The Spectrum Vol. 71 No. 20

STUDENTS

UB medical residents and fellows continue union efforts with confidence they have “supermajority” vote

Ballots have been sent to eligible employees and will be counted on May 11

Almost two months after filing for a unionization vote, pro-union medical residents and fellows — speaking to The Spectrum for the first time — say they are “very confident” that a “supermajority” of their colleagues at UB-affiliated medical facilities are in favor of unionizing.

Dozens of frontline workers gathered last Friday to voice support for the unionization effort and share stories of how patient care is suffering at UB-affiliated hospitals.

Ballots were sent to eligible employees on March 1, according to organizers’ website. Votes will be counted on May 11 at Buffalo’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) office.

If approved, the union would cover all 810 UB-affiliated medical residents, fellows and interns under the Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD). UAPD is a Sacramento, California-based union that represents doctors and other healthcare workers across the country.

“The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB is committed to providing outstanding educational opportunities for our residents and fellows. These physicians inspire us every day with their dedication, compassion and clinical skills,” the Jacobs School of Medicine

said in a statement to The Spectrum. “At all times, the graduate medical education programs at UB strive to optimize the outcomes for our patients, their families and our communities, at the same time working to enhance the clinical learning environment for the benefit of our residents and fellows.”

Dr. Armin Taddayon, a second-year anesthesiology resident who’s helped with the unionization effort, said that “higher wages” are a top priority for the wouldbe union. He added that any negotiations would be based on a “collective agreement of what’s important” to members.

Pro-union residents and fellows said on their website they make less than their colleagues at other Western New York universities. Fellows and residents at the University of Rochester, for instance, get a limited tuition waiver, retirement benefits, housing stipends and childcare benefits in addition to higher wages.

The Jacobs School says that organizers’ data doesn’t “reflect the vastly different benefit packages offered at the different upstate institutions.” UB, for example, pays for residents and fellows’ medical and dental insurance in full, while the University of Rochester simply subsidizes their employees’ policies.

“One thing that University of Buffalo

New faculty hires allocated mostly to STEM and health science fields, intended to increase diversity rates

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is set to receive the most funding for new faculty hires

KIANA HODGE

UB’s new faculty hires for the 20232024 academic year are primarily going to be placed in STEM and health science related fields, according to a copy of UB’s plan obtained by The Spectrum through a Freedom of Information request.

The hirings come in addition to UB’s normal faculty hiring and are funded by a $12.1 million New York State investment as part of Governor Kathy Hochul’s faculty hiring plan.

The governor’s plan emphasizes investing in faculty to increase federally funded research, which is primarily focused on STEM and health science fields, according to university spokesperson John Della Contrada.

Engineering clubs are disappointed with Student Association’s policies and communication

Institution for Electrical and Electronics Engineers loses $3,000 after being derecognized by SA

The governor’s proposal will allocate $53 million for hiring new full-time faculty at over 30 SUNY Campuses.

UB plans to use the money allocated to them by the governor to hire 70 more faculty in addition to its annual 40-60 tenure track hires.

The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (JSMBS), The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and the School of Engineering (SEAS) received the most funding for faculty hires.

JSMBS is set to receive $2.4 million for 16 new faculty hires, while SEAS will be given $2.260 million for 15 new faculty. CAS will receive $2.203 million for 15 new faculty.

The Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) was derecognized from SA in August, due to an SA error, according to club president Owen Farrell.

Farrell, a senior electrical engineer major, was initially unaware he had to update the club’s returning e-board members information in the SA database, so he only included new e-board members in the update. Farrell then sent the whole e-board for the 2022-23 academic year to SA Assistant Administration Director Amanda Johnson and said the information was correct on the website in the spring.

Despite that email, SA President Becky Paul-Odionhin told the club in August that it had one day to complete the eboard on the website or else it would be derecognized. Paul-Odionhin sent them a broken link to the site where he could make the changes.

“It is a bummer that the link doesn’t work,” Paul-Odionhin said in response to Farrell’s email telling her the link was broken. She then told Farrell to check the SA website and update the e-board again. She said she forwarded the “request” to people who would know more about club affairs.

A few days later, the SA told IEEE’s secretary that the club had been derecognized. Farrell reached out to Paul-Odionhin, saying he did everything she asked and wanted to know how to resolve it.

He never received a response.

Farrell contacted SA Vice President Sammi Pang with proof he had updated the website in May. Pang said the club was “missing two updates by the registration deadline.” Farrell replied, saying that although he originally listed two e-board members with the wrong titles, he had fixed the mistake.

“I am positive that this was completed,” he wrote to Pang.

The club was deleted and had to reapply to be a new club, losing its nearly $3,000 budget. Pang originally told IEEE it could get its budget back, but when the club followed up with her, she denied ever saying that and suggested applying for supplemental funding, according to Farrell.

IEEE became a new club and applied for supplemental funding, receiving $1,000.

“Right now we’re just using whatever we can find, just scrounging for materials,” Farrell said of IEEE’s projects. “It’s really not ideal.”

Pang told The Spectrum that if IEEE does not fulfill the conditions of the Annual Registration and Requirements for Recognition policy, a club is automatically derecognized.

She said IEEE’s situation had been “resolved” and did not explain what happened further.

Another engineering club, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was preparing for their trip to Wisconsin for the Clean Snowmobile competition when SA

JOHN GARCIA / THE SPECTRUM PRO-UNION MEDICAL RESIDENTS ARE “VERY CONFIDENT” THAT COLLEAGUES AT UB-AFFILIATED MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE IN FAVOR OF UNIONIZING

‘Silence equals death’: Buffalo community protests

Riley Gaines’ speech on Thursday evening

Gaines spoke on transgender women in sports at UB’s Center for Tomorrow

AMY MASLIN SPORTS EDITOR KATIE SKOOG FEATURES EDITOR

Protesters filled the sidewalk across from the Center for Tomorrow as event attendees lined up to see former All-American swimmer turned political commentator Riley Gaines speak on UB’s North Campus Thursday night. Six University Police officers assembled barricades across the street to block off the road, while protesters waved signs.

Gaines, whose Division-I swimming career at the University of Kentucky ended last year, has gained national attention for her controversial belief that transgender women shouldn’t compete in women’s sports.

Her speech, hosted by the UB chapter of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) — a conservative club on campus — was titled “Protecting Women’s Sports.” Gaines spoke to about 100 people on how she felt a sense of “betrayal” by having to change in the same locker room as Lia Thomas, a transgender woman. Gaines also encouraged others to speak out against trans people in sports.

One protester was arrested after striking an event photographer with their poster. The protester attempted to flee the scene, but ultimately complied with UPD and was handcuffed once police caught up to them.

The protester, a 22-year-old individual unaffiliated with UB, was arrested for harassment and disorderly conduct. They

were released with an appearance ticket, according to UB spokesperson John Della Contrada.

Rayna Cooke, a co-chair of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), helped organize the protest of Gaines’ speech, which attracted around 50 protes-

trying to do, is to make trans students feel safer on campus and also show administration that this is not OK.”

Protesters raised signs in the air as they chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, Riley Gaines has got to go” with signs as attendees filed into the building.

“Every once in a while there’s a rare opportunity to be at the right place at the right time and affect change in a positive way,” Lockhert said. “If I can’t be here and something bad happens, I always think that if I were there, I could have intervened and prevented it from happening. Because you know how it is — if you want anything done, you have to go do it yourself.”

Officers at the protest intervened after a heated discussion between Lockhert and a protester.

Tracy Jones, a protester who doesn’t attend UB, spoke to attendees through a microphone across the road throughout the night. Jones said it was an “absolute tragedy” that Gaines came to campus. He says his goal is to help prevent anti-LGBTQ speakers from being invited to UB.

After the speech began, protesters moved from the sidewalk to the barricades on the other side of the road. As the sun set, protesters sat on the crosswalk and ate donuts.

“We strongly believe that transgender women deserve to compete with other women in sports at the college level and we think that her [Gaines’] words are hateful in that sense,” Joey Sechrist, a fourthyear English Ph.D. student, said.

tors.

“We know that we can’t get them to stop speaking,” Cooke said. “But we can show trans students on campus that there are people that love them, support them, care about them and will fight for them, and we are those people. So that’s what we’re

Kevin Lockhert, who drove to UB from Rochester to attend the event, shared his thoughts with The Spectrum about how what he called “woke mind infection” has prevented liberals from having discussions with conservatives on issues such as allowing transgender women in women’s sports.

When Gaines was done speaking, attendees walked out of the event as protesters chanted “silence equals death.”

Email: amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com

Riley Gaines speaks at UB, argues that trans women shouldn’t participate in women’s sports

The former NCAA swimmer says “nothing is hateful” about her views

VICTORIA HILL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR KIANA HODGE NEWS EDITOR

Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer who has advocated against the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports, delivered an on-campus speech titled “Protecting Women’s Sports” and answered audience questions Thursday night.

Gaines was invited to campus by Turning Point USA Buffalo (TPUSA), and made her appearance to UB just over a month after conservative pundit Michael Knowles spoke on campus with the invitation of the UB chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF). The speech drew protests in the parking lot outside the building.

After an introduction by U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, Gaines was greeted with a standing ovation by the more than 100 people who attended the event.

Gaines discussed her races against swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender woman from UPenn, and argued that transgender athletes should participate in a “third category” and use separate locker rooms, among other views.

“I by no means think anyone, regardless

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lacks when it comes to other programs is the financial support,” Taddayon said. He added that residents work 80-hour work weeks and make “about $13 and some change” per hour.

Aside from perceived underpayment, Taddayon also cited complaints of substandard working conditions at some UBaffiliated hospitals.

“It’s a requirement to have call rooms for people who are in the hospital for 24 hours for a place to sleep. We have that, but the call room hasn’t been cleaned in over a month,” Taddayon said. “I can’t find any new bed sheets, I can’t find any pillows. I mean, I had to create a huge ruckus in order to just get a brand new mattress there because our mattress and our box springs

of gender identity, race, sex or anything should be banned from playing sports,”

Gaines said. “It’s a common misconception that people think they’re banning trans athletes. I don't want anyone to be banned from sports because I truly believe sports are foundational.”

Gaines kicked off her speech by recounting her emotional connection to swimming, which started at 4 years old. By her junior year in college, Gaines was consistently reaching new personal records and says she jumped from seventh to third-ranked in the country.

After she learned she would be racing against Thomas, who had raced for UPenn’s men’s team from 2017-20, Gaines researched Thomas’ times and determined that she was a “mediocre male swimmer.”

Thomas was ranked 554th in the 200 freestyle, 65th in the 500 freestyle and 32nd in the 1650 freestyle during the 2018-19 while competing on the men’s team as a sophomore, according to Essentially Sports.

“I thought the NCAA would see this exactly how I saw it,” Gaines said. “Nothing is opinionated about it. Nothing is hateful about it. What’s on paper right in front of us is statistics, but that’s not how the

were broken.”

Dr. Frank Massaro, a first-year anesthesiology resident, says that the UB administration “takes advantage” of residents and fellows’ loyalty to Buffalo and mission to practice medicine.

Residency programs are binding agreements that place recent medical school graduates in a medical practice at a hospital or university. Residents often don’t have the resources or ability to switch programs.

Massaro explains that a “learned helplessness” has taken place, making people “willing to put their heads down,” leading to a culture of complacency.

“There’s a lot of people here at this residency program that are from Buffalo, they have done literally everything they can to stay in the area,” Massaro said. “There’s so much loyalty here.” He adds that when

NCAA saw it. They saw absolutely nothing wrong with allowing Lia Thomas to swim with women.”

Gaines expressed discomfort with Thomas being allowed in the women’s locker room, adding that the room went “quiet” as Thomas entered.

“It was embarrassing, awkward and belittling,” Gaines said. “It felt like betrayal.”

Gaines accused the NCAA of “catering toward” Thomas. After she and Thomas tied for fifth place in the 200-meter freestyle final at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Championships, Gaines said Thomas was given a trophy for “photo purposes” while she left the tournament empty-handed.

“When this official reduced everything that I worked my entire life for down to a photo op to validate the feelings of a male” — in reference to Thomas — “that’s when I had enough,” Gaines said.

In a separate race, the 500-yard freestyle, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a national NCAA Division-I title in any sport.

Gaines and Thomas were both nominated for SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year that season. Gaines said the award became “meaningless” to her after she learned Thomas was a nominee.

residents have attempted to bargain for these accommodations individually, their efforts have “gone nowhere.”

Taddayon said there has been a lot of anti-union communications that has come through the graduate medical education (GME) Listserv. Letters have been sent to voters, stating they came from “concerned residents.”

“The only way it could come from a concerned resident or come through a Listserv as GME is if it was approved by administration,” Taddayon said.

He added that pro-union emails were “filtered out and not sent.”

Massaro added that those who oppose a union do so “out of fear of repercussions for being a part of a movement.” For that reason, he says organizers have emphasized that the union vote is an “anonymous process.”

Gaines also criticized the Biden administration’s plans to amend Title IX. If enacted, those amendments would include protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time and expand the definition of sexual harassment, among other provisions, according to NPR. The Biden administration announced earlier this month that those changes would allow schools and colleges to impose some restrictions on transgender athletes’ participation in sports but not to “categorically” ban them, according to CNN.

For her part, Gaines said she believes that transgender athletes should compete in a “third category.”

“In an ideal world, I think a third category is a way to ensure everyone an athletic opportunity, everyone chances for success and everyone safety or privacy in their locker rooms,” she said.

Gaines ended the speech by saying she has felt like a “lone voice” in the past year.”

“We’re denying objective truth when we deny what a woman is,” Gaines said. “This is spiritual warfare. The whole movement is moral versus evil, light versus dark.”

Email: victoria.hill@ubspectrum.com

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

UB residents and fellows received a 3% pay raise at the beginning of 2023 and will receive another 3% pay raise in July, according to the Jacobs School.

“These sequential pay raises were negotiated in lieu of the previously negotiated 2% overall raise,” the school’s statement said.

UAPD President Stuart Bussey told The Spectrum in March that the higher raises were designed to convince employees that they don’t need a union.

“If you support the workers, those people are going to turn around and serve the community better,” Massaro said. “That’s why I feel it’s important to get to be a part of this because the city of Buffalo deserves it, the people of Buffalo deserve it, and we deserve it.”

Ian Baksh / The specTrum Protesters and event goers clashed outside the center for tomorrow as riley gaines sPoke inside

Never stop saying gay

could exhale the breath I had been forced to hold in my entire life. Here, in the confidence of school faculty, I could finally be referred to by my own name. I could share what was going on in my life and ask for resources without fearing that these conversations would be shared with my family.

If it wasn’t for these teachers, I’m not sure I would’ve made it to 19.

posal last month that would expand the “Don’t Say Gay” law to apply to all grade levels. As it currently stands, the law forbids classroom instruction and discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.

These are just a few examples of legislation that targets trans youth.

to eliminate a support system for LGBTQ+ students that saved my life.

For years, I had to answer to a name that wasn’t my own. I avoided raising my hand in class for fear of being deadnamed or misgendered. I changed for gym class in the nurse’s supply closet, just to avoid a gendered space. At home, there was no escape.

I was 11 years old when I realized I was queer and 12 when I realized I was transgender.

I couldn’t live as my true self until I was 19.

My only saving grace? My teachers.

I found solace in the classrooms of my high school English teacher, Andrea Rozansky, and my orchestra instructor, Regina Schueler. When I wasn’t welcome in my own house, I found home in the office of my school’s social worker, Nicole McAuliffe.

In these spaces, if only for a moment, I

But now, in a war waged against queer and transgender people, conservative politicians across the country are working to undermine desperately needed support for LGBTQ+ students like me.

At least 12 states have passed bills that restrict or ban gender-affirming care for those under 18, according to ABC, and similar bills have been introduced in at least 19 other states. Some state legislatures have even moved to restrict adults’ access to this healthcare.

Nine states have moved to ban trans students from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, according to NPR. Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee have successfully passed such legislation.

Republican governor of Florida and potential presidential candidate Ron Desantis, on a quest to win the hearts and votes of evangelical voters, introduced a pro-

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is currently tracking 435 anti-LGBTQ+ bills circulating in the U.S. in 2023. This onslaught of legislative violence against LGBTQ+ people has reached a record high at the state level, with 150 bills specifically targeting transgender people.

While not all of these bills will pass, this surge in hateful legislation promotes the anti-trans sentiments cultivated by Republican politicians to propel their own campaigns.

In the name of “parental rights” and “protecting children,” Republican lawmakers want to marginalize LGBTQ+ youth and, for some, strip them of their only safe haven. Legislation like Desantis’ “Don’t Say Gay” bill sends the message to students that they aren’t welcome in society. That their existence is inherently political and a topic for debate.

Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill threatens

Stoners can be productive too

juana users have created a stigma so toxic that many users mask their usage to avoid being shunned by their peers — which makes anti-marijuana stigma even worse. Even those who use marijuana for medical purposes still face stigma.

The historical depiction of cannabis users as “lazy” and “unmotivated” bums is simply wrong.

task, the task always gets done because I know how weed affects me, and I care more about my responsibilities than I do about smoking.

I know plenty of people who smoke and still manage to get things done.

It’s totally doable.

With all this hateful legislation circulating, trans people need real support. Support beyond the cyclic, surface-level social media reposting after a hate crime occurs. Support beyond the university’s performative pride events amidst continual on-campus speaker events that promote transphobia and put trans students at risk.

So what can you do on an individual level?

Educate yourself and others. Instead of blindly hitting repost, read about the issues and legislation facing trans people and share it with those around you.

Respect trans people. If you hear someone use the wrong pronouns for somebody, correct them. When you don’t know how someone identifies, refer to them using gender neutral pronouns and inclusive language.

Stand up for trans rights. Show up to the polls. Contact lawmakers.

Let them know that we won’t leave the trans community behind.

Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com

but does not support the “chronic amotivational syndrome” (“chronic laziness”) typically associated with frequent cannabis use.

With more research, I hope we will come to understand that “the devil’s lettuce” is a misnomer.

Some semesters, I limited my smoking to the weekends or social outings. Other semesters, I used to rip the bong almost every single day.

And yet, for every single one of my eight semesters at UB, I’ve still received straight A’s and managed all of my responsibilities.

Although weed has been legalized for recreational use in 21 states, anti-marijuana stigma is still prevalent.

For decades, overly strict penal codes and negative media portrayals of mari-

The physiological, psychological and behavioral effects of weed impact everyone differently. Still, if you keep your usage in check, I believe you can function just as well as a non-user.

I typically don’t smoke unless I complete a majority of my responsibilities.

Just like how many people crack open a cold beer after work, I sometimes use smoking as a reward for getting through a long day.

But whether I smoke before or after a

If you’re not already maintaining good habits, such as setting goals and planning on how to tackle them efficiently, then smoking weed isn’t the issue — your mindset is. You simply have to have that balance.

Research on frequent cannabis users and motivation produces mixed results.

One study from 2019 found only a weak link between frequent cannabis usage and lower motivation.

A 2016 study showed that cannabis can induce a “transient amotivational state” (or temporary laziness for normal people),

There are many positive benefits to smoking. I just wish we’d stop generalizing marijuana users as a group and focus on individuals and their habits instead.

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

part of

Join

Trans students like me depend on the support networks that Republican politicians are working to destroy

Weed won’t get in the way of productivity if you check your smoking habits

voided the club’s request to use its budget money to buy food for attending members.

“We have to look at our freshmen and ask them, ‘Can you pay? We understand you’re already paying for a meal plan. Can you pay more to go on this competition?’” club president Auburn Schwartzmeyer said. “And that affects whether or not we bring them.”

SAE focuses on two major competitions that require thousands of dollars for parts and travel.

According to Schwartzmeyer, a junior mechanical engineering major, SAE used its budget to buy food on competition trips since 2018.

Less than two weeks before the competition, SAE was told its request to use the budget for food was voided due to “a change in interpretation of the policy.”

The SA Travel Policy was being updated to specify that clubs can’t use their budgets to purchase food.

According to Schwartzmeyer, Pang said that they made the change because the student activity fee is not intended to be spent on food, as it’s “not inclusive.”

When planning a trip to New York City, SA told IEEE it couldn’t buy food because it was traveling off campus. SAE was given a different explanation. Schwartzmeyer said SA also told her the club’s purpose isn’t related to food, meaning it couldn’t buy food at competitions.

Pang said in an email to The Spectrum that “the travel policy never allowed for food” unless it was related to an organization’s event, such as banquets or conferences related to the club, or in circumstances where “it is not feasible for club mem-

bers to normally procure food (i.e. remote camping trips).”

SA is working on “a new system for clubs to buy food while traveling,” similar to UB’s per diem food allowance, according to Pang.

The SA e-board gave SAE permission to buy food on that trip because of the tight time frame. Now, Schwartzmeyer says she is “fighting” to use the club’s budget for food at its upcoming competition in May.

SA told the club that it wouldn’t change the policy. Schwartzmeyer ended up getting sponsors to pay for food for the upcoming competition.

SAE’s problems with SA go beyond food.

SAE club members use SA vans, trailers and trucks to get to their competitions in Washington and Wisconsin, costing them thousands of dollars in gas money.

While SA allows club budgets to cover the cost of gas, it only does by reimbursing club members.

She says that there are team members who put in the work and contribute to the team but get left in Buffalo during competitions because they can’t afford to contribute to gas money.

“There is no way to get gas money before traveling, but we are currently working on getting gas cards,” Pang told The Spectrum

SAE’s club treasurer paid $1,200 in gas money for travel to the Clean Snowmobile competition in February. He still hasn’t been reimbursed.

SAE was on its way to Wisconsin in February when members realized their trucks and vans didn’t have EZ Passes and they needed to pay for tolls out of pocket.

Club members fronted the cost of the tolls themselves and called SA to see if they could get approval to use their budget to cover tolls on the way back, not for reimbursements on money they already spent. The club knew it couldn’t get money back for the tolls it already paid.

SA’s treasurer Alana Lesczynski told the club that it would be in violation of the encumbrance policy if it requested the money, said Schwartzmeyer.

“‘It will ruin your perfect record,’” Lescynski told the club, according to Schwartzmeyer.

Pang told The Spectrum that clubs have to get approval for financial commitments before committing to a purchase and said that SA is working on getting EZ passes for SA vehicles.

The club ended up paying about $120 out-of-pocket for the tolls.

SAE uses outside vendors such as Online Metals to get materials for their projects. SA has an agreement with vendors to pay within 30 days after clubs make a purchase. Schwartzmeyer said SA didn’t pay vendors until after those 30 days, violating the SA’s contract.

SA did not respond to questions about their contracts with vendors in time for publication.

SAE has an annual budget of $40,250, not accounting for contributions from outside sponsors. IEEE had a budget of $2,950 before they were disbanded.

“I think that there’s a disconnect between what engineering clubs need and what is happening with engineering clubs,” Farrell said. “A lot of things I’ve seen from them [SA] have been very disappointing.”

Email: amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com

Dumpster fire in Ellicott Complex causes over $300,000 in damages

State officials are still investigating the cause of the fire

VICTORIA HILL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

UPD reported to the scene of a dumpster fire outside of Fargo Quadrangle at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The cause of the fire is still being determined by the Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC), but “it appears to be accidental,” Josh Sticht, deputy chief of University Police, said in an email to The Spectrum

The fire is estimated to have caused over $100,000 in damages to the building’s heating and electrical system and an additional $200,000 in other damages. Sticht said those cost estimates are subject to change as more information becomes available. No injuries were reported.

This isn’t Ellicott’s first dumpster fire. A similar one was started near Wilkeson Quadrangle in September 2021.

The OFPC investigation will help UPD determine if there are workplace practices that need to be changed.

“Whatever recommendations they come up with will be implemented by the University,” Sticht said.

UPD advises students and staff to follow the rescue, act, contain and escape (RACE) emergency protocol when they observe a fire.

Email: victoria.hill@ubspectrum.com

SUNY drops standardized testing requirement for admission

SUNY chancellor cites national trends and demographic statistics as reasons for the change

ANTHONY DECICCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The State University of New York (SUNY) system will no longer require students to take the SAT or ACT (or any other standardized tests) to apply for admission to one of its colleges or universities.

The change was unanimously approved by SUNY’s Board of Trustees — the governing body that represents SUNY’s 64 schools — this month.

SUNY Chancellor John King said that a test-optional policy is “consistent with national trends at peer institutions” and research from the Rockefeller Institute of Government found that “colleges in New York State and across the country are largely maintaining their test-optional policies and/or implementing them permanently” in a resolution submitted to the Board of Trustees.

The resolution also states that fewer high school students — especially those from underrepresented groups — are taking these standardized tests.

In 2020, SUNY temporarily suspended SAT and ACT testing requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This suspension was extended multiple times through the 2022-23 academic year. King said “the retention rate gap between test takers and non-test takers has stayed the same or even shrunk” during the last three years in which SAT/ACT submission was optional.

SUNY’s enrollment has decreased by 20% over the past 10 years, according to the New York Post, though King did not cite the number as a reason for eliminating the testing requirement.

“Each SUNY campus will continue its longstanding commitment to a holistic review of student applications that includes grades, program of study, academic achievements, non-academic achievements and other activities that allow for the evaluation of the potential success of a candidate for admission,” King said.

Let’s be blunt: UB students discuss marijuana stigma

“Never in my life have I seen weed ruin someone’s life,” she said. “[States] are making it legal right now while many are serving years upon years for the possession or dealing of weed.”

cially with people of color in this country, that they use weed as another thing to hold against us,” she said. “It is not fair. Don’t take away people’s livelihood and freedom over this.”

es altogether.”

According to Pew, 64% of people born between 1928 and 1945 are still opposed to the legalization of marijuana, with 35% in favor.

Editor’s note: The Spectrum spoke on-the-record to several students who requested to remain anonymous. All students were granted anonymity due to federal and campus marijuana policies.

In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational marjuana use. Since then, 19 other states have followed suit. Despite this, there’s still negative attitudes toward the drug.

Cannabis is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as a schedule 1 drug, a category for drugs with “no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

While many states, including New York, have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use, stigma against marijuana users remains.

The Spectrum interviewed UB students about their thoughts on marijuana usage and the societal stigma that surrounds it.

A recent psychology graduate thinks there are less harmful effects from consuming marijuana than from alcohol. She hopes it can become more normalized in society.

“I feel like if people accept alcohol the way they do, they should accept weed because now it’s legal,” she said. “I would hope that it changes to be the same, if not more accepted, than alcohol because it is kind of better for you. People use it as medicine and stuff — so just not looking down on people for it.”

Opposition to the legalization of marijuana has fallen drastically in recent years.

According to a Pew Research poll, 52% of American adults opposed marijuana legalization in 2010. That fell to just 10% in a 2022 poll. Many still hold the belief that it is a “dangerous drug” that “inflicts damage on people and society more generally.”

Another student, a senior accounting major, says it “blows her mind” that people are still going to jail over infractions relating to marijuana.

Recreational marijuana is legal in 21 states with 38 states legalizing medicinal use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The criminal justice system has not kept up with the societal shift.

According to an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) report, Black people are 3.6 times more likely than their white counterparts to be arrested for using marijuana nationwide, despite similar usage rates.

“You see time and time again, espe-

A junior media studies major wishes for older generations to become more accepting of marijuana use. She said people use it as a sleep aid or to simply relax after a long day — adding that people should “just mind [their] own business.”

“I hope the older generations become more accepting of weed,” she said. “I know a lot of people's parents don't even know that their child smokes weed because they know they [their parents] don't like it and think that people who smoke are low lives. I’m hoping the stigma chang-

A junior communication major says he faces backlash from his grandma for smoking marijuana, as she believes users are “lazy.” But he said it’s hard to square those stereotypes with his 4.0 GPA.

“As a student, you gotta make sure your responsibilities are always first,” he said. “You can’t let the weed smoke you, you gotta smoke the weed. As long as you follow that very principle, you’ll be alright.”

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com

Fast facts on legalization

Graduating art students debut “Reflections of Impermanence”

UB’s fine arts seniors exhibit final projects in new group show

“Reflections of Impermanence,” the Department of Art’s class of 2023 senior thesis exhibition, opened to warm reception last Thursday evening at the Center for the Arts (CFA).

Friends, family and peers descended upon the cramped basement gallery to celebrate a group of 17 graduating fine arts students as they debuted their final projects, the culmination of their time at UB.

A diverse group exhibition, the show naturally covered a lot of ground: the personal to the political, the abstract to the literal, the dark to the light-hearted. Whether they tackled complex sociopolitical issues or made a personal statement, each artist featured in the exhibition brought something singular to the gallery.

“All of our work… in some way, it encapsulates who we are,” Payton Blesy, one of the featured artists, said.

Blesy’s contributions to the show were two large-scale paintings entitled “Feasting” and “Tangled.” Designed to spur a “visceral reaction” in onlookers, the former features a pink pastel layered cake covered in cockroaches (some two-dimensional and some fashioned out of paper mache), and the latter depicts a “rat king” — a group of rats tied together by their tails to create one horrifying, tangled mass.

Just around the corner from Blesy’s pieces are Aanika Nawar’s vibrant and colorful paintings, chock full of historical and pop cultural references. Nawar recreated two infamous images by photographer Jean-Paul Goude: one of model Carolina Beaumont, and one of Kim Kardashian in the same pose 30 years later.

Goude’s photo of Beaumont is known for its fetishization of a Black woman’s body. But Nawar flips the script: her painting of Beaumont is encased in a structured

hoop skirt made of “Afrocentric” fabric scraps, representing the colonial gaze imposed on Black women’s bodies while also paying homage to the African culture they have been robbed of.

“I didn’t have it planned,” Nawar said of the hoop skirt. “But I realized I can’t be putting a Black woman on display the same way that Jean-Paul Goude did 30 years ago. So I was like, ‘I need to veil her. I need to dignify her. I need to find a way to make a commentary on the issue, because otherwise I’m perpetrating it.’”

In the next room, artist Naija Boles’ work offers a more metaphysical take on the concept of impermanence. Boles’ mixed-media piece “Primordia” comprises two swirling, psychedelic canvases surrounded by fairy lights. The piece evokes natural imagery to comment on the human body and its relationship to the passage of time.

“I was thinking about the patterns that make up everything. And I thought about how, over the course of your life, every atom in your body gets replaced, but you’re still

you,” Boles said of the piece. “You might feel static like you’re stuck in one place,

“We’re all about to go our separate ways, and this is going to be a moment that sits

but you’re actually changing — even if you don’t feel it — on every single level.”

The final exhibition came with a great deal of pride for Boles, who found an opportunity for self-expression in creating his thesis.

“It was an opportunity for me to just do something that I felt like I had to do,” Boles explained. “I had something inside of me that I had to let out, not according to what anybody else wanted, but just me.”

As the graduating artists posed smiling in front of their works and gleefully interacted with each others’ pieces, the pride in the air was palpable. The exhibition may be centered on the concept of impermanence, but the warmth and joy shared among the artists is more than fleeting.

in our mind, but it’s also one day going to be super far away,” artist Twiggy Falise said. “We’re going to have grown so much farther past the artwork that we’re creating now — but that doesn't mean that the artwork we’ve created now isn't beautiful and good and amazing. It’s just a part of the process and a part of the journey."

MERET KELSEY SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

“All of our work… in some way, it encapsulates who we are”

- Payton Blesy

“We’re going to have grown so much farther past the artwork that we’re creating now — but that doesn't mean that the artwork we’ve created now isn't beautiful and good and amazing. It’s just a part of the process and a part of the journey."

- Twiggy Falise

Meaning behind the mural: ADHD

CFA muralist Lucy Person looks back on her work one year later

Lucy Person blinked away tiredness, busily coating a wall in the basement of the Center for the Arts (CFA) with pink acrylic paint. Her late-night artistic sessions — a result of procrastination and other commitments — produced an eyecatching mural with a personal message about her own struggles with ADHD.

Just shy of one year later, Person, a 2022 studio art alum, reflected on those sleepless nights where a random CFA wall became her lasting legacy at UB.

Because she also had to complete her senior thesis show within the same timeframe as the mural, long nights became an unwelcome necessity.

But her real enemy? The CFA’s 11 p.m. closing time.

“I think it’s ridiculous that it closes, and if anyone out there is listening, you should change that because artists need to get creative,” Person said. “But janitors wouldn’t really bother us or anything.”

Janitors and other exhausted muralists aside, Person had time to sit alone with her thoughts. Despite being diagnosed with ADHD in ninth grade, Person never received academic support. This exacerbated her primary burden: being misunderstood.

“There’s always been those that do not get it at all and just act like you’re making excuses and things like that, and it can really wear down on your self-confidence,” Person said. “It makes you feel stupid or incompetent.”

The mural depicts a dark head with phrases pouring out of its ears. The vinyl printed text highlights key misconceptions about ADHD ranging from “overreacting,” being “lazy” or “stupid” and even asking, “Did you try a planner?”

Person said managing her ADHD isn’t as simple as buying an agenda or setting

countless alarms.

“I’ll have an alarm that tells me to do something. I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah.’ And then I’ll stop it. And then I’ll forget immediately,” Person said. “I’ve had an alarm go on for three hours straight, just hitting snooze.”

Overcoming the challenges of ADHD requires more than these surface-level “solutions.” Person focuses on developing positive routines and sometimes, on a much smaller scale, finding miniature escapes from reality in her art. Just doodling in lectures filled the part of her brain that’s trying to go off “in a million places.”

Once her brain managed to get in one

place — rather than a million — for long enough, Person made the final brush strokes on “ADHD” and graduated that spring.

She spent the following summer working for Just Pizza, burnt out after years of creating art for school. After a much needed break, Person kicked back into action with commission work. She even painted two murals for Basha Mediterranean Eatery in Rochester.

Being a full-time, “hopefully-not-starving-for-long” artist, Person delivers for Uber Eats as a side hustle. Art supplies aren’t cheap.

As she breaks into the professional art

world, “ADHD” reminds Person of the meaning her work can communicate.

“ADHD” is more than a creative outlet for Person. It’s an opportunity to educate those who might stroll by about her struggles — and those of others.

“People are like, ‘Just pay more attention.’ And it’s not as drastic as this, but it’s like saying to someone that doesn't have working legs, ‘Just learn to walk better,’” Person said. “It’s like telling somebody with ADHD, ‘Try harder.’ They’re already trying really hard.”

Email: alex.novak@ubspectrum.com

Cast of Napoleon Dynamite visits UB for screening and discussion

John Heder, Jon Gries and Efren Ramirez visit UB as the 20th anniversary of Napoleon dynamite approaches

DYLAN GRECO OPINION EDITOR

“Napoleon Dynamite” super fans flooded the Center for the Arts (CFA) theater, almost all of them wearing “Vote for Pedro” t-shirts and eagerly awaited a screening of a movie they’ve seen dozens of times over. The faint scent of Labatt Blue wafted through the theater as the lights dimmed and the film’s beginning credits rolled.

Audience members applauded and cheered classic scenes such as “gimme your tots,” feeding Tina and the iconic

“Vote for Pedro” dance. The lights turned on, revealing a piñata of Summer Wheatly, Pedro’s presidential opponent, and a tetherball pole flanked the stage. Three couches occupied center stage next to a plate of tater tots and a “totally legit” time machine.

This wasn’t just another screening. Fans went to the April 13 showing to witness John Heder (Napoleon), Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) discuss their cult classic comedy, “Napoleon Dynamite.”

As the audience waited for the actors to

reveal themselves, acoustic guitar blared through the speakers. Gries appeared on stage strumming his guitar and took a seat on one of the couches. As the acoustic riff continued, none other than Ramirez waltzed onto the stage playing a harmonica, dazzling the crowd. Shortly after Gries and Ramirez’s jam session, rapid footsteps echoed from the back of the theater; John Heder jogged on stage to a round of applause, high-fiving audience members along the way.

The audience’s varying ages evidently surprised Heder, as he began the show

with “Ugh, you guys look older now” in his iconic Napoleon Dynamite voice. For the next 30 minutes, the actors regaled the audience with secrets from behind the scenes. The actors all shared a sheer doubt in how successful “Napoleon Dynamite” would become.

After he was offered the role of Uncle Rico, Gries’ manager was skeptical. “He said, ‘You don’t want to do this movie. These guys are just from Utah.’ They have no track, right?” Gries said.

Supposedly “a lot of [big] name actors” turned down roles in “Napoleon Dynamite" without giving the script a fair read. But the script alone piqued Gries’ interest, ultimately causing him to accept his nowfamous role.

“I said to my manager, ‘Let me read the script,” he said. “And of course, by page 15, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m doing this,’ because it was so original.”

Gries was further sold on the movie on the first day of filming. He showed up with his nylon wig in hand, and the first thing he saw was characters Lafonda and Kip playing footsie.

“I literally walked off set and called my friend in distribution. I told him that he was going to want to buy this movie,” Gries said. “Of course, he never called me back.”

Heder, Aaron Rule (Kip) and director Jared Hess all attended Brigham Young University’s film school, where they came up with the idea for “Napoleon Dynamite.” The cult classic started as a short film called “Peluca.” The films were so similar that many scenes from “Peluca” ended up in the feature length film.

On January 17, 2024, the film will turn 20 years old. And while “Napoleon Dynamite” hasn’t exactly maintained the fire it started in 2004, it has successfully become a cult classic with a dedicated fan base — one that is evidently strong at UB.

Editor’s note: The Spectrum spoke on-the-record to several students who requested to remain anonymous. All students were granted anonymity due to federal and campus marijuana policies.

With more than 1,300 acres across UB’s three campuses, students have found plenty of places to puff, puff, pass.

Although recreational usage of marijuana is legal in New York, marijuana is prohibited on campus due to federal law, forcing students to be mindful when choosing their pot spots.

One junior communication student prefers to smoke by the pillars at Baird Point. He says it’s the perfect balance between “lively” and “desolate,” giving students

their own space to smoke surrounded by greenery.

He also smokes at the nature trail behind South Lake to absorb the sunlight and observe the forest creatures and the blossoming spring flowers.

“It’s a nice long walk where you can get your thoughts out, have a moment to yourself and just embrace nature,” he said.

A recent psychology graduate frequented Kanazawa Island during her freshman year, sharing joints with her friends.

The small island, located just outside of Wilkeson Quadrangle, is connected to the mainland with a bridge that spans Lake LaSalle. The student says she never went alone and always shared endless laughter

with friends.

But her other favorite spot was at the bottom of one of the stairways in Wilkeson.

“I actually had my first bong hit in the stairwells,” she said. “It was good, but the girl made me pay $5 for one hit.”

Another student prefers to smoke in her apartment. She didn’t like smoking in her dorm on campus due to the sensitivity of the smoke detectors. She remembers ordering a new pipe with two cherry-shaped bowls and a green leaf for last year’s 4/20.

Excited about her new purchase, she went to her friend’s dorm in Fargo Quadrangle to smoke with her friends.

“All of a sudden, Campus Living knocks

Student-run medical clinic delivers food boxes directly to patients’ homes

The Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic partnered with Fresh Fix to combat food insecurity in Buffalo

KIANA HODGE

EDITOR

NEWS

The Lighthouse Free Medical Clinic, a student-run nonprofit clinic, provides free healthcare to the uninsured and underserved communities in Buffalo, New York.

But they have another mission, too: Every Wednesday, the clinic delivers food boxes filled with “locally sourced” produce directly to some of its patients’ homes.

Through a partnership with Fresh Fix, a local food box delivery company, Lighthouse Clinic is able to provide its patients with access to fresh foods, combating “time insecurity” and “limited access to fresh foods.”

According to Cornell University, approximately 42% of residents on Buffalo’s East Side reported being food insecure, and 45% of those in that category don’t own a vehicle.

“This is something that we as a city take for granted,” Mary Reed, the allied health manager at Lighthouse, said. “We don’t fully understand the struggles of the people that are out there. I live down the street from the grocery store, when in reality, a lot of people don’t.”

When patients go to the clinic for an exam, they are screened for food insecurities. According to Jessica Kruger, a community health professor and clinic volunteer, the patients are often “dealing with multiple challenges,” including access to healthcare in general.

When it first opened in 2001, the clinic was located in the basement of a church, but it now operates out of a pediatric clinic.

The organization is composed of students from the UB Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, community health workers, physicians and professional students from allied programs.

“I think a lot of people have the misconception that a free clinic is for poor people or for people who don’t work and don’t have insurance and things like that,” Reed said. “The reality is the free clinic services many people from all different socioeconomic statuses. It’s not just giving them [patients] specific services but also connecting them with other resources in the area. ”

The clinic aims to “take a holistic approach to health care” by providing legal counseling, health insurance information

and insurance enrollment assistance in addition to medical services.

Lighthouse is the first of its kind in the country to build a medical-legal partnership between medical students and student attorneys.

“We also help people with access to employment which allows them and their families upward mobility,” Kruger said. “Without these services, and this team, it would be really challenging to achieve this.”

The FoodBox Program relies on public donations, with the majority of its funding coming from the clinic’s annual gala, which raised just under $30,000 this year through raffles and an auction.

The FoodBox Program also received funding from the Council on Advocacy and Leadership (COAL) Programming Grant, which provides recognized student organizations with money for new programs, expanding existing programs or producing publications.

Suha Chowdhury contributed reporting to this story.

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

on the door,” she said. “They’re like, ‘Campus Living! We know you’re in there!’ We just acted like we weren’t in there, and eventually they just left.”

Another student prefers to drive up by the Lake Lasalle parking lot to spark up in the evening.

“It’s so peaceful,” she said. “Watching [the sunset] while high just enhances the experience. It’s very calming for me, and doing the two things I like together makes it even better.”

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com

Faculty

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is receiving $660,00 for three new faculty hires.

The School of Law is receiving $250,000 for two faculty hires, and the School of Management is getting $495,000 for two faculty hires.

The Graduate School of Education is getting $295,000 for two new faculty hires, while the School of Public Health and Health Professions will get $450,000 for three new faculty hires. The School of Social Work and School of Nursing are set to receive one new faculty hire each.

The percentage of new tenure-track faculty hires from “underrepresented” backgrounds increased from around 7% in 2017 to around 35% in 2022, Della Contrada said. In 2022, 9.5% of all faculty came from “underrepresented backgrounds,” compared to the 73.6% of faculty who were white, according to the university factbook. 8.9% of all tenuretrack faculty came from underrepresented backgrounds in 2022.

“The university will continue to advocate for diverse pools in all searches as we pursue our commitment to double the number of underrepresented faculty between 2020 and 2025,” Della Contrada said. “To enable their inclusion and success, students should see themselves reflected in their faculty mentors and role models.”

The wider range of perspectives and experiences brought about by increasing faculty will lead to “enhanced research and innovation, more effective teaching and mentorship and wider impacts on our local, national and global communities,” Della Contrada said.

UB’s complete faculty allocation plan can be viewed here.

Munchies for your and eyes ears

Grab your bongs, joints and blunts; it’s every pot head’s favorite holiday.

In honor of 4/20, the Spectrum staff have shared their favorite songs, movies and shows to entertain you during your sesh. Fill your day with psychedelic music, classic stoner comedies and everything in between.

“Dark Side of the Moon”

by

Pink Floyd

This album will take you on a journey through time and space. The spiritual, cryptic, psychedelic sounds and lyrics will leave you reconsidering life. Regardless of your state of mind, this album is a mustlisten and never ceases to amaze me. (Bonus points if you sync it with “The Wizard of OZ.”)

Ryan Tantalo

“Pineapple Express”

“Pineapple Express” takes you on a journey with two stoners, Dale Denton (Seth Rogan) and Saul Silver (James Franco). as they just witnessed the murder of another man. After witnessing a drug lord and police officer murder another man, a panicked Dale throws away his roach of the rare “Pineapple Express” strain, which can be traced back to him and Saul. This action comedy is sure to delight on 4/20 or any other day of the year.

Hayden Azzinaro

“The Midnight Gospel”

From the creators of “Adventure Time,” “The Midnight Gospel” combines interviews by comedian Duncan Trussell with trippy animation to take audience members on an adventure through the universe. Regardless of your state of mind, the show’s captivating plot will leave you exploring questions of existence, life and death.

Michael Vaccaro

“Die Lit” by Playboi Carti

This album is a staple. Even if you’re not a mumble rap fan, the beats by Pi’erre Bourne are immaculate, and the features make this a no-skip album. Chief Keef’s energy on “Mileage” is unmatched. Carti’s flow on “Top” is a guaranteed head-bopper. Redd Coldhearted’s soft voice on Carti’s “Let It Go” sample is one of the strongest collaborations on this album and an all-time favorite.

Kiana Hodge

“South Park” Season 14, Episode 3: “Medicinal Fried Chicken”

“South Park” is an unhinged show, but this episode specifically stands out from the rest. Watching Randy decide to give himself testicular cancer to qualify for a medicinal marijuana card is sure to make you laugh.

Kiana Hodge

“Nice Boys” by TEMPOREX

“Nice Boys” makes listeners feel like they’re in a dream. There’s an intriguing twinkling sound throughout, supplemented by the singer’s calming voice. The slow and steady beat of the drums creates a comfortable space for listeners to chill out and relax.

Katie Skoog

“Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins

The atmospheric, immersive qualities of this iconic dream pop album make it perfect for those times you just want to sink into the couch. Good headphones or speakers are a must to enjoy its hazy reverb and ethereal vocals. And if you get high enough, maybe you’ll be able to find some meaning in vocalist Elizabeth Fraser’s notoriously nonsensical lyrics.

Meret Kelsey

“Great British Bake Off”

Perfect for cozying up in bed with more than a few snacks at your side, “Great British Bake Off” pairs well with a few hits of indica, the mellow orange light of a salt lamp and ignoring all your responsibilities. (No, this recommendation doesn’t come from personal experience.) While not the traditional go-to for 4/20, the show’s serene atmosphere, easy watchability and yummy treats make it the perfect way to wind down after a long day. It’s a low-stress, low-attention watch for when your mind is a bit far away.

Kara Anderson

“Indica Badu” by Logic and Wiz Khalifa

Vividly detailing Logic and Wiz Khalifa’s experiences of smoking weed, this four-minute-and-20-second track sounds like a profound testimony for the marijuana industry. With some of the smoothest yet speedy flows from Logic and Wiz Khalifa, this song can be enjoyed by smokers and non-smokers alike.

A.J. Franklin

“Parking Lots” by Plum

This feel-good song’s mellow acoustics and calming harmonies feel like summer and sunshine. The singer’s soft tones match the instrumentals perfectly, each beat and pause is done beautifully and with purpose. Plums will scratch an itch in your brain that you can’t quite reach.

Katie Skoog

“May This Be Love” by Jimi Hendrix

The sincerity and simplicity behind Hendrix’s voice, lyrics, electric guitar and drums forge an intimate experience. It feels like Hendrix is addressing you directly while transporting you through the “waterfall” he sings about. But what makes the song even more worthwhile is Hendrix’s guitar solo: the charming reverb of each note will leave you thinking, “May this be love?”

Tenzin Wodhean

Two Bulls break school track and field records

GRANT ASHLEY MANAGING EDITOR

Two UB track and field athletes set school records in the men’s 1,500-meter race and the women’s long jump at the Bison Outdoor Classic this weekend.

Junior Evan Hilbert ran the 1,500-meter in 3 minutes, 42.64 seconds, narrowly beating the previous school record of 3:42.66, which was set by Brian Crimmins in 2016, according to a UB Athletics press release. His time makes him 31st in the NCAA East Region and second in the MAC.

Hilbert was behind three other runners at the 300-meter mark but managed to get to the front of the pack 1100 meters into the race. He beat the second-place finisher, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Matthew Lecky, by 1.63 seconds. Hilbert is also a Spectrum staff writer.

Fifth-year Christina Wende set the school record in the women’s long jump at 20-5 1/4, beating the previous record, set by Fatimah Hill in 2009, by 2 1/4 inches. That performance ranks 23rd in the NCAA East Region and second in the MAC.

Wende decimated the competition, beating the second-place finisher, Shippensburg University’s Sara McKean, by exactly 1 foot.

Wende and Hilbert weren’t the only ones who had a good weekend. Freshman Matt Gensel set a UB freshman record in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 31:25.91, placing eighth in the race.

The Bulls will return to the track for the UB Alumni Invite this Saturday at UB Stadium.

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com

Women’s basketball adds three new players following 5 decommittals

Two freshmen and one transfer committed to the Bulls

RYAN TANTALO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Women’s basketball announced the addition of three new players for the 202324 season on Tuesday. The move comes one day after UB confirmed that five of seven incoming freshmen recruits decommitted from the team.

The new commits are freshmen Alexis Davis and Kirsten Lewis-Williams and transfer Sitota Gines.

Davis is a 6’ guard from Woodbury High School in New Jersey. She scored over 2,000 career points and recorded over 1,000 career rebounds in high school. During her senior year, she won Colonial Conference Player of the Year after she averaged 25.5 points and 20.2 rebounds per game.

Lewis-Williams is a 5’10 guard from Lake Norman High School in Mooresville, North Carolina. In her senior year, she averaged 20.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.1 steals per game.

Softball’s brutal weekend included no-hit loss, series sweep and ninth-straight defeat

Bulls drop to No. 10 in the Mid-American Conference

Softball (10-28, 4-10 MAC) lost all three games of its weekend series with Ball State (21-21, 11-9 MAC) and extended its losing streak to nine games.

The low point of the series was Sunday afternoon’s 11-3 blowout. Ball State had a field day with the Bulls and led 6-0 by the end of the fourth. The Cardinals destroyed all hope of a comeback with an impressive five-run sixth inning, sealing the mercy-rule victory.

Although three Bulls made it home, Ball State pitchers kept UB out of the hit column. Sophomore Angelina Russo picked up the four-inning win while walking five and allowing three runs. Freshman Bridie Murphy pitched the other two frames and helped complete the combined no-hitter for the Cardinals.

UB scored its only earned run via a Nagel RBI groundout. The Bulls later scored two unearned runs on a Ball State fielding error.

The Bulls are now ranked No. 10 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) — second to last. UB only plays four more teams before the end of the regular season, with three of those four teams currently ranked top five in the MAC.

The other two games of the weekend were played on Saturday in a doubleheader. The first game of the day saw UB fall 1-4 to Ball State. The Cardinals started off hot, with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Bulls weren’t able to score a single run until senior pitcher and outfielder Mykaela Martin made it home in the fifth inning. Ball State answered right after, scoring a run of their own in the fifth. One more run for the Cardinals in the sixth sealed

the deal, and the Bulls lost the first of two.

The second game of the day featured more of the same. Ball State took an early 3-0 lead by the second inning. UB answered with a promising third inning and pulled in two runs courtesy of freshman first basewoman Abbey Nagel and freshman outfielder Mia Mitchell, but the Bulls failed to score any afterwards. The Cardinals took advantage and scored a run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings respectively. Ball State took the game 2-6, sweeping the Saturday doubleheader against UB.

UB picked up its 10th MAC loss of the season. Softball will look to improve upon this weekend’s disappointment when they host the third-place Central Michigan Chippewas (21-19, 11-6 MAC) in a threegame series on Friday, April 21 at 3 p.m. at Nan Harvey Field.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

5 players decommit from women’s basketball team

5 of 7 incoming freshmen no longer intend to play for UB, per Buffalo News

Five of the seven players in the 2023-24 women’s basketball recruiting class have decommitted, as first reported by The Buffalo News

The recruits were members of head coach Becky Burke’s first full recruiting class. Burke was hired prior to last season, leading the Bulls to a 12-16 (7-11 MAC) record in her first year.

The five players are Paige Kohler of Olmstead Falls High School, Madison Heiss of Bishop Lynch High School, Timberlynn Yeast of West Virginia (WV) Thunder 17U, Ella Weaver of WV Thunder 17U, JaKayla Thompson of Kentucky Premier 17U. A UB Athletics spokesperson confirmed that all five players were released from their letters of intent on Friday. Kohler and Heiss announced via Twitter that they were released from their letters of intent. Both players cited “unforeseen circumstances.”

Yeast’s and Weavers’ decommitments were posted on Twitter by WV Thunder coach Scott Johnson.

The Buffalo News also reported that Thompson confirmed her release from her letter of intent; she is “exploring new options.” Its coverage did not include explanations from any players as to why they left UB.

The moves come after UB lost all three of its assistant coaches from last season, including recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Wyatt Foust.

Burke declined to comment to The Spectrum, per a UB Athletics spokesperson.

“Former assistant coach Wyatt Foust left the program for another coaching opportunity,” a UB Athletics spokesperson said. “He was a primary contact for those student-athletes during their recruiting process and with his departure they had [a] change of heart and requested their release which was granted.”

The UB Athletics spokespersonsaid that UB would not comment further.

The November UB press release of the 2023-24 recruiting class has since been updated to reflect the changes. Only two incoming freshmen are listed. The original version of the release can be seen here.

This roster shakeup comes less than one week after the team announced the addition of four transfer players. Eleven players are currently listed on the team’s online roster for next season.

Email: ryan.tantalo@ubspectrum.com

The third and final addition is Gines, a rising junior transfering from St. John’s. The 5’10 guard from Zaragoza, Spain and played for the Spanish national team in 2018. At St. John’s, she played alongside UB commit Katie Burton, who also transferred to the Bulls this offseason. In 202223, she appeared in 21 games as a sophomore, averaging 4.9 points.

The three additions join four other transfers that the team announced last week.

Email: ryan.tantalo@ubspectrum.com

UB star Curtis Jones transfers to Iowa State

The Bulls’ 2022-23 leading scorer visited Iowa State’s campus this past weekend

BRANDON COCHI

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

UB men’s basketball will be losing their breakout star from the 2022-23 season.

After spending the last few weeks in the transfer portal, sophomore guard Curtis Jones announced Monday night via social media that he will be playing for Iowa State next season. Jones’ announcement makes him the fourth UB player to transfer to another school since Jim Whitesell was fired on March 11.

After spending the 2021-22 as a backup point guard for the Bulls, Jones started in 2022-23 and made the most of it.

Jones finished the regular season with an average of 15.1 points per game, making him UB’s lead scorer and the 14th best in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

This won’t be Jones’ first time in Iowa. The Minnesota native started off his college career at Indian Hills Community College after receiving zero Division I offers out of high school.

Jones will look to contribute to an Iowa State team that recently made the NCAA Tournament as a no. 6 seed.

New school records were set in the men’s 1500-meter race and the women’s long jump

(TOP) COURTESY OF UB ATHLETICS FIFTH-YEAR CHRISTINA WENDE SET THE SCHOOL RECORD IN THE WOMEN S LONG JUMP AT 20-5

1/4. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS SET IN 2009. (LEFT) COURTESY OF EVAN HILBERT EVAN HILBERT SET THE SCHOOL RECORD IN THE 1500-METER RACE