VOL. 69 NO. 36 | MARCH 2, 2020 VOL. 69 NO. 36 | MARCH 2, 2020
The
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950 THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
International Issue
UBSPECTRUM UBSPECTRUM
STUDENTS SHARE THEIR FAVORITE CULTURAL RECIPES PAGE 5
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL PLAYERS OVERCOME OBSTACLES, EMBRACE CHALLENGES PAGE 6
ITALY STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS CONTINUE DURING CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK PAGE 5
Puzzling Pathways: Students concerned with UB general education topics
PROFESSOR MOPELOLADE OGUNBOWALE SHOWS STUDENTS HIP-HOP’S INTERNATIONAL PAGE 8 EFFECTS
Analysis finds UB administrators make combined $23 million more than their peers’ average
LASA wins International Fiesta Club’s performance portrayed domestic violence, highlighted Saturday’s theme of ‘resilience’
THE FULL GALLERY OF INTERNATIONAL FIESTA IS AVAILABLE AT UBSPECTRUM.COM
UB says financial analysis is based on ‘perspective,’ students say it’s based on analyst’s ‘expertise’ JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
ALEXANDRA MOYEN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
At the end of its International Fiesta performance Saturday, the Latin American Student Association stormed the Center for the Arts stage, holding signs to protest domestic violence. The display was the final emotional moment in the club’s first-place victory at SA’s annual dance competition. It marked LASA’s fourth win since 2011, with a performance that illuminated domestic violence within the Latin American community. And the routine emphasized this year’s theme of resilience as 11 clubs performed in front of roughly 1,500 audience mem-
bers at the sold-out show. Judges scored clubs on creativity, choreography and story line, according to Omran AlBarazanchi, SA International Council Coordinator. LASA’s first-place dance portrayed the story of a domestic violence survivor who searches for the strength to leave her abuser. Indian SA and Pakistani SA finished in second place with a collaborative performance that also portrayed a theme of domestic violence, as last year’s firstplace club, Korean SA, came in third with a performance encouraging the audience to break from societal norms.
Anthony Vargas, LASA president, said domestic violence is “prevalent” within the Latinx community but isn’t widely talked about. “It’s such an important issue, it’s very critical to us in making sure that we got our message out to the public and showing that as Latin Americans we are resilient to whatever we face –– domestic violence or whatever else,” Vargas said. LASA’s dance told the story of an abusive relationship, starting with bachata, a SEE FIESTA PAGE 4
ThomAs ATehorTuA / The SpecTrum The LaTin aMeriCan STudenT aSSoCiaTion won firST pLaCe aT ThiS year’S inTernaTionaL fieSTa. The perforManCe ShowCaSed The iSSue of doMeSTiC The LaTinX CoMMuniTy.
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UB spends over $23 million more on administrative salaries than the average of their “peer institutions,” according to an accounting professor’s independent financial analysis report. The analysis, conducted by Eastern Michigan University’s Howard Bunsis, found roughly 13% of the money UB spends on salaries is on upper administration. It also cites faculty salaries are $20,615 less than the average at “peer institutions” and found UB had a 22% decrease in the amount of assistant professors it hired between 2009 and 2020. The report calls UB’s financial reporting “less transparent” than any of the over 100 universities Bunsis has examined over the last 15 years. The analysis comes roughly one year after the UB Living Stipend Movement commissioned Bunsis to determine UB’s “financial condition and situation.” Bunsis analyzed UB’s “actual financial results” instead of its budgets and compared UB to schools it considers “peer institutions.” The 12 public AAU institutions are: -University of California San Diego -University of California Los Angeles -University of Arizona -University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -Rutgers University -University of Iowa -University of Wisconsin-Madison -Pittsburgh University -Stony Brook University -University of California Irvine -University of Michigan -University of Washington LSM members said Bunsis’ figures revealed that “UB is not prioritizing its research mission.” SEE ANALYSIS PAGE 2
2 | Monday, March 2, 2020
NEWS
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ANALYSIS FROM PAGE 1
“It is clear that there should be less spending on administration, and more spending on the core mission,” Bunsis wrote in an email. But UB spokesperson Kate McKenna says Bunsis’ report is based on his “perspective” and that UB received a copy of the report and is reviewing it. “What we do know is that the conclusions and assumptions Mr. Bunsis has reported are based on his perspective, using only publically available online data, and without communicating with university administration,” McKenna wrote in an email. “The report is drawn from past fiscal years and is not knowledgeable of or reflective of budget planning or economic forecasts of the university.” Bunsis explained in the report that his analysis relied on “actual financial results” because analyzing budgets is “not the best way to make the assessment” and that UB’s recent budgets are not publicly available. “Trying to rely on budgets to assess the financial health of an institution is not the best way to make the assessment,” Bunsis wrote. “... In addition, if there was a 2019-20 budget for UB that was publicly available, I would analyze it. However, it is not publicly available, and neither are prior budgets. The lack of publicly available financial information for UB is unlike any of the roughly 100 public universities I have examined. This lack of transparency is alarming.” Mike Montoro, a mathematics Ph.D. student and the UB Council’s student representative, said “the two most important numbers” are administrative salaries ($23.5 million higher than UB’s “peers’” average) and the decrease in assistant professor hires (22% from 2013-19). “Those two numbers to me show a university more concerned with the ‘look’ and ‘managing’ of excellence than the core values it takes to get to that point,” Montoro wrote in an email. “It shows what LSM [has] wondered, but never been able to certifiably say all along: that UB can pay for a living wage for [graduate assistants],
The Spectrum Archives The Living Stipend Movement protests at Capen Hall in 2019. LSM commissioned Howard Bunsis’ independent financial analysis
invest in the educational mission of the university and make this university a better place to live and work. But administration just doesn’t want to.” McKenna noted that, while independent, Bunsis became involved when UB graduate students “hired” him through a “gofundme fundraiser.” But Montoro said faculty, alumni, the UUP and the GSEU unions financed Bunsis’ analysis, in addition to contributions from some graduate students. “Many graduate students at UB can barely pay for food, let alone pay for a financial report by a nationally renowned professor of finance,” Montoro said.
Macy McDonald, the co-chair of LSM and an English Ph.D. student, said Bunsis’ report cannot be “reduced” to his “perspective.” “Dr. Bunsis’ perspective is informed by his expertise,” McDonald wrote in an email. Ariana Nash, an English Ph.D. student, wrote in an email that Bunsis’ analysis is based on publicly available data, which she says should be “sufficient.” “The university statement seems to suggest that using ‘only’ publicly available data is a problematic approach, but as Bunsis’ report notes, such publicly available data is usually sufficient to understand a univer-
of
UB.
sity’s finances,” Nash wrote in an email. “... The university admits its own attempt to betray the public in suggesting that such data is insufficient for determining the state of the university’s finances.” Willis McCumber, an English Ph.D. student, said Bunsis’ decision to base the analysis on “actual financial results” is a “strength” of the report and said it allows the community “to infer what the priorities of the upper-level administration are.” Alexandra Moyen contributed reporting to this story. Email: julian.grmela@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @GrmelaJulian
OPINION
ubspectrum.com
Monday, March 2, 2020 | 3
Please direct your fantasies to Pornhub Stop sexualizing my samesex relationship
TAYLOR AJITSINGH STAFF WRITER
When I walk down the street with my significant other, I know people look at us. Some of them catcall. Some whistle. And I know why. It’s because I’m holding hands with a woman. No, we are not just best friends, we are in an exclusive relationship. I am dating a woman. She is intelligent, beautiful, kind and the emotional connection I have with her is unmatched. But a lot of people –– particularly men –– do not understand that lesbian relationships exist (because it’s so hard to fathom a relationship without a penis involved). But the thought of a relationship that doesn’t revolve around penetrative sex escapes their minds. I get constant text messages, Instagram DMs, private chats on Snapchat, basically on any messaging platform you can think of, fetishizing my relationship. People often make creepy, distaste-
ful comments. It’s borderline harassment from men trying to seem quirky and flirty. Is it so difficult to understand that real relationships exist outside of heterosexuality? As a bisexual woman, I’ve had my fair share of experiences with men, and I’ve been attracted to both genders. But this does not mean I will have a threesome with you and my girlfriend. Being in a relationship with my girlfriend of three years does not get boring, and no, I don’t need a man to “spice up” our relationship. And no, I can’t just take it as a compliment. Yes you’re calling my girlfriend and I attractive. I get it, we know, trust me. But knowing you are probably turned on by the thought of two girls kissing, I just don’t want to hear it. Keep it to yourself, nasty boy. Live your fantasies in your head, not in my DMs. And the reactions we get when we’re together in public aren’t any better. I feel creepy stares when we kiss, men winking at us when I glance in their direction. One time, a guy asked us to have a “ménage à trois” right to our faces. All I could do was nervously laugh and walk away. How do you even react to something like that? Where do some men get the audacity? Whenever I tell a man I’m in a relationship with a woman, their instant reply is, “That’s sexy.” Guys have told me they enjoy watching women make out, it turns them on. But it disgusts them when they
see two men making out. See the correlation here? After having these encounters with multiple men, I realized it was a fetish men like to play out in their head. And I realized they were trying to play it out in real life with me and my girlfriend to make their fantasies a reality. But we don’t swing that way, please direct your fantasies to Pornhub. When I’m in a committed relationship –– with a man or a woman –– I am only committed to one person. And I happen to be committed to a woman. I’ve heard it all before, and quite frankly all these messages and comments about my significant other and I are getting old. It’s time for men to realize a woman doesn’t need a man to love and we are doing just fine on our own, no men in sight. It’s easier to avoid these comments in real life. I just don’t take people’s catcalls, gestures and whistles into account. But social media is a different story. I want to show off my girlfriend. I want people to see this is what a loving, healthy relationship looks like. Some people get it, their “fave couple ever!” or “goals af ” comments make me ecstatic. But every time I post a couple photo, the DMs inevitably come rolling in. Men boasting about how they can “take both of us” or trying to invite themselves over with the manipulative “she doesn’t have to know,” when in reality, I wouldn’t be interested even if I was single.
These private remarks –– because no one’s ever bold enough to say it publicly –– make me feel like I’m doing something wrong. Should I not post photos with my girlfriend? Am I attracting the wrong attention by showcasing my relationship to the world? And I know I can do whatever I want, they’re my social media accounts. But it makes me not want to post anything with PDA involved. And I feel so bad for her. Because I hesitate before posting pictures of us kissing, and it makes my girlfriend insecure. It makes her think that I don’t want to show people how happy I am in my relationship. It makes me say things like “No, I’m not ashamed or embarrassed by you! Please don’t ever think that.” I can’t believe those words come out of my mouth to my girlfriend sometimes, it’s just so f--king sad. Knowing that men probably masturbate to our couple pictures makes me sick, and I can’t do anything to stop it. No matter how many times I tell someone to f--k off and leave my girlfriend and me alone, it is never enough. There is always someone new with the same thing to say. But I’m not asking for much. All I want is respect for us and other lesbian couples that willingly showcase their love to the world. Two women who love each other do not need a man in the relationship. And if our relationship is something you’re not used to, get used to it or keep it to yourself. Our love is not your pleasure. Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com
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CORRECTION VOL. 69 | NO. 35 Thursday’s front-page story on the plastic bag ban mentioned Campus Dining and Shops selling $5 bags, but CDS never released a price point.
MONDAY MARCH 2, 2020 VOLUME 69 NUMBER 36 CIRCULATION: 3,000
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4 | Thursday, April 19, 2018 FIESTA FROM PAGE 1
Dominican style of dance, depicting how she and her abusive boyfriend met. The performance went on to show her battling with her emotions –– whether she should stay or leave –– before standing up to her abuser. Omer Rana, Pakistani SA president, said the club was “excited” to embody resilience through dance because it allowed performers to convey experiences they have “on a daily basis.” Rana said Southeast Asian cultures often have a “mindset” that women should be submissive to their partners. Through the performance of acrobatic flips and tight choreography, the clubs wanted to combat these stereotypes and demonstrate Southeast Asian women’s resilience. “We want to showcase [that] that’s not true, and that women have the power to stand up and fight for equality and fight for getting through what they’re going through,” Rana said. “We know they can get through it, they have the resilience to get through it.” Inha Jung, dance captain for KSA’s dance team Casanova, said she wanted the club’s dance to reflect problems that those in Korean society face. The dance told the story of a girl taught how to live her life at a young age and who later breaks free of social norms. “Life is actually yours, not our parents so that was our focus and then how a lot of people in Korea are saying, ‘we have a good country, but like it’s good if we have lots of money,’” Jung said. “So we showed lower-status people reaching for money and how the younger ones showed the money is not happiness.” Nanzeeba Ahmad, a junior biomedical sciences major, said each group did “amazing” and being a part of the audience was “exhilarating.” “Even though ISA, PSA and LASA had the same theme, they portrayed it in a completely different manner,” Ahmad said. “I just think it was a great idea to choose resilience as the theme, because it’s important as college students for us to learn [resilience] and I’m glad that we got
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to see it in a variety of light.” Vargas said building “bonds” during practices was more important than going home victorious. “Our job was done when we had fun out there and we left it all on the stage and we made that family bond and that’s what matters,” Vargas said. “You know, it’s not about the placement, it’s just about how much love and family bonding we create with each other here in LASA and any club.” Looking back, AlBarazanchi is glad he chose resilience as the theme because it is “relevant” to many students’ lives. “There are a lot of times where we get knocked down in life; that’s not the problem. The problem is our will to get back on our feet,” AlBarazanchi said. “That’s what resilience is and a lot of countries have special stories for that and I hope that they got to display this here through their performance.” Email: alexandra.moyen@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @AlexandraMoyen
Vindhya Burugupalli | The Spectrum The Korean Student Association came in third. The act depicted societal pressures faced by Koreans.
Thomas Atehortua | The Spectrum The Indian and Pakistani Student Associations performed together and came in second place. The performance was about domestic violence and pressures faced by Indian women.
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Monday, March 2, 2020 | 5
Around the world in four plates UB students share their favorite cultural recipes LIA SITRIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Student Union may be one of the most popular places for UB students to grab their grub, but some students say the impersonal feeling of campus food leaves them craving something a little closer to home. UB has students from 115 different countries, many of which aren’t represented as a part of the university’s on-campus dining options. In order to commemorate the diverse dishes that haven’t made their way to campus, students told us their favorite recipes from home.
Vietnamese cultures in her family meals. When it came to picking her favorite food, Tran said the Vietnamese tomatobased bún riêu was the obvious choice. The contents of the dish are staple flavors in Vietnamese cooking and contain some of Tran’s favorite ingredients: tomatoes and crab. For those who don’t like seafood, Tran suggests bún bò hue, a spicy beef soup with a strong umami profile or bánh xèo, a crepe-like omelette with unlimited filling options.
Russian Zharkoye
Larry Novofastovsky, a sophomore accounting major, grew up with a kitchen stocked with classic home-cooked Russian foods such as zharkoye, a nostalgic dish that Novofastovsky’s grandmother typically prepared. This traditional meal consists of potatoes, vegetables and beef combined in a stew that’s broiled for hours.
Indian Butter Chicken
Butter chicken, a common Indian dish, is a favorite of junior mechanical engineering major Kaustubh Fukey. The iconic recipe can taste different every time you eat it. Whether it’s homemade or store-bought, the unique mix of spices allows for experimentation in flavor. Ingredients like cumin, garam masala and cilantro make this dish the perfect introduction to the world of Indian cuisine. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Chinese Mooncake
Jason Xu, a sophomore business administration major and Chinese Students and Scholars Association president, invites everyone to look deeper into Chinese culture with the Chinese Mooncake. Xu is from Shanghai and said the dessert is a representation of the “full moon” and sharing with loved ones. This cake is primarily made during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, a harvest festival like Thanksgiving. Mooncakes are offered in multiple flavors, the most common being redbean, nuts, and Xu’s favorite, coconut.
Vietnamese Bún Riêu
As a first-generation American, sophomore business administration major Abby Tran enjoys a combination of Cantonese and courTesy oF FlicKr user sTuArT spivAcK Two MoonCaKeS on a pLaTe.
UB’s Italian study abroad programs continue during coronavirus outbreak UB advises students to take precautions, avoid crowds, wash hands REILLY MULLEN NEWS EDITOR
Registration opens March 9.
Get ahead. Study abroad. Pursue a special interest. Study here—or anywhere in the world—and earn UB credit! Choose from more than 2,000 credit-bearing courses on campus. Not in Buffalo this summer? Choose from more than 200 online courses. FIND A COURSE OR TWO THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU AT
UBThisSummer.buffalo.edu.
UB is recommending students studying abroad in Italy stay there amid the country’s coronavirus outbreak. There are currently 11 UB students studying abroad in Italy with UB’s Rome, Florence, Tuscania and “Three Cities” programs, as well as a foreign exchange program with University of Rome La Sapienza. UB recommends the students don’t return to the U.S. during a recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) with 1,694 confirmed cases and 34 deaths in Italy as of Sunday afternoon. Some regions in Italy are under quarantine and other universities with study abroad programs in Italy have either recommended or sent their students back to the U.S. SUNY says it will continue online classes at the SUNY Incheon campus in South Korea and will require those on campus to wear protective face masks but has not made a public statement regarding the Italy program. Mary Odrzywolski, director of UB’s Study Abroad Programs, says UB’s recommendation follows federal advisories. “We are not recommending UB students to return home from Italy at this time. This is in line with the current U.S. Department of State travel advisories for Italy,” Odrzywolski said. “If students choose to do so, we will assist and coordinate with the host institution as needed.” Other New York schools sent students home from the region, helped them book
flights and organized quarantines for when they arrive back in the U.S. Syracuse University suspended its Florence study abroad program on Feb. 25 and is helping 342 students return to the U.S. New York University cancelled classes at its Florence campus between Feb. 27 and March 2 and will begin holding classes online after the hiatus. SUNY Stony Brook University is requiring a “mandatory preapproval” before students and faculty travel to Italy, South Korea, China and Iran. Students and faculty must request permission from the president’s office before going on university-related trips to these locations and before using university funds, according to Stony Brook’s student newspaper The Statesman. Coronavirus reports have spread across the globe, with 88,312 confirmed cases and 3,001 deaths worldwide, as of Sunday afternoon. In the U.S., there have been 73 confirmed cases and one death. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced New York’s first confirmed coronavirus case Sunday evening and, in a statement, wrote there “the general risk remains low” in the state. Northern Italy has quarantined 11 towns and more than 50,000 people of its 27.8 million population in order to conduct virus tests on people, regardless of whether they show symptoms of the virus to prevent potential spread. UB recommends students follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s health precautions, including avoiding close contact with others and crowded areas, washing hands with soap or using hand sanitizer, avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth and covering noses and mouths while coughing or sneezing. Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @ReillyMMullen
SPORTS
6 | Monday, March 2, 2020
ubspectrum.com
International connection European football players overcome obstacles, embrace challenges JUSTIN WEISS | SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
J
ordan Avissey never expected to be here. Not in a stadium. Not on the gridiron. And certainly not here — illegally climbing a barbed-wire fence at midnight to work out at the local football field in his home country of France. With cuts on his hands and tears in his eyes, Avissey persists. He does push-ups, squats and sprints. He imitates the movements of college football players — the same American college football players he spent his teenage years admiring from afar. He would watch highlight reels on YouTube. He wanted to be one of them. Two years later, he is. But while his future UB teammates were playing high school football under the bright lights of the southeastern U.S., Avissey was sneaking onto these lo-
AndreW pAlmer | The SpecTrum offenSive LineMan aLain SChaerer (LefT), defenSive end Jordan aviSSey (MiddLe), and LineBaCKer faBian weiTZ (righT) SpoKe aBouT Their eXperienCeS Being The onLy Three MeMBerS on The TeaM froM europe.
cal football fields, determined to leave his mark on the game. As one of three European and nine international players on the UB football team, Avissey leaves his mark at UB Stadium everyday. Like German linebacker Fabian Weitz and Swiss offensive lineman Alain Schaerer, Avissey had to overcome obstacles as he navigated his way to the U.S. And like Weitz and Schaerer, his determination has earned him a home in the Queen City. The football players aren’t the only international athletes to descend on Buffalo; almost every UB team has brought in at least one player from overseas, as UB boasts athletes from 20 different countries. The women’s tennis team has a nine-per-
son roster comprised exclusively of international athletes. The women’s basketball team has eight foreign players, including two women from Germany and one from Nigeria. International student-athletes serve as a support system for one another, Avissey said. They are also crucial to attracting more international athletes. “Once you get a couple guys, then you get a chance to get a few more,” said Rob Ianello, the recruiting coordinator for the football team. According to an Oct. 2019 NCAA report, there has been a 58% increase in the number of international student-athletes in D1 football between 2013 and 2018. In Europe, the game is still in its early
stages. But more kids are gaining exposure to the sport at a younger age. Not Weitz, though. He started off playing soccer like most European kids. He aspired to be a fútbol star. But he eventually lost his love for the game. When a friend asked if he wanted to join the local football team, he decided to give it a go. “I didn’t really know anything about it,” Weitz said. “I just knew that they had helmets and shoulder pads. That’s it.” Schaerer didn’t see a future in American football, either. He had every intention of becoming a professional bodybuilder and was “skeptical” of the sport, because he feared it would interfere with his workout program and his sculpted 230 lb. frame.
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Monday, March 2, 2020 | 7
Where are UB Football’s international athletes from? illusTrATion By pAolo BlAnchi
And like Weitz, Schaerer admits he didn’t — scouts, coaches, support staff, family members, teammates. know much about the sport. “I think we’re always looking for an “I said, ‘If I play American football I won’t be able to build as much muscle as edge,” Ianello said. “We’re always looking if I train every day at the gym,’” Schaerer for someone who can help our program. said. “But then I watched college football Whether they’re from New Jersey or Monvideos, and I was like, ‘I want to play at treal or Tampa or Québec, we’re going to that level at some point.’ That’s what made evaluate those guys, and if they’re a fit for our program and the stars align, then we’re me start to take it seriously.” Once the three Europeans started to going to do everything we can to have embrace the sport, they realized coming those guys.” to the U.S. to play at a D1 level would be harder than they thought. There are already the challenges that come with being an international student — language and cultural barriers, adapting to life in a new In his teenage years, Avissey chased his country. But for football players, there’s a different set of obstacles, including learn- dreams all the way to Canada, where he ing how to overcome barriers while also played football in south-central Québec. getting to know, and above all, communi- Without his family, he moved to a brand new high school, in a brand new country. cating with your teammates. Luckily for these players, there’s an ex- While he was often homesick, he underisting network of people that are willing to stood the deeper reason behind his travels: he was giving the sport all he had. help make the transition easier. “Sometimes, you have to make a move,” Their stories are as much about them Avissey said. “That’s a lifetime decision. I as they are about their support system AdHoriz-UBSpectrum"ChiliDiver".qxp 10/22/19 11:14 AM Page 1
‘I was overlooked in high school’
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felt like that’s an opportunity, a chance I was looking for. I told my family I have a chance to play football overseas. That’s it.” Avissey isn’t alone in making sacrifices. Schaerer didn’t have any D1 offers coming out of high school, so he committed to the New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college located in the southeastern part of the state. He had little interest in joining a military institution, but he wanted to play football at the collegiate level. So he chose to put his pride aside. “I thought it was only formations and uniforms before I got there, and that’s it,” Schaerer said. “But then I got there, and it’s like, ‘Where the f—k am I?’ I stayed there because it was my only chance to play under scholarship.” The military institute was “24/7 military,” according to Schaerer. There was a merit system. And, as he remembers, “you get smoked if you do something bad.” But he still persisted. For football. “The most difficult thing was the school itself, not the states,” Schaerer said.
TIME
O N LY
For all three players, the biggest challenge in playing at the college level was finding a school willing to take a chance on them. Unlike their peers in the U.S., international student-athletes have limited opportunities on the recruiting trail. They don’t have access to the on-site football camps or in-person coaching evaluations that American high school students receive. What they need is a champion. Someone to admire. Avissey and Weitz found that in Brandon Collier. Collier is a hulking Cleveland native with short black dreadlocks, stubble on his chin and broad shoulders. He speaks softly but talks confidently about his accomplishments — team captain at UMass, defensive tackle with the Philadelphia Eagles, two-year CFL veteran. In 2017, Collier founded PPI Recruits, a recruiting database that helps connect foreign high schoolers to prospective Di-
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8 | Thursday, April 19, 2018
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‘Hip-hop is everywhere:’ Professor Mopelolade Ogunbowale shows students the genre’s international effects Ogunbowale brings the world-wide phenomenon of hip-hop to the classroom with her international approach to Hip Hop and Social Issues ALEX FALTER STAFF WRITER
Mopelolade Ogunbowale has dedicated her life to studying different cultures. And when she took over UB’s popular Hip Hop and Social Issues class, she decided to carry over her own international focus to teaching one of the world’s most popular genres. Hip-hop originated in Brooklyn in the ‘70s, but Ogunbowale wants to teach her students that there is so much more to the genre than its American roots. Ogunbowale started teaching Hip Hop and Social Issues in spring 2018 and aims to take students out of their comfort zones, showing them an expanded world of hiphop they may have never heard before. And she’s using her own experiences and studies to take them there. Ogunbowale grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and her parents exposed her to outside cultures through travel and religious and political texts at an early age. She would read about black resistance politics and study the Quran, even while growing up in a Christian home. Above all, she remembers seeing extreme wealth and extreme poverty “side by side” in Lagos, which inspired her to dedicate her college studies to the “cultural expressions of the urban poor.” And after finishing her undergraduate studies in 2009, Ogunbowale enrolled in Canada’s University of Guelph to study history and international development. She remembers hearing professors talk
about Africa in degrading ways, which hurt her. “I was very upset, because even if those locations were poor, I lived there, and I saw our young musicians were trying to make good music, but also they were using music to display their own transnational connections,” Ogunbowale said. “They were materially poor, but they were culturally and intellectually rich because they were trying to learn history beyond their own location.” Her advisor Dr. Cecil Foster, former Transnational Studies chair and current professor, encouraged her to come to UB to research different cultures. She wrote her dissertation at UB on African music and how it is influenced by the continent’s ideologies of religion, gender and sexuality. Ogunbowale began teaching Hip Hop and Social Issues, a class of 60 students, shortly after. Ogunbowale took over the class, which was created and made popular by Dr. Kush Bhardwaj, and now emphasizes the international influences of the
genre, something she says wasn’t as much of a focus in previous years. “If I was going to teach that class and make it very authentic, I had to teach it as an internationalist from the perspective of an outsider coming in,” Ogunbowale said. “Hip-hop is a global culture; everybody across the world looks to hip-hop.” Clarence Mosley, a computer science major, says the class changed her perspective on hip-hop. “First I thought of hip-hop as an art form of African American people but now I think of it as a collection of the voice of marginalized youth” Mosley said. Ogunbowale doesn’t only teach her students the various current forms of hiphop, such as grime in Britain, but also the genre’s roots. In her class, she teaches students about the Caribbean reggae and dancehall music of the ‘70s and how it paved the way for today’s hip-hop. For Ogunbowale, it’s crucial to understand the history and politics of the countries she teaches about in order for stu-
dents to learn about their hip-hop scenes. “It’s a lot more research on my own part to jump around the world and make sure I know the story of this country and bring it to the class” Ogunbowale said. And students agree that Ogunbowale’s approach to the class is enlightening. “This class has given me the opportunity to view hip-hop outside the lenses of an American culture which I’ve been indoctrinated with my whole life,” said junior chemistry major Ade Thompson. “It has opened my eyes to how across the world, it’s been used to bring people together.” But while not every student in the class ends up embracing hip-hop the way she does, Ogunbowale said the songs she plays in her class end up becoming some of her students’ favorites. “At the end of the semester, if I don’t achieve anything else, at least they’ll have a larger playlist that includes artists all around the world,” Ogunbowale said. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
mATTheW romAnyK | The SpecTrum profeSSor MopeLoLade ogunBowaLe LeCTureS aBouT MoroCCan MuSiC and iTS infLuenCeS on friday.
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12 | Monday, March 2, 2020 FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 7
vision-I schools. Avissey was drawn to Collier in October 2018. He seemed to understand Avissey’s recruiting concerns on a personal level, likely because Collier went through the same struggles at Avissey’s age. As a high school senior, Collier was looking for a home at the Division-I level. But while some high school seniors have access to a network of recruiting professionals, Collier wasn’t so lucky. He had to recruit on his own. He learned how to call coaches and make his own highlight reels. He made a habit of waking up at 2 a.m. to make promotional tapes. He would send them out in the mail, using all the money he had. It’s in that vein that after his playing career, Collier decided to travel overseas and help others do the same. According to PPI’s website, “European clubs need to be made aware that scholarships are attainable, and NCAA programs need to be made aware of the significant talent in Europe.” Avissey saw the successes of PPI Recruits and noted that Collier had strong relations with the Buffalo coaching staff. He was glad to see that Buffalo already had players from Montreal on its roster. He also felt at home in Buffalo, which in many ways mirrors some of its neighboring cities to the north. During the winter of 2018-19, he visited the Queen City. Shortly after, he made it official –– he would be attending UB. The Queen City is culturally similar to Canada: pleasant, friendly people who em-
brace the cold climate and play the same sports. “He was in tears about getting an opportunity,” Collier said about Avissey. “He saw what I was doing with kids, and the guy was in tears.”
‘You’ve gotta think outside the box’ For the Bulls, recruiting international prospects isn’t as much of a choice as it is a necessity. Playing at the hypercompetitive Division-I level, the Bulls need every competitive edge they can get, which means looking for players in places where other — often larger — programs aren’t looking. Since teams like UB can only offer 85 full-ride scholarships, they usually look for players who can make a more immediate impact, but international prospects often play for shorter periods of time before college. The Bulls have proven to be an exception. “Maybe you can find a guy you feel like you can develop, who has a good skill set, who top-rated Power Five schools might not take because it will take him longer to develop, and you can turn into something good,” Ianello said. “That’s what our program is — to find those guys and help them develop into good football players.” Collier says UB’s drive is a result of playing in the shadow of larger programs. “They play in a lower level in Division I, so you kind of have to take chances on kids that have this opportunity, because
you’re not Alabama or Clemson,” Collier said. “So you’ve gotta think outside the box recruiting and that’s what Buffalo is doing.” Just as the French and Canadian athletes at UB helped Avissey ease into his surroundings, they also helped UB recruit other international players, serving as a foundation for recruiting. The Great White North, in particular, is a hotbed for UB football because it shares a border with the Queen City. “When you think Buffalo, you think Canada,” Avissey said prior to the 2019 season. Ianello credits people like Collier for making international prospects more accessible for North American teams. “There’s more people playing football internationally now, there’s good quality football in some parts,” he said. “And there are a couple of organizations out there who help find European players — like [Weitz] and [Avissey]. They help you find them and evaluate them.”
‘It was pretty hard at first’ For Avissey, familiarity is everything. He grew up in a French-speaking household and attended high school in the Frenchspeaking province of Québec. To be able to play football at UB, a school that borders Canada and already has a number of French-speaking players, means everything to him. “It’s a treat to be with people who have the same background as me — they come from the same place, I can relate to them,”
ubspectrum.com Avissey said. Safety Dev Lamour, offensive lineman Tomas Jack-Kurdyla and tight end Julien Bourassa all hail from Québec. And men’s basketball center Josh Mballa is from France, making it an easier transition for Avissey. Like the other two Europeans, Avissey is sometimes overwhelmed in his new country. But he stresses the importance of focusing on the task at hand. “I know why I am here,” Avissey said. “I stay focused. Sometimes, it’s tough when there’s family gatherings — things like Thanksgiving and Christmas. But you just have to stay strong mentally. Sometimes it’s rough, but I have support here.” Weitz admits that he sometimes feels homesick. But he has made a home for himself in the Queen City, has a support system and has shared similar experiences with many other international studentathletes. “I have two homes: I have my home in Cologne, Germany and my home in Buffalo,” Weitz said. Avissey says the key to being comfortable as an international student-athlete is to always remember the deeper reason behind it all. “Sometimes, you just have to jump into the water,” Avissey said. “You have to put your whole body into it. If you keep in your mind where you’re from, you’ll never make it. So when I got here, I said, ‘Okay, so now I’m here, I’m settled down. I’m building my roots here.’ I have started feeling at home.” Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @jwmlb1
The countries in dark blue are home to UB’s international student-athletes
The full gallery, which includes the athletes’ names and cities of origin, can be found at ubspectrum.com
Men’s basketball falls to Akron Bulls tied for fourth in MAC with Ball State FINESS DICKSON ROBERT SALISBURY STAFF WRITERS
UB men’s basketball (18-11, 9-7 MAC) lost a hard-fought battle to the Akron Zips (22-7, 12-4 MAC) 86-73 at Alumni Arena Saturday afternoon. The Bulls got off to a hot start, making their first four shots of the game and jumping out to a 10-2 lead. Sophomore forward Jeenathan Williams led the Bulls in scoring in the first half and flirted with a double-double, tallying 16 points and collecting 7 rebounds. He finished the game with 18 points and 9
boards. The Bulls were hot from beyond the arc, with 21 of their 38 first half points coming from 3-point range. Head coach Jim Whitesell kept his squad fresh as he played 10 different players in the first half, five of whom hit at least one 3-pointer. UB held the lead until the last four minutes of the first half when Akron junior guard Loren Cristian Jackson ignited a 9-0 run, giving the Zips a lead by one with 4:04 left. From there, Akron and UB traded blows with four lead changes in the final four minutes of the first half. At the half, UB had a mere 1-point advantage, leading 38-37.
The Bulls continued their efforts in a close second-half battle with a number of electrifying highlights. Junior forward Josh Mballa contributed a pair of and-one layups midway through the second half, finishing the game with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal. Sophomore guard Ronaldo Segu also added 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks, displaying consecutive skillful finishes to energize the Bulls with 9:32 left in regulation. Senior guard Antwain Johnson added 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and junior guard Jayvon Graves contributed 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks to the Bulls fight. Jackson led the Zips, tying his career high in points with 35 while adding 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
A series of Jackson’s field goals extended the Zips’ lead 80-73 with 2:25 left in regulation. An Akron dunk sealed the game in the last 1:25. With the loss, the Bulls continue to pursue fourth place in the MAC as they approach tournament play still tied with the Ball State Cardinals (16-13, 9-7). “I’m not worried about anything else but Miami [Ohio],” Whitesell said. “You play for Tuesday night’s game. We have to rise up and play sharper [and] better, be more complete on both ends of the floor.” UB will host the Miami (OH) RedHawks (12-17, 5-11 MAC) on senior night Tuesday at Alumni Arena. With a win, the Bulls could solidify a first-round bye for MAC tournament play. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com