary Center in Earthquake Engineering Research and the Center of see GREINER page 7

Weather: Fri: 31o high / 21o low Sat: 30o high / 20o low Sun: 33o high / 16o low

The Spectrum

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February 3, 2010

NAACP club no longer recognized on campus Investigation reveals illegal activities

By CAITLIN TREMBLAY Campus Editor

UB’s chapter of NAACP, one of the longest standing clubs recognized by the Student Association, came under scrutiny last week after rumors surfaced about money handling that went against club policies.

The club was accused of selling raffle tickets for a Wii it had never purchased, neglecting to go through Sub Board for its raffle – something all SA clubs must do – and procuring an outside line of funding and a bank account that was never registered with SA. The club was suspended on Friday and, after an investigation that confirmed the allegations, the Senate voted Sunday to derecognize the club.

“It’s not something we wanted to do,” said SA President Ernesto Alvarado. “[NAACP] was one of our biggest and best clubs, but we needed everyone to know that no club is

above the law. They broke three rules that called for derecognition, so we were forced to do it. It was fair and it set a precedent.”

According to Senate Chair Nischal Vasant, the vote was unanimous, but it was not made happily or lightly.

“We were disappointed to make the decision, but we had to. It was the only fair thing to do,” Vasant said.

“The executive board admitted to their faults.”

The former NAACP president, Kimberly K. Lindo, feels that while the club did break SA rules, they only did so due to lack of knowledge of them.

“I really want membership and students to know that we didn’t do anything shady. We didn’t swindle students out of their money. It was a matter of miscommunication between our new treasurer and myself. If I had known, we could have fixed the situation before it came to this,” Lindo said.

The club, which had over 60 members from UB and other neighboring universities, also came under scrutiny for its standing within the national NAACP organization.

According to the New York State chapter of NAACP, the club was not recognized as a legitimate chapter because it did not meet the national standards, such as having a faculty adviser that was an NAACP member, attending state meetings and staying in contact with the Buffalo area NAACP coordinator.

Alvarado, Vasant and SA Vice President Greg Robbins hope that this speed bump won’t put a damper on the morale of the club.

According to Robbins, SA is in the process of notifying the club’s executive board about the process of reapplying for club status, as well as explaining the situation to current members so the club can start up again in the fall.

“We want to bring the club back as soon as possible,” Robbins said.

“We have no interest in derecognizing clubs, but it’s not fair to the other clubs who are following the rules. Every club is accountable for their actions.”

Lindo feels that harsh punishment could have been given and an example for other clubs could have been set without the

finalized derecognition.

“I think derecognition is too far.

We broke some rules that we didn’t know about, but we didn’t deserve this. We could have been suspended,” Lindo said. “We were voted the best People of Color club three years in a row. We went above and beyond our duties as a club.”

The club can apply for temporary status in the fall and SA will help it set up. SA also plans to bring in a New York State NAACP representative to help the club become a legitimate chapter.

“We hope they’ll be back, better than ever. They’ll get a fresh start and end up a stronger club,” Alvarado said. “We have faith.”

Robbins agreed, adding, “We needed to set a precedent that no club was above the law, but they’re more than welcome to become an SA club again.”

Lindo feels that the SA is not being as helpful as they’re trying to come across.

“SA said they would help us, but I haven’t been contacted yet,” Lindo said.

Alvarado pointed out that while

derecognizing a club is not what SA wanted to happen, it was a necessary evil. If SA didn’t act, then not only would it become acceptable for other SA clubs to abuse the system, but SA itself could have come under fire for its actions.

“It was a necessary decision to keep SA running smoothly. It’s a decision we didn’t want to have to make, but we’ll be sure to help them get set up so their second time around runs smoothly,” Alvarado said.

Alvarado, Robbins and Vasant all agreed that this was a hard but necessary decision.

“I know they’ll come back as a strong national chapter,” Alvarado said. “It’s a disappointment that this situation occurred, but we’ll help them any way we can.”

Lindo hopes that the club can recover with or without the SA’s help because she truly believes in the benefits the NAACP brings to UB. “We broke some SA rules, but we never cheated students out of their money,” she said. “We’re a great and important club. We didn’t deserve this.”

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

Some buildings have not been entered since earthquake FILIATRAULT from page 1 can be used, yellow if they can be used with restrictions and if they are unsafe.

During its one-week stay, the team evaluated over 120 buildings for numerous organizations, including the UN, which asked the team to evaluate buildings used for living quarters for its workers and for Haitians. Until recently, almost everyone has been living outside, for fear that

unstable buildings will collapse.

The World Food Program also asked them to inspect its warehouses, which held thousands of tons of food.

“These buildings had not been entered since the earthquake for fear of aftershock,” Filiatrault said.

“They needed to know what they could do with these buildings and if they could use the food.”

As of Saturday, the WFP started a massive food distribution.

“We cleared a number of these warehouses and now they can go in and get the food out,” Filiatrault said.

He added that the numerous reports of violence and civil unrest are not as common as some media outlets portray. Hungry people do storm “like bees” when food distribution trucks come, but he said people are waiting calmly and forming lines for food and water “It was bad … the UN told us that they could only feed around

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100,000 people per day – that’s in a population of around two million,” Filiatrault said. “The average [person] was only getting a meal every three days … the people of Haiti are resilient, although the conditions are very, very difficult they went about their lives.”

Filiatrault has participated in recon and assessment efforts in four previous earthquake-stricken areas, but says this mission was different. Instead of just identifying usable buildings, the team also participated in the relief effort. Team members roped off unsafe buildings and actively warned Haitians not to camp near or enter hazardous buildings.

“The magnitude of the devastation was so large that it cannot compare to anything I have seen before,” Filiatrault said. “The [cit y’s] construction method ignored completely the impact of earthquakes … there was also no building code enforcement.”

Depending on the area of the city, up to 60 to 70 percent of buildings were badly damaged. Closer to the epicenter on the west side of city near downtown, one third of the buildings had collapsed, largely because they weren’t built to withstand earthquakes.

Filiatrault added that a major problem in the country is a lack of understanding and fear of earthquakes, along with the poor construction of buildings.

The country is now rebuilding, but Filiatrault fears quick fixes.

He says some people have begun rebuilding their homes with rubble, but are building without guidelines or enforcement. They are building the way they know how to, which Filiatrault insists is “no good.”

The UN is working with the Haitian government to separate the city into zones, he said. The zones would be organized by higher seismic risk, depending on the geometry and fault orientation of the city.

When Filiatrault left on Thursday, he said a plan was in place for all the buildings in the “red zone” to be demolished and rebuilt somewhere else.

“The question is, if they’re going to be rebuilt, are they going to be built the same way? The UN is sensitive to that and they will try to influence the Haitian government to use building codes in the short term and that in the future there will be quake resistant buildings, Filiatrault said.”

However, the rebuilding of Haiti will be a “tremendous task,” a process predicted to take years, maybe decades, he said.

A replacement team of engineers has arrived in Port-au-Prince and will use the same guidelines and system Filiatrault and his team established. UB will likely not send another team in the short term, but will remain supportive of the relief effort, he said.

Of 10 engineers, eight spoke one of the country’s native languages, French. Half the team spoke the Haitian Creole as well. A Frenchspeaking team was crucial in the initial assessment efforts and enabled them to better communicate and work with Haitians.

Another 60 to 70 percent speak a type of Creole based on the French language, a result of European colonization, according to Jeffrey Good, an assistant professor in the department of linguistics at UB. “Haitian is considered a Frenchbased Creole because most of its vocabulary is drawn from French, but it has its own grammar,” good said. “Hawaiian Creole or Jamaican Creole, by contrast are Englishbased creoles — with lots of English vocabulary but their own grammars as well. Because Haitian draws so much vocabulary from French, it is sometimes mistaken as a ‘corrupt’ variety of French, but from the linguist’s perspective, this is not at all true, it is simply its own language.”

Good added that Haitian is also the most widely spoken Creole language in the world and is an official language of Haiti along with French, which is considered to be the language of the educated.

Filiatrault’s French speaking came in handy multiple times throughout the week. In one case, he assisted a US Marine platoon in translating a conversation between the platoon and a group of school leaders.

The team also translated the placard system of assessing buildings into French.

“It was very important to speak the language,” Filiatrault said. “We were able to set up a database, e-mail and procedure for the UN.” Filiatrault expressed that work in Haiti will not be completed for some time. The American Society of Civil Engineering is planning to send a larger team and is collecting resumes from French-speaking engineers.

Although Filiatrault may not head an additional team to Haiti, MCEER, along with AIDG, will continue providing assistance to the UN and Haiti.

E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

The Spectrum

February 3, 2010

O P I N I ON

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Stephen Marth Managing Editors David Sanchirico Jennifer Lombardo Matt Mosher Editorial Editor Jacob Shillman Campus Editors Caitlin Tremblay Brendon Bochacki, asst.

Amanda Woods, asst.

City Editors Jennifer Good Chelsie Hinckley, asst.

Lauren Nostro, asst.

Arts Editors Christopher DiMatteo, senior Eric Hilliker Jameson Butler, asst.

Vanessa Frith, asst.

James Twigg, asst.

Life Editors Adrian Finch, senior Shane Fallon Rachel Lamb Jessica Brant, asst.

Jessica DiGennaro, asst.

Sports Editors Andrew Wiktor, senior Matt Parrino Joe Paterno Luke Hammill, asst.

Christy Suhr, asst.

Photo Editors Katie Carlett, senior Samantha Hicks Clinton Hodnett Norbert Ogiba, asst.

Rob Schulz, asst.

Copy Editors Meghan Farrell Laura Neese Graphics Designer Rafael Kobayashi

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“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on its last legs Nothing real about Top defense officials support repealing act Both Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, are supporting the president in a decision to repeal the military’s policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

manner,” which might mean that the Pentagon would no longer discharge members of the armed forces whose sexual orientation is revealed by third parties.

In 1993, General Colin Powell, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, supported the implementation of a policy that gay men and women may serve in the military as long as they keep their sexual preferences to themselves.

There are some issues with rolling back the policy. The Pentagon would have to review policies on benefits, base housing, fraternization and misconduct. Such issues could affect unit cohesion, recruiting and retention of combat troops.

Since its implementation, more than 13,000 military personnel have been driven out of the armed forces, according to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Even Gates and Mullen have no idea when and how such changes to the policy would take affect. Senator John McCain said that he was “deeply disappointed” and that the original arguments approved by Congress were the most logically sound.

“No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens,” Mullen said.

The “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy lends itself to having gay servicemen and women tossed out of the military based on a prejudice rather than performance. Many other nations have openly gay people serving effective terms in the armed services, such as the United Kingdom, Israel, Australia and Canada.

The news of all this comes at an interesting time. The United States of America has major, complex issues to deal with, especially since many supporters of gay rights have been disappointed with the current administration’s lack of support for their cause.

This administration filed a brief last year supporting the Defense of Marriage Act, which gave states the power to not recognize same-sex marriages. But there has also been progress for gay rights, including the passage of the Matthew Shepard Act, which made hate crimes against gay people federal crimes.

Gates said that the military would move toward an enforcement policy aimed at a “fairer

There have been many polls that have discussed this issue. One administered by the Military Times, which features a predominately Republican and older readership, found that 58 percent were opposed to repealing the law.

However, a poll in 2006 done by Zogby International asked 545 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans their comfort level around gay service members.

Seventy-five percent of the respondents said they were comfortable.

This policy hurts the military by depriving it of the service of a number of loyal and talented Americans. Many of these troops have important skills and, given the nature of the military operations of today, those troops are needed.

The battle is winnable, but perhaps mistimed.

For anything to change, vocal, active leadership from the president is required.

There is much more that needs to be done regarding gay rights. Change on this particular matter is in its infancy. A larger victory for gay rights would be recognizing same-sex marriage on a federal level.

But change occurs over time and this is another step in the direction of progress.

these reality stars

Every good writer can hook its reader in with a strong lede. With that being said, I’ve got two words for you – Jersey Shore.

Do I have your attention yet?

While some of you may have immediately moved on to the next article, I would bet that this column has already garnered more focus than President Obama received during his State of the Union speech last week.

As absurd as that may sound, in all reality, it’s the truth. The cast of Jersey Shore has seemingly become more recognizable across America than our commander in chief, Marilyn Monroe and the Pope.

MTV has made use of the golden recipe for television success. Throw eight arrogant and egotistical young adults in a beach house, give them a few unforgettable nicknames and add a Joe Paterno couple of signature dance Sports Editor moves. In an instant, you have yourself an award-winning show.

The so-called “music” television network hit the jackpot over the past few months with its outrageous offspring of The Real World. As if their original reality television hit wasn’t satisfying enough, producers felt the need to bring their cameras to the Seaside Heights to find out just what it’s like to spend a summer on the Jersey coast.

America immediately fell in love with the air-headed, greased-up cast of Guidos and Guidettes. Angelina, Jenni, Nicole and Sammi have quickly become the modern-day version Disney’s princesses, while Mike, Pauly D, Ronnie and Vinny are their knights in shining armor. The only difference is that this group of royalty didn’t make a name for itself with touching love stories and fairy tale endings.

We were foolishly won over by a six-pack, a poof, a corny romance and a couple of knockout blows to the face.

“Snooki,” “J-Woww,” “DJ Pauly D” and “The Situation” roped us in with their over-the-top nights at Karma nightclub, hot tub rendezvous and excessive use of slang terms such as “juice head,” “gorilla” and “grenade.” see PATERNO page 9

Professional Staff Business Manager Debbie Smith Administrative Assistant Helene Polley Advertising Manager David Vogt Advertising Designer Christopher Lonzi Web Editor Andrew Muraco Creative Directors Christopher Caporlingua Daniel Tcharnyi, asst.

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.

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Fed up with fat Society lashes out at the obese There is no doubt America is an obese nation. But lashing out and forcing people’s hands isn’t the way to change the problem.

According to a study from the Center for Disease and Control in 2008, roughly one-third of American adults are obese. The leading killer in America is heart disease. Every 25 seconds, an American has a coronary trauma.

Society isn’t happy about it.

Look around the country: actions against the obese are popping up more and more. Companies have begun to give incentives for employees to sign up for employee wellness programs that offer lower insurance premiums and other financial perks for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

In fact, some states even considered “sin” taxes on unhealthy foods such as fast food and sugar-based drinks. But it doesn’t end there.

A plan at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania attempted but failed to implement a policy of taking the body mass index of all enrolled students in order to calculate whether or not they were obese. If they were, the school planned to require them to lose weight or take a fitness class before graduation.

In Mississippi, state legislators attempted to pass a law allowing restaurants to prohibit serving obese people.

Wait – it gets better.

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Gone with the gossip

Last summer, animal rights activists People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) took aim at heavier women in a “Save the Whales” billboard that featured an overweight, bikini-wearing women.

The sign said, “Lose the blubber. Go vegetarian.”

The ad was taken down, but such incidents are occurring more and more. The country is enthralled by the debate of what to do about rising health care costs, and obesity is costly.

A study from Emory University concluded that by 2018, the United States should spend $344 billion on health care costs attributable to obesity alone. The costs of obesity compromise roughly 9 percent of spending; by 2018, it could be as high as 21 percent of spending.

Although campaigns such as the one at Lincoln University are going about this the wrong way, it can’t be denied that America needs to get healthier.

Eating massive amounts of fast food and various other unhealthy foods, which are easy and convenient, could wind up costing Americans a lot more then they think.

When money is tight, people tend to eat at fast food places more frequently. Cheap prices and massive amounts of food – not many struggling people would pass that up.

For many, the cost of eating healthy is simply too expensive. A University of Washington study in 2007 found that a diet of junk food options costs, on average, $1.76 per 1,000 calories. A healthy diet, by comparison, costs $18.16 per 1,000 calories.

Sadly, obesity can be a genetic problem, so it is hard to distinguish between those Americans who actually care about leading a healthier lifestyle and those who don’t.

The problem starts early in life. If Americans want to lead healthier lives, then start with kids.

Schools should promote healthier eating through healthier school lunches. That means no French fries or fried chicken nuggets.

It comes from parents showing their kids, not telling them, about eating healthier. Food habits are developed at an early age. Physical activity is more helpful than allowing kids to spend hours playing video games.

In the end, though, a healthier lifestyle can’t be forced or legislated. It’s a personal choice and ridiculous laws won’t change anything.

Instead of penalizing those who are obese, let’s try providing them the tools to lead a healthier life.

Whenever I enter a room and everyone falls silent, I immediately know I was a victim of the gossip bug.

Ever since the fingerpainting and Sesame Street days, I have despised the gossip bug, a relentless creature that sucks the life out of friendships and ruins reputations.

In elementary school, one way or another, I always found out if someone gossiped about me. It was like a game of telephone – there was always a classmate who would pass the rumors on to me.

I hated gossip so much that I used to cry when my classmates made fun of someone else. Whenever I saw two girls whispering and laughing to each other Amanda Woods in the cafeteria, I turned Asst. Campus Editor away in disgust.

High school brought even more malicious gossip.

One of my best friendships ended because of an unfounded rumor.

I couldn’t wait for college, so that I could get away from these childish antics.

That was not the case. Countless times, I’ve overheard students bashing their so-called friends over lunch in the Student Union. I’ve heard the stage whispers of people on the UB Stampede, announcing who hooked up with whom on Friday night.

It’s common to hear students giggling and making fun of someone who offers an answer they disagree with in class. They seem to think no one catches on to their rudeness, but it’s quite obvious.

Sometimes students who arrive early to a class rant about how awful a professor is, but once the professor walks in, the classroom is dead silent.

Don’t deny it. Everyone knows it happens.

But it shouldn’t. Aren’t we supposed to be mature adults? Maybe gossip is part of human nature, but for anyone who has been a victim of gossip, that’s a poor excuse. The damage it creates is hard to repair.

My friend who goes to another college is desperately trying to reunite her group of friends, which has fallen apart due to rumors and hidden grudges.

Hidden grudges are the worst kind – it irks me see WOODS page 7

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The Spectrum

February 3, 2010

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February 3, 2010

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AR T S & LI F E Important Things is appointment television

By JOHN HUGAR Staff Reporter

Important Things

A

Photo courtesy of Comedy Central

Sarah Silverman’s dirty little secret

By KATIE CASCIO Staff Writer

The Sarah Silverman Program

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Sarah Silverman’s offbeat and raunchy humor finally returns to Comedy Central.

The Sarah Silverman Program is back with a new season packed with new jokes, new attitude, and a not-so-new lifestyle.

Silverman plays a fictional version of herself who is immature, unemployed and lives in her own downright bizarre fantasy world. She has very little sympathy and the amazing ability to cause trouble by simply breathing.

Her character is absurd and crude, yet still adorable. Silverman’s odd and unsettling character drives the show and is perhaps the best part.

The premiere of season three kicks off with Silverman’s sister Laura, played

by Laura herself. In the show’s usually ridiculous way, Laura convinces Silverman that she was born a hermaphrodite in order to beseech her to “man up” and get a job to pay for her wildly unnecessary

habits, which range from organic cotton candy subscriptions to jet packs.

To Laura’s horror, Silverman decides to embrace her “inner man.” Of course Silverman takes the most ridiculous way possible to accomplish her goals, leading to massive laughs and some weird realizations.

With the second episode, the abnormal happenings continue. This time, Silverman’s craving for pancakes results in her inadvertently getting her very own children’s television show, in which she f lounces around in a pink fairy princess costume.

The idea behind the show is that children want to be entertained, not for someone to preach to them. It turns out that giving Silverman her own show is not the best thing for children, and disaster ensues.

The series’s trademark humor is back in full form. The incessant use of humor directed toward ethnicity, religion, family oriented themes and almost everything else under the sun is always great to hear.

The prominence of stereotypes

Last year, Demetri Martin, the intellectual yet accessible comic, went from relative obscurity to a household name with his Comedy Central series, Important Things.

The series is back for its second season, and if the season premiere is any indication, he has big things in store.

For those who are unaware, Important Things is a combination of stand-up, sketch comedy and animation with a unifying theme. In the premiere, the theme was attention.

Throughout the show, Martin explores this concept with numerous witty sketches and comedy routines based on it.

One of the funniest of these sketches appeared early in the show: it centered on an attentionhungry henchman who steals the spotlight from a movie villain with his incessant one-liners. The sheer absurdity of the sketch is a testament to Martin’s immaculate flair for the wacky.

Martin has a unique ability to combine the

normal aspects of life with the surreal. This is no truer than in a sketch called “Bruce the Funny Dog,” which is a skit about a dog with an unfortunate habit of wearing funny costumes during awkward situations.

If another comedian did this, it’d be easy to complain about how unrealistic it is. But that’s just part of Martin’s screwball charm; he somehow manages to be smart and broad at the same time, like a cross between Steven Wright and Steve Martin.

In addition to full-length sketches, the show features numerous clever vignettes that each last under a minute. One particularly funny sequence features Martin dressed as a giant grape after a one-night stand on Halloween. Another skit features him as a man who tries – and fails miserably – to escape an awkward moment by climbing a tree.

These vignettes serve not only to provide entertainment, but also to prevent the show from becoming too monotonous. The bits keep coming so fast that it’s impossible to lose interest. Even people with the shortest attention spans can stay tuned to dynamic comedy like this.

As clever as all these brief sketches and films are, Martin’s standup is the show’s bread and butter.

After beginning the show with a series of Mitch Hedberg-esque one-liners about the episode’s theme, he eventually brings out a set of charts see MARTIN page 9

SPECTRUM PLAYLIST We continue the run of Comedy Central shows with the Playlist. Here are some of the most hilarious songs from one of the network’s best shows, South Park.

Kanye West

“Gay Fish”

Leopold “Butters” Stotch

“I Said What, What? In the Butt” 3 Satan

“Up There”

The Boys

“What Would Brian Boitano Do?”

Faith + 1

“I Wasn’t Born Again Yesterday”

6 Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld “Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld” 7 Fingerbang “Something You Can Do With Your Finger” 8 Cartman and Jennifer Lopez

“Taco Flavored Kisses” 9 Canada

“Canada on Strike” !0 Alan Jackson

“Ladder to Heaven”

see SILVERMAN page 6

Sexuality and hip-hop

By JESSICA DIGENNARO Asst. Life Editor

Courtesy of ign.com

Mass Effect 2 is the first of two major releases for Bioware this month.

The final frontier and beyond

By NICOLAS PINO Staff Reporter

Mass Effect 2

A

Commander Shepard is back, and this time he’s got a new crew, company and enemy. Needless to say, Mass Effect 2 is going to kick interstellar butt.

With tons of new weapons to play with, planets to explore, and all-new characters on Shepard’s team, it makes sense that this game needs two discs to handle all of its phenomenal nuances.

The plot picks up right where the

first Mass Effect left off: Shepard and his crew are enjoying their victory when, out of nowhere, an unknown ship devastates the SSV Normandy, killing the majority of the crew. Then the game tosses the player into the fray, throwing in a simple tutorial along the way to aid players new to the franchise.

Players of Mass Effect have fond memories of the hours they spent on Bioware’s biggest game of 2007, and the sequel won’t leave them disappointed. Bioware has included a feature that will allow players to transfer Shepard’s data from Mass Effect into the sequel. see GAME page 7

An eclectic crowd of students had curiosity written on their faces as they made their way to the Student Union Theater Monday night for a discussion of topics seldom grouped together: homosexuality and hip-hop.

Presented by the Hip Hop Student Association and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance, Wide Open: Sexuality and Hip Hop featured a panel of speakers in a roundtable discussion of issues, including the treatment of homosexuality by mainstream hip-hop

Katie Carlett / The Spectrum

The Hip Hop Student Association and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance came together to discuss sexuality in hip-hop.

artists and hip-hop within the LGBT community.

Isaac Kramer, the president of HHSA, said the event’s idea came to him last year with the help of one of his favorite UB professors. “[HHSA] likes to do things that nobody has done before,” Kramer

said. “Professor [Hershini] Young said nobody was talking about sexuality and hip-hop, and I think it’s important to open up dialogue where there isn’t any.”

Young, an associate professor in see HIP-HOP page 6

Numbers and deadlines

By JESSICA BRANT Asst. Life Editor

In 2002, former President George W. Bush implemented the No Child Left Behind Act, which requires the testing of fourth and eighth graders each year in math and English to see if they are fulfilling expectations.

The goal is to get all students reading, writing, and doing math at their grade level. If schools miss this goal, their funding is cut and they are labeled as failing.

In some cases, schools are even closed.

President Obama finds many problems with this education law, and so do I.

Actually, I find problems with testing in general.

Several states have had to rework their curricula around a single series of exams, instead of spending time constructing lesson plans that they feel will truly benefit their students in the long run. Instead of remaining in the present, they are teaching

Jessica Brant Asst. Life Editor

to reach a deadline in the future.

Since when did progress have a deadline?

Obama wants to judge see BRANT page 6

The Spectrum

6

February 3, 2010

Hip-hop and homosexual communities have more in common than many think HIP-HOP from page 5 the English Department who specializes in queer studies, was one of the discussion’s five panelists.

Joining Young were John Jennings, a celebrated author and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Edreys “Billy Drease” Williams, a Buffalobased hip-hop artist.

Christopher Joya, the president of the LGBTA at UB, thought the speakers were good choices. “[At first] I was surprised about some of the selections because I was wondering how they would [be]

related to LGBT issues, but it worked out phenomenally well,” Joya said.

“I’m glad we had a somewhat equal representation.”

Kramer said hip-hop is a vibrant culture and he wanted Wide Open’s structure to reflect this. Therefore, clips of music videos and visual presentations of images and lyrics were selected to stimulate the dialogue.

“When the Nas lyrics went up on the screen, you could see it on [the audience members’] faces – they were all like, ‘Wow, he really said that [about homosexuals]?’ And [‘Ether’] is a really popular song within the hip-hop community, ” Kramer said.

Ashley Hirt, a senior communication major and former assistant news editor for The Spectrum, was especially surprised.

“I thought it was very enlightening,” she said. “I didn’t even think of combining homosexuality with hip-hop. I just always thought of hiphop being derogatory toward women and didn’t think of how the [members of the homosexual] community were being portrayed negatively in the lyrics.”

One particular video clip presented an emcee named Deadlee. As one of the only openly homosexual rappers in the hip-hop world, Deadlee suggested the homosexual and hip-hop communities may have more in common than they think.

“Hip-hop has always been about your struggle,” Deadlee said. “And today, I feel that the [homosexuals] are the ones who are struggling. If [rappers like] Eminem were to say, ‘I hate blacks’ or ‘I hate Hispanics’– I

think they would be dead today. It’s easy for people to hate [homosexuals] because they are the one group it’s still okay to hate on.”

Williams thinks that despite hardships, the homosexual community can still find a place between him and his peers in the music business.

“When hip-hop first started, who believed in it?” Williams said.

“Hip-hop didn’t have a penny, so who promoted it? The community of Harlem did. No movement needs much of anything at all except a purpose.”

Pointing to Susan Boyle, the British hermit turned cultural icon, Williams said it is time for the industry to embrace those who are different.

“Times have changed and now people want to connect to something real,” he said. “[Susan Boyle] wore no make-up, but she had a story and she had pipes. Now more than ever is a time to see an artist surpass all

kinds of lines.”

Kramer said that in all his years in HHSA, Wide Open was the event he was the most excited about.

According to him, Wide Open was an important event because UB is an intellectual community and it’s important to get people critiquing hip-hop culture.

He hoped that through a partnership with the LGBTA, the two groups could influence students to start thinking about the bigger picture.

“We want to provide that balance between the events that are purely to entertain and the ones that make you stand back and analyze what’s happening in entertainment,” Kramer said. “[We hope] to create a discourse to get people talking and hopefully, they will keep talking about it when they leave here.”

E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

A student’s character should be taken into consideration BRANT from page 5

Project2:Layout 1 1/18/10 8:27 AM Page 1

schools and student development based on yearly growth and would reward schools whose students improve from one year to the next, regardless of whether they are performing at grade level or not. Schools that do not make any gains would face intervention.

I say any progress is good progress.

If academic advancement is to be given any deadline, it should be a flexible one, for there is always room for improvement.

This will alleviate some of the pressure put on teachers and students who are in constant fear of

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being deemed as failures. Now teachers can have more time to dedicate toward making creative lesson plans.

Let’s face it: memorizing math problems and reciting a limited list of vocabulary simply because it appeared on last year’s assessment stifles one’s creativity, and it does not allow for personal cultivation – especially in other areas, like art and music.

Reading and math levels will plummet with a deadline because children will be unable to remember and interpret what they have read.

They will be only memorizing.

A factual overload will harm students because they will not be able to apply what they have learned in daily life. Students will not retain the information.

The old act not only puts pressure on teachers, but also on the students who feel they need to be living up to expectations that have been set for them.

All children learn at different levels – they shouldn’t be clumped into one group.

Exams like those administered in elementary and middle schools have made our culture number crazy. And the testing never stops.

Teenagers in high school dread going to their mailboxes to receive their SAT results because the number on that piece of paper decides whether they are good enough.

Supposedly.

I remember as I sat down with hands nervously clenching my number two pencils at the SAT, I thought I was going to hurl. I wasn’t sure if I prepared as much as I could have.

Then, as the instructor handed out the test, I had an epiphany. I reminded

myself that it was just a test.

A student’s potential and capability shouldn’t be determined by a number, and many college admissions officers are starting to think the same.

In fact, determining an applicant’s fate is often as simple as whether the admissions personnel ate a good lunch that day or if the NFL team in the applicant’s city played an impressive season.

And, no, I’m not kidding.

One Ivy League official confesses on dailybeast.com, “One night, I got food poisoning at a restaurant in Buffalo. The next day, I rejected all the Buffalo applications. I couldn’t stomach reading them.”

Another from an elite, small northeast college divulges, “One year I had a student with a near-perfect SAT score and straight A’s. I’d originally put him in the submitted pile, but …

I reread his essays and frankly, they were just a little more boring than the other kids. So I cut him. Boring was the only justification that I needed and he was out.”

Effects, emotions, and experiences all play a part in whether an applicant is accepted or rejected.

Is this fair? No. But I think a commitment to the ideals of a university plays an even larger role.

Numbers are going to matter.

They are always going to matter. The higher the numbers, the better the reputation of the schools and institutions. But there are some things that need to be taken into heavier consideration, like a student’s character, aspirations, talents and life story.

Those are things that define them, and no test can measure that.

E-mail: jessica.brant@ubspectrum.com

Promising and amusingly unpredictable SILVERMAN from page 5 6 Affinity Lane • Buffalo, NY 14215 >> GPS…391 Eggert Road • Buffalo, NY 14215 <<

www.CVWNY.com • 716-833-3700

throughout the program is a staple of the show, dealing with everything from race to social status. Poking fun at everyone definitely is one of the things that The Sarah Silverman Program does really well.

Drug references and sexual innuendos litter the episodes, which provide a laugh since the jokes often reflect specific portions of her rude and coarse standup comedy.

She derides everything about herself, from her Jewish heritage to her chronic laziness, and to her overly bold and semi-masculine personality.

Perhaps one of the most comical things about her is the innocent and adorable exterior paired with her potty mouth and highly offensive humor that is so shocking you have

to laugh. Her egotistical mannerisms and in-your-face fearlessness make her irresistible and addicting.

Her sister plays the straight man to Silverman’s more crazed character and it works wonders. Laura, who interacts well with her sister, is often the catalyst for Sarah’s insane plans and doings.

The new season is a promising and amusingly unpredictable comic relief from the usual politically centered late night shows. Silverman thrives on the mockery of values, morals, general goodness and decency. She manages to be both highly inappropriate and hilarious at the same time. This season is sure to provide plenty of laughs and live up to past seasons’ quality.

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

The Spectrum

February 3, 2010

7

Desire to help and mentor GREINER from page 1 Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. He was deeply committed to internationalizing the university and improving the local community.

Greiner was also responsible for developing many of UB’s on-campus apartments and residences, Simpson pointed out.

Because of Greiner’s passion for campus living, Jeremy Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies, announced that the new residence hall next to the Ellicott Complex will be named after the former president.

Following the service, guests were invited to sign a structural beam that will be part of this new building.

The construction of the William R. Greiner Residence Hall, formerly known as the South Ellicott Suites, is scheduled to be ready for occupancy by the fall 2011 semester.

Steven B. Sample, Greiner’s predecessor, recalled Greiner’s efforts to make the UB campus as studentfriendly as possible.

“Because of his love for students, he focused on humanizing the campus,” Sample said. “Bill worked hard to warm the campus up a bit.”

According to Thomas Headrick, a SUNY distinguished service professor emeritus at UB’s Law School,

Greiner was instrumental in turning UB’s North Campus into the vibrant university community it is today.

Headrick added that Greiner helped the law school thrive.

“His background in economics and law taught him that law was not an isolated discipline,” Headrick said.

Francis M. Letro, an attorney at law and former UB law student, talked about how Greiner gave him a chance, even when his LSAT scores weren’t up to par. “[Greiner] firmly believed that a C+ student with an A+ character is the kind of grad he would be proud to have as a colleague,” Letro said.

He recognized Greiner’s commitment to the students and his willingness to do anything for them. “[Greiner] considered students the lifeblood of the university and thought of us as family,” Letro said. “He really and truly cared about students.”

Headrick also recalled Greiner’s devotion to the UB sports scene.

“Many a referee heard [Greiner’s] resonant voice ring out from the stands,” Headrick said.

Muriel A. Howard, the president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, also took notice of Greiner’s undying UB spirit.

According to Howard, no one at the university bled blue and white more than Greiner.

She also attested to Greiner’s

Katie Carlett / The Spectrum

Hundreds of people signed an I-beam that will be placed at the newly named William R. Greiner Hall following its completion.

desire to help his co-workers on a personal level.

“He never said, ‘I’m going to teach you, coach you, mentor you,’” Howard said. “But he did it, every day, only in the way that a master can.”

The event featured musical performances by the UB Brass Ensemble, the Buffalo Chips, pipe major Joseph Baschnagel and vocalist Mary Kate

O’Connell, accompanied by pianist Cindy Connor.

President Simpson read a letter that Governor David Paterson sent him in remembrance of Greiner that expressed the sentiments of each of the afternoon’s speakers.

“Greiner helped to transform UB

into a dynamic public university,” Paterson wrote. “His legacy endures through his contributions to the University at Buffalo, the Western New York region and the entire Empire State.”

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

Doesn’t have any filler content GAME from page 5 For those who didn’t play the original, the sequel can be a standalone game, and a good one at that.

The plot will be tougher to pick up, but the game itself will in no way penalize the player.

Players creating a new Shepard have the option to choose a class, which will have its obvious pros and cons. For those who want to jump right into the action, Shepard’s soldier class makes drawn-out firefights much easier.

The major gripes from the original were fixed – and it shows. Shepard will regenerate health as opposed to using medi-gel to heal, which was a considerable annoyance in the original.

In addition, weapons don’t overheat this time around. Instead, the game relies heavily on interchangeable ammo. These simple improvements will leave players with little to complain about and make a stronger playing experience.

Mass Effect 2 nearly perfects the action role-playing game sub-genre.

The action in the game is fluent and never slows down. The on-the-fly weapon selection and the use of special powers, known as biotics, never hamper the game’s intensity.

The team at Bioware has obviously been working hard on over 30 hours

of dialogue contained within the game. Once again, the voice cast is incredibly strong, providing an epic experience. Thankfully, Seth Green returns as the always entertaining Jeff “Joker” Moreau.

Despite the considerable amount of dialogue, Mass Effect 2 does a great job of not having any filler content; there’s almost no fluff to this game.

For hardcore gamers, this is great, pure action, and the over-the-top intensity of firefights means little time wasted. But those who are used to a more soft-core gaming experience might find the game to be a little out of their league.

Every mission of the game feels unique and different from the last.

Spanning an entire universe, the game will show players some of the shadier sides of the galaxy, like the rave-induced space station of Omega and a multitude of collector-ravaged outposts.

Yet every planet is distinct and beautifully rendered. Bioware spared no expense to make this game one of the most beautiful on the console.

Since the player spends over 20 hours on the game, it’s certainly nice to experience well-rendered levels.

The game is a welcome mix of old and new. It takes what was great about the first and kicks in a few new features that make this game one of the best of the year.

Felt incredibly guilty WOODS from page 3 to see someone talking about a problem they have with someone else, but never addressing the issue face-to-face. How do they expect the other person to change if they never know what the problem is?

Issues like this destroy mutual trust between friends.

I’d be lying if I said that I’ve never gossiped about someone, but I felt incredibly guilty every time I did.

The mere thought of how I’d feel if someone spread rumors about me dissuaded me from bashing anyone else. In the end, gossip didn’t make my self-esteem higher; instead, it made me feel rotten.

Facebook doesn’t help matters.

I’ve heard stories about people caught in a tangled web of lies, hurt feelings and confusion because of a

single mean-spirited wall post.

The Web site juicycampus.com is clearly college gossip at its worst.

Many students are personally called out and ridiculed on the site. According to U.S. News and World Report, the site is shutting down on Friday due to economic struggles. My response: it’s about time.

Sometimes gossip enters conversations when there is absolutely nothing worthwhile to talk about.

It’s a way of passing time and maybe sharing a few laughs with friends.

In the long run, though, it’s much better to be silent than to feed the rumor mills.

No one said it better than Thumper in the movie Bambi: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

E-mail: amanda.woods@ubspectrum.com

Mass Effect 2 is a great example of what a next-generation game should be. Players can look forward to the last part in the trilogy sometime next year – but until then, Shepard has a universe to save.

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

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The Spectrum

8

February 3, 2010

‘They did not challenge each other’ FLIGHT from page 1 With the blame pointed at Renslow, who died in the crash along with 49 other victims, NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman warned the public that everyone, including Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw, had families who were mourning too.

“I believe it is incumbent upon us that as we speak about the flight crew that we’re speaking about individuals,” Hersman said. “The actions in the last minute of their lives are not representative of the whole of their lives.”

Over 100 family members of the victims of the crash attended the hearing in Washington, D.C., while roughly 30 others watched a satellite feed of the hearing at the Millennium Hotel in Cheektowaga. And it wasn’t easy.

“This is something that happened at my house and it’s hard,” said Karen Wielinski, wife of Doug Wielinski, who perished in his home when the plane crashed into it that February night. “I don’t go to the site often, no.

It’s rough.”

Members of the NTSB, including Robert Sumwalt, a former pilot, believe that Green’s expectations

will be met following their findings.

“There are no losers here,” Sumwalt said. “I think the traveling public will be the beneficiary of this outcome. We will take this tragedy and triumph from it.”

Investigators focused primarily on the actions – and lack thereof – of Renslow and Shaw.

Specifically, focus was on the lack of the two’s training on instruments in the cockpit.

Dr. Evan Byrne, NTSB performance group chair, felt that the two broke down when it came to monitoring their workload and managing it.

“They did not trap their errors,” Byrne said. “They did not challenge each other.”

Roger Cox, NTSB operations group chair, felt that in an emergency situation such as this, Shaw has the authority to override the captain and push on the controls to bring the nose down, rather then pull the controls up like Renslow did.

“I do think there was time [for Shaw],” Cox said. “It wasn’t a split-second.”

Sumwalt was surprised by the amount of unnecessary conversation occurring in the cockpit prior to the crash, which is something that he

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thinks could have resulted in clouded judgment during an emergency.

“It was almost continuous,” Sumwalt said. “I will say it was pretty much one-sided, with the captain doing most of the talking. It was as if the flight was just a means for the captain to conduct a conversation with this young first officer.”

While chatter might have played a key role in the crash, suggestions were made to perhaps assist pilots who are unaware that their aircrafts are slowing down in the future.

The NTSB suggested a slow-speed warning audible system during the hearing, something that is a very familiar suggestion to them. The board suggested the same during hearings in 2003 and 2006. The Federal Aviation Administration has never mandated such a device.

“I feel like we are in that movie Groundhog Day,” Hersman said. “It is the same thing all over again. It’s taken 50 more lives for us to focus additional attention on these issues that have not been addressed.”

Cox, who has 39 years of flying under his belt, disagreed. He warned the board that too many alerts in a cockpit could make things worse for pilots.

“If we’re going to put in a new alert we just want to make sure…they don’t wind up causing more problems,” Cox said.

Overall, over 20 safety recommendations were approved by the board due to the analysis of information stemming from the crash, including addressing issues where pilots are commuting long distances prior to flights. Hersman hopes that the recommendations evolve into more than just a suggestion.

“If the aviation industry does not take them to heart, then we’re destined to revisit them again,” Hersman said. “It should not take another 50 lives to gather the sense of urgency and the will to do it.”

Although safety recommendations have been made for passengers of future flights, family and friends of the victims still have 50 voids in their lives. And to address them, they band together, not backing down until changes are made to prevent an accident such as this from happening again.

Jennifer West, the husband of Ernie West, who died in the crash, helped with the healing process.

Prior to the NTSB’s hearing, she stopped Lyn Morris, Shaw’s mother.

She handed her a jewelry box. In it was a necklace and a piece of rubble from where Morris’s daughter’s life tragically ended.

“She’s just a mother that lost her daughter,” West said. “She’s just like all of us.”

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

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The Spectrum

February 3, 2010

9

Martin’s ascent is a very pleasant surprise MARTIN from page 5 and graphs, dedicated to subjects that people don’t usually consider in their everyday lives.

These concepts include the notion that people don’t talk about a grilled cheese unless they want one and that people would pay more attention to stop signs if they said “psst … stop,” instead. While these concepts may seem a little dry and mundane, Martin’s brilliant deadpan delivery

makes it impossible not to laugh.

Equally amusing is a stand-up bit entitled “Good, Bad, or Interesting.”

This routine is self-explanatory, as Martin takes a potential occurrence and shows how it could be good, bad or interesting based on the context it occurs in. This bit succeeds because it’s impossible to predict what the punch line will be and, like so many of Martin’s bits, it showcases his ability to extract the abnormal from the normal.

Cannot comprehend fascination PATERNO from page 3 I’ll admit that I watched the show.

It’s kind of hard to ignore something that gets more attention in American pop culture than Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.

I’ll also admit that for a short while, I was slightly entertained. I found humor in knowing that Pauly D owns his own tanning bed and frequently carries a bottle of hair gel in his back pocket. I found it funny that Mike tried starting a gas grill by igniting a bag of charcoal. And I really got a kick out of Angelina telling America she “does big things” because she’s a bartender.

But I just can’t come to comprehend America’s fascination with these people.

It seems like the goons from the shore have been starring in feature films, the way the media has rewarded them with interviews on The Today Show and appearances on Leno and Letterman. They’ve been getting so much star treatment that Snooki somehow made her way to the red carpet at The Grammy awards.

Under investigation SHOOTING from page 1 and art supplies.

“I went home at about 12:30…there was a police cruiser saying I couldn’t go down the street,” Zimmerman said.

Even though the shooting occurred directly adjacent to their own home, Zimmerman and roommate Tanya Burgos, 22, remained calm over the situation.

“It’s Buffalo. I expect things like this to happen from time to time. I don’t feel any less safe,” Zimmerman said. “It’s got to happen somewhere, but when it does happen [across the street from your house], it just makes you kind of stop and say ‘whoa.’”

Burgos, who was the only roommate in the house as the incident was going on, had little to say on the matter.

“I just saw a whole bunch of police officers and SWAT team members running around. It was kind of scary,” Burgos said. “I grew up in a dangerous neighborhood, though, and have never heard that many gunshots in a row before.”

According to the Buffalo Police Department press release, there was communication between authorities and Ocasio, who was alone on the second floor of the rear house, throughout the entire duration of the situation. The hopes of reasoning with the man lasted until approximately 2:45 p.m., when gunfire erupted and emitted clouds of blue smoke from the roof of the house.

Within 15 minutes of the gunfire, the SWAT team was then able to clear the building with a flash-bang device.

Police entered to find Ocasio dead inside with a shotgun lying nearby.

As of now, Monday’s incident remains under investigation by the Homicide Squad and Internal Affairs Division and they will have further details at a later time.

E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

It wouldn’t surprise me if she was doing cartwheels down the aisle in her birthday suit as Drake Slim and Weezy rocked out.

As if attention in the national media wasn’t enough, we feel the need to wait in elongated lines and pay ridiculous cover charges to catch a glimpse of a housemate in their natural habitat – yes, I’m looking at you, PURE nightclub.

Come on, folks. You must have something better to do than get alcohol poured down your throat and in your eye by a girl that looks like a bowling ball. I’m sure you can find something better to do with your money.

Reality television has changed American culture and Jersey Shore has added kerosene to the fire. While the American dream once consisted of a family, career and happiness, it has transformed into dreams of catching five minutes of fame by being a jerkoff on television.

Just when I thought the pompous group of fist pumpers would sail off into the sunset and fall off the map, MTV announced Jersey Shore would be back for season two.

This time around, I ask you all a simple favor. Don’t give them the attention they don’t deserve. Watch a Seinfeld rerun, put on Entourage – I don’t care. Better yet, turn on the news. We are a generation that is glued to reality television and out of sync with the world around us. The future of young America doesn’t look too bright.

Now that’s what I call a situation.

,

E-mail: joe.paterno@ubspectrum.com

Martin’s ascent to mainstream comedy has been a very pleasant surprise. In the aftermath of Dave Chappelle’s African exile, the comedy world has been forced to suffer such fools as Larry the Cable Guy and Carlos Mencia.

Now it seems the smart people are poised to take back the standup world. With a little help from Jon Stewart, an executive producer of the show, Demetri Martin has gone from a name bandied about by comedy nerds to a face recognizable in the homes of everyday Americans. For this, comedy lovers should rejoice.

E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

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SPECIAL EVENT PARKING NOTICE Cornel West DSS Lecture Friday February 5, 2010 Beginning at 3:00 P.M. on Friday February 5, 2010, the following North Campus parking lots will be closed and reserved (through 8 P.M.) for patrons of the DSS lecture: Baird A & B Lots, Slee A & B Lots, and Lake La Salle Lot At 8:00 P.M. the parking lots will reopen for the university community These arrangements conform with the Special Events Parking Plan approved by the Offices of the President, Provost, Vice Presidents, and the campus negotiating units.

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The Spectrum

10

Carpenter breaks own record SWIM from page 12 the distance events, taking the 500 and 1000-meter freestyle events with times of 4:44.03 and 9:57.29, respectively.

Schwippert set his personal best and the Reilly Center pool record in the 200-meter IM with a time of 1:56.02. He also came in first in the 200-meter backstroke (1:52.03).

In addition, sophomore swimmer Chris Berloth won the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 1:56.13.

Junior diver Kenny R hoades clinched a first-place finish on the three-meter board with a score of 285.00.

The women performed well at the outset and never looked back.

Junior swimmer Alisa Koopman started the night with a win in the 1000-meter freestyle. Freshman swimmer Caroline Simmons won the 200-meter freestyle with a time of 1:56.39. Senior swimmer Sam Palma tied SBU’s Allison Smith for first-place in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 24.98.

Other first-place finishes came from junior Jordan Deren in the 200 butterfly (2:10.52), junior Jessie Koltz in the 100 freestyle (53.44), and sophomore Alison Schirmers in the 500-meter freestyle (5:10.10).

Senior diver Meili Carpenter finished with a record-breaking dive.

Scoring 330.75 on the one-meter board, Carpenter broke her own record and set a new school record in the process.

The women’s team carried its momentum into its meet against Bowling Green on Saturday.

Buffalo got off to a quick start, winning six of the first seven events.

Senior swimmer Jessica Ballard led the Bulls in the 200-meter medley relay. Ballard combined with sophomore swimmer Brynn Marecki, Koltz, and Simmons for a first-place finish at 1:46.44.

Ballard also added wins in the 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter IM events with times of 1:53.33 and 4:29.13, respectively. She earned a season-best time in the freestyle and

a team-best finish in the IM. Just two events later, Schirmers broke her season-high in the 100-meter-breaststroke with a time of 1:06.08.

Deren grabbed a pair of wins in the long-distance events, winning the 500 and 1650-meter freestyle races with times of 5:08.51 and 17:30.96, respectively.

Freshman Katelyn Pratt-Collins won both backstroke events, beating her season-best in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:06.09.

The Bulls continued to dominate the meet. Koltz won the 50-meter freestyle in 24.04, Simmons won the 100-meter freestyle with a time of 51.33 and Sam Palma won a close race in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing in 57.85.

In the second to last meet, Ballard capped off her great day with a team-best time of 4:29.13 in the 400-meter IM. This strong finish stood out in the mind of Bashor.

“I was very impressed with how we finished the meet,” Bashor said.

“As the meet went along, we got better and that was really good.”

Bashor also recognized Ballard and Schirmers as key performers, but they weren’t the only record breakers of the day.

Carpenter broke her own school record for the second time in two days. Despite having no competition, Carpenter bested her own school record on the three-meter board with a score of 346.88.

The Bulls continue to work toward the championship meet in three weeks. Bashor cites this as the main focus as the season progresses.

“We’re looking to peak at our championship at the end of February,” Bashor said. “That’s what all of our training is geared towards.”

Buffalo will look to keep their winning streak alive as they close out the reg ular season against Toledo (10-2, 6-0 MAC) on Saturday. The meet is set to begin at 1 p.m. in Alumni Arena.

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

February 3, 2010

‘Better than we were last year’ MBBALL from page 12 on offense and seemed to get any look it wanted. Strong ball movement allowed the Broncos to take quality shots each time down the court with limited opposition from the Bulls defense.

“When you’re playing against any team, the first thing that you’ve got to do is establish the fact that you’re not going to give them easy shots at the basket,” Witherspoon said.

“Their first possession, they got an easy shot at the basket. They’re going to make some tough ones, but if they get easy ones to go along with the tough ones, they’re going to shoot 58 percent, and that doesn’t give you a chance.”

Buffalo put up little resistance on defense and was late on all of its assignments. Bronco shooters got open looks at the basket and had enough time to make smarts decisions on the offensive end. WMU had two 20-plus point scorers and received

contributions from the entire roster.

Forward Martelle McLemore snapped out of his shooting slump and went 8-for-15 and scored a teambest 24 points. He was perfect from the free throw line (4-for-4) and also grabbed nine rebounds.

Broncos’ star player, guard David Kool, underlined his place atop the MAC scoring charts. Kool didn’t look to create shots, but instead took what the defense gave him. He finished with 23 points and knocked down four 3-pointers.

WMU guard Mike Douglas didn’t miss a shot from the field and forward Donald Lawson added 11 points and seven rebounds.

On the other end, the Bulls weren’t able to get much offensive stability.

Senior guard Rodney Pierce played 37 minutes and led all scorers with 29 points, but it took him 26 shots to reach that mark. It seemed like his teammates were deferring to him, forcing him to create his own shot to propel a scoring run.

“It’s not even about [forcing shots] really,” Pierce said. “I guess that’s tough, knowing that I’m going to be the leader, but it shouldn’t even have to come down to that, really.

We [have to] play defense. If you play [defense], then you’re on a better rhythm on offense.”

Despite the bright spot on offense, the Bulls aren’t going to win many games without playing defense.

“Are we a lot better than we were last year, offensively? Yes,” Witherspoon said. “But that doesn’t [prove much]. I’m sorry the game of basketball is that way. Somebody talks about what you’re doing on offense, but if you can’t stop people [on defense], you’re not going to just outscore them to win.”

Buffalo will look to avoid a losing skid as they visit the MAC West leading Central Michigan Chippewas (10-9, 5-2 MAC) on Thursday night.

Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

A victory for Parker WRESTLING from page 12 first period, and held onto his 4-2 lead through the two remaining periods for the win. The No. 20 nationally ranked wrestler picked up his 40th career win and the Bulls’ first decision.

Buffalo lost its next two match-ups in the 174 and 184-pound weight classes. Then, junior Jimmy Hamel regained momentum for the Bulls as he upset No. 12 nationally ranked Eric Schuth.

Neither wrestler scored until the second period, when Schuth tallied one point off of an escape. Hamel flipped out of Schuth’s hold in the third period to earn an escape of his own, tying it up at one apiece. A penalty on Schuth allowed Hamel to take a 2-1 lead, but Schuth earned 1:19 in riding time to drive the match into overtime.

Both collected an escape in the first round of 30-second overtime to continue the match. The score

remained 3-3 through the next two overtimes. Finally, Hamel broke out of a hold to defeat Schuth in a 4-3 decision.

Hamel was glad that he could grab a victory for Parker.

“It felt good, it felt really good,” Hamel said. “You know, I talked to Parker before the match and he told me he had had a dream last night about me winning… so it was a big win for me personally and it felt good to win it for Parker too.”

In the 125-pound bout, senior Dan Bishop rallied for the Bulls as he captured a major decision. Bishop controlled the first period, recording three near falls and a takedown to jump out to an 11-0 lead. Following a scoreless second period, Bishop tacked on six more points to earn a 17-5 win. Bishop added four points to Buffalo’s team score, closing the deficit to 18-10.

In the 133-pound match, sophomore Kevin Smith fed off the energy created by Bishop to record a 7-5

decision. Fellow sophomore Desi Green snatched up the largest victory of the dual in the 149-pound match. The 16th-ranked wrestler achieved a 24-8 win by technical fall. Green also had 12 takedowns the most for the Bulls.

Despite the loss, head coach Jim Beichner thought the Bulls put forth a noteworthy performance.

“On paper, you know, we were probably not favored to win,” Beichner said. “[Still], I thought the guys wrestled extremely [well] and I was really proud of their effort. I obviously wish we wouldn’t have lost the match, but it doesn’t take away from the effort and the attitude.

And what I saw out there was a lot of guys fighting really hard to win the battle.”

Though the Bulls did not win the battle against the Bobcats, they did make progress in the war against cancer. According to Beichner, Buffalo plans to make Takedown Cancer an annual event, and the New York State College Coaches’ Association is expected to participate along with the other 22 programs in New York State.

Looking ahead to their next dual in the MAC, the Bulls compete at Eastern Michigan tonight. The match against the Eagles is set to begin at 7 p.m.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Disastrous downslide SANCHIRICO from page 12 They saw the continuance of a bad defensive trend. They saw the immune system continue to weaken.

In Buffalo’s last five games, opponents have averaged 86.2 points a game, many of which came from the perimeter.

And the Bulls haven’t exactly faced the sharpest shooters in the land. In fact, Ball State came into last Thursday’s game at Alumni ranked last, No. 334, in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage.

The Cardinals went 9-for-11 from beyond the arc against the Bulls’ defense, which is ranked 270th.

Buffalo’s ship can be righted, but it’s going to take a large lifesaver to rescue what’s quickly becoming a disastrous downslide.

Or else those observant eyes might be scanning a list of coaching free agents.

E-mail: david.sanchirico@ubspectrum.com

The Spectrum

February 3, 2010

CLAS S I F I E DS

11

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The Spectrum does not assume responsibility for any errors except to reproduce any ad (or equivalent), free of charge, that is rendered valueless due to typographical errors. Please call 645-2152 for any additional information.

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The Spectrum

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February 3, 2010

SP O R T S Bobcats barrel over Bulls

By CHRISTY SUHR

Kobe Bryant became the Los Angeles Lakers’ all-time leading scorer Monday night. Bryant poured in 44 points en route to passing Jerry West for the franchise scoring title. He now has 25,208 career points, all coming in a purple and gold uniform. Although Bryant had a record-setting night, the Memphis Grizzlies quietly defeated the defending champions, 95-93, and now hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Asst. Sports Editor

David Sanchirico Managing Editor

Poor view from above During every men’s basketball home game, prominent members of UB’s Athletic Department stand near Section 101 of Alumni Arena.

They watch with observant eyes as head coach Reggie Witherspoon attempts to bring his team closer to college basketball’s promise land; the NCAA Tournament.

While this group usually includes Athletic Director Warde Manuel, the AD was out of town on Monday and missed Buffalo’s game against Western Michigan.

He didn’t miss much, expect for bad defense, poor passing and a lot of missed lay-ups. The embarrassing play contributed to a 15-point defeat, Buffalo’s fourth loss in five games.

And the losses have been ugly. Very ugly.

“If your immune system is down, you get sick,” Witherspoon said. “[And] our immune system is down.”

This is the lowest Buffalo basketball has been in a long time.

With the 14th-most experienced squad in all of college basketball that came off of such a successful season, Buffalo was supposed to stay near the top of the Mid-American Conference Standings this season.

Against WMU, the Bulls looked anything but seasoned.

Passes were thrown out of bounds: one pass in particular was closer to football head coach Jeff Quinn than any of the Bulls.

An alley-oop, doubleclutch reverse layup was even attempted.

At times, head coach Reggie Witherspoon couldn’t even watch. After sophomore forward David Barnett threw an entry pass directly to a WMU player, the coach kneeled down, put his hands over his face and began talking into his hands.

Who knows what he said, but I’m sure he wasn’t commending his team’s performance. He was probably thanking that boss Manuel, who will ultimately decide his future at the end of the year, didn’t witness the performance.

All that momentum Buffalo gained from its huge win over Akron has been long lost. A 10-4 team once on top of the MAC now sits at 11-8 with followers already off the bandwagon, which was made evident by the lack of fans (1,301 did witness the poor display) at Alumni Arena.

By the 10-minute mark in the second half, many of those once-optimistic fans in attendance had seen enough.

They scurried to the exits when the WMU lead swelled to 20-plus points. see SANCHIRICO page 10

Sometimes you can lose a battle, but still win the war.

The wrestling team proved this in its home opener against the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday. The Bulls fell to the Bobcats in the conference match, but their efforts did not go unrewarded as they aided in the success of “Takedown Cancer.”

The event, which benefitted former UB wrestler and 2008 alumnus Jeff Parker, Carly’s Club of Buffalo, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., brought in $30,097.

Jeff Parker appreciated the support from everyone in attendance.

“It means a lot,” Parker said. “I love being here at UB… I’m glad that people came together for not just me, but for cancer and also wrestling. Wrestling is a sport where you don’t get a ton of

Rob Shulz / The Spectrum

While the wrestling team fell to Ohio in its first MAC dual meet of the season on Saturday, Buffalo’s “Takedown Cancer” benefit was a vast success.

spectators. It’s a good way to get people out here for a great cause like cancer.”

The Bulls (7-5-1, 0-1 MidAmerican Conference) fought a tough battle, but could not take down the Bobcats (10-3, 2-0 MAC), falling 22-17.

Senior Andrew Stella

started out the day’s competition in the 157-pound weight class. Stella went into the third period in a 3-3 deadlock with Ohio’s Clay Tucker.

Stella earned an escape with just 45 seconds left on the clock, but Tucker stole a 5-4 win with a takedown

at the buzzer.

Sophomore John-Martin Canon brought the Bulls back in it as he dominated Kevin Christensen in the 165-pound match. Canon came out strong with two takedowns in the see WRESTLING page 10

Swiss cheese D earns Bulls the L

Jose Reyes of the New York Mets says he is ready to play in the 2010 season.

The 26-year-old shortstop missed the final four-and-a-half months of last season with a hamstring injury as the Mets struggled for victories and missed the playoffs. In the offseason, Reyes had scar tissue removed from his hamstring tendon. He has made a full recovery and is now back at full speed.

Track and Field thrashes records

Senior Sports Editor and Asst. Sports Editor

It is now obvious that the men’s basketball team needs to revamp the way they approach games defensively. The losses continue to pile up and the team has now dropped to .500 in the Mid-American Conference, with their latest defeat coming Monday night at Alumni Arena.

Western Michigan (12-9, 4-4 MAC) jumped out to an early lead against the Bulls (11-8, 4-4 MAC) and never looked back. The Broncos shot 58.5 percent from the field and bested Buffalo, 85-70. The Bulls struggled defensively and didn’t have enough offensive threats to keep the game close.

“Western came in here and gave us a good old-fashioned whoopin’,” said head coach Reggie Witherspoon. “We can say that they were hot, and that’s certainly not a lie, but when they mix in shooting really well from three and getting to the basket when they want, then we have

Monday night, the Buffalo Sabres found out just how good Sidney Crosby is.

Crosby poured in three goals in the second period to erase a two-goal deficit and take a two-goal lead. After the explosive four-goal period, the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to hold off the Sabres to seal the 5-4 victory. The two teams now each have 71 points each and are fighting for the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Sabres will host the Ottawa Senators Wednesday and the Penguins are off until their Saturday contest at the Montreal Canadians.

SIDELINES

By ANDREW WIKTOR and CHRISTY SUHR

Caitlin Johnson / The Spectrum

Despite the ninth 20+ point performance from senior guard Rodney Pierce, the men’s basketball team fell to Western Michigan, 85-77 on Monday night.

some issues.”

The Broncos nailed a season-best 11 3-pointers with 50 percent shooting from behind the arc. WMU’s was also effective inside as they totaled 34 points in the paint.

WMU also displayed its dominance

on the boards and out-rebounds Buffalo 32-29.

Aside from back-and-forth play in the opening minutes, the game was never really close. WMU looked poised see MBBALL page 10

A weekend of winning

By ANDREW BELLAFLORES and JACOB LAURENTI Staff Writers

Hard work pays off.

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams proved that this weekend as they defeated St. Bonaventure and MAC-rival Bowling Green.

The men’s team (6-1, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) is on a five-meet winning streak, and the women’s team (8-2, 4-2 MAC) earned its seventhconsecutive win. The men’s team kicked it into high gear to capture a 131-110 final against the Bonnies (4-4). The women cruised to a 125.593.5 win in its meet against St. Bonaventure (1-8) and

THE BLITZ

Sean Engelhard / The Spectrum

The men and women’s swimming and diving teams continued their winning streaks after sinking St. Bonaventure and Bowling Green over the weekend.

knocked off Bowling Green (1-5) on Saturday 154-114.

Head coach Andy Bashor believes this success is the result of early preparation at the start of the season.

“They really worked hard at the beginning of the year, and I think now they are seeing the pay off,” Basher said.

“We’re just coming around at the right time. This is when we need to start swimming a little bit better [and] race a little bit faster.”

Senior swimmer Connor Vander Zalm and freshman Matt Schwippert anchored the men’s team with two firstplace finishes apiece.

Vander Zalm dominated in see SWIM page 10

The Bulls traveled to the Nittany Lions Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track for the non-team scored meet against competitors from around the east. By the end of the two-day event, the Buffalo record books were re-written after several Bulls reached new heights in school history.

Freshman sprinter Jamiee McClary continued her impressive first-year campaign after breaking two records she set earlier in the season. McClary posted a time of 7.62 in the 60-meter dash preliminaries. She topped her previous record by.14 seconds in the 200-meter dash after finishing in 24.45.

The Bulls had success in other field events. Junior thrower Matt Gac finished in second place by throwing a school record 63-8.25 (19.41m) in his third throwing attempt. Sophomore Rob Golabek also broke a school throwing record with a 59-2 (18.03m) toss in the men’s shot put, and junior pole vaulter Tiffany Maskulinski jumped 14-feet to break Laura Olsen’s school record from 2004.

“I am really pleased with their performance,” said head coach Perry Jenkins.

“We’re coming back next weekend with [the New Balance Collegiate Invitational] but I was very happy with the performances on the track”.

Bulls smash through Cornell Invitational The women’s tennis team captured three flights at the Cornell Invitational this weekend. The Bulls excelled with players advancing to four finals’ matches.

The team of junior Denise Harijanto and sophomore Aleksandra Petrova started strong with a win in the first doubles flight.

The pair captured an 8-0 win against Buknell at the start of the tournament and ended with an 8-1 decision against Binghamton to take the crown.

Freshman Kira Golenko and junior Anna Subenkova earned the doubles title in the “B” bracket, taking down Binghamton 8-5.

Golenko also grabbed a singles title in the “B” bracket. Buffalo also saw junior Diana Popescu advance to the last flight in the “A” bracket. Popescu was defeated 6-4, 6-7, and 7-5 in the finals.

The Bulls continue play on Saturday as they host Cornell at home. The match is set to start at 1 p.m. at the Miller Tennis Center.

Scoreboard

Monday Men’s Basketball Buffalo Western Michigan

70 85

Upcoming Events Wednesday Football National Signing Day Center for the Arts, 5:30 p.m.

Women’s Basketball vs. Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m.

Wrestling at Eastern Michigan, 7 p.m.

Thursday Men’s Basketball at Central Michigan, 7 p.m.