The Spectrum Volume 61 Issue 44

Vol. 61 NO. 44

ubspectrum.com

Monday, January 23, 2012

Amazing Grace: A Cinderella Story

Worldly, hard-working GSA President brings change

Grace Mukupa was an unwanted child who grew up in Africa without shoes, electricity, or much love. Her mother gave her away at birth, and she shuffled among relatives who made her work as a maid.

Now she’s shaking up the UB community with the tenacity she learned from scrubbing floors, bouncing among family, and pingponging between continents for two decades.

Since her installment as President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) last year, the GSA has done a 180, according to graduate student and student-professor Nuning Purwaningrum.

“She was very active, bringing new ideas,” Purwaningrum said.

“When Grace came, we had everything change. It was more fun for the students. As a student in the department, everything has become more exciting. She just brings something.”

Mukupa has: Enabled Ph.D. students to get up to $500 dollars for conferences and Master’s students to get up to $300.

Expanded the Mark Diamond Research Foundation (MDRF), which gives grants to graduate students for research expenses, to include humanities.

Created new paid jobs for GSA students.

Extended a free coffee and doughnuts program to South Campus.

And she’s only just begun.

Continued on page 2

Student Mugged on NFTA Metro Line

NFTA police raise concerns about budget cuts SARA DINATALE Asst. News Editor Sierra Chevrestt, a fifth-year sociology and communication major, was mugged on the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) metro line on her commute home Tuesday. But, after the altercation, her concerns weren’t focused on the assailants who swiped her phone, but on the cuts the NFTA has made in its police department.

The NFTA is currently facing a deficit of $14.7 million, and up to 170 positions will be eliminated. This includes the Transit Authority Police Department, which has cut 18 positions in a staffing department of 90 in the last two months.

Chevrestt was playing with her phone while sitting in the train, admittedly not alert and aware of her surroundings. She was approached by a group of young men who knocked her phone out of her hand. A struggle followed, but the men were able to make it off the train with her phone, and they caught another train going in the opposite direction.

Immediately following the incident, Chevrestt went to the “Emergency Call Button” located outside the train, and the police arrived within 12 minutes. It was around 8:30 p.m., a time, in Chevrestt’s opinion, that many students are commuting to or from night classes at UB. One of the two responding police officers aired his concerns about the current state of the NFTA’s staffing to Chevrestt.

“He said, ‘Listen, if this happened the same way and we were reporting to a bus crash, we’re not showing up [to your incident], and you’re filling out a report the next day at the police station because we are that sorely understaffed,’” Chevrestt said.

The officers told Chevrestt that there were two patrol cars covering the entire NFTA system, including all the bus and train lines. It was the officers’ opinion, and Chevrestt’s alike, that the coverage wasn’t adequate.

“It’s unfortunate that an officer would say that,” said C. Douglas Hartmayer, director of public affairs for NFTA. “We are having contract negotiations with the officers, so they are saying things to try to make their case to the public that would give the impression that the system might not be safe based on the cuts that are taking place.”

The cuts were made, in part, to help balance the NFTA’s budget. But another reason for the cuts is that grants given specifically to fund additional officers have expired, and there isn’t money left from the previous grants, Hartmayer said. The NFTA dealt with its situation by scaling its police force back to 2005 levels.

Continued on page 2

Weather for the Weekend:

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

Buffalo’s Very Own BRIAN JOSEPHS

Arts Editor

Buffalo isn’t exactly known for its depth of popular hip-hop talent. There are a few emcees that do show skills that rival some of today’s most famous rappers, but they are restricted to the oft-overlooked underground scene.

There has yet to be a Buffalo native to break into hip-hop’s mainstream in the genre’s nearly 40 years of existence.

Lucky Seven feels no pressure having to perform against these upper-echelon artists, because for him, it’s all about the love of hip-hop.

“I’ve always been into piano and the drums since I was younger, and I always loved hip-hop,” Brown II said.

“I’m just a real big fan. It just started as something I liked doing, and I just kept hearing that I was really good at it. I just kept rolling with it.”

Brown II has been rapping since he was 14 years old and was known during his teenage years for his skills on the mic. However, the same skill that earned him popularity was the source of some of his strife. Lucky Seven was kicked out of numerous high schools for fighting. “[There were] racial issues,” Brown II said. “I didn’t get along with a lot of people. I only liked a certain amount of people…people who I would do music with.”

The love of music followed him when he enrolled in Howard University, where he met up with his future group mates. Lucky Seven founded the group after he saw that they each possessed a love for lyricism in hip-hop. The aggressive inner-city mentality of Howard University’s

Monday: Showers/Wind- H: 46, L: 33 Tuesday: Few Snow Showers/Wind- H: 33, L: 28 Wednesday: Partly Cloudy- H: 34, L: 31

LUKE HAMMILL Senior News Editor

But UB will not do so.

“The referendum is not contractually binding; it simply is information provided by the union to the university’s administration,” said university spokesman John Della Contrada in an email. “UB’s leadership took the information under advisement and has decided to continue the university’s membership in the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.”

The Buffalo Niagara Partnership (BNP) and the Business Council of New York State (BCNYS) are chambers of commerce at the local and state levels, respectively.

A significant portion of the union – UB’s United University Professions (UUP) chapter – believes it is unethical for UB to use state funds to annually pay ($47,994 to BNP and $5,000 to BCNYS) for membership in the chambers, as both engage in political lobbying, fundraising, and endorsement of candidates. UB officials have said that UB’s money does not fund the organizations’ political action committees, however.

UB is listed in the “President’s Circle” of “Major Investors” on BNP’s website, and President Satish K. Tripathi serves on BNP’s board of directors.

The UUP referendum, held via a mail ballot, passed by a 191-172 margin. UB’s chapter of the union serves approximately 2,400 members, so many did not participate in the referendum.

A Dec. 18 document circulated throughout the union contains the referendum’s text and numerous arguments, both for and against the referendum, from UB faculty.

The contents of the document are also available on UUP Buffalo’s website.

Arguing for the referendum, Professor of Law Martha McCluskey noted that the president of the University of California system, Mark Yudof, resigned from the California Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors in 2010 after the chamber directly endorsed political candidates, saying, “As the president of a public university, I cannot take sides in electoral politics.”

McCluskey also cited UB’s Faculty/Staff Handbook, which states, “Political activities, including fund-raising, may not be conducted on university property or time, using university funds (all sources), or in UB’s name.”

“As an official member of these business groups, UB gives its name and public resources to a controversial and wide-ranging political agenda under the authority of external private interests and not clearly related to UB’s institutional mission,” McCluskey wrote.

On Thursday night, hundreds of Buffalonians will crowd the Town Ballroom to see an up-and-coming rapper.

But most of them will be coming to see a non-native. A$AP Rocky, a critically acclaimed rapper from Harlem who recently signed a $3 million contract with RCA, will be headlining the concert.

The act that’s opening for the star came from Buffalo, and he’s slowly finding his way up. Lloyd Winston Brown II – who goes by the stage name Lucky Seven – hails from East Amherst and is the co-founder of the independent group, Howhood University. The nine-man collective has held multiple performances over its eightyear existence and is no stranger to performing with high profile acts, like the Wu-Tang Clan last December at the Town Ballroom.

But UB says it will remain part of organizations

A union representing UB faculty and staff recently passed a referendum demanding the university to cut its ties with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and the Business Council of New York State.

AARON MANSFIELD Senior Life Editor

A professor’s inspiring life story of success

Faculty Union Demands That UB Leave Chambers Of Commerce

Della Contrada maintains that UB’s membership in both chambers is aligned with the SUNY mission statement, which reads, in part, “The state university shall… encourage, support and participate through facility planning and projects, personnel policies and programs with local governments, school districts, businesses and civic sectors of host communities regarding the health of local economies and quality of life.”

Courtesy of Lucky Seven

Lucky Seven (pictured standing) is ready to perform on the same billing as A$AP Rocky this Thursday at the Town Ballroom.

students inspired the name Howhood University.

Although they are playing in the same venue, Howhood University and A$AP Rocky took different paths to reach their recent success. While the Harlem representative worked his way to a major label contract, Howhood University chooses to be an independent collective. Unlike many other artists, they remain independent by choice – they feel like they have total control over their music without a label.

“We want to make sure everything is done in-house,” Brown II said.

“We just feel that we have the skills individually to do what [the labels] could’ve done for us Howhood University has released 17 mixtapes since its inception, while Lucky Seven has made three solo mixtapes. Brown II put out his latest mixtape, The Industry Secrets Mixtape, last December.

The release is indicative of his large range of influences. Lucky Seven freestyles over “Otis,” one of last summer’s biggest hits, and then proceeds over “Passing Me By,” a 1993 instrumental.

“I like his music,” Brown II said. “I like his flow a lot. His beat selection is different, but familiar at the same time.”

Lucky Seven is aware of the lack of recognition for Buffalo rappers. The 25-year-old artist noted that there are many other underground talents waiting to be discovered in the Queen City.

Brown II believes that the reason why they haven’t made it big lies beyond their performance in the studio, however.

“I feel like there’s not enough support between artists,” Brown II said. “People don’t really support that scene. If somebody has a show, a mixtape dropping, or a record…there’s no love from the town. They don’t need to hate on it for this or that reason. They just need to [support it].”

Buffalo will again get a chance to see if Lucky Seven and Howhood University are truly the artists the city can put its faith in when they perform at the Town Ballroom this Thursday.

Howhood University’s next release, Best Kept Secret 2, is due in March.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

“UB plays an important role in improving the quality of life in Western New York and throughout the state,” Della Contrada said of UB’s engagement with different segments of the community, including BNP and BCNYS. Arguing against the referendum, SUNY Distinguished Professor Bruce Jackson questioned whether UUP has the right to determine what political activity UB community members should be allowed to engage in. He also asked how UUP would enforce its demands.

“I think this is lunatic and hypocritical,” Jackson wrote. “UUP lobbies all the time. It tried to kill [UB] 2020…Why shouldn’t the university try to pressure the local chamber of commerce to act in a responsible way, rather than the dysfunctional and greedy way the scoundrels would prefer?”

To seek clarification, The Spectrum emailed Jackson, wondering whether UUP’s lobbying is different from BNP’s, since UUP does not receive state money and BNP does (via UB’s membership).

“It is true that UUP does not use state money to pay for its political campaigns,” Jackson said in his response. “It uses our money, which is taken from our salaries whether we belong [to the union] or not, whether we agree or disagree with its political campaigns…[UUP’s money is] all, or just about all, money pulled out of our paychecks. So, yes: hypocritical. And shortsighted.”

Other faculty members who opposed the referendum wrote that UB is key to the development of the Western New York economy, that BNP has advocated for UB’s needs, and that BNP’s mission is tied to the Continued on page 2

I N S I D E This diversity is why Lucky Seven respects A$AP Rocky.

Opinion * 3 Life * 4 Arts * 5 Classifieds / Daily Delights * 7 Sports * 8

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Page 2

Monday, January 23, 2012

Continued from page1: Amazing Grace: A Cinderella Story : Soulful, sole-less GSA President brings change “The big thing facing UB is the financial crisis,” Mukupa said. “The economy is bad; tuition and other miscellaneous fees are rising from left to right. Students are confused and it becomes a burden beyond education.

Some students have given up and others are collecting debt that they do not know who will pay back because the job market is not promising. We can solve this problem if UB works together as one family with faculty, students, and staff to find ways to alleviant the finical burden. One example is to work with the alumni relations office to help graduating students find jobs, both local and abroad.”

Those who know her insist she is fearless. The 28-year-old global gender studies student works a 19-hour day, sleeps three hours and has little time or interest in relaxation, partying, or “me time.” All her life, she’s set goals and then achieved them.

Her secret: She’s not afraid to fail.

ents. Her grandfather showed his trust by letting Mukupa hold onto his mail. He saw her as just and honest, and the distinction meant the world to Mukupa.

The American Dream Takes Root When Mukupa reached middle school, her mother became a diplomat for the Zambian government and was sent to Tokyo, Japan. She took 12-year-old Mukupa with her.

“I never had a chance to question the past,” Mukupa said. “I just went along living life and kept everything inside.”

Mukupa, whisked into the unknown, then attended the International School of the Sacred Heart, a private school paid for by the Zambian government.

While in Tokyo, Mukupa learned both English and Japanese at school, but still spoke her African dialect at home.

When her English got good enough, she joined the school newspaper and the choir.

As Mukupa sees it, it’s easy to risk everything when you’ve grown up with nothing.

Still, as a native African, she stood out and some discriminated against her.

Maid to Succeed

“My mom sent me to get change somewhere close to my house, but the guy said he had no change,” Mukupa said. “So I was looking around the shop to buy something, and the guy behind me asked for change and the cashier did not hesitate to give him. He looked right in my face and did not feel any shame.”

Mukupa grew up in the small village of Mwanamungule in Mumbwe, which is one mile away from the capital, Lusaka, of Southern Africa. Her mother couldn’t bear the shame of raising a child without a husband (it was considered a huge disgrace in their village), so she passed her infant to her mother, father, and siblings to raise. She then moved to the city and got a job in the Zambian government.

The family had little money, so Mukupa worked as their maid.

“They wouldn’t pay you, but you’d get a shirt instead of having to walk around with a ripped shirt,” Mukupa said. “So that was more of a pay-off, getting to eat food like rice.”

While in school, U.S. college recruiters came to her high school and spoke of the value of an American education.

Her fire was amplified. Her drive was heightened. She wanted schooling.

That was how she could make money to support her friends and family in Africa.

When Mukupa finished high school, her mother was relocated to Belgium and she had to uproot again.

Even as she got down and dirty doing maid work, she dreamed of a better life in another country.

She began trying to get to the U.S., but she had no money.

She said her motivation was to get out of the environment that was going to bring her down. She wanted to be: “the light that shined and gave [her] family money.”

She applied for fellowships, scholarships, and anything else she could think of. Finally, in a plea of desperation, she decided to write a letter to her former high school and ask for help.

While Mukupa’s story is shocking, she doesn’t want people to treat her differently or sympathize because of her upbringing.

The school was hesitant at first, wondering if they could be sure it was Mukupa writing to them. She told them she needed help to get to America, and she’d get to work as soon as she got there. She’d find a way to support herself and wouldn’t ask for any more help. She brought up all her activities from high school (newspaper, choir) and they immediately recognized Mukupa’s tone and work ethic, so the school paid for her ticket to America.

She hastily filled out the necessary paperwork and the adventure began.

“Everyone has their story,” Mukupa said. “I’ve gone through stuff, but I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me.”

Her mother visited once or twice a year and brought gifts of soap and sugar.

Mukupa was one of seven children when she stayed with her grandpar-

With $60 in her pocket, Mukupa arrived in the U.S. to attend Sacred Heart University, a school connected with her high school. As soon as she reached the States, she spent 27 of those dollars on an airport shuttle.

She got to school and asked administrators to find her a place to live, and Sacred Heart took care of her from there. As soon as she had money from working, she sent $100 dollars to her uncle. She still sends money back home to her family, and also supports three students by paying for their schooling.

Mukupa eventually transferred to Southern Connecticut State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism. She didn’t have a place to go on the holidays, but some of her friends took her in. One friend had a grandmother who would knit blankets for Mukupa, who wasn’t accustomed to the cold weather.

“I survived because of the friends I had,” Mukupa said. “Even though I had nothing to give them, I gave them my trust and loyalty.”

Mom’s Death During her time at SCSU, Mukupa learned that her mother was ill. During her sophomore year, she heard the devastating news: her mother had died.

She considered going home to be with her family, but the more she thought about it, the more she decided that she wanted to define her own life.

“I wanted to create a legacy of my own,” Mukupa said. “I wanted to have kids of my own. My motivation was my mother’s death. I didn’t want to disappoint her.”

Bianca Madongorere, one of Mukupa’s closest friends, says she is always stunned by Mukupa’s determination. “[Mukupa] is very driven,” Madongorere said. “Sometimes there are people with that characteristic: whatever hurdles come into their lives, they’re able to accomplish them. I’m not surprised that she is where she is, simply because of her perseverance.”

After she graduated from SCSU, Mukupa wanted to keep going with her education. After researching schools, she decided to attend SUNY Oswego for her Master of Business Administration (MBA). Mukupa had gotten involved in student government as an undergrad, but her government career really developed at Oswego.

She was selected as student involvement coordinator, and was responsible for directing and advising 20 Greek organizations. It was at Oswego that she met a couple of friends who would save her in Buffalo.

Homeless in Buffalo Mukupa is just about finished with her Ph.D. in global gender studies at UB, but she had nothing figured out when she arrived in Buffalo in Sept. 2009.

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She didn’t even have a place to stay.

She saved up some money working at Oswego – between there and SCSU, she says she worked “every job you could think of,” from dining halls to gyms – but she used that money to pay off her education. She asked if she could stay in the classrooms.

“I didn’t want to give up,” Mukupa said. “After paying all my tuition, I said: ‘I’ll stay outside.’ But she told me to come live with her.”

“She” is JoAnn Peterson, the mother of two of Grace’s friends at Oswego.

Peterson, an elderly Williamsville resident, took Mukupa in and she’s been there ever since.

“Our culture and background is totally, totally different,” Peterson said. “She’s ambitious and anything that she can achieve, she’s open for it. She can go as far as she really pushes herself and has this drive to do it.”

Outside the Office Mukupa has a hectic schedule that starts with a 6 a.m. workout, includes tutoring high school students, advising undergrads, working at the GSA, studying, and teaching. She often is up until 3 a.m. answering emails.

“People ask me if I sleep,” Mukupa said. “People always see me in the office around 7 a.m. and they’re like: ‘Did you just send me this email?’”

She doesn’t mind working around the clock. She said she feels that her world will stop if she sleeps for too long, and she wants to make an impact in the time she’s given. That’s why she got involved in student government.

“I wanted to make sure I did my job and did something for other people,” Mukupa said.

Grace’s Future Mukupa plans on working within the U.S. government to formulate programs for youth, and she wants to help the fight against HIV/AIDS in developing countries. She has applied to work on an extremely competitive program in the Republic of Tajikistan, but hasn’t heard back yet.

Just how far can she go?

“She is inspirational,” Purwaningrum said. “She can go so far because she’s willing to work so hard. She can go further than you think. I always mention to her: ‘In the future, I will see you on the news.’”

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 1: Faculty Union Demands That UB Leave Chambers Of Commerce development of UB’s downtown campus.

Despite those arguments, the referendum passed, and in a labor-management meeting on Tuesday, union representatives presented its results to Tripathi and others in the UB administration. Though Della Contrada called the meeting “very professional and civil,” the university ultimately decided not to comply with the referendum’s demands.

UUP Buffalo President Michael Behun did not return phone calls and emails placed by The Spectrum.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 1: Student Mugged on NFTA Metro Line “The system was safe in 2005, and with those [2005] levels we will continue to ensure the safety of our customers and employees as we go forward with our new levels of staffing.” Hartmayer said.

Hartmayer also said that though the number of passengers has increased in recent years, the system hasn’t expanded to cover any additional ground. In fact, routes are being slashed rather than expanded.

Still, Chevrestt doesn’t feel that two patrolling officers is the appropriate amount of staffing for a Tuesday evening. Hartmayer wouldn’t say how many NFTA officers are on duty at any given time, saying that releasing the information would create a “security-sensitive situation.”

He ensured that there will be officers patrolling the public-transit system, whether on the bus or metro lines, at all times to guarantee the safety of passengers.

Chevrestt took the incident as learning a tough lesson in a hard way.

“I made mistakes I won’t make again,” Chevrestt said. “But also knowing that if something were to happen despite my best efforts, I feel a little less secure, because I met two officers – and they were great guys and they did their jobs well; I trust them completely – but there is still only two of them.”

The NFTA is authorized to exercise police powers and duties. Its officers are certified in accordance with the New York State Bureau of Municipal Police training, and they have authority in traffic- and crime-related matters within the NFTA’s jurisdiction, according to the NFTA’s website.

“We have a wonderful, dedicated police department who put their lives on the line every day when they come to work,” Hartmayer said. “They do a great job, but I can sense their frustration with [the cuts in the police department]. But we would never do anything that would put our passengers in jeopardy or in danger.”

Chevrestt is still a little wary of the metro lines, and she says she will definitely be more careful in her future NFTA travels. After giving herself a few nights to recover and get rides to school from friends, she says she will use the metro again on Monday night.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Opinion ubspectrum.com

Monday, January 23, 2012

Poo Tweet?

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Matthew Parrino

EDITORIAL EDITOR James Bowe NEWS EDITORS Luke Hammill, senior Rebecca Bratek Sara DiNatale, asst.

Lisa Khoury, asst.

ARTS EDITORS Nick Pino, senior Vanessa Frith, senior Brian Josephs Elva Aguilar, asst.

Vilona Trachtenberg, asst.

LIFE EDITORS Aaron Mansfield, senior Keren Baruch Lyzi White Rachel Kramer, asst.

SPORTS EDITORS Tyler Cady, senior Brian Feller Nathanial Smith, asst.

PHOTO EDITORS Meg Kinsley, senior Alexa Strudler Satsuki Aoi WEB EDITOR Matthew Parrino James Twigg

PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley

Journalism has always been something of a race: a kind of infinite relay race where whoever gets the story first briefly pulls ahead of competitors. Often, the temptation to cut corners can overcome otherwise respectable news outlets, and misinformation gets distributed.

Take for instance the classic example of 1897 reports of Mark Twain’s death. While visiting England, Twain’s cousin fell ill and the New York Herald mistakenly thought that Twain himself was ill.

While false obituaries haven’t been entirely uncommon in history, the advent of technology has accelerated the rate at which bad news stories get distributed and reported on as fact, most notably through social media.

Twitter has proved to be a valuable asset to reporting and journalism, but it has also shown its dark side

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AT

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The story took off like a bat out of hell. Soon, it wasn’t only followers of Onward State that heard the news, and more and more major outlets began tweet that Paterno had passed away. Even CBS Sports tweeted the information and wrote a story on their site about the death.

At first, their story contained no attribution, which quickly became a problem for CBS Sports. As it turns out, a spokesman for the family contradicted the reports and told other sources that (at the time) Paterno was fighting for his life against lung cancer.

Courtesy of Joe Paterno

Even in light of Paterno’s real death less than a day later, what Onward State did was terrible and an affront to good journalism. It chose the easy option over the tough decision to confirm information.

Things don’t end there, however. The outlets that reported on the death with nothing but a tweet to go off of are even more shameful, especially when it’s as big of a name as CBS Sports or the Huffington Post.

Not all news sources published the false information; in fact many reveled in confirming the reports to be false. However, the issue doesn’t just come down to having a little egg on your face.

Sites like CBS Sports have gained a level of trust with its large readership and viewership, and have trampled on that confidence by not only blatantly attempting to steal a story, but one that was based only on a tweet from a small college publication.

We’re all allowed to make mistakes.

In an attempt to win a leg of the relay, a little college publication cut corners to beat out its competitors and failed. Of course, The Spectrum holds itself to a high standard and wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen, but we do slip up, and we expect to be held to the same high standards as any publication, big or small.

Lets just say we won’t be reporting on a tweet as if it were fact any time soon.

Botoxic Environment Union needs to deal on cosmetic surgery

It’s not exactly a little secret that Buffalo’s economy has been hurting for quite some time. What was once the Queen City is now undoubtedly the Pauper City, being the second most impoverished metropolis in the nation.

Since the Second World War, Buffalo has felt the hurt of population decline and outsourcing along with many other rust belt cities. The issue has the city in an ugly situation, but the teachers in its school district are sitting very pretty, and the school district is stuck in the middle.

In the 1970s, a term got into teachers’ contracts that had the district pay for cosmetic surgery with the intent of ensuring reconstructive surgery after grievous accidents. The rider flew under the radar for quite some time, until it was nearly cut in 1996.

Because of lobbying in the name of a district employee’s daughter who was thrown through a windshield, the rider was kept. Still, it didn’t cost the district very much. Going under the knife was still a risky procedure, and had a lot of down time.

Technology advances very rapidly, however, and the world of cosmetic surgery has changed drastically. Now getting a little work done doesn’t nec-

VISIT US

At 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, community news site Onward State tweeted that Paterno had passed away. Later, it posted again stating that Penn State football players had received an email confirming the information.

Blowback came as swiftly as the story broke. The managing editor of Onward State resigned, and its general manager posted a lengthy apology and explanation. Originally, a hoax email had been sent to athletes, and through sloppy reporting on the ground it was erroneously confirmed.

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with recent reports of the death of Penn State football legend Joe Paterno.

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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 news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.

Weed: It’s Bad, Right?

Journalism must be done with care

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Page 3

essarily entail being sliced and diced.

Procedures are getting less and less invasive and the main deterrent from getting them done is cost.

Except for Buffalo teachers, who get any cosmetic procedure paid for.

Their contract technically expired in 2004, but a rule called the Triborough Amendment stipulates that union contracts stay in effect even after expired.

Now, the district is stuck. The cost for this perk has gone Incredible Hulk and grown massively. In 2009 alone, 500 employees had taken advantage of the perk, to the tune of $9 million.

Because of Triborough, there is literally no incentive to come to the table and deal. They have everything they want and more.

At one point, the district offered to prevent 100 layoffs if the union would allow the perk to be suspended for a year, but the union would only negotiate the entire contract and not pieces of it.

So, 100 jobs down the drain, and the economy is further marred.

Two things need to happen here. The teacher’s union must agree to give up the perk immediately. By school dis-

trict estimates, another $5.4 million is going to be paid out this year. With some of the worst rated public education in New York, the schools could most certainly use that money to pay for more teachers or newer books and equipment.

Instead it went to Botox and other plastic surgery.

On the state level, the Triborough Amendment needs serious reform.

Although the intention is good, it does prevent businesses and the state from waiting until a contract expires and then doing whatever they want while there is no labor contract. It creates this exact situation, where contracts are stuck in limbo from the past when times were better and the cities or businesses could afford to spend more.

A good solution would be to keep Triborough, but add a stipulation that negotiations must begin or else both sides would face penalties. That way no side has an incentive to not make a deal.

LYZI WHITE Life Editor

Red eyes, occasional meta conversations about the universe, and bags of potato chips strewn across the floor: the calling cards of a college stoner.

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States, according to drugabuse.gov. The drug is part of Schedule I, along with other drugs like heroin and ecstasy, making it more illegal and “more dangerous” than Schedule II drugs, like cocaine and morphine.

Last time I checked, stoners don’t go around cracked out, eliciting sexual favors for a dime bag.

But the U.S. government has been trying to demonize the drug even before it was made completely illegal by the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970.

Here is a great timeline of quotes about the drug: “Marijuana leads to pacifism and communist brainwashing,” said Federal Bureau of Narcotics Chief Harry J. Anslinger in 1948.

Oh yeah, Harry?

“I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast,” said former president Ronald Reagan.

“Marijuana leads to homosexuality…and therefore to AIDS,” said White House Drug Czar Carlton Turner in 1986.

Didn’t know there was a correlation, Turner.

In 1937, because of the film Reefer Madness, the majority of the American population became convinced that smoking marijuana directly caused insanity. There was no truth in the movie; it wasn’t based on any real facts – usually stoners don’t beat people to death, nor laugh as they watch it happen – yet it terrified the public enough to demand war.

Being one of the most used recreational drugs in college, all you have to do is walk down any dorm hallway on campus, or take a stroll through University Heights and you can catch a whiff of weed.

Whether students are putting towels under their doors and bags over their fire alarms in their dorm rooms, or relaxing in the comfort of their own apartments’ living rooms, stoners find a way around the rules.

My favorite Above the Influence commercial has to be with the two girls – one of them is normal, and the other is just a melted body, only able to move her eyes.

Of course a close ringer is the one where a teenager steals money from her mom’s purse, until her talking dog tells her how disappointed he is in her. Really now? Seriously; a talking dog?

But the times, they are-a changin’.

As medical marijuana is becoming legalized in certain states, the general public’s opinion has changed from demonization to acceptance – begrudgingly or otherwise.

I’ve seen the positive effects of weed personally. My father was diagnosed with cancer when I was in high school. After going through chemotherapy he wouldn’t eat Buffalo is set to rise again, but every- – couldn’t eat. As New York doesn’t have one needs to be a part of it no matter medical marijuana laws, he didn’t have what they look like. legal access to it. But his work colleagues found weed, and brought him dozens of brownies.

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Because of pot brownies my dad had a respite from his constant pain of cancer, and he was actually able to eat.

So the U.S government is trying to tell us that alcohol – which kills around 50,000 people each year from alcohol poisoning – is less dangerous than weed, a medicinal herb that helps cancer, HIV, and glaucoma patients?

If you’re not in-the-know in the marijuana community, or if you don’t scour the Trees subreddit page, a new study has confirmed that the smoking of cannabis is not harmful to health.

The 20-year study, done at the University of California and the University of Alabama, states: “Smoking marijuana once a week doesn’t harm the lungs.” The study also stated that, “the analyses showed pot didn’t appear to harm lung function, but cigarettes did,” according to KSBW, a California television station.

Of course there are still inherent risks in smoking weed.

It’s true: the munchies are an epidemic.

When high, resist the urge to order the 5-5-5 deal from Dominos at all costs.

Sounds like a good idea, but trust me, you’re going to regret it three hours later.

Email: lyzi.white@ubspectrum.com

Life ubspectrum.com

Page 4

Health and Fitness

Monday, January 23, 2012

Hope Floats

Healthy Living with The Spectrum AARON MANSFIELD Senior Life Editor Care about fitness? Like to drink like seemingly every other college student? Yeah, a lot of us are in the same boat.

Ever woke up and wondered why you ate 20 chicken wings last night, even though you know it was ’cause you were drunk? While a night of drinking can (obviously) be a good time, it can also ruin a perfectly healthy day for people watching what they eat. I’m not here to tell you not to drink, because on the real, you’re going to drink anyway.

Still, there are ways to be (somewhat) healthy while you quench your thirst for liquid courage.

Diet.

As far as healthy alcoholic drinks go, there aren’t really any healthy cocktails. However, a general rule to follow is: the higher the alcohol content (proof), the higher the calories. Typical 80-proof vodka has 64 calories per ounce, while 100-proof vodka has 82.

You shouldn’t overlook light beer. I personally think it’s the better-tasting option, and you can generally save 35-50 calories per beer. But keep in mind that those calories add up when you’re having multiple beers.

Lord knows it’s tough to resist Jim’s Steakout or University Hots at 3 a.m. after you’ve pounded a few drinks. Your stomach’s rumbling, your friends are headed out, and you don’t care about the calories. You’ll worry about that in the morning.

Don’t starve yourself or just eat a celery stalk. That sounds atrocious. You can still go to a restaurant without ruining your diet and feel crushing guilt in the morning. Opt for a turkey sub on wheat instead of that Stinger you were going to get at Jim’s.

At U-Hots, get a veggie burger or grilled chicken sandwich, which are both still delicious drunk foods.

Workout.

This one’s pretty simple: don’t workout when you’re drunk.

Sounds pretty simple, right? But sometimes when you’re drinking till 5 a.m. and you get up at 8 to go to the gym, you’re still drunk when you get there. Trust me, I’ve been there. You’ll drop dumbbells, trip over benches, and generally just look like a moron.

If you’re just hungover, though, sometimes it’s nice to get to the gym to do some cardio and burn off the toxins from the night before. If you do that, just make sure you remember this one tip: hydrate! You’re almost certainly dehydrated if you’re hungover.

Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout.

So remember: you can still drink and be healthy. Just make sure you drink low-alcohol-content drinks, order a healthier option when you go out to eat, and hydrate.

Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com

Kelsey Barbour’s successful fundraiser for cancer awareness.

RACHEL KRAMER Asst. Life Editor Spectators and swimmers crowded the pool at Alumni Arena, surrounding the water that matched their royal blue shirts. They rallied in support of cancer awareness.

Kelsey Barbour, a sophomore speech and hearing sciences major on the swim team, organized a cancer awareness fundraiser through the UB Swim Team on Saturday and raised almost $7,000 dollars. Barbour plans to donate all proceeds to cancer research of all types.

The idea to fundraise came from Barbour’s first-hand experience. The summer after her freshman year at UB in 2011, she was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer.

Thyroid cancer is a rare form that attacks the aforementioned gland and accounts for only 1 percent of all cancers, according to cancercenter.com. This gland is located in the neck and produces hormones to keep the body functioning.

“We were stunned when we found out,” said Cheryl Barbour, Kelsey’s mother.

“But Kelsey’s been so positive and matter of fact, just so great with the cancer.”

Barbour was worried that she would have to go through chemotherapy.

Instead, she had to take pills with radioactive iodine in them. These pills had few side effects, and to her surprise, she didn’t even lose her hair.

The one worry Barbour had was that she would not be able to swim in the upcoming season, but once she realized that the cancer was treatable, she was

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

determined to get better as quickly as possible. After two surgeries to remove the infected parts of her thyroid, she was ready to go back to school and continue her swimming career.

“It’s a really crucial part of training, to keep up over the summer, so when we get back to school in August, we can just hit the ground running,” Barbour said.

“I’ve just kind of been behind for the beginning of the season, but luckily we have a lengthy season so I had time to catch up.”

This experience motivated her to organize the Hope Floats event, raising money for the American Cancer Society.

After coming up with the idea, she reached out to her two best friends, her roommates and teammates: Katelyn Grimm, a sophomore communication major, and Taylor Lansing, a sophomore psychology major.

“We didn’t know if it was possible,” Lansing said. “It was a lot more work than we had thought. I had attended cancer events in the past and I never realized how much work actually went into planning them.”

They talked to their coaches, who fully supported the fundraiser, and offered to help in any way they could to get the ball rolling. The roommates were enthusiastic about having an event sponsored by the swim team that was also for a good cause.

After calling many local businesses – as well as using some family connections – the fundraiser had sponsors and soon it was time to advertise around campus.

Barbour and her friends put up posters in the halls and used Facebook to get the

word out.

“I think it’s really different when you see a poster on a wall about a fundraiser and people just say to themselves: ‘that’s nice but someone else could deal with it,’” Barbour said. “It’s really different when you actually go through it. It makes you really want to help out.”

The event took place in Alumni Arena with both the men’s and women’s swim teams participating. All swimmers were displaying their support by wearing the Hope Floats T-shirts, as well as matching royal blue swim caps.

While the men’s swim team raced against Miami (Ohio) and the women’s swim team battled Bowling Green, spectators had the opportunity to donate to the cause.

Donations came in through the purchase of raffle tickets for an auction and a bake sale packed with cookies shaped like cancer awareness ribbons and royal blue T-shirts.

Lansing designed T-shirts that sported the logo for the fundraiser and a motivational quote by Christopher Reeves, an actor and activist: “Once you choose hope, anything is possible.” The shirts were designed in an attempt to create a creative and stylish logo to catch the eyes of students around campus.

“We were really happy and excited about everyone who came out and are grateful for everyone who donated,” Barbour said.

“It’s only the first year and it was so successful. I hope for it to continue as an annual event and to keep raising money.”

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Writing Contest

Speak Up!

Make a difference!

$250 1st Prize

$100 2nd Prize

$50

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The Student Wellness Team is inviting students to submit a 1-2 page essay on the topic of speaking out against harassment, discrimination, and bullying. Prizes will be awarded for the essays that address this topic in the most evocative and thought-provoking manner.

Submit an entry form online at

wellness.buffalo.edu/essay Submission Deadline: February 27, 2012 | Winners’ Announcement: April 16, 2012

Monday, January 23, 2012

Arts ubspectrum.com

Page 5

Mixtape Monthly

BRIAN JOSEPHS and ELVA AGUILAR

Arts Editor and Asst. Arts Editor

Raekwon – Unexpected Victory He’s part of the legendary hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He’s responsible for releasing Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and its sequel, two highly acclaimed albums that solidified his solo career and put him in high ranks as a lyricist in the hip-hop community.

However, Raekwon’s current mixtape,

Unexpected Victory, has left listeners not

only disappointed, but confused. Raekwon hasn’t advertised any upcoming studio albums or Wu-Tang collaborations, which leaves fans bewildered by the purpose of Unexpected Victory.

In an attempt to expand his fan base along with keeping the adoration of long time fans, Raekwon tries to fuse his renowned gangster rap-style with today’s popular theme of hip-hop decadence.

Raekwon also tries to merge old and new by featuring 21 artists and 15 producers on this collaboration.

The lyrics on this mixtape is up to par with previous works by Raekwon, but it seems that allowing too many producers is what deterred this mixtape from becoming a cult classic.

On “Chinese Marines,” Raekwon teams up with fellow New York rap veterans, Havoc and Prodigy of Mobb Deep, and do what they do best: depict the dog-eat-dog world they live in.

What made this song lackluster, however, was the less than infectious beat that juxtaposed the hard-hitting, violent, Mafioso rhymes.

Raekwon’s lone solo track, “A Pinebox Story,” is proof of what could’ve been had it not been so crowded with the extra personnel. Produced by 9th Wonder, this song outlines the troubles of looking to the streets to survive and the not-so-happy ending that crime will result in.

Although there are no disputes about Raekwon’s abilities as a rapper, the biggest mistake he made was handing over the reins way too many people.

T.I. – F*** Da City Up Clifford Harris, better known as T.I., put out his latest mixtape, F*** Da City Up, on New Year’s Day. It is his first release since he finished serving his prison sentence last fall.

Despite a PR front that includes a book deal, a reality TV show, and appearances with the likes of Taylor Swift, this mixtape dispels any assumptions that T.I.’s musical content and style will change for his upcoming album Trouble Man. T.I. has a reputation of collaborating with top-notch artists and FDCU is no different. Having kept a watchful eye out while he served his time, T.I. recruited the likes of Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Nelly, Meek Mill, and protégé B.o.B. to accompany him on this project, and everybody delivered.

T.I. maintains an aloof persona throughout the whole mixtape but also gives room for his featured artists to shine.

“Loud Mouth” features 2 Chainz, whose name has been all over the hip-hop community. Although T.I. did open the song strongly, he ultimately opens the door for 2 Chainz to shine on this track.

In true 2 Chainz fashion, the Atlanta rapper mixes his unique lyricism, humor, and hilarious fluctuations to take the title of best verse on the song.

On “I’ll Show You,” T.I. collaborated with G.O.O.D. Music lyricist Pusha T. The anticipation for this track was high considering the two are part of hip-hop’s small circle of elite emcees.

T.I.’s verse on this track is a lyrical manifestation of pounding his chest and proclaiming his presence to reclaim his kingdom in the rap game – not only to Pusha, but to his competition.

FDCU definitely displayed T.I.’s excitement to be back in the studio and continue following his calling. The only expectation this mixtape didn’t meet was diversity. T.I. is known to have different styles on his more recent albums, and this mixtape was geared more to his urban fans than mainstream.

There is no doubt, however, that T.I. won’t pull out all the stops on Trouble Man, which is slated to appear in stores this February.

Rick Ross – Rich Forever A big part of Rick Ross’ persona is his perceived fearlessness. It’s one of the aspects that makes his boss-like mythos believable. No matter how preposterous his drug kingpin fantasies are, and no matter how many detractors he may have, nothing can topple him because the king stays the king in the Rick Ross storyline.

However, there is one thing that Rick Ross is afraid of – “brokenness.”

It’s what drove him throughout his outstanding 2011 campaign. It seemed as if Rick Ross was in every remix to nearly every hip-hop banger during the year. Even after suffering two seizures last October, Rick Ross marched back to the studio and continued to impress, and even went as far as calling the two incidents minor setbacks on the “Ima Boss” remix.

VILONA TRACHTENBERG Asst. Arts Editor

Work ethic seems to be one of the only things keeping Rick Ross away from his kryptonite. Rich Forever, Rick Ross’ latest mixtape, is the embodiment of that fact.

The mixtape promotes his forthcoming album, God Forgives, I Don’t. Rich Forever makes numerous allusions to the anticipated release, but Rick Ross doesn’t forget that he still must bring the heat – lest he fall victim to his kryptonite.

Rick Ross’ charisma shines throughout the mixtape, and his delusions of grandeur provide some of its better moments.

In “Holy Ghost,” guest Diddy pleads to God Himself for protection from the fear of losing it all, a problem that Rick Ross has colloquially dubbed “brokenness.”

“Being dead broke is the route of all evil,” Ross raps.

The Maybach Music Group leader also steps back from painting pictures to play the role of enforcer in “High Definition.”

He threatens to “blow out your brains before you give me a case,” a surprising line from someone who’s on top of his game. Later in “Triple Beam Dreams,” Rick Ross has no problem defending his gangster ambitions against street-weary prophet, Nas. The mixtape is overwrought and repetitive at times, but the detours are worth it when the smoke clears with Drake’s outstanding verse in the finale, “Stay Schemin’.”

Drake vehemently states, “B**** you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym.”

The song is the latest in excellent Drake/ Rick Ross collaborations including “Lord Knows” and “Aston Martin Music,” and will make fans salivate for their upcoming collaborative mixtape, YOLO.

Rich Forever is another great addition to

Rick Ross’ career, even though it’s just a preview of the big things to come. If this collection of songs is any indicator, 2012 should be another year to remember for the Boss.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com



????

Bye Bye Bye to Boy Bands?



As a 9-year-old girl growing up in the ’90s, whenever I heard *NSYNC on the radio, I would shriek with excitement. Today, as a 21-year-old, nothing has changed.

After a few trials and errors with The Jonas Brothers and multiple fatal endeavors by P. Diddy’s television show “Making The Band” to conjure up a boy band equivalent, those bands fell off the circuit almost as fast as they won their spot into pop stardom. Those new bands didn’t have the same star quality that the other bands had, and left the circuit with no memories, leaving our generation wanting to revert back to the old songs.

The sad truth is that the boy band era of the ’90s has seemingly become extinct. However, the memories these old boy band songs provided live on, and the unity that the pop teen idol “boy banders” left is still present.

To this day, to reclaim some of the boy-band memories, my friends and I have ’90s music parties and jam out to *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys on our iPods as if we were all in elementary school again, all remembering the lyrics to each song from years back.

These sing-a-longs don’t just happen in private though. Karaoke bars are a great way to reminisce about the glory days. When drunk enough, the choice of song at a karaoke bar is usually either “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Baby Got Back,” but the actual fun comes in when someone sings an *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys song, with the voice volume turned all the way up and everyone in the bar joining in. *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys characterized the typical ’90s childhood,

and as growing adults we’ll always remember and be excited about their songs whenever we hear them on the radio. The memories come back and we feel like we’re kids again, and the love for the teen pop idol heartthrobs come rushing back.

In today’s society, the kids of this generation are forced to listen to single pop acts such as Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber, but their popularity won’t last long and they won’t leave a spot in our hearts to last generations.

Although their songs are apparently catchy now, they don’t leave the sing-a-long potential for years to come like the boy band songs have.

Recently, when Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block had their reunion tour, and yes I was there with my best friend and am not afraid to admit it, the entirety of HSBC Arena was filled with adult women screaming as if they were little girls to get a last glimpse of Nick Carter and Donnie Wahlberg dancing and singing.

Let’s not forget the girls though – no one had as much girl power as the Spice Girls did, and to this day whenever “Wannabe” comes on there’s no way someone will pass up the opportunity to scream the lyrics along.

Although there is really no chance of a boy band surviving this era, there will always be hope for an *NSYNC reunion tour, and if this ever happened, you can bet I would be in the front row screaming each and every word and hoping for a chance to touch Justin Timberlake’s hand.

Email: vilona.trachtenberg@ubspectrum.com

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ubspectrum.com

Page 6

Monday, January 23, 2012

N E W S T U D E N T H O U S I N G C O M I N G FA L L 2 012

clubhouse & model

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Page 7

EVERYTHING YOU NEED for the 2012 academic year. Great 1 to 8 bedroom houses & apartments. Near South Campus. Off-street parking, laundry, dishwashers, & much more! Please call: Andy to schedule a showing 716-3084881.

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Daily Delights

SPONSORED BY Villas on Rensch

HOROSCOPES

Visit ubspectrum.com/games for our online game of the week Also see the crossword and Sudoku answers from last issue

Crossword of the Day STEVEN WROBEL Life Editor It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a…weather balloon.

While many students spend their weekends partying, studying, and hanging out with their friends, one club at UB spent its weekend studying the outer realms of Earth’s atmosphere.

UB Students for the Exploration and Development Space (UB-SEDS) is a club that sets its ambitions skyward to generate interest and activism in the community for any and all space-related topics, according to Sean Lyons, a senior aerospace engineering major.

55 Good omen 17 Change your story

59 They're not pros 18 Overachieving Simpson

“This project is one of the most chal 62 Ceremonial practice 19 Leg-foot link

lenging yet rewarding feats of my

63 Conciliatory gifts 20 "Nay" is one

undergraduate career,” Lyons said.

64 Journalist Sawyer 23 Kind of node

“The lessons I have learned and [the] 65 Noted first name in jazz

24 Letter from Paul

success of this project have given me

66 Downwind, on a ship 28 Senatorial affirmative

an inspiration no course offered at this 67 Bring into harmony 29 "Dukes of Hazzard" deputy sheriff

university could ever provide.”

68 Jodie Foster title character 33 "PulpFiction"co-star ___ L. Jackson

69 Hankerings 34 Leaf like layers

36 Ill-fated Biblical brother The launching of the balloon last

37 Part of a boxing ring the culminaSaturday, Oct. 22, was

42 Seven to sail tion of many hours of planning. The

“The idea for this came about in either October or November of last year, when we saw a video of a father-andson team that sent an iPhone aboard a balloon and recovered it, becom-

FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- It may fall to you to provide the help another needs to clean up a situation that has gotten out of hand somehow. Don't hesitate.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You can enjoy LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Someone is time spent with a friend today, but a part of waiting for you to do what comes natuyou may be wishing that someone else was rally -- and he or she is in a position to able to come along for the ride. benefit handsomely from your efforts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You're facing a dark and complex situation, but you can shed some light on things before the day is out -- and everyone is grateful.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You can do much for someone who is not in a position to help himself or herself. By day's end, you can forge a strong and lasting partnership.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- A password of sorts is likely to open more than one door for you. What begins as a result is likely to last quite awhile.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You'll want LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Harmony at home to take a look at things through the eyes of is the direct result of harmony within your own heart and mind -- and you know just someone much younger today -- and your what you need to do to have it. spirits are likely to soar as a result.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You must use the information you receive responsibly; don't make the mistake of acting without thinking.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You'll enjoy VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- A piece of news CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You comes to you through unexpected channels and a friend may find yourself jockeythe benefits of a situation of which you and has you wondering if other information ing for position -- but before long you were the architect -- but not all is as it you have is actually out-of-date. will both have an equal advantage over should be according to a friend. others.

Lyons was the project manager of the Edited Weather

by Timothy E. Parker January 23,2012 club’s High-Altitude Balloon CHANGE FOR THE BETTER By Kathy George Project (HAWB). The project’s goal

was to send a weather balloon into ACROSS

the sky to measure temperature and 43 Bread dip (var.)

1 Cookie found in many crosswords

5 Operates pressure. In addition, atmospheric the44 "Dr. No" star Andress

9 English church land pictures team wanted to capture and 47 Creep through the cracks

48 Make up your mind 14 Teller's partner video footage to document the trip and

51 Drag race participants 15 Indianthe river entry point boundary measure atmospheric

53 Weirder than weird 16 Steams up layers.

group had to not only raise the funds to take on this project, but it also had to develop the means by which to perform all the desirable functions.

UB-SEDS procured $1,100 in funding from sponsorships from local companies and from Sub Board I Inc.

MonDay, JANUARY 23

DOWN

1 Not behind closed doors

2 All-night flight

3 It's nono-brainer

4 Ready to serve, as beer

5 Jamaican citrus fruit

6 Blade, in the joint

7 Facility

8 Barrel slat

9 "Ars ___ artis"

10 Hockeyofficial

11 Bugling mammal

12 "The Fresh Prince of ___-Air"

13 Compass pt.

21 Property crime

22 Photo ___ (campaign activities)

25 Lipstick holder

26 Wicked look 27 Building wing 30 "... see hide ___ hair of" 31 Any of several Norwegian kings 32 Missile or grain containers 35 Teen skin affliction

37 FiddlingRoman 38 Bridgeposition 39 Seizing without authority 40 Poetic work 41 Delhi dough 42 Ndamukong of the Detroit Lions 45 Unknot 46 Trailers and mailers 48 Charm City ballplayer 49 Dirty "Peanuts" character 50 Grammar class subjects 52 Lorelei, e.g.

54 Blue-book composition 56 Kitchen-flooring piece 57 "___ be good for you!"

58 Schnitzel ingredient 59 Colgate tube letters 60 Having no value

Sudoku

student

townhomes opening fall 2012

l e a s i n g c e n t e r n o w o p e n • u b c o m m o n s s u i t e 11 6

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Sports ubspectrum.com

Page 8

The Life and Legacy of Joe Paterno TYLER CADY Senior Sports Editor

Upon hearing of the death of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, several thoughts ran through my head – and not one of those revolved around the ugly scandal that rocked the small Pennsylvania community just over two months prior.

Make no mistake: Joe Paterno is a legend and his passing should be treated as such.

The news of his death is a sad reminder of how quickly things can change. In late October he was preparing his team for its upcoming game – something that he had done hundreds of times. Less than a week later, someone other than Paterno was leading Penn State out of the tunnel for the first time since 1966.

One week later he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

Two months later, he was gone.

Paterno lived and breathed Penn State football, and once that was taken away from him, his health deteriorated rapidly. His cause of death will be listed as complications from lung cancer, but what really killed him was the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

It’s sad really, that this man who had such a monumental impact on Penn State, and football in general for that matter, will inevitably have a stain on his legacy.

Four hundred nine wins, 37 bowl games, five perfect seasons and two national championships are the kinds of things that should be mentioned when talking about Paterno.

As a society we are programmed to remember people’s failures more than their successes. If you say Chris Webber the first thing that comes to mind is when he called timeout when his team didn’t have any left in the 1993 National Championship game.

In Paterno’s case it’s especially saddening because it’s not because of anything he himself did. You could make the argument that the longtime coach should have done more to prevent the Jerry Sandusky crimes, and that’s your prerogative. But Joe Pa himself didn’t commit any of the heinous acts described in the grand jury report, and his memory should reflect that.

Paterno should be remembered as the face of Penn State, and the gold standard for football coaches, not the face of a sexual abuse scandal.

Joe Paterno never raped any children – that was all Jerry Sandusky. Sandusky was the one who sodomized a child in the shower, and Sandusky was the one who should take the well-deserved backlash.

He defines coaching, built a national powerhouse and changed the game.

Paterno dedicated his life to Penn State football and his players, and the quick deterioration of his health speaks to that.

Taking away football from Joe Paterno is what killed him more than the cancer.

As Jim Valvano famously said, “Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”

Cancer took away Paterno’s physical health, but it was the scandal that took away his heart and soul.

Email: tyler.cady@ubspectrum.com

Monday, January 23, 2012

Big Shot Dave Shoots Bulls to Victory TYLER CADY Senior Sports Editor

“Mitch’s block was just a thing of beauty,” Witherspoon said. “Normally you’d say block it and keep it in play.

What he did was block it and send it out high enough and far enough that the horn sounded while the ball was in the air.”

In the men’s basketball locker room, senior forward Dave Barnett is known by the sobriquet “Big Shot Dave.” In the waning moments of Saturday’s game head coach Reggie Witherspoon subbed Barnett out.

Watt did it on the offensive end for the Bulls as well, tying sophomore forward Javon McCrea for a teamhigh 16 points.

As he headed to the bench, Barnett said “But coach I was just about to hit a big shot.” On the next possession, Witherspoon put Barnett back and the local kid delivered on his promise by hitting a clutch three.

Falcons’ forward A’uston Calhoun outdid both players in the scoring column. He put on a show for the home crowd, keeping the Falcons in the game with a game-high 29 points.

It wasn’t always pretty for the Bulls (10-6, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) as they relinquished an eight-point lead in the final five minutes, making it a one-possession game. But with the help of the deep Barnett trey and an electrifying block by senior forward Mitchell Watt as time expired, Buffalo bested Bowling Green (8-10, 2-3 MAC), 68-66 in the squad’s first trip to the brand new Stroh center.

“[Calhoun] is just a terrific player,” Witherspoon said. “His skill set is just so versatile, he does so many different things and plays so hard.

And don’t get me wrong our big guys played pretty well too today.”

The difference in the game was bench scoring. Buffalo’s bench outscored the Falcons 24-3.

“[The team is] pretty pumped up,” Witherspoon said. “It’s very difficult to win road games regardless. For us to be able to come in [to the Stroh center] and get a victory feels good.”

Senior guard Zach Filzen couldn’t find his stroke from three, but his teammates picked up the slack in a big way, going 8-of-10 in the second half. The Bulls used their long range shooting to erase a one-point halftime deficit, highlighted by Barnett’s three triples and junior guard Tony Watson’s two.

“For us it was about ball movement,” Witherspoon said. “At halftime we talked about the need to move the basketball and trust our movement.

We did enough that they had to go back to man-to-man.”

The win marks the end of the Bulls’ first run through the MAC East, coming out with a 3-2 record against their divisional foes. It was also the first time Buffalo had won away from Alumni Arena in conference play this season after dropping its first two road contests.

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

“Big Shot Dave” Barnett goes up for two. His three 3-pointers propelled the Bulls to victory Saturday.

Even with the late three by Barnett to put Buffalo up by four, the game seemed destined to come down to the wire. Bowling Green scored a quick two, then stopped the Bulls on the next possession with Barnett failing to convert on the front end of a one-

and-one. Falcons’ guard Jordon Crawford took the rebound and went coastto-coast attempting to get off a quick layup. It looked as though he would get a clear look until Watt seemingly came out of nowhere to send the shot into the bleachers and the Bulls to the locker room victorious.

Now Buffalo will return to the place where it has been near-perfect this season. Alumni Arena has been very friendly to the Bulls this season as they boast a 7-1 record. The Bulls’ faithful hopes that mark will improve to 8-1 Tuesday against Eastern Michigan (9-10, 4-1 MAC). Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Buffalo Celebrates Seniors, Prepares for Postseason BEN TARHAN Staff Writer

The swimming and diving team is currently in the midst of its most successful season in recent memory.

After winning the Mid-American Conference Championship last year, the men (5-0, 1-0 MAC) have continued their success into this season, boasting a perfect dual meet record thus far, and finishing second at the Zippy Invite in December.

The women (5-2, 1-2 MAC) have followed their male counterparts’ lead, defeating Big East foe Pittsburgh in their first dual meet of the season, improving to 4-2 and finishing third at the Zippy Invite.

On Saturday, Miami (Ohio) and Bowling Green visited Alumni Arena to face the men and women. The Bulls thoroughly dominated. The men defeated Miami (OH), 165-127, and the women defeated Bowling Green, 146-123.

Head coach Andy Bashor is satisfied with his team’s progress this season.

With MAC championships looming close for both the men’s and women’s teams, Bashor is confident that the work his teams have put into training will pay off in the coming weeks. “[The MAC Championship] is something

we’ve been talking about since the beginning of the year and it’s something that gets talked about more and more towards the end of the season,” Bashor said. “They know where we are and what we’re expecting out of them right now and that they’re going to get a lot better as the weeks go by.”

These teams are different because of their work ethic, according to Bashor.

They have accepted the challenges that he and his staff have offered them throughout the course of the season and exceeded expectations. They now sit in a good position to compete for the MAC Championship.

The captains and seniors have been an important group, leading their teams to the success they’ve had this season.

The Bulls are now nearing the end of the season. With only two dual meets remaining before the MAC Championship meet, the swimmers have already completed the bulk of their training and are now beginning to swim their fastest times of the season.

After being in this situation last year (with the men’s team winning it all), the men’s team is ready to show it is a more than legitimate contender for the second year in a row.

The women are much more confident than last year, according to Bashor, and ready to prove that they can compete at

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

The men’s and women’s swimming and diving squads completed a weekend sweep of Bowling Green and Miami (Ohio).

the same level as the men.

The meet was the Bulls’ last home meet of the season. Beforehand, the team celebrated the eight seniors who have helped lead the Bulls to their most successful stretch in school history. The Bulls also held a fundraiser at the meet, Hope Floats, which raised money for the American Cancer Society.

All the work that the team has put in

this year would be for naught if the squad fell short of its goal. So how will the team prepare for the MAC championships in a few weeks?

“We need to rest,” Bashor said. “All that work has been put in and it’s time to rest their bodies.”

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Scouting Eastern Michigan Current Record: 9-10 (4-1 Mid-American Conference) All Time Record: 9-8 Buffalo Last Meeting: 78-65 Eastern Michigan (February 12, 2011, Ypsilanti) Two Eagles to watch:

CHECK OUT WOMEN’S

G-Darrell Lampley: The senior stands just 5-foot-10, but his size hasn’t stopped him from averaging double figures this season (12.9 points per game). He leads the Eagles in 3-pointers made (29) and overall field goals made (79). Look for him to shoot a lot in the game, as he has almost twice as many shot attempts as anybody else on his team.

This is all while leading the team with 43 assists on the year.

ONLINE

F-Jamell Harris: The forward has been the Eagles top defender this year. He also is a force to be reckoned with on the glass, leading his team in rebounding. He’s also tallied 40 offensive boards on the year. His 128 rebounds are more than double all but one player on his team. He also has a reputation for contesting shots in the paint, swatting away 30 on the year. The one knock on the big man is that he can only score around the rim, failing to have any range whatsoever.

ubspectrum.com

The Bulls win if... Someone besides Javon McCrea and Mitchell Watt can score for the Bulls.

Zach Filzen has the ability to be that guy, but the senior guard has struggled to score lately. In the

BASKETBALL

most recent game for the Bulls Dave Barnett filled the void, and the Bulls need someone to do the same Tuesday.

The Eagles win if... They can slow down the pace of the game. In their four MAC wins they have averaged just over 50 points per game. The only time they broke the 60-point plateau was in an overtime contest. They are a consistent team and the average point differential has been 4.4 in their five MAC contests. They will also have to take advantage of Buffalo playing a zone and look to Lampley who may be outmatched by the Bulls.

Prediction:

BRYAN FEILER Sports Editor The Bulls will need to overpower Lampley to stop him from shooting. Both teams have had many close games, so this one will come down to the wire. The Bulls may fall into Eastern Michigan’s game, but they will keep the game close because the Eagles lack offense. The game will come down to who is winning with about a minute left. I don’t expect any team coming back from a two or three possession game with a minute left.

Eastern Michigan-49 Buffalo-53

TYLER CADY Senior Sports Editor

NATHANIEL SMITH Asst. Sports Editor

Buffalo is playing at home (where they are 7-1) against a MAC West opponent so this is an easy pick in my opinion. The West Division is like the AAA of MAC Basketball. If Buffalo wants to be one of the beasts in the East they have to take care of business against weak opponents.

This will be an interesting game. Eastern Michigan has done a good job all year keeping teams under 65 points on the year, although that could be more of a credit to their slow pace than their actual defensive ability. This game will be a very low-scoring game, which makes every possession important. The Bulls only have Lampley to worry about scoring-wise, so the Bulls should have enough scoring depth to pull this game out at home.

Eastern Michigan-55 Buffalo-71

Eastern Michigan-51 Buffalo-58