VOL. 69 NO. 34 | FEBRUARY 24, 2020
Lance Leipold agrees to contract extension through 2024 PAGE 2
UBSPECTRUM
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Students express pride in black culture at Goodyear Hall poetry slam
Double trouble: Freshmen softball pitchers embrace their opportunities
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UB PharmD on probation Students need more hospital hours or program could lose accreditation ALEXANDRA MOYEN REILLY MULLEN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR ASST. NEWS EDITOR
UB’s PharmD program was put on probation on Feb. 6 for not offering students sufficient experiential learning opportunities to meet national standards. The Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education determined that PharmD, UB’s clinical pharmacy program, did not offer enough chances for students to work in hospitals and on medical rotations. Some students did not get enough hours, while others did not get high-impact experiences in a hospital or pharmacy. ACPE accreditation assures the quality of PharmD programs. If the school lost its accreditation, some employers may not accept UB degrees obtained while the school is unaccredited. The program currently has 502 students. The Spectrum reached out to roughly 40 pharmacy students for comments, only one spoke on the record. Two refused to give their name, one refused to comment, two referred responses to the dean and the rest did not respond in time for publication. Pharmacy school Dean James O’Donnell said the school is correcting the error and
that UB was in compliance with 23 of 25 ACPE standards. He declined to comment on the deficiencies in the experiential learning opportunities or to say how the errors in scheduling occurred. PharmD will remain on probation until ACPE approves the changes in the program, according to Rebecca Brierley, Assistant Dean of External Affairs. Last week, O’Donnell emailed students and said the department will fix its program to comply with the requirements. O’Donnell insisted the “issues are being addressed and the UB PharmD program
remains compliant with all other ACPE accreditation standards.” He did not say how many rotations needed to be added or how many students are affected. He also would not say who put the program in place or why no one at UB recognized that the rotations were not compliant with ACPE standards. In an email, he called it “a personnel” issue. O’Donnell said the pharmacy school’s Office of Experiential Education has “a new leadership team” and is taking “steps” to restructure its curriculum “to ensure UB meets ACPE’s standards for all cur-
Puzzling Pathways: Students concerned with UB general education topics
Email: news@ubspectrum.com
BenJAmIn BlAnCheT | The SpecTrum the ub pharmacy building on south campus.
Mechanical smackdown Engineering students compete, UB American Society for Mechanical Engineers wins annual Bot Wars in Student Union REILLY MULLEN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
UB hosts an annual fight club. But it isn’t an underground ring pitting students against each other for Dining Dollar prizes. It’s engineering students battling with
handmade, remote-controlled robots. The Student Union turned into a battlefield Friday as UB Engineers Week came to a close with the annual Bot Wars –– a competition between engineering clubs where student-built machines battle. Sixteen teams entered this year’s competition, some with multiple bots. Students must build their robots in accordance with certain specifications including a 50-lbs weight limit and 24-volt power limit. Students can reuse bots up to four years in a row. During this year’s showdown, the UB American Society for Mechanical Engineers took both first and second place,
rent and future students,” O’Donnell said. He stressed that the school remains accredited and “can continue to grant all degrees and admit incoming students.” Current students “will graduate, can sit for board examinations and take all licensure examinations,” he said. ACPE reviewed PharmD in October 2019. The Spectrum does not know if the school was aware of the deficiencies before the review or what the timeline is for UB to fix the problems. Eddy Pudim, a junior PharmD and Master in Public Health program candidate said he is not worried about the probation. “Honestly it didn’t really phase me at all,” Pudim said. “I heard some other pharmacy schools in New York had the same issue during their previous accreditations, and as long as they made the necessary changes there was nothing to worry about.” Hampton University recently lost its accreditation due to poor educational outcomes and lack of progression in February. The university received an eight-year accreditation in 2015 but was put on probation in 2017. The school is appealing the decision to remove its accreditation and will be placed back on probation until a decision is made. A letter was sent to students saying that the degrees earned until 2023 will still be considered earned at an accredited institution.
with bots named Doorstop and Ankle Biter, respectively. Battlebots always draws a crowd and this year was no exception with roughly 70 students gathering around the stage during each round to watch. The five-hour event was also streamed on the SU TVs for spectators to get a better view. Jon Sitter, UBASME vice president and junior aerospace engineering major, was excited to see all the bots that entered the competition and was pleased with his team’s performance. “I am very happy with how the competition went this year,” Sitter said. “[There were] lots of cool designs and the most bots I have seen entered into this compe-
tition. I look forward to next year to see what the engineering clubs come up with.” Each robot has a different tactic for how it attacks the enemy. Matthew Aungst, a senior geographic information science major, won the competition last year and said a robot’s weight is important for its performance. “We are able to push all the other bots,” Aungst said. “Our tactic is that we’re a wedge, so we want to push the other robot into the wall and maintain control of the center of the ring.” Senior aerospace engineering major Adib Ahmed’s team’s tactic was more violent. He said he’s less worried about maSEE ROBOTS PAGE 4
mATThew romAnYK | The SpecTrum industrial and systems engineering maJor Josh hulburt (leFt) and mechanical engineering maJor troy kilian (right) make repairs to their robot aFter Winning in the arena during the previous round.
NEWS ubspectrum.com Lance Leipold agrees to contract extension through 2024
2 | Monday, February 24 2020
Head football coach has built a consistent winner in UB JUSTIN WEISS SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Football head coach Lance Leipold signed a contract extension that could keep him in Buffalo through the 2024 season, UB announced Friday morning. Leipold currently earns an annual base salary of $465,000 with additional compensation of $150,000 and his salary will remain under the same terms, according to
The Buffalo News. Leipold, 55, led the Bulls to their firstever bowl win this season. Under his command, the Bulls have won 24 games over the last three seasons, the most wins over a three-year span in school history. “I’d like to thank President Satish Tripathi and [Director of Athletics] Mark Alnutt for this extension for our staff,” Leipold said in a press release. “We greatly appreciate the support of our administration in our pursuit of MAC championships and bowl appearances.” Leipold became head coach on Dec. 1, 2014. In five seasons at UB, he has
amassed a 31-32 record and led the Bulls to two bowl games, including December’s Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl win over Charlotte. Before he came to UB, Leipold spent eight years as the head coach of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team. He led the Warhawks to a 109-6 record and six Division-III national championships, and became the quickest coach in NCAA history to reach 100 career wins. Leipold has helped build the Bulls into consistent winners, but in an unorthodox manner. Since taking over the reigns, Leipold has struggled with recruiting, but
has done particularly well with player development. “I’m very appreciative of Lance Leipold’s unwavering commitment and dedication to building a championship caliber football program here at UB,” Alnutt said. “This program has seen outstanding growth and success both on and off the field during his tenure. I’m excited to work with Lance and his staff as we continue this positive trajectory for many years to come.” Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com
sIddhArTh BAndhu | The SpecTrum head coach lance leipold speaks With his team during a timeout.
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OPINION
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Monday, February 24 2020 | 3
Give me healthcare or give me death Living with a chronic condition during the war on healthcare
REILLY MULLEN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
My insurance company hates me. In the last six months, I’ve had two visits with my primary care physician, three with my gastroenterologist, I’ve filled three prescriptions, had two rounds of bloodwork and one surgical procedure. I take three daily medications. A sixweek prescription of one of them is priced at $4,154. I have lymphocytic colitis; a chronic, non-curable form of irritable bowel disease. It causes my body to produce too many white blood cells that are stored in
the walls of my colon. These white blood cells prevent my body from absorbing water and nutrients, which cause rapid weight loss, nausea, dehydration, fatigue and a host of other draining symptoms. I am 19 years old and I will have to take steroids to combat this cell production for the rest of my life. And I’m lucky to be on my parents’ insurance plan, but once I turn 26 I will be responsible for either procuring my own insurance, or footing my extensive medical bills myself. After college, I plan to pursue a career in journalism, but the average yearly salary of a journalist in New York is $46,000 a year and most broadcast journalism contracts are two-year plans with very few benefits. In comes Bernie Sanders to my rescue. “Medicare for All” –– his plan for universal healthcare –– is a hot-button issue. The plan promises no out-of-pocket expenses, insurance premiums, deductibles or copayments. These expenses can pile on top of the already astronomical cost of seeing a physician. Whether you think healthcare should be considered a human right or not, it is a law that would impact all of our lives.
Those who support universal healthcare know that our current system does not favor those with pre-existing and chronic conditions. Pre-existing conditions are medical conditions that start before a person’s insurance plan goes into effect. This includes conditions ranging from asthma to cancer. Until 2014, insurance companies were allowed to refuse coverage for pre-existing conditions. While this is no longer allowed, insurance companies still find loopholes. Not to mention, insurance companies don’t like paying for “frequent fliers” and 133 million Americans are diagnosed with chronic illnesses –– medical conditions that last longer than three months. People with chronic illnesses also rack up hefty copay bills between doctor visits, lab work and prescriptions. And the current Medicaid system only covers people over the age of 65 or those considered disabled, and coverage varies based on your income and the state you live in. My condition doesn’t qualify me as disabled, so I would not qualify for Medicaid. But I would qualify for Medicare for All. Medicare for All would cover the cost
of my daily steroid. Medicare for All would cover the copays for all of my doctor’s appointments. Regardless of the practicality and ease of taking down the privatized insurance machine, Medicare for All is for the greater good. The argument for the current American healthcare system is that it gives people greater choice. But what about the people who can’t afford a choice at all? I should not harbor a fear of turning 26 and losing my parents’ insurance. I should not fear going to the doctor because I may not be able to afford the copays or medications. A bottle of pills that I need to survive should not cost $4,000. People who suffer from chronic or pre-existing conditions face endless worries. But our politicians and healthcare workers should be supporting those in need. Whether you “feel the Bern” or not, I’m not asking you to support a politician. I’m asking you to support human beings. Do not add to the suffering of sick people, people like me.
right one. It’s been hard to tell whether my attempt to embrace my new-found political freedom was really just limiting my ability to effectively exercise my rights as a voter. There has never been a member of the Green Party elected to a federal office, and while the number of elected Green politicians throughout the country may have been 143 in 2016, that’s still nothing compared to even just the 232 democrats serving in the House of Representatives today. The chances of a Green Party candidate ever making a significant dent in the presidential elections are slim at best and some even argue that the presence of a thirdparty candidate only serves to skew elections, taking votes away from major-party members. This sentiment rang especially true in the 2016 presidential race where many political analysts credited Green Party politician Jill Stein for giving the presidency to Donald Trump because she took votes away from the democratic candidate, Hilary Clinton. I will probably never end up voting for a Green Party politician in a major election for this exact reason. So, why don’t I just make the official jump to Democrat? Our country is currently dominated by two major ideologies that many citizens don’t even whole-heartedly believe in
themselves, but feel forced to align to due to the lack of political mobility. This year, after much deliberation, I made an active choice not to change my party registration for the 2020 presidential primaries. Even now, I still feel uneasy that I won’t be able to officially cast my ballot for Bernie Sanders, but I just decided I value my right to political mobility more than one primary election. I don’t believe that being in the Green Party will increase its influence in the current political system, but I do believe that by choosing to stick by an organization that resides with my beliefs, I am exercising the political expression I was so excited for at 18. I’m not going to cave under the political machine just because it’s not easy being green.
Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @ReillyMMullen
It’s not easy being green The problems with being a Green Party member and why I don’t plan on changing parties
ISABELLA FORTUNATO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Every kid grows up waiting for those big milestone birthdays that define their path to adulthood. Many idolize turning 16 because they can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a car. Others look forward to 21 so they can have their first legal drink. But I always looked forward to 18 so I could finally fulfill my civic duty to vote. Soon enough, the fateful day of adulthood approached. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I was going to love registering for a party I was passionate about and trying to do my small part to bring positive change to the world. But I registered for the Green Party. At the time, I was really confident in my
decision. I determined, after many hours of contemplation, that I wanted to be true to what I believe and affiliate myself with a political party that best represents my values. The Green Party is the fourth-largest political party in the U.S. and advocates strongly for environmental reform and preservation. Some of the more major platforms they support include the Green New Deal, legal status for immigrants, Medicare for All, and even Puerto Rican self-determination. And after reading this, I was quite confident the Democratic Party just wasn’t the right pick for me. Anyone would tell you I’m devastatingly liberal, though. In fact I’m so far left that I find I don’t agree with many aspects of either of the major political parties. The whole idea of a two-party system, in which the candidate with the most money often ends up bringing home the gold, just wasn’t appetizing for me. As I slowly started to come out to my friends about my rather radical registration, they repeatedly told me what a complete idiot I was for registering for a third party. No one understood why I would possibly give up my right to vote in major-party primaries, and as the first presidential democratic primary elections of my political enlightenment advance, I can’t help but question whether my party choice was the
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4 | Monday, February 24 2020 ROBOTS FROM PAGE 1
neuverability because he hopes to damage the other robots before they have a chance to strike. “We made a watch track with spikes. Our damage is going to be the spikes with momentum,” Ahmed said. “Our goal is to go fast before the other robot can charge up its weapon and then damage them or push them to the spikes.” Teams spend anywhere from weeks to years building their bots. Senior electrical engineering major Eric Johnson’s team spent a year building each of their two robots, but teams like senior mechanical engineering major Michael Zhina’s spent significantly less time. “My team has been working on this robot for a couple weeks now,” Zhina said.
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“So we’re glad we could get it up there.” With such fierce competition, the teams needed to make adjustments between each battle. They could be seen, screwdrivers in hand, tinkering with wires trying to improve their bots’ performance and survive to the next round. “The first round didn’t go so well. We had some connection issues,” said sophomore industrial engineering major Joshua Hulburt. “But in the second round we were able to improvise. It’s not something too serious, we’re all just trying to have fun.” Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @ReillyMMullen
mATThew romAnYK | The SpecTrum (right) Josh hulbert smirks as his team’s robot pulls ahead to solidiFy a Win in their First round. (beloW) michael Zhina Focuses in as his team’s robot stops Functioning in the middle oF their First round.
Fantasy Island becomes a fantasy Local amusement park closes, students share memories NEIL KAVANAUGH STAFF WRITER
Fantasy Island, an amusement park in Grand Island, permanently closed on Wednesday and students are reflecting on the childhood summers they spent there. Apex Parks Group, the California-based company that owns the park, officially shut it down and began dismantling the rides and attractions after the announcement. Apex has not addressed whether it will refund season ticket holders their $69.99 for the coming 2020 summer season. Students say they will miss the amusement park, which opened in 1961, but so will the town of Grand Island, which depended on the amusement park for seasonal employment and tax revenue. Fantasy Island quickly became a fan-
favorite among Buffalo rollercoaster and waterpark enthusiasts after its introduction in the ‘60s. But the park’s performances are what really made students, go to Fantasy Island. Joseph Carl Tripi III, a sophomore architecture major, has fond childhood memories of the park, especially Fantasy Island’s “Wild West Shootouts”: performances featuring guns with blanks and a climactic fall at the end, where a cowboy actor would fall off a roof onto a mattress. “My favorite thing to do was to watch the Wild West Shootouts,” Tripi said. “I was always mesmerized with how a person could fall off a roof like that. There was nothing like it.” While the park has been popular among locals, it faced challenges in the past, including rapid changes in ownership. In 1982, Fantasy Island faced its first bankruptcy. Charles Wood, then-owner of Lake George’s Storytown USA theme
park, purchased the park then sold it in 1989, only to buy it back in 1992. Martin DiPietro bought the park from Wood in 1994, and held onto it until he sold it to Apex in 2016. Apex has not addressed whether it will look for a new buyer, but it seems unlikely as the company is dismantling Fantasy Island and selling it piece by piece. Among the rides for sale is the main attraction and most iconic piece of the park, the Silver Comet. Michael Lesniak, a sophomore political science major, said it is “odd” that Fantasy Island closed down after so many years. “Fantasy Island was a key place in the childhood of many Western New Yorkers. Rides such as the Mouse Trap and the Silver Comet created many happy memories for so many of the citizens of Erie and Niagara Counties,” said Lesniak. “It is odd to think that an integral part of my childhood is no longer open; furthermore removing the opportunity for children to
experience that joy in the future.” Grand Island Town Supervisor John Whitney said he was disappointed in the park’s closing in a public statement. “It’s a big impact on us. I would like to do whatever we could do to help the situation,” Whitney said. The park generated roughly $120,000 in taxes, a quarter of which went to the town. The park also employed full-time maintenance personnel and some residents depended on it for seasonal employment. Assemblyman Sean Ryan has joined the effort to keep Fantasy Island open in an effort to quell the blow to Grand Island’s economy. “We must focus on how to best incorporate the Fantasy Island site into the ongoing revitalization of Western New York,” Ryan said in a statement. “I stand ready to provide any assistance necessary as this process unfolds.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com.
AlexAnder Brown | The SpecTrum Fantasy island permanently closed on Wednesday aFter being in operation in grand island, ny since 1961.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Monday, February 24 2020 | 5
Students show love for black culture through art
Students express pride at Goodyear Hall poetry slam ALEXANDRA MOYEN ELIZABETH NAPOLITANO SENIOR NEWS EDITOR STAFF WRITER
Iaisha Johnson was “nervous” approaching the stage Friday night in Goodyear Hall. But once she finally stood in front of her 45 peers, she became more confident. For three minutes, Johnson shared her pride for her culture and was a force on stage. Whenever she said, “I’m black, y’all,” her audience responded, “how black?” in unity. Johnson’s poetic statement was part of Campus Living’s Black History Poetry Slam to celebrate Black History month and “highlight the most beautiful things about being black.” Johnson was among seven students who rapped, sang or read poetry throughout the night. Students spoke about their experiences being black, their love for their black culture and their desire for diversity and openness on stage. Shefa Rizvi, a sophomore business administration major, says she organized the poetry slam to “reflect” and “celebrate” the “diversity of South Campus.”
Josephina Nimarko, a junior public health major, was impressed by Johnson’s vulnerability. Nimarko, like Johnson, sees the importance of promoting community celebrations of black culture to spread positivity and lift up members of the black community. “When people think of black culture and history they tend to focus on the hardship, rather than the beauty and resistance,” Nimarco said. “These types of events are great because they focus on beauty.” Strings of lights dangled from the 10thfloor lounge entrance and set the event’s calm ambience. Lanterns stationed across the room greeted guests with warm glows and photos of notable poets including James Baldwin and Maya Angelou, and entertainers like Josephine Baker and Duke Ellington decorated lounge tables across the room. Johnson read a self-written poem to highlight how much beauty and intelligence is “rooted in being black.” “Basically, I wanted to highlight the most beautiful things about being black and I wanted to make it a bold and proud thing,” Johnson said. Johnson said the poem was about her experience being in a predominantly Hispanic high school and feeling as though black history was “overlooked.”
AdHoriz-UBSpectrum"ChiliDiver".qxp 10/22/19 11:14 AM Page 1 CourTesY oF sheFA rIZVI students sit around the stage during Friday’s poetry event.
“I didn’t have a lot of support in that way and so I would often create poems and be the one to create black events in my school,” Johnson said. Rizvi said she was “surprised and happy” with the 45-student turnout. “We started planning the event at the beginning of the semester and it’s one of the biggest events we’ve hosted since our drag program.” Campus Living recently began hosting Black History Month Poetry slams on North Campus, according to Goodyear Hall Director Kristina Collier, and after Intercultural and Diversity Center held its own, South Campus decided to create its own. Collier said Campus Living would like this event to be a tradition. “Every Black History Month we’re going to do a poetry slam, make it bigger and bigger, start getting community poets to come in,” Collier said. “I really want people to just feel involved and feel that we care about Black History Month because it's important.” Isaiah Keaton, a junior psychology major sang “Be Alright,” a self-written song about his and his mother’s financial struggles. In the song, he discussed the ways he wished he could have afforded nice things when he was living in South Carolina, but how in the end, they’re going to
“be alright.” He also read a poem which described how his ex-girlfriend “opened” him up, taught him how to express himself and “shined a type of light” he never felt before. “It’s really my goal, my dream to become a rapper, but I do write poems every now and then,” Keaton said. “I really want to try to take advantage of every open mic that I can and sort of just open up that way and get some type of attention and gain some type of fan base. But I actually love doing it.” The fight to overcome hardships was one of the night’s main themes, with the Black Student Union’s e-board reflecting on “the struggle and overcoming the struggle” of being black in America. Shane Bennett, a senior psychology major, said black history programming is important because it shows black people “are capable of excellence.” Bennett reminded others that celebrations of black culture “give a voice to black people on campus” and provide an outlet for them to be heard. “We need to continue expressing ourselves and trying to promote our history to make sure that black people won’t be erased from UB.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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March Madness, but for gamers Animal Crossing: New Horizons Next month will feature many high-profile game releases
ANASTASIA WILDS
March will be a great month for both sports and video games. As basketball fans look forward to March Madness, there are several highly anticipated video games dropping to stir up some “madness” in gamers as well.
To help readers know what’s coming up and what to look for, we’ve compiled a list of the most anticipated March 2020 releases.
ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Email: anastasia.wilds@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @AnastasiaWilds
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX MAR. 6 - NINTENDO SWITCH
In the “Pokémon” series, players typically assume the role of a human Pokémon trainer. But the “Pokémon Mystery Dungeon” subseries breaks from the usual mold by having the human character turn into a Pokémon. In “Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX,” the player wakes up without any memories of their past before being a Pokémon, creates a rescue team and goes on a journey to rediscover their lost memories. The game is a remake of the 2005
games “Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team and Red Rescue Team,” which are the original games in this subseries. At the start of the game, the player takes a personality test to determine which Pokémon they will turn into. The game itself is a roguelike roleplaying game where the player completes various jobs, fights turn-based battles and explores procedurally generated dungeons. The remake has some new game features to make it worth playing in 2020.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps MAR. 11 - XBOX ONE, MICROSOFT WINDOWS
In 2015, Moon Studios debuted with “Ori and the Blind Forest,” which quickly received widespread recognition and awards for its beautiful story, art style and music. This platform-adventure game focused on a white guardian spirit named Ori who goes on a journey to save the forest of Nibel. To progress, the player has to navigate obstacles and solve puzzles.
“Ori and the Will of the Wisps” is the sequel to the original game and follows Ori on another journey as the spirit explores the world outside of the forest. Along with the new story and areas, this sequel also implements some new gameplay mechanics. For fans of the old game and those into more indie games, this game is not to be missed.
MAR. 20 - NINTENDO SWITCH
It’s time to pack up, move to a deserted island and create your own society in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.” “Animal Crossing,” a series of games where you run a community of animal-looking characters in real-time, sees its next installment have players move to a deserted island, meet both old and new characters
and create their own island society. Along with the new setting and characters, the game will also have new game mechanics such as new premium currency, new weather mechanics and eightplayer co-op. With all this, it’s set up to be the strongest entry in the series to date.
DOOM Eternal
MAR. 20 - PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX ONE, GOOGLE STADIA, MICROSOFT WINDOWS
The 1993 “Doom” on the MS-DOS has a special place in video-game history as one of the original first-person shooters. At the time, the game’s 3D graphics were revolutionary and thus played a role in the advancement of video game design. Although this original game is almost 30 years old, the Doom franchise continues to thrive with merchandise, novels, comics and games.
After id Software rebooted the franchise in 2016, fans of the series have been clamoring for the latest installment, “DOOM Eternal.” In the rebooted universe, the player is known as the Doom Slayer who battles against creatures from Hell. “DOOM Eternal” will introduce new gaming modes, weapons, enemies, movement mechanics and more.
Persona 5 Royal MAR. 31 - PLAYSTATION 4
“Persona 5,” which originally came out in 2016, is the most recent main installment of Atlus’s “Persona” series. The series is also a subseries of the main “Megami Tensei” franchise and is one of Atlus’s most popular properties. While each main “Persona” game follows different characters and plots, the games typically focus on high school students having to save the world through RPG dungeon crawling. In “Persona 5,” players take on the
role of a high school male protagonist as he tries to balance school, social links, part-time jobs and being a phantom thief who steals distorted desires. “Persona 5 Royal” is an expanded version of the original game that includes new characters, a new area, a previously skipped semester, a new story-arc and more. It’s perfect for anyone who never got the chance to play the original or wants to return to the world of Persona for a more in-depth adventure.
King Krule sets a new bar for himself on ‘Man Alive!’ Archy Marshall continues to establish his unique sound in third studio album OWEN BRYANT STAFF WRITER
Album: “Man Alive!” Artist: King Krule Label: Matador Records Release Date: Feb. 21 Rating: 9/10 Since King Krule broke into the music scene, many artists have tried to imitate the artist, but nobody can do it quite like him. Nobody else has his gravel-gargling voice or has lived the moody, depressive yet jazzy life that defines his songs. Nobody can do King Krule quite like the man himself, Archy Marshall. During the three-year gap since his last record “The Ooz,” he has gone through multiple murky relationships, finding his soulmate, marriage and the birth of his first child. On his latest “Man Alive!” he describes all of this to great success in a short and sweet 42 minutes. Krule’s unique brand of jazz-punk is exciting and moody and every song feels like a funhouse mirror room of reverbed angst. Most of the songs on the record consist of a mix of light snare and hard, thundering bass along with some jazzy and spaced-out guitar chords. Despite this, King Krule keeps every song fresh in minimal but subversive ways that give an unexpected charm to every song. He constantly pushes himself and tweaks the formula slightly, which keeps it unpredictable in an interesting way If there’s one thing that King Krule shines at, it’s emotion. A deep soulful love or a solemn depression is where Krule shines and finds himself on most of the album’s best cuts. The first half of this album is a trip
through Marshall’s darkest moments of nothing wrong in sinking low.” existentialism and heartbreak. On songs Marshall’s lyrics are frequently delivered like “Stoned Again” and “Comet Face,” it like molasses no matter the subject, and sounds like he is wandering through life, the songs are slow and jagged but there searching for meaning through eyes red is always beauty to be found in the songs from smoke and a lack of sleep. that feel broken. These tracks are backed by wailing offMarshall ends the album off with beat saxophones that oddly complement a couple songs dedicated to his new wife Krule’s own wails of despair like “Stop and daughter. His lyrics focus on somemaking sense of things, I saw pylons stretch thing rare in a King Krule song - a bright to the east, I wasn’t sure at all why our love, becomes sorrow and withers free” on followup cut “The Dream.” After the record’s midpoint the mood slowly rises out of the depths it dug itself into and suggests toward the new love he’s found. The pairing of two highlights on the album, “Alone, Omen 3” and “Slinsky” with a seamless transition between sees Marshall using his own experience with depression to help his future wife out of hers. This is showcased on lines like “The ache and thunder in the storms of your mind, soak it in, for the rain will pass in time, CourTesY oF mATAdor reCords
future. He sings about staying off drugs, the numbness of his own depression subsiding and helping others with theirs. To follow King Krule’s career up until “Man Alive!” feels like watching a youthful kid grow up. Watching him mature is gratifying, and it has resulted in one of his strongest efforts yet with “Man Alive!” Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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SPORTS
8 | Monday, February 24 2020
ubspectrum.com
Double trouble
Madelyn Hickingbottom and Alexis Lucyshyn embrace their opportunities JUSTIN WEISS SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
adelyn
Hickingbottom and Alexis Lucyshyn have a lot in common. They’re from the same country. They play the same position. And they both committed to UB as freshmen in 2018. But they never met before last winter, when the two played on a travel team together. Now, their shared experiences have made them teammates, roommates and best friends. They are perhaps UB softball’s two most important players: freshmen pitchers on a freshman-only pitching staff. And they’re embracing it. Hickingbottom and Lucyshyn arrived on North Campus as wide-eyed freshmen from across the border. But just a few months later, they’ve learned to lean on each other for support and encouragement. The two first bonded during the U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup, where they helped their home country, Canada, win bronze for the first time in the nation’s history. Lucyshyn had a .357 batting average on 5 hits and a triple. Hickingbottom had a team-best 0.43 ERA in 5 appearances. “That was an amazing experience,” Lucyshyn said. “When I was named to that roster, it was a dream come true. It was something I always wanted to do. Playing for my country was a blessing. I can’t even explain the experience. It was amazing.” Hickingbottom and Lucyshyn may have met last winter, but their friendship has
M
Andrew Palmer | The Spectrum Freshman pitchers Madelyn Hickingbottom (left) and Alexis Lucyshyn (right) discuss their experience being on the UB Women’s Softball team during practice Tuesday
taken off since coming to the Queen City. “It was really nice because we were already friends,” Hickingbottom said. “We’re roommates, too. We have each other. We push each other to be the best.” Since the season began on Feb. 7, Hickingbottom and Lucyshyn have evenly split pitching duties. On a typical night, one will start the game, and the other will finish it. “If you want to say we have a number one or a number two, we really don’t,” head coach Mike Ruechel said. “They’re both number ones, they’re both number twos.” Hickingbottom started the first game, and has made seven total appearances on the mound, where she has allowed 19 earned runs to 27 strikeouts. She has been working up in the zone, but Ruechel said she’ll “have to learn to work occasionally down, because hitters are going to see that tendency.” Lucyshyn started the second game and has allowed 14 earned runs to 12 strikeouts in five contests. She has been strong down, but is going to have to “be able to work up in the zone” to have long-term success, Ruechel said. Hickingbottom and Lucyshyn will have their work cut out for them, but they have the drive and pedigree to be successful at the collegiate level. Hickingbottom grew up playing soccer
Men’s basketball defeats Kent State in double overtime
Bulls win a 104-98 thriller in Kent ANTHONY DECICCO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
UB men’s basketball (18-9) defeated conference opponent Kent State (17-10) in double overtime. Despite the Golden Flashes boasting a strong 11-2 record at home prior to the contest, junior guard Jayvon Graves and senior guard Davonta Jordan lead the team to victory. Graves scored a career-high 33 points, shot 50% from the field and a tremendous 70% from 3-point range to bring his team to a huge victory. Jordan also shot 50% from the field while scoring 20 points. Both Graves and Jordan hit huge shots for UB throughout the fourth quarter and overtime periods. The gripping contest also featured a career-high for Kent State senior guard Antonio Williams. Williams, who averaged 13 points per game prior to the contest, exploded with 34 points. He challenged
the Bulls all game and picked up the scoring slack when the Golden Flashes needed it. Kent’s sophomore guard Anthony Roberts also had an impressive offensive performance with 23 points. The Bulls’ stars stepped up to the plate when they needed clutch spots. Graves, Jordan and senior guard Antwain Johnson hit huge threes, responding to Kent’s immense pressure. Sophomore forward Josh Mballa showed off a strong interior presence with 13 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, as well as a strong overtime performance to help UB secure the victory. UB’s fourth-consecutive win comes at a great time, with the MAC tournament coming in March. UB will need to continue this winning streak to gain momentum going into the tournament. The win showcased the Bulls’ ability to respond to adversity, something they will have to do time and time again if they want to make the NCAA Tournament this year. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
but says she didn’t like it. So she asked her parents if she could try a different sport. “I asked [my dad] to play baseball, and he was like, ‘Maybe you should try softball,’” Hickingbottom said. Hickingbottom did, and she instantly embraced the sport. From the moment she learned how to throw a softball, she started to pitch. Living in Glen Williams, ON, she was forced into pitching because her team didn’t have any pitchers. She became invested in softball at age 14. By the time she was a senior in high school, she had her mind set on Buffalo. Even though the Bulls haven’t enjoyed much success on the diamond in recent years, she felt comfortable at the school. “My brother was always here, and I would always be coming down with my family,” Hickingbottom said. “I got really used to it. It’s just so close to where I’m from that it doesn’t feel like I’m gone sometimes. My parents can come up whenever. It’s like my parents are still with me at school.” Lucyshyn, too, has always been an athlete. Growing up, she played basketball, volleyball and field hockey. She also took part in track-and-field events. Anything she had time for and could do to keep herself fit, she did. But softball was different. Softball was always her favorite.
“I knew that was going to be my number one,” Lucyshyn said. “But if I had time to do any other sport, I loved doing it. Meeting new people, playing different sports — it’s just what I loved to do in my free time.” After beginning the season with two wins in their first three games, UB has dropped its last six contests by an 18-run margin. Over that stretch, Hickingbottom and Lucyshyn have struggled with commanding the inside part of the plate. “They’re good players. They’ve got really good skill sets,” Ruechel said. “But they’re freshmen. They have to learn how to pitch. Before getting here, you can throw the ball by people — now you can’t. Now they have to be able to hit their spots. They have to be able to come up with some offspeed pitches.” Hickingbottom and Lucyshyn are on their way. The 2020 Bulls have an unusual mix of freshmen and upperclassmen. But everyone understands the significance of the next generation of UB stars. “I know myself, there’s so much to work for. I’m just excited,” Lucyshyn said. “We’re all pushing to have as many wins as we can. Having these upperclassmen as such great role models to push us — we’re all excited to be the best we can this season.” Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @Jwmlb1
Women’s basketball snaps losing streak Bulls end their six-game drought JAKE MAZURKIEWICZ STAFF WRITER
UB women’s basketball (14-11) defeated Bowling Green (8-18) 62-56 at the Stroh Center Saturday afternoon. The win ended the Bulls’ six-game losing streak and pushed them back into ninth place in the MAC standings. The Bulls’ defense was particularly stout on Saturday afternoon as sophomore guard Aireal Dickson sealed the game with multiple late-game steals. UB has now held opponents to 59 points or less 10 times this season, going 10-0 in those games. On the other side of the ball, freshman guard Dyaisha Fair led the team with 21 points. Senior guard Theresa Onwuka had another stellar game, finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Bowling Green was red hot from beyond the arc in the first quarter, going 3-5 to take an early 11-2 lead and force a UB timeout. The Falcons, after a quick breather, extended their lead to 17-2. Finally, after a four-minute scoring drought, Onwuka hit a jumper to start a 10-2 run that would eventually cut the lead to 19-12 after the first frame. The Falcons extended their lead to 10 early in the second-quarter before junior
guard Hanna Hall drained a triple from the corner to cut the lead to 24-17. Fair went on a 7-0 run by herself, capped by a transition three to pull the Bulls to within one and force a Bowling Green timeout. The Bulls came up with a big defensive stop at the one-minute mark of the second quarter and Dickson converted on a pull-up jumper on the other end to tie the game at 29. In the second half, the Bulls earned back-to-back buckets from Onwuka and sophomore forward Adebola Adeyeye to take a 33-29 lead, their first of the game. With just under a minute to play, the Bulls went on a 6-2 run to go up 46-42. The Falcons closed the quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 47-46 lead into the fourth quarter. Buffalo would open up the final frame on a 6-2 run, thanks to a pair of Onwuka pull-up jumpers. Onwuka continued to stay aggressive as she got a bucket through contact to put UB up 54-52 with just over five minutes to play. With only 19 seconds to go and the Bulls up two, Dickson came up with a crucial steal and Fair laid it in to put UB up 60-56. That would be all the Bulls would need to secure the victory. The Bulls will return home to take on Miami (OH) (11-15) in their Pink Day Game at Alumni Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Alexander Brown | The Spectrum Guard Jayvon Graves hits a corner three in a previous game against Kent State.
Thomas Atehortua | The Spectrum Adebola Adeyeye preparing for a play during a previous home game.