The Spectrum Volume 62 Issue 20 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

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

The S pectrum ubspectrum.com

Volume 62 No. 20

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

UB embarks on research program with Zimbabwe

Read’s cultural connections

Story on page 5

Story on page 8

**Editorial**

Strife in the Heights

A call for immediate action in Buffalo’s – and UB’s – University Heights The University Heights district is the definition of deplorable. It has been an ongoing talking point over the course of several years – on Monday, we reported about a student who was left homeless after his Merrimac home became infested by bed bugs, but this is not the first instance or the last. Hardened raw sewage is caked around open basement pipes. Faulty electrical wiring and natural gas problems have started house fires. The violations go on and on. The housing conditions aren’t the only problems occurring inside the walls of the Heights homes. September brought two separate drug busts, including a major drug ring on West Northrup Place.

It isn’t any better outside the homes. Two attacks have occurred recently on Winspear Avenue, leading to medical treatment for one victim and reconstructive facial surgery for another. However, as each new story comes out, we consistently see the blame passed from one person to the next. The issues are written off as minor or swept under the rug completely. But with each new story, the truth comes out – stories of unsafe streets and safety sacrificed for the sake of a few extra bucks. Despite jurisdiction lines, “University” is in the name. UB’s name is part of that neighborhood, and it’s being marketed by UB as affordable housing near campus, yet

the university continues to shy away from it further and further with every call and crime report. It wants to stay affiliated with the area to get students in the doors but turns the other cheek when one of the doors unhinges. Is anybody even listening anymore? Whether UB likes it or not, it owes some responsibility to the people who live in this neighborhood. There needs to be change. Each week, Dan Ryan, director of offcampus student relations at UB, and City of Buffalo Inspection Services have been going door to door during housing blitzes in the Heights – writing up landlords and surveying these awful conditions. The Blitzes began in 2011 when our then-Editor in Chief

Andrew Wiktor published “Reaching New Heights,” an article outlining the conditions and violations of the district. Now weekend after weekend, more dirty secrets are uncovered. Violations are being written left and right with horrible landlords to blame – many of whom don’t even live in Buffalo and certainly not in the Heights. With no concern for the quality of living and just looking to pocket their cash, they’re well aware they can take advantage of the students who feel their only option lies in the Heights. After all, they’ve been told constantly that it’s a part of the city that’s affordable, close to campus and within distance of a bustling nightlife. It’s convenient, and we students thrive on convenience. Continued on page 3

Obama, Romney bring heat to domestic policy discussion Students watch debate in Student Union and weigh in LISA KHOURY Senior News Editor

Satsuki Aoi /// The Spectrum

Tim Dean, an openly gay professor, teaches Queer Theory in UB’s English Department. He uses his experiences as real-life teaching tools – he’s unashamed of who he is – and encourages his students to think about sexuality in new and different ways.

Casual sex

Professor Tim Dean encourages his students to think about sexuality in new ways AMI DIALLO Staff Writer His bold British accent can be heard through the crowd. With his briefcase in hand, Tim Dean stands tall and poised amongst his students. He watches and cheers proudly as one of them performs in the UB Drag Show in the Student Union. When Shania Elizabeth Understood, better known as senior English major Clinton Hodnett, stood on stage, smiles spread across almost every face in the audience – especially Dean’s. Dean, who teaches Queer Theory and Introduction to Poetry, began his career 19 years ago and has been out living his passion ever since. He feels that his homosexuality is a quality that helps him give a unique perspective in the classroom. He makes sure to maintain an open relationship with his students and informs them of his sexuality right away. He isn’t ashamed of who he is. “I think I was one of those people where when I came out, they were like, ‘yeah we know,’ so some people

were not surprised and that made [coming out] easier in a way,” Dean said. “I think because it was not a big of a deal for me, it was not a big of a deal for other people, mostly. I found if you treat people like people, they would treat you as a person. It's not the only thing important about me because there are other aspects to who I am. If I seem like I'm comfortable with myself, you would be comfortable with me, too.” He hasn’t always been a success at UB. When he started teaching a course similar to Queer Theory in 2002, it was a disaster. “When I explained to the students what it was, they freaked out,” Dean said. “By the second class, there were only two people left enrolled and the course was canceled.” Despite his first failed attempt, Dean taught a similar course titled Literature and Gender four years later, but it wasn’t much more popular than the first class. He blamed it on the scheduling – it was a three-hour night class. “It wasn’t a total disaster, but from my point of view, it wasn’t a success either,” Dean said. Continued on page 12

Inside

Students in the Union watched President Obama attempt to make up for lost ground against former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in a feisty dispute over domestic policy during the second presidential debate on Tuesday night. A consensus among students and media outlets is Obama was more aggressive than the first debate. Some students said he was still too reserved. Both candidates continually cut off Moderator Candy Crowley. “I really think this debate was pretty even,” said Nicholas Paul, a junior biochemistry major who is voting for Romney. “It’s really hard [to name] one clear winner in this one. For their points, they both argued, they both cut each other off at certain times. It was pretty even. Neither one was going out crazy hard against the other.” Thirty-seven percent of voters polled after the debate said Obama was the victor, 30 percent thought it was Romney and 33 percent called it a tie, according to CBS News. The debate, which took place at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., featured a town hallstyle format with an audience of approximately 80 undecided voters. They asked questions regarding the terrorist attack in Libya, energy production, gasoline prices, tax plans, jobs for college graduates, immigration, auto industry, oil production, job creation, contraception, assault weapons ban and poverty. A 20-year-old college student asked the first question, voicing his concern about whether he’d be able to find a job after he graduates. “More debt and less jobs,” Romney answered. “I'm going to

Opinion 3 News 5,6

Life 8,9

Classifieds & Daily Delights 13

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

Students watch Tuesday night’s passionate presidential debate at a screening party in the Student Union.

change that. I know what it takes to create good jobs again. When you come out in 2014 – I presume I’m going to be president – I’m going to make sure you get a job.” Unemployment was below 8 percent in September for the first time since Obama took office, according to CNN. Romney said his economic plan would create “12 million jobs in four years.” Economists believe the economy will add that many jobs in four years regardless of who’s elected to the White House, according to National Journal. Both Obama and Romney said their tax plans would benefit the middle class and spur job creation; each argued his opponent’s plan would do the opposite. Toward the end of the debate, Obama brought up Romney’s controversial “47 percent” comments from May. “Think about who he was talking about,” Obama said. “Folks on Social Security who’ve worked all their lives. Veterans who’ve sacrificed for this country. Students who are out there trying to hopefully advance their own dreams, but also this country’s dreams. Soldiers who are overseas fighting for us right now. People who are working hard every day, paying payroll tax, gas taxes, but don’t make enough income.”

The candidates delved into foreign policy when the Sept. 11, 2012 attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya became a focus. Romney called the president’s entire policy in the Middle East into question because it took Obama two weeks to call it a terrorist attack. “It was a terrorist attack and it took a long time for that to be told to the American people,” Romney said. He also questioned: “How could we have not known?” Despite Romney’s accusation, Obama said he called it a terrorist attack right away. Crowley interrupted Romney to confirm Obama immediately referred to it as “acts of terror.” Patrick Jameson, a freshman computer science major, is often frustrated with the lack of opportunity viewers have to fact check during presidential debates. He was glad Crowley stepped in. Jameson considers himself liberal but is still an undecided voter. “I definitely think Romney won the first debate significantly; he’s definitely a stronger debater than Obama,” Jameson said. “Obama seems to be more reserved and doesn’t attack Romney as much as Romney attacks Obama.” Continued on page 7

Arts & Entertainment 10,11 Sports 14

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Opinion

Wednesday, October 16, 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 Ben Tarhan 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. 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.

October 17, 2012 Volume 62 Number 20 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

Bullied by Biden VP’s malicious debate performance overshadows win Joe Biden is President Obama’s pit bull, and someone needs to find him a muzzle. Last Thursday night pitted Big Joe Biden – the man who made the phrase “big f**king deal” famous and whose off-thecuff comments have prompted hundreds of Top 10 Gaffes lists – and Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan in the Vice Presidential Debate – a battle of wits, talking points and comebacks. What were those talking points again? The response to Thursday’s debate was pretty well split when the issues were pulled apart, but in almost every argument, the topic of conversation was not how the issues were presented and debated on but on Biden’s brilliant repertoire of reactions. Watching Joe’s face contort as Paul Ryan talked about vouchers and seeing him throw back his head in laughter to Ryan’s remarks about the attacks on the Benghazi consulate could have only been better joined by a bucket of popcorn. Attacks on our Libyan Embassy … what a laugh riot. Even when Biden made clear and concise points, his actions were too loud to hear them. More people were focused on his faces than facts. Biden knew his debate performance was crucial after President Obama’s failure to attack during his first debate. Like most people expected Obama to win over Romney, an equal majority thought Ryan would beat Biden.

Instead, Biden came out strong and hitt hard. He was the anti-Obama, looking like an experienced debater and speaking his mind in a way in which the president refused to. Ryan did all right for his first time on the national stage, but Biden showed up to make up some ground. Biden also knew what he was talking about and at times, Ryan was obviously overwhelmed. It was better than staying silent and staring at his shoes like the president did, but he overcompensated in an attempt to make up for his running mate. Paul Ryan is somebody who quite clearly wants to be president someday and performed accordingly – as a political golden boy, clean-cut and precise, trying to make up for a lifetime of fake press opportunities and cheesy P90X photo shoots. Biden – a man who after his nomination in 2008 said Hillary Clinton would make a better vice president than he would – also performed accordingly to his fiery, all-or-nothing, no-nonsense character. In doing so, he forgot part of politics is showmanship, and despite knowing what it is like to perform on the main stage, Biden came out looking like a bully who didn’t know how to carry himself properly. If you watched the debate, you probably thought Biden spent the week prior looking in the mirror practicing his “can you believe this guy” look. Romney and Biden were both aggressive in their respective debates. The difference was Romney came out cool and collected,

delivering zingers and shutting the president up; Biden had a comeback for every comment, but he was maliciously aggressive, coming off more and more condescending and patronizing with every laugh. But people were impressed by it. If you browsed Twitter during the debate, you would’ve found thousands of tweets talking about how badly Biden burned Ryan. But did he really? Was the quality of Biden’s discussion that much superior to Ryan’s where it was a clear Biden win? Or perhaps were we just distracted by a good show? The importance of politics lies in how good the rhetoric is – specifically how they conduct the debate rather than the details of it – and the Obama campaign is better at that than the Romney campaign. But we need to look past the smoke and mirrors and actually listen to what the candidates say rather than just how they say it. The VP Debate had no genuine importance other than to set the stage for this week’s Presidential Debate, but everyone left the Biden-Ryan showdown feeling like the score was even at 1-1. The only way the audience can collectively be entertained, it seems, is if the candidates up the ante every time, and if that’s the case, Obama and Romney better have a three-ring show prepared for the final debate. Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 1: Strife in the Heights If it’s many of the landlords’ fault and the district is out of UPD jurisdiction, what does the school have to do with the situation? Answer: UB constantly promoted University Heights as affordable off-campus living, quickly playing off students’ naivety and desperation. It doesn’t matter if there are other neighborhoods in the city where “affordable housing” isn’t an oxymoron (e.g. Allentown); the Heights are right within walking distance of South Campus. But at night, you might want to run. Or take one of the many UB buses that carts students between campuses. The school wishes students the best of luck as soon as they step onto the pavement. These students aren’t asking for marble sinks and high ceilings; they’re just looking to lie in bed without getting chewed apart by bugs or to be able to trust leaving their homes without something sparking a fire. They want to be able to walk down Winspear without fear of ending up in the hospital or in the morgue. This is not an impossible cause. Henry Taylor, professor of the Center of Urban Studies at UB, helped The Ohio State University work with the city of Columbus and private developers to transform and renovate unacceptable neighborhoods around the campus into livable areas. Not only that – Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law partnered with the Office of Student Affairs to provide free advice and legal representation for students having tenant-landlord issues. God knows UB wants to be comparable to universities like Ohio State. But it has to care more

about making its students safe than the label of being the private school of former President John B. Simpson’s dreams. We have built up enough resources and influence to do something about it, and we’ve proved we have the money with every dollar that goes downtown or into UB2020. All the academic and athletic prowess in the world will not and cannot cover up homeless or bloodied students. If there was a neighborhood in Amherst near North Campus where this was happening, every bell at UB would be going off. Lucky for North Campus, though, Amherst Police are incredibly efficient, and UB Police effectively patrols the area. But the Heights is the grey area nobody really wants to deal with, and UB seems to keep forgetting that South Campus is a part of the university, too. North Campus, after all, was a second thought, built in the 1970s to try and save UB’s reputation amidst crime and riots. Since then, the Amherst campus has been sitting in a bubble, failing to build up Buffalo like the school was supposed to. Once again, South gets thrown to the back burner as the school works to build up the new Downtown Campus – theoretically a good idea for expansion and reputation, but the problem? Students still live on South Campus and are being forgotten about in times of trouble. For every promise made that something will be done, we just keep asking: when? The university is trying to pull the wool over our eyes and continue to promise us the benefits are coming. Nobody is fooling us – we’re here now,

we’re getting nothing in return and we’re well aware they’re trying to tiptoe around us. If UB wants to continue promoting the Heights as an offcampus option, it has to be willing to take some form of action. Make sure students looking to lease there know what they’re getting into. Provide a listing of acceptable housing and promote the right landlords. Use our resources to strike a better a better deal between BPD and UPD, or at least keep your promises when you say something will happen. But just do something. Anything. There is hope for the Heights, but currently, it is an utter embarrassment to the City of Buffalo and to our school. It has quickly become the forgotten child, the straggler. And because of its condition and our university’s affiliation with it, UB looks pathetic, forgetting that the students who live there may not pay for the school’s housing but they certainly fund everything else it wants to do whether agreed upon or not. Ten years from now, imagine the wasteland it will become if nobody continues to do anything. The university is one big story away from an unavoidable mess. Where does the line get drawn, UB? If the conditions are so severe that the school warns its incoming freshmen at orientation to avoid South Campus if they can help it, who has to die to make a difference? Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Don’t start and you won’t get ELVA AGUILAR Senior Arts Editor Most viral web videos work as great conversation starters – just not in terms of social issues or questionable morals. They’re supposed to be lighthearted, sometimes unbelievable moments the world can share and react to via Facebook, Twitter, email and Tosh.0. However, a video surfaced on the Internet last week of a Cleveland, Ohio bus driver named Artis Hughes, 59, hitting 25-year-old Shi’dea Lane after she antagonized him while he drove his bus route. According to the police report filed by Hughes, Lane boarded the bus on Sept. 25 without paying her fare by claiming she left her book bag on the bus. Hughes then continued on with his route but told Lane to pay her fare, which led to her becoming belligerent and repeatedly cursing, threatening to hurt Hughes and spit on him. The video captures part of the verbal argument between Hughes and Lane that quickly escalated after Hughes made a comment about Lane’s face. She proceeded to shove and hit him while he was driving his bus and that led to the uppercut heard ’round the web. The general consensus on the incident was laughter, initially. I saw the link posted by at least a dozen of my Facebook friends comparing Hughes to legendary boxer Mike Tyson for his uppercut, which knocked Lane off her feet. Others posted the video more appalled by Lane’s actions than Hughes’. I’d like to make it clear that I do not condone violence, but I’m well aware of the world we live in. I was brought up to never tolerate being bullied, and if you watch the video of Lane and Hughes on that bus, it is clear Lane was the catalyst in the violent altercation. Lane is very similar to a lot of women I know, unfortunately – women who feel they can milk chivalry and think because they are women, they are immune to being hit by men, even if they hit the men first. These are the same women who want to shatter the idea of the “weak woman” by acting aggressively, but then they pull the damsel-in-distress card when their actions are responded to, just like Hughes reacted to Lane. Hughes should never have hit Lane the way he did; he overreacted. But what he did does not erase the fact that Lane could’ve prevented all of this. Lane should never have boarded a bus without intentions to pay and then have the nerve to argue with a man for doing his job when she was clearly wrong. It’s also inexcusable for Lane to threaten a man for saying she should pay for his service and then antagonize him to the point where she put her hands on him. Neither the tape nor the police report specify how many people were on the bus that day. But a bus accident – one that could have happened when Lane shoved Hughes while he drove – that could have hurt all of those innocent people is far worse than one woman ultimately getting what she asked for. This video should not be an example of a man hitting a woman but of one person writing a check she couldn’t cash and a man who overreacted. Women like Lane need to stop resting on their reproductive organs as an excuse to act ignorantly, and instead we need to work on how we can be better examples to our daughters, sisters and peers. We need to know when to take a loss like grown women and not act like children, so we won’t get treated as such. As for Hughes, who is currently suspended by the RTA, anger management or mental evaluation might be in order. But it’s ridiculous to strip this man of a job he has worked 22 years to keep because of a woman who was overly defensive. If anything, this is a lesson proving people who live like they’re invincible inevitably fall. Email: elva.aguilar@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

10/11 10/11 3:07 p.m. – A faculty member reported a racial slur written on the dry erase board on his office door in Baldy Hall.

4:50 p.m. – A parking staff member requested police assistance with an unwelcome guest on Putnam Way in front of The Commons. Patrols assisted; the individual left the area without incident.

10/13

10/12 1:37 p.m. – A victim’s car was damaged while parked in Beane Lot between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 11. The hood was dented.

All reports according to the University Police

10/10 12:27 a.m. – An adviser reported an odor of natural gas on the terrace level of Wilkeson Quadrangle Bldg. 5. Patrol was unable to locate a source.

10:47 a.m. – A victim reported his wallet was stolen from his room in Porter Quadrangle between 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. He and his roommate were sleeping when the incident occurred. The door was unlocked. Ninety-five dollars in cash was also stolen. Patrol reported property was stolen from a third victim, too.

11:53 a.m. – A student reported her roommate became belligerent at 3:00 a.m. while in their room. The roommate threw some small objects at her, striking her face.

7:34 p.m. – A student in Spaulding Quadrangle reported her ex-boyfriend, a student, continuously harassed her via texts and email.

1:51 p.m. – A complainant reported a suspicious dark blue or grey backpack outside of Richmond Quadrangle on the terrace level near the fitness center. The complainant saw it there approximately 20 minutes prior to her call. Patrols checked the area and found the bag was filled with construction materials. 7 p.m. – A Clark Hall supervisor reported a male acting disrespectful. He did not show ID when he walked down to the basement of Clark Hall. Patrols located the suspect and informed him to bring his ID next time.

12:51 a.m. – Patrol identified two students, Andrew Nenno and Christopher Coulter, in Governors E Parking Lot and petitioned both to the Student-Wide Judiciary for possession of marijuana. Patrol confiscated the paraphernalia. 12:53 a.m. – A Hadley Village community adviser reported an intoxicated student who needed to be evaluated. Patrol identified the student and requested an ambulance. The subject was transported to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital and issued SWJ paperwork. 1:24 a.m. – Patrol identified two students, Lauren Greth and William Macaluso, on Hadley and Augspurger

Roads and requested a camera to document property damage. Both were petitioned to SWJ for defacing the sidewalk. Photos were taken with a UPD camera. 2:14 a.m. – Patrol reported a highly intoxicated male subject while on patrol in Goodyear Hall. Residents could not identify the subject and said they found him on Main Street. The subject was taken to ECMC. 10:58 p.m. – A resident adviser reported 15 underage students in Richmond Quadrangle were drinking and being uncooperative. Patrol identified a student and turned the issue over to housing. Patrol warned the student.

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News

Wednesday, October 16, 2012 ubspectrum.com

UB embarks on research program with Zimbabwe SAM FERNANDO Staff Writer UB is breaking outside of Western New York’s borders. Its next destination: Zimbabwe. UB is teaming up with two universities in Zimbabwe to create an international research program. UB’s Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics and the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences have signed on to create the Zimbabwe International Nanotechnology Center (ZINC). The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) will research ways to prevent diseases that plague the country and Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT) will research energy. The program will launch in March 2013. ZINC will further research in nanotechnology, as well as help students in Zimbabwe. “One of our main missions is to educate and train the students in an underdeveloped country, like Zimbabwe, that really needs our help,” said Paras Prasad, a director of ZINC. “I consider the African continent with its vast resources as an emerging frontier. We need to help them build an infrastructure in education from the undergraduate level to graduate level.” The directors of the program are: Prasad, a distinguished professor in chemistry, physics, electrical engineering and medicine and the executive director of the Institute of Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics; Gene Morse, a UB pharmacy professor and the associate director of the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (COE); and Alexander Cartwright, the UB vice president of research and economic development and the executive director of COE. ZINC will establish a long-term international research and training platform in the field of nanotechnology – a faction of science that studies how things behave on a molecular level. “It is focused in areas that promote Zimbabwe’s strength and advance the development of nanotechnology as an avenue for Zimbabwe’s commercial growth,” Morse said.

Alex Frazier///The Spectrum

Paras Prasad, left, is part of a new international research program rooted in Zimbabwe. He sits with student Debbie Miller while doing his research.

The initiative at UZ will deal mostly with nanomedicine – the application of nanotechnology to prevent and/or treat disease. The research at CUT will mainly focus on nanotech applications in harvesting and storing solar energy. Morse and Prasad will be co-directing the nanomedicine initiative at UZ and Cartwright will direct the energy research at CUT. Prasad believes showing the community in Zimbabwe the “tangible difference” ZINC can make is enough to inspire students to pursue a career in the field of nanotechnology. “I envision [myself] giving nanotechnology lectures to high school students to inspire them and teach them that these are new directions with high societal impact,” Prasad said. “That inspiration is a key part of education.” In addition to creating a nanotechnology hub in the middle of Africa, UB will gain a lot from the ZINC program, according to the programs’ directors.

With the help of an international program, Morse hopes to form unique partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms. This will enhance the likelihood of economic success through “efficient, innovative research.” Cartwright, who has years of research experience at UB, is happy to see UB’s research prowess in nanotechnology on display internationally.

“In addition to my own research interests, this program builds on UB’s strengths in nanomaterials and showcases UB’s research on a global scale,” Cartwright said. “This will be a great opportunity for UB students to participate in a bidirectional international research and education program.” Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s president, views nanotechnology as a national priority, with the support from the government, Prasad said. Morse and Prasad see ZINC as a unique opportunity to use the research at UZ to help find a way to fight prevalent diseases, like tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and even cancer. “It’s a great recognition that [Zimbabwe] chose UB to be their partner,” Prasad said. “We have a lot to offer to them from education to our long track record with international education. We place a strong emphasis in building bridges with international communities.” Prasad is proud Zimbabwe sees UB as a viable teacher to train and educate researchers. He stresses the importance of UB’s role in ZINC to educate and train; once researchers are trained in the field of nanotechnology, ZINC will be able to become a self-sustaining research facility and continue to train future nanotechnologists independently. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Too little, too late? Tenant rights meeting presented by Sub-Board Inc. legal

Election Cheat Sheet: Health care In the weeks leading up to the election, The Spectrum will be providing facts about the Democratic and Republican candidates’ platforms so students can make an informed decision in the voting booth on Nov. 6. Today we will present both President Barack Obama’s and Governor Mitt Romney’s stances on health care. President Barack Obama During his time in office, Obama has made health care reform a key issue. Obama has dedicated much of his presidency to providing insurance coverage to minorities who cannot afford insurance and attempting to cut costs for senior citizens. He has successfully reduced the prices seniors pay for prescriptions and has pushed making preventative care – such as visiting primary doctors – more affordable so that more people can take advantage of it. Obama opposes a voucher system, which he says will put seniors at the mercy of insurance companies. Obama’s controversial Obamacare package includes a board of experts, which will identify the best practices and ideally keep costs down. His intention is it will prevent insurance companies from “jerk[ing] you around.” One of his major goals is to

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include everyone who wants insurance in a national insurance pool. He also wants to ban insurance companies from discriminating against the sick. Although in recent weeks Romney has closed the overall poll gap on Obama, Obama still leads the polls by eight points on health care and nine points on Medicare. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney Romney disagrees with Obamacare. Romney believes Obamacare is too expensive and that it has killed jobs. If elected, Romney will issue an executive order to give all 50 states Obamacare waivers and then work to repeal the full legislation. Romney wants to return health care to the states, as stipulated by the 10th amendment. He wants the states to be in charge of coming up with health care solutions that work best for the citizens of their state. The federal government will help by creating a level playing field for fair competition. Romney wants to empower the people to make their own choices about buying individual healthcare and allow individuals to buy insurance across state lines. Romney also wants to promote a free market. He believes it will increase competition, which will in turn increase efficiency and effectiveness, and it will offer consumers a higher quality product at a lower cost. Part of this plan will be preventing discrimination against individuals with pre-existing conditions with continuous coverage. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

ERIN ELLIS Staff Writer Although it was unclear what prompted the “Tenant Rights” meeting Monday, Attorney Francis C. Amendola said there has been an increase in complaints from UB students about their landlords. “I was just reading an article in The Spectrum about the bed bug thing and it doesn't sound like a great situation,” said Megan Furrer, assistant director of Sub-Board Inc. Legal. She was referring to the recent events that unfolded over the last few weeks during the University Heights housing blitzes. SBI Legal, a free legal service provided to all UB students, presented a question and answer session for students living off campus about their rights as tenants. Amendola - an SBI Legal attorney - provides free council for students involved in legal disputes. He spoke to those who attended about what to do before signing a lease, when and when not to pay rent, what to do if roommates fail to pay their bills and how to receive a security deposit refund. Three people attended: one student tenant, who did not wish to release her name; Chris Bragdon, an international student adviser; and a pre-law student. Amendola said students frequently ask him to read their signed leases and help them understand. He said many do not realize leases are legally binding contracts; any changes to the lease agreement must be put in writing. He advised those at the meeting to take a few precautions before signing the lease, like documenting problems by taking pictures or having an eyewitness verify damages. A landlord has 30 days to return a security deposit as long as the apartment is in the same condition as it was initially, minus normal wear and tear.

“Just because a landlord says they will take care of this or that after you move in, if you don’t get those statements added to your lease, whatever the landlord says is not admissible in a legal dispute,” Amendola said. Amendola referred to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s “Tenants Rights Guide,” to show attendees when tenants do not have to pay rent. According to the section Warranty of Habitability, if a landlord does not provide heat or hot water on a regular basis or fails to rid an apartment of an insect infestation, tenants do not have to pay rent until the problem is fixed. Additionally, landlords of multiple dwellings in New York State are mandated by law to “maintain electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating and ventilating systems and appliances landlords install, such as refrigerators and stoves, in good and safe working order,” under the section of Cuomo’s guide labeled “Landlords’ Duty of Repair.” One of the main concerns students have when they seek Amendola’s help is their roommate stopped paying rent. In this case, Amendola advises the concerned student to sue for right of contribution. Bragdon voiced concerns about the number of international students coming to his office with complaints against their landlords. The student tenant who attended wanted help in resolving an issue with the return of her security deposit by a landlord who lived out of the country. The legal student attended the meeting as a class requirement. Amendola hopes the next meeting, which has yet to be scheduled will include more students – not just those involved with student organizations, but anyone living off campus so they can learn how to advocate for themselves. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

UB starts new sophomore internship program LISA EPSTEIN Asst. News Editor

Bob Orrange, associate director of Career Services and head of SHIP, started the program and said it is intentionally open to all majors. SHIP is for sophomores who want to do an internship in a not-for-profit area in Western New York, according to Orrange . “One of the most interesting things about it [is] there’s a leadership component,” Orrange said. “So students who are in the program would be working with, say the director of the non-profit agency or leadership in the non-profit agency, and have an exposure to what it’s like to run one of these types of organizations.”

2 1 34 The Career Services office is starting a new program that offers internship experience to sophomores at UB. The Sophomore Internship Program (SHIP) held a meeting in the Career Services office Tuesday. The program, in its first year of existence, helps sophomores gain experience in an off campus internship setting regardless of their major. Currently, there are no sophomores registered in the program.

Continued on page 7

Zodiaque UB Theatre & Dance presents

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Countdown to Celebration 40

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 9: Six-pack of beer vs. six-pack abs

Continued from page 9: Where to meet people and where to avoid people

Exercise prevents high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Some of you may be thinking, “I’d rather eat cheerios to lower my cholesterol; I’m skinny, anyway.” That doesn’t matter, though – you can be a size 0 and still be unhealthy. You may not care now, but when you’re 50 years old and you’re constantly in need of blood tests and taking medication because your cholesterol is too high, you’ll be wishing you took this advice. Eating unhealthy food can lead to obesity. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated three out of every five Americans weigh more than they should. Overweight people are at increased risk for all of the diseases listed above, as well as: type II diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, arthritis, respiratory problems and cancer. Exercise boosts energy. Physical activity improves endurance and muscle strength. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your heart and lungs, which helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently, according to mayoclinic.com.

Exercise promotes better sleep. Many of us college students find ourselves exhausted during the day and incapable of falling asleep at night. Exercising early during the day gives us the strength to complete all of our tasks with energy and helps deepen our sleep at night. Saying goodbye to the melatonin and hello to the elliptical can do wonders in your life. Participating in regular physical activity and eating less junk food enhance sexual arousal for women and lessen the chance of erectile dysfunction for men. In addition to feeling better emotionally about your body during sex, due to exercise, the intimacy can actually feel better physically. Exercising helps reduce stress and relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to exercise.about. com. There you have it, ladies and gents. There are 16 reasons to exercise and eat healthy listed in this column. I hope one of them jumps out at you and serves as your wakeup call to pick up the slack and start focusing on your health. Email: keren.baruch@ubspectrum.com

line for the unisex bathrooms but not your future girlfriend. Here’s a tip on how to realize when you’re in a douche-y bar. Take a quick survey of the room. If 50 percent of the guys have blowouts or if 50 percent of the girls have more skin showing then not, if you’re in a douche-y bar. I’d get out of there. Good Idea: parties Fraternity parties sometimes get a bad reputation as seedy places in dank, crowded basements, filled with drunk underage kids. That’s basically true. But think about it this way: you’re in that shady basement, so there’s a chance that there’s someone in that same room with similar interests and intentions. You might need to talk to a few toads – and by toads I mean obnoxiously drunk girls and boys who will end up with their head in the toilet by the end of the night – but eventually, you’ll find someone who actually piques your interest.

Continued from page 6: UB starts new sophomore internship program SHIP aims to give hands-on work experience and counts as a threecredit class. Students must go through an application process to be accepted into the program and also need to be approved by the agency they apply to. Currently, there are 11 companies involved in SHIP, and the number changes often based on each agency’s needs. Applicants must be full-time students, have a minimum of 30 credit hours completed, and at least a 3.0 GPA. Orrange said the internships run over a 12-week period and for credit, students must complete 120 hours with their agencies but are graded based on a once a week journal, a midsemester paper and a final paper. Orrange stressed that this program is specifically for sophomores who want experience in a wide range of agencies.

“The sophomore internship program is relatively new to career services, so we’re really trying to get the word out to students,” Orrange said. The program is part of the Life and Learning Workshop series run within Student Affairs. These workshops aim to help students achieve success in the classroom and beyond. Viktor Sukhotskiy, a sophomore electrical engineering major, attended the event to see if SHIP was something he could do specific to his major. “[The meeting] was definitely helpful because I’m very new to the whole internship thing, so I needed to get information what’s more general and what’s more specific to my major,” Sukhotskiy said. “I asked today whether this was more specific or more general, because I’m looking for something maybe not as technical or specific.” Kristi Fields, an internship and alumni relations associate in the Ca-

reer Services office, works with UB alumni to help current students network with people in their majors. “My main focus is to engage alumni out in the community to open up internship opportunities within their community,” Fields said. “With having that internship tie to the SHIP program, Bob and I decided to work closely together on it, so we could encourage students to apply as well.” Fields has held networking events with UB alums to offer networking with students across different fields. She hopes to see students accepted to the new program by next semester. “We haven’t had anyone placed yet at an agency, but we had today’s workshop,” Fields said. “Now we’re starting to market it to students, so hopefully over the next semester, we’ll see those students start applying.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Good Idea: coffee shops What I learned this summer from studying at Starbucks: cute guys love coffee. It’s easy to see if you and the cute guy sitting at the table next to you have things in common – all you have to do is check out what books he’s reading. On the flip side, it can also hint you have absolutely nothing in common. If you’re a Jane Austen kind of girl and the dude you’re checking out is reading Dune, you might have severely different interests. One thing to keep in mind, no matter where you’re trying to find someone, it all depends on the actual person you meet. Keep your mind open to possibilities; you never know who will cross your path. Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Contiued from page 1: Obama, Romney bring heat to domestic policy discussion One of the most intense arguments was over fossil-fuel production and gasoline prices. Romney said domestic energy production has decreased during Obama’s tenure. “If the president’s energy policies are working, you’re going to see the cost of energy come down,” Romney said, suggesting Obama is not appropriately utilizing domestic oil since gas prices would not be decreasing. Obama said he did take away oil-drilling leases on public land but only ones that weren’t being used; he is now relending them. Romney argued in 2009, gas prices in Nassau County – where the debate took place –

were $1.86 per gallon. Obama said the economy was on the verge of collapse then, and pointed out poor economies have lower gas prices, which National Journal confirmed as true. The candidates also hotly debated immigration, among other topics. While Romney started out the debate series strong, the nation seemed to be split by the end of the second debate. The final presidential debate will take place Oct. 22 in Boca Raton, Fla., focusing on foreign policy. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

SHOW YOUR UB COLORS

The Director and Staff of the Educational Opportunity Program at the State University of New York at Buffalo cordially invites you to attend the

Bad Idea: Internet I’m going to level with all of the guys who think randomly Facebook chatting a girl is a good idea – it’s not. Never have I heard of a girl who was anything but creeped out and annoyed when a strange man continually messaged her. Of course, that’s probably not true for everyone but, generally speaking, striking up a conversation on the Internet is as risky as going on ChatRoulette. There’s a chance you’re talking to the disturbing dude who flashes his dong to the world. And fair warning, the girl with the cute profile picture who you have no mutual friends with – you know the one who randomly started talking to you who seems like a catch? Don’t be fooled when she starts liking the same music as you and all of your pictures and “funny” statuses. Unless you know someone who can vouch for her sanity, she might end up believing the two of you are dating and then verbally harassing every other girl who likes your statuses.

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Wednesday, October 16, 2012 ubspectrum.com

Life

Read’s cultural connections

FELICIA HUNT Staff Writer The importance of culture, for some, is buried underneath their exterior. Some people keep their culture tucked behind their conscious and only express it on selective days on the calendar. Others, such as UB professor Justin Read, wear their culture on their sleeves and allow it to reign supreme in every element of their lives. Last Friday, Read discussed some of his research included in his current work as well as his other book, Modern Poetics and Hemispheric American Cultural Studies, at Hallwalls in downtown Buffalo as part of The Scholars at Hallwalls lecture series. Read is a Mexican-American associate professor in the department of romance languages and literatures whose definition of culture has stemmed from his Mexican heritage. His face breaks into a smile when he begins to speak about his culture and his definitions of the word. “For me, the smell of fresh tortilla is culture,” Read said. “It’s the simplest thing you can have but it smells like culture and just the thought of that smell makes me smell as if the tortillas were here right now. That smell shapes our existence, brings back memories and anchors how we live in the world. It provides you a sense of place in the world.” Read grew up in a bilingual home in Southern California and visited Mexico often. The cultural differences and enrichment he encountered in his life led him to consider teaching in areas of cultural studies. After obtaining his Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Michigan, Read said UB chose him. He had stayed in Buffalo briefly and was already familiar with the culture of The Queen City. His family consists of many educators and artists. Both sides of his family surrounded a young Read with art, books and music for as long as he can remember. With this upbringing, Read reminisces and thinks maybe he was born to immerse himself in cultural studies. While his family helped shape him, Read mentions Julio Ramos – his Latin American literature professor at University of California, Berkeley – as a huge inspiration. “[Ramos] did a lecture one day where he read a poem by Pablo Neruda next to a song

Reimon Bhuyan /// The Spectrum

Justin Read, a Mexican-American associate professor in the department of romance languages and literatures, discusses some of the research included in his current work at Hallwalls in downtown Buffalo as part of The Scholars at Hallwalls lecture series.

by Lou Reed, and it fully altered my consciousness,” Read said. “Julio is pound for pound the smartest human being I’ve ever met.” Read is currently on a leave of absence for a fellowship from UB’s Humanities Institute. The institute links different departments in humanities, funds research groups and provides scholarships and fellowships. “I was fortunate to get this fellowship and it allowed me a break from teaching so I can just concentrate on my research,” Read said. “I’ve been working on this research for almost 10 years and I need to finish this book.” Read is currently working on a new book, that is yet to be titled, about several sites in Mexico City. He is looking at several architectural models in the city and connecting how those landmarks make sense to the people and environment and how they relate to the city’s culture. Making connections is one of Read’s largest strengths. He makes intricate connections through his teaching, literary works and even outside of the university.

Last year, Read worked with Colleen Culleton – another associate professor in his department – on the Fluid Culture lecture series. The lecture aimed to make connections with water and how waterways in the city of Buffalo shaped the culture. During the lecture, local art was showcased while environmental scholars took turns speaking. “In his work on Fluid Culture, [Read] showed great dedication to the Buffalo Community and to UB’s role as a public institution,” Culleton said. “He is an advocate for both the arts and the humanities in and out of what we think of as the traditional bounds of intellectual life.” Professor David Castillo, chairman of the romance language department, can also vouch for Read’s passion for connecting cultures. According to Castillo, Professor Read embodies cultural studies through connections with institutes in Buffalo outside of UB. Castillo also commented on Read’s ability to carry out projects like Fluid Culture while being able to have an impact in the real world. Professor Read’s impact in the real world translates to his classes that he teaches at UB.

His application for tenure was met with positive responses with letters from students, according to Castillo. All of Read’s classes are taught in Spanish, which is standard for language courses. He attempts to connect with all of his students and help them all succeed in his courses. “I like to set a high benchmark for my students but by engaging them and helping them meet that goal,” Read said. “Communication is a key component especially in a second or third language and I’m here to communicate with my students.” Past students have commended Read on his teaching skills and his ability to relate culture to all aspects of Latin American cities – no topic is off limits. Senior Spanish and biomedical studies major, Karina Vattana, has taken classes taught by Read. She commends Read for touching on themes in class that the typical Spanish professor might not think to discuss in class, such as the drug trades and street gangs of Latin American countries such as El Salvador and Brazil. “A good professor takes risks in what he teaches and doesn’t shy away from ‘ugly’ or ‘taboo’ topics,” Vattana said. “Those topics of discussion and lectures are lectures that I’ve never forgotten, because they taught me more about the world than a book ever could.” Vattana is currently studying abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica due to Read’s influence and said she would definitely take another class with him if given the opportunity. While Read’s Mexican heritage aided him in pursuing a career in Latin American cultural studies, he still acknowledges other forms of culture. He states culture can be as simple as looking at the Mona Lisa, but he considers it much more than that. “At a certain point in life, you have to expand what your notion of culture is,” Read said. “Culture is the symbolic universe that we live in like hard tangible objects but it’s also a world of symbols and meanings around us. From Shakespeare figuring out the world around him to poor people in Rio who are cultured also trying to make sense of the universe around them, both figured out their place in their environments.” Email: life@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Stars of their craft CALEB LAYTON Staff Writer There were over a dozen students in Knox 14 on Saturday, Oct. 6, but all was silent aside from the hum of clicking mouses and keyboards. None of the students so much as glanced away from their computers. All attention was focused on the game: StarCraft II. StarCraft II is a two-player, real-time computer strategy game, in which a player wages war with an opponent. The competitors set up bases, search for resources and fight battles with the goal of being the last player standing. UB’s StarCraft team, which is entering its second year of competitive play, is looking to have an impact beyond the game. The club held a charity event, with all proceeds going to the Southtowns Family Justice Center – a local organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence. The function coincided with domestic awareness month, and it was held in honor of UB alum Aasiya Zubair, who died from domestic violence in 2009. Participants donated $5 and had the opportunity to play the computer game alongside the StarCraft team. Founding member and club President Michael Hassan, a senior computer science major, organized the event. “The club is really a bunch of guys wanting to get together and play StarCraft,” Hassan said. “I thought: ‘Hey, I'll make it mean something.’” Hassan and a few friends formed the StarCraft club in the fall of 2011. They wanted to meet fellow StarCraft enthusiasts and play competitively against other schools in the Collegiate Star League (CSL), an international StarCraft organization that holds StarCraft tournaments. The club has added more than 30 members since its creation. “At first, I thought it would just be me and a couple friends playing together,” Hassan said. “But I kept putting fliers up and people kept emailing me wanting to play and join the club.” The StarCraft phenomenon began in 1998 with the release of StarCraft: Brood War by Blizzard Entertainment. Fans know professional players by name and stream live professional matches. Official listings rank the world’s best players every month. This year, the North American Star League held a tournament in which the prize pool totaled over $100,000.

Courtesy of Starcraft

StarCraft players – who call themselves “nerd ballers” – say the game’s emphasis on management and tactics, instead of speed of play, are what sets it apart from other games. The club started off strong, winning its first six matches in the CSL. In its first season, the team finished 11-5 and made the playoffs for the North American region, though it lost in the first round. Wen Luo, the StarCraft club treasurer and a junior business administration major, said the team is above average but it is a level below the best. The team starts its second season in November and hopes to see improvement this year, though the players mix hope with tempered realism, according to Hassan. Poor attendance has caused the club to reduce its meetings to once a month, though members can still play against each other online whenever they want. According to Hassan, StarCraft players must learn to balance school, social life and work – a challenge which has caused some players to drop from the club. “We lost some people this year,” Hassan said. “They got too tied up with school or got a girlfriend and didn’t have time to play anymore.” Despite the obstacles, Hassan is looking to expand. He’s focused on improving the team’s competitiveness and ensuring its survival after he leaves UB at the end of this year. He plans on setting up another charity event next semester and encourages anyone interested in StarCraft to join the club. “Anyone who wants to play is welcome,” Hassan said. “Just come to our events. I have to graduate sometime and I think about what standard I want to leave. I’d like for UB StarCraft to keep going.” Email: features@ubspectrum.com

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Six-pack of beer vs. six-pack abs

Where to meet people and where to avoid people

KEREN BARUCH Life Editor

FELICIA O. Special to The Spectrum

Ten things that may motivate you to work out and eat healthy:

So you’re looking to meet someone in Buffalo and don’t know where to start. It’s not that surprising; UB’s a big place, and Buffalo’s an even bigger city. Whether you’re looking for a significant other, someone to date or just someone to share a night (or two if they’re lucky) with, it can be overwhelming to jump in head first. Fear not, there are good places to meet people in Buffalo. Unfortunately, there are also horrible places to meet people. Bad Idea: anywhere you go to get drunk food There are so many reasons why you should never, ever, attempt to instigate a conversation with someone you might want to take home at a drunk food place. For one, you’re probably obliterated; the person you’re talking to most likely isn’t in great mental shape either. Ever hear the expression, “if she’s a two at 10, she’ll be a 10 at two?” You’ll find out just how true it is if you snag a girl at Uhots. Yeah, chicken finger garbage plates are great and you might connect with someone over your shared love for them at 3 a.m., but don’t expect to keep that connection in the morning. Good Idea: in class If there’s a cutie in your class you keep eyeing (and hopefully she’s eyeing you back), take a chance, go up and introduce yourself. Suggest you become study partners, ask for help on an assignment or, if you’re a real smart guy, offer to tutor her. Even if the two of you don’t end up clicking on a romantic (or sexual) level, that doesn’t mean you can’t be friends. At the very least, you just found yourself a study partner. Bad Idea: douche-y bars This isn’t about all bars. Some bars are actually great places to meet people who are actually interested in what you have to say (as much as they are interested in seeing you naked). That being said, there are bars around Buffalo that you have a .05 percent chance of meeting someone who you’ll have romantic feelings for. I don’t think this needs to be said, but Mojos and Northside are strictly places for getting your groove on. The Steer, after the new renovation, is basically just the 21-plus Northside. You might meet your next paramour in

1. You’re sick of not being able to see the numbers on the scale over your stomach 2. You realize “it’s the personality that counts” is the biggest lie in America 3. You can’t afford to buy another – and bigger – pair of jeans 4. Or underwear 5. The gym won’t let you cancel your membership 6. The muffin top is more evident when you look in the mirror than when you walk into a bakery 7. Bathing suit season is over and the snow is on its way, but crop tops are in style year round 8. The 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. staff at Uhots knows your order by heart 9. So does the Just Pizza staff 10. Halloween is just around the corner and you’re planning on wearing, well, nothing After gaining the inevitable 15 pounds freshman year, students hope to shed weight over the summer. Sophomore year, though, many students prepare for their first semester off campus, away from dorm food and home-cooked meals. Ramen Noodles, Zetti’s pizza, McDonald’s drive through and chips become go-to meals. Some students grow out of the “what’s a gym?” mentality. Others do not. According to livestrong.com, teens that live and go to school within a short distance of a fast food restaurant are more likely to be obese than those that are farther away. For some, the epiphany strikes and these students realize they’re ready to trade their six-packs of beer for the six-pack hiding underneath their flab. The 10 reasons listed above may cause some to chuck the Doritos, get off the couch and exercise. But the desire to fit into a size 0 for the sake of a Halloween costume diminishes when a piece of cookie cake is brought into the picture. Below is information that I hope changes your mind about exercise and healthy eating – permanently. Six things that should motivate you to work out and eat healthy Continued on page 7

Continued on page 7

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Arts & Entertainment

Mixtape Monthly DUANE OWENS, BRIAN JOSEPHS and ELVA AGUILAR Asst. Arts Editor, Senior Managing Editor and Senior Arts Editor

Smoke DZA – K.O.N.Y. Meek Mill’s long-awaited debut, Dreams and Nightmares, and lyrical heavyweight Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city are both due out later this month. G.O.O.D. Music’s “Clique” is thriving, and PSY’s Gangnam Style is No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Charts. Smoke DZA’s hazed-out style of rap isn’t exactly on the top of listeners’ minds these days. However, it doesn’t sound like the Harlem rapper is even remotely concerned about falling from relevance in K.O.N.Y. The mixtape still follows the same formula as the “weed rap” genre he’s so often associated with: strong production accompanied by a series of one-liners and shallow lyricism. The interesting thing about this release, though, is that it succeeds when it when it falls on its tropes but stumbles when it tries aggression or anything more visceral. K.O.N.Y. is at its best when it carries a sense of nihilism and narcissism. Smoke DZA allows the impressive psychedelic production (provided by the likes of Harry Fraud and J Dilla) to surround him, and the

Courtesy of Smoke DZA

listener can picture him snarling as he spouts some ridiculously unflattering lyricism – on “Diamonds” he’s advocating promiscuity and weed, unsurprisingly. It should all be repulsing, but it’s easier to get pulled in, as DZA gets increasingly grimier. “Butta Rice” and “JFK” are instant replayables, and that’s not just because of the arresting instrumentals. The collaborative artists are pretty much on point as well. While Joey Bada$$’s verse is average at best, artists like A$AP Twelvy and King Chip more than pick up the slack. Big K.R.I.T.’s popularity slumped since he released his debut album this

Wiz Khalifa – Cabin Fever 2

Courtesy of Wiz Khalifa

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“Yeah I’m from the hood/Yeah I’m from the floor/Holes in the roof, hardly had a door,” Gunplay raps. Maybe it’s Ross’ inability to turn Gunplay into something special, but nothing has surpassed Gunplay’s impressive feature on Kendrick Lamar’s “Cartoons & Cereal.” Everything came as expected for Ross, which is a good thing. He absolutely snapped over 2 Chainz and Kanye West’s track, “Birthday.” “Time to get the money Steve Forbes got/I’m slowly climbing up, delete your spot/Net worth n***a, h**s love to Google me,” Ross raps. That song alone will have you ready to flip glass tables and throw diamonds into the crowd. If you have subwoofers in your car, we highly recommend playing this song as ride up music for anywhere you go. The rest of the tape is quality. At first, the tape might be a little misleading, as people thought The Black Bar Mitzvah was the highly anticipated Rick Ross/Drake collaboration because of Drake’s religious affiliations. And even though that’s not what it turned out to be, it still is a mixtape you can listen to all the way through.

Another ode to marijuana and alcohol is accompanied by a hook similar to “Black and Yellow,” a song that catapulted Khalifa to the top of the rap charts, but the catchy hook isn’t enough to make up for the tired topics. “So high I can’t hear nobody/I can’t even feel my body/Gon’ need a paramedic probably/She off that cookie and a molly,” Khalifa raps. It’s hard to tell whether rap techniques have become predictable or if this mixtape shows laziness. “Stu,” featuring Juicy J, who is featured on this mixtape four times, takes cues from rap

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hit “Rack City” by California rapper Tyga – both in sound and in melody. “100 Bottles” and “Tweak Is Heavy” are other songs that fit Khalifa’s style of music, but by the time listeners approach these songs, they’ll either be elated the mixtape is over or so bored they won’t be impressed. Not all is lost on this mixtape, however, the salvation lies in the closing track, “Nothing Like The Rest,” which features Fall Fest opener French Montana, who seems to be a lucky charm in many rap songs recently. Continued on page 11

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Earlier this month, Rick Ross dropped yet another mixtape that went platinum in downloads and listens. With God Forgives, I Don’t gaining certified gold status in September, the “Bawse” shows no signs of letting up and even takes this opportunity to put other MMG artists on. This mixtape features lavish lyrics over the most popular songs of 2012 and features from Rockie Fresh, Gunplay, 2 Chainz, Drake and more. Oddly enough, however, as rich as Ross is, his verses come across as filler lines when he hops on tracks. New MMG artist Rockie Fresh is virtually unknown, so the promotion he gained from this mixtape was necessary. Although Rockie has built a buzz for himself in Chicago, ever since he signed to MMG, nothing he has done has really caught a strong buzz. His verse over “Mercy” seemed rushed, the line “she wanna kick it like it’s 4th and 10” is becoming repetitive in his raps and his verse over “Clique” was lackluster. “Now it’s the double M dream team doing somethin’ special/About to kill this s*** so get the casket and the shovel/New Olympic 7s, I need rings and a medal/And I’m not from Trillville but tell ’em get up on my level,” Rockie raps. With this tape dropping before Gunplay’s possible life imprisonment, Ross made an attempt to get him some valuable time on the mixtape, but it still isn’t enough to move the listener.

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The majority of this mixtape falls into popular theme of heavy bass, sporadic hi-hat trill beats with a staccato delivery, music made most popular by artists like 2 Chainz and Juicy J. The beats are well produced and will catch the ear of any rap fan to the point where he or she break out into a slight head bop, but because the lyrics lack any depth, Cabin Fever 2 will end up as background music and lose steam soon. On “Smokin Drink,” featuring Compton rapper Problem, Wiz does what he does best – rap about his vices.

Wiz Khalifa has had a decent year in 2012. Between the announcement of a new album, Only N**** In First Class (O.N.I.F.C.), buying a home with his fiancée Amber Rose and the news that he is expecting a baby boy soon, you would assume Khalifa’s lyrics and music would flourish –hardcore Taylor Gang affiliates can rest easy, as the chronic-loving rapper hasn’t changed at all on his new mixtape, Cabin Fever 2.

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summer, but his hook on “K!NG” is fantastic. The best guest verse comes from Ab-Soul on “Diamonds,” the album’s standout. Ab-Soul’s better work has self-enlightening lyrics, which makes his tales of instant gratification all the more entertaining. “Dip it low/Heard it’s dippin’ dots between yo thighs,” Ab-Soul raps. “DZA got a scoop before/I'm trying to see what that be like.” K.O.N.Y. bottoms when DZA tries to provide an anthem; he ends up sounding clumsy instead of energetic. DZA doesn’t sound all that interesting in the album-opening eponymous track, and the Sonny Bono punch line in “Illest N***a in Nebraska” is just awful. Of course, misses are expected in side projects such as these. Hazedout albums such as K.O.N.Y. don’t usually have much longevity – especially at a time where there are such crucial releases in the horizon. But for the meantime, DZA’s work provides a nice distraction. On “Weed Raps,” DZA says: “I heard these n***as wanted weed raps/So here’s another weed rap.” By all means, keep them coming.

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Warning! This rabbit bites

Khalifa took a step away from illegal activity, and he raps arrogantly. Although the topics are materialistic, listeners can hear actual feeling in his delivery, even if it comes from a shallow place. “Ain’t the same as none of you n****s/If I was close to you I’d be ashamed of you/Get a hundred mills that’s what I came to do/I guess all this money look lame to you,” Khalifa raps. It’s disappointing that Khalifa won’t share his monumental year with his fans. However, because Cabin Fever 2 is a mixtape, it can also be assumed that Khalifa is holding all of his quality raps for his upcoming album, which drops in December. Jay-Z was commended for “New Day” on Watch The Throne, a song that outlined his expectations, fears and love for his unborn child – let’s hope Wiz takes a similar, genuine route and impresses those who felt Cabin Fever 2 fell flat.

MATT BENEVENTO Staff Writer Game: Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit Developer: Arkedo Studio Platform: PC/Xbox/PS3 Release: Sept. 25 Grade: C+ Rating: T A cute white rabbit yielding a jet pack buzz saw can only mean a few things: death, destruction and a healthy dose of humor. Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit is a side-scrolling, platforming adventure that puts you in the shoes of Ash, the prince of Hell. As a member of hellish royalty, players must jump, slice and blast their way through a sundry of goofy enemies. Ash has a secret: he loves his rubber ducky. Unfortunately for the young prince, his secret is out and all over the Hell-ternet. One hundred monsters have seen proof of this embarrassing secret and with an arsenal of weaponry and a bad attitude, it’s time for Ash to punish his tormentors. Hell Yeah employs classic side-scrolling elements you can find in most platformer games. Players will spend most of their time getting from point A to point B aided by a trusty buzz saw jet pack that allows Ash to hover in the air for a limited time. The jet pack also works as a melee weapon that automatically cuts through any enemies stupid enough to get in Ash’s way. Ash wields a fairly standard cache of weapons most gamers will find all too familiar. Hell Yeah’s gameplay quickly becomes tedious as players can hunt down all 100 monsters that saw the embarrassing photo. Most of the areas of the game only become accessible by killing each monster. Every door leading to the next area has a number that indicates how many monsters need to be punished to proceed. This makes the evolution of the game highly predictable and takes away any impression of mystery and exploration. Each level is littered by slanted terrain that makes moving around annoying at best. Ash slides off of any slop-

Continued from page 10: Wiz Khalifa – Cabin Fever 2

Courtesy of SEGA

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

ing ground, which acts as a cheap way to make platforming more difficult. Oddly enough, some of the best platforming segments of the game begin when Ash is temporarily stripped of his jet pack and weapons. Despite its insipid game play, Hell Yeah features some redeeming qualities in other areas, like the environments and humorous writing. The levels are beautifully textured with dazzling colors and distinct locations ranging from azureshaded techno worlds to tropical casino themes – Hell Yeah’s artwork steals the show. The game’s hilarious characters and monster descriptions also help ease the pain of the game play. One of the funniest elements of Hell Yeah is the weapons shop. Run by Mr. Rabbot, a robotic rabbit, you are encouraged to “waste your money here” on new weapons, upgrades and skins. The experience is rounded off nicely with fierce hip-hop beats, which make the game’s typical music sound boring. Hell Yeah uses quick time events to finish off oppressors, which range from hilarious to ridiculous. Quick time events vary from wacky scenarios like hatching a T-Rex from an egg that then decapitates your foe to launching a shark into space to activate a laser satellite accompanied by the music of Johann Strauss’ “Blue Danube.” Ash then pilots vehicles like spaceships and submarines that are scattered throughout the campaign. These seg-

ments help to break up the repetitiveness of the core game play, but they lack originality and often come across as a vintage arcade game from the ’80s. Vehicles like the submarine lack any proper weapon,s and the encounters with monsters devolve into overly simplistic puzzle solving and maze exploration. Hell Yeah sets a great tone with its engrossing artwork and wacky humor. Unfortunately, it fails to deliver in the most important aspect of a video game: the game play. At a reasonable price of $15, Hell Yeah provides enough laughs and entertainment to keep casual gamers and platform pros happy. Email: arts@ubspctrum.com

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Continued from page 1: Casual sex Fortunately for Dean, the third time was the charm. This semester, he started teaching Queer Theory. This time around, he designed it as a class intended to examine the theoretical and political critiques of identity and sexuality delving into gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) studies during the process. “I remember getting an email from professor Dean over the summer and I could tell right then that it was going to be an interesting class,” said Rachel Cala, a senior English major. “Just the way that he addressed us as a class … I knew it was going to be something else, and I was 100 percent correct.” Dean is very familiar with the topic because of the research and studies he has done over time. He believes the class is helpful to the college population partially because younger people have become more receptive to issues of sex and sexuality compared to older generations. “Young people are thinking about their sexuality, so why not talk about it in a way that introduces some of the ideas from the humanities about sexuality?” Dean said. “In other words, it’s not just scientific, because sex is more than just biological.” Now that there is greater acceptance of the LGBT community than when he was growing up, Dean acknowledges how the class can be helpful. He desires to give people a better understanding of sexuality, whether they are homosexual or heterosexual. “It’s hard to imagine what it would’ve been like if there was a class like this back in my day,” Dean said. “The laws have changed and in general there’s a greater acceptance and a greater knowledge out there of gay, lesbian and queer themes, so people are curious.” Seeing the enthusiasm at the UB Drag Show instilled pride and passion in the drag performers, such as Hodnett. “Performing is an expression and an escape to me and a chance to say what I’m feeling without saying it outright,” Hodnett said. “I become another person onstage, channeling the emotion of the song and how it applies to my life, and just living in the moment, trying to entertain a group of hundreds of people for the few minutes I have on stage.” Hodnett spends two and a half hours prepping his makeup and costumes for a 10-minute performance. That time commit-

ment makes his time on stage all the more enjoyable, Hodnett said. Dean took his Queer Theory class to watch their fellow classmate as a learning experience. “[Dean] is very, very unique, but the first thing that I would say about him is that he is an extremely intelligent, witty, funny, learned man,” Cala said. School fascinated Dean at an early age. But he knew it had to be more appealing to get people into it. He was always interested in literature and remembers being younger and thinking he could do a better job than his teacher. He remembers that philosophy every time he steps in front of his classroom. “I try to either broaden people’s horizons or blow their minds,” Dean said. At 19 years old, Dean seized the opportunity of a lifetime and came to the United States to work at a camp as a dishwasher in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. Though it wasn’t the best job, he took the free trip to the states as a chance to travel around the world. “I was always fascinated by the Americas,” Dean said. “It’s a crazy place.” As an undergrad in Britain, Dean developed an interest for American Studies and decided to change his major. During his junior year, he had a second opportunity to visit the United States, as a study abroad student at Brandeis University just outside of Boston, Mass. He has lived in the United Sates ever since. Though there are some gay students in Dean’s class, there are others who are just curious and want to learn about sexuality. “I never questioned my sexuality until I took a course like this, where I got a different standpoint: breaking down why societal norms are how they are or why people treat a certain sexual identity the way they do,” Cala said. One of the challenges of teaching Queer Theory, according to Dean, is finding the best vocabulary to approach the topic of sex. “If we talk about [sex] in a very rarifying, expert, scientific language and technical language, it’s very far removed from how anybody lives it,” Dean said. “So how do

you talk about [sex] in a way that people can relate to and understand without being completely vulgar or completely pornographic? That’s what I try to balance.” Touchy subjects like sex and homosexuality may be considered unsuitable or inappropriate in an educational environment, but Dean disagrees. “Human sexuality is about more than reproduction,” Dean said. “You need something other than the church on one side and Internet pornography on the other side to educate people about sex.” As Dean embarks on his 20th year of teaching, retirement is the furthest thing from his mind. He is 47 years old and, in his eyes, he could continue teaching for at least 20 years. Dean’s students agree that he shouldn’t retire anytime soon, according to Cala. “Every single time I walk into that classroom, I know that I’m going to walk out with something thought provoking and something new,” Cala said. “I feel like the respect that he has for us shows in the way the conversation takes place in class.” Even with all of his scholastic accomplishments, there is one thing Dean desires most: time. “I would rather have more time in my life than more money,” Dean said. “What

I would like in a way is more time to read, write, think and do more research.” Dean hopes his students will walk away with two important things. First, he wants students to understand the range of sexual desires, practices and identity is much greater than society assumes. “Society tends to divide it into gay and straight, but life is much more complicated and rich,” Dean said. Dean also strives for his students to understand there are conceptual ways to examine sex. While guys in college are continually thinking about sex when they contemplate how to get laid, according to Dean, those students are not fully grasping the political or analytical aspect of sex. Dean strives to make his students think. “Queer theory is important because it challenges the ideas which have been assumed by the gay rights movement at large,” Hodnett said. “All too often, we start accepting ideas held across a collective society to be true. Queer Theory turns those ideas around to show the other side is worth considering and allows us to continue re-evaluating the intentions and strength of our arguments in favor of equality.” Email: features@ubspectrum.com

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