THE SPECTRUM VOL. 68 NO. 44 | APRIL 15, 2019
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
Black Student Union remembers Nipsey Hussle
> SEE PAGE 4
UBSPECTRUM
Campus Critters: Your pets, your pics
Football finishes spring season
> SEE PAGE 5
> SEE PAGE 8
UB student in stable condition after alleged Sigma Pi hazing incident
UB President Suspends all social Greek life activites TANVEEN VOHRA
SPECIAL TO THE SPECTRUM
UB freshman Sebastian Serafin-Bazan was in stable condition Sunday evening, after an alleged hazing incident at Sigma Pi fraternity in University Heights sent him to the hospital in cardiac arrest early Friday morning. Neighbors reported seeing paramedics perform CPR on Sarafin-Bazin, a medical technology major, as he lay on the grass outside the 69 Custer Street house around 12:30 a.m. Friday. Neighbors described a chaotic scene as police spoke with hesitant students trying to leave the scene to avoid talking to police. In response to the incident, UB President Satish Tripathi suspended all Greek organization activities on campus on Friday afternoon, pending an “internal review.” Tripathi also visited Serafin-Bazan in the hospital on Saturday afternoon. Spectrum reporters spent Saturday in the University Heights talking to students and trying to piece together what happened. Most students did not want to give their names. Police and health professionals said they were bound by privacy laws. The Spectrum learned that members of Sigma Pi allegedly “ordered” Serafin-Bazan to “perform exercises,” according to The Buffalo News article. He was allegedly recovering from a respiratory ailment and was taken outside for “fresh air” after he fell and hit his head on a coffee table. The Buffalo News wrote there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in Serafin-Bazan’s system. Roxanne Anderson, a Custer Street resident said she called 911 after seeing Serafin-Bazan lying on the front yard.
DAVILA TARAKINIKINI | THE SPECTRUM Adam Rodriguez recalls seeing ambulances arrive at 69 Custer Street on Friday.
DAVILA TARAKINIKINI I | THE SPECTRUM UB freshman Sebastian Serafin-Bazan was rushed to the hospital early Friday morning following possible hazing involving Sigma Pi fraternity at 69 Custer Street.
“I came and I see the guy lying in the yard. And I stood yelling to him … but he didn’t respond. So I walked in and called 911,” Anderson said. Anderson said she went back to her apartment, but came back on the scene after a neighbor told her ambulances had arrived. Adam Rodriguez, a junior medical exercise major who lives on Custer Street, said he watched as paramedics performed CPR on Serafin-Bazan. “I’m pretty sure they had an AED plugged in on him,” Rodriguez said. He described seeing students moving around the house and said he saw two talking with paramedics and firefighters. He said one of the students “looked like he was trying to make a run for it.” The student was “backing up” while speaking with a firefighter and then tried to walk away, before a police officer escorted him back to the scene, Rodriguez said. “It’s not until they loaded the patient into the ambulance where one of the kids was like, ‘Okay I was lying,’” Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said he didn’t know what the student was referring to. UB spokesperson John DellaContrada
Greek life reacts to Tripathi’s suspension of all activities BRENTON J. BLANCHET, BENJAMIN BLANCHET EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Many UB students involved in Greek life were disappointed with President Satish Tripathi’s decision to indefinitely suspend all official fraternity and sorority events. Friday’s suspension came after freshman
Sebastian Serafin-Bazan was hospitalized following a possible hazing incident with fraternity Sigma Pi. The suspension bars students from participating in Greek Week, an annual week-long celebration where over 35 of UB’s official fraternities and sororities host events and fundraisers. The Spectrum reached out to over 50
SAI SEETHALA | THE SPECTRUM Jared Houghtaling, a junior accounting major, discusses UB’s suspension of all Greek-life activities. The suspension came after freshman Sebastian Serafin-Bazan was hospitalized Friday.
said the incident qualified as possible hazing under New York State laws, which define hazing as when a person “intentionally or recklessly” engages in conduct that causes a “substantial risk” of physical injury to another VINDHYA BURUGUPALLI | THE SPECTRUM person. Hazing is a Class A misde- Roxanne Anderson, a Custer Street resident, said she saw meanor when it results in physical Serafin-Bazan laying on the ground when she got home from work. injury. Individual members, chapters plied to social fraternities, sororities and and organizations can be sued in civil court for any mental or physical harm re- their events. Greek Week, scheduled for next week, is now canceled. sulting from hazing. UB Spokesperson John DellaContrada The Spectrum reached out to six curwrote in an email that Weber will be formrent and former members of Sigma Pi, ing an “internal review committee” exbut none responded. Current members amining each Greek organization’s health blocked student reporters on social media. and safety, educational programs, policies and practices with a “special focus on antiUB’s Response Tripathi sent a statement to all students hazing.” Associate director for Student Engageat 2:30 p.m. on Friday, saying UB has a ment Jude Butch, and director of Fraterni“zero-tolerance” policy on hazing. He also ty and Sorority life Pamela Stephens-Jackannounced he had suspended all official Greek-life activities and would “strongly son declined to comment for this story. UPD Deputy Chief Joshua Sticht said counsel” Greek organizations on the “very he could not comment as it is an active inserious consequences of hazing.” vestigation. “Not only are hazing incidents a violation of our university policies, but they are also crimes.” Tripathi wrote. Vice President for Student Life A. Scott Weber sent out a student-wide email clarifying that the suspension of activities apfraternity and sorority members for their thoughts on the suspension but only two agreed to talk on the record, while others blocked editors on social media or refused to comment. But Greek-life events and fundraisers are known to annually raise thousands for charities nationwide. For example, UB’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter has raised $3,154 this year (as of Sunday) toward the Ability Challenge, a fundraiser set to support people with disabilities. The fraternity placed second in a nationwide chapter competition in March. And Greek week is when a lot of this happens. Greek life members know the university’s response shows its serious approach to the incident on Friday and hope that the victim is okay and surrounded by his family. Still, the students said they consider it unfair to punish all organizations for the poor choices of a single group of students. Jared Houghtaling, a member of Sigma Tau Gamma, was upset that the charity events his fraternity planned for Greek Week might not be happening. “It hurts us as a whole Greek life but it also hurts the people we’re putting our money toward,” Houghtaling said. Houghtaling, a junior accounting major, said he thinks the university could have > SEE GREEK
LIFE REACTS | PAGE 4
Hannah Stein and Vindhya Burugupalli contributed to this story. Email: news@ubspectrum.com.
UB Commons owners seek $4.3 million property value reduction in court
Town of Amherst assessor says UB Commons’ property ‘data’ doesn’t support its claim BENJAMIN BLANCHET ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
UB Commons owners are in State Supreme Court with the Town of Amherst over its 2017 property assessment value of $7.5 million. The mini-mall’s owners claim its realproperty value is $3.2 million, or 57%, less than the town’s assessment. The reduction would have an effect on the town’s tax revenue, and a town assessor said he hasn’t seen data to back up the reduction claim. “While I’m not trying to downplay any reduction, we also have increases [in value],” said David Marrano, a Town of Amherst assessor. “It’s all about equity and fairness, I want to be fair and equitable to people but, quite frankly, what [UB Commons Inc.] has given us doesn’t provide us any data to support why our number > SEE COMMONS | PAGE 4