The Spectrum Volume 62 Issue 10 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

the Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo, Since 1950

The S pectrum ubspectrum.com

Volume 62 No. 10

Friday, September 21, 2012

Bulls fall victim to Arch nemesis

Referendum passes at UB, students elect new senators Story on page 2

Story on page 8

Fracking update: UB continues to deny industry funding claims UB says money only went to lecture series SARA DINATALE Senior News Editor SUNY Trustee Joseph Belluck thinks UB’s controversial fracking institute should be shut down. In a meeting in New York City on Sept. 12, he said the controversy over the institute threatens to undermine SUNY as a first-class research institute and suggested the Shale Research Society and Institute (SRSI) be dissolved. Belluck blamed the controversy on College of Arts and Sciences Dean Bruce Pitman, who oversees the institute, and on UB President Satish Tripathi. “I think Satish has really failed to address this in the right way,” Belluck told the trustees. SUNY trustees decided they did not yet have enough information to vote on the institute. Instead, they unanimously passed a resolution to investigate the founding and funding of SRSI. The meeting was recorded and put online by SUNY over the weekend. The university is currently responding to SUNY’s requests, according to UB Spokesman John Della Contrada. University officials have repeatedly said no industry funding went into the institute itself. This week Della Contrada said the oil and gas industry did, however, help fund the April 2011 lecture series sponsored by the geology department that spurred the creation of the institute a year later. In particular, he said the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York donated $5,000 to the Marcellus Shale lecture series, which cost $12,900. Other funding included: $5,000 from Otis Eastern Service, Inc, a leading pipeline contractor $2,000 from Lenape Enterprises, no information available $200 from Chautauqua Energy Management, a producer of oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania and New York Continued on page 2

Satsuki Aoi /// The Spectrum

New York Times columnist David Brooks opened the 26th season of UB’s Distinguished Speakers Series on Wednesday night. He spoke on political issues facing America – the changes he’s seen since World War II and what he sees in the current presidential race.

NY Times columnist Brooks kicks off Distinguished Speaker Series REBECCA BRATEK Managing Editor Two out of three college students would choose to have a lot of fame over the choice to have a lot of sex. “I’m on TV a lot; I’m sort of famous,” said David Brooks. “I’m 51, [and] I remember sex. Sex is a lot better.” Nineteen percent of Americans believe they’re a part of the top 1 percent of wealth, according to a survey done by Time Magazine. The United States ranks No. 36 in the study of mathematics, but the country is No. 1 in thinking students are “really good” at math. Men drown twice as much as women because men have tremendous confidence in their ability to swim after they’ve been drinking.

It’s this self-confident culture that is changing America in every aspect, according to Brooks – a New York Times op-ed columnist and political analyst – from the way we act, the way we think of ourselves and the way we govern our country. And, according to Brooks who cited all these facts, this self-absorbance has only increased since World War II. Brooks opened UB’s 26th-annual Distinguished Speakers Series in the Center for the Arts on Wednesday evening. In front of hundreds of community members, he spoke of America’s current state – morally, economically and politically – while connecting these ideals back to the current presidential race. “This has been a cultural shift, and we don’t necessarily want to go back, but there is a sense of first – that we live in closed loops in the midst of our own rightness,” Brooks said.

Brooks, though he leans toward the right of the political spectrum (think Theodore Roosevelt/Alexander Hamilton ideology), has made a career of analyzing how the government works and – more importantly – why it doesn’t work. But Brooks remains optimistic, yet pragmatic, as the current presidential race approaches; this college-aged generation and younger generations are becoming the ones who matter and the ones who can change the system. Brooks, after about 30 minutes of speaking on America’s current state, shifted focus to the presidential candidates and his take on the Obama-Romney battle and the Republican Party’s attempt to gain governmental control back from the Democrats. Continued on page 6

Brooks advises Spectrum staff to “Bring something to the table” LISA KHOURY Senior News Editor

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

David Brooks speaks to a group of students in The Spectrum office shortly before giving his speech in the CFA Thursday night.

New York Times political columnist David Brooks came to UB on Sept. 20 to start off the 26th-annual Distinguished Speakers Series. But before his speech at the Center for the Arts, he stopped by UB’s studentrun newspaper, The Spectrum, to give advice to the aspiring journalists. While many students in the office plan to apply to graduate schools of journalism, Brooks said it isn’t necessary. “I confess, I never took a journalism class,” Brooks, 51, said. “I think that’s a little overboard. I mean, you should take journalism, but I’m a big believer in ‘You gotta bring something to the table.’ Say you’re applying for jobs. A certain number of people can write a good story, but what else are you bringing?” Brooks encouraged the students to find a niche, whether it is studying biology or economics, master a skill set – utilize it to write for future employers. Brooks knew he wanted to be a writer when he was 7 years old, but he said if you

want to have a writing career today, you have to be “multi-platformed.” When he covered the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, only a third of his time was dedicated to writing columns; he also had a daily web conversation and web chat. Unlike many modern journalists, Brooks does not tweet. He does, however, appear on PBS News Hour on Fridays and often on MSBC’s Meet the Press on Sundays, in addition to his two columns per week. “And I do that just because I want to be able to survive, and I don’t know where the future is so I’m just going to do it all,” Brooks said. He said today’s market in journalism is for two types of writers: the “sprinter” and the “long distance runner.” Brooks said the sprinter is the person who can tweet or write an instant web story, and the distance runner conceptualizes a big topic into one story. Brooks got his big break while attending the University of Chicago, where he later earned a degree in history. He was an opinion and editorial writer for the school newspaper. Then liberal, he wrote a parody about the conservative author and commentator William Buckley, because Buckley was coming to his campus to give a speech. Continued on page 2

ubspectrum.com

Referendum passes at UB, students elect new senators UB undergraduates voted to pass a referendum on Thursday and elected new student senators after a threeday election. The referendum continues the use of the $94.75 mandatory student activity fee in students’ tuition. The referendum passed with 1,300 students voting “yes,” and 172 voting “no.” There were a total of 1,760 votes, including those for senators. The election brings in on-campus senators Alexander Archer, Michael Calliste, Dan Giles, Laura Grassi, Marissa Malone and Darcie O’Sullivan. All of the newly elected on-campus senators belong to the Reform party. Off-campus senators include Carl Ross, Nick Johns, Jonathan Grunin, Sonya Abed, Ali Ahmed and Tyler Bauer. Bauer is the only off-campus senator from the Trust Party. The referendum vote occurs every two years. During the 201011 senate election, the referendum passed with 1,475 “yes” votes and 200 “no” votes, with a total of 1,904 votes. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Friday, September 21, 2012

Continued from page 1:

Fracking update: UB continues to deny industry funding claims $200 from Reserve Energy Exploration, a privately held company focused on oil, natural gas and renewable energy projects $250 from Tectonic, a New York engineering firm $200 Minard Run Oil Company, an independent oil company in Pennsylvania “If the talk series is not part of the institute – if it’s just an independent talk series – then it is unlike any such series I have ever organized or attended in that it fails to acknowledge the moneys that paid for it: in this case, $12,900 in support from oil and gas and affiliated companies,” said James Holstun, an English professor and chairman of the UB Coalition for Leading Ethically in Academic Research (UBCLEAR), in an email. He feels the basic principles of academic ethics that require acknowledgement and thanks to the donors should have occurred at the talk series and “not more than a year later, under intense public and [SUNY] trustee pressure.” SRSI was founded in April 2012 and produced its first report in May. The report came out under UB’s name and suggested fracking is not as detrimental to the environment as many experts say. The report was immediately criticized for its findings, its numerical inaccuracies and the authors’ connections to the oil and gas industry. In addition, a UB press release claimed the report was peer reviewed. After a watch-

dog group questioned the review process and the report as a whole, UB reissued the press release saying it had not been peer reviewed. Belluck is not the only one to question the institute’s validity. Since its inception in April, UB faculty and community members have asked UB administrators to explain how the institute got started, who is funding it and what – if any – ties it has to the oil and gas industry. They have also expressed outrage over the salary of John P. Martin, one of the institute’s co-directors, and his perceived conflict of interest as an oil and gas insider. Pitman has defended Martin’s hiring and has insisted the institute has not received any industry funding and that it is a purely academic endeavor with an approximately $40,000 start-up budget, not including salaries. According to the SRSI website, the institute has a $177,442 annual budget. “The $40,000 was an estimate of operating costs and support. [It] does not include personnel costs,” Della Contrada said. The actual amount posted on the website for operating support and staff support is $48,600. Although Pitman originally answered The Spectrum’s questions on SRSI, since Wednesday, he has deferred all questions to Della Contrada, stating the UB spokesperson “is the appropriate person to respond.” The additional $128,842 left in the $177,442 budget is allot-

ted for personnel costs, including “salary, fringe and other benefits” for the institute’s co-directors, Martin and Robert Jacobi. The funds are coming from a University at Buffalo Foundation account and a “state operating account,” according to the SRSI website. Martin’s part-time salary of $60,000 annually and a $1,000 monthly stipend for travel was released last week after Artvoice filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request. Several UB faculty members, including Holstun and law professor Martha McCluskey, feel a combined $72,000 salary is too high for an employee only required to work 25 percent of his time. Holstun is a founding member of UBCLEAR, a group of 25 community and faculty members who want the university to explain exactly how the institute started and has been funded. He is convinced documents obtained by Artvoice via a FOIL prove the oil and gas industries have helped and/or plan to help fund the institute. The document, a one-page description of SRSI’s goals and fundraising strategies, shows a commitment by the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York (IOGA). “IOGA of NY is keenly aware of our plans and has not only aided us with funding, but also organizational help,” the document states. In the subsequent

bullet point, it states, “Through our Marcellus Shale lecture series last spring, we reached out to local citizenry as well as government and environmental activist concerns and were able to make numerous contacts.” Holstun said the document is evidence that IOGA funded SRSI. Della Contrada said the IOGA money referred to in the one-page document went to the lecture series, not the institute. After the lecture series, “faculty and administrators saw sufficient interest to make an institute viable,” Della Contrada said. Holstun doesn’t feel the lecture series properly disclosed the industry funding received – something that echoes his concerns regarding the entire institute. He wants the administration to release all documents relating to founding, funding and governance of SRSI. “This is precisely the sort of thing we have to fear with the Institute itself, if it ever should actually come alive again: that it will be supported by money from the oil and gas industry, laundered through the UB Foundation, which is currently immune to FOIL requests, so that UB peddles its legitimacy for an under-the-table corporate contribution,” Holstun said. “Nobody has the right to degrade the University at Buffalo in this way.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 1: Brooks advises Spectrum staff to “Bring something to the table” At the end of Buckley’s speech he said, “David Brooks, if you’re here I’d like to give you a job.” Brooks took him up on that deal two years later. Buckley “adopted” Brooks and taught him how to be a journalist. He left Buckley a year and a half later to experience various jobs, including reporting abroad for The Wall Street Journal. He covered the Middle East Peace Process, Nelson Mandela coming out of prison in South Africa and the fall of the Soviet Union – which he said was the best story he’s ever covered.

Brooks eventually developed a conservative mindset, which he describes as “not quite where the Republican Party is, but it has more to do with where Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Hamilton were.” Brooks said he admires President Barack Obama, as well as other politicians, but as a reporter he cannot allow personal loyalty to get in the way of a column. Brooks is instead loyal to a specific type of conservative vision. At times when he thinks Obama deserves it, Brooks “dumps” on Obama. Obama will then call him into the White House to try to explain why Brooks is wrong.

“One of the dangers of being a columnist is it’s so easy to turn into a partisan,” Brooks said. “You’re just going to represent the Republican point of view or Democratic point of view. But if you try to be loyal to a vision rather than a party, then you get sh*t from both sides.” Brooks said government demands the highest intellectuals and the highest moral skills, and it is incredibly important for students to pay attention to politics, especially with the upcoming presidential election.

Though he’s written for The Times for nine years, Brooks still is never content with his work. “I read my columns in the paper; they’re never good,” he said. “It’s never like, ‘Man, I nailed that one.’… But occasionally it’ll be a B, often it’s a C or a D, and I feel humiliated and I really have a bad day. But at least I got another one coming in a couple of days.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Opinion

Friday, September 21, 2012 ubspectrum.com

EDITORIAL BOARD Editor in Chief Aaron Mansfield Senior Managing Editor Brian Josephs Managing Editor Rebecca Bratek Editorial Editor Ashley Steves News EDItors Sara DiNatale, Co-Senior Lisa Khoury, Co-Senior Lisa Epstein, Asst. LIFE EDITORS Rachel Kramer, Senior Lyzi White Keren Baruch ARTS EDITORS Elva Aguilar, Senior Adrien D’Angelo Duane Owens, Asst. Lisa de la Torre, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS Nate Smith, Senior Joe Konze Jon Gagnon, Asst. Ben Tarhan, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS Alexa Strudler, Senior Satsuki Aoi Reimon Bhuyan, Asst. Nick Fischetti, Asst. PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Kurtz CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aline Kobayashi Brian Keschinger, Asst. Haider Alidina, Asst. ADVERTISING DESIGNER Joseph Ramaglia Chris Belfiore Ryan Christopher, Asst. Haley Sunkes, Asst.

September 21, 2012 Volume 62 Number 10 Circulation 7,000 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. The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by both Alloy Media and Marketing, and MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum visit www.ubspectrum.com/ads or call us directly. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

Baggage Students bringing bags to the game shouldn’t be forced out A sea of blue washed over UB Stadium as royal blue sweatshirts and two-toned faces came through the gates for Wednesday night’s nationally televised game against Kent State. Everything was in place, and students were encouraged to come out to support the home team. Unless you have a bag on you. Then feel free to leave. Students who brought their book bags with them to the game had them inspected but were not allowed to take them into the stadium either way. Security picked the wrong day to implement a new policy. The enforcement comes off like this: “Oh, you just came from class, and you live all the way on South Campus? Either take that bag home or get out.” The policy itself might not be new. UB Athletics’ Game Day Guide currently lists backpacks under its prohibited items but just states that “all items entering the stadium will be inspected” and that “fans can speed their entry into the stadium by leaving these items behind.” But according to UB Athletics, the decision was made by University Police and not by them. If both Danny White and Jeff Quinn have made the point they want as many students as possible to come to the game, and they took the steps to improve the experience, why aren’t the police and UB Athletics working to ensure that actually happens?

Follow up question: why is this policy – new or not – starting while you’re trying to get more fans to the games? If your student section accounts for about 50 percent of a nationally televised game, you would think whoever is running the show is going to make sure that 50 percent actually makes it into the stadium. Understandably, safety is a concern, but do you know how you can find out if students are smuggling in alcohol or weapons? Check the bags. Stadium security is already doing this (most of the time), so there’s no reason to tell someone with a backpack of textbooks they can’t come in. It’s the same effect of the TSA telling a passenger they can’t have a carry-on after only finding a magazine. It will be interesting to see if UPD will begin to enforce this when other sports start up soon. Imagine seeing crowds of students sadly shuffling out of Alumni Arena just because they didn’t have time to drop off their Social Psychology texts at their dorms. Just be thankful these kids are even going to a night class before the game, and let them in. You have plenty of stadium security; use it. Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

On thin ice

NHL lockout stings worse the second time This week brought disappointing news for hockey fans when Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the NHL Players’ Association and the NHL had failed to reach a collective bargaining agreement, sending the league into a lockout. With that news came bitter feelings, and for longtime fans, it’s déjà vu. The 2004-05 lockout changed the way the game is played and the way the game is looked at. After seven years of rebuilding and recovering, the current lockout is the worst thing that could happen. This year, the issue for the owners is money. The issue is always money. According to owners, salaries have risen dramatically over the last couple years, and the players’ current 57 percent of hockey-related revenue is just far too high (they’re currently trying to roll it back to 43 percent). But this time it’s personal. The 200405 lockout hit players hard with a 26 percent pay decrease, and they’re making sure they don’t get the same poor treatment. What’s becoming evident is that the two sides are not negotiating, not working together to reach an agreement. The players’ wishes are obvious: cutting draft rounds, revenue sharing, rules for compensation and no salary cuts. For what they go through physically and mentally, none of these are absurd requests, especially when revenue is at an all-time high and the

highest paid player makes $12 million (compare to the highest payed in baseball at $29 million, the highest in basketball at nearly $28 million,= and the highest in football at $23 million). But most importantly, they don’t want to feel like a commodity. The NHLPA is trying to negotiate, but owners are playing this game of chicken and will continue to as long as they think their players are dispensable. The two sides have agreed not to meet until either the NHLPA or NHL has a new proposal to present. It could be a long wait, and if you’re expecting the lockout to be over by the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, don’t hold your breath. Everyone is losing on this one. Referees and arena staff won’t get paid, local businesses won’t thrive as much as they normally do (think Pearl Street) and fans will have a void to fill during the cold winter months. Hockey is at a point where it’s back in the national consciousness, and that’s what hurts the most. Your fans care enough to come out and watch, but egos on both sides of the deal are getting in the way – again. If this is a lockout that cancels the season, don’t expect everyone to jump back onboard when the tickets go on sale in 2013. Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Cultural ambiguity and the American corporate identity ADRIEN D’ANGELO Arts Editor According to Paul Auster’s novel The Locked Room: “We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own incoherence.” Democracy, freedom, cultural diffusion and thousands of quasi-American ideals saturate and dissolve into no solution that is indicative of its ingredients. Our national identity is asymmetrical, our traditions are void of meaning and our patriotism is hollow and unwarranted. The notion of where we came from is fading. When the idea of the melting pot became the grandiose pride of American multiculturalism in the ’20s, many individuals struggled to retain their culture while assimilating to the American way. The issue, I believe, has been identifying what assimilation actually is – or what it is today. Perhaps watching the Bills game on a 24” flat screen TV while drinking Coca-Cola and listening to Tim McGraw is defined as an American experience, but what I see is a nation of people scrambling to find common ground in the face of lost identity. I recognize my father came to this country from France, but outside of my FR151 course, my collection of bottles from Bordeaux’s vineyards and the occasional visit overseas, I’m not quite sure French culture is a part of my life. And I know other second-generation Americans feel the same way. So here’s what I’ve related to American culture. Here in the States, we buy our culture. America: the business driven, bigger-and-better-than-you, world police helps its citizens identify themselves by what they consume. In 2009, the U.S. consumer goods market was the largest in the world, estimated at $416 billion according to selectusa.commerce.gov. The ultimate success of companies such as McDonald’s, Phillip Morris, Budweiser and others is not just representative of our economy; these products have become part

of our culture. Take a look at the way Americans buy clothes. Many choose to plaster the Abercrombie or American Eagle logos on themselves, with the false precept of individuality. The pre-torn jeans and block letters have become the national garb – the uniform, the mark of corporate-instilled Americanism. If you think buying name brand clothing sets you apart from those who wear abayas, yamakas, or hijabs – think again. The only difference being the meaning behind your clothes is in your wallet. Television: the great American enslavement. The U.S. entertainment industry has been quite successful ever since Hollywood’s coming of age in the ’20s. Since then, we’ve found new methods of entertainment that make our way directly into the comfort of our own home. MTV’s Jersey Shore, possibly one of the most widely recognized byproducts of American entertainment, gives a strong representation of our culture. The message is clear: if you’re an American, you enjoy getting drunk, having sex and fighting with others about the sex you had when you were drunk. Oh land of the free, you’ve certainly set the bar high. The media is barely an improvement. There are three kinds of stories covered by the corporate media: those that make you afraid of (insert race here), those that follow celebrities like they’re the Pope and those that cultivate your long-founded desire to buy a new ridiculous product. Participation may vary. Finally, Americans are identified by their income. We also tend to sort ourselves accordingly. For example: upper-class dinner parties will most likely be highly-secured to make sure no one from the middle-class dirties up the place. Who you are depends on what kind of car you drive, what you bought your girlfriend last week, how many figures are in your paycheck and whether or not you can afford a beach house. We seem to be a country of showoffs. But I guess that’s what is meant by “freedom isn’t free.” Email: adrien.dangelo@ubspectrum.com

Letter to the Editor In “An Assault on Humanity” (The Spectrum, Feb. 12, 2012), the editorial board called for the U.S. to apply its “great model” from Libya in Syria. A full-scale invasion is too much, however. Libya works as a great model for how we should handle it. Use airstrikes and drones to prevent forces from continuing their rampage on Homs and other cities. Are they still as confident and sure? Everyone from Mitt Romney to Hillary Clinton praised the death of Gaddafi. There was a bipartisan consensus that, as Clinton put it, “We came. We saw. He died.” The hard work was done – smooth sailing ahead. Or so the talking heads said. Therein lies the problem with American foreign policy: it is so incredibly shortsighted and arrogant that it deserves ridicule. You cannot expect the stars to fall into place just because you took out one madman. This line of thinking, which dominates the

airwaves, newspapers and congressional chambers, is so simplistic that it makes a mockery of logical thought. Yevgeny Y. Satanovsky, president of the Institute of the Middle East in Moscow, said of American policy: “You are the Soviet Union now, guys, and you pay the price. You are trying to distribute democracy the way we tried to distribute socialism. You do it the Western way. They hate both.” How much clearer can it be? We are now the imperialists. We reap what we sow, and so far that’s four Americans. How many more people – ambassadors, soldiers, men, women and children – need to die or get hurt before we realize how radically counterproductive our Middle Eastern policy is? Unfortunately, with Nobel unworthy Barack and warmonger Mitt the only two “real” choices this November, it seems like a lot more. -Brian Beyer

Friday, September 21, 2012 ubspectrum.com

Life

Create your own major SAMANTHA OLIVIA YUEN-MAK Staff Writer When Rachel Rabinowitz came to UB, she was undecided. It wasn’t until she took a nutrition class that she had any idea of what she wanted to do with her life. But UB doesn’t offer nutrition as a major. Rabinowitz changed that. Rabinowitz, a sophomore chemistry major with a special major in nutrition, is just one of the students at UB who is creating her own major in the special studies program. The special studies program started in the ’70s and approximately 25,000 students have graduated with their own special majors. Every year, there could be anywhere from 15 to 40 students in the program, according to Michael Kustreba, a senior academic advisor for the College of Arts and Sciences. Kustreba works with students to help them create their own majors. Students who are interested in the special major program must first come up with an idea or a field of study they want to major in. In Rabinowitz’s case, it was nutrition. Students must then come up with a list of courses they think will best prepare them for a career in their field. For each of the courses chosen, the student has to write a proposal or justification as to why it is relevant to their chosen subject. This was the most stressful part of the process for Rabinowtiz. She was worried about coming up with her own curriculum and electives. After the classes are picked, a board of professors reviews the curriculum. The board comes from different departments at UB, according to Kustreba. The student must find two faculty mentors to help him or her through the program. These mentors can also suggest courses appropriate to the field the student wants to study. Rabinowitz approached Peter Horvath, a professor in the department of exercise and nutrition sciences, to be one of her mentors. “It is hard, but I want to have this major,” Rabinowitz said. “It can pay off in the end.”

“I’ve been waiting all summer to see these amazing football players,” said no one ever LYZI WHITE Life Editor

Freshmen aren’t allowed to apply to the special major program because, according to Kustreba, they aren’t aware of all 140 majors UB has to offer. He thinks freshmen will use this program as an easy way out of exploring their options. He also thinks the ideal time for students to pursue creating a unique major is during their sophomore year, so they have enough time to complete the curriculum. Students work closely with Kustreba to come up with the appropriate title for the special major degree. Some students may think of transferring to another school before they realize they can create something entirely their own, according to Kustreba. “Some of the programs that are designed are so unique that they may not be available at another institution,” Kustreba said. “We have had majors that were so highly specialized that you would not find it anywhere in the 55,000 colleges in the U.S., so that’s one reason. Another reason why is students would not be likely to find it somewhere else, and I’m talking about majors such as the title of physiology, psychology and marketing of martial arts for specialized population.” Rabinowitz would never think of transferring. She likes her life and friendships at UB. According to Rabinowitz, even though developing her own major takes a lot of work, it will add uniqueness to her degree. Email: features@ubspectrum.com

UB’s football team lost its third game of the season Wednesday night to Kent State, 23-7. Surrounded by unresponsive fans who cared much more about tailgating before and winning free stuff during, the game was as nail-biting as watching The 700 Club on repeat. Football players resorted to bribery in order to fill the stands during their games. For hours they stood within the Union, handing out ice cream sandwiches as they begged students to watch them half-heartedly let Kent State trample over them. They were quite successful, filling the stands with students and families covered head to toe in blue – some even taking the opportunity to paint their stomachs. “Yeah, I’m staying until the end of the first quarter so I can say that I at least stayed half the game,” said Vivian Colin, a sophomore health and human services major. During the first half, as the Bulls struggled to reach the 50-yard line, spectators were forced to find their entertainment anywhere but the actual game. Many focused their attention on the bottles of vodka they snuck into the stadium or decided playing Words With Friends was more engaging.

One student spotted something sparkly in the student section and spent the remaining 2 hours and 45 minutes of the game staring at it. Students were lured into a false sense of success after the game against Morgan State, in which the Bulls scored 56 points. Too bad for the uninformed masses; the win was equivalent to the horde of 20 kids beating and hospitalizing their two unsuspecting victims last weekend on Winspear. Becky McMillion, a freshman undecided major, attended the football game with a group of her floor mates. With no background knowledge of the sport other than cheering for the “super sexy” Tom Brady because of her love for Gisele Bundchen, her hope was to impress men with being sport savvy. “I had no idea how much I would actually enjoy football, but I’m really getting into it,” McMillion said. “I’m such a huge Bills fan now!” McMillion promptly started jumping up and down, cheering for the team running the ball into the end zone. Unbeknownst to the “hardcore fan,” it was Kent State scoring. UB Stadium was silent other than the occasional conversation in the stands about how excited people were to go to bed, what they were going to eat for breakfast and any other possible topic unrelated to the game.

At various times during the game, however, loud cheers and screams erupted from the audience. Unfortunately for the players, the screaming did not correlate with their actual good plays (which happened twice throughout the entire game) but when spectators had the opportunity to catch free T-shirts flying through the air. The T-shirt throws were more accurate than junior quarterback Alex Zordich. Later, the student responsible for throwing out free T-shirts was approached by head coach Jeff Quinn and asked to play quarterback against UConn. He declined, stating he only likes winning. It was decided that the most valuable player of the game was not an actual football player at all, but the student who caught footballs during half time in order to win free pizza. In hindsight, students regretted their decision to attend the game. No matter how much alcohol they were able to chug quickly before they entered the stadium, the only thing more painful than sitting through the whole game would have been getting tackled by the Kent State players themselves. Email:

lyzi.white@ubspectrum.com

All’s well that ends well How To: Stay friends with an Ex

RACHEL KRAMER Senior Life Editor Relationships end for a reason – people drift apart and the romance fizzles out. Each party goes its separate ways with hurt feelings and no real desire to ever see the other again. In many cases, though, a problem seems to arise: your ex is a part of your group of friends. So you have to be civil with each other. You don’t fight as if you’re Ron and Sami from Jersey Shore, but there’s still the underlying layer of awkwardness that just doesn’t go away. I know a lot of couples that have broken up recently. To become friends with an ex isn’t anybody’s top priority of the semester. Unfortunately, though, sometimes it has to

be done for the sake of your group’s friendship. In college, you get into a groove with a certain group of people and it becomes your family away from home. A breakup within your college family can seem like a divorce. Mutual friends try not to take sides, both parties take blame for the tension, possessions are divided and the never-ending custody battle of whose room you should hang out in comes after. Things don’t have to be this awkward. In most situations, the group is looking for cues from the ex couple on how to act. If you avoid your ex like the plague in a group setting, your friends will notice and assume things are still hostile between the two of you. This is true in some cases and you and your partner may need to take some time to get over each other.

If you’re confused how to act around your ex, here are a few helpful tips: In a group setting – it may be easy to blend into the group and avoid speaking to your ex, but that could look suspicious after a while. Hopefully, before the break up, you weren’t the touchy feely type while hanging out with your friends. So just act how you used to act. Don’t be afraid to sit with your ex, or laugh at one of his or her jokes. You are friends now, and you should think of your ex as just another person to hang out with. Don’t over think it. Alone – If you get caught in a setting where you are face-to-face and alone with the ex, take a deep breath and stand up straight. Act normally. Remember you’re friends now and just because you aren’t romantically compatible doesn’t mean you can’t be socially compatible. You started dating for a reason: a Continued on page 6

Friday, September 21, 2012 ubspectrum.com

Arts & Entertainment

A Thriller in Full Gere JAKE KNOTT Staff Writer

Film: Arbitrage Release Date: Sept. 14 Studio: Lionsgate Grade: A

Satsuki Aoi /// The Spectrum

Victor Morales and Andrea Andolina turn in emotional performances in The Guys.

The Guys attains success with compelling gravity MICHAEL POWELL Staff Writer Last week, the U.S. mourned a tragedy that still haunts its citizens after 11 years. One actor, however, took the weight of eight lives on his shoulders to relive the pain from that day. The Guys, is a play that focuses on the husbands, brothers, fathers and friends that risked their lives to keep New York City safe during the chaos that ensued on that fateful day. The play, directed by Matthew LaChiusa and written by Anne Nelson, was held at The America Repertory Theater of Western New York inside the Episcopal Church of Ascension. Written just weeks after 9/11, having originally debuted off Broadway in New York City back in 2001, The Guys stars Victor Morales as Nick Flannigan – a New York City Fire Captain who has been given the emotional burden

of preparing eight eulogies for the men in his company the lost, - and Andrea Andolina as Joan, a New York City writer who helps Nick with his task. The play is simple, nuanced and controlled. The majority of it deals with Nick offering a series of stories about the men that were once in his company. The stories detailed their likes, dislikes, flaws, shortcomings and failures. For Nick, the firefighters that died were simply his close friends and family, not the heroes the media depicted them to be. “I personally loved the stories,” said Patricia Luko, a senior academics major from Northwestern University. “They were so detailed and just made you feel like you were right there and knew the person.” Since the performance was driven solely by these stories and the resulting conversation between Nick and Joan, all of the emotional depth rested on the duo. There was Continued on page 6

Expert moviegoers are cultivated to obey the first rule of film law – to always empathize and root for the hero of a film. Arbitrage is a loophole to this amendment; it provides the cruelest protagonist in recent years – a fiend so tyrannical he would shut down an orphanage if it yielded a profit. Arbitrage tells the tragedy of Robert Miller (Richard Gere, The Double), a Wall Street shark who could have apprenticed beneath Gordon Gekko. Miller frauds anyone he has to, including Brooke (Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice), his daughter and chief financial officer of the corporation. Gere supplies one of his soundest performances, manifesting Miller as an aging tycoon who personally plummets himself into the depths of moral destruction. The film opens on a light note. It’s Miller’s 60th birthday; he’s depicted as a family man partnered with his daughter in the business. Writer-director Nicholas Jarecki (The Weight) never frees Miller from a life of self-desolation. Miller cheats on his lifelong wife, Ellen (Susan Sarandon, Robot & Frank) with a young artist, Julie (Laetitia Casta, War of the Buttons). Ellen knows of the affair, but forlornly accepts it as a part of the rich-marriage package. Just when the plot seems revealed, another curveball is thrown. Miller takes Julie for a late night drive, only to get into an accident from falling asleep at the wheel and in turn killing Julie. Miller isn’t worried about a homicide charge; rather, the last thing he wants is bad media coverage.

Courtesy of Lionsgate

He escapes the wreckage with a bleeding head and cracked ribs, gets picked up by his friend Jimmy (Nate Parker, Red Tails) and thinks all business is settled. It isn’t. A loud-mouthed, yet wholehearted Detective Bryer (Time Roth, Lie to Me) catches Miller’s scent quickly. Now his fate is rested upon Jimmy’s shoulders and whether or not Bryer can convince him to testify against Miller. Here is where most films mechanically supply needless action in an attempt to spice up the conflict, but not Arbitrage. Instead, it courageously travels down the traditional path of dialogue warfare, as the characters struggle to fight for their personal beliefs. Miller wants his empire to pass its audit and then transfer power down to Brooke. Detective Bryer wants justice suitably dished out to the upper class for once. And Jimmy is glued in the center, only wishing to move south with his girl and run an Applebee’s. There’s no scuffing it – Gere was perfectly cast here. It’s been reported he replaced Al Pacino during pre-production, which first appears as a downgrade. But Gere’s natural physique is uncannily convincing as a corrupt billionaire. His slicked-back grey hair has rested in the same place for decades,

and his darkened, squinted eyes always appear to be concealing secrets. Roth also plays his best role of recent memory, somehow disguising his hometown London accent and transforming into the restless detective from Brooklyn. But above all, Roth is able to play a down-to-Earth cop who wants to convict Miller for ethical obligations, not simply because the plot tells him to do so. Arbitrage is a real chin-bruiser – a brilliant thriller that will have people covering their mouths in stunned bewilderment. Jarecki filled his casting slates with docile actors who play believable characters and also wrote them smart dialogue that fiercely carries the film’s weight. It’s a treat to finally find a movie that capably mixes suspense and excitement and does so without aimless shootouts or noisy chase scenes. Arbitrage subtly mocks the action-thriller genre by allowing its words to speak louder than guns or car chases ever could. Here is one of the best pictures of the year.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Continued form page 8: UB’s ‘O’ won’t work without Bo “Offensively, we just weren’t there today,” said Zordich after the game. Just the threat of Oliver running the ball opens passing lanes. With he and promising No. 2 back sophomore James Potts out with injuries, opposing defenses don’t need to respect the run. After the Bulls’ 56-34 win over Morgan State two weeks ago, Senior Sports Editor Nathaniel Smith said: “The Bulls will run Branden Oliver 40 or 50 times if they need to.” I froze. Oh no, I thought, this is going to ruin the season. Nate had a point: the Bulls would have a much better chance of winning every game if they were to hand it off to Bo every play. He trains harder than anyone and simply doesn’t get worn down. It’s uncanny. Lest we forget Oliver is still human. He might not get worn down, but he will get hurt. As a result, the very same UB team that looked so impressive the first two weeks of the season lost 23-7 to Kent State, a team notorious for not knowing which way to run. Buffalo looked atrocious, but the Bulls were going to win that game – or at least come close – if Bo kept playing. He finished the game with 16 carries for 77 yards and didn’t even play the end of the first half. Oliver would have had another 150-yard, maybe even 200-yard game if he hadn’t gotten hurt. Kent State couldn’t stop him, but you can’t fault the Golden Flashes; nothing can stop Oliver. Nothing, that is, except an injury. I wrote a column last week about Buffalo’s dynamic offense, which really is vigorous when its top players are healthy. But Potts is done for the season and Oliver is hurt, though the extent of his injury was unknown when The Spectrum went to print. After Wednesday’s game, he tweeted: “I want to thank my family, friends, and fans for there support it is much needed always thanks for being the shoulder I can lean on.” When I spoke with him Thursday, he said he’ll heal quickly in Jesus’ name. That’s who Branden Oliver is. He’s staying optimistic. It’s admirable. But if Bo ends up missing extended time, there’s no reason for fans to be optimistic about the rest of this season. There’s the real stomach punch.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Continued from page 5: The Guys attains success with compelling gravity no music accompaniment to set the tone – only their words. Movement in The Guys was scarce, aside from a dance number. A story this emotionally charged is reliant on acting in order to get across its message and it could potentially falter if the acting isn’t competent. The play is about the human aspect of the tragedy, so the acting had to reflect that. Morales is believable in the role as Nick Flannigan. His size bombarded the stage immediately, perfectly encompassing the role of a NYFD captain. By effortlessly depicting the struggle of losing his fellow freighters, Morales is able to relive the pain of losing them. His performance comes from an honest place, according to Morales’

daughter Rachel, junior general studies major at Erie Community College. “He’s a state trooper... [and he knew] a lot of people that went [to the towers],” Morales said. “It’s just hard seeing my dad that emotional and thinking about everything that happened – especially so close to the [anniversary].” Matt Chavez, a UB alum, agrees The Guys did an amazing job embodying the feelings around 9/11. “It just brings you back, even if you weren’t there,” Chavez said. The Guys will be playing at the American Repertory Theater Sept. 14 through Sept. 29. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 4: All’s well that ends well mutual liking for one another. When you’re out during the weekend – It may be hard to watch an ex grind up against that newbie who is not nearly as pretty as you. But you have to remember that you’re not together anymore. Try to go find your own eye candy to have fun with. You can even try to be his wingman if you are emotionally stable enough. Just because you and him didn’t work out doesn’t mean you can’t help him find a girl. According to Cosmopolitan, it is possible to be friends with an ex. The experts say as long as there is no reminisce of sexual desire, as long as you don’t mind seeing your partner with someone else, and as long as he or she is someone whose friendship you truly value, then the two of you can handle life in the friend zone. However, according to askmen. com, it is never a good idea to become friends with an ex, no matter what. They say that it will only cause bitterness, jealousy and a flood of returning memories every time you smell something that reminds you of her. Both of these sources make a valid point.

It doesn’t matter how long you have been broken up or if the two of you have both moved on – certain situations will hurt a little bit. For example, when your group of friends goes to that bar where the two of you played your first game of pool or when you hear “your” song on the radio, the memories will start rushing into your head. But in these situations you have to take a moment and remember why the relationship ended. Sometimes a relationship will end and there is no way a friendship can persist. Maybe you were cheated on, you were in an abusive relationship or you caught him trying on your red pumps and little black dress. It is a hard thing to do, but if it’s possible, becoming friends with an ex could be a rewarding experience. I’m sure the break up was hard for both of you, but being able to stay friends softens the blow. We should all remember the wise words of that classic song nobody knows the name of: “As long as we can live in harmony, why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we be friends?” Email: rachel.kramer@ubspectrum.com

Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 1: NY Times columnist Brooks kicks off Distinguished Speaker Series Romney is a “hidden man,” according to Brooks. “I think he’s generally a good guy, but I think because of Mormonism, he’s a hidden man,” Brooks said. “He doesn’t want to show that side.” Obama’s campaign has hit Romney hard with ads, but it hasn’t been able to run a single personality ad; Romney does not show his true self. Romney’s pretending to be something he’s not – he’s a non-ideological person in a highly ideological time – and he’s disconnected from reality and he’s faking it, according to Brooks. Especially in the wake of secret Romney videos that surfaced earlier this week, thanks to Mother Jones. “That 47 percent comment – I find it morally offensive,” Brooks told the crowd when speaking on Romney’s comment that 47 percent of Americans are dependent on the government and don’t pay taxes. In his Sept. 17 column, Brooks wrote: “First, it suggests that he really doesn’t know much about the country he inhabits … it suggests that Romney doesn’t know much about the culture of America.” Although insincerity lies at the heart of it, Brooks believes Romney would have a decent campaign if he ran as himself. Brooks wasn’t only critical of the Republican nominee; he has his qualms with Obama and how he’s changed over his four-year tenure in the White House. “In 2008 and 2007, he was bursting with ideas – 61 proposals in six months,” Brooks recalled. “He was also a self-confident person. In 20 years, the word ‘Obama’ will be a unit for self-confidence.” But Brooks has noticed Obama wear down – mostly because he’s not a natural politician. He’s distant, and members of Congress often feel the president looks down upon them, according to Brooks. Obama’s sick of Washington, D.C., he’s realized the president doesn’t hold as much power as the public assumes and he’s become much more insular and detached as he keeps to his own, cut-off world. “[Obama] hasn’t refreshed his batteries,” Brooks said. “He’s been consumed by a negative passion in this campaign – he really wants to beat the Republicans.” Is there a second act for Obama? Brooks isn’t sure of that answer. If America voted today, Obama would stay another term, but the vote could swing come November. A hidden man and a cagey man – two good men in horrible circumstances who are not running campaigns they are capable of, according to Brooks. A big versus small government debate reminiscent of 1964’s presidential race and both parties are returning to the polls. The next generation of voters is wholesome and responsible and though they may be self-centered and materialistic, they have an energy you can been seen through any falling statistic – divorce, abortion and teen pregnancy rates have all decreased – and there’s a lot of good behavior, according to Brooks. “That energy still propels America,” Brooks said. “And it gives us the energy to correct all of our mistakes.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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