The Spectrum Volume 62 Issue 22

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

The S pectrum ubspectrum.com

Volume 62 No. 22

MONday, OCTOber 22, 2012

Homecoming bluesStory on page 8

Bras against cancer Story on page 5

Landlord responds to negative publicity Jeremy Dunn discusses student complaints and housing blitzes LISA KHOURY and ERIN ELLIS Senior News Editor and Staff Writer Jeremy Dunn owns 65 houses in the University Heights. One of his tenants, Mark Vega of 66 Northrup Place, described him as an “absentee slum lord.” Students complained to The Spectrum during the past four housing blitzes about Dunn’s slow and sometimes lack of response to their frequent calls and complaints. A girl on Winspear Avenue has been calling Dunn since June to fix her shattered window. Vega asked Dunn two years ago to rid the clutter and garbage from his attic. A student has left Dunn numerous voicemails to fix his leaking sink since June. The two students besides Vega asked to remain anonymous. They were afraid of the backlash they would receive from Dunn if they gave out their names. Dunn was shocked to hear students are afraid of him. He also finds the recent negative publicity of landlords in the Heights to be unfair. Dunn is mainly focused on his longterm plan for the Heights. He wants to see his neighborhood thrive, and he’s already seen progress. Dunn began investing in the Heights eight years ago. He knows landlords who came to Buffalo 11 years ago and have done enormous upgrades to a neighborhood that was an “absolute wreck” when they arrived. While Dunn said the Blitzes are ultimately good for the neighborhood, they are interfering with his ultimate goal. Dunn said that as far as he knows, the City of Buffalo went decades without inspecting properties in the Heights. Now since 2011, city inspectors and UB Off-Campus Student Services inspect the properties twice a year. “That sort of catches the landlord in a precarious position,” Dunn said. “A wellmeaning landlord like myself, who might be on a long-term schedule like putting 10 or 20 years into really fixing that neighborhood up, suddenly looks like a bit of a ‘shmuck.’” Dunn’s tactic for addressing housing issues from residents in 65 houses is simple: prioritize. “Personally, I think he only comes around when it's time to count his money,” said Vega, a senior international business major. “He’s overstretched himself, so he really can't take care of every house.” Dunn said he delegates housing jobs to his staff: two full-time partners and repairmen, one part-time repairman and a part-time cleaning and painting person. He also has working arrangements with a master plumber and roofing company. He is the “first line of defense.” Tenants call him, and then he dispatches the appropriate person if it’s not something he can help with – like leasing plans and rent. Though it may not seem like it to the city inspectors – who often give Dunn notices to Continued on page 2

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

Bob Neuman, a senior mechanical engineering major (red), was one of many students who made an adamant case against the legislation that Director of Student Life Tom Tiberi (front) is proposing.

Students revolt against proposed Student Life legislation ‘Sledgehammer to SA’ could shift power from students to professional administrators AARON MANSFIELD Editor in Chief Student Association President Travis Nemmer is “professionally and personally” offended. The way he sees it, the Office of Student Life is saying every SA club needs a UB staff member to “play mommy or daddy.” Director of Student Life Tom Tiberi says Nemmer is wrong; Student Life is just trying to help SA.

But Nemmer is not alone in his concern. Much of UB’s student body packed the Student Union Theater on Sunday night to rebel against a new policy introduced by Student Life that would change the way clubs operate and exist. A thick spirit of angst filled the room as students attacked Tiberi, who was unsure how to answer most questions and responded almost exclusively with “I’ll write that down” or “we’ll consider it.” The policy, which spread on social media over the weekend via a MediaFire document, said it would be effective next semester. But upon hearing the students’ passionate concerns,

Tiberi retracted that timetable and said, “This is not a rule in effect.” As of Sunday night, it is a proposal that will be discussed and modified between Student Life and the SA executive board over the course of this school year. The reason for the chaos? The policy states every club must have a university adviser, cannot be dual-recognized and must be annually re-recognized by Student Life, among other things. Essentially, it shifts a lot of SA power to Student Life. Continued on page 6

An evening with Cam and Mitchell Modern Family stars gratify CFA audience

RACHEL KRAMER Senior Life Editor In a venue that holds approximately 1,744, a near-capacity crowd focused on two people this weekend. That duo managed to take the venue and turn the atmosphere into that of the typical American living room. On Saturday night, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell of ABC’s Modern Family) and Eric Stonestreet (Cameron) came to the Center For the Arts for a night of discussion, laughs and quality time with their fans at UB. The first half of the evening consisted of the actors interviewing each other, while the second half was an open forum for fans to ask the Modern Family couple anything they wished. Ferguson and Stonestreet play a gay couple and fathers to a toddler on ABC’s hit series. Since the show’s premiere, the two have been considered a representation of gay culture in American society – a topic they immediately confronted on Saturday. Ferguson, who is an active member in the LGBTQ community, commends Hollywood for its encouragement and use of gay characters in shows and films, and he hopes his time on Modern Family has helped pioneer the change. “We have to remember the social relevance,” Ferguson said. “I think for some people, we make them think that since Cam and Mitch are a gay couple, maybe it’s an ‘in’ for other people to think: ‘Oh, if [they] are gay, then maybe it’s OK if I am, too.’” Unlike his character on the show, Stonestreet is not gay. According to Stonestreet, his epiphany came while filming the pilot. Stones-

Inside

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

On Saturday night, UB was treated to a visit from Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell) and Eric Stonestreet (Cameron).

treet’s character continuously used the phrase, “Oh my God, do you love it?” He realized how similar the character was to his mother – a passionate, maternal figure. From there, Stonestreet took cues from the woman who raised him. In recognition of his performance, Stonestreet received an Emmy this year for Best Supporting Actor. The audience responded well to the dynamic duo and appreciated how their onstage chemistry mimicked their chemistry on the

show. Their witty banter throughout the night coupled with finishing one another’s sentences, which kept the audience clapping and laughing along with the actors. One highlight of the show included Stonestreet and Ferguson answering a question about their craziest college stories. This moment received the loudest roar of laughter of the night. Ferguson and Stonestreet both admitted to getting arrested. Continued on page 5

Opinion 3 Life, Arts & Entertainment 5,6 Classifieds & Daily Delights 7

Sports 8


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The Spectrum Volume 62 Issue 22 by The Spectrum Student Periodical - Issuu