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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
Monday, March 22, 2010
Volume 59 Issue 64
An independent student publication of the University at Buffalo KEVIN SOUTHERN
NISCHAL VASANT
SHERVIN STONEY
GUILLERMO DELGADO
MICHAEL KRAICH
Photos by Rob Schulz / The Spectrum
JORDAN FRIED
DAVONTE SHANNON
YAZAN ALSAADEH
AMANDA JONAS
JENNIFER HARB
AMANDA HORN
ANIKA BARBHAM
FRANKLIN RAMIREZ
MARCUS CATLIN
YANCO ESCANO
St u de n t A s s o c i at ion E l e c t ion 2 010
The 2010 – 11 candidates gear up for a week of elections. The following is a brief introduction to who’s running.
ANTONIO ROMAN
By MATT MOSHER
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Managing Editor
The 2010 – 2011 Student Association E-board elections will be held this week. The candidates come from a diverse background of experience. The Spectrum sat down with each one and got to know a little more about them.
Nischal Vasant president, student alliance party Vasant has been active in the Senate for two years. He is currently the chairperson of the Senate and a sophomore business administration and computer engineering major. Vasant has worn many hats throughout his time at UB. In addition to working at SA, he has served as an RA in Governors residence hall, a mentor for the CSE department, and a CIT and UB micro employee. “These experiences have really defined who I am. I can look at things with the perspective of [each job],” Vasant said. “It’s important to look at things with a different perspective
and not just focus on SA.” Vasant would like to see students “champion” their own ideas and for the SA to implement these ideas and not just think about them. Vasant would like to make a much more transparent government and, as the lead decision maker, would like to make constitutional changes to the way the public views the SA. “As the chief executive officer of the [SA], it is the responsibility of the president to facilitate the execution of every thing SA does,” Vasant said. “There’s a subtle difference between facilitating execution and actually executing.”
Jordan Fried president, one party Fried, a junior political science major with a minor in economics, admits he wasn’t always the most active student, but after joining SA in his freshman year, he fell in love with the organization. He joined the Student Party last year to change what SA had become, which he says was unacceptable. As treasurer for the Student Party,
SA ELECTION INFORMATION
Sports Council President/VP: Nischal Vasant and Shervin Stoney Treasurer: Antonio Roman Delegates: Yazan Alsaadeh, Jennifer Harb, Amanda Horn, Amanda Jonas
SISH Council President/VP: Nischal Vasant and Shervin Stoney Treasurer: Antonio Roman Delegates: Anika Brabham, Amanda Horn, Yazan Alsaadeh, Amanda Jonas
International Council President/VP: Jordan Fried and Kevin Southern Treasurer: Antonio Roman Delegates: Yazan Alsaadeh, Jennifer Harb, Amanda Horn, Amanda Jonas
Academic Council President/VP: Nischal Vasant and Shervin Stoney Treasurer: Antonio Roman Delegates: Jennifer Harb, Amanda Horn, Anika Brabham, Amanda Jonas
POC Council President/VP: Jordan Fried and Kevin Southern Treasurer: Antonio Roman Delegates: Marcus Catlin, Jennifer Harb, Yazan Alsaadeh, Yanco Escano
Engineering Council President/VP: Nischal Vasant and Shervin Stoney Treasurer: Antonio Roman Delegates: Jennifer Harb, Amanda Horn, Marcus Catlin, Amanda Jonas
Guillermo Delgado president, slice party A junior political science major from Queens, NY, Delgado wants to be the voice of students at UB. “I want to be the voice of people that are afraid to speak out and I understand that UB is a very diverse group of students. I want to create the
Arts and Life ........... 5 Classifieds ............ 11 Opinion .................... 3 Sports .................. 12 Endorsements ....... 3
Shervin Stoney Vice President, Student Alliance Shervin Stoney has been an active member of sporting clubs since he came to UB. He founded the UB cross-country and track club, which, under his two-year presidency, grew to one of the largest sporting clubs at UB. The junior comparative politics major also has experience on the e-board of the business fraternity
Phi Sigma Epsilon. This year he is sports clubs coordinator and member of the senate and finance committee within the senate. “I am a resource to my clubs; I am not just a money giver,” Stoney said. “I go to the meetings [and] I give them my energy. I would [ultimately] like to see more of an integration of SA and the clubs.”
Kevin Southern vice president, one party The current president of UB Step Troupe, Southern, a junior political science major, says he loves helping out students. Southern has been an orientation aide, an RA and treasurer for Step Troupe, as well as an active member of the Black Student Union. One issue Southern is focused on is transportation for all students. “I’m here to help the student. I used to be a commuter – there’s a not-so-fancy place for them to see CANDIDATES page 8
By DAVID SANCHIRICO Managing Editor
Wale has dedicated his albums and mixtapes to both absolutely nothing (his mixtape is aptly titled “The Mixtape About Nothing”) and every topic imaginable (“Attention Deficit”). He brought it all to Alumni Arena for the benefit of a good cause. The Washington, D.C. lyricist brought his go-go elements, his catalog of mixtapes and one album to Alumni Arena on Saturday for a Haiti benefit concert. Gaining hype with his acclaimed mixtapes – resulting in numerous proclamations of the rapper’s potential to be the next great artist – Wale released his first album, “Attention Deficit,” in Nov. 2009, putting him on the proverbial mainstream music map. Olubowale Folarin, outfitted in Billionaire Boys Club paraphernalia, hopped onstage 30 minutes late, but stayed there for longer than see WALE page 4
Inside:
idea that SA is open,” Delgado said. Delgado is currently an intern for SA corporate and has outside experience working with his local state senator. Delgado would like to focus his efforts on UBGreen and would like to see things like flyers and pamphlets cut back, saying that money and resources could be saved without them. In their place, SA would upgrade to a more technological way of advertising, like text alerts. Delgado admits his platform is vague, but says it was designed that way to cater to students.
Wale and students hang out for Haiti
Dates: March 23-25 Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Location: SU Theater Remember your UB Card! Open to all undergraduate students.
SA CLUB ENDORSEMENTS
Fried, along with the party, has met several campaign promises, including 24-hour busing, which the ONE Party intends to keep fighting for. “It comes down to who has done more for the organization,” Fried said. “I want students to look at every candidate and say, ‘Who do you want to send to a room with Dennis Black? Who are you comfortable with for fighting about student concerns?’” Fried says he is willing to stand up for students and that he is not a simple “yes-man.” “I don’t want to be a complacent leader; I want to ask why. I don’t care who I [upset],” Fried said. “It comes down to working with the university so the students get what they want.”
RYAN LINDEN
THE
NEW
Tim Ho / The Spectrum
Around 1,100 people came to Alumni Arena to see Wale on Saturday.
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The Spectrum
March 22, 2010
O P I N I ON
Editorial Board Editor in Chief Stephen Marth Managing Editors Jennifer Lombardo Matt Mosher David Sanchirico
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The Spectrum’s official endorsement
The Student Alliance party leads editorial board endorsements
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 Rob Schulz, asst. Copy Editors Forrest John Crawford Meghan Farrell Laura Neese Graphics Designer Rafael Kobayashi
Professional Staff Business Manager Debbie Smith Administrative Assistant Helene Polley Advertising Manager David Vogt Advertising Designer Christopher Lonzi Web Editor Andrew Muraco
VASANT
The Spectrum is provided free by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee
MARCH 22, 2010 VOLUME 59 NUMBER 64 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.
ROMAN
HORN
After a meeting with all the Student Association candidates, asking them the tough questions on what is best for students, The Spectrum’s editorial board voted by paper ballot to endorse the Student Alliance party for the positions of president, vice president and treasurer for this week’s upcoming Student Association elections. Leading the ticket for the Student Alliance party are Nischal Vasant for president and Shervin Stoney for vice president, as well as treasurer Antonio Roman. As for the SUNY delegate positions, Amanda Horn from the Student Alliance party joins ONE Party candidates Jennifer Harb, Amanda Jonas and Yazan Alsaadeh. However, Yanco Escano, an independent SUNY delegate candidate, was tied with Alsaadeh for the fourth and final delegate post. The tie was broken after a runoff vote by the editorial board. ONE Party delegate hopeful Amanda Jonas was the only candidate to win unanimous support of the paper’s editorial board. As a SUNY delegate this year, Jonas brings a tremendous amount of seniority and experience to SUNY’s ever-changing relationship with the state government of New York. Vasant and Stoney represent not only the experience necessary to close the gap between SA and the student body, but also innovative and creative ideas to make campus a better place. As stated in their platform, they seek to continue the transparency of SA to the student body and make themselves more available to the student body as well. They will accomplish this by allowing greater access to SA’s operating budget, along with greater detail so students understand exactly where their mandatory student activity fee is going. The Student Alliance party will also mandate SA clubs to have more table hours in the Student Union and provide incentives for clubs to reach out to the student population on South Campus. Both Vasant and Stoney plan to practice what they preach in having their own tabling hours in the Student Union. Furthermore, they wish to create a new fundraising and community service database for all SA clubs to use.
Creative Directors Christopher Caporlingua Adam Cole, asst. 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. 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.
STONEY
+ L E T T E R
TO
HARB
JONAS
ALSAADEH
The pair also supports the UBreathe Free policy to designate smoking areas on campus. As for making UB more green, they plan to reuse the printing cover sheets for SA and club printing. Potential treasurer Antonio Roman of the Student Alliance party hopes to seek even greater financial transparency of SA if elected. For next year’s budget, Roman would like to include greater descriptive lines in the budget. Roman also intends to inspect the current SA budget for unneeded spending so students’ funds will be used rather than going to waste. In addition, he is already in talks with campus officials to allow credit card and debit card use on campus. As for the SA delegates Jonas, Harb, Horn and Alsaadeh are competent, diverse and incredibly enthusiastic about their respective causes. Harb seeks to solve parking and transportation issues here on campus. Jonas plans to continue advocating against SUNY budget cuts by New York as well as increases of tuition. Alsaadeh is promoting greater involvement of international students within the SUNY system. Horn, the only Student Alliance delegate, will champion environmental issues facing all of SUNY. Horn plans to encourage other campuses within the SUNY system to adopt UB’s climate neutral plan. All these delegates must prepare themselves and work together to take on New York State legislators. Effective change can only come through hard work and dedication. There is no doubt about how far SA has come in a year. All these candidates seek to continue the current trend of repairing the relationship with the student body. Each party has big, ambitious plans. But only the end results matter. Regardless of personal preference for the candidates, all of them seek to better UB at every level. The only difference is their vision of how to accomplish this. These endorsements are only recommendations to the student body. In spite of of personal preference, the key is to join the process and go vote.
You can watch Sunday’s debate and listen to interviews with all of the candidates in the multimedia section of our new Web site: http://www.ubspectrum.com
T H E
E D I TO R
Campus gardens
Better chance at establishing a campus garden To the student looking for a garden, I was at one point pressing very hard for a campus gardening project. Unfortunately, after proposing a new building in the woods for UB 2020, I made a few political enemies – in particular, the Dean of Engineering, whom decided to abruptly pull the reigns on the garden project. However, after much more politicking attempting to establish the gardens through another branch of the university, I happened to come across SPROUTS.
SPROUTS is a group of medical students in the process of establishing a campus garden. If you’d like more information you can find them on their Web site at http:// ubmedsprouts.wordpress.com/ Happy planting, Brian Borncamp Philosophy major borncamp@buffalo.edu
Calm down Saturday night was going just fine, until my fiancé came home from work and told me about the stressful incident she had just endured. My fiancé is the store manager at a local Blockbuster. A customer came storming into the store toward the end of her shift to complain about – yes, you guessed it – a $4 movie rental. Now, to offer up a little background, I worked at a Blockbuster for three years and in fact met my future wife during my time there. I have experienced every type of customer interaction you can think of, and she has as well. We oftentimes wonder what possesses people to Matthew Parrino scream at the top of their Sports Editor lungs about a movie not playing, late fees or whatever small little, insignificant detail in their Blockbuster experience that “ruined their night.” I should clear something up off the bat: I understand how annoying some things can be when renting a movie. Some people genuinely try every single trick in the book to get that stupid disc to play and to have it continue to not cooperate is beyond frustrating. But the employee didn’t sabotage your DVD. In this day and age, stress is running rampant through society and everywhere you turn, people are blowing up about everything from a burnt piece of toast to being overcharged a dollar at Target. Calm down. The first issue here is that these people are taking their anger out on someone who is rarely, if ever, responsible for the customer’s problem. In my three years at Blockbuster, I never once scratched a disc on purpose or gave a second thought to trying to make a customer’s life more difficult. Stop taking out your frustrations on customer service people who are only there because they are either in school or don’t have any other avenue to make money. The really sad part about all this is that, for the most part, employees of these companies are usually really nice and try to do everything they can to help a customer out. I know that my fiancé and I have bent the rules on more than one occasion to help out a nice person. see PARRINO page 4
A lost Generation For years, Generation Magazine was a wellestablished student publication. But the periodical had also been on a drastic decline to the point where half the reason people read it was for a section that wasn’t even written by the magazine. This is what ultimately led for Sub-Board I, Inc. to revoke Generation’s charter. In a way, this was a blessing and a curse. On one hand, a major cornerstone in the UB community had been taken away, but on the other, it had to be done before the magazine was driven straight into the ground. But as fate would have it, someone decided to turn the once coveted publication into a cesspool for pompous indie hipsters that write about inside jokes among the staff. Jameson Butler Ever since the GenAsst. Arts Editor eration was brought back into production, it has only had a handful of issues. It’s alright if you did not even know that the Generation was back in print. To this day, I still mistake it for Artvoice. There is almost no difference between the two publications. But at least with the Generation’s reinstatement, the campus will get UB’s favorite anonymous message board, the personals, back. Oh, wait – they’re nowhere to be found, leaving the students of UB very little reason to pick up the Generation. Even the “He Says, She Says” section of the magazine – formerly “I’m Right, You’re Wrong” – is just a waste of space. A pretentious Canadian and his girlfriend decide to help out the masses by giving advice – except, a kid that ate a gallon of lead paint could give out more helpful advice. The worse part about the Generation is that it’s wasting our money. There is nothing I love more than taking some bills and just flushing them down the toilet. Doesn’t this school have something better to spend money on? I mean, how about the money the school saves on not keeping the Generation? Maybe it can work on bringing some bigger acts for Spring Fest, which SA still has yet to announce. Something that I am still trying to figure out is how often the Generation gets printed. It seems they just see BUTLER page 4
The Spectrum
4
The Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music and The UB Music Department present the contemporary chamber ensemble...
SIGNAL
with Helmut Lachenmann, guest composer, in a complete program of his music Thursday, March 25, 2010 7:30pm, Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall Tickets and Info: (716)645-2921 or www.slee.buffalo.edu
LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED
5/31/10
March 22, 2010
Wasn’t deterred by the small showing WALE from page 1 an hour and brought a deep show to the audience. The 25-year-old rapper’s style and infectious lyrics kept those in attendance interested in the show with his mixtape hits and radio jams. Hands were waving during “Nike Boots,” and the crowd was rehearsing in unison during Wale’s exiting songs, which included the singles “Pretty Girls” and “Chillin’.” Those two singles left a lasting impression on the crowd: after the set, Wale surveyed the crowd and signed autographs on everything from shoes to fitted hats for his waiting fans. This wasn’t his only interaction with the fans in attendance. During a section in which Wale was covering throwback ’90s jams, the rapper got the urge to get hyphy with the crowd and sparked some energy. He jumped during “Jump Around,” and swayed with the
dancing audience during “Hip Hop Hooray.” This crowd participation was impressive, considering the crowd’s small size. Wale wasn’t deterred by the surprisingly small showing and partied with the gracious crowd when he had the chance. Despite Wale’s effort, the show wasn’t without shortcomings. The rapper was sometimes drowned out by his loud band, which added a different feel to his music but also took away from the original beats of the album and mixtapes. At one point, Wale and his hype man broke out into a baby-making music session. Though the smooth rhythms caught the females’ attentions, the session took away from the atmosphere that was built up by Wale’s earlier songs. During this session, the hype man serenaded three women from the crowd and did his best to let his voice melt the females’ unaffected hearts. While Wale took a break, the
hype man brought a limited range and had most of the crowd snoozing and dreaming of the downtown and Main St. bars. Holding the benefit at Alumni Arena also took away from the show. A crowd of about 1,100 got into Wale’s performance, but the floor and seats remained relatively empty. A different location would have resulted in a more club-like, intimate atmosphere. Wale’s effort did triumph the downfalls and showed that he’s more interested in the fans in attendance than the people who didn’t show up. In his effort to gain more radio play while maintaining his underground fan base, Wale’s mindset will result in more fanfare and success in the near future. Additional reporting by Lauren Nostro, Asst. City Editor.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Grade-A journalism
We are all together
BUTLER from page 3
PARRINO from page 3
make an issue whenever the Generation staff wants to, which happens to be about once a month. That’s what I like to hear: people taking my money and giving it to others so they can sit around and rip off other publications once a month. That sounds like some Grade-A journalism. The staff of Generation doesn’t seem to actually care about their publication. It seems that everyone over at the Generation is just trying to fluff up their resumes – which is all fine and dandy, but just don’t do it on my dime. Unoriginal content and a very unoriginal look are continuing to kill what fond memories the student body had of the Generation, and the staff doesn’t seem to even care. So thank you, Ren LaForme, for taking a great memory I had from UB and smashing it into a jelly.
On a separate note to all Blockbuster customers, stop telling everyone, “I’m going to Netflix.” First of all, the kid sitting behind the counter could care less and probably is ecstatic at the thought of you never screaming at him or her again anyway. Not only will the employees rejoice at your absence, but also the loss of your business will not solely destroy Blockbuster. I just think that it’s important to remind everyone that as corny as it may sound, we are all in this together in the end. Does the mother of four kids realize that in 10 years, her kids could be in the same position as the girl behind the counter that she’s screaming at? Step back and think about the way that you treat people in all walks of life and ask yourself if you’d appreciate the same treatment if the roles were reversed.
E-mail: jameson.butler@ubspectrum.com
E-mail: matthew.parrino@ubspectrum.com
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The Spectrum
March 22, 2010
5
AR T S & LI F E By JESSICA DIGENNARO
Alternative arrangements
Asst. Life Editor
Instead of soaking in the Florida rays last week, 20 University at Buffalo students made use of their spring break by preparing lunches for the Buffalo City Mission and collecting 200 pounds of garbage throughout the Queen City. In UB’s third annual Alternative Spring Break, selected students got the opportunity to give where they live and volunteer for seven local charity organizations. “It’s a very traditional spring break where we live together and eat together,” said Terri Budek, community engagement coordinator for the Center for Student Leadership and Community Engagement. However, the not so traditional part of ASB is that students are also volunteering together for 15 hours a day. “We’re doing [work] for the Buffalo City Mission, Vive la Casa, Women and Children’s Hospital, Junior Achievement, Habitat for Humanity, Buffalo ReUse and Catholic Charities,” Budek said. “Most people love it, but I don’t think they expect it to be as intense as it is.”
Embrace the status quo
Courtesy of Terri (Fryah) Budek
Eighteen diverse students started off as strangers and left as friends as they performed community service for UB’s Alternative Spring Break.
By JAMESON BUTLER Grade: B
Survival Story
Republic Mar. 16
B-
By GEOFFREY COOK Staff Writer
Inuit elders, uncooked caribou and bowling … oh, my. Under Great White Northern Lights follows The White Stripes as they hit the road for an extensive tour of Canada in 2007 – a country that had been surprisingly difficult for the band to play throughout the duo’s career. To make up for lost time, the group has made it a mission to play a show in every province and territory in Canada, so all the Canadian fans can have a chance to see The White Stripes. Before The White Stripes took the stage in each of the
Flobots founders Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit have composed another lyrical symposium for listeners’ enjoyment: Survival Story. Since their debut hit “Handlebars” crashed the airwaves in 2007, the Flobots sixsome has garnered much attention and popularity. The arrival of the new album brings new and uncharted issues to tackle. Jonny and Brer have taken different lyrical approaches throughout the group’s tenure; however, Survival Story’s lyrics remain very status quo. Enlisting the help of Tim Mcllrath, lead singer of Rise Against, the Flobots have brought the energy up a notch in their first single, “White Flag Warrior.” Tim’s gravelly voice gives a thicker texture to the monotonous rap style of Jonny and Brer. Sadly, this type of venturing beyond the comfortable doesn’t occur enough in the album and is too linear. “Defend Atlantis” sets the tone for the album. As the album cover suggests, our surroundings apparently occur in ‘The Day After Tomorrow.” A lt houg h topic s cover i ng see FLOBOTS page 7
see BREAK page 7
ADDING A LITTLE BLACK TO THE RED AND WHITE Asst. Arts Editor
Flobots
Budek and one other coordinator joined 18 participants and two team leaders last week to reconstruct houses, help the homeless and give back to the place they all currently call home. “We tried to get as diverse of a group as we could from different majors and different backgrounds,” Budek said. “We get a lot of international students partly because they don’t have anywhere to go over spring break, but also because these kind of experiences are not available in their own countries, so they want to get as much of them as they can while they’re in the States.” The program also attracts a number of local students, according to Budek, who believe they haven’t performed enough service in their hometown. “Some volunteers who are from Buffalo didn’t know these [organizations] existed, so it’s an eye-opener for them, and I think once they see the need, they’re very happy that they could help in their own backyard,” Budek said. To make the experience as meaningful as
small cities on the tour, Jack and Meg White would perform in a random spot in the city for free, ranging anywhere from a bowling alley to the back of a fisherman’s vessel. Emmett Malloy helmed the lens on the long trek through the great white north. Malloy does an amazing job combining the footage from the live performances and the dialogue from the interviews. The best parts of Under Great White Northern Lights are the intervals of the band on stage. It comes as no shock that The White Stripes puts on one of the best live shows, and Malloy captures it in the most candid of ways. While the band jammed
out, Malloy was able to get up close and personal, but the twosome did not even seem to notice him. This is a result of Malloy getting a lot of frames from backstage, gathering shots from behind the band as well as the front and the sides. With no cameras being shoved in their faces, the band was able to worry more about the fans and keeping it unique each and every night. The White Stripes do not have a fixed set list, in order to give each show a one-ofa-kind experience. Because of Malloy’s voyeurism, The White Stripes did not feel the pressure of being filmed. Malloy did an excellent see STRIPES page 7
Mark Valley is the Human Target By ADAM WILLMAN Staff Writer
Courtesy of Bonanza Productions
Mark Valley takes on the role of Christopher Chance in Fox’s latest live action drama, Human Target.
Mark Valley explodes into action as Christopher Chance, the unique private contractor, bodyguard and security expert hired to protect his clients in Human Target. Fox’s Human Target is loosely based on the graphic novel of the same name. Becoming the latest comic hero turned live action drama, Valley was presented with a new and challenging problem. “It sort of had a comic book feel, so there was a challenge of trying to find a way to bring a real person into this. It wasn’t written in any sort of hyper reality,” Valley said. With this new challenge at hand, Valley has
been able to draw upon his skills and utilize his former military training, especially when it comes to working in a team under strenuous circumstances. “I’ve become much more comfortable with some of the action and fighting scenes and the way Chance’s relationship with the other characters is starting to become a little bit more clear,” Valley said. “His relationship with Jackie [Earle Haley] and with Chi [McBride] is becoming a little bit more clear.” Despite being the first person cast and not completely knowing what he was getting into, Valley is finding it to be a great learning experience and creating chemistry with his coworkers.
“We are getting ready to set up a shot and we were sitting in the back, all sitting in our chairs, and the three of us started talking as actors do, and just realized, my God, we all come from completely different places in terms of parts of the country and experience in the industry and so forth, and the three of us just kind of clicked,” Valley said. While not all TV shows are able to provide a good display of on-screen chemistry, Valley believes that the relationship between McBride, Haley and himself is visible to the viewer. Valley believes it is not just the actors, but the entire staff who work well together. “I didn’t have a clear see TARGET page 9
FROM THE DR AWING ROOM
S P E C T R U M WAT C H L I S T
In the spirit of Chatroulette (we pronounce it “shot-roo-lay”), this week’s theme is Fancy France, because who doesn’t love anonymous chatting, the Eiffel tower and hunchbacks?
If you didn’t catch our live feed of the SA election endorsements, here are some films to whet your political appetite.
My Life in France by Julia Child The true story of how the legendary cook got her start, and how she went from a lonely American living in France to an international culinary celebrity. -Shane Fallon, Life Editor
Candide by Voltaire This sassy classic was a huge scandal in France when it was released and was eventually banned because of its sexual innuendo and blasphemy. Too foul? No. Too fun. -Rachel Lamb, Life Editor
All the President’s Men (1976) Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman deliver two of the best performances ever captured on film in this intensely gripping movie. Plus, it teaches the audience the most important lesson ever: follow the money.
Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) This movie gives a lighthearted explanation of why Afghanistan hates us. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Hanks do a great job of taking on their characters and really bringing the story to life. And unlike many other political thrillers, this film does not confuse the audience while building up the story.
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The Spectrum
March 22, 2010
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The Spectrum
March 22, 2010
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Lack of risk-taking
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FLOBOTS from page 5
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The Flobots can write an album with no handlebars.
chor u s e s a nd c at chy l ick s as in Fight With Tools. Instead of a triumphant return, the Flobots have managed to put out an album that’s simply
sub-par. Instead of a thriving music career, they seem to just be telling a Survival Story.
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E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Jack’s brilliance shines guitar in the band, he also plays piano and even, for certain songs, the mandolin. His brilliance as a musician shines through as he performs face-melting guitar solos and delivers near-perfect vocals on almost every song. Not only does Malloy do a fantastic job capturing their live show, he engagingly documents Meg and Jack White interacting with the indigenous people of the great white north. The time spent watching the band interact with the locals brings the very private life of The White Stripes to light. Everywhere that the Whites went on the tour, the communities embraced them and got to see a softer side of the duo. As usual Jack does most of the talking for the band throughout the
STRIPES from page 5 job during the filming of the shows to incorporate red, white, and black, the only colors to have ever been on a White Stripes album, into his shots. The events were shot in color, but also in black and white to contrast the band’s bright red color scheme. The grainy video quality of the concerts is a great complement to the raw sound fans have come to associate with the band. Throughout their time on stage, The White Stripes demonstrate the ability that has enabled them to keep playing for 10 years and put out six well-received albums. Jack White shows that he is a master of his craft as he shreds the axe harder than any other guitarist. Not only does Jack play the only
Slept in Goodyear BREAK from page 5
difference in the Buffalo community has really made an impact on the way I view certain aspects of life.” Ankita Kale, a sophomore environmental engineering major, said seeing the way many Buffalonians live put things in perspective for everyone. “Interacting with the children, teens and refugees made us realize the conditions they come from and are currently in. Their stories [brought] tears to our eyes and made us more sensitive towards people and life,” Kale said. And according to Budek, one of the most surprising things for students at the end of ASB week is always how close they get to the people they didn’t know existed just days before. “When we first entered Goodyear, it seemed like The Real World [on MTV],” Kale said. “But we were all very cooperative and considerate of [each other]. We did a lot of good work and put our best efforts into whatever we did. All in all, I would say that I had the most amazing spring break, and I am thankful to the CSLCE for giving us the best days at UB and the best of friends.”
possible, the students were given daily orientations at the organizations they would be lending their hands to, learning what resources they provide to the community and why they are needed. The group slept on mattresses in Goodyear Hall and explored the city of Buffalo during their muchneeded down time. Their work was rewarded with a trip to Niagara Falls, a guided tour of City Hall, tickets to a Sabres game and a bowling and movie night. On day six of ASB, the coordinators prepared a Thanksgiving dinner for the volunteers to show their gratitude for the group’s tireless efforts. David Molina, a senior biomedical sciences major, said that though he was volunteering, it was he who was thankful. “I can honestly say this was one of the best experiences I’ve had at UB,” Molina said. “Most students in college, I feel, see the break in March as an opportunity to do things that benefit themselves and not the community in which they live in. Doing volunteer work and making a
film, since Meg is a very quiet gal. Even in interviews with the band, Jack does 90 percent of the talking. The final scene of the film can make anyone tear up. As Jack performs the ambiguous “White Moon,” his reasons for writing the song become a little clearer. Under Great White Northern Lights does a great job portraying both the pure enjoyment The White Stripes got from giving back to fans that have been difficult to see and the musical capabilities of one of the best bands of this generation. Fans of the band can catch a free screening of Under Great White Northern Lights in the Student Union Theater on Thursday, March 25 at 7:15 P.M E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Paint a new Portrait of america in 10 minutes.
2010 Census at uB www.buffalo.edu/student/census
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
all uB students living on Campus must Complete a u.s. Census form.
hey kids,
T
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EC T B SP
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nd s
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You will receive forms from your RA/CA on Tues. March 30, 2010. Please return completed forms by April 1, 2010. • Be a part of the Change you want in America • Mandatory for all campus residents For more info: • www.buffalo.edu/student/census • 2010census.gov
You s . hould go there. Now Seriously. Go there right now. NOW!
we can’t move forward until you return your survey.
Issued November 2009
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government policy surely reign supreme, Jonny and Brer’s lyricism and chemistry collide interestingly on the track “Whip$ and Chain$”. A comment on vanity, they remind listeners that in today’s society, “It’s not who you are, but who you wear this day.” “Good Soldier” is a nice melodic stray from what Flobots fans have come to expect. Mackenzie Roberts’s voice and musical talent really shine through. Although in past albums she’s remained very much in the background, it’s nice to hear her featured more prominently. Where t his a lbum misses the mark is in its lack of overall adventurousness and risk-taking. There simply aren’t as many great
The Spectrum
8 Visit the new
Election starts March 23
UBSPECTRUM.COM today (tomorrow, too.)
CANDIDATES from page 1 lounge in,” Southern said. “I’ve been involved in so many things and been in so many departments that I know I can advocate for these students and work on their behalf.” Southern would like to work with the NFTA to issue bus passes for all students and also plans to build a better relationship between SA and clubs.
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“I’m a pretty decent guy, pretty well cut out for the job,” said Michael Kraich, a junior architecture and computer science major. Kraich has been an RA and says he has the experience to bring people together. Although Kraich has never worked for SA, he says that won’t affect his ability to perform the job.
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The Northeast LGBT Conference (NELGBTC) is an annual conference working to unite our diverse community through education, activism and networking.
Sh(out): Celebrating Self, Creating Community 2010 Vision: The NELGBTC aspires to empower LGBTQ and Ally students to become informed advocates at their institutions. Through education and activism around LGBTQ issues, students will lead the movement to strengthen LGBTQ student success and community advocacy; and engaging in a collective experience will mobilize student voices and identities to guide positive growth.
April 16 - 18, 2010
March 22, 2010
“It’s never a bad time to make friends. We all have a common goal, and we just want to do the best for our schoolmates,” Kraich said.
Antonio Roman treasurer, student alliance Antonio Roman has been with SA for two years, starting at an entrylevel position and working his way up to assistant treasurer of the SA, a job that he loves. “I enjoy waking up and knowing that I’m going to work in finance for the SA and work with the people that I work with,” Roman said. Roman says he is very approachable and reliable and wants to refine the budget by cutting wasteful spending and putting more detailed descriptions into the expenditures to make the budgets more reader-friendly. Roman would also like to focus on turnaround time of encumbrances within SA. “A lot of clubs have [complained] about the [fact that] it takes a tremendous amount of time to receive money they have raised … or money to buy equipment,” Roman said. He would like to merge the system between SA and Sub-Board to eliminate extra steps and speed up the services.
Ryan Linden treasurer, one party Linden, a junior accounting major, has been working as a bookkeeper for SA, where he works closely with current treasurer, Jordan Fried. He says what attracts him to the position of treasurer is the ability to stand up for students and the power to make change. “I won’t take no for an answer from the administration. I want to make sure that the mandatory activity fee is going to every student,” Linden said “We have over $4 million. I want to make sure that there is a significant amount of money that’s going to student needs all around this campus.” As the vice president for Alpha Epsilon Pi, a member of the accounting honors society and leader of the free tax preparation service, Linden feels he is well equipped to handle the SA budget.
Yanco Escano delegate, independent The only independent candidate, Escano, a sophomore business major, says he is well qualified for the job and gets satisfaction from it, whether he’s volunteering in a soup kitchen or participating in student clubs. “I enjoy working within SA and working with the students,” Escano said. “I know the staff there, so from day one I can get things running smoothly and efficiently. I have the connections needed to get the job done.”
Marcus Catlin Delegate, Student Alliance
Conference Registration (individual or group) Early bird deadline: March 31st Institutional Showcase – Time to show off! Registration deadline: April 9th
Catlin, a 19-year-old sophomore political science major, joined Student Assembly his freshman year. He’s been working on amendments to give the assembly legitimacy. Currently, Catlin is an academic assistant in the residence halls and is involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters. According to Catlin, he is running because he believes there are things wrong with the student government and believes information on SA stipends should be public. “I have fought for student issues on our own campus, and I can take it to the SUNY level as well,” Catlin said.
Franklin Ramirez delegate, student alliance
REGISTER TODAY www.nelgbtc.com
Ramirez’s concentration is on the budget cuts and campus dining halls. The 19-year-old sophomore accounting and Spanish major from Newburgh saw the budget cuts almost result in the removal of Dr. Craig Centrie, one of his professors from the Latino Studies department. He wants to prevent these cuts from resulting in more lost professors and lost classes. He believes that the party members, unlike previous SA administrations, are not running to boost their résumés, but rather that the party is sincere in its promises and wants to get things done while
representing the students.
Amanda Horn Delegate, Student Alliance Horn, 19, is currently a member of the Student Assembly who helped with SA’s newly formed Environmental Department. Though just a sophomore, Horn, who transferred from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, believes that her work experience with just a semester at UB under her belt speaks for itself. “Imagine what I can do in a year as a SUNY delegate,” Horn said. “I’m driven enough and I’m going to be here for another two years, so as a SUNY delegate, I can make an even bigger impact next year.” Horn is a communication major who believes she’s adept at relating to students on a one-on-one level. Her main concentration is environment and green policy.
Anika Brabham Delegate, Student Alliance A junior psychology major, Brabham is currently an intern at SBI Health and Education and deals with students’ personal and health issues. With her personal skills, she feels that she can tackle education issues that affect every student. Brabham has already contacted 62 senators statewide and has all of their contact information. The purpose of this was to reduce the damage of the SUNY budget cuts on all SUNY students. “[Students] are angry about the SUNY budget cuts and I feel that I’m the one who can be that voice to tell Albany that we should not have to pay for its mistakes,” Brabham said.
Jennifer Harb Delegate, ONE Party When she first started at UB, Harb was not particularly involved in UB, choosing instead to focus on her biomedical sciences major. However, in three years, she’s gone to the other extreme, becoming remarkably involved in campus life and taking on a number of leadership roles. “I planned UB Gettin’ Dirty and I’m doing it again this semester … and basically I created the listserv to get the information out to all the clubs,” Harb said. “I coordinate the volunteers for a lot of events that happen on campus … I’m [also] on the UBreathe Free committee [as] the only student representative.” Harb believes that she will effectively bridge the gap between students and administration.
Amanda Jonas Delegate, ONE Party Jonas is the most experienced of all the delegates, having served in this position during the 2009-10 school year. She helped make 24-hour busing a reality and has made connections with President Simpson, Dennis Black and Gerald Schoenle. “I’m running because I care. I am pre-law, I have an internship, I’m busy on and off [campus], but the main important thing for me is to fight for students,” Jonas said.
Yazan Alsaadeh Delegate, ONE Party Alsaadeh, who hails from Amman, Jordan, is intent on making it easier for foreign students to become involved at UB. He is also concerned about campus safety and transportation. “Giving better services to the students will make them better students,” Alsaadeh said of his motivation to run for office. He hopes to make SA more accessible to all students.
Davonte Shannon delegate, one party Shannon is best known for his position as a safety on the Buffalo Bulls and feels that the lessons he’s learned on the field will prepare him for the delegate position. “I think I display all those leadership qualities that [are] needed to run a position like this. Myself being a captain of young men on a football team, I know what it takes to get things done,” Shannon said. His main focus, if elected, will be bridging the gap between SA and athletics. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
The Spectrum
March 22, 2010
9
Courtesy of R.P . Films
Polanski does politics By JOSH Q. NEWMAN Staff Reporter
Grade: B Roman Polanski’s new movie, The Ghost Writer, is the esteemed director’s first foray into global politics. The result is a well-balanced mix between a Hitchcock thriller and 1970s conspiracy theory movies like All the President’s Men and The Conversation. The movie, based on Robert Harris’s novel The Ghost, dives into contemporary politics. The film particularly focuses on the sanctioned use of torture with a weird ease that Polanski has made famous. The director has a knack for making the seemingly normal into tense, cryptic milieus that take a painfully long time to sort out. Like religion in Rosemary’s Baby, water in Chinatown and the Holocaust in The Pianist, global political issues are taken to extremes. It has a strong message for a thriller, and Polanski uses it to both preach and parody contemporary issues. In the movie, an unnamed ghostwriter (Ewan McGregor, Amelia) is hired by former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief ) to revise his highly anticipated memoirs. Lang is embroiled in a scandal involving the kidnapping and torture of four terror suspects and is subsequently accused of war crimes by his former foreign minister, Robert Rycart (Robert Pugh, Suicide Man) The writer, who has no political ties and is only doing the project for the money, is the replacement of another ghostwriter who drowned near Lang’s Massachusetts estate. As the scandal materializes into something more serious, the writer becomes suspicious of his predecessor’s death and does some investigations of his own – leading, of course, to sinister findings about Lang’s beginnings and possible connections with the CIA. Though the names are different, Lang is obviously based, painfully so, on Tony Blair. Lang’s wife Ruth (Olivia Williams, Sex, & Drugs & Rock & Roll) is either based on Blair’s wife Cherie or Hillary Clinton – perhaps both. The movie doesn’t
exactly attempt to cover up the representations, but they are so severe that it might as well have been historical fiction. Of course, the plot is mostly poppycock. Its main contention that the International Criminal Court could try a British prime minister is bogus. There is one thing about international law that makes it so tough to enforce: without solid evidence that a specific group of people perpetrated war crimes on an astronomical scale, there is little chance of justice, a major theme tackled in the film. That’s not to say, however, that George W. Bush, Tony Blair or Adam Lang is a war criminal. The term is used a lot in the movie but convinces no one. Polanski gets into the politics of torture, but establishes a standard: waterboarding is unequivocal torture and anyone who ordered a terrorist to be transported and viciously interrogated should go to jail for life. Global politics are a complex organism that Polanski is only somewhat successful in expounding. He makes a liberal case when he should make an objective one. Despite this, The Ghost Writer is very good. What makes the thriller work is its pseudo-Hitchcockian flair. With the nervous tension, attention to detail, throbbing music and broad sense of humor, Polanski obviously had the master of suspense in mind when making the movie. The performances were solid as well. McGregor plays the writer without much of a personality, which is actually a good thing, due to the nature of the story. Brosnan plays Lang with a suave and sinister confidence without overdoing it. Other bit parts, such as Lang’s personal secretary, Amelia Bly (Kim Cattrall, Sex and the City), and the crusty Rycart, stood out for the relatively small time they had on screen. There’s also a cameo by a very famous British actor to watch out for. The Ghost Writer gets down and dirty, and dives into global geopolitics with thrilling but not exactly convincing results. Polanski is a master of cinema. It’s too bad that this time around, he is not a master of understanding how the world works. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
Final episode will provide a treat TARGET from page 5 vision of how it would be … I went into it with an open mind thinking this is going to be exciting as to how it’s going to come together … it is sort of a collaboration in some ways where everybody’s influence is, kind of, if not heard, then it’s felt and it’s reacted to and the end product is something that everybody feels a part of,” Valley said. For Valley, the role of Chance wasn’t completely clear right from the get-go. It wasn’t until he dove into it and started getting some hands-on work that his understanding of Chance came to a head. “I think when it really clicked for me was probably the episode ‘Rewind,’ where we didn’t have a lot of big pieces going on. It all took place in an airplane and you got an idea of, okay, very simply, this is something that has to get done in this plane,” Valley said. For longstanding fans of the
show, Valley promises that the final episode of the season will provide a treat. “Baptiste comes back. Amy Acker shows up and plays this one character who is very pivotal in Chance’s past … She was sort of the catalyst for his ultimate change into becoming Christopher Chance. Lee Majors is in that episode. Armand Assante plays Chance’s old boss. There’s a couple major confrontations there,” Valley said. “I think what’s fun is [that] Jackie Haley and I have our first fight. Even though it takes place in the past, … you can see the roots of their relationship and why they have such a trusting bond as well.” Mark Valley has completed his transformation into the one and only Christopher Chance, so make sure to tune in and watch him kick some serious butt. Human Target airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on FOX. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
UFC111_Suny_at_Buffalo_NY014.indd 1
3/15/10 2:38 PM
The Spectrum
10
UBSPECTRUM.COM It’s new! It’s terrific! It’s UBSPECTRUM.COM!
passed ball to tie the game at five runs apiece. In the first extra frame, the Bulls capitalized on sloppy pitching by Oakland to secure their eighth win of the season. Senior Jaime Sheffler led off the inning with a single and advanced to second base on a throwing error. Sheffler made her way home after pitches hit a series of Buffalo batters, ultimately giving Buffalo the 6-5 win. Senior Sharon Barr threw a complete game in the win, striking out
... and it’s terrifically new.
Graduate Degree Programs
Graduate Open House
MAC from page 12
April 17, 2010 Niagara University Campus Lewiston, NY 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Want a degree that will make a difference in your life? Then check out the outstanding graduate programs at niagara.edu/graduate. Master of Education The area’s only private university that’s both NCATE accredited and recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Training. Niagara offers programs in Teacher Education, Educational Leadership, School Counseling, School Psychology, Mental Health Counseling, Special Education and Literacy. Master of Business Administration With a nationally acclaimed faculty, practice-oriented curriculum and AACSB accreditation, Niagara lets you complete your MBA in as little as 16 months with convenient weekday evening or Saturday classes. Master of Criminal Justice A traditional master’s program and the area’s only five-year BS/MS program in Criminal Justice Administration lets Niagara meet the needs of both incoming freshmen and working professionals. Master of Arts-Interdisciplinary Studies An innovative curriculum that crosses traditional disciplinary boundaries and allows each student to design his or her own degree. If you’ve always wanted to pursue a master’s degree but have been unable to find the right program, we can help you meet your goals.
To see how Niagara can make a difference in your career, visit www.niagara.edu/graduate 1.800.462.2111 e-mail admissions@niagara.edu
six while only giving up four earned runs. It wasn’t Barr’s best outing this season, but her eight strong innings got the job done for the Bulls. The Classic continued, but game two ended without another Bulls victory. Buffalo sent junior pitcher Kate Kraus to the mound in game two against host school Coastal Carolina to make the first Division 1-A start of her career. Kraus struggled in the debut outing and yielded six earned runs in just four innings of work. The Chanticleers feasted off Buffalo pitching, accumulating 13 hits on their way to the 9-1 win. Coastal
Carolina exemplified a balanced effort as each Chanticleer in the starting lineup accumulated at least one hit. Franich went 1-for-3 in the game and recorded the Bulls’ lone RBI. The rest of the Buffalo offense was stagnant all game, collecting only five hits in the loss. Buffalo continued play at the Classic against Sacred Heart (8-8) and Houston Baptist (7-14). For coverage of these games, check Wednesday’s edition of The Spectrum. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
Creates largest conference in college football
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Game two ended with no victory SOFTBALL from page 12
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March 22, 2010
Temple joined the MAC in 2007. Since then, the Owls have brought excitement to the conference: the team tied for first place in the MAC East in ’09, and many remember the Bulls’ last-second Hail Mary that won Buffalo the game on Sept. 13, 2008 against Temple. The addition Western Kentucky would create the largest conference in college football and could also help resolve some scheduling conflicts.
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MESLER from page 12
S: Was the training from your track and field career similar to your training now as a bobsledder, or is it totally different? SM: It was very similar. It crossed over really easily for me. It’s a lot of sprinting — all short sprinting, under 90 meters (30, 60, 90 meters). It’s a lot of lifting, a lot of [plyometrics], a lot of bounding, hurdle hops, cleans, RDLs [Romanian dead lifts], stuff like that.
faculty & student
S: After the initial push and hop into the sled, what was your job while the driver guided the speeding bobsled down the track?
being a student or faculty saves you 10%* at
the NCAA Tournament. If Temple and WKU joined the MAC, this would make the MAC men’s basketball regular season more competitive and would also open the doors for Buffalo to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Officials from Temple and W KU did not ret urn phone calls to The Spectrum. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
‘I can enjoy what I’ve done’ then you’re thinking about it all the time and you’re feeling too much, so you go to work. You absorb things when you can, but it’s two weeks of work for us.
Education That Makes a Difference
Currently, the MAC has an uneven amount of teams (13), making scheduling difficult and team distribution between the two divisions uneven. Aside from making the football conference larger, the addition would add depth and skill to the basketball league, too. WKU has been to two of the last three NCAA Tournaments, and Temple is coming off its third-straight Atlantic 10 Tournament championship. The Owls won 29 games this season and were rewarded with a No. 5 seed in
SM: Our job in the sled is: we have different aerodynamic positions that we put ourselves in on the way down. You have to flow with the sled as you go around turns — the best analogy is being in a car and you’re in the passenger seat. If someone takes a hard left-hand turn, you get pushed into the right side door. Well, if that happens in a sled and the driver takes a left-hand turn and you all crash into the right side of the sled, you’re going to skid because you’re on the ice and lose time from the skidding. So we actually have to flow with the sled as it goes around the turns. S: Were you worried at all after seeing the unfortunate death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili in a crash? SM: No, it was just sad to see. We weren’t worried about that. From our standpoint, you can’t think about it. You mourn it for a day and then
you have to put it out of your head. S: Now that you’re back, what’s it been like? You dropped the puck at the Sabres game on March 10. SM: It has been fun. The Sabres game thing is something I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid, so it was very cool. Hopefully I got some good pictures. We went down in the locker room afterward and met the players — they had a day off the next day … it was a good time. S: I’ll get you out of here with this question: What’s next? Thinking about a repeat in 2014? SM: For the first time in my life, I actually don’t have to look four years down the road. I don’t have to look ahead; I can just enjoy what I’ve done and not really worry about down the road yet. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
Sports betting can become a nasty habit WIKTOR from page 12 money on the line, watching out of town games becomes fun, but is it worth the risk? I’m not talking about the chance of picking the wrong team – which can easily happen if you watched Ohio top Georgetown – and losing $40. In fact, I’m more concerned with the contrary – the risk of winning.
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Once you’ve won that first bet, it’s hard not to think about the next game you can wager on with the extra money you’ve just “earned”. Before you know it, you’re checking the spreads of every major game and doing research on athletes whom you’ve never even heard of. Instead of innocently following sports like you did when you were a kid, you’re now
staring at the television anxiously tapping your foot on the floor because the game that was supposed to be a blowout is unfavorably unfolding (cough Northern Iowa v. Kansas). The money Mom and Dad sent for groceries was riding on the outcome of Sunday’s Syracuse-Gonzaga game. Do college kids participate in Fantasy leagues because they want to know what it feels like to manage a professional team, or is it an excuse to stay on top of the ever-changing statistics? Whether you’re winning or losing, sports betting can become a nasty habit. If you make a few good picks and win some easy money, it can become difficult to stop gambling. Once you’re down, you find yourself trying to get out of the hole by finding the next big winner. And as we’re stuck watching the national tournament with no team to support, it’s easy to try to find a cheap thrill to make the games more interesting. Unfortunately, that cheap thrill can turn into an expensive debt.
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E-mail: andrew.wiktor@ubspectrum.com
The Spectrum
March 22, 2010
CLAS S I F I E DS HELP WANTED ATTENTION YOUNG WOMEN ages 18-19 years! The University at Buffalo Research Institute is looking for young women ages 18-19 to volunteer for a study of teen alcohol use and social behavior. Earn up to $50 for answering questionnaires and participating in an interview. Confidential. Please call 887-3344 for more information. SPRING-SUMMER JOB Openings. LASERTRON Entertainment Center is currently hiring for Go-Kart operators, servers, referees & general customer service. Candidates should be available this spring, summer & possibly beyond. Working at a fast, detail oriented pace & having excellent customer service skills is a must. Starting at approximately $10.25/hr, must be available nights & weekends. Stop in & complete an application at LASERTRON, 5101 North Bailey Avenue, Amherst, NY. EXOTIC DANCERS: unique opportunity full and part-time. Work at a professional upscale club and earn big $$$$. 18+ call today and start earning tomorrow, 716-681-2280.
APARTMENT FOR RENT 1,3,4,5,6,7 & 8 BEDROOM homes available. Go to daveburnette.net or call Dave @ 716-445-2514. PRIME LOCATIONS: Winspear, Northrup, Merrimac, Tyler, Englewood & more! For 2 to 10 people. Many in excellent condition! Experienced landlord lives in the neighborhood. Call Jeremy Dunn (585) 261-6609 or jgdunn2@msn.com. T H A N K F U L LY, W E H AV E a home for you! www.luxuryaptswny.com/ub. 32 REMODELED APARTMENTS to choose from. 3,4,5,8 bedroom apartments located at University Buffalo Main Street campus off Englewood beginning June ’10. $250 to $275 per bedroom plus utilities. Washers & dryers included. Contact brad@bufapt.com, 301-785-3773, or Shawn 716-984-7813. Check out our website: www.bufapt.com. 3 & 4 BEDROOMS. Newly renovated near UB South & North, 510-5517, 884-1727.
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CLASSIFIED ads may be placed at The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union, Amherst Campus. Office hours are from 9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Deadlines are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00 for display and 2:00 p.m. for classifieds for the next edition. Weekly rates are $10.00 for the first ten words and 75¢ for each additional word. All ads must be paid in advance. The ad must be placed in person or send a legible copy of the ad with a check or money order for full payment. No ads will be taken over the phone. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit any copy. No refunds will be given on classified ads. Please make sure copy is legible. 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.
3-BDRM UPPER – Lisbon, large rooms, modern kitchen & new bath, appliances, laundry, security, parking, new windows, walk to campus, 583-4202.
HEATH & MINNESOTA. Totally renovated 3-4 large bedrooms, 1.5 baths & off-street parking. Appliances included, stove, refrigerator, washer & dryer. Available June 1st, 716-570-6062.
4-BDRM UPPERS & lowers. Minnesota & Lisbon, large rooms, modern kitchens & new baths, a p p l i a n c e s , l a u n d r y, s e c u rity, parking, new windows, walk to campus, 716-568-1600.
MERRIMAC 3,4,6,8 bedroom updated kitchen, bath, dishwasher & laundry. $270 per person. Available June 1st, 716-308-5215.
5-BDRM UPPER – Minnesota, large rooms, modern kitchen & new bath, appliances, laundry, security, parking, new windows, walk to campus, 716-568-1600. DARTMOUTH/ 2, 3 bedroom -***Great condition!*** Free laundry, all new kitchen/ bathroom, steel appliances, dishwasher, whirlpool tub, well-insulated, off-street parking, June 1/ yr lease, #432-9052. 2-BDRM APPLIANCES, carpet, $495+ walking distance to South Campus. 884-7900. C L E A N S PAC I O US 3/4 - b d r m duplex 1 mile from N. Campus. Newer appliances including dishwasher, microwave, washer/dryer & plenty of off-street parking. Rent includes cable, high speed internet, water & garbage. $1000/ month 1 yr. lease. Begins 6/1/10. Call Tony 716-510-3527. LISBON NEAR MAIN, large well kept 3 bdrm upper & lower with, appliances. Includes dishwasher & laundry, WDMSC. Available June 1st. 716-864-4696.
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UNIVERSITY SOUTH – 2-bdrm lower, appliances, basement, yard & parking, $525.00, 716-479-5211. “ M E R R I M AC , E N G L E WO O D , Heath, Tyler, Winspear. We still have the nicest homes available on south campus! Plasma! Whirlpool Tubs! New everything! O/S Parking, WDMSC, w/w carpet, 10 homes to choose from. Call 716-208-4308 or www.UBRENTS.com” BAILEY NEAR UB South Campus. 1-bdrm all utilities included. Available now! $500. Call 716-835-9000. NICE 3-BDRM lower, Custer. Carpeted, partially furnished, appliances, low gas bills, good closets, washer, dryer, porch. June 1, $700+, 833-4362. 4-BDRM. GREAT layout, large rooms, hardwood floors, parking, laundry & security system, $250/ person + security, 716-578-5296. 4-BDRM. GREAT layout, large rooms, hardwood floors, laundry & security system, $265/ person + security, 716-830-3226.
4-BDRM & 1-BDRM. Owner pays utilities. Large rooms, off-street parking, appliances & carpeted. 716-984-6970
1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM apartments. Walking distance UB South Campus. Tom – 716-570-4776.
MAIN AT 2 UNIVERSITY Avenue. 1-bdrm, $500, parking, includes all. Available May. Ron1812@aol.com.
ENGLEWOOD, 4,6 & 7 bedroom apartments. All have kitchens with dishwasher & garbage disposal, baths, (some with two baths), dining room, living room, & wall-to-wall carpeting. Call 716-688-6497 for show time.
HOUSE FOR RENT RonYoung.com. HOUSES, apartments, pictures, room sizes. Ron1812@aol.com, 833-6322. 1,3,4,5,6,7 & 8 BEDROOM homes available. Go to daveburnette.net or call Dave @ 716-445-2514. PRIME LOCATIONS: Winspear, Northrup, Merrimac, Tyler, Englewood & more! For 2 to 10 people. Many in excellent condition! Experienced landlord lives in the neighborhood. Call Jeremy Dunn (585) 261-6609 or jgdunn2@msn.com. 9, 8 & 7 BEDROOM very large houses – Lisbon & Minnesota, modern kitchens & baths, a p p l i a n c e s , l a u n d r y, s e c u rity, parking, new windows, walk to campus, 716-568-1600. “MERRIMAC, MODERN 5-bdrm house, behind Greeks & Sneaks, large & modern, carpet, $320.00 per room includes all utilities & appliances (stove, fridge, washer & dryer), parking, available June 1, 445-4747.” HEATH, ENGLEWOOD, Minnesota – steps from Main St., 3,4,5 & 6 master bdrms, 2 full baths, free stove & fridge, washer & dryer, offstreet parking, $225 - $275. Available June 1st. Hurry the good ones go first! 716-570-6062.
FAMILY/RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS? Conserving time, money, relationships
--PAUL D. PEARSON-ATTORNEY/MEDIATOR Widely recognized and experienced in all Family - Matrimonial Law and Relationship Mediation matters. Problems usually resolve without litigation
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MERRIMAC & HEATH, 3,4,5,7,8 bedrooms. Dishwasher, free laundry & parking, $275/ pp, 870-8100.
“ M E R R I M AC , E N G L E WO O D , Heath, Tyler, Winspear. We still have the nicest homes available on south campus! Plasma! Whirlpool Tubs! New everything! O/S Parking, WDMSC, w/w carpet, 10 homes to choose from. Call 716-208-4308 or www.UBRENTS.com”
4 OR 5 BDRM. Absolutely gorgeous, w/w carpeting, 1 + ½ baths, new windows, furnace, security system, stainless steel stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, washer/ dryer, off-street parking 4-cars. Must see! $335 person + utilities, Gino 830-1413.
SERVICES CityA1DrivingSchool.com. Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5 hrs class, $30.00, 716-875-4662.
UNCLASSIFIED (misc.) REWARD – DELL LATITUDE D630 laptop computer. Accidentally taken from the front seat of a blue Ford Explorer 3/15/2010. $500 cash!! No questions asked. 998-7324.
James Lesinski D.D.S. Gentle Dentistry Near the North Campus
691-4470 www.gentledentistwny.com
The Spectrum
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March 22, 2010
SP O R T S Luck of the Irish By CHRIS LAW Staff Reporter
Andrew Wiktor Senior Sports Editor
Gambling ramblings It’s that time of year again. Well, for some. After selection Sunday, 65 colleges around the nation were buzzing about the Big Dance as beloved basketball teams throughout the country began making preparations to push towards an NCAA Championship. As the harsh winter fades here in Buffalo, students were left to get drunk on St. Patrick’s Day, trying to forget about the Bulls’ abysmal MAC Tournament performance. Tournament games started Thursday and instead of cheering on the Bulls, UB basketball fans were left following out-of-conference games that hold little significance to us. But some have “made it interesting.” Brackets can be found all around colleges and universities, throughout professional offices across the country and are easily accessible on the Internet via Yahoo!, ESPN or CBS – just to name a few. Since Selection Sunday, I was invited to partake in five different bracket pools, not including the competition found in Wednesday’s issue of The Spectrum or the numerous challenges that I received on Facebook. I wouldn’t, however, consider these pools gambling. Much like buying squares on Super Bowl Sunday, filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket is more like a crapshoot. Spending $5, $10, or even $20 to make the six rounds of March Madness more interesting – especially to UB fans who have no real stake in the tourney – is perfectly understandable. But there are students who can’t fight the temptation of placing bets throughout the year. Today, college kids are only a few clicks away from choosing a parlay that could be the difference between eating the following week or filling up their car with gas in order to get to class. ESPN airs sports show after sports show with countless analysts and experts spitting out interesting statistics that can help decide which team is a better pick that night. The Internet also helps keep us intimately connected to professional athletes. We’re up to date on player injuries, off-the-field conduct, and conflicts within the locker room. With all of the information so readily available, some savvy college sports fans have found an easy way to make a quick buck. For some, it’s almost too easy. They’re able to take their love of sports and use knowledge and intuition to make educated predictions. With see WIKTOR page 10
Rob Schulz/ The Spectrum
Junior Kate Kraus made her Division I-A debut in the softball team’s 9-1 loss to Coastal Carolina.
On the heels of St. Patrick’s Day, the softball team needed to borrow some luck from the Irish to capture a win down in Myrtle Beach, S.C. at the Coastal Carolina Classic. In the first of five games at the Classic, the Bulls (8-16) needed a little help from their opponent to squeak past Oakland (8-18), 6-5, in extra innings. Buffalo’s luck ran out in the next game as the Bulls fell behind early to Coastal Carolina (12-13) and dropped the contest 9-1. Buffalo and Oakland battled back and forth for six innings until Oakland put together a rally in the top of the sixth inning. Two Golden Grizzlies reached base and
both advanced on a fielder’s choice. Junior outfielder Alyssa Deacon stepped up and knocked an RBI double to left centerfield to break the tie and put Oakland ahead 5-4 with just two innings to play. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bulls comeback began as freshman outfielder Taylor Franich turned on the jets to get Buffalo over the hump. Franich didn’t let a strikeout lower her awareness; she noticed a passed ball and took first base. While on first, the freshman utilized her speed, stealing second and then taking third base on a wild pitch. A few pitches later, with two outs on the board, Franich scurried home on a see SOFTBALL page 10
POSSIBLE MAC EXPANSION By ANDREW WIKTOR Senior Sports Editor
Only one Mid-American Conference men’s basketball team made it to the NCAA Tournament this season. Recently, however, there have been rumors that the conference is looking to spice things up, hoping to have two teams get bids in the future. A ndy Katz of ESPN reported that Temple University and Western Kentucky may become the 13th and 14th teams of the MAC. Temple is currently in the Atlantic 10 Conference and Western Kentucky competes in the Sun Belt Conference. Both teams are historically successful basketball programs. Still, the addition of these teams remains hearsay at this point. “The topic of expansion is one that the conference and its member institutions and affiliate members will continue to discuss internally,” said Ken Mather, assistant commissioner of media
By LUKE HAMMILL Asst. Sports Editor
At t he 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Buffalo’s very own Steve Mesler made Western New York and the United States of America proud when he won a gold medal in the four-man bobsled. A City Honors School graduate and former decathlete at the University of Florida, Mesler pursued a bobsledding career after college and didn’t look back until he was on top of the podium. His team beat out Germany’s silver medalists by just 0.39 seconds to bring home the USA’s first gold medal in the event since 1948. Mesler arrived home in true Buffalo fashion, throwing a party that was open to the public at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery. During the party, Assistant Sports Editor Luke Hammill got the opportunity to take Mesler away from the crowd for a few minutes and sit down
SIDELINES Pierce named to NABC All-District First Team For the second straight year, senior guard Rodney Pierce of the men’s basketball team was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District First Team. Buffalo is a part of District 14, which is made up of schools from the Mid-American Conference. Last week, Pierce was also selected for first-team All-MAC honors after an impressive senior season in which he averaged 18.4 points per game and topped the 1,000 point mark for his Bulls career. Joining Pierce on the All-MAC squad was senior guard Calvin Betts, who was an honorable mention.
Wrestlers compete at 2010 NCAA National Championships The wrestling team sent four student-athletes to the 2010 NCAA Division I National Championships, tying the program record for most NCAA national qualifiers under head coach Jim Beichner for the third time. Junior Jimmy Hamel as well as sophomores John-Martin Cannon, 18th nationally-ranked Desi Green and 17th nationally-ranked Kevin Smith competed in the tournament, which ran from Thursday to Saturday. The Mid-American Conference named Cannon and Smith to its Academic All-MAC team on Thursday morning. Smith, an exercise science major, was named to the team for the second consecutive year. His GPA is 3.625 was the highest among all honorees. Cannon’s 3.313 GPA as an elementary education major helped him get Academic All-MAC honors for the first time in his career. Look in Wednesday’s edition of The Spectrum for full coverage of the championships.
Carpenter dives into her third NCAA Championship meet
Clinton Hodnett/ The Spectrum
There have been talks that Temple University and Western Kentucky University may join the Mid-American Conference next year.
and public relations for the MAC. “Any other comment on expansion, number of sports, divisional alignment, etc. would be pure speculation
at this point.” According to Mather, there are signs that the two teams are interested in the conference, which has 12 members
A golden interview
for all sports. Temple is currently an affiliate member for football only. see MAC page 10
that I had peaked when I was 17 years old at high school nationals, so I was just looking for something else. S: Your bobsled team went into Vancouver as the defending world champions from the 2009 competitions. Would anything less than a gold medal have been a disappointment? SM: I would have liked to have said “no,” that simply medaling would have been fine, but the only 100 percent satisfaction would have been what’s sitting right here [points to his Olympic gold medal].
for an interview. The Spectrum: What made you decide to leave the warm weather as a track and field athlete at the University of Florida and come back to the cold climate to compete as a bobsledder?
Steve Mesler: That’s a good question. I wasn’t ready to be done yet. My track career hadn’t gone where I wanted it to go — I had injury after injury after injury. I finished up with Tommy John surgery as a senior [in college], and I wasn’t ready to accept
S: You competed at one of the last events in the Olympics. Did that leave you with any time to absorb the entire Olympic experience? SM: No, you absorb it a little bit at the beginning, but then for the rest of the time you just go back to work. If you’re sitting there and absorbing it, see MESLER page 10
On Thursday, senior diver Meili Carpenter qualified for the final round of the one-meter event at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Purdue’s Boilermaker Aquatic Center for the first time in her career. Carpenter placed 12th among 37 other divers in the event with a 296.50 final score. The following night, Carpenter competed in the three-meter event, where she finished 11th out of 38 competitors with a score of 330.90. This was the highest place finish at an NCAA meet in Carpenter’s career. Carpenter ended competition on Saturday with the platform event. Only the top 16 divers advanced to final round. Carpenter fell short of the cutoff, earning 20th place out of 29 divers with a 239.40 dive.
Wojciech Sarakiewicz named MAC Player of the Week After posting a flawless 7-0 record on the men’s tennis team’s spring break trip to Florida, sophomore Wojciech Starakiewicz was selected as the Mid-American Conference’s Men’s Tennis Player of the Week. Starakiewicz (12-3), who played last season at Tulsa, combined with Kirill Kolomyts for four doubles wins and went 3-0 in singles play in matches against Robert Morris and Duquesne. Starakiewicz’s 12 singles victories have him tied with fellow sophomore Alex Kalinin for the team lead.