The Spectrum Volume 61 Issue 67

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Baseball Blow Out >> Page 14

Vol. 61 NO. 67

ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A Success from Sudan Abuk Masham’s journey from a war zone to a new life

KEREN BARUCH

She sees freedom and she sees possibility – for herself and her family.

Life Editor

Growing Numb to Pain

When Abuk Masham was 8 years old, she watched as her grandfather was shot to death in his small Sudanese village. She remembers the blood, him falling to the ground, and the frightened look on his face. Within the next three years, she had lost five brothers and three sisters to gunmen’s bullets and disease as her nation ripped itself apart in a religious and political civil war that lasted more than two decades and left over two million dead.

Masham grew up with 53 siblings. Even for normal families in the southern Sudan, that was a lot. Her father, Deng, took 10 wives and served as a general chief in Southern Sudan. His position allowed him to make decisions about South Sudan’s position in the war, and he made a lot of money. His high stature enabled him to support all of his wives and his children.

By the time she was 13, Masham had seen so much hatred and death she no longer cried. She had developed a steel wall around her heart and an ability to see everyone around her in pain without actually feeling any herself. She became numb to the negativity around her and resolved to one day leave her country.

It also allowed him to break the rules. As a Christian society, South Sudan does not officially allow polygamy. But men with money, like her father, did what they please with little repercussions, said Masham.

Today, South Sudan is the world’s youngest nation. It was established July 9, 2011, six years after the peace agreement between the Muslim north and the Christian south ended the killing. It still faces widespread poverty, disputes over oil, and the lingering animosity so much loss brings.

That includes abusing family members. Masham said Sudanese society does not protect its people the way American society does. People are allowed to physically, emotionally, and mentally harm their family members, friends, and strangers.

Masham, a student at UB, is one of the 10,000 Sudanese refugees, according to www.hopeofsudan. org, in Western New York trying to rebuild her life and reset her moral compass in Buffalo. She’s married and has seven children, and her goals here are basic: she wants to make something of herself. She wants to fulfill at least a fraction of the potential her family lost. She wants to be something for the people she loved. “If I stayed there I could be dead right now,” Masham said. “I wanted to come here, to succeed, to learn, to make something of myself, and help others in the future.”

alexa strudler /// the spectrum

Abuk Masham and her husband escaped South Sudan in 1999 in hopes of creating a life filled with happiness and success. They attend UB and their dreams are slowly coming true because of the different life that America has provided for them.

She is determined to be the first in her family to get a college education. She then wants to help those who need it, including refugees and those still struggling in Sudan. She also wants to make sure her children get into college.

When Masham walks around Buffalo, she doesn’t see urban decay. She sees beauty.

She said she remembers her father neglecting some of her siblings. By not supporting all of them all the time, and by giving out little amounts of love to his wives and children, he was abusing them. Masham said that her father showed her more love than the rest of her siblings, which led to her siblings getting angry with her and arguing with her because they felt more abused by their father than Masham did. Masham vowed she would escape. She did not want to live or bring up a family where neglect and death were a common part of everyday life. continued on page 2

SA Elections Kick Off REBECCA BRATEK News Editor

It’s that time of year again – Student Association election season. Candidates and their campaign mates swarm the Student Union, and most students seem to walk faster or have that important phone conversation instead of grabbing every flier that is thrown in their faces. This election year is no exception. “I feel like I was bombarded starting Monday when elections were going to start and then Tuesday; I just feel like there are masses of people pushing fliers in my face,” said Mercy Walelo, a freshman pre-pharmacy major. “It should be more organized than that.” On Tuesday, candidates from the Reason, United, and MVP parties began a three-day push for votes in hopes to win spots on the SA executive board or become a SUNY delegate. Candidates, armed with fliers and mini-platform speeches, hoped to reach students and gain votes. “I have maybe 30 seconds with [a person] in the perfect situation,” said Travis Nemmer, the Reason Party’s presidential candidate. “It’s exhausting. But it’s been very positive; we’re getting the word out there.” Nemmer stressed that the campaigning and election process is far from ideal – his first sug-

INSIDE

continued on page 5

Opinion s 3 Life s 6,7

Mitchell Watt: All-American TYLER CADY Senior Sports Editor The season may be over for the men’s basketball team, but that doesn’t mean the season has stopped for one Bull. Senior forward Mitchell Watt earned national recognition on Tuesday when he was announced as a member of the 2012 Reese’s All-Star Game. The game features 20 select seniors from across the nation, and will be played on the Final Four floor at the Superdome in New Orleans this Friday. “It’s an honor,” Watt said. “It’s pretty cool that I can go out this time of year and represent this team and this program. Especially on a prestigious stage such as the Final Four.” The game will be another opportunity for Watt to showcase his skills against some of the best players in the country,

as well as in front of NBA scouts. The senior will get more than one opportunity to do so because he was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament from April 11-14, where he will also play in front of representatives from all 30 NBA teams. Watt is eager to showcase his skills for those who are making decisions at the next level. “I’d definitely rather play in the United States than overseas,” Watt said. “I think I’ll be able to get [to the NBA] with the determination and hard work [I’m putting in].”

Fans wishing to watch Watt in the Reese’s All-Star Game can tune in to TruTV Saturday at 1 p.m. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

The recognition stems from his outstanding senior season, in which Watt was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year – and those accolades continued post-season. On Monday, the Associated Press named Watt as an honorable mention to

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

Senior center has been selected to play in the Reese’s College All-Star Game. The game will be played this Friday as part of the Final Four weekend in New Orleans.

Check ubspectrum.com for more information on the MVP party.

Satsuki Aoi /// The Spectrum

Crack Horse Robs Hood in Rampant Steakout ADRIEN D’ANGELO

Arts s 8,9

Staff Writer

Tom Warne, a senior business major, is flailing as he’s pushed back and forth. Ten people are in the center, treating his body like a punching bag. As the sounds get louder, he’s no longer able to stand. A blow to the ribs brings him down, and he disappears briefly in the nest of revelers.

Classifieds & Daily Delights s 13 Sports s 14

Weather for the Week: Wednesday: AM Showers/Wind- H: 57, L: 38 Thursday: Partly Cloudy- H: 43, L: 31 Friday: Partly Cloudy- H: 42, L: 33

its All-America team. In terms of Buffalo history, Watt is only the second player to reach that plateau after former guard Turner Battle. Watt was also the only player from the MAC selected.

Courtesy of Melissa Chesney

The Crack Horse, Robin and the Hoods, Rampant, and The Steakouts provided moshing music in a tightly-packed basement of fans.

He looks up from the beer-stained cement at the blue lights wrapped around heating pipes,

as 10 hands grab him and yank him to his feet. Then he continues to mosh, with a smile that stretches the hairs on his chin. Punk, hardcore, and ska lovers all came together at The Crack Horse’s CD release party last Saturday. Copies of their new LP, Peace and Quiet, were available for free to everyone who paid the $3 entrance fee. Joining them were Robin and the Hoods, Rampant, and The Steakouts. continued on page 11


ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

continued from page 1: a success from sudan “[The whole family] lived in a big building, and every woman lived in a separate area with her children. My mom was his first wife,” Masham said. “It’s not normal [for a man to have so many wives], and it hurt me. I was in pain but there was nothing I could do about it. That’s another reason I left the country. We [as children] didn’t have freedom, especially when a man had money – he could do anything.” It was difficult having so many siblings, Masham said. Her father had little to do with his children, particularly after the war started. Losing three of her 54 siblings was especially hard because of all the time she spent with them. Since they lived in one building, while their mothers were cooking for their children, and their father was out participating in the war, the only thing that got them through each day was each other. She felt hopeless and knew there was nothing she could do; Masham said that was the hardest part of the pain. She continuously reminded herself that some day she would find a way to help others that felt a similar hopelessness. When Masham was 13, her father was arrested for being a Northern sympathizer and her life changed. She and her siblings and their mothers were forced to scratch out a living themselves. Often there was little to eat because there was no money being given to her mother or her father’s other wives. They managed to eat small scraps of food when her mother randomly found something to cook for them. They survived. Her father was released three years later and began to earn money for his family again.

Finding a New Life According to Jerald Martone, director of humanitarian affairs for the International Rescue Committee, about 4.27 million Sudanese were displaced because of the war. Masham was among them. “I thought the country would find a solution to the hatred. I thought the racism would end, I thought the burning of the houses would end, I thought the killing would end, but it didn’t,” Masham said. “I was 21 and I had to leave.” She and her husband, Francis Akuey, gathered their little amount of belongings – they had no money – and were ready to finally leave Sudan. Masham was sad that she was leaving her family behind, but knew she was essentially escaping her death. She knew if she stayed in Sudan she may end up in the same place that her grandfather and eight siblings ended up, and so she was anxious to get out and form a new life for herself. They pretended like they were coming to America for their honeymoon, and got past customs and security. They applied for their green cards and received them within a year. They stayed until they received their citizenship, four months ago, and no officials caught them while they were illegally here. They just could not leave America or they would be deported. If they returned to Sudan they would be killed. Their families knew they were leaving, but the government only thought they were going for a honeymoon. They purchased a roundtrip ticket, but never returned back to Sudan. Once Masham and her husband, Akuey, stepped off the airplane in America in 1999, their new life began. The pair had met in elementary school

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and had married just after high school. His dreams were the same as hers, and he loved her so much that he agreed to leave his family behind as well. Masham insisted on a church wedding, and she insisted Akuey not to take other wives. Masham and Akuey found jobs in the restaurant business. They cleaned tables and bathrooms, and sometimes served food. They arrived with their 2-year-old daughter, and over the past 13 years, have had six more children. “My mom is hardworking and she’s very willing to sacrifice,” said Aluk Akuey, Masham’s 15-year-old and oldest daughter. “She is very willing to give up everything to care for us. She took care of us for many years before she went to school.” In 2006, the family had enough money for housing and food, so Masham went to Erie Community College in Buffalo, then transferred to D’Youville College, and three years ago her travels brought her to UB. She and her husband both study here now, excited and willing to receive the education that was never available to them in Africa. “I’m in health and human services, and when I leave here I want to take care of the poor,” Masham said. “Not only in my country, but all around the world. I will go back to my country…I need to preach the Bible around the world.” Her husband has the same mentality and education goals as she does. He also studies health and human services at UB and hopes to do service in hospitals when he graduates. Her mother inspires Aluk, because for a while she thought she’d be the only one in her family to obtain a college diploma. She said her mother is a good example and she looks up to her for having the ability to leave such a harsh world and to succeed so happily in a new one.

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Akuey makes sure to spend time with his children so they receive the life that Masham never did

alexa strudler /// the spectrum

– one including quality time with their father. Masham carries a Bible and prays every day, asking God to protect her family. Masham and Akuey are finally figuring out what it means to be happy. “I never had fun [as a child] – I was always sad,” Masham said. “[Since] I left the country I’ve been happy. My life is changing. I go to school now, and one day I’m going to be a different person. My children are educated and they’re growing. One day they’re going to be [successful] – presidents, lawyers.” Family Back Home Masham and Akuey have yet to return to Africa. Up until July 2011 – when the post-war tensions ended – they feared being killed upon their arrival because of their illegal escape. However, the war is over and times are changing in South Sudan, so Masham’s family constantly asks her to come back home. “They say: ‘come back, the country is good.’ I say: ‘I know but I need to do what I need to do. I need to learn English. I need to write perfectly. I need to talk well, so when I pray, I can pray to everyone,’” Masham said. Masham and Akuey plan on returning to Africa one day so their children can see their home country, but they will not force them to stay. They want them to be able to make their own decisions and have freedom. Aluk has made her decision already. “I want to be a doctor. Instead of being a doctor here, I think I’ll be a doctor in South Sudan and help my mom,” Aluk

said. She knows that her life has been easy and she wants to return to her parents’ homeland and help fix the post-war tensions and preach to others just like her mother. Her family’s story inspires her each day to study hard so she can help others. Aluk also looks forward to meeting Masham’s siblings and parents. Seven of her siblings have also made the journey from Sudan to America after seeing the success and happiness that Masham has found here. They currently go to school and have part time jobs as well. Masham continues to keep in touch with her mom, and has a calling card so she can call all 51 of her living siblings. Her father sends her luxurious articles of clothing, which he makes in Africa, to remind her that a part of home will always be with her. He looks forward to meeting her children and seeing her again. “I will be different [when I go back to South Sudan],” Masham said. “I go to school here. This country is a country of opportunity. That alone makes me different. My ability now is not the same as before. I learn every day; I meet new people every day; I love people. It’s easy for me to get to know people. I will never be smart like an American but [at least] I learn, and that has made me different.” On July 9, 2011, South Sudan officially became an independent state. There are no longer tensions between the North and South, and residents are finally free to live without fear of being shot or burned to death. The nation is a safe home and many refugees dispersed through out America are making their way back to their families and friends that they have not seen in many years. Email: features@ubspectrum.com

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Opinion ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

EDITOR IN CHIEF Matthew Parrino SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR James Twigg

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 Bryan Feiler Nathaniel Smith PHOTO EDITORS Meg Kinsley, senior Alexa Strudler Satsuki Aoi WEB EDITOR Matthew Parrino James Twigg GRAPHICS DESIGNER Haider Alidina

PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Kurtz

Exercise your right and duty If you haven’t been to the Union, gone temporarily blind, or just came out of a coma in the last few days, let us inform you of an important bit of information. There is a Student Association election going on right now for President, Vice President, and SUNY Delegates. Like high school, these elections have become something of a popularity contest, with parties being tailor-made to garner the most support from clubs. The party with the support of UB’s biggest clubs usually wins. Unlike our primary school days, however, being in the student governing body isn’t largely about planning a prom and some other little events.

Sadly, as a student body we haven’t really cared about it in the past. Actually, let’s rephrase that: we don’t

March 28, 2011 VOLUME 61 NUMBER 68 CIRCULATION: 7,000

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In years past, controversy has often followed SA governments. Stories of unnecessary expenses put on our back and corruption have soured many of us to the workings of Student Government. Just like every other year, the people who didn’t live up to expectations were all elected. Nationally, elections for president have a turnout of around 55 percent, which is certainly pitiful but totally blows us out of the water at UB.

We understand that it’s not always easy to vote. Not every student goes through the Union on his or her way to class. Some students, mainly science students, might never even come close to the union

if they don’t need to. That doesn’t remove us of responsibility, however. Not a single one of us has the right to complain about a bad spring fest, useless functions, or bad management of clubs if we didn’t inform ourselves about the candidates and vote. A better knowledge of what exactly SA does would help encourage people to vote, and that would seem to be a natural topic for UB 101, but the class is all but useless except for teaching people about using condoms and spacing out your drinks. On top of that, not many people even take it. Yet somehow, candidates always seem to bring the class up in their platform as a way to inform students about SA. Just scrap the whole thing and set up a table in Knox and get people to listen when it’s a high traffic time before class. Democracy requires us all to be informed and active to work, or else it becomes a fancy game of name recognition. This year we have three distinctly different choices, a luxury that we don’t often get. Take advantage and make a difference. The Spectrum’s endorsements and profiles of each of the candidates can be found on our website, ubspectrum.com.

Ontario Legalizes Brothels

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Aline Kobayashi Liam Gangloff, asst.

The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee.

care about SA elections when it counts. Remember back to fall semester, when Fall Fest acts were announced publicly. Flames of rage flew around Facebook and Twitter, complaining about how bad of an act The Fray was and that the remaining two acts were effectively nobodies.

No, the people you elect this year will be responsible for millions of dollars, planning massive events, keeping clubs run- Last year’s SA election had a higher turnout that previous years, at 2,680, but as a ning, and a myriad of other functions. percentage of student population it was pitiful. Only around 14 percent of underWith a huge amount of SA income comgraduate students voted in the election. ing from our $94.75 Student Activity fee, That means that only about 10 percent of which each and every undergrad had to students actually voted for the candidates pay as part of their bill, it’s imperative that won the election. that we take the initiative.

CREATIVE DESIGNERS Nicole Manzo Aline Kobayashi

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.

Just Passed Over

Vote or Cry

EDITORIAL BOARD

MANAGING EDITOR Edward Benoit

Page 3

Should America think about legalizing prostitution? Canada invokes many beautiful images to people around the world. Some recognize it immediately for its rugged and beautiful landscape. Others know it for the friendly demeanor of our neighbors to the North (or West, for us Buffalonians) and maple syrup.

ploiting them for personal gain, but it decriminalize prostitution, they would had a side effect of making it impossible be blasted in their next elections for being the person that tried to legalize turnfor the prostitutes to hire bodyguards. ing tricks.

In conjunction with having the right to be protected, Ontario’s highest court also gave prostitutes the right to do their deeds indoors. Without somewhere to Now, Canada will be known as the icy actually complete the transaction, it land with the friendliest brothels on the makes it exponentially more difficult and dangerous to be a prostitute. planet. The Ontario Court of Appeals made a sweeping decision on Monday to legalize brothels, calling the restrictions on prostitution dangerous handcuffs on an already dangerous profession.

The same would go for anyone who voted for a measure like that.

Certainly it is a debate worth having, but one that we are pretty much indifferent about. Most of us, if forced to make a stand, would stand on the side of legalNot every part of the ruling makes hook- ization for many of the reasons stated, ing easier. The court also upheld a ban and some of our editorial board didn’t on public solicitation of sex services. think that legalizing prostitution would While some advocates decried it, this send a good message to kids, but almost aspect of the law is good. Even if you everyone really didn’t care one way or want it to be legal, there’s no doubt you the other. want people talking loudly on the neighborhood street corner about how much Maybe that’s the way it would turn out certain “services” cost. on Capitol Hill. Maybe someone would

Although the ruling will not take effect until a year from now, prostitution advocates are chalking it up as a big win for women involved in the sex trade. Before this, prostitution was already legal With the Great White North moving in Canada, but there were stifling laws forward on making prostitution safer, a question is raised for us Americans: limiting it. Why aren’t we moving forward to legalize prostitution? Previously, it was illegal for anyone to make his or her money off the profits It’s a question worth asking, but one from prostitution. with an answer unlikely to come out any time soon. Even if there were a couple of This was intended to prevent people senators brave enough to come forward from pimping out prostitutes and exwith legislation on the national level to

put the legislation out there and it would just be forgotten about after a little debate. At least after that, though, we could say that we actually had a serious debate about an issue that people are concerned about.

So we say good luck to Canada. We’re all glad that you’re doing what you have to do to ensure the safety of the oldest profession on earth.

We may not all be princesses waiting in a deep sleep for Prince Charming’s impeccable kiss to wake us up. We may not be frogs searching the world for someone’s lips to lock with ours so we evolve into beautiful and royal beings. We may laugh at the fairy tales after we’ve grown up, but those stories put kissing on such a high pedestal. The strength and power of a kiss should not be undermined. Sometimes a kiss has more meaning than sexual intercourse. According to the article “Affairs of the Lips: Why We Kiss” by Chip Walter, “a kiss triggers a cascade of neural messages and chemicals that transmit tactile sensations, sexual excitement, feelings of closeness, motivation and even euphoria.”

I’m Jewish and I’m pissed. The fact that classes are not canceled on April 6 is maddening to me. In case you don’t know, that weekend is home to two major holidays: Passover and Easter. The first night of Passover (and Good Friday) is April 6, and Easter is April 8. For the first time in a while, Easter and Passover fall on the same weekend and class isn’t canceled. In order to spend the holiday with my family, I have to miss five classes. As an honors student, this freaks me out. I will be behind and at a small disadvantage just because I want to be with my family for religious reasons. Passover is one of the major Jewish holidays and involves a seder, the order of service observed at home on the first night or first two nights of Passover, and other traditions including searching for the Afikoman (a piece of matza that is hidden by an adult and then searched for and eaten by the kids), eating matza and singing certain prayers and songs in celebration of the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt. It’s my favorite holiday with my family. For as long as I can remember I have been at the celebration and haven’t had to worry about schoolwork because I always had the day off. The same goes for those celebrating Easter. Even though I don’t celebrate the holiday, I feel the pain of those students who won’t be able to go home and search for eggs hidden in the backyard or receive baskets of Cadbury Eggs, Robin’s Eggs, small toys, and jellybeans. Both holidays falling on the same weekend is a rare occasion, considering it is traditional for Easter to fall on the first Sunday after the Spring equinox and for Passover to be based on the Jewish calendar, a lunar calendar that has twelve 28-day months with the holiday always occurs from the month Nisan 15-21, according to chosenpeople.com. Considering that 76.4 percent of the U.S. is Christian and could celebrate Easter, and 1.4 percent of the U.S. is Jewish, according to religioustolerance.org and could celebrate Passover, I think we should have had the day off from class. “I'm upset that we don’t get off because I'm used to being able to spend the week and enjoy the holiday with my family and this year that really isn't an option,” said Rachel Rabinowitz, a freshman undecided major. Besides spending the day with family, those who celebrate Passover can choose to keep Kosher for the holiday. This means that they will not eat anything leavened for the week. This diet is hard to maintain to begin with and even harder when you’re away at school with temptations everywhere you look.

Locking Lips 101 KEREN BARUCH Life Editor

RACHEL KRAMER Asst. Life Editor

Let’s go back to the days before we knew proper lip-lock technique. That dreadful moment when the bottle spun, it landed on you, and you made eye contact with the boy who was about to become your first kiss. You closed your eyes and didn’t know which way to turn your head, hoping that your noses wouldn’t bump and that the 27 tic-tacs you shoved in your mouth five minutes prior masked your bad breathe. The anxious feeling, which would not leave the pit of your belly before your first few kisses, no longer exists. After some time passes, kissing becomes less meaningful and people’s techniques change. There are moments, though, when you kiss someone and realize his technique matches perfectly with yours, and that you finally may have found the one that you don’t have to coach over time to become better at moving his lips and tongue properly.

Until that moment comes, watch out for the lip-lockers that will leave you gagging. The Vampire: If you’ve ever encountered The Vampire, you officially know what it’s like to not have a lip for a day or two. The Vampire finds it necessary to bite down on your lip as hard as possible, leaving you bruised, swollen, and uncomfortable for the rest of the kiss and most likely, also the rest of the week. To avoid exchanging blood along with your saliva, tell him to calm down with the teeth action. A light nibble, or even quickly sucking his lower lip, is sexy and cute and will give him the hint that you don’t appreciate the enamel on his teeth becoming your new chap stick. The Ice Cream Licker: The awkward moment when you’re so ready for your lips to touch his and, instead of lip-to-lip contact, you

find yourself stuck in a lip-to-tongue situation. Yeah, we’ve all been there. There’s nothing more nauseating than feeling like your mouth is a boy’s favorite ice cream flavor. It gets worse, though, when he is so slobbery that his tongue finds his way to the corners of your mouth and the mustache that you forgot to get wax this week.

“A big reason why I think we should get off is because for people like me who try and keep the holiday there aren’t many options of things to eat,” Rabinowitz said. “Although the Chabad house will have dinners it’s not the same as when we can be home to fully enjoy and embrace the holiday.”

When he uses way too much tongue that you’re left wiping saliva off of your face with your sleeve, you know he’s not the one. Try to be up front and tell him that you do not appreciate his drool on your face and that if you wanted to kiss a dog, you’d find one.

Other SUNY schools have this holiday weekend off, including Binghamton, Stony Brook, and Purchase (their spring break), Oswego and New Paltz (just Good Friday), and Cortland (no exams or quizzes can be given).

If you don’t want to be so offensive and you have a close enough relationship, then jokingly be slobbery back and tell him that’s how you feel while he’s kissing you and to try using more of his lip than his tongue.

Even though Passover doesn’t begin until next Friday night, getting the day off from class would have been generous for making travel plans to reunite with family and for those who go to church.

The Mouth-open-do-you-even-havea-tongue-I’m-confused: Continued on page 11

Email: rachel.kramer@ubspectrum.com


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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Continued from page 14: Back in Buffalo, But Still Not Home has had no trouble scoring this season. “Murph is just going to be a solid guy no matter what the situation,” said senior outfielder, and cleanup hitter Dan Scahill. “You can always expect the same thing out of him.” The difference this year is that Murphy is getting plenty of offensive help from his teammates, providing little respite for pitchers attempting to work their way through the Bulls’ lineup. The Bulls’ lineup will provide an interesting challenge for the solid pitching staff of the Golden Griffins. Canisius features a quartet of good starters highlighted by ace Devon Stewart and his 3.79 ERA. Since the Griffs started their number-three starter Rohn Pierce on Tuesday, Buffalo will likely see Stewart, Billy Martin, or Garrett Cortright on Wednesday. Cortright serves as the second starter in the rotation and boasts a 4.46 ERA. Martin is the fourth starter in the rotation and his ERA sits at 6.10. No matter whom the Bulls draw as the starter, it’s in their best interests to score runs early. The back end of the Canisius bullpen boasts closer Jon Fitzsimmons

who doesn’t allow runs easily. Fitzsimmons has six saves and an ERA of just .090 this season. The only positive thing for Buffalo is that Fitzsimmons pitched 1.1 innings in Tuesday’s win over St. Bonaventure. On the mound for Buffalo will be someone out of the Bulls’ rotation for Torgalski. Junior Corey Paige will take the mound on Wednesday; he has an ERA of 13.5. He has only pitched six innings this year. Paige will be making his first career start, but he will not be the player to take the mound. “I’m probably going to use five or six guys,” Torgalski said. “I’ve got a bunch of guys who haven’t thrown in a while and I want to see what they can do.” Because of the fact that this is not a weekend series against a conference foe, Torgalski expects to adjust the lineup a bit more than usual. “Mid-week you’re looking to play some young, inexperienced guys to try and get them that experience to help us out on the weekends in the games that matter,” Torgalski said. First pitch Wednesday will be at 4 p.m. at the Demske Sports Complex. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

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continued from page 1: sa elections kick off

It was hard to navigate the Student Union as parties rushed the floor to hand out fliers and talk to students.

gestion was more notice for things like the town-hall meeting held on Monday and the club council endorsements. Traditionally, the endorsements are held a week before the election, but instead were held Monday night.

sembly] threw that out and blamed that whole thing on me. And everything could have gone according to schedule, but it didn’t for very obvious reasons. And there is no excuse for the way this election is set up.”

“[The town-hall meeting] was a great discussion, I had a lot of fun being there, and I know the MVP guy [Ted DiRienzo] did,” Nemmer said. “But the problem is we’re advertising to a room full of 14 people, 12 of which were already brought there by the other parties.”

United Party Presidential Candidate Judy Mai is running in her first SA election this week. Though only the first day of campaigning has passed, Mai remains hopeful and plans to stick with her party’s strategy until the last vote. She wants to make sure students are making informed decisions, rather than voting based on name recognition.

Nemmer attributes this to poor planning by the current executive board. President JoAnna Datz originally appointed Gretchen Garcia as chair of the Elections and Credentials Committee – the governing body for student elections – when Nemmer resigned as chair due to conflict of interest. Because Nemmer is currently participating in the election, he cannot serve as chair of the committee. The SA Assembly rejected Datz’s appointment on March 7. On March 21, the Emergency Powers Council – an extension of the SA Senate that meets if an issue cannot wait the five days it takes to call a Senate meeting – appointed Daniel Kozlowski as the committee chair. “They tried to appoint an elections and credentials chair that was biased,” Nemmer said. “[The As-

“We want to keep pushing like we’re always behind,” Mai said. “We’re going to try to talk to as many people as we can and make sure that they’re well-informed, too, about all the different parties because we want people to make informed decisions.” Mai and the rest of her party will assess how their first day went to see what strategies worked and what didn’t work. But despite what they find, the United Party plans to keep pushing because it knows students dread election season, according to Mai. Darwinson Valdez, Mai’s running mate and vice presidential candidate, is not a newcomer to the election process – he ran for a SUNY

The Reason Party is determined to get its platform out to students.

The United Party gives fliers out to students in hopes to gain votes.

delegate position on the independent ticket during last year’s election. He believes this gives his party an advantage, and he believes the election is not and should not be considered a popularity contest. “We know how the floor flows, and we know what people want,” Valdez said. “[We know] how to approach people, [and] how not to get them upset because people don’t like to get fliers.” Still most students are bothered by the constant three-day campaign and election process. Many believe the process of handing out fliers and stopping students in the Union is counterproductive – students just don’t care what each party’s platform is about.

Students lined up in the Student Union Theater on Tuesday to cast their votes in the Student Association elections.

Shant Tamazian, a freshman biomedical sciences major, feels bombarded by information, and he thinks students should research the parties themselves. “They want me to vote based on name recognition; they didn’t tell me anything about their platform,” Tamazian said. “I think a lot of people will vote solely on name recognition. And it’s sad; I would like to know that [students] are voting based on who they think will be best for the job. But you can’t force them.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

The UB Geology Pegrum Lecture Series & The IEEE GRSS Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series Present:

What Ice Sheets Hate Dr. Robert Bindschadler NASA Emeritus Scientist

The Reason and United Parties fight to capture the attention of every student entering the Student Union. photos by alexa strudler /// the spectrum

SPECIAL EVENT PARKING NOTICE Mary Robinson DSS Lecture Thursday March 29th, 2012 Beginning at 3:00 P.M. on Thursday March 29th, 2012 the following North Campus parking lots will be closed and reserved (through 8 P.M.) for patrons of the DSS lecture: Baird B Lot, Slee B Lot, and Lake La Salle Lot At 8:00 P.M. the parking lots will reopen for the university community

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Life ubspectrum.com

Page 6

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

$20.12: Eat Affordably During Restaurant Week LYZI WHITE Life Editor

bistro – offering a light, fun atmosphere paired with serious food and drink,” according to its website.

Local Restaurant Week kicked off this past Monday in an effort to celebrate Western New York culture, strengthen the Buffalo community, and stimulate the local economy, according to localrestuarantweek. com. When WNY began the annual event in the spring of 2009, there were 60 participating operators and, just three years later, that number has increased to around 200.

For $20.12, Shango is offering a dinner-for-one promotion. The meal comes with a soup or salad, a choice of one entrée, and a choice of dessert. For the entrée, Shango gives specific options: steak, mashed sweet potatoes, and green beans, or Ahi tuna, shrimp, jambalaya and arugula, or you have the option of macaroni and cheese with shrimp and Andouille.

For only $20.12 – usually tax and gratuity is excluded – each participating restaurant will be offering a special meal. Some offer a dinner for two while others promote a dinner for one. There are restaurants that offer drink specials as well – like a bottle of wine with your meal or two pints of beer with an appetizer.

One of the other specialties that Shango offers is its wine list, which won the Wine-Spectator award and holds 170 different bottles. Shango also stresses its carefully hand-selected beer menu – offering both imported and domestic.

With the plethora of restaurants, there’s something for everyone. Here are five participating restaurants that are a great place to stop by on your culinary taste tour of Buffalo:

If you’re looking for Greek, American, and Italian specialties while eating in a relaxed atmosphere, Towne Restaurant is a good option.

Blue Monk

Healthy Living with The Spectrum General tips for beach-time bliss AARON MANSFIELD Senior Life Editor

It’s not easy being confident at the beach. It’s not easy feeling like you look good, and it’s not easy to resist comparing yourself to that one ripped, tan person who’s making everyone look bad. But that’s the thing: that person is making everyone look bad, not just you.

So if you’re looking for some New Orleans-style cooking and great wine, Shango is the place for you this Restaurant Week. Towne Restaurant

With some tips and determination, you can change your entire persona. You may never become the person that everyone envies (though it’s quite possible), but you can change the way you feel at the beach, and if you like the sun as much as most people, that could change your whole summer.

Shango

Satsuki Aoi /// The Spectrum

Courtesy of Towne Restaurant

The Towne Restaurant, located on the corner of Elmwood and Allen, has been around for 40 years. Its motto – “no pretentions, just good food” – highlights the atmosphere of the restaurant. It’s welcoming and comfortable, with a hint of Mediterranean feel.

Courtesy of Shango Bistro and Wine Bar

This New Orleans-style restaurant is right on Main Street, making it easily accessible to UB students. “Shango embodies the spirit of a true neighborhood

“Towne Restaurant is a favorite of many Western New Yorker’s because the atmosphere is informal and it has a diverse mix of clientele,” according to localrestaurantweek.com. For $20.12, Towne Restaurant is offering a dinnerfor-two promotion, or you can add a bottle of wine for a price of $40.12 (again tax and gratuity is excluded).

Although Blue Monk can be considered relatively expensive for many UB students, it is well worth the price. Proudly named after blue-robed Belgian monks known for brewing the world’s finest beer and the jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, according to Blue Monk’s website, Blue Monk is known for its delicious and extensive – albeit pricey – beer menu. The Restaurant Week special is not available on the website, but the food is well worth the promotion surprise. Try the poutine for an appetizer – basically, it’s cheesy fries with duck meat and gravy. If you’re looking to have your mind blown, get them. The restaurant’s entrees are varied as well. It serves a Reuben sandwich filled with duck meat, putting its own unique twist on a classic sandwich. Baked mussels are another good option – cooked with spinach and bacon – that is served with gratin. Both meals are good choices and that is just a small percentage of the menu.

Here are some tips to get your body beach ready and your self-confidence sky high. 1. Remind yourself of your motivation It’s easy to get off track if you forget what you’re fighting for. Put up a picture of what you’re shooting for, or a countdown calendar to summer and check off the days as they go. Consider putting up a big picture of what you looked like at your worst – that should get you motivated to get up and get moving. Another idea is to find a quote or video that gets your blood pumping. Listen, there’s a reason coaches give inspirational speeches in the locker room before a big game. Athletes need to get pumped up to give it their all. The same goes for working out – if you’re

continued on page 7

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ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Continued from page 6: $20.12: Eat Affordably During Restaurant Week Chocolate Bar

Casa Di Pizza

Page 7

Continued from page 6: Healthy Living with The Spectrum not fired up, your workout will be lackluster. The videos “How bad do you want it?” and “I am a Champion” always get me started. Discover what gets you heated, remind yourself of why you want to improve (keep that ultimate goal in mind every day), and get going. 2. Get some beats that match your intensity You don’t need to go out and buy the best pair of headphones or a brand new MP3 player, but I highly recommend using any tools at your disposal. Probably 90 percent of phones nowadays have the ability to store and play music. Get some high-octane tunes on there and listen to them while you’re working out. It’s easy to get distracted if you’re exercising in silence. You need that constant voice in your ear to stay focused – kind of like a personal trainer.

Courtesy of Casa de Pizza

Down on Elmwood, Casa Di Pizza is a local fan-favorite restaurant. It’s been owned and operated by the Jacobbi family since 1953, which sometimes purposely vents their ovens near the street so the aroma stretches down Elmwood, according localrestaurantweek.com. For $20.12, Casa Di Pizza is offering a dinner-for-two special. Included are a side salad, bread and butter, two entrees, and dessert. For the main meal, guests have a choice of artichoke pasta, chicken/eggplant/ veal parmesan, chicken cacciatore, baked lasagna, cheese ravioli, gnocchi, fettuccine alfredo, mussels, baked penne, battered haddock, and battered shrimp. Casa Di Pizza is one of the restaurants featured during the week that have a great variety of choice. If it’s Italian food that your taste buds are watering for, Casa Di Pizza won’t leave you disappointed.

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

The restaurant, located on Chippewa, is known around Buffalo as being super expensive and super delicious. “Combine our incredible drinks, a sexy, hip atmosphere, a trendy location, and that’s the Chocolate Bar,” according to localrestaurantweek.com. Chocolate Bar is offering a dinner-for-one special that includes: caesar salad or soup, a glass of champagne or wine, choice of one entrée, dessert, and a long stemmed rose. For your main meal, the restaurant offers a couple of choices: fettuccine with roasted poblano, bacon, and shaved chocolate, pesto salmon on puff pastry with tomatoes, basil pesto with lemon béchamel sauce, or you can opt for pecan crusted chicken with citrus salsa, corn, sweet potato fries, and maple dipping sauce.

If your phone has Pandora, consider the Gatorade Gfit Replenish station. This is a music station designed specifically to keep you motivated during your workout, and from my experience, it really works. If you’ve got the technology at your disposal, you might as well use it. 3. Go in with some color You don’t want to be the whitest person at the beach. If you know you’re going with someone you want to impress on the weekend, I recommend going out into

Although it is relatively expensive, Restaurant Week is the best time to try out Buffalo food when you’re battling your budget. Also be sure to participate if you’re looking for a romantic date-night spot without spending too much money.

the sun once or twice throughout the week to get a base tan. You don’t need to be the darkest person there – just don’t be pale. Honestly, when you have a healthy, solid glow, you carry yourself in a totally different manner. There’s reason for that – tanning increases serotonin levels, which increase your self-confidence to give you a happier mood in general. 4. Don’t be so negative Like I said, everyone at the beach is probably staring at that gorgeous person anyway – nobody is focused on your love handles. Believe it or not, it’s pretty easy to tell who’s in shape even with clothes on. No grand secrets are revealed when people hit the beach. So don’t get down on yourself when you feel like the world is about to discover how bad you look. Be thankful for what you do have. Odds are, you aren’t the most out-of-shape person in the world and you probably look 10 times better than you think. Don’t focus on the negatives. If you’ve already started working out, then you’re way ahead. There’s a popular song out by Tim McGraw right now called “Better Than I Used to Be.” Check it out – if you’re on the road to success, you haven’t reached your goal yet, but you’re well on your way. Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com

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Arts ubspectrum.com

Page 8

Noctoureview Artist: The Mars Volta Album: Noctourniquet Label: Warner Bros./ Sargent House Release Date: March 27 Grade: BCourtesy of Warner Bros.

EDWARD BENOIT Managing Editor

The Mars Volta has always, fundamentally, been a tightrope act. Usually, this has taken the form of the band treading the fine line between mainstream appeal and anti-commercial experimentation, and doing so brilliantly. Noctourniquet, the group’s sixth studio album, is a very different act, however: it’s simultaneously the best and worst thing the band has ever done. The album’s duplicity is evident from the first track, the extremely uneven “The Whip Hand.” A heavily distorted and metrically off-kilter opening settles down into a prolonged segment in 9/8 that manages to be both mellow and tense at the same time; in short, it’s classic Mars Volta. At the same time, however, Cedric Bixler-Zavala’s lyrics are mixed infinitely louder than the rest of the band, the instrumentals are subdued and comparatively simplistic (presumably to make room for Bixler-Zavala’s crooning), and the song as a whole airs on the repetitious side – everything that was wrong with 2009’s Octahedron is back in full force here. This being said, Noctourniquet is an infinitely better record than Octahedron. For one thing, it actually has more than one interesting song. “The Malkin Jewel,” the album’s first single, is ironically one of its least accessible songs. The piece sounds like something an avant-garde garage band would do: sparse instrumentals backed by heavy bass oscillate between several rhythms while Bixler-Zavala shout-sings cryptic things, with a catchy chorus thrown in occasionally for good measure. “In Absentia,” on the other hand, is a multi-layered soundscape of distortion and synth effects. “Molochwalker” contains some of the album’s best guitar work. “Zed and Two Naughts” makes for an energetic finale. And yet, for every interesting track on Noctourniquet, there’s at least one outright bad one. “Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound” sounds and feels like a Mars Volta breakup song, and is so bad that it would be right at home on Octahedron. Other tracks, like “Vedamalady,” try their damndest to be mellow, but wind up being extremely tedious instead. “Aegis” sounds like a Muse B-side, and not in a good way. More generally speaking, songs on the whole are both shorter and less inventive than prior Volta work. Gone are the 12-plus-minute epics and ear-melting segments of pseudo-improvised Omar RodriguezLopez guitar work. In the stead of the latter is a plethora of synth effects which, while interesting, pale in comparison to what they replaced. Ultimately, longtime Mars Volta fans will be left appreciating the fact that the inventive band has evolved while disapproving of what they’ve evolved into.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Draper Drama Is Back Mad Men makes long-awaited return after prolonged absence BRIAN JOSEPHS Arts Editor

There have been many strong national marketing campaigns over the past 17 months. But as the 3.5 million viewers on Sunday indicate, Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP) is still America’s favorite advertising agency. Mad Men, the Emmy award-winning drama, returned from its long hiatus with a two-hour season premiere. The episode, entitled “A Little Kiss,” was met with the show’s largest audience ever in its five-year run. “A Little Kiss” holds back on the stunning reveals one would expect from such a hyped season premiere. It instead focuses on the current state of the series’ characters and the social conundrums they face. The emphasis is especially rewarding to fans that have watched these characters evolve so much over the past four seasons. One of the premiere’s most attention-grabbing moments happens right in the opening scene. There is a group of African-Americans protesting in front of an advertising agency. Mad Men has moved months forward into the thick of the civil rights movement and it was quite interesting to see the show start off establishing the time period so early in the episode. Mad Men has been met with criticism about its indirect treatment of race, an argument that is refuted by the fact that Madison Ave. based agency is far removed from the movement. Matthew Weiner’s (Mad Men’s creator and writer for this episode) immediate inclusion of the struggle feels like a strong piece of meta-writing on his part, especially since the plot downright invites the movement into the upper class environment. Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the show’s main character and SCDP’s creative director, suggests running an equal opportunity helpwanted advertisement to mock his advertising competitor’s water balloon prank on the opening scene’s protesters. Unaware of the joke, multiple African-American applicants show up at SCDP’s door expecting a fair shot at a job. It was a clever turn of events. The civil rights storyline was second to the character development, however. Season four left many storylines unfinished, and “A Little Kiss” wastes little time addressing them. Within the first 20 minutes, we learn that Don has decided to go through with suddenly marrying his former secretary Megan (Jessica Paré), that Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) actually decided to keep her baby despite the

Courtesy of AMC

Scandal, drama, and sexuality returns in Mad Men’s long-awaited season five premiere.

adulterous circumstances, and that SCDP is still struggling. The actors’ performances make each of these plotlines engrossing. The characters have grown in depth throughout the series, but their emotional states have changed from last season. Don isn’t stern, but oddly happy in this episode. Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) is still as self-gratifying as ever, but it seems he’s gotten much bolder during the time skip.

than usual. The clichéd, but always fun Roger gets most of these lines. When Roger discusses the possibility of hiring a black secretary he exclaims, “We can’t have one out there.” The comment is horribly racist, but it comes off as a bit of dark humor because of Slattery’s delivery. The best line of the episode comes when Roger greets Joan when she visits the office with her child.

Such changes can easily lead to thin performances, but there are little nuances such as Hamm’s consistent expressions and Kartheiser’s condescending tone that make everything feel as authentic as the ’60s era set designs.

“There’s my baby,” Roger said. “Now move that brat out of the way so I can see her.”

The gorgeous Hendricks arguably had the best performance in the episode. Joan was once portrayed as the show’s confident femme fatale, but she’s become increasingly vulnerable in later seasons. The character has taken a leave of absence after giving birth to SCDP partner Roger Sterling’s (John Slaterry) child, unbeknownst to him.

The episode’s main success is the built anticipation of what’s to come for the upcoming season. There’s the burgeoning tension between Roger and Pete, the potential workplace complications involved with Don and Megan’s union, and Joan’s increasing desperation.

The situation makes Joan appear more helpless than ever before, as she struggles between keeping her autonomy and her growing domestication. The problem leads to a dramatic, perfectly acted scene where Joan has an emotional breakdown while confronting SCDP partner Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) after she misinterprets the help-wanted ad. The superb writing also carries this episode. Mad Men has always featured strong writing, but this episode had more instant quotables

Plus, what’s not to like about Megan’s performance of “Zou Bisou Bisou” at Don’s surprise party?

The apparent normalcy of some of the plotlines may alienate some newcomers, but the fans who know what the characters are capable of should be aware of how combustible some of these situations are – especially with the civil rights movement as a backdrop. Season five should be a treat. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

L-U-V Madonna The first single, “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” combines cheerleader chants with verses from rapper Nicki Minaj and singer M.I.A. The radio-friendly single has received a consistent amount of airtime since its Super Bowl halftime performance. Despite having a developed fan base, the features from Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. on this track attract a more diverse audience to Madonna’s music.

Courteys of Interscope Records

The opening track and second single, “Girl Gone Wild,” features a sound familiar to Madonna’s longtime fans. The chorus’ infectious bubblegum pop sound, backed by a Benassiproduced electronic beat, will be a club staple over the summer.

FELICIA HUNT Staff Writer

Artist: Madonna Album: MDNA Release Date: March 26 Label: Interscope Records Grade: AInternational icon Madonna announced in December 2010 her plans for a comeback album, and her fans waited over a year for the finished product. MDNA, her 12th studio album, was released on Monday and after only a day it has already earned the number two spot on iTunes. Madonna took a different approach after her last album, Hard Candy, received mediocre reviews. The superstar worked with 12 different producers from varying genres, including electronic extraordinaire Benny Benassi.

The album progresses into “Gang Bang,” a dark track with a thumping instrumental that dedicated Madonna fans will appreciate. The album isn’t perfect, however. “I Don’t Give A,” featuring Nicki Minaj, fails to impress as Nicki’s rap is forced with Madonna’s seamless vocals. The track concludes with a medley of string instruments and opera vocals, leaving listeners to wonder if this was supposed to be the transition to the next track. The last two tracks, “Masterpiece” and “Falling Free,” close MDNA on a softer note. These ballads reflect on Madonna’s public divorce from Guy Ritchie, and balance the album with heartfelt, vulnerable songs among the club anthems. MDNA is a classic Madonna album that will be enjoyed for years to come. Current reigning pop princesses Lady Gaga and Katy Perry may be in the rankings, but at 53, Madonna shows no signs of stopping or giving up her crown. She is indeed the queen. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Go Radio Has the “Strength to Stay” VANESSA FRITH Senior Arts Editor As a siren wailed, Go Radio took the darkened stage to cheers, quickly sending the opening lines of “Lucky Street” blasting out of the speakers. Go Radio’s headlining Lucky Street tour stop at Club Infinity Sunday night. With support from local rockers Larrabe as well as Tyler Carter and This Providence, the tour rides the success Lucky Street, Go Radio’s first full length, which debuted in March of last year. “[The tour has] been awesome, it’s been better than we expected,” said Go Radio drummer Steven Kopacz. “We were really excited when we came out. Being our first real A-market headlining tour we weren’t sure what to expect, especially with the growth of our band, but we were really surprised with how amazing our fans are and the turnout on this tour so far.” By the time “Redemption in the Verse” sent its hopeful chorus over the crowd three songs into the set, mosh pits had formed around “Any Other Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum Heart” and the background singing of “la-di-daGo Radio rocked Club Infinity during the first week of their da” could be heard throughout the venue. Lucky Street tour.

However, three fourths of the band was treated to regular breaks as lead singer Jason Lancaster pulled out his acoustic guitar and frequented the piano. Fans of piano-infused pop-punk à la Something Corporate were regaled with “Why I’m Home” and “The Truth Is,” among others. “We took the piano route because it felt like a natural progression with us,” Kopacz said. “We loved how the piano sounds with Jason’s voice, it just kind of works well. For the piano songs we take [inspiration] from other genres of music, like old ’90s rock…to create a song and that’s what we did with the new record.” Having just finished the recording process for a still unnamed upcoming album, Go Radio gave their fans a taste of this new material with the unreleased track “What If You Don’t.” “I think it is our best record yet,” Kopacz said. “We put a lot of heart, a lot of ourselves into it. On Lucky Street we did that as well, but [this time] it was a different process because we worked with James Paul Wisner…He kind of took the role almost of a fifth member with writing. It was really natural, he was really easy to work with and when things weren’t working he wasn’t afraid to tell us. He wasn’t afraid to hurt our feelings because in the end we all wanted what was best for the song.” Go Radio had the chance to work with Wisner again when recording their cover of Adele’s

“Rolling in the Deep” for Punk Goes Pop: Volume 4, the success of which has been astounding. “I think we’re kind of surprised by the amount people that are kind of grasping onto it, our fans are really enjoying it. I go onto YouTube and I read the comments and they will be like, ‘oh, I heard Adele covered this Go Radio song,’” Kopacz said. “She’s an amazing song writer and she obviously won…seven Grammys and so we were very surprised with it, how well [our cover] was received.” Go Radio balanced out their performance of their cover and new material by going back to the EP that started it all, Do Overs and Second Chances, to play “Letters and Love Notes” and “You Hold Your Breath, I’ll Hold My Liquor.” After leaving the stage, the band came back for an encore that ended with the extremely popular “Goodnight Moon.” Although Go Radio has yet to announce future tour dates and is not playing the Vans Warped Tour this summer, Kopacz confirms that the band plans on touring for the rest of the year. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com


Page 10

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Continued from page 3: Let’s Talk About Sex Baby In this situation, he just kisses you with his mouth open. No movement. No small pecks. No tongue. You’re usually left wondering if he fell asleep on you. I don’t know what urges people to participate in this type of kissing, or if this should even qualify as kissing, but in this situation run away. If you don’t feel like hitting and quitting it (he better be really cute), then tell him to act a little bit more into you. Tell him you don’t feel wanted when he just stands there with his lips on yours, making no movement. The What’s-a-French-kiss? This one kind of falls into the same category as the previous untalented kisser, however, in this case there is slight pecking involved. This can be cute in public places, when waking up in the morning, and when saying goodbye to a partner. This kiss is not acceptable, though, during an intense, hot and fiery, scene straight out of Sex & the City session. Tongue is crucial to a make-out. Simply touching lips gets boring and awkward. The I-can-tie-a-cherry-stem-in-a-knot-with-mytongue: Do you ever feel like your make-out partner is trying to do wacky things with your tongue? Tell him to stop. Sometimes guys try to be impressive and sort of kinky with their technique, which works for some girls. But if it’s making you uncomfortable and you’re left confused by what he’s trying to do, just tell him to stop. Chances are he’s a pretty good kisser; he just doesn’t know that you’re into simplicity. One of most girls’ biggest pet peeves is when guys leave their eyes open while kissing. What are you watching? The blackheads on my nose? In conclusion… Kissing is an underrated act these days, and many people skip analyzing the kiss and jump straight to the sex. Taking time to evaluate your kisses and finding a partner whose lips you truly enjoy can be marvelous. Either avoid the partners whose techniques you cannot stand, or take the time to train them until you successfully make out without bumping heads or feeling like your Pomeranian has a better method.

Page 11

continued from page 1: crack horse robs hood in rampant steakout The venue, referred to as The Turnaround, is home to a UB student in University Heights who wishes to remain anonymous. The homey atmosphere was a fine capsule for the bands, which claim to prefer playing in a basement regardless of some of the advantages from larger venues. Logan Noonan, lead singer and guitarist for The Crack Horse and senior philosophy and psychology major, rests under a purple doublemohawk distinctive of a punk frontman. His years of performing have acclimated him to the rush of hectic atmospheres. “I mean, I like this basement, and we’ve played in some basements in Michigan that were bada**,” Noonan said. “For me, it’s so intimate, it’s so there, and there’s no nonsense. There’s no promoters that got to make their quota, there’s no bartenders that got to sell beer. It’s just kids who come to hear music.” The night started with Robin and the Hoods performing with a powerful thrash that placed folk roots on an already solid punk battalion. Distortion guitar with strong vocals finagled lo-fi speakers as Robin’s brassy trumpet cut through with majestic pride. Following them was Rampant, a hardcore group that kept the energy high through skillful use of switches and diabolical vocals. As newcomers to the venue, they soon became a crowd favorite and whipped up the listeners’ intensity. The Steakouts, the largest group, took the stage next with their three-piece brass section. The audience skanked, whistled, and shoved to this energetic group until sweaty faces shined on musicians and fans alike. The Crack Horse took over the hot and humid environment with a vengeance after The Steakouts finished their set. Noonan’s intensity was a marvel; he left the crowd bruised and wanting more. They delivered with a bone-shattering double encore that kept audience members packed halfway up the staircase. The bands had little regard for their instruments in the hostile setting. Chadd Froman, singer and

Courtesy of Melissa Chesney

guitarist for Robin and the Hoods, was victim to a human projectile during their set. This is exactly what they’re looking for, according to trumpeter Robin Rosecrans. “We do aim for fun,” Rosecrans said. “We want people to dance. We want people to be shovey… It’s the energy that comes out of it. Just to know that people enjoy your music.” Hailing from a town with just three traffic lights and a Burger King, these Albion natives made the 60-mile trek to perform in the stuffed basement. The band didn’t care about making the long trip. They just love having fun and the venue’s lax policy on alcohol added to the potential insanity. “The beer on the floor,” Rosecrans said. “Everyone dancing and partying just drunker than hell. It’s just like a huge party…We love it; it’s worth it.” The crowd’s energetic moshing remained constant despite the differing genres. Moshing is believed to be too violent by many, but Warne recognizes the lightheartedness of it.

“Everyone just dances, and everyone dancing turns into everyone shoving,” Warne said. “Everyone shoving turns into one really positive group of everyone just kinda shovin’ each other around.” But moshing does have a sense of camaraderie. “Soon you connect through all of that violence and energy,” said Ben Baron, 25, of Buffalo. “You throw people down and you just bounce right the f*** back up, you don’t feel hurt, you feel connected… How does it feel to be a part of it? It feels bloody fantastic.” This is not the first, nor will it be the last show at The Turnaround. This house is a hot spot for the underground punk scene in Buffalo, and it averages two shows per month. Neighbors are informed ahead of time to ensure that the surrounding houses are aware of the events. The homeowner claims that putting these shows together with his/her roommates became easier over time. The Crack Horse and Robin and the Hoods are currently signed to Aluminum Records, and their music is available for free online. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Page 12

Continued from page 14: Bulls Righting the Ship Players like Pollock, as well as junior shortstop and reliever Jon Mestas has seen tremendous jumps statistically this year, and that has led this team to believe that it can contend in the MAC.

For the most part, Torgalski has navigated the obstacles well. But MAC play has been a struggle for the Bulls in the last bunch of years, and it’s something that the coach has been working on improving.

“When you’re practicing in the winter you never have the mentality that we’re a losing team and we’re not a winning team,” said senior pitcher Kevin Crumb. “I think the mentality with us is we know we have guys that can play, we have a pretty good team and everybody on this team believes that we’re going to win some conference games.”

“It’s been a tough process, being in the Mid-American Conference for baseball,” Torgalski said. “It’s a conference that’s rich in tradition, and it’s been around a long time. Look on every Major League roster, and there are guys from the MAC on teams. It’s a great level and people don’t realize how great it is. People thought when we got the program back we would come in and just dominate after a few years, but it’s not that easy with the competition.”

For a Bulls team reaching relevance, it’s been a long road. The late ’70s and early ’80s were a boon for Buffalo baseball. Twenty-win seasons were the norm, and expectations were high. Following the move to Division-1, the program had to be shut down in 1988. For 13 long seasons, from the late ’80s to the late ’90s, spring meant nothing for Buffalo. There was no program. In the years since the return of Bulls baseball in 2000, there have been strides made, but if you ask Torgalski, he will tell you that it has not been easy. “It’s been a slow gradual process since the program came back in 1999,” Torgalski said. “It’s a process as far as facilities, scholarship dollars and we’ve been behind in all of those since it came back, and it’s been a grind to get it on the level on the rest of the programs.”

Fortunately for the Bulls, this seems to be the year of change. Offensively, this team has been able to bludgeon the opposition, as it is among the MAC leaders in a number of categories, including batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. Even if there has been troubles in the latter innings, with Buffalo sporting a 1-6 record in one-run games, every game has been competitive, and with the talent surrounding this team, it has the chance to beat any opponent, according to Torgalski. And that’s something that has been missing for a long time. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 14: Baseball on the Football Field “The fact that we don’t have an oncampus facility really hurts us,” said head coach Ron Torgalski. “If you go around the [MAC] schools, you’re going to see gorgeous facilities. This past weekend we went to Central Michigan and they have a 2,500-seat minor league park on campus.” With all this, Torgalski admits that it’s hard to bring recruits to Buffalo and have them be excited about coming here. “First thing kids say when they come on campus is ‘where’s your field?” Torgalski said. “Then there’s days in the summer when you don’t want to show them your field. You’d love to have something on your campus that you can say ‘this is ours’ and have people say ‘wow this is something special.’”

Still, in spite of it all, Buffalo has managed to put a number of successful players on the field this season, including junior catcher Tom Murphy, who was named to the Golden Spikes Award watch list at the start of the season. A guy like Murphy is someone who Torgalski targets, someone that he can develop into a solid option. “We’ve got to be realistic with our recruiting,” Torgalski said. “We can go recruit the top-100 players in the country, and realistically I don’t think any of them are going to come to Buffalo.” The weather certainly isn’t helpful for the sport either. When it’s too cold to practice outside, the Bulls are relegated to the gym, where it’s harder to develop the necessary skills to compete at the Division-1 level.

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“Pitchers will pitch to us inside and they will look like Randy Johnson on the mound because you can’t really see the ball,” said junior outfielder Matt Pollock. “But when you get [outside] it’s so much easier.” The Bulls have been able to overcome these obstacles to a certain point this season. They sit at 7-11 on the year, but have been competitive in nearly every game they’ve lost.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Continued from page 14: Fielding Follies and Pitching Problems “It’s not like we’re putting pressures on guys,” Torgalski said. “[I tell them] go out, relax, make plays. It seems like it’s one play that just kind of opens the flood gates and you got an opportunity to get out of an inning and you don’t and then all of a sudden three runs later you’re down one.” Buffalo’s preseason schedule consisted of teams from warmer climates. The extra months that teams get to play outside helps them get ready for the bounces on dirt fields. The Bulls have been forced to either play inside or on the turf football field with no real mound.

“We don’t really get on the field early,” Crumb said. “Actually when we first got out on the field our defense wasn’t that bad. I mean the last couple games it hasn’t been that bad but we made a few errors here and there. So it definitely doesn’t help practicing mostly in the winter.” The Bulls appear to be more into the swing of the season now that there are some games under their belts. Buffalo has been consistently competitive in its most recent competition and hopes to continue it through MAC play, which gets back underway this weekend. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 14: Bulls on the Offensive “Playing at this level, you’re not going to come in and have instant success, Torgalski said. “You have to be in the program. A lot of guys last year, it was their first time playing at this level. And what you see this year with the huge jump is the fact that they have a year under their belt. They have that experience, and that’s huge playing baseball at this level.” Torgalski has changed his recruitment philosophy because of the limitations of Buffalo’s facilities and cold climate. He goes after the best recruits he can find but also looks for athletic players that can be molded into good Division-1 players.

“If the kid is a Big-East player or top level player, we’re going to be competing against some great schools to try and get him and it’s going to be tough,” Torgalski said. “But if we get a kid that’s a good player that has that desire to become a great player, well then those are the kids we need to get in our program and continue to help develop them and get to the next level.” The development of the players has shown this season as numbers are up across the stat line. If the Bulls continue to put up the offensive numbers that have been, they can reach the MAC Tournament for the first time in program history. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Buffalo will continue to lug its equipment across the street for the near future as no plans are in the works to build a stadium on campus. However, that won’t stop them from trying to build a team to compete for a MAC title. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

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Daily Delights 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

SPONSORED BY Villas on Rensch

HOROSCOPES WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You'll acquire a valuable endorsement today, and this should springboard you into an active period that garners you attention and rewards.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -You will have an opportunity to claim credit for a good idea today -- and that credit does, indeed, belong to you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Difficulties today seem to evaporate when you are in the presence of someone who makes you feel that way. Maintain contact as long as possible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Focus on the little things today and you'll realize you can control almost anything -- it just depends on your own unique perspective.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You can't afford to be vague about the decisions you are making at this time. Adopt an upstanding, professional stance today.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Fun and games not only provide you with a necessary recreational, competitive outlet, but you may learn a lesson about yourself, too

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Are you ready for what lies ahead? The answer may be unclear, but you have a feeling that very soon you'll be operating at peak performance.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- What role you play in the workings of a complex project may not be clear to everyone -- but a higher-up trusts you implicitly.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You will be grateful that someone close to you has changed his or her mind about a decision you recently made about affairs at home.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- You'll be asked to consider a great many options today, and some of them are likely to be quite controversial.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You can come to the aid of someone who is under fire for an error that really shouldn't have attracted quite so much attention.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You can start the day off on a note of high expectancy; momentum is building, and you know where you are going.

Sudoku

Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 28, 2012 ON A BREAK By Gary Cooper

ACROSS

1 Attacks verbally (with “into”) 5 Flower near a mill? 11 “Up, up and away” defunct flier 14 At the crest of 15 Beginning with “dynamic” or “nuclear” 16 Actor McShane of “Deadwood” 17 Christmas carols may put one in this 19 Cold War aircraft 20 Civil War soldier in gray (Abbr.) 21 Put together, as a model 23 Hedgehog mascot of Sega 26 January, in some dates 27 Closer to raw, as a steak 28 1986 Oliver Stone movie 30 Indiana NBA team 31 Beat one’s gums 32 Card game like rummy 35 Residence visited in summer, perhaps 40 Lazy person’s state 41 Flossing-endorsing org. 43 Decorative necktie 46 Arrogant attitude 49 1980s Mideast envoy Philip

50 “... a pocket full of ___” 10 In a medium tempo 52 Antique-car starter 11 Quality of a singing voice 53 Similar version 12 Bob Marley backup 55 Spoon-bender Geller 13 Arouses wrath in 56 “___ only money!” 18 Art ___ (1920s-’30s style) 57 1970s fashion statement 22 Former Portuguese territory 62 What’d I tell you?” in China 63 Field hockey positions 23 “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, ___” 64 Cantina munchie 24 Any of several kings of Norway 65 Make a mistake 25 California wine valley 66 Corporate jet maker 26 Broadcasting now 67 “... bad as they ___” 29 Certain chamber music group 30 “Fiddle-faddle!” 33 “Believe it or ___!” DOWN 34 Absinthe flavor 1 “Let’s go, team!” 36 Type of servant or engineer 2 “How was ___ know?” 37 Like some steroids 3 Capitol Hill figure, briefly 38 “The Thorn Birds,” for one 4 “Guest of honor” at a seance 5 Attack with a dagger 6 “___ will be done” 7 Furnish with new personnel 8 Having an irregularly gnawed edge 9 Andy’s partner in old radio

39 First lady’s residence? 42 40 days and 40 nights boat 43 “Longue” chair 44 Blusterer 45 Badmouther 47 Land measurement 48 Batches of grain for the mill 50 Acropolis attractions 51 “For” words 54 Trait determiner 55 Celestial bear 58 Banquet coffeepot 59 Abu Dhabi’s federation (Abbr.) 60 “Cool” target for a yegg? 61 Rocker Petty

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Sports ubspectrum.com

Page 14

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Bulls Righting the Ship Buffalo making strides to change the culture of the baseball program NATHANIEL SMITH Sports Editor There is change blowing through Buffalo.

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

Senior pitcher Kevin Crumb (above) and the rest of the Bulls’ pitching staff will need to improve if they want to win in the Mid-American Conference.

Fielding Follies and Pitching Problems BRYAN FEILER Sports Editor The baseball team has exploded offensively. However, it still finds itself with a sub .500 record. The Bulls (7-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) committed eight fielding errors in their first three MAC games last weekend. The most costly turned what could have been a game-ending double play into a four-run Central Michigan (11-13, 2-1 MAC) ninthinning walk off. But, more troubling than the inconsistency of fielding the ball cleanly has been the pitching. Through the first 18 games the Bulls’ pitching staff has an ERA of 8.41. The offense has kept the Bulls competitive, but they will need to lower their more than 10 runs against per game average if they want to win in the MAC. “Our offense is insane right now,” said senior pitcher Kevin Crumb. “I think if we put some other pieces together then we’re going to be really good in conference. I think our pitching needs to get better definitely. Our team ERA is around eight, that needs to get better. As a pitcher, every one of us knows that. Also, we need to clean up a little bit defensively. I think once we do put those together, we’re going to be good and I don’t think we’re far away.”

Springs are not usually fun for the baseball team. Too often, the promise of a new beginning, and the expectations for greatness were quickly dashed by the time the season reached its midway point. Coming off of a 14win season – and only three of those coming in the Mid-American Conference – outsiders felt the same coming into this year.

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

The Bulls’ offense has been producing over nine runs a game.

Bulls on the Offensive

This year’s squad has refused to yield to those low expectations. Although they currently sit four games under .500, the Bulls’ 7-11 record doesn’t reflect the talent and the effort in which guys have played, as they work to change a losing culture that has permeated the program. Head coach Ron Torgalski has spearheaded that charge. Since 2007, he has been the guy in charge of something that seemed impossible – the rise from irrelevance. Despite the many obstacles that are dumped onto this team – from the lack of quality facilities, to the challenge of playing baseball in the northeast – Torgalski has found a way to slowly change that losing mentality, and it has rubbed off on his current players. One of those players inspired by Torgalski’s vision is junior outfielder Matt Pollock.

BRYAN FEILER Sports Editor Whenever a collegiate baseball team scores 10 runs a game, it will put itself in a position to win.

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

Head coach Ron Torgalski’s strategy of developing players within the program is coming into focus this year.

“It was really tough,” Pollock said. “Through those times when we really weren’t doing well we worked hard. After seeing that it wasn’t really a good team, we saw good teams and [now] we know how to play with them.”

Buffalo copes with the obstacles TYLER CADY Senior Sports Editor Across the country it’s common to see the days of summer taken over by kids playing baseball. They make due with what they’ve got – a fence for first base, or a bush for third. But rarely do Division-1 baseball teams have to improvise – Buffalo is an exception. That is the plight of Bulls’ baseball. It goes without the amenities that the football or basketball teams enjoy while competing in the Mid-American Conference.

“Murph has helped us a lot,” Crumb said. “He’s back there calling pitches for us. He knows what to do, how to work a batter. So it’s just up to the pitchers to make pitches.”

Buffalo doesn’t have a field on campus. The Bulls travel across the street to the Northtown Center to use one on its complex. That field is far from a stadium. There is no clubhouse, concession stands, or seating – except for a couple sets of four-bench aluminum bleachers that are as unforgiving as a Buffalo winter.

The pitching rotation is made up of all seniors. Kevin Hughes, Cameron Copping, and Jeff Thompson started 14 of the 18 games so far and have a combined ERA of over eight runs, and the bullpen has been worse. The Bulls are just 6-4 when leading after six innings. Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

The Bulls are forced to rent a field from the town of Amherst while other teams have stadiums that rival Minor League parks.

Continued on page 12

The Bulls lug their equipment from the locker rooms in Alumni Arena over to their “home” field on days when they can actually practice on it, while other teams have state of the art facilities. Other days, they are not even on that field, as the Bulls are forced inside Alumni Arena’s gym or on the turf of UB Stadium because of weather and field concerns.

The Bulls have committed 28 errors in just 18 games this season. Their .956 fielding percentage is on track for a typical year compared with previous seasons, however. Head coach Ron Torgalski realizes that fielding is a huge concern for the Bulls that has cost them games.

Continued on page 12

Baseball on the Football Field

Junior catcher Tom Murphy is having yet another monstrous season at the plate. However, his leadership with the pitching staff has helped them get outs by calling pitches against opposing hitters.

The combination of not pitching on a real field all winter and the costly errors behind the pitchers has caused the high run totals against.

That all seemed to change during the summer. The mental growth of the returning players, as well as the offseason regiment that strength and conditioning coach Nate Harvey implemented, have paid dividends this season.

All of this has left Buffalo in a unique position: struggling to build a program without fancy luxuries to show potential recruits.

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum

Continued on page 12

The Bulls recently started practicing across the street at their home field. The off-campus venue and a long winter leaves Buffalo at a disadvantage.

south on Wednesday to take on Canisius (11-13, 2-1 Metro-Atlantic) in a mid-week matinee.

The baseball team has played 18 games away from home to start the season, and will finally play at home this weekend. However the Bulls still have one road game standing in their way, although this one will require far less travel.

The Bulls are looking to do a pair of things: continue their impressive showing on offense, and to find ways to close games, something they have struggled with all season long.

TYLER CADY

Buffalo (7-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) will head a few miles

Buffalo comes into the contest 1-6 in one-run games and has six losses in its opponents’ final at-bat.

Head coach Ron Torgalski admits that he’s sick of watching his opponents celebrate walk-off wins but believes that the losses in the late innings don’t rest solely on the closer. “It seems like it’s one play that opens the flood gates,” Torgalski said. “I keep telling them you’ve gotta play nine innings. You can look back at little things in the previous eight innings that can completely change the game. Our closer came in [on Sun-

The hitting starts with the returning MAC Player of the Year. Junior catcher Tom Murphy has a .361 average and leads the team with six homeruns and a .736 slugging percentage (among those who qualify). However, another hitter has emerged as a terror for opposing pitchers. Senior outfielder Dan Scahill has raised his batting average over 100 points from last season and has already matched his total of six homeruns from all of last year, not even halfway through the season. After hitting .273 last year, Scahill has changed his philosophy while at the plate this season. “[I’ve changed] my approach,” Scahill said. “Last year, I was looking for an inside pitch to drive to opposite field. Now I’m just looking for a mistake and to drive the ball hard.” The success that Scahill has seen not only helps the Bulls by having another power hitter, but also provides protection in the lineup. Scahill was moved to the cleanup spot to hit after Murphy – who has been intentionally walked four times this year – to force other teams to pitch to Murphy. Another factor helping the Bulls is their added experience. The Bulls saw quality Division-1 arms last season and are adjusting to the talent they will face in the MAC. “If you look at guys like Dan Scahill, Mestas, and Pollock, and you look at their numbers from last year, there’s a big difference,” said head coach Ron Torgalski. “Not only do they have that extra year of experience, they are smarter, wiser, stronger, and they know what to expect.” The Bulls are at a disadvantage because of the long winters in Buffalo. Not only because they have less time to practice on the field, but the team’s main recruitment area of Ohio and New York produces players that don’t play baseball year-round. The extra year has allowed the players to develop by playing longer against better competition, which is paying off this year. Continued on page 12

Back in Buffalo, But Still Not Home Senior Sports Editor

The Bulls (7-11, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) have done just that. They have already hit 28 homeruns compared to only 40 all of last season and have raised the team’s batting average by almost 60 points. They have almost doubled their runs per game from just over five last year to over nine this season.

day] and made pitches, but we’ve got to make plays. If we didn’t make base running mistakes we wouldn’t have even needed to use a closer.” Although Buffalo has struggled to win close contests, it isn’t for a lack of run production. Buffalo is hitting .338 as a team, and has scored 9.2 runs per game so far this season. Led by a familiar face in junior catcher Tom Murphy, Buffalo Continued on page 4


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